SZoner’s Take on Rocky & Apollo

Earlier this week I recieved the art above with this e-mail:

  • Hey Craig, my name is Cole Ramey I have been a big fan of your site for years.  I was playing around on MS paint and made a Rocky picture I like, feel free to put it on the site.  Thanks – Cole

Thanks to Cole for sharing his talent! – Craig

 

SZoner Bill Pruitt’s Sly Experience

I received an e-mail from SZoner [and super talented artist] Bill Pruitt with this amazing story…

  • Hi Craig,

    just wanted to let you know I met with Sly on Friday at his office building for about 40 minutes and it was a really nice visit. He bought 2 more of my paintings that I delivered. The PopSly I posted on he StalloneZone and the latest Expendables piece on the StalloneZone (both of which he saw on there) so thanks so much to you. I didn’t get any photos from the meeting but that’s ok. We talked mostly about art and different painting techniques including mine and his and a lot about Rambo 3 and about me doing an epic type painting from that movie on a large scale like a battle scene or something of that nature. We talked on the phone prior to that on Thursday regarding my paintings. Also, about Rambo 3, he said he thought it was underrated and I agree. I told him my favorite scene was the stick fighting scene and that I think about that before working out because it really motivates me.

    I sat down with him in his own office and he showed me a book of his paintings and he described them to me and how he did them and said he even did one using a screwdriver. He said he regretted letting go of a few of them. I suggested a technique to him for creating a lot of texture on the canvas and he seemed interested like he might try it. He asked what he could do to make the oil paint dry faster and I suggested a fast drying medium to use. He showed me around the different rooms on his floor and he pointed out an old painting of mine hanging up that he purchased in 1994 of Cliffhanger (hanging on the cliff scene) and I hadn’t seen it since then. There was also a room with art and other things that fans had sent him over the years. His own paintings were hung up in the hallway and there were props from his movies throughout the place like the R Rambo mailbox from the ending of “Rambo” and the big sign that says TOOL’S from “The Expendables” and the big Leroy Neiman painting of Rocky and Apollo used in Adrian’s restaurant in “Rocky Balboa”. That wasn’t the original Neiman but a print made to look like an original. The original is smaller.

    I am working on a web page this weekend of ALL of my Sly paintings so I can show him. There are so many he hasn’t even seen. Also, I might add, his assistant was very nice and hospitable while I waited for Sly who was en route from the gym. After my visit, she informed me that Sly had hung the PopSly piece in his own office there on that floor. In all, it was a very nice experience just visiting and talking to Sly one on one.

    Thanks Craig.

    Bill

    My Art web site: http://billpruitt.com

    My Stallone art: http://billpruitt.com/sly_prints.htm

+++++

Bill, Congrats on the sale of the paintings.  The personal meeting with Sly and the tour of his offices was priceless.  Wouldn’t ANY Stallone fan love to have the same opportunity?  Thanks for sharing the experience with us.  Can’t wait to see your next Stallone piece! – Craig


Rocky IV Fan Art

Earlier this week I received an e-mail with the photo above and this message:

Dear Craig!
Happy new year:)

I send you my latest Artwork for your Galleria,that I have finished one minute bevor the new year begins!..no joke:)  since I have startet to paint pictures, I always want to paint a picture from my favourite movie Rocky IV..and this is the result.

This Picture is dedicated to all the Rocky Fans and a very special Girlfriend:)

Thank you and best regards

manuel scholz

*****

Thanks Manuel! – Craig

SZoners Rambo Tat

I received the photo above and e-mail below from SZoner, Samantha:

Hello Mr Zablo,
I have followed your website StalloneZone for many years: I love watching for new pictures and others’ fan art of Stallone, as I have always been a big fan of him. I would love it if you would post a picture of my Rambo tattoo that I got yesterday on your website. It was done by Mike Magee in Thunder Bay, ON and Mike hopefully will be sending a photo to Devries, Stallone’s tattoo artist, so that maybe Stallone may see it as well.
Please let me know,
And thank you so much for your time!

There’s no denying that Samantha is a huge Stallone/Rambo fan! Thanks for sharing your body art, Samantha! – Craig

Sly Parties with Arnold

On December 19, 2010, The Sacramento Bee reported that…

…With two weeks to go until the curtain officially closes on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s time in office, hundreds of the governor’s staff members and supporters gathered Thursday night for a star-studded ‘wrap party,,,”
… that included appearances by Sylvester Stallone, Vanessa Williams, Danny DeVito, Tom Arnold, Jay Leno and others.  You can read the full report here.

Gary Daniels: Sly & The Expendables

The California Chronicle recently interviewed Expendables co-star Gary Daniels.  Here’s a bit of what he had to say about filming with Sly

  • “Working on The Expendables was definitely a great experience, just to be directed by and work with Sylvester Stallone was truly memorable. Also, getting to work out in the gym with him and to experience his kind of energy was very inspirational…
  • “…Sly is very intense as a director but, because of his energy, he is always moving around the set while giving direction so I found myself really having to keep up with him and payattention. He always had a cigar in his mouth so sometimes it was a little tough to understand, but he is a very physical guy and would often demonstrate what he wanted…
  • “…Who knows if it will be done again? But it takes a man of Sly’s stature to bring it together because everyone respects him in the action genre. When someone such as Stallone, Clint Eastwood or Steven Spielberg calls, you just don’t say no. Will it happen again? I am sure they are already prepping Expendables 2

To read the full interview go here.