On the easel...
 

Hey all,

I hope nobody minds, but I figured that I would start a thread for whatever's going on in my studio. Well, anything that I think is worthy of posting, that is.

I figure that if everyone's cool with it, I can show some finished pieces here, as it's taking a while for me to get my website fully updated. Additionally, I can show some in-progress shots of other things, be they commissions or for my inventory. Just know that the quality of the photos I take myself aren't even close to that of the ones I have done professionally!

Speaking of whom, I just picked these up from those photographers:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...7_Portrait.jpg
Babe Ruth, 1927, 9"x12"

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...5_Portrait.jpg
Joe DiMaggio, 1933 (I think), 9"x12"

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ait_Conlon.jpg
Lou Gehrig, 1936, 16"x20"

The Ruth portrait is already spoken for by a fellow board member, but if anyone is interested in the other two, feel free to drop me a line.

And as usual, comments/critiques/rotten tomatoes are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Graig

PS: Oh, and special thanks to Jimmy for allowing me to use some of his images for these bad boys!

Graig, you have an amazing gift! I can only dream of the day that I can afford to hang one of your paintings on my wall. Keep the pictures coming! I asked you this over on the PSA boards but do you have any plans for a Roy Campanella painting?

Chris

Graig,

I think all three are great, but the Gehrig is beyond belief. You really captured
him. Well done.

Thanks so much for the compliments, guys! I sincerely appreciate them.

Chris, I do have some shots of Roy in mind to paint, but there's nothing in the very immediate future. I'm hoping to at least do a small 9"x12" or 11"x14" portrait soon, and I suppose I'm just looking for some free time to tackle a larger image of him. I did just find some great shots of him from the '52 World Series that have really piqued my interest...

Graig, fanstastic as usual.
I like the Gehrig piece the best, but all are worthy to hang on any collectors wall.

Graig- your work is sensational. Your application of light and shadows is really amazing.

Wow!

Thanks fellas!

Barry, thank you for those words about light. That's actually the main thing I try to instill into each painting. I feel like it goes beyond making something look photographic, but giving the viewer the impression that he/she is there, breathing the same air as these players. In the end, if people can see these images and be brought back to days of youth with their fathers and grandfathers and actually smell the popcorn, cigar smoke, and hear the buzz of the crowd, then I'm incredibly happy.

In the spirit of the ol' 'washed up' man starting for the Phillies in the game tomorrow, here's an in-progress shot of another supposedly 'washed up' veteran who happened to beat the Yanks in Games 2 and 6 in the '26 Blue Ribbon classic, not to mention close out the final innings of Game 7 with stellar relief work, most notably against Tony Lazzeri. Ol' Pete!!

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ndler/GCA2.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...indler/GCA.jpg

Another Conlon shot, dating from '28, I think. This one's 11"x14", and the image has some interesting light going for it. It's far from done, but I feel like it's starting to take on some personality. Gotta love those wrinkles.

Oh, and excuse the photography, and the crappy angle - it seems that shooting it this way is the only chance I have at avoiding any glare.

Graig

Alright, this is it for tonight. I promise.

The first Jewish superstar of the Major Leagues, Hammerin' Hank Greenberg:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...indler/HG1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...indler/HG2.jpg

Again, this one's FAR from done. And, like the Grover Cleveland image, this is from a Conlon photo and is 11"x14".

I know, I know, the photograph sucks. The glare is wreaking havoc on the left side of his face, as that side cheek isn't so rosy. Argh. One day, I'll master the technique of taking proper in-progress photographs. Or at least, I hope.

Hope you enjoy 'em!

I really like that Ruth. They all look great though.

Here are the photos of mine that Graig mentioned using for his paintings...

Gives you a great opportunity to see just how much he nails these images!

Attachment 8369Attachment 8370


More fantastic creations Brutha! Well done. BTW... I really love the way that Alexander is coming together Graig. Can't wait to see Old Pete once you're done with him.

I had the opportunity to briefly meet Graig at the national and see his paintings in person and pics don't do them justice! When you see them in person they make you just stare in awe of how beautiful and realistic they are.I know nothung about art or painting,but I can tell you Graig has been blessed with amazing skills. I hope to have a painting of Roberto Clemente done one day,God willing.Keep up the great work!

