Craig Gould Fine Art

I'm still alive and well

I have had a lot of things going on over the last three years and I should have been blogging about all of them, but I a) didn't quite have the time, b) not all of the things keeping me busy were art related and c) the things that were art related were on the down low.  But I'm now out of "stealth mode" and happy to announce the launch of my company All-American Sports Art.  

About 16 years ago, I was working for a transportation company while trying to make my art a full time gig.  After chasing down who was doing things I liked in the sports art world, I met Joe Macnak who was running a company called International Sports Decor.  That company was publishing signed limited edition prints of legendary Dallas Cowboys painted by Vernon Wells.  Wells had made a name for himself doing a series of images for Upper Deck trading cards in the early '90s and the line was well-received.  Joe and I first met in 1994 and tried to put some limited edition lithograph deals together that would feature particular athletes.  My work was featured in a sports art gallery at the Ballpark in Arlington at the time.  Long story short, it's really tough to get those deals done, especially in the days before digital printing.  In the era of off-set lithography, you would have to be out of pocket up front the cost of printing the entire edition, plus athletes like to have their money up front for each piece before a single item has sold.  There is also the risk with athletes of professional athletes that the athlete could get caught doing something appalling and the market for his merchandise just goes away.

In 1996, Joe and I came up with the idea of creating art for the college football fan that takes the specific athlete out of the equation.  I painted football uniform scenes for 20 major schools and we test marketed 8x10 and 16x20 matted and framed pieces to furniture stores around Texas.  There was some interest, but not enough to get momentum.  

Fast forward 14 years.  I get a call from Joe out of the blue.  We hadn't done much together in a while.  I had moved around the country, started a company, gotten married, had a couple of kids, etc.  Joe said that he had come across a company that provides art products for big box retailers nationwide and they had loved the concept of the college-themed sports art and home decor.  Based on their feedback, we resurrected this project.  Uniforms needed to be repainted to accommodate changes, backgrounds changed to reflect more modern sensibilities and in the end we added a broader variety of spirit products for each school.  The result is a huge selection of canvas giclees that really speak to each school's alums.  If you check out All-American Sports Art, you'll see over 450 product combinations for roughly 45 schools, as well a way to buy my original artwork and those Vernon Wells pieces I mentioned earlier.  I am currently adding to the product line every day.

So, check me out.  Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and my college sports blog Old School All-American.

I promise to check in more often.

More good news

First off, I finished a Tiger Woods painting I had worked on for a few days.  The scene is of Tiger eyeing a putt (something we've all seen him do a thousand times.) 

Artistically, I really like some of the things I chose to do differently this time.  My goal was to be much looser with lines and color.  I wanted the colors to be more washed out and less saturated, but have the most color and tightness around his face.  I think it helps direct the viewer to the area of interest.  If I had given everything equal weight Tiger's legs would have been very dark and heavy and draw attention away from the focus of the painting.  As is, the legs at times blend right into the putting surface.  Tiger's features were a little more difficult to capture than I anticipated.  His eyes are very unique and he has a large mouth and a rounded nose.  Keeping everything in the correct proportion proved a little challenging.  I have another Tiger planned for completion soon, so stay tuned.

As for the best news of the day, I found out this morning that I'll be able to get a booth at the State Fair of Texas.  To me it seems like a real miracle.  I spoke to the folks at the fair three weeks ago and was told that all slots had been filled and there was a waiting list.  They also implied that if there were cancellations slots would be filled according to when they received your application.  My application didn't go out until last Thursday.  Even though I really wanted to exhibit at the State Fair, I seriously thought I was wasting my time submitting my application so late in the process especially after being told everything was booked.  But things worked out otherwise.  An opening came available in an exhibit space and the exhibit staff contacted me about the opportunity.  It sounds as though artists do well at the fair, they didn't have an artist in this particular venue and they liked my work.  The result was an invitation.  I agreed and we're now working on the logistics.  I have my insurance agent working on a liability policy that the fair requires while my wife and I try to figure out who's manning the booth when.  Unlike other events I've done in the past, it appears the fair would have me flying solo for the majority of the time and no one around to watch the store if I need a break.  The schedule is pretty grueling: 10AM - 10PM for 24 consecutive days.  I am looking at maybe paying someone to come help out from 2-7PM each day.  Some other options involve hiring babysitters and having my wife there part of the day.  The most viabale option may include renting an RV to use as home base.  We'll see.  I'm a little intimidated by the amount of work that is going to be involved, but after talking to veterans that have worked the fair for years I'm confident that it will all be worth it.

