Monday, December 8, 2008

Christopher M. at The 5th annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival!



Christopher M. was chosen as the Official poster artist for the 5th
annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival. The event was a
huge success! He met many celebrity and well known nationally
recognized chefs at the events leading up to and during event.

Exclusive Collections Art Gallery hosted the kick off poster
signing party Tuesday November 11th at Fashion Valley Shopping
Center. Patrons of the gallery along with new collectors and wine
aficionados came to enjoy fine art, fine food and fine wine poured
by Saint Helena Road Winery.

Friday Nov 14th Christopher M. was an honored guest at the
AIWF Celebrity Chef Luncheon & Big Bottle Auction. His painting
“A Perfect Pair” that was commissioned for the poster and was
sold at auction to benefit the scholarship fund administered by
the San Diego Chapter of the American Institute of Wine & Food.
The luncheon featured 15 celebrity winemakers and a world-class
menu prepared by nationally acclaimed chefs Gavin Kaysen of
Cafe Boulud in New York, Executive Chef Bernard Guillas from
La Jolla's Marine Room, Jimmy Schmidt, Owner/Executive
Chef of Rattlesnake, Detroit and Palm Desert, and Sondra
Bernstein, Owner/Executive Chef of The Girl & The Fig, in
Sonoma.

Christopher M. along with Exclusive Collections staff members,
Tiffany Mendenhall and Christopher Cummings set sail on the
Hornblower Cruises newest yacht, "Inspiration Hornblower," for
yet another fun filled night of fine art, fine food and fine wine!
Hosted by Ted Allen, star of Food Network's "Food Detectives"
and food expert on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," the
event featured wines from more than 150 award-winning
winemakers and 15 food stations.

The Grand Finale of the sizzling five-day festival was the
star-studded Grand Tasting Event held Saturday, November
15th on the Embarcadero Park North behind Seaport Village.
Christopher M. was busy signing posters at the Exclusive
Collections booth. He met many celebrity chefs who want him
to come visit their kitchens and paint them.

One of the chefs, Gavin Kaysen of the world renowned Cafe
Boulud in New York City, has asked Christopher M. to come to
NYC in the Spring and paint a series of works inspired by his
kitchen! Gavin is formerly of Rancho Bernardo Inn's El Bizcocho
and has since received awards from the James Beard Foundation
(Rising Star Chef 2008) as well as Food & Wine Magazine
(10 Best New Chefs).

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The 2nd ANNUAL Miniatures Show!



























Exclusive Collections hosted their highly attended second annual
miniature show November 8th, 2008. There were eight artists in
attendance and over 110 originals works were created in a small
format for the event.

The artist appearances were by, Steve Barton, Michael Flohr,
Christopher M., Joe Metcalf, Michael Summers, Daniel Thedell,
Steven Quartly and John Webster. In addition, artists Asencio,
Walfrido Garcia, Royo, Samir Sammon and Dale Terbush each
created a body of fantastic small works for collector's consideration.

The magical evening was filled with such amazing talent that
collectors were having a difficult time deciding what art to collect
and many left with more than one original painting! Owner James
Thorn introduced each artist in attendance and gave all an
opportunity to expound on the inspiration behind the body of
work they had created for the show. For many collectors, this
was the pinnacle of the evening. Patrons of Exclusive Collections
have enjoyed many wonderful and exciting openings over the
years. This event offered the opportunity to meet these talents
first hand, collect these great artist's works, and experience
"the art of living with fine art."

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

10news.com's A-list / San Diego Bay Food & Wine Festival

Greetings!

Exclusive Collections Gallery is in the running for the top spot on 10news.com's A-list! Our current standing is 4th place to date with 12% of the votes. If you love our artists, our art, our staff, please vote at this link: http://kgtv.cityvoter.com/contests/10news-com-s-a-list/1997/arts-and-entertainment/art-gallery

You need to create an account, but it takes less than a minute and you will not receive any sort of promotional e-mails unless you wish to receive the messages.

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Exclusive Collection artist Christopher M. has been selected as the feature artist for San Diego's Food & Wine Festival in November. With his originality in his work, Christopher M. is sure to be a hit with the food & wine buffs of San Diego!

The San Diego Bay Food & Wine Festival website writes "The expressive, realist paintings of Contemporary painter Christopher M. remind us that artistic talent fused with good old-fashioned values never goes out of style. Creativity, beauty, integrity and hard work are constant companions to this artist’s paint and canvas."

To read more, click http://www.worldofwineevents.com/Wine_Food_Christopher_M.html

Mark your calendars for November 12-16 and watch out for Christopher M!

Bon Appetit!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Exclusive Collections' Million-Dollar Night

San Diego Magazine's The Good Life: An Evening of luxury...Last week, Exclusive Collections Gallery participated in an open house at a multi-million dollar estate in Rancho Santa Fe where we rubbed elbows with some of San Diego's most affluent people. Exclusive Collections had the honor of coloring the decor of the mansion by providing paintings and sculptures. Artists Steve Barton, Christopher M., and Michael Flohr were present to present live demonstrations of their work. Their paintings along with Henry Asencio and Royo paintings as well as Tuan sculptures also contributed to the artistic aura of the estate.