Lou

That Gehrig is great.

Thanks so much for all of the wonderful compliments, guys, as well as the support. I really couldn't be surrounded by a better bunch of fellas.

I just got this one back from the photographer's today as well:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ber_7_Bats.jpg

The shot is the Great Bambino from September 7, 1921, picking out his weapon of choice in between a doubleheader against Boston. In the second game, he would hit his 52nd homer of the year, propelling the Yanks to a 7-2 victory. In winning both contests, New York found themselves a game ahead of Cleveland for first place in the AL, and a month later, would win the first of their (now) 27 World Championships.

Hope y'all enjoy!

Wow! I feel like I could crawl right in there with the Babe! Nice work, once again!

ok graig lets see some tinker evers chance :)

The Bambino
 

I picked up the Ruth portrait from Graig's agent yesterday. Hung it on the wall today and can't stop staring at it. I swear the brim of his cap and the tip of his distinctive nose stick out past the frame and into the room. It is stunning. I saw the Gehrig, the Dimaggio and Ruth with bats in person . . . all spectacular.

As usual, simply beautiful work.

Thanks fellas!!

:)

Here's what's been on the easel this weekend. A biggie at 38"x60", this is a commission that I've finally been getting around to finishing. Or at least, getting close to finishing. I hope.

My father has threatened to disown me on numerous occasions for this one. Like most Yankee fans his age, I don't think he's ever gotten over this moment...and I don't think he ever will...and I can't blame him:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...indler/Maz.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ndler/Maz2.jpg

It's got a ways to go, but hopefully I can get it done and out of my sights before he sees it again. There's just so much darn information in there, especially with the wall, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the scoreboard, and that damn crowd in left. It's driving me bananas!

As usual, please excuse the cruddy photography. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Graig

Graig, another awesome masterpiece

I love seeing the ball in flight on that one...

Does anyone know what the ball had to clear at Forbes' Left Field, to be considered a home run (did it have to clear that giant scoreboard?) Did Maz really hit his homer over that scoreboard (to the right of the clock) as it appears? I've read numerous times that his homer barely made it out, but have never seen clear footage of the ball's flight, or where it ended up.

Also... What's with the scaffolding at the base of the light tower in left? The red brick fence is clearly behind that scaffolding. Seems like quite the obstacle to overcome, if that was truly in the field of play!

You're right Graig... there's a lot going on in that busy painting (which is magnificent, btw!)

From the footage that I've seen, Maz's hr actually went to the right of the scoreboard (facing it) and over that wall (in Graig's painting, you can see the fielder, which is Yogi Berra). The footage showed him going to the warning track and then pealing off as the ball went over the wall... I would consider that Left-Center field.

Knowing Graig, I wouldn't doubt if he flipped every stone for evidence attesting to the ball's true flight and destination before he sketched this out.

What a tremendous piece, Graig!

This appears to be taken very accurately from a famous photograph of Mazeroski's hr. Remember, don't think two dimensionally...it looks like the ball
is going over the scoreboard but if you were to see the ball keep going you would see it go in front of the scaffolding and over to left center.

Thanks for all of the compliments, guys!

The photo is indeed a famous one. Taken by Marvin E. Newman, it has to be one of my favorite photographs of all time. He talked about it in a special on HBO, something about sports photography. I remember him (or a critic) mentioning that it was so genius because of all of the information was there: the clock with the time of day, the scoreboard, Maz in mid-swing, light conditions, Yogi in left-center, and awesomely enough, the ball in mid-flight. I don't think anyone could have timed it better.

Here's some footage of that last play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-zjk...eature=related

And man, was it a bitch getting all of this color right. And it will most likely continue to be a bitch...

Here's what I was playing around with today:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/DSCN2564.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/DSCN2563.jpg

The scenes from the day that Gehrig broke his streak have always had a place in my heart. Aside from the great images of Lou gazing out of the dugout longingly, they're also beautiful shots of Babe Dahlgren, his replacement at first. Being friends with Matt Dahlgren (his grandson) for so long, I've really come to appreciate the whole scenario from a different perspective. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be called upon to fill the shoes of one's idol. I can't wait to get some paintings done of that great man as well.

