Thank you for painting, Michael Flohr!

It is always so much fun when Michael Flohr comes to paint and hang out at Exclusive Collections Gallery!  

On Saturday night, January 15th, Michael was able to finish an original that he had been working on, entitled "Tribute to Bravery."  This painting actually started out as a contest.  Michael did not know what he should paint, so he asked his collectors to choose a subject.  The topic of the Twin Towers came about and was chosen!  The collector who suggested the idea is an airline pilot who flies out of JFK in New York.  Everyday he would drive accross the Verrizanno Bridge on his way to the airport and would see the World Trade Centers, towering over the city.  After 9-11, there was a void in the city that many people could feel in thier own lives.  Our collector wanted this painting as a remembrance.  It was Michael's first piece depicting the World Trade Centers, which reminded us all how the strength of the American people still stands almost ten years later.

On Wednesday night, January 19th, Michael came to the EC Gallery in Gaslamp again for the Gaslamp Quarter Locals and Lifestyle Tour.

He started a new mini original of the Museum of Man and tower at Balboa Park.  When he started, his canvas was completely red!  He then uses many layers in his technique, but will scratch out certain areas where he wants that bright red to show through.  It was so amazing!  That original is not yet finished, but it already looks wonderful!

A Successful Pairing of Art & Food

February ended on a delicious high note for EC Gallery and lovers of the culinary arts. Christopher M., "The Painter of Chefs", unveiled several brand new originals—it was a smashing success!

Having had the chance to speak with Christopher and get his personal perspective on how he feels about his most recent body of work, it’s quite clear that he is not an artist consumed with himself. In fact, Christopher explained that he does not consider any of his paintings truly complete until they are framed and in someone's home. This is all part of his plan to accomplish "synchronicity."

He draws a parallel between wine pairing with an exquisite meal and art that compliments and enriches a person's home. He explains, "Sometimes 2+2=5. This happens when the culmination of individual parts is greater than the whole. The painting should pair with a collector's life and home just the same way that a wine would pair with a meal."

Mr. Douglas Hill, Founder and Owner of Hill Family Estates Vineyards, was also in attendance. Christopher recently embarked on a 3-day tour of the Napa Valley, meeting some of the most talented and celebrated winemaking legends of our time, including Douglas. At the show, Christopher completed a special drawing just for him and presented it as a surprise.

In early April, Christopher will be jetting off to Atlanta to work with Chef Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill (who also recently came in third on BRAVO TV’s acclaimed "Top Chef")! Keep your eyes open for more of Christopher's work to come!

It's difficult to view Christoper's work and not feel the flurry of emotions that is presented in each dramatic scene. When viewing Christopher's pieces, one is often reminded of the joyful feelings that are experienced when sitting down to a lovely meal with close friends and family. EC Gallery is thrilled to have wrapped up yet another exceptional presentation of beautiful, original works from this talented artist. Come see us again soon! We are located at Fashion Valley, the Historic Gaslamp Quarter on 5th and Market, and Seaport Village!

A Merriam Sighting April 3rd – April 5th

Daniel Merriam was the likeable kid in your math class perpetually hunched over his desk, furiously festooning acres of Pee Chee real estate with progressively complex, mind bending doodles. Stuff that made no sense. Stuff that made a lot of sense. He was the grinning curiosity the Gym teacher hollered at to “Wipe that smirk off your face Merriam!” Something he did not do, nor could he do because it was eternally installed there by God as a reminder that not every one of the geniuses he sent our way was a brooding itinerant misfit. The wry smile, still there today, was the unintended consequence of an overwhelming sense of amazement that he had discovered a means of externally exhibiting his wildest imaginings.

Daniel Merriam exited school days through the door reserved for those kids with movie star looks and the easy charm of a golf pro. Everyone just knew he had peaked and that they would bump into him in the unemployment line ten years later, hitting them up for a smoke. But instead he threw it all away to become one of the worlds most significant artists of our time. That is everything except the good looks and charm, and the brains and….well you get the picture.

Daniel Merriam appeared at the Gaslamp Gallery in downtown San Diego April 5th and the next night at the Fashion Valley Mall Gallery, both to SRO crowds. People came just to see if there really was a Daniel Merriam or if his stunning brain teasing art was in fact the collaborative works of Pixar Studios and Area 51 hostages. I first laid eyes on him across the exhibition room at Gas Lamp and thought, “No way! He’s too good looking and too nice to people for someone that good looking!”

There is only one other artist I would (dare) place in the genre that Daniel Merriam effortlessly commands and that would be Gil Bruvel. Turns out they are good friends, and it’s a good thing I found this out because I am so angry at Daniel for being such a likeable guy I was thinking of calling Gil and complaining. I mean, after all, what ever happened to artists passing out drunk at their openings and scaring the kids?

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."