Here are some picture excerpts of the grand event. Enjoy!


Henry Asencio's work graces a sitting area in the house. From left: "Inspiration," "Red Door," "Haven"



Royo's "Andaluza" overlooks singers belting songs of love.








Christopher M. (top), Steve Barton (center), and Michael Flohr (bottom) discuss their artwork with potential collectors.
Michael Flohr (top) and Christopher M. (bottom) work hard their stations while potential collectors admire their work.



Tale of two Christophers. Artist Christopher M. (left) strikes a pose with Exclusive Collections' consultant Christopher Cummings (right).



Exclusive Collections consultant Aline Spellmeier discusses one of Steve Barton's paintings with a potential collector.


(From left) Exclusive Collections' consultants Bert Dutcher and Richard Hickle, Exclusive Collections Gallery co-owners Ruth-Ann and James Thorn are all smiles at the grand event.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Art Buyers Beware...

Art buyers beware. Here is another reason to work with a reputable art dealer.

In a July 16, 2008 New York Times report, they investigate the dealings of a Michigan-based gallery Park West who make about half of the $300 million annual revenue through sales aboard cruise ships at sea. Several customers have discovered that after purchasing a piece or pieces of art at sea, they return home to discover that the art they bought was immensely overpriced on the cruise. Some of the art were also sold at a discounted price with no sales tax.

Although Park West states that all sales are final, after many consumers' persistent demands, they recently awarded those collectors a refund of their money, which prompts further investigation.

Let this be a message to travelling art collectors: be aware of the signs that point toward an unreputable art dealer. Selling art at a discounted rate is a clear sign that you should proceed with caution. Definitely do your research because you would not want to pay a large sum for an "original" only to discover that the piece you purchased is not an original, and is worth far less than what you paid.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/arts/design/16crui.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&en&ex=1216872000

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On a happier note, one of Exclusive Collection's Henry Asencio pieces "Quiescence" makes a cameo in an NBC San Diego report featuring the River View Medical Dentist Spa, the first all women's medical-dental spa located in Santee.

"Quiescene" by Asencio, who is known for his portraits of the natural beauty and form of women, is an appropriate choice of artwork for the spa. See if you can spot this work of art in the video clip:

http://video.nbcsandiego.com/player/?id=276560

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Michael Flohr's "A Slice of Life in America's Finest City"



The success of Michael Flohr's most recent show with Exclusive Collections may have come to a surprise to some, but to us here at Exclusive Collections Gallery in San Diego, it went as anticipated, especially with the increasing international demands for Michael Flohr's work.

"A Slice of Life in America's Finest City" sold out around 7PM Saturday, June 28 during the middle of the second day of the exhibit. The success of the show most likely stemmed from Michael Flohr's rapidly rising stardom in the fine art industry, as well as the appeal that this particular exhibit may have had with San Diego County residents. Alongside many of Michael Flohr's well-known paintings of city landscapes, he also featured impressions of many San Diego landmarks. The most popular piece of the exhibit was "Coronado Beach Walks," a magnificent panoramic painting of the view of the Coronado Beach landscape. This piece also graced the front of the official invitation to the Michael Flohr showcase.



"Coronado Beach Walks" by Michael Flohr


Some of the other debuting pieces include this "Balboa Bell," "San Diego's Historic Gaslamp," [below] and "The Blue Room." [below]


"San Diego's Historic Gaslamp" by Michael Flohr


"The Blue Room" by Michael Flohr

"A Slice of Life" also unveiled Michael Flohr's first coffee table book, City Expressions, which has been in the works for over three years.

It will be available for sale in September, however, you can reserve a copy with your Exclusive Collections art consultant. City Expressions will feature many of Flohr's greatest works to date. The Exclusive Edition of City Expressions comes with a one-of-a-kind hand-embellished fine art canvas print cover.

With the success of the 2008 Exclusive Collections showcase under his belt, Flohr's future bodes well for him, and we are sure to expect high demands for City Expressions.

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A Glance at "A Slice of Life"


The Exclusive Collections family poses with Michael Flohr's family in front of "Coronado Beach Walks" at the Exclusive Collections Gallery's showcase "A Slice of Life in America's Finest City" by Michael Flohr.


Flohr with his wife Melissa in front of "Intimate Evening"




Flohr with Exclusive Collections consultant Christopher Cummings in front of "Royal Street"



Happy collectors pose with Flohr holding one of his masterpieces "Ciao Bella."

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Exclusive Collections Galleries is excited with the launch of our very own blog!
It has been created as a catalyst between the gallery and our valued collectors, friends and artists.
Feel free to ask questions, post comments and give us insight to your personal experience with art.
Thank you for your patronage! Let the blogging begin...