Well, this is quintessential Vlad. Amazing combinations of color and texture, mastery of technique, whimsical theme and a cartoonish element somewhere in the composition. Sometimes the cartoonish aspect is well-integrated (as in "Punctuation") and sometimes it seems willfully incongruous or ironic, like graffiti slapped on top of a masterpiece. Like many here, I'm in love with Vlad's art. But living with the cartoon octopus is a struggle. At the same time, we must realize the composition would be empty, dark and lonely without it. At the risk of offending genius, I try to imagine our pianist without dark stripes and the bulging cartoon eyes replaced by classic Ray-Ban shades with burnt orange lenses. Would that work? Would "Pianist" still be recognizable around the world as a Vlad? If I could answer those questions, I might be creating popular works of art myself instead of slaving 9 to 5 [LOL]!

I've actually been to one of the small towns in the Northwest, Ketchum that is. Although small, the local area is home to many celebs such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Carole King, and more. Thanks for including a piece of the state of Idaho, USA.