I'll keep you posted.

Another Harley is completed

The latest painting in my series of Harley-Davidson motorcycles has been completed.  The subject is a 1940 WLA.  The motorcycle was the first generation of what is now considered Harley's recognizable style.

The WLA became the workhorse of World War II.  Thousands were dispatched to the European theater where they saw service in the trenches.  The bikes were reliable and easy to repair.  There were a few modifications for wartime use, which included blacking out the tail lights, minimizing the fender size so mud wouldn't get stuck, swapping the positioning of the headlight and horn, adding a rifle holster and of course the paint of choice was flat army green.

Just like the last Harley I completed, I really love this painting.  There are some things going on in the painting that are really captivating, like the headlight.   The headlight is full of these reflected colors of the terrain and sky, as well as highlights and refractions.  The headlight has all of these bevels that are intended to disperse the light over a wider field of vision.  It reminds me of the headlights on my dad's old '67 Volkswagen Beetle.  The refraction the bevels cause makes for an interesting image.  I also love the front wheel, the suspension springs, the seat and the gas tank.  The lighting on the tank is so interesting.  There is reflected sky, reflected sunlight, shadows from the handle bars, reflected ground and a reflection of the sun reflecting off the bike's chrome.  The result is an image that is anything but flat.

I am starting the process of having the images officially licensed.  I think these paintings are going to be extremely popular and I'd rather stay on Harley's good side.  We'll see how laborious that process will be.

I spent last weekend out at the Parade of Homes in McKinney.  It was a good time.  A little too much sun and definitely too much wind.  It's been windy in our area lately and this development is on a hill which resulted in serious gusts the whole weekend.  Luckily I brought a roll of duct tape to secure everything.  My set up included a portable easel, two portfolios and a stack of business cards.  I set up with my back facing traffic so folks could watch me paint over my shoulder.  I decided to paint a 16"x20" of Jason Kidd.  I started with a blank canvas on Saturday morning and by the time I left Sunday afternoon I was 95% complete.  I'll post that painting to the site when I'm finished in the next day or two.  Folks seemed genuinely interested in my work and were amused that I was painting Kidd as a Maverick even though the source photo had him in a Nets jersey.  I'm still trying to figure out a way to get the contact information for folks that have interest without seeming too pushy or threatening.  I'm not sure if someone who takes a card is going to follow up with me without a little provocation.

I'm starting to think about the State Fair of Texas coming up in October.  I'm thinking about getting a 10'x10' booth to display and sale my wares.  I spent some time with a local artist that worked the fair for twenty years and she provided some good insight on the value of the investment of time and money.  It sounds like you need to sell items priced for impulse purchase (under $20), which in my case may be matted 8"x10"s and note cards.  You can display originals and giclees and talk to people about them, but folks are likely not to buy that big ticket item on a whim at the fair.  I figure I would need to sell $200 worth of items per day to break even, that's 10 - 8"x10"s over a twelve hour period at a venue that draws on average 150,000 visitors each day. I'm sure I would sell far more than ten items a day.  The biggest drawback about working the fair is that you have to be in your booth twelve hours a day for 24 consecutive days.  The nice thing is that you'll be able to afford a vacation once the fair is over.  Applications are due soon, so wish me luck.

I've got to run, but I'll post again when the Jason Kidd is completed.

Artist Craig Gould Uses His Work to Benefit Multiple Charities

PRESS RELEASE

Artist Craig Gould Uses His Work to Benefit Multiple Charities

Frisco, Texas, May 28, 2008 –  Artist Craig Gould has auctioned a number of original oil paintings in 2008 to benefit multiple charities, including the North Texas Food Bank and the Dallas Mavericks Foundation.  The proceeds of these donations have been used to fund after school programs, finance mission trips and provide up to 5,000 meals for at-risk children.