Anywho, this one's got a LONG way to go, but I thought Gehrig's face is starting to come together. Now I just need to block everything else in! Hopefully the client approves...

Oh, and also, VERY many thanks go out to a kind and generous man, who was nice enough to let me borrow the Matty painting to be re-photographed by my normal guys in the city. The guy I used before did an alright job, but I was never thrilled about the work. Now, I am MUCH happier with these results, as this scan is more true to the original painting.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ewson_1911.jpg

Again, thank you SO much jacksons!

Hope you all enjoy. And aren't sick of these posts.

On Forbes Field...
 

Without studying any old photos, not only do I recall the cage around the light standards, the batting cage was on wheels and was dragged out to deep center field for storage during the game. Love those quirky obstacles in the old ballparks!

(I don't mean to hijack the artwork thread)

Graig, what's on the easel this weekend?
 

or perhaps this past week, if you are on Thanksgiving hiatus?

No hiatus for me, Jason! No rest for the wicked! Or those who paint!!

I'm still working on that large Mazeroski painting, and am hoping to have a ton of it done by the end of the weekend, so I'll post it then.

For now, I've done more work to Grover. He's not done yet, but he's getting somewhat close. I have a lot of edges to soften and sharpen, and flesh out a bit more on his uniform. But, I like where it's going thus far!!

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ndler/GCA1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ler/GCA2-1.jpg

I also have these two other portraits that have about an hour or so into them (as I'm sure you can tell).

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...eindler/LG.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...eindler/JT.jpg

And, I started another commission on the queue, though it only has a few hours into it as well. The image is really unstoppable, if you ask me. That Paul Thompson was some kind of photographer. I hope I can do his vision some sort of justice in the end, or at least, give the impression of what he saw in color before he pushed the shutter...

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...indler/BR1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...indler/BR2.jpg

As per usual, please excuse the crummy photography. The only one that seems even remotely true to life is the Grover Cleveland. Both Grove and Thorpe are blown out. Ruth's hat and socks are definitely NOT that blue in my painting. Man, I need a new camera. or some skills.

In addition to all of this, I have some more commissions I'm hoping to start this weekend as well, but most of those canvases need to be stretched first (a Herculean task in its own right)!

Thanks for taking an interest!

Graig

As always very nice !! Congrats on all the comissions !!

Amazing
 

Graig,
These are simply magnificent. The Ruth at the bottom is already better than everything else out there(in my opinion) with only a few hours of "work" in!
Ben

Hey all,

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of their support in this thread (as well as off of it), you've all been incredibly kind. I really appreciate it more than I can possibly express.

Because of an influx of work from you guys, as well as those outside of Net54, I am now 2.5 years out on commissions. On that same token, my agent told me that he's going to be raising my prices again on the first of January, 2010. With that in mind, if anyone wants to get in on the queue before the new rates, shoot me a message!

Thanks again all!

Graig

I just picked up 'Sports Collector's Monthly Presents Mantle, the Man and his memorabilia' magazine and the first thing I opened it up to was one of Graigs paintings, then some pages later another one. Very nice ! As far as this issue goes it is great for any Mantle or Yankee fan and I highly recommend picking it up.

Graig....your work is great...but especially this Matty...wow! chris

Hey all!!

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season thus far. I just picked these two up from the photographers, and I thought I'd share 'em.

The first is the complete 11"x14" Grover Cleveland Alexander painting from that lovely 1928 Conlon photo. This bad boy is going to a board member and should be out in the mail later today or tomorrow. Gotta love how weathered that man's face was!!!

And the second image is...well...the object of my father's pain. I don't think my father has a more rueful memory from his childhood, to be honest. If you're a Yankee fan from that era, I'm sure you'll know what I'm talking about. Anywho, it's pretty large at 38"x60", and man, I'm glad it's out of the studio and on its way to Pittsburgh. Be gone!!

Comments/critiques/rotten tomatoes are always welcomed!!

