a quick note
In January of 2007, I quit my job, cashed in my 401K, sold my car, and decided I was going to be a traveling artist.Somehow it worked out.
The following is a little insight into what I do and some of the great experiences and opportunities that come while pursuing a dream.
July 2010
It's official...the new 3-in-1 spiral bound travel games for kids are now available at Barnes and Noble stores and B&N.com. Click on the yellow "Barnes and Noble Stuff" link on any page of the site to see them and order. Hope you like them!
July 2010
I know...it's been awhile since I've said "hi". The fact is I've been planning a wedding for the past few months with my bride-to-be Helena and kinda lost track of time. We've gotten lost in the fun of putting together our big party and, well..I've kinda slacked off a bit. Sorry everyone. Can you blame me? I mean, come on... we've discovered that free cake is just a phone call away. Just call up someone who makes wedding cakes and say "hey, we want to come by for a tasting", and you get free cake. Seriously! We left Johnson and Wales on a sugar high. It was awesome. Sorry, but work takes a back seat to free cake.
I consider myself so very lucky to have met Helena. We met when I was about to quit my previous job and become an "artist", and she never showed signs of hesitation.
Our second date I knew I had to tell her what I was planning, and nervously explained to her my situation. I told her I completely understand if you don't want to go any further, but I know it's going to work.
Somehow she did too.
She's been with me from the beginning and has always supported my decisions.
Along the way she's inspired me with her intelligence and humor, and even come up with some great ideas
you see on the website.
My best friend, my true love...can't wait for September 4th baby.
May 2010
Some exciting product news to reveal. Have some 3 in 1 travel games coming out later this month with Barnes and Noble, each containing Tic-Tac-Toe, Play Dots and Hangman. Three spiral bound designs to choose from with tear away sheets to take anywhere you go. Also have two new puzzles coming out, this time with Books-A-Million stores. The new designs are based on "Barnyard Reading Time" and "Fairy Tales". Those should arrive in stores later in the year. Keep checking back as I'll update the blog with arrivals and availability. Thanks so much for your support and to all those who helped to make the card game set and puzzles a great success.
Getting excited for the South End Open Market Kickoff this coming weekend. Always a blast in Boston. Thanks to everyone who came out to Mayfair last week. Fantastic weather and a killer turnout made it an amazing day!
April 2010
Returned last night from a fantastic weekend in Morristown, NJ and wanted to say "Hi" to the kids at Joyful Noise Nursery School and Day Care.
Susan Cate came by to visit me at the show and dropped off 57 beautifully colored fish for my "Coloring for Kids Charity". Susan visited the website and downloaded a page for all the kids to have some fun with, and they are all perfect. Thanks so much kids (and Susan) for being creative and helping out others in need.
Easily the highlight of my trip.
Many thanks to everyone who came out to the show, especially John and Janet for their generous gift of an inflatable pool tube (love the color by the way) for me to use as I continue to pump out my basement from the flooding here in Warwick, RI. Gotta have a sense of humor, right?
Enjoy the warm weather and I hope to see all of you later in the year.
March 2010
Recently had the privilege of visiting the Vining School in Billerica, MA and taking over Mrs. McGinnis' fourth grade art class for the day. Not only were these kids extremely enthusiastic and talented, but clearly willing to help out other kids in need. Discovered a surprise in my mailbox that really moved me. Each of the students printed out and colored a fish from my "Coloring for Kids" page and mailed them to me. They look amazing! Wish I had a way of showcasing all of them. Out of fairness I'm not going to pick out one for the featured artist of the month because they're all so good, but I will be donating 25 cents for each one to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. That's all it takes. Just have some fun coloring in a picture and I'll donate for you. Click on the "Coloring for Kids" box on every page of the website to view the details and get involved.
Great work kids.
Keep on drawing.
March 2010
Returned from a somewhat treacherous weekend in NJ and just wanted to thank those people who braved the elements and came to the show.
50+ mph winds and several inches of rain wreaked havoc on much of the area, knocking down trees and forcing road closures due to heavy flooding.
Many people were without power for extended periods and suffered damage to their homes. Sending out my concern and best wishes to all of you. Hope you all braved the storm intact and look forward to catching up with you later in the year.
Show 2
March 2010
I always enjoy going to the Sugarloaf show in Somerset for a few reasons. It's always fun to catch up with atists I've gotten to know well who also follow the circuit and travel like myself, sharing road stories and new ideas. The people who attend the show are a blast...super enthusiastic and outgoing, and always excited to see what's new in both an artist's professional and personal lives. A huge thrill for me is meeting young couples with families who are just discovering my work. Getting to know them, establishing a relationship and watching their children grow is amazing. Oftentimes I meet the parents-to-be when they're expecting, and with each visit am introduced to the new bundle(s)of joy and get to watch their kids develop. To know that a family has chosen my work to hang in their home is an incredible honor...especially when the kids run into my booth, exclaiming "We have that!", as they point to a particular picture or grab a familiar print from a bin.