On March 21st, an original oil painting of Dirk Nowitzki was auctioned as part of the Dallas Mavericks Foundation’s Tux & Tennies Gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas, Texas.  The event raises funds that are distributed to local charities that provide development and support for needy children in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  Craig’s portrait of the league MVP was signed by Nowitzki and included in the evening’s silent auction. 

On April 13th, an original oil painting of Roger Staubach was auctioned as part of the 2008 Taste of the NFL Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate Party at Gilley’s in Dallas, Texas.  The painting was signed by professional football legend and local businessman Roger Staubach with all proceeds of the auction benefiting the North Texas Food Bank.  The organization, which is the largest food bank in the state of Texas, distributed 32 million pounds of food and groceries to needy individuals in 2007.

Most recently, Craig has partnered with fine art distributor Art Channel to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas as part of the festivities surrounding the 2008 Parade of Homes in McKinney, Texas.  Craig was commissioned to complete the first of a series of Harley-Davidson oil paintings commemorating Harley-Davidson’s 105th anniversary and coinciding with a local Harley-Davidson charity ride to the Parade of Homes event on May 17th.  The painting “2008 Fat Bob” captures the latest Harley incarnation and focuses on what has made the brand so famous - the v-twin engine and an enormous amount of chrome.  A limited edition of the painting is being published by Art Channel with 20% of all proceeds benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas. 

“The ability to have proceeds from a limited edition print go to a specific charity is far more effective than what I’m able to accomplish through a charity auction,” said the artist.  “This specific arrangement with Art Channel can lead to a contribution to Make-A-Wish that is up to 25-times larger than the amount we are able to raise through the auction of just one painting.”   Still, the auction of an original painting signed by the athlete can make a significant impact at the type of fundraising events non-profit organizations have come to rely on.  “Craig Gould’s recent donation of a one-of-a-kind Dirk Nowitzki painting was instrumental to the success of the 2008 Tux & Tennies Gala, benefiting the Dallas Mavericks Foundation,” said Matt Miller, Community Relations Coordinator for the Dallas Mavericks.  “The Dallas Mavericks and the Mavs Foundation were thrilled to partner with Craig for our 4th annual event, and we hope to be able to work with him again in the future.”

It hasn’t been just the large organizations that have benefited from Craig’s work this year.  On March 1st, an original oil painting of Michael Jordan was auctioned at a charity event in the Chicago area to benefit student missions for Faith Church in Dyer, IN.  The proceeds from the auction of the painting (which in this case was not signed by the athlete) proved sufficient to create scholarships for two students to go on church-sponsored mission trips this summer.

"I’ve found myself in times of need where it’s been a true blessing to receive a helping hand from organizations like these,” said Craig.  “I know that God wants me to use my gifts to provide that kind of assistance for someone else.  I can’t go through life with the knowledge that my work can help those in need and choose not to help.  My gift is painting, but each of us have been blessed with unique skills that enable us to help our neighbor.  Look around.  Get involved.” 

Craig and Art Channel will be on hand again at the Parade of Homes in McKinney, Texas (which also benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas) on June 7th and June 8th.  Advance orders of the Harley-Davidson print can be made at the event or online at www.craiggould.com. 

For additional information on Craig Gould and his artwork, contact Craig at 972-335-2211 or visit www.craiggould.com.  Free samples of Craig’s work are available for galleries and interior design professionals by e-mailing craig@craiggould.com.  Limited editions of selected works are currently available through Art Channel at www.artchannelgalleries.com.

ABOUT CRAIG GOULD FINE ART – Craig Gould Fine Art markets and distributes the work of noted artist Craig Gould.  Craig is a sports artist whose oil paintings capture the spirit of professional and collegiate athletics.  Although his portfolio includes themes as diverse as landscapes and motorcycles, Craig specializes in oil paintings for the fan of all sports, including football, basketball, baseball and various olympic events.  Craig's portfolio of sports art includes a number of portraits of current and former Dallas Cowboys, as well as other sports icons.  These oil paintings are fine works of art which allow us to reflect on the power, passion, grace and brutality of sport.  It's the game from the perspective of the athlete.

CONTACT:
Craig Gould
Craig Gould Fine Art
972-335-2211
craig@craiggould.com
http://www.craiggould.com