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I really appreciate it, DCsports!! The uniforms are undoubtedly a very fun part of the equation. When I have to second guess some of the color choices because we have no existing examples though, that's the beast.
Scott, let's not get crazy, now. Frank! It's happened twice and in the same painting, no-less. The one I did of Bautista's home run bat toss, two separate folks have reached out and claimed they were there that night and even in the shot. It never happens with the paintings of the older guys, though. |
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put this in the met museum
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Hey all,
Here's another one for ya: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Satchel Paige, 1935, 16" x 12" I had never seen the original photograph before, until a collector shared it with me randomly. I pretty much dropped everything I was doing and got to painting it--clear portraits of Satchel during the beginning of his career (funny to think that in 1935, he's in his 10th season or so of professional ball, and it's still *early*) are virtually non-existent. Anywho, not only was the portrait super clear, but I LOVED the narrative with the uniform and cap. Paige had come to the Monarchs (for the first time, no less) at some point in late 1935, after his stint with Bismarcks. It was with the latter club that Paige built on the legend he had started during the Denver Post Tournament in '34. Bismarck finished the season with a 60-19-3 record, and secured an invitation to the National Semi-Professional Baseball Championship Tournament. At that tournament the team went undefeated at 7-0, with Paige winning four games and striking out 60 batters, thus becoming the first fully-integrated club to win a national championship. So, here we have Paige in his Kansas City duds wearing his Bismarcks hat, most likely because when he joined, the club probably didn't actually have an extra Monarchs one to give him! Knowing how MLB is now with whatever they give (and CAN give) to players and the such, it's amazing to think of how NOT uniform things could be in the Negro Leagues. Truly a different time. Any comments, questions, and critiques are always welcome!! Thanks again for reading. Graig |
holy cow, so realistic. AMAZINGLY beautiful!
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Joe! That Silk is one of the greatest sports photos of all time, in my opinion. What a sense of atmosphere in that.
Octavio, maybe somewhere in one of the Met’s many bathrooms? I’ve got no business hanging in those hallowed halls. Rob, thank you so much for the kind words!!! |
Picked up these amazing frames on the BST made of seats from Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds.
Took a shot these would fit. Wow art with art. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...78dc3d57b7.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...00dac2213d.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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Wow! Crazie cool, Jamie! Congrats! :D |
Those frames look pretty darn rad, Jamie. Love seeing the original seat colors incorporated so well.
We're starting to get some nice weather in Brooklyn, so that's making my heart sing. And baseball is officially underway, so that doesn't hurt either. Annnnnnnndddd, we're that much closer to the National, which is still my favorite few days of the year. Anywho, I thought I'd post another one that I finished semi-recently: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Donie Bush, 1912, 9" x 12" I think if you've ever spoken to me or taken a thorough look at the stuff I've done in the last 15 years, you probably know that I love me some Conlon. The series that he did that focused on the eyes of the fellas from Murderer's Row has always been a favorite. What a lot of folks don't know if that it's a motif that he started to play around with in the early 1910s, the context of which has been studied thoroughly by our buddy Paul Reiferson. While I did intend on painting the '27 Yankees portraits (preferably VERY large), I liked the idea of doing these older ones at a smaller scale, in kind of a less confrontational approach. It was a lot of fun to try and get Donie's freckled Irish skin just right (which I'm hoping I did?), as it really had work in concert with those ginormous eyes. Definitely excited to do more of these as time passes--I've already started one of Chief Meyer that I'm hoping will give off some similar vibes. Oh, and also, the folks at FOX 5 NY came by the studio a week or two ago, and put together this cool little package which aired a few times today: https://www.fox5ny.com/video/1629013 I was honored to have them there, and really happily surprised that the segment was as long as it was! I feel like they even make me sound somewhat sane. Anywho, thanks so much for reading, and as always, shoot me an email/PM if you have any questions, comments or critiques! Thanks again, Graig |
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Terrific video, congrats and thanks for sharing! |
Graig that was an impressive Fox piece, thanks for the link
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If you haven’t done this one, I think this would be a fantastic painting…
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...428bb4b91d.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
This was moved from the memorabilia section to get more eyes on Graig's work. It's simply great.
