Selling out is hard to do...

Ok, so for those of you who missed the great moral quandary leading up to 'Art and Soul', I was torn over the question of weather making an Obama-themed piece would be a crass, commercial exploitation of a rather significant moment in American history. I finally decided to go for it- principles be damned! A decisive, if despicable, plan of action... if I had had the chops to pull it off.

Which I didn't. Crashed and burned.

This image is amazingly frustrating- for instance, using the wood grain as a flesh tone comes so close to working.... while still *thoroughly* failing to work at all. Bah.

Well, here it is, the infamous Obama piece, standing as a testament to the fact that selling out really is hard to do, just not for the reasons that you'd expect.

Art and Soul

A good friend of mine who works for the Indianapolis Arts Council recently recruited me to do some face painting at their 'Art and Soul' event... which was a blast! The event's director was gracious enough to allow me to try to sell a few little paintings. Due to their high-gloss sheen, they didn't photograph very well- but, for what it's worth, here's what I was able to come up with:

Sign Redux

Recently, one of the store's customers asked about purchasing one of the signs I'd made. Since we were discontinuing that particular line, and I was running low on beer money, I quickly assented. As we discussed the details of the transaction, it became apparent that he'd really rather have the image without any lettering. There were other aspects of the image that neither of us were entirely satisfied with, so I offered to start from scratch. The deadline was rather open-ended... until suddenly it wasn't. Ultimately, this piece ended up being a 24-hour speed painting, during our busiest work-week of the year. It should have been a train wreck, but, while there are still many aspects of this picture that rankle, I think that it comes much closer to being what this image ought to be.

The client was very happy with the finished image. It turns out that he and his girlfriend have been having some pretty serious talks about marriage, and she's recently been coming to terms with the idea of taking responsibility for protecting and defending the new life that they hope to someday bring into the world. To him, this image is a visual representation of the supreme confidence that he has in her, and in the strength and tenacity she will bring to bear to protect their children against whatever may come. So... Rob, and future-Mrs.-Rob, here's wishing you the best in the years to come!

2008: Tying the Loose Ends

Some of you have been asking how ORANJE resolved this past summer, and if I can still be found showing in the Harrison Center for the Arts.

(A few of you have simply wondered when I might draw a new picture or two- I humbly offer you the 'Signs' post submitted earlier today!)

Regarding ORANJE... several participants lost power in their booths for several hours during the event, and were left sitting in the dark. This was especially frustrating since the building had been closed for the three days prior to the event, ostensibly to stress-test the electrical system. The event's organizers were extremely apologetic, and refunded the booth fees to the affected artists, a gesture which was very much appreciated. I'm not sure if I'll try to participate in the event again next year, but that decision owes more to lingering back pain incurred during this year's booth set-up than to any dissatisfaction with the event itself.

In November I finally vacated my space in the Harrison Center, an action that I had been weighing for some time. During my last First Friday, weighed by the memories of the previous year, my resolve to leave almost wavered. Fortunately a certain member of HCA staff was on hand to renege on previous agreements, to humiliate a good friend of mine, and to accuse me of acting to the detriment to the Harrison's community of artists. Suddenly, leaving didn't seem so difficult. Although my thirteen months in the space were fraught with frustration, I am grateful to have made the aqcuaintance of so many wonderful people. So... Lydia, Liz, Maurice, Jay, Beth, Quincey, Kip, Pam, Toni, Tyler, Emma, and everyone else, if you ever stumble upon this blog, know that I'd gladly go through that whole experience again, just to have the opportunity of having met you. The Harrison undoubtedly houses the highest caliber of artists in Indy, and although it will be a long time before I set foot in that building again, I would encourage anyone who hasn't already visited the HCA to catch a First Friday show as soon as possible!

Well, I think that that's it- the loose ends of 2008 have all been neatly tied up. If I'm forgetting anything, give me a heads up. And have a great 2009!

Signs

I haven't finished many pieces lately, but making signs for work has been an enjoyable diversion. Here's a few of the ones you might see around the store, of varying degrees of completion and quality: