Kickstarter

About this Project 

Baseball. No other sport evokes such spiritual meaning as Baseball. To have the chance as an artist to be officially licensed by MLB for a handful of my current paintings has been a life event for me but I am not done. My goal is to paint all 30 MLB team logos and have them licensed before the 2012 World Series but I need your help… and there is a reward at completion bigger than money – MLB has said that upon completion, they wish to hang prints of all 30 completed team paintings in their New York City Headquarters! 

The movie “Field of Dreams” did as good a job as any capturing the essence of Baseball: 

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again." 

Baseball moves me… and my art captures that movement and excitement in a way that I hope will grab current fans and attract new fans to a sport that connects, ties, and grounds us to one another like no other. Many talented artists have captured slices of this spirit in their own way but what I feel is unique about my work is that I want my art to be as inclusive as the sport itself. My art is inclusive of all teams and all fans, just as all teams in big and small markets alike are there to connect us through the highs and lows of life with our friends, neighbors and strangers for a few brief hours, a few months of the year. 

My story 

Like any American boy, I started tee ball as early as I can remember. Not particularly great, I enjoyed it nonetheless and have a few “highlights” I’m happy to share someday over a beer. In 1979, one of the best hitters, base runners and base stealers debuted in Major League Baseball and his name was “Tim Raines”. Since his rookie year, baseball and I have been inseparable as I was forced to answer “not that Tim Raines” or “yes, like the baseball player” every time I was introduced to a new person who was a baseball fan. I also spent countless hours with my grandpa watching the Texas Rangers struggle to get anywhere close to .500. He promised me that if they ever made the World Series, he’d take my brother and me to one Series game. Now, I’m excited to share that love of baseball with my 9-month-old boy and am thankful my lovely wife loves the game as much as I do, we cannot wait to share America’s Past Time with him for many years to come. 

Around the same age of 9, I had become something of an artist, having won my first serious art contest at the age of 6 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Illustration had become a passion and on again, off again obsession. My sports art high point was getting to draw the Official Poster for the 100th Football matchup between rivals Texas A&M and The University of Texas in 1993. 72,000 posters were printed and covered College Station and I must have signed a thousand, it was a memorable moment for me, yet as a Senior, I had spent the past few years studying something other than art, deciding long ago that it wasn’t a career opportunity for me. 

In 2000, in doing some career soul searching, I began to dabble again in art, this time abstract, mostly to cover some walls and quiet my mind. Over time, my “Pollack-like” style become a more expressionist style, probably because I like a challenge and to push myself constantly. I landed on doing some brand work for companies like Michelin and Aston Martin on the side and next thing you know, I was getting some nice press. Now, here I am on the verge of a new career as the artist I was always meant to be and honoring the sport I’ve always loved and I am thankful for your help in getting me there! 

…By the way, yes, my brother, cousins, and I did make that World Series game in 2010 in memory of my Papa. Thank you Grammay and Papa, I love y’all! 

The Project Details

Currently, I have submitted 9 original paintings to MLB that have been approved and Officially Licensed. I have also painted two MLB Logos, one that is at MLB Headquarters and one went to MLB Foundation connections. As a result of that effort, MLB management has said that if I were to get all 30 done, they would want one print of each team for the halls of MLB headquarters in New York City! This is a huge honor but with a lack of time and resources, I’ve slogged through one painting at a time and missed another Opening Day and will miss this seasons All-Star Game. That leaves one big event for 2012 – the World Series. I don’t want to wait anymore and I don’t want MLB to forget about me, the time to strike is now and I need help to obtain the materials, cover licensing fees, printing costs and more and I have until about September 1 to get 21 more done to leave time for the submission process and approvals, then going to print before Game 1. An added bonus for all of you sports fans is that I’ll be able to spend time after this project pursuing licensing with the other professional sports leagues… NFL, NBA, NHL and more… 

The Rewards 

“Well you know, support the team” – David Puddy 

You have the hat, the jersey, the sticker on your car and probably a poster or two, so grab another and keep showing your support for your team but also for an independent artist who hand makes original art in America and printed in America. You are also supporting my printer, a small business coping with a struggling economy. Nothing made overseas like most souvenirs and by big nameless corporations. Reward yourself with something that is a unique and modern take on your favorite team and know that you are doing something good for others at the same time. 

 More specifically, check out the descriptions to the right for the details of individual awards. 

The “Fun” 

More than just getting a great print or painting and supporting an artists’ dream, I want this campaign to be “fun” too! We have 30 fantastic clubs with millions of fantastic fans, so let’s have a “Kickstarter Series”! Buy an open edition print of your favorite team and earn one run! Original art sales will be grand slams and each day, I’ll update who’s winning the series and how many games back each team is that day. (NOTE: To participate, message me after your pledge with your team choice, Kickstarter has no way to do this until after the project is a success.)

Where the Money Goes 

I need to complete at least 21 paintings, scan them, send the images to MLB for approval, then print and ship them. Any non-approved paintings must be either touched up or I have to complete another one. About one of every two I submit requires some modification (extra variable expense). 

• 25 “gallery wrap” canvases approximately 20x24 ($600)
• Paint costs up to $65 for 16 oz. bottle and I use a lot of paint with my style ($2500)
• High Res Scans = $50 each ($1250)
• Licensing, shipping and printing of reproductions. On any reproduction, all of these costs are bundled and handled by my printer and I basically earn a small percentage of each print for my time and effort. Approximately Two-Thirds (2/3) of the entire goal/sales of prints, postcards, etc. ($13,400)
• Shipping of original sales = $50 each for packaging and ground transit
• Kickstarter and Amazon Payments Fees (5% and 2.2-5% respectively) ($1450-2500)

THANK YOU for your support! I know you will enjoy your rewards and I am so grateful to all of my supporters whether with a pledge or simply your well wishes!