Thanks for reading,

Graig

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r_1928_Smi.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...er_13_Home.jpg

I watched this game as a ten year old on our old Magnavox. I remember Maz's swing, the flight of the ball and Berra's hangdog look like it was yesterday. The world was black and white then.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...ntage.JPG.jpeg
http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...l/ch930919.gif

Graig, now that the bad memory is finally gone from the studio perhaps Dad will better appreciate a team that defeated those boys from Pittsburgh some 33 years earlier.

I think it's fair to say that he's going to love that painting MUCH more...

:)

Here's what's on the easel right now, and 'yes', it's pretty darn weird.

This was a commission from a guy who's friend owns an original authentic Wagner. Why he wanted a painting of his friend's card, I'll never know. He didn't necessarily want me to do my interpretation of the card, but rather a trompe l'oeil of sorts.

In actuality, I'm enjoying the project. It's about halfway through now, and trying to duplicate the moiré pattern of the lithograph should be a challenge. It's an odd size at 5.5"x10", and as usual, please excuse the crummy photography...

Comments and critiques are always welcome!

Graig

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/Wagner-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...er/Wagner2.jpg

I really like that a lot, but no surprise there. Continued success Graig with your phenomenal work.

Always a treat to see what you're up to next, Graig. I always look for updates to this thread. Once again, outstanding work.

Thanks for the compliments, guys!!

:)

Awesome work as usual, Graig. As soon as I hit the lottery I'll be sending you a check for a custom piece. :)

Graig...

Your posts on this thread are so much appreciated. Could you possibly post a photo of the Babe Ruth Painting (taken from the Paul Thompson image) when it is completed?

That one is particularly "breath taking" and I would love to see the finished product, if at all possible. Thanks again!

I'll definitely keep you posted with shots of that Ruth painting, Mark. I'm glad you like it so much!! I can only hope that when it's completed, it will have done Thompson's eye proud.

I'm not exactly sure when I'm going to get around to finishing it, as I do have a lot of other paintings that need to come before it. I do usually jump from painting to painting on every given day, but sometimes I can get really into a particular painting and just see it through, whether it's due sooner or not. I guess ya never know what's going to happen!

Happy holidays everyone!!

I hope everyone's having a wonderful break and spending time with the people they love. I guess I'm spending time with the easel I love, or something. So, here's what's on that bad boy right now.

The first is the famous Conlon shot of Joe Jackson from 1913. In my opinion, there isn't a better image of the man from the early days. The glare in his eyes are by far the focal point - hopefully that will come across when the painting is done.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/JJackson.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../JJackson2.jpg

The second is a panoramic of Honus Wagner from 1909. He's shown hitting a ball into the outfield at the West Side Grounds, home of the Chicago Cubs. What's really interesting to me about this whole painting is that after MUCH researching, I was finally able to discover the color scheme of the old ballpark - who would have thought that one from the turn of the century would be mostly red??

The image is one of Francis Burkes - in my opinion one the greatest and most underrated baseball photographers of all time. I know the gentleman who has the rights to his entire collection of photos, and man, I would kill to get my hands on them!!

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/Wagner-2.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../Wagner2-1.jpg

As per usual, please excuse the god-awful photography, and obviously, they each have a looooong way to go. Critiques/comments/questions/rotten tomatoes are greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Graig

I am very proud to say that I know you, Graig.

Your talents are simply immense - this Jackson and the Wagner are some of the finest I've seen on here (though I put your Matty #1 ;).

How'd you like to be on the mound against Jackson and he gives you THAT look? Can you say Intentional Walk?

And you certainly nailed Wagner's big mitts!

Love the "On the Easel" updates!

Awesome stuff, buddy!

This Wagner is my new favorite. The realism is simply unbelievable. Upon close inspection I am truly taken back by the details. The ridges in the wool socks really caught my eye. As did the frayed sleeves on his undershirt.
I cant wait to see the finished product. Thanks for sharing your gift Graig.

Matty #1
Wagner #2, but waiting for finished work...

Thanks for sharing!

Wow!!! Thanks for the wonderful compliments, guys!! And really jacksons, I should be saying the same stuff about you (and I do)!

