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.

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

What's currently on my easel

After a year of focusing almost exclusively on sports art, I recently sat down with one of my distributors and discussed current market opportunities and what we can creatively do to respond to that.  The particular opportunity surrounds the launching of a dozen art galleries in Moscow, Russia that want to focus on the marketing of American art.  With my portfolio of American sports art and Southwest "stormscapes", it seemed like a perfect fit to expand into a number of other themes that are intrinsically American and pitch me to the Russians as their painter of Americana.  That pitch is going on this week in Moscow, so I've spent the last several weeks thinking about Americana and what I can offer.  I'm excited about the direction it's taking me.

It appears that the same fascination we American's have for things Parisian and European street scenes is mirrored in the tastes of the home decor buyer in Russia.  However, they supposedly crave for those scenes to be American.  It's hard to find the market research to back that up, but that's the word on the street.  Supposedly this is still a country that will pay four figures for a good pair of Levi's.  The difference these days is the expanding Russian economy.  Capitalism is now in full swing and annual incomes are said to be growing at 30% per year (hopefully inflation is less).  The result is a burgeoning middle and upper class of nuvo riche that are still fascinated with American iconography.  So, how should I respond?  I already have the American sports box checked.  My portfolio is fully stocked with portraits of "America's Team" - the Dallas Cowboys.  I thought about what else would be uniquely American and of interest and I was taken back to the landscape series I had left unfinished last year.  If you do a little research, you'll find that there are quite a few storm chasers that provide guided tours of "Tornado Alley" each Spring and early Summer driving up to 15 hours a day to put their guests in plain sight of a tornado.  The majority of this clientele is European.  These folks have only heard of this type of severe weather, but have never been on the same continent with a supercell.  So, the question is whether a Russian would like to hang a painting of a tornado on his wall and say this is a painting of Texas painted by a Texan.  We'll see.  In preparation for the meeting in Moscow, I expanded my portfolio of storms and tornadoes to see if there would be any interest.  I love painting these storms.  It is so freeing to be able to work so much more quickly as compared to painting a portrait.  But for me the colors are what resonate.  Somewhere inside of me there is an itch that is scratched when I see the perfect pairing of blue and orange tones.  The colors are complimentary on the color wheel, so it's no surprise that there's a relationship, but there is some sort of endorphin release when I paint with these colors.  It's like the feel of hitting a baseball in the sweet spot or that perfect cappuccino after months of swearing off $4.00 cups of coffee.  I'll save another blog for talking about complimentary colors in nature and how God uses these combinations to provide natural beauty in the world around us.  But I digress.  I added five storms (four supercells and a tornado), most of which include late afternoon lighting. 

It just so happens that these storms pop up at the time of day when the lighting is most dramatic.  The one other landscape I added was a painting that I had put on the back burner 2-3 years ago of the Golden Gate Bridge.  I had become annoyed by the tediousness of trying to paint bridge support cables and had moved on to other things.  If I was now the "Painter of Americana", I had to finish that painting.  Plus, I had started the painting for my wife and she had been waiting patiently for its completion for years now.  I put it on my easel and thought long and hard about how best to accomplish these cables.  Straight thin lines are incredibly difficult.  And there is the issue of perspective and at some point on the horizon the cables disappear altogether.  So after some head scratching, I decided to paint the interior of the bridge spans the burnt sienna color I wanted the cable to be and let it dry.  I then came back and covered the same space with my blue combination for the sky.  While still wet, I took a pallet knife and scraped the straight cable lines revealing the burnt sienna underneath.  It worked and the painting was finally finished. 

So, we've checked the American sports box and the American landscape box.  What else does the world longingly see as uniquely American?  With a little thought the answer came to us ... Harley.  The object of longing for so many middle and upper class American males seems to be shared by our friends in Russia.  Sources say it is one of the brand's hottest emerging markets.  So, I've decided to dish up a heaping helping of "hog" ( a term of endearment for Harley) for the Russians and the true blue Harley faithful here in the states.  I've selected the themes for the six paintings I'm going to complete as part of the series.  I'm planning on capturing individual aspects of the bikes that are iconic.  The first painting was completed in time for a charity Harley ride to an event I was appearing at in McKinney, Texas.  That painting ("2008 Fat Bob") is a large-scale close up of the classic v-twin engine and all of the chrome that is part of the unique exhaust on that bike.  I love the painting.  When my wife asked why I was just painting just that one part of the bike, I explained that painting the entire bike would be like painting a full figure of a woman, but focusing on just this one area would be like painting just the bosom.  Hopefully the painting makes that dramatic of a statement to the Harley faithful.  I've received nothing but positive feedback thus far.  Limited editions are currently being sold through Art Channel Galleries with 20% of the proceeds benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas.  You can check out the painting and purchase your copy by clicking on the thumbnail below.

So, what's on my easel?  Captain America.  No, not the comic book super hero.  The customized '52 Harley chopper that became an icon in the 1968 cult classic "Easy Rider".  Can't you just hear "Born to be Wild" in the background.  Again, I'm looking at the bike from a new angle, so hopefully folks like it.  I'm experimenting with grabbing short snips of video that I can piece together into a time lapse and stick on YouTube so folks can see how my paintings evolve.  Let's hope I can pull that off.

Well, back to the easel.