Okey

When I first met Beezie, the cat from whom I got the name BZTAT, I knew I had to paint her. And I did. Over and over and over again for the entire 19 years of her life. I still paint her. Over and over again.

I love painting all of my cats, but there are certain ones who really capture my artistic imagination.

Okey, is like that.

Her image is as intriguing to me as her personality is. There is just something about her that really makes me want to draw and paint her. Over and over again.

So, be prepared. There will be many, many Okey paintings to come. I hope that folks enjoy them as much as I will enjoy painting them.

I painted her the other night because I just needed to paint something for fun and free with no expectations. After doing all the January drawings, it has taken me some time to get back into painting.

You may have noticed that I have not posted much here lately. Part of that is due to computer problems that I have been having. Some of it, too, has been because my creative focus has wandered a bit. The winter here in Ohio has been brutal, and I have sorta retreated inward a bit. I am working myself out of it.

I have been working to catch up on projects that have been on the drawing table and easel for awhile. Painting the Okey picture kinda loosened me up a bit and got me back into the swing of things. I hope to share the other projects with you soon!

In the meantime, I hope you are staying warm and keeping your artistic adventures flowing!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Check out my Referral Incentive Program! Send your friends here and you could get an ACEO by BZTAT!

Custom Pet Portraits / Contemporary Artwork of Cats, Dogs and other Animals

BZTAT Studios - In the heart of the Canton, OH Arts District

"Romeo" Folk Art Pet Portrait Painting by BZTAT

Up until recently, I have only painted custom pet portraits in my pop art style. These paintings require a lot of preparation in advance of the painting, and my detailed layering technique also is very time consuming. Capturing a very distinct likeness of the animal and its unique character in a semi-abstract style is also an exacting process. As a result, I have had to raise my prices considerably over the past year.

I do not regret raising my prices, even though I know that it has led to reduced sales. The paintings are worth what I am charging, in fact, they truly are worth more than what I am charging.

That said, I want to offer portraits that are a little more affordable to those who are watching their budgets in these uncertain economic times.

I have decided to offer portraits that are not quite as detailed and customized. Many people have enjoyed the quick folk art paintings that I have created in my paint-a-thons, so I have decided to offer these as an option for custom portraits. I can do these for a more economical price and, well, heck. They are fun to paint!

You can see examples of both pet portrait painting options here along with price lists.

So what are you waiting for? Why not spend all that holiday cash you got on a memorable piece of art that will keep on giving for years to come?

By the way, the cat in the painting above is none other than the cyber superstar Romeo the Cat, who has raised thousands and thousands of dollars to help animal rescue organizations. Romeo, you are an inspiration!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Check out my Referral Incentive Program! Send your friends here and you could get an ACEO by BZTAT!

Custom Pet Portraits / Contemporary Artwork of Cats, Dogs and other Animals

BZTAT Studios - In the heart of the Canton, OH Arts District

BarkWorld was one of those great events where I had the chance to meet online pals face to face.

Usually I am only able to talk to these folks through a computer. But when I get to meet them without a computer, it is hard to make myself spend time blogging about it while it is happening.

I will write about my latest adventure – BarkWorld Expo 2010 very soon. I especially want to write about the GMC Terrain that was provided to me as part of the GMC Bark-N-Ride. It was a great vehicle, and I am very grateful that I got a chance to drive one to Atlanta, GA for the BarkWorld Expo 2010.

Right now, however, I want to share the inspiration that I gained from the trip with you.

I saw lots of great dogs at the event, and afterward, I went to the Atlanta Folk Fest for my art “fix”.

I came back with so many creative ideas, I have decided to do a paint-a-thon to share some them with you.

On Thursday, August 26, 2010, I will engage in an exclusive “Paint-A-Thon”, painting animal themed artworks non-stop from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm in my studio at 336 4th St. NW, Canton, OH.

All works created in that 12 hours will be auctioned off in a silent auction online via Twitter Thursday, August 26, 2010.  Bidding on BZTAT artworks will begin at 9:00 pm EDT and conclude around 11:00 pm EDT.

Honestly, I am doing this so that I can keep the doors open at BZTAT Studios. It is costly to keep an artist studio operating. I will, however, give 10% of the sales to Romeo The Cat’s FurPower charity for this month, Second Chance Pet Adoptions.

Follow my tweets (hashtag #bztatptg) during the 12-hour stretch to watch the paintings develop. Then participate in the auction from 9 pm – 11pm EDT.

Auction Bidding Instructions:

• If you would like to submit a bid on Twitter, please send a tweet with the word BID in all caps,  your bid amount and #bztatptg written in the tweet.
• Your profile must be visible in Tweetgrid for us to receive the bid.
• All bids must be in $5.00 increments.
• The lowest bid for all works will be $40.
• Bid winners will receive instructions to pay the winning bid via PayPal plus $20 US shipping or $40 international shipping per painting.
• A 10-minute warning will be tweeted to announce the conclusion of the auction 10 minutes before bidding stops.
• It is recommended that interested Twitterers follow the action on Tweetgrid to get real time updates. (We are not responsible for any technical difficulties that may occur as a result of Twitter or associated application interruptions.)
• Follow the #bztatptg hashtag on Twitter to follow all the action. You do not have to bid to join in the fun!

Date: Thursday, August 26, 2010

Paint-a-thon Time: 9 am – 9 pm (EDT)

Auction Time: 9 pm – 11 pm (EDT)

My paint-a-thons are a great way to find some affordable bargains on artwork that my never come around again.

I hope you will join me for this special event. I promise to have some new and fresh images that have not been seen before.

Have suggestions for what you’d like me to paint? Leave them in the comments below.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Check out my Referral Incentive Program! Send your friends here and you could get an ACEO by BZTAT!

Custom Pet Portraits / Contemporary Artwork of Cats, Dogs and other Animals

BZTAT Studios - In the heart of the Canton, OH Arts District