I'm glad the Wagner seems to be coming along alright. I just think it's one of the most amazing action shots of Honus that I've ever seen, especially with those big paws. I also LOVE that bat - there's barely any tapering at the handle! I just hope that in the end, the viewer will feel like he/she is at the West Side Grounds watching the action in 1909, not just looking at a colorized photograph or something. If I can pull that off right, then I certainly feel like I've done my job.

And the Joe Jackson, well, I have to give all of that credit to Conlon. Those eyes. Man, 'nuff said.

But really, I'm so glad that you're enjoying these updates, as I don't want to waste any bandwidth with my stuff. As long as y'all want to see more though, I'll continue to post 'em!

Hope everyone had/is having a wonderful holiday!

Graig

Hey all,

I got a few emails asking how things were going with the Joe Jackson Conlon I was working on, so I thought I'd post the work from last night. I'm only starting to flesh out the face right now, so not much work has been done on the body.

I hope that the glare that's so unmistakable in Conlon's photo will come through in the final. But either way, it's got a while to go...

Hope everyone had a wonderful (and safe) New Years!!

Thanks,

Graig

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...onPortrait.jpg

(As per usual, please excuse the cruddy photography!)

From Tops to Best!
 

Hi Graig

I've been watching your work for some time now - and I always thought it was superb but it seems you're getting better! If that's humanly possible.

Your work doesn't only capture the likeness but also the spirit/soul of the individuals you're painting.

Thanx for sharing.
mike

Graig, I just have one word for the Jackson - WOW!

Thanks for the compliments, guys! I can only hope that I can keep doing whatever it is that I'm doing!

Graig,

Your attention to detail is incredible. I look forward to working with you on that Gehrig/Dimaggio piece.

Me too, Paul! I've always wanted to do an image of that scene. There's just something about the triumvirate of Gehrig, DiMaggio and LaGuardia that's always looked so cool to me. I wonder if deep down, they knew they were going to roll over the Cubs in that series...

did you score that awesome Goslin picture?

Unfortunately, I did not. I had my eyes on a few of those negatives, and I didn't win a single one. :(

It's been over a month,
 

so I thought I'd check up and see what Graig is working on...

So Graig, whatcha doin' lately?

Whoa! Has it been over a month since I posted something? Yikes.

Thank you for showing an interest Jason!! Sometimes I worry that I put this stuff up and just waste bandwidth.

So, I have these on the easel right now.

I'm currently finishing up this Wagner piece, and despite my best efforts, it's destroying my life. It's almost where I want it to be, but they're still some problems with that darn light, as well as the odd red of the ballpark. It's still hard for me imagine that the West Side Grounds were such a color at that point in the new century, but according to all the local newspapers of the day, it indeed was. They're also some curvature issues of the stands that need to be dealt with - they're an eye-sore!!

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...er/Wagner1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../Wagner2-2.jpg

This Joe Jackson painting is just about done, as I only have a few things to work out in the background. I had to flesh out the white stands behind the fence, as they just appear as blurry blobs in the photo. Thankfully, I have a good amount of reference from the Polo Grounds during that year (1913).

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/Jackson1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/Jackson2.jpg

This last one is turning out to be a lot of fun too, though there's a lot of research that still needs to be done. The scene is Cobb at bat on Opening Day of the 1908 season. The Tigers were playing the White Sox at the South End Grounds, which 20,000 piled onto the field to check out. Though Detroit lost the contest, Cobb had a hell of a game with a couple of hits and a home run. I also just love seeing action shots like this of the man, especially with that intense look of concentration. What's also interesting to consider about the image is that I have to paint uniforms that look new and pretty, what with being the first game of the season and all. I guess it's just weird for me to picture Tyrus Raymond Cobb in a uniform that DOESN'T have dirt on it.

Though, I'm still waiting on some microfilm to get information about the park and the such, so this is currently on hold until I can figure out exactly what's going on with those details. Man, these deadball era parks are TOUGH!!

