Michael's Legacy, Pencil Studies and New Authentication Process
/As I sit down to write this, it is exactly five months to the day since Michael passed away. Through the months of sadness and struggle since December, I have become sure of one thing: I am incredibly happy with the way we are honoring his legacy as we move forward, making sure his art ends up on the walls of his admirers and is authenticated for the rest of time.
Here is some news from the studio about how we are making that happen.
Michael’s Pencil Studies
For Michael, the creation of a pastel painting was a multi-faceted journey that always began with a spark. For example, an idea might strike while we were sitting in the hot tub. One night I asked, “Have you ever done a Roman gladiator painting?” We would talk back and forth, or he might draw inspiration from friends and admirers like you. The culmination of those conversations, combined with his inevitable research, determined the artwork's final look and feel.
Before ever moving to the easel, Michael captured his vision in a preliminary pencil study. These sketches are the actual genesis of his ideas, the skeletons that lie beneath the “colorful dust,” showing the raw, unfiltered intent of the piece.
We have spent a lot of time inventorying these amazing works, and as we previously mentioned, we are finally ready to begin slowly releasing them. For those who wish to own an authentic piece of Michael's art, these pencil studies are not only the most affordable option, but quite honestly, the most intimate glimpse into his creative process.
A Celebration of Life
In preparation for the party this summer celebrating Michael’s life, I have combed through dozens of hardcover art books, magazines, and periodicals for quotes Michael made about his work. They are very entertaining, and it feels like he is sitting right next to me when I read his words. He truly embodies the things he is quoted saying. He was humble, he was astonished that people wanted to buy his work, and he was a smart-ass whose art pieces were always so cleverly named and themed.
What he said quite often, in so many words, was: "I sell them as I do them and try not to keep them; they need to be on a wall and not in my studio." To honor that philosophy, we purposely made the choice to keep Michael’s original pencil studies at the same price point originally set by Michael, although they are worth much more. We want you to have the opportunity to own an original piece of artwork by Michael Breyette.
Authenticating the Future (with Help from Huxley)
We have created a process for uniquely authenticating every piece of art that leaves the studio. I had been signing the backs of recent shipments with my cat-scratch of a signature to ensure those prints could always be traced back to this studio. But since the original pencil studies were never signed, we needed something better.
So now Huxley, our Dachshund/Jack Russell and Michael’s fur kid, is authenticating his dad’s prints with his cute little footie paw print. I know Michael LOVES this. And it really is Hux’s print! He wasn’t exactly cooperative in getting his paw inked and stamped, but we did it, and then digitized it into a stamp and an embossment device.
Original Sketches: Each of Michael’s pencil studies will come with a Certificate of Authenticity, just like his original pastel paintings.
Unsigned Prints: All prints will receive a combination of our new studio logo and Huxley’s separate paw print, done in colors and combinations that only we know.
This way, all of Michael’s artwork will always be traceable back to his studio.
