The Gift of Art

A Portrait of Nick Wood in three stages for his Mother

I'm winding down today from the hoopla of another Christmas with friends, family, and guests as well as our first White Christmas in Tennessee since I was 13 years old!

As each year goes by and art becomes a larger part of my life and social setting, it also becomes a bigger part of the holidays as well.  My creations make a unique gift and I was fortunate to ship dozens of prints and books all over the country which I ran specials on through the internet.  I also held some contests on the Facebook Fan Page to give away some free prints to random folks who participated (and I do this from time to time anyhow, so get your LIKE on by clicking the link above if you haven't already!)  The last portrait commission I took this year was of one of my oldest friends, Nick.  He wanted to give a portrait to his Mom for Christmas and gave me a few reference photos to get started a few weeks back.  He was wanting a young and older version of himself as the picture.  We were both really pleased with the final result and Jen at Hobby Lobby was gracious enough to pull some strings and get it framed for us just a couple of days before Christmas... thanks hon, you guys are the best!

My wife and I spend Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas day with her family.  Friday morning we headed down to my old stomping grounds of Tennessee Ridge.  Last year about this time, I showed you the portrait of my Grandfather which I gave to my Grandma for Christmas last year. For her gift this year, I turned out another portrait, this time of her parents. She recognized them straight away, which is my best (and sometimes only) indicator of success with my likenesses...

Portrait of my Great Grandparents, Paul and Clemmie Frey

Functional art by Paul Lancette / Pic by Aurora Hardin

The sleet scared us out of Houston County and back home Friday night.  I scored a pretty sweet tabletop easel from my father to use at art fairs next year.  He always manages to sneak in something of use to my passion. Here is one of the more charming memories we took from this year's Hardin Christmas...

We are all artists with ample time, motivation, and sometimes boredom, which apparently my sister's boyfriend was chalked full of staying in such a rural area after living in Phoenix the past few years.  Mom's reindeer got put in some compromising positions with his new found ingenuity.

We headed out Saturday morning for Nashville to my sister-in-law, Rozita's house.  We didn't get far when my good friend, Mike called me in a ruckus.  The poor guy got in late Christmas Eve from Columbus and thought he could at least get into Wally World to take care of getting mama that something special for Christmas.  The only places open in town were Walgreens and the Chinese restaurants.  I have a feeling mom wasn't expecting an earwax removal kit or take-out Kung Pao shrimp.  Fine art to the rescue! I couldn't leave the guy hanging so we pointed our direction back home to parlay.  I had my reservations about his choice of this work from my Topsy-Turvy series but he called later to tell me she loved it and already had it on the wall...

"Topsy-Turvy:  Faces" (inks on bristol / 2008)

Down in Nashville, Aurora had chosen four prints for her nephews and lay them out upside down so they could randomly choose which they would get...

Art is cool and colorful but you can't really play with it.. Good thing they got stockings filled with a variety of candy to wind them up so they could get busy with their new toys!  We gave them each items their mother was sure to love including jumping beans and farting gak (which kept us entertained the duration of our visit!)

It's amazing!  You stick your fingers in it to make a symphony of farting noises AND you can take it out of the jar for other endless possibilities!

Merry Christmas!

Peace on Earth

First and foremost, thank you constant viewer for making my work possible- your audience is the most deeply touching gift I can receive year-round.  Without your fresh eyes, my art doesn't live or exist beyond my own strange and surreal meanderings.  I wish the greatest joy for you and the ones you love this holiday season- those with you, those we've lost, and those who can't be with us.

I hope you all take the time during X-mas to look beyond any financial shortcomings a tough year and recession has brought some of us and realize the reasons for the season- peace and joy!  Millions of poverty-stricken souls around the world won't enjoy the meals, gifts, and fellowship we are blessed with this time of year.  Don't take our freedom and lifestyles for granted.  Appreciate and relish in your presents and company.  God is the energy between words pushing them to and from us.  God is the inertia of action.  Celebrate that and celebrate a singular unselfish God which wants Peace here on Earth for all religions, all races, all countries, and all facets of life.

Music is one of our most powerful modes of expression and persuasion through it's universal appeal.  Here are videos with John Lennon and U2 which present some poignant messages about the importance of your voice and how you can use it to spread love, joy, and peace...