Somerset is also special to me because it reminds me of how important it is as an artist to break out of your comfort zone and take a risk. Spring 2008 was my first time at this show, and prior to it I was extremely hesitant to go. Until then my show experiences were limited to RI, MA and CT. I hadn't traveled very far and my last show of 2007 was really bad. The location was horrible and the promoters did not deliver on their promises.
I was nervous.
Will people like my work?
Will it be worth it?
Should I travel that far (I'm from RI...where the general rule is you have to pack a lunch to travel two towns over, even though the entire state is 45 miles long)?
I'm going. As nerve racking as it was, I chose the life of an artist to get my work out and that's what I'll do.
It was amazing. People really loved the work, I got some incredible feedback and had one of my best shows up to that point.
And then I got home.
I was staring at my computer screen, trying to make sense of an email I received. It was from a Barnes and Noble exec who was introduced to my work and wanted to license my images for the puzzles and games many of you are familiar with at the national stores.
What? Really?
Yup. A very special customer from the Somerset show introduced my work to this exec....and that's all it took.
Everything I had hoped would happen when I started this was working. If I could get my work out to enough people in different locations, maybe someone would notice.
Perhaps someone who could help me to get my work out to a national audience and build my name.
Here it was...the opportunity I had hoped for. Right place at the right time. Showing up when you have to. Lessons in my life proved that you can't always anticipate an opportunity, but you can be ready when it comes. I felt like I was.
Somerset gave me my first big break, opened up so many doors and really taught me to follow through no matter how nerve racking the situation.
Like I said, great artists, amazing people and a lesson permanently learned.
Go out and get it.
Thanks Somerset!
February 2010
One of the many factors that can make or break a show is the weather, even indoors. Virginia was no exception. Snow on Saturday kept people at home and for good reason. Chantilly got the least of it, but 6 inches is enough to put a damper on the festivities. My first snow storm at a show. Usually it's heavy rain, hail, severe lightning, wind...you get the idea. The bottom line is we always have to be prepared. In my short amount of time in this career I've seen tents blown right off the ground, often taking their neighbors setup with them. I've seen rain come down so hard and fast that it literally caved in a tent from the weight of the water. I've also been the victim myself, slow to close up my tent when warned of a fast approaching squall that turned a beautiful afternoon to darkness in a blink. All I could do was clutch the center of my tent and wipe the water from my eyes (rain, not tears) while my work was soaked. Yup, weather is one of many factors that we are at the mercy of. All we can do is hope for the best and press on, hoping to stay dry.
Incidentally, the artist whose tent caved in is one of my heroes. A jeweler by trade, she was able to collect what was left of her shattered cases and broken tent, drive two hours home and return the next day with a new tent and booth display, open for business when the show began.
And she had a great show.
Press on.
Show 1
January 2010
Arrived in Fairfax City for my first Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Chantilly, VA. Nervous and excited for several reasons. Nervous because it's the first time I've visited this area and you're never sure how people are going to react to your work. Excited because in a few hours I'm about to go live with the new and improved website (which is what you're looking at now).For those of you who've never visited my site before, welcome. This blog represents a number of changes and improvements that I hope you find entertaining and easy to use. For those who are familiar with the old site, welcome back. These updates are a direct result of your valuable feedback and suggestions. In the coming months I'll be adding more pictures and products and all kinds of fun stuff so I hope you like what you see.
It's my goal to not only use this blog as an opportunity to give you the skinny on news and events in my world, but to also share with you my experiences "on the road" so to speak. I get to meet alot of great people who take interest in my occupation. Essentially I'm a traveling circus, driving from show to show, town to town, setting up my big top in a grass roots effort to get my work out there. Those same people who take interest also have a great influence on my experiences, including the artists I travel with.
Is it easy? Absolutely not.
Is it worth it? More than you know. That's why I left my old job in the first place and jumped headfirst into this. Yeah it was crazy, but so what? I wanted to make a living doing what I love, and this was the best way to do it.
It needs to be said that this is not a solitary effort. Yes, I draw the pictures and throw them in my car and drive to a town near you. But without the support from my fiancee Helena, it would be a bit empty. She's always got my back, even when I was an unemployed 32 year old who "wanted to be an artist". She saw something in me and never hesitated. I can't wait to marry this woman.
Don't worry, you'll hear more about her later on.
In the meantime, take a look around, kick the tires and enjoy what you see. Hope you find my stories interesting and continue to read on.
Have fun!
Oh, and Helena...I'll be home on Monday. Miss you already.
