A Post A Week Is Acceptable,

Right?

Fam(ly) is down from upstate New York.
No time to post.
Didn't get into Art | Everywhere.
(Actually I'm on the "waiting list" - so if someone drops dead... crosses fingers.)

Gotta go hang.
Laters.

Oh, right - this blog exists

Actually, I've just been too busy/tired to update, but I forgot that I had some delicious images just waiting to be uploaded, so let's look at them! These are all sketches I drew while at the Renewal show - after I ran out of business cards and things started to wind down, I thought I could pass out sketches as momentos. But I wound up liking them so much that I kept them instead.

(I also did them because I drew sketches at my last solo show, and I wanted to keep the tradition alive.)



I'd forgotten how much fun it was to just grab a sharpie and dive in. I've actually done a lot more straight sharpie drawings since the show. Hooray for inspiration!



Cobras are always awesome.



I was doing okay with the bottom half, then I apparently forgot what a giraffe's head looks like.



I had another drawing of a flaming eyeball, but I gave it to a (very) friendly drunk girl who wanted it. I had tried to give her this drawing of a pissed-off flower, but she said it gave her bad memories of the pirahna plants from Super Mario 64, which was a sensitive issue that she "didn't even want to get into right now."



I've had a thing for squids since I was in middle school. By which I mean, tentacles are fun to draw.



I had an audience for this one. I looked up from drawing the top fin to see a young man staring down at my drawing. "Sorry." he said.
Why do people feel the need to apologize for watching an artist work? I was drawing in the middle of a giant crowd. I don't mind if you stare, dude. Actually, it's kind of flattering.



Bad ass. I didn't even know I had this drawing in me.



Bats are also always awesome. But this one seems to have a complex or something.

And now that I think about it, do bats have eyebrows? I'm pretty sure they don't.

Art and um... Art

Thought ya'll might want to see some close-ups of the finished pieces that I wore to the Renewal show:



This piece was on my left side, right over my actual heart. Awwwwwww...




The other piece on my chest. Just creepy enough to draw interest.



Devil on my shoulder. Traditionally, the left side is considered the 'evil' side, but I put it on the right, because my lil sister is always whining about protesting the discrimination of left-handed people.



An angel on the other shoulder, because I am the most original man alive.



The back piece - 9"X11." Everyone seemed to like this one (it was my mom's favorite).


Well, the show may be over, but I submitted a proposal for Art | Everywhere, and I'm thinking of shipping some stuff to a gallery in New York that hangs all submissions (for a fee). And I'm doing an art trade with Mallory, because we are now "facebook friends." Don't be ashamed if you've never heard of it - it's pretty exclusive.

Gotta go art some art. That's right, I verbed it.
I am hip.

Renewal 2010

The Renewal show was a blast. Saw some great art, ate some great food (lemon squares = Mmmmm), met some peeps. Oh, and I passed out some free art (alright, so technically I passed out business cards, but they had free sketches on the back) - Wanna see 'um?



Limited edition! They might theoretically be worth something someday (which is a nice way of saying they're worthless now). But they're pretty, at least. Nothing like a little sharpie action to brighten up the day.

I always try to have some free art to give out at shows I attend so that people can have a little piece of me without paying for it. That way, they get a cool souvenir and my art gets out there into the world. Even if it just winds up in a drawer or taped to their fridge... I mean, in their "private collection."

Everyone seemed to like the catchphrase that was printed on the other side:
Christopher Baird
"I draw things for money"
And by "liked," I mean "smirked sarcastically at," but it's nice to bring a smile to someone's face, at least.

On a related note, my Portable Gallery was a big hit, if I may say so. One individual asked politely to take my picture, and everyone else just held up their cellphones when they thought I wasn't looking. Wearing your work is a hell of an icebreaker, though. I got approached by many interesting people (and only one of them was drunk!) And I got to show so much more work than I would've otherwise. I'm gonna try to make my Gallery a traveling exhibit if I can find the time - maybe walk the boardwalk at Virginia Beach sometime.

Alright, enough talking about me. The Renewal show was crawling with great work, and I got to see some familiar faces from my college days - John Roth, Heather Bryant, Mallory Jarrell, the list goes on. I'd like to take the time to pimp their sites here, because their work really is worth your time:

Heather

John Roth

(Heather and John's sites haven't been updated in awhile, but they're full of delicious images. Pass them up at your peril).

Mallory

Mallory actually had a piece up at the show that I kept coming back to over and over, but I didn't even realize SHE had done it until I saw an image of it on her website, because it's so different from the stuff she did in college. But it's good different - really professional and mature collage work. She's got stuff for sale at her site and she does commissions. If I wasn't broke, I'd definately get one myself.

Lastly, for those who couldn't make it to the show, there's a gallery of some of the work on AltDaily Here. (Mallory is one of the featured artists!)

There's also a nice little article at hamptonroads.com that has some more images Here.

My piece wasn't featured in either article, but I cannot be defeated so easily:



Peace out, internet!