Hellooo Philadelphia!

If you’re in Philly tonight and are looking for something fun to do, I have just the thing for you! The good folks at Pro League Authentics are hosting a release party for my new series of cards, United States of Baseball, or ten ballplayers with Presidential names at 6pm at 137 S. 13th Street (that’s at the corner of Walnut Street).

There’s Misters Bo Jackson, Von Hayes, Homer Bush, amongst others, but here’s a sneak peek of my favorite one, a Brooklyn Bridegroom who played at the turn of the century: Brickyard Kennedy.

There will be drinks and snacks, and baseball and art and fun, and I will be doing a little Q&A at 7pm so please join us! Oh and I also made a special limited edition print of Greg Luzinski, one of my favorite Phillies (don’t worry, there are only two: him and Mike Schmidt. I am still a Met fan.)

 

See you tonight if you can make it!

 

New notecards!

So I wanted to try something a little different before my next series of “regular” Left Field Cards (which, incidentally, is coming out next week! Stay tuned.) and so I thought I’d try notecards. For kicks, you know. Little did I realize what that would entail. I feel like all of my projects start out that way! Because I’m mostly self-taught and want to do everything myself, I usually have no idea what I’m getting into until it’s too late to back down. So… what’s with notecards anyway? Right? It’s the same as postcards, only folded, right? Can’t be that hard. NO PROFESSIONAL PRINTER WOULD EVER SAY THAT.

Trial and errors, headaches and mistakes, here I come. The first card I made did not turn out so well. It was the wrong size, the paper was too stiff and tore when I tried to fold it, even when creasing it first, and the envelopes didn’t match. I had to switch to a different kind of paper, I had to learn about card sizes, envelope sizes, poly bag sizes, crop marks, registration marks and a lot of other stuff! I know! But I did it. I conquered the Mountain of Folded Note Cards and I made it my bitch. Just took way longer than planned, is all.

So this is why I’m so proud to present to you my first ever line of Very Professional Looking and Super Legit Note Cards. There’s even a birthday card in there! I’m really, really happy with the results and I can’t wait to make more. But enough with the words, let’s get on with the images.

Like what you see? Grab ’em right this here way.

I’m not ashamed to say it. Registration marks have changed my life.

 

Pretties!

 

 

A new painting!

I’ve spent the last eight months focusing on the cards and doing a lot of block printing and letterpress. Also a lot of non-fun stuff like learning how to be a bookkeeper, a marketing person, an accountant, etc. But I haven’t been painting much since Left Field Cards started. And I miss it. So when Karen contacted me about a painting for her boyfriend’s birthday, I was thrilled.

Her boyfriend’s dad was a big Brooklyn Dodgers fan so we went for awesome catcher and Hall of Famer Roy Campanella. I only paint players that I admire and respect (well, except for Ty Cobb, but he’s the exception…) and I have nothing but reverence for Roy Campanella. A fantastic catcher, a great teammate and a good man, whose career on the field was cut short by a tragic car accident. Left paralyzed at 37, he stayed involved with the Dodgers and coached young catchers for the organization.

Acrylics on canvas, 24 x 36″

Les vacances.

I took a break and went to France. I was actually really nervous before leaving and even brought my computer to be able to do work if necessary, but as soon as I got to my parents’ house, nay, as soon as I looked out the window of the train taking me to Lyon and saw this, I wondered what on earth I was thinking.

Geez, VACATION TIME! It’s August, and yes it’s great to be able to get-shit-done and take-care-of-things, and do-stuff, but once in a while, it’s also really, really good to unplug, take a deep breath and spend time with the people you love.

And so unplug I did, visiting my grandparents everyday, eating lots of cheese and even taking a small road trip to go to a wedding in the South. Overall I had an excellent time resting, slowing down, spending time away from the internets, away from work, and close to my family. It was very good.

And now back to work!

 

 

One month of studio, already.

Just wanted to share a few pictures of this first month at our studio!

Ariele made me this lamp from an old photo studio light I found.

So much of running a business has to do with packing and shipping. Might as well make it fun! Yellow post-it tape from Muji.

My weird collection of baseball knick knacks: the entire 1991 Topps season, Mike Piazza russian dolls and a ball signed by Mike Pelfrey. I also have a K-Rod bubble head which I put in a corner, facing the wall, after last year’s punching incident. 

Cards.

Boxes.

Oh look, a boxing painting! And some fern!

The incredible Sandy Koufax, looking pretty sharp on a black wall.

Yellow tulips. It’s a yellow summer.

 

That’s all for June! Have a great Fourth of July, we’ll be celebrating tomorrow night on our rooftop with the appropriate meats and beers and a first-class view onto the fireworks. Feeling very lucky indeed.