Artist Statement:
My baseball paintings are rooted in a passion for history and tendency to be nostalgic; specifically when it comes to vintage baseball cards and toys that I had owned as a child. I painted my first card over twenty years ago. My process begins with examining the actual physicality of the vintage card; I hold it, inspect and study its minute details. I then prepare my panel and workspace. When I paint, I try to imagine the sights, smells, and sounds of the ballpark that one might have experienced in the era of this famous figure. As I add my final touches to the painting, I like to think I have captured some special insight into that legendary player.
My career as an illustrator and graphic artist has given me a unique appreciation for the less-than-perfect results of the old offset printing presses that were used in creating vintage baseball cards. As I paint, I attempt to preserve the crude yet wonderful charm of the imperfect. I also focus on the rich saturated color as well as the simple designs of these collectible cardboard gems from that Golden Era.
The dynamic scale and variety of textures are very important to the overall emotional impact these paintings have when experienced in person. These larger- than-life interpretations serve to ignite wonderful memories of riding my bike to the local Five & Dime to buy packs of baseball cards, and then trading those cards with my best buddies. I hope baseball enthusiasts have similar reactions to my paintings and that art connoisseurs will appreciate my Pop Art approach to these
mid-century classics that were collected by over 70,000,000 kids
between 1950 and 1960.