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said it on messenger and i'll say it again graig -- the rendering of emotion here is on par with the masters. another, along with that cy, that is simply superb. you've tapped into drawing the life from these deadball era photos in a way that elevates the genre of photorealism in a way that no longer (if but rarely) exists in the modern world. looking forward to the day where your work and some of the fantastic WPA era photography + early deadball darkroom artistry is known and understood as essential and fundamental parts of the greater American art historical canon. the day is coming soon; i hope with my essay work and critical lens to foster it as well.... |
Thank you so much for those kind words, David!!! I can't say that I agree on the master claim, but I do really appreciate the sentiment. I can only hope that at some point, sports-related artwork can be placed in the context of other, more "elevated" themes in the art world. After all, it's always been my contention that depicting sports dates back further than the ancient Greeks and their pottery depicting pankration and equestrian events. But at the same time, I'm probably also biased. :)
And thanks for moving this over here, Leon! It's a little weird to think that it's on this side, since I guess I've been on the memorabilia page since this thread started (2009?). I appreciate the nudge!! Figured this might be a decent time to post one of my latest: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Satchel Paige, September 8, 1941, 36" x 46" I really enjoyed painting this, even though it was a BIG challenge finding a decent quality image to work off of. The photo has been in circulation forever, and is one of my favorites of him with the Monarchs; however the quality was always a bit suspect in spots, as well as being heavily cropped. I was able to procure a reaaalllyy nice scan from the original Detroit News negative, and it made SUCH a difference in how I approached it. Especially since in the version most of us have seen, you're not getting much of that ballpark in the background--just the wall behind Paige and a bit of the dugout step. So, pictured is the great Satchel Paige at Briggs Stadium in early September of 1941. Reason being, there was to be a big doubleheader between the Monarchs and the Chicago American Giants a week later, and the hope was to generate some interest in the event. Having ol' Satch pitch was bound to do that--they were expecting close to 50,000 for the games. This afternoon, there were a number of photographs taken of him, whether it was in sitting at rest, standing on the mound or even pantomiming his throw. Personally, I just loved the idea of showcasing those long and skinny legs, as well as presenting that colorful uniform in all of its glory. The hope is always that I do the subject justice, but I feel like it's doubly so when I paint these Negro and Latin American League folks. It's become of profound importance to me that they're not relegated to the dustbin of history. Fingers crossed that that sentiment rings true with these paintings. Oh, and I should probably mention, I'm making this available as a giclée (a very high quality fine art print) in a few months! It's to be the second time I've done a reproduction like this, and thankfully, a portion of the proceeds will be going to the Paige estate, as well as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. It's to be a timed release, meaning that I'll make it available for a week only, and after that, it's gone forever! If you're interested in keeping informed about the whole process, feel free to leave me with your email address here. As always, if y'all have any questions, comments are critiques, fire away!! Thanks for reading. Graig |
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Graig that Satch is amazing
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That Paige is so good, it's hypnotizing.
I am all out of adjectives worthy of describing it! :eek: |
Wow! What a beautiful painting of a seminal player in our national pastime. Thanks for doing what you do. It's really amazing to see your work.
kevin |
Thank you so much for all of the super kind words, everybody!! I really appreciate all of you taking the time the make them.