... and for your amusement, some fun holiday articles from mental_floss that I found interesting...

-Why Do We Call It “Xmas”? 

-18 Quick Facts About Your Favorite Christmas TV Specials 

-Way More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Eggnog 

-White House Celebrity Santas of the 1980s 

-8 Decidedly Unromantic Facts About Mistletoe 

Happy Holidays from DREGstudios!
P.S.  I still have about two dozen of my custom Christmas cards left that need homes (which are printed with the image posted above.)  Email me your snail mail address to dregstudios@gmail.com to get yours!  

FROZEN STIFF: The Devil and Sarah Palin

Untitled Nashville will host it's newest group exhibit, FROZEN STIFF this Friday evening from 6-10PM at Corsair Artisan Distillery.  I developed a relationship with the Untitled group back in 2005 when I began participating in their quarterly art events.  Each show has a unique theme and a different location throughout the year.  I have exhibited my art in several of these over the past few years including my favorite, their annual GLOW show where everything is black-light, self-lit, or glows in the dark.  This is a great avenue for new artists eager to display their work in a public setting as these events are known to host up to 100 artists at a time!

Untitled's slogan is "Uncensored Art for Unlimited Audiences."  I've never really pushed the bounds of this motto with my submissions in the past but this week I will with a new piece entitled "The Devil and Sarah Palin."  I can only show you a detail shot before the exhibit dear viewer in order to maintain no adult content and keep our fun together here at my blog open to all ages (a standard which I'm sure I've already stretched thin at times.)  The complete illustration includes many other elements not shown here including The Pope, The Holy Bible, A Cobra, A Rosary, and an Automatic Assault Rifle.  You'll simply have to use your imagination as to how all of these elements come into play until Friday night.

The Washington Monument
was added for its phallic
accentuation of my moose-
head vibrator.

I do not intend to debate whether Sarah Palin is indeed the Anti-Christ incarnate here on earth.  I have simply created a colorful work of art to fully vent my feelings about what she represents.  She is the centerfold and mouthpiece for a misled, war-mongering, capitalist right wing agenda misguiding and destroying everything America stands for... and now I can share her with the world and get all the bad feelings behind me.  A follower of Palin would contend that this type of art is immoral and destroys the very fabric of America by distorting and twisting the concept of freedom of speech.  Of course, this is the case with everything they do!  By closing your mind, emptying your wallet, and keeping you at home sucked into the idiot box in your living room- your rights and best interests are squandered from you dollar by dollar and day by day as the commercials and billboards paint a pretty picture of all the things you still need to complete your American lifestyle and truly be the freest in the land.

Part of this work is political and part is religious.  The two aren't supposed to mix but tell that to the GOP, where a good portion of their campaigning is done from the pulpit on Sunday mornings.  Now their most popular campaign magnet is the sex-symbol of Alaska's own starlet.  I wanted to create a work as absurd as Sarah Palin herself and I believe I have accomplished such.  You have your chance to tell me this weekend...

I hope you brave the weather and make it out to join me at FROZEN STIFF this Friday night!  There will be live music, sampling of Corsair Artisan's microbrews and even an ice sculpture made just for the show!  When you find the transvestite Satan wearing a Sarah Palin mask, masturbating with a Bible on her knee, you've found The Artwork of Brandt Hardin... see you there.

FROZEN STIFF

Corsair Artisan Distillery

1200 Clinton Street / Nashville, TN 37203

Friday, December 17th from 6PM-10PM

Bobby and I discussing the finer points of free thought terrorism

UPdate 12/24/2010

 The exhibit this last weekend was a very rewarding experience.  From the time I arrived until the close of the show, there was a constant buzz about my piece... people laughing, gasping, pointing, taking pictures with their phones and even posing with the work.  Man what a fun night with great local music, brew, and friends around to have the last laugh.

Great local entertainment throughout the evening!

My sister Becca and Paul were in from Phoenix and kept us company

I was slightly off cue... I was supposed to be covering the "L" on the ice sculpture

12/27/10:  More pics my sister posted today when she got home.....

Manuel and Sarah Carranza with Dan and Colleen Marshall

My sister, Becca with Aurora

My sister's first night back in town.  Nothing better than a swank art show!

Hamming it up with the Untitled Nashville ice sculpture

[Censored Mail] Happy Belated Birthday Wapoo!