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...bProgress1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...bProgress2.jpg

Also, I've started a - dare I say it - golf painting. The shot is of Bobby Jones during the 1927 British Open, teeing off at the 17th hole at St. Andrews. It's a pretty busy image with a lot of crowd and beautiful light, but hopefully I'll be able to pull it off. Once I get more onto the canvas, I'll post something if you're all interested.

So, as usual, please excuse my godawful photography (which keeps getting worse and worse), and definitely feel free to throw crits/complaints/suggestions/Pop-Tarts my way!!!

Graig

Wow Graig... I'm at a loss for words, as they just keep getting better and better. Cobb looks simply incredible against that magnificent backdrop, and the Wagner image appears as if it could pop right off of the canvas and come alive.

Incredible work- has me salivating!

Amazing just does not describe the work you do;)

If you decide the Wagner painting is to much for you and want to scrap it let me know and I will pay for the trash bin to be delivered to my house for disposal:D

Wasted bandwidth?

This is some of the best bandwidth on the net!

The glimpses that you provide us of your work and process are womderful.

Thank you for sharing.

Thanks guys, that's really nice of you to say. I mean, REALLY nice. I feel like whenever I'm down on what I'm doing, you guys are always there to pick me up. And believe you me, some of these have been absolute battles.

And, Pup, I'll certainly keep you posted about the contents of my trash. :)

Hey wait a minute! Why does he get dibs on the trash?
Forget arranging pick up, I'll even come myself to hand collate it for you?:D

Graig,
They are all just fantastic. I hope you know we aren't all being kind just to stroke your ego.
It is a rare gift to be able to watch greatness at work. I don't think anyone would disagree that what you do is fantastic.

Even if we can't own them all, they sure are incredible to watch evolve.

Mark

Great stuff, as usual! Have you thought about creating a live stream while you paint? I would be interested to see your technique (unless that's a trade secret ;)).

Jeez Graig...
 

I always loved looking at my Stein Wagner, but now it seems more like a photocopy to me after seeing your interpretation.http://www.net54baseball.com/attachm...1&d=1266012595

Graig: You are just a young guy but your opus already comprises greatness; your trajectory through the coming decades defies one's imagination. (I'm not sure what I just wrote there but it sounded good). I can see you at age 50 as a grandmaster of baseball art, the Norman Rockwell of the Ballyard. It's too bad you weren't around a couple of generations ago when painted art graced the covers of magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post. You'd've had a steady gig. I hope, no, I insist that a "coffee table" retrospective of the baseball paintings of Graig Kreindler be in the offing someday soon. Awesome, awesome stuff.
DMcD

One more thing you guys should know about Graig...
 

is that he has no ego. No kidding. Due to the nature of my business, I have made acquaintances of several thousand people over the years, maybe more, and Graig's genuine humility is as pure as any I have ever seen.

I'm immensely proud to count him as a great friend.

Love ya Brutha... Jimmy

Wow. I don't even know what to say!! Thank you everyone for all of those wonderful things you've said. I know I've said it before, but I'm just so pleased that y'all seem to dig what I'm doing so much. It really means a lot to me to create these things, and though it may sound a little cheesy, this stuff is really my life-force. It's on my mind 95% of my waking life (the other 5% being devoted to chicken strips and french fries), and it's just something that I feel like I need to do. Thank god I enjoy it so much!

Mark, I guess if you're willing to make the trek over to New York and rummage through the trash, I can't stop ya. I just hope that you're pleased with the stuff you're going to find!! :)

Chris, it's funny you mention that, as Dean (my agent) does want to film me painting something - and I'm sure he'll get to it eventually. The only problem is, I usually paint in my boxers and not much else, so I'd be worried about what my audience would be seeing in addition to the canvas. Was that too much information?

Jeremy, I can't believe you'd prefer my painting of the Stein!! I still feel like I'm not capturing what Burke so eloquently showed us in his photograph. What a master he was!!! But really, thank you.

David, I'm going to be thirty in a few months, so I don't know if I can still be considered young. Actually, the amount of gray hairs popping up on my head is seriously alarming. By the time I'm 50, I'm expecting to maybe be 1/100 the artist that Rockwell was. I couldn't wash that man's brushes!! And regarding a coffee table book, well, I can't divulge much here, but something may (or may not) be in the works!!

