The curious case of the ten million dollar painting that sold for $40K

He Thought His Chuck Close Painting Was Worth $10 Million. Not Quite - ran the NYT headline about a long-lost Chuck Close painting and the nice dog-walking guy who had been gifted the painting.

Have you ever had this fantasy? You befriend a curmudgeonly stranger and one day, out of the blue, the old grouch bequeaths you a gift to change your life.

For most of us, that fantasy is priceless. But for Mark Herman, a former dog walker now living on Social Security, an auction house in Dallas told him exactly how much that fantasy was worth.

Read the story here.

November is National Adoption Month

National Adoption Month acknowledges and celebrates adoptive and foster families that help create safe and supportive homes and families for children. 

In November of 2020, my wife Libby and I made the decision to expand our family through adoption. Now, three years later, we celebrate 15 months with our daughter Penny and we couldn't be happier. The adoption process quickly changed any assumptions we previously had and provided us with much insight as to the many personal, emotional, and legal obstacles involved. Our story is just one of a million ways that a family can be created.

- Cory Oberndorfer

Artwork and Donations 

 

For the remainder of the month of November, 33% of sales of Cory's work will be donated in your name to The Barker Adoption Foundation, an adoption nonprofit. Barker has been serving our area for the past 78 years, placing more than 8,000 children into the welcoming arms of adoptive parents and providing counseling and related support services to more than 30,000 women and families who are considering placing a child up for adoption. Their compassionate services and inclusivity align with the values important to the Oberndorfer Family. 

Shop

Visit Cory's online shop to see available works or request new commissions. Larger paintings and commissions are also available by request. You may also contact him directly at cory@coryoberndorfer.com.

The curious case of the Washington Post censoring cartoonist Michael Ramirez

Another great example of the Washington Post doing the talk, but not walking the walk.

"I Was Canceled for a Cartoon About Hamas' Human Shields. I Stand by My Cartoon—and Its Critics" says cartoonist Michael Ramirez, whose recent cartoon about mass murdering terrorist Ghazi Hamad was recently censored by the Washington Post.

Cartoon by Ramirez that was pulled from the Washington Post
© Michael Ramirez/Las Vegas Review-Journal for the Washington Post

Ramirez eloquently notes:

This cartoon was designed with specificity. Its focus is on a specific individual and the statements he made on behalf of a specific organization he represents—their claims of victimhood, and the plight of innocent Palestinians used as pawns in their political and military strategy.

That person is Ghazi Hamad. The caricature of the central figure looks like Ghazi Hamad.

The organization is Hamas. The main figure in the cartoon is labeled Hamas.

Hamad's words and the innocents bound to him as human shields and their forced martyrdom reflect the official position of Hamas.

Hamas is a terrorist organization that blames Israel for the attack on civilians, but ignores its own complicity in their suffering. It was Hamas that first launched the attack on Israel, continues to use civilian infrastructure as cover, and restricts the evacuation of Gaza civilians from areas which Israel has given advanced warning of strikes.

Gaza civilians are victims. Hamas is not.

It's ironic that those who criticize the cartoon for overgeneralizing and stereotyping cannot seem to distinguish between a known terrorist group and Palestinians. And it's a tragedy that their only way of coping with the truth depicted in my cartoon is to erase it from view.

Shame on the Washington Post decision makers, who once again prove that their backbone has a clear weak point when it comes to standing up to the woke mafia.

Read about it here.

New art exhibition opportunity for Prince George's County artists

Attention Prince George's County Artists

New Call for Arts for

"Collective Ground"

Submissions are now being accepted for "Collective Ground" the 2023 annual exhibition of artwork by Prince George’s County Artists in the Prince George’s Delegation of the Lowe House Office Building, in Annapolis, MD.

DEADLINE: 11:59PM on December 8, 2023

For details, visit: https://m-ncppc.submittable.com/submit

What's your favorite work of art?

I originally asked in 2007 and got many, many great answers.

My favorite?

Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley at the National Gallery of Art. It seeks to depict an event that took place in Havana, Cuba, in 1748.

The naked guy in the water is fourteen-year-old Brook Watson, who was attacked by a shark while swimming alone in Havana harbor. Lucky for Watson, some of his mates were already at sea waiting to escort their captain ashore, and were able to fight the shark and rescue Watson, although the shark bit one of his legs off. On his return to England, he got his fifteen minutes of fame and Copley painted this work.

If you study the painting carefully, you will realize that Copley probably had never seen a shark in his life, and his depiction of the great white in Havana harbour yields one of the most ungainly and ugliest non-sharks fish things ever painted.

I love to sit in front of this painting and watch people as they walk by and get mesmerized by the brutal event taking place and kids making fun of the shark.

What is your favorite work of art? Not just DC, but from wherever you [reader] hail from? Email me your favorite and I'll post it!

Hi-lined at sea

 

That's me being hi-lined from USS THORN to USS JOHN KING, somewhere in the Med in the early 80s...

Two Campellos at UNDER $500 in Baltimore

 

UNDER $500 Benefit Exhibition and Sale: Friday, November 17 | 6 to 10 pm  | Tickets $30 

Last Chance (physical): Saturday, November 18 | 12 to 4 pm

Virtual Exhibition & Sale: Saturday, November 18, 10 am - Black Friday, November 24, 12 am

Deck the walls by giving the gift of art this holiday season! Maryland Art Place (MAP) is excited to host its 11th annual UNDER $500 affordable art sale where artwork is sold on a first-come-first-served basis right off our gallery walls! UNDER $500 promotes the purchase of artwork by artists in the Maryland region. Guests can expect to mingle with other artists, collectors, patrons, and general art enthusiasts at the event. Take your purchases home with you the night of the event. Gift wrapping will be available on-site! 

Ticket & Registration Link: https://UNDER5002023.givesmart.com

About UNDER 500: 

This year UNDER $500 will be both a physical and virtual event. The opening night sale (physical) will take place Friday, November 17 from 6 pm to 10 pm (ticketed) and then again on Saturday, November 18, 2023 from noon - 4pm (free). Saturday is a ‘last chance’ opportunity to snag any artworks that remain on MAP’s walls. All participating artists get FREE admission to the physical event on Friday, November 17th.  This year’s theme is WINTER WONDERLAND! 

The virtual sale and exhibition will also take place and will be featured online HERE from Saturday, November 18 at 10 am – Black Friday, November 24 at MIDNIGHT. Artwork will NOT be available to view online until November 18 at 10 am. 

These two works of mine will be available for sale - both under $500!

Sleep is the Cousin of Death
by Florencio Lennox Campello, circa 2021

Woman Walking in Baltimore
by Florencio Lennox Campello, circa 201