I'd just like to take a moment to thank the fine staff at South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton, TN for returning my fine art prints to me instead of hucking them in the trash.  I can say that I am indebted to The Tennessee Department of Corrections for a little over two bucks.  The same envelope I shipped them to my friend in for his birthday was used to return them, with only two pieces of scotch tape holding the prints inside (I do bag my prints for shipping so this helped.)  Their safe passage is a true testament to our postal system and the job they do, getting them home to me safely, despite being exposed to the elements.

So apparently my artwork is too heinous and/or inappropriate for the inside of a medium security prison cell.  Art is healing and human expression.  My intention surely wasn't to hinder my friend's reformation or to any way infringe upon the diligent and heartwarming service I'm certain this facility and it's employees are providing for him. 

Apparently playing cards, Hunter S. Thompson, Beer, and Satan are images detrimental to the recovery of a convict. 

Dear patron of the arts, who do you think?

I would say it's a freedom of speech / expression issue but a prisoner has no rights... 
Even on his birthday.  

They're waiting for you here on the outside man along with cards, amazing literature, beer, and a little more Hell to raise.  They didn't give you the two Happy Birthday letters from myself or Nick either... but words (and positive encouragement.) are dangerous you know.  Mine said "Keep your chin up." and Nick's said "Freedom is on the Way."

luvup,

B

Dirty Laundry (Debts Made Public)

"Yesterday's $ is Today's Sense" (2006)

As a new course of action in collection matters and processing grievances, this open post is to serve as a permanent Black List for the arts community.  Artists have an up-hill battle every step of the way from expensive supplies to framing to application and display fees to shipping and transporting their work.  Nothing is free in this game.  I feel obligated to share the lessons I've learned the hard way and give a heads up so that other artists (both aspiring and professional) may have an easier road to follow.  Keep in mind, this isn't a forum to burn bridges but rather an attempt to harness some good from the rubble that's left from those which have already been set ablaze.

Northwest Arkansas Songwriters Association

Earlier this year, I took a logo design commission for this group.  Being a referral of one of my wife's friends, I was eager to please and had no reservations about the project.  In my daytime Marketing Manager's position, a referral is the best lead you can get!  I did a preliminary sketch and approved the design with said client before getting the logo blown out in full color.  I sent a small web-sized version of the logo for final approval before making all the files and text options for the image.  A verbal agreement was set forth that upon full payment, they would receive the original illustration with three logos, all in print, web, and vector format.   I notified the client of the completion of the project.  "The money's in the mail."  (You'll hear this a lot, I'm finding.)  I never got a dime.  Nine months later, I had to mail out my first cease and desist letter to him for using that web-sized proof I sent him on his website and social networking sites as well as show fliers.

LESSON:  Take a down payment on commercial projects after an initial sketch approval AND watermark any proofs you send.  


Comic City Conventions

This year, I wanted to give a shot at the Comic, Fantasy, and Horror Con scene.  I figure my work fits in and the suggestion had been presented to me several times by both friends and patrons at art festivals over the past few years.  Well, you gotta start local and spread out, right?  So I booked myself at events in Nashville, Knoxville, and Louisville with this classy outfit.  At ALL three shows, the promoter got my name wrong.  In Louisville, I began setting up at another artist's space he directed me to (Brandon something or another) before being led to my correct space, "DRG studio."  This is despite exchanging a dozen emails, taking three separate payments from me, and being corrected personally face-to-face at the first two cons.  All of these shows were poorly promoted, in horrible locations, and all exhibiting artists I spoke with lost money on the venture.  You have to have foot traffic at these events or you're bust.  An artist has the overhead of travel expenses (hotel, meals, gas) on top of a fee to set up before you can start making money.  There are many successful events out there that draw thousands of people- anything organized by this guy is not one.

LESSON:  Research or attend particular events before paying a setup fee.  It is unfortunate that some promoters are only worried about getting paid through vendor fees and not getting people through the door to create a successful atmosphere so the artist can make some kind of profit.    


Maker's Mark Bourbon House and Lounge

I was contacted by a manager at this establishment in Louisville to display artwork at their venue earlier this year through social networking.  I was informed that the General Manager had purchased my artwork after the exhibit.  "The money's in the mail."  Seven months later, I'm still trying to get the money or the artwork back.  Endless stories and claims that the money and now, the artwork have already been shipped and lost in the mail.  This guys must have the worst luck ever with the postal system.  At this point, I just want the art back.