Jimmy, as per usual, you make me blush. I think the only reason I come off as being humble is because I'm so darn short - usually I'm too close to the ground for people to hear me. I'm proud to call you my brutha from anotha mutha.

Really, thanks guys...

Incredible.

DanC

Graig

Absolutely amazing. I keep waiting for Matty to blink.

To me though, the Cobb looks perfect the way it is right now. If was going to be the future owner of that painting, I wouldn't want you to do another thing to it.

I always enjoy seeing your paintings.

Thanks for sharing,

Jantz

I am sitting here with my wife who could give a rats rear end about sports and I showed her these paintings. She was as taken with them as I have been all this time. She is amazed at the life-like nature of your paintings and how exceptional they are. I have to say....somewhere along the line, I hope to God you will start selling lithos or at the very minimum, posters that can be purchased. You have a talent that needs to be shown to a wider audience and I know I cant afford an original but I would love to own a signed litho or poster!!

Keep up the great work.

I saw that Matty painting at the National and was absolutely blown away by it. One of the most stunning pieces of art I've ever seen. I swear I stood there for at least 15 minutes just staring at it. By the end of the 15 minutes I had decided to buy it, but it was already sold.

I'd love to see you bring some Negro Leaguers to life on the canvas. And so would my walls!

Keep up the mind-blowingly brilliant work!

-Ryan

GK...your work is stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. You have incredible talent. Something about those are very haunting,and beautiful at the same time.
Just great work.

Graig, I ordinarily don't respond to threads such as this but your paintings are too good to ignore. It doesn't have anything to do w/the baseball theme either. The mastery of color and shadowing/contrast is fantastic w/the Mathewson portrait being perhaps the best example (fwiw I have a degree in Art History).

Do you do anything other than baseball related work that can be viewed on the web?

Thanks,

Howard

Wow, you guys are all incredibly nice. Really.

DanC, Thank you!!

Jantz, thank you so much those kind words. I was just curious, what about the Cobb right now makes you want it the way it is? I've actually had one or two other people tell me the same thing, and that sometimes they really dig the 'unfinished' look of the paintings.

Whitehse, I don't think that we're going to be doing lithos or reproductions of the baseball stuff anytime soon, but it is possible that there will be a book or catalog available at some point. Or at least, I'm hoping so. Of course, when/if that stuff happens, I'll be sure to let you and board know. And thanks for the compliments, both from you and your wife!! I'm really glad that you guys dig the stuff.

NoizeBringer, did we get to talk at all during the National? Either way, I'm really pleased you liked the Matty painting. That one seemed to be received better than anything on our walls, which I guess can be a double-edged sword. Hopefully I can continue to make portraits that can illicit that kind of reaction!! Regarding the Negro Leagues stuff, I definitely have a lot of images in mind, including some of Satchel, Jackie, and of course, Gibson. The only problem that I run into with those is that there's so little available in terms of photo reference, and in a lot of cases, just general information, that I'm a little worried that I couldn't do the justice that those images (and men) deserve.

robedits, the compliment of 'haunting' is really friggin' awesome - thank you so much!

Howard, thanks for those awesome words, especially since you may not respond to art threads often!! I appreciate the exception :). In regards to other work, there isn't much that's available on the web, as the majority of my older illustration work never made it into the digital world. I feel like right now, the only paintings in the studio are either baseball themed, or just older art school stuff (studies from life, plein air, etc.).

Again, thank you so much everybody!

Graig,

I posted the comment because when I look at your Cobb painting that is exactly how my eyes would see it.

Just image if you had tickets to that very game back in 1908 and this was the view from your seat. Up steps the great Ty Cobb to take his at-bat. How much of the background or any other detail inside the stadium would anyone really notice? If I were sitting there, my entire focus and attention would be on Cobb. You might see it differently because you are an artist, but the way you have the painting now, Cobb's form being the only detailed part in the painting makes him "jump right out" of the painting.

Some may say it is unfinished, but I think you've already captured the moment in this painting.

Once again, truly amazing.

Jantz