LESSON:  Some people are just going to try and rip you off.  I'll get back with you on this one.  I'm mailing two letters (one to his home and one to his work) giving a 30 day notice about taking him to court (which is reeeeeal easy to do in Kentucky.)


Thumbprint Gallery

I began a relationship with this San Diego gallery a couple of years ago based on a Call for Entries they sent me through a social networking site.  I was very intrigued by their group show themes and wanted to participate in a few.  I created some great work based on their creative prompts and had very friendly contact with the curator.  The only problem here is that five pieces were returned to me damaged over the course of a year.  Every item I shipped out was returned in the original box but with a small fraction of the packaging.  I informed the gallery of their error in care of my work each time and it just kept happening.  You can't continue to plead ignorance when you've been informed.  How can you tell me after every exhibit how great the work was and how much conversation it created and how it's on-point but then not respect it enough to package it securely for cross-country shipping?

LESSON:  Framing is the MOST expensive part of what I do.  Five busted frames... shame on me for not stopping at the Second after informing him of the First.


ARTISTS:  Feel free to share your stories by commenting below... hopefully as this post expands, it will provide useful information to help all of us have a smooooother ride up this mountain to success.

Gimme Shelter (and Keeping the Internet Free)

I was pleased to stumble across the website for the Gimme Shelter project tonight.  I participated in this art show back in 2006.  Five years later, they still have their site and all the tremendous art which was created in archival form for you to see at your convenience.  Artists from all over the world painted and drew on cardboard to raise money for homeless charities.  The work went on a touring exhibit across the U.S. and Europe, where the pieces were auctioned off.  The ones not sold at the shows were sold on Ebay.  This was an artistic prompt which I could not ignore...

One of my donated works from 2006... mixed media on cardboard

At least once a week I'm brought to a realization of the magnificent power of the internet.   Artistic projects can be documented though online galleries, time lapse videos, blogs, etc.  The internet not only gives us the power to share but to also archive our experiences for generations to come.

While we wield this power of global communication and sharing, it is in extreme danger today.  Net neutrality is being stripped from our basic rights as we speak.  We already know that the internet is severely censored in other countries such as China.  This is mainly due to their need to shelter the public from critical views of their government and social structure for fear of organization and rebellion against it.  The United Nations have placed freedom of speech and religion at the forefront of what is defined as basic human rights.  Our own country was founded on these ideals as well.

Wikileaks has brought the issue of net neutrality into debate world-wide now.  I urge you to look through the smoke and around the mirrors and focus on the important issue at hand while all this transpires.  We are the audience and will live with the outcome.  Our government as well as others in the world are pressuring companies to do everything in their power to shut down this single website.  The content of this site (however you may feel about it) aside, it is perfectly legal to provide a forum for this information to be shared.  This week, under urging from governments affected by this information, companies such as Amazon stopped providing hosting for this website without justification.  Mastercard, Visa and PayPal have cut off use of their services to make donations to Wikileaks, severing the site's financial influx which keeps it hosted and alive.  These are actions by companies which should be completely neutral in such affairs, but are making biased decisions and dissolving the concept of net neutrality as we know it. 

What happens next year when your website or social networking profile can be hijacked, investigated, and removed for speaking out against capitalism or American ideology?  What happens when you can be charged as a terrorist for donating money to a cause you believe in (but goes against what the government prefers?)  We have to voice our opinions while we have the freedom of speech and thought still in tact (in person and in digital form.)  No matter your political stance or opinion of Wikileaks, acknowledge today that governments and businesses have NO place in deciding the content you access on the internet, just as they cannot ban a book or stop you from speaking on the street, or stop you from organizing.  You don't need to be sheltered from the freedom to inform yourself and in-turn speak your mind.

Postcards From the Edge

Finding the Cure / inks on bristol / 2010

Here is my entry for Postcards From the Edge, an exhibit of small works (postcard sized) opening on January 8th at CRG Gallery in New York City. This annual event raised over $65K last year for AIDS awareness charities. The exhibit is managed by VisualAIDS, an art society which combats AIDS through various programs using contemporary art.  All works are sold for charitable donations for the organization.