Hope you're all having a nice Memorial Day weekend. I'm doing my best to get some work done while the kids are home, but since it's going to be pretty nice out here in Brooklyn, I imagine it's going to be a losing effort on my part. So I guess the main objective seems to be to not beat myself up over it! Anywho, I thought I'd post a painting I finished a little while back, one with subject matter that I guess is a bit less common to see on the boards: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Dorothy Kamenshek, 1947, 24" x 18" I've always had a fascination with the AAGPBL, and like so many of us, it was sparked by Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own. For those who don't know, the depicted subject matter, "Kammie", was pretty much the face of the Rockford Peaches. She was a seven-time All-Star and a two-time batting champion. I believe she is still the all-time leader in hits and total bases for the league, too. In other words, she kicked @$$. The main issue I had with this painting was all in its beginning stages--just finding the imagery to work off of to make it happen was the biggest challenge. The AAGPBL, though obviously popular in the midwest, wasn't as well documented visually as their male counterparts. Finding un-posed shots, be it during a game or during practice, is still to this day no easy feat. I luckily have a few friends in the space who mainly collect stuff from those leagues (as well as other women's teams), and they were more than willing to share some of their pieces with me. This candid snapshot of her was probably my favorite of the entire batch. I've always loved the motif of ballplayers with children, and when you add the fact that here it's a young girl getting the autograph, it makes it even more powerful (in my eyes). And then that red of her hat and the AAGPBL jacket draped over her arm--it's a winning combination. They're outside of the visiting team's dressing room at Beyer Stadium in Rockford, and if you look closely, you can even catch some graffiti on the gray bricks. 1947 wasn't necessarily a great year for Rockford, as they finished in 6th place, but they bounced back to win the League Championship for three straight years from '48 to '50. As always, if y'all have any questions, comments are critiques, fire away!! Thanks for reading and enjoy yourselves today! Graig |
Breathtaking spectacular as always!!!:eek:
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A graphite autograph - interesting
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As a collector of women in baseball items and the father of three girls, this image quite literally captures the very essence of why I collect what I do. Have to admit that I teared up a bit seeing this. Indescribably wonderful. |
Thanks so much for the kind words, everybody!! I really appreciate them as always, especially for the women's baseball stuff. It's subject matter that I enjoy tackling, whether it's from the AAGPBL or other teams that sported women in the early 1900s.
I figured I'd show a few more of these badasses: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Jean Faut, 1949, 18" x 18" https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Dorothy Maguire Chapman, 1946, 9" x 12" The Jean Faut image was an absolute blast to paint, especially since the original photography was of such high quality. Plus, it had that great angle from below of her looking into the distance, giving it a heroic feel. For those unfamiliar with Jean, she was one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the league. Some of her more impressive stats are pitching four no-hitters (two of which were perfect games), winning two pitching Triple Crowns; winning two Player of the Year awards; winning twenty games three times; winning two championships; and is the league's all-time leader in ERA. And believe me, there are a lot more. This painting ended up going to Jean's son. Dorothy Maguire Chapman was no slouch either, as she was an all-star catcher on two championship teams (1943 Racine Belles, 1944 Milwaukee Chicks). Known for being tough as nails, part of her story inspired a scene in A League of Their Own, but less so anything play-related. The scene where Betty Spaghetti receives a telegram bringing news of her husband's death was partially based on Dorothy's experience--she had received a phone call before a game, informing her of the death of her husband Tom in Italy. Unlike Betty Spaghetti, she actually DID play that day. Oddly enough, he was discovered to be alive months later after a dog-tag mix-up. Like the Faut painting, this was commissioned by the ballplayer's family. The images of both players came from a large scrapbook at the Louis Pettus Archives at Winthrop University. They have a bunch of great images in their archives that I've licensed recently in the hopes of making future paintings of these great ballplayers. Anywho, hope y'all enjoy these!! Any comments, critiques, questions and rotten tomatos are always welcome. Oh!! And the Satchel Paige giclée officially goes live and becomes available for purchase on Monday, July 7th! If you'd like to be added to the mailing list for more updates, fill in your info here. Thanks, as always!! Graig |
Those are phenomenal, Graig! So lifelike...Thanks for sharing
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I wish that I could claim this one as my own, but it belongs to a good friend who recently had it commissioned by Graig Kreindler. It is amazing how Graig is able to keep outdoing himself.
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That Ruth looks like a color photo
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Maaaannn, thank you so much for all of those kind words, everybody!! I really do appreciate every single one of them.
Hopefully you're all getting ready for a fun and safe holiday weekend. Here's one I just got back from the photographers today: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Mickey Mantle, April 18, 1952, 18" x 24" Though I was never able to figure out who the photographer was, this shot was always super intriguing to me. Sure, it's a young Mickey and who doesn't love that, but there's a cool narrative to it. At least in my head there is. I just feel like he's caught at a really interesting time in his life. It's Opening Day in New York, and Mickey is still fresh off of the injury that almost ended his career before it really began. The event in the World Series months prior was initially diagnosed as a torn muscle, but later identified as torn ligaments and cartilage--a torn ACL and MCL, and meniscus. Despite how serious the injury was, he wouldn't have surgery until 1953. Woof. So as a result, he had a very slow start in March. His dad, the center of his world, was weeks away from dying. Mickey also had a new bride in Merlyn, married less than four months before the opening of the season. On the field, he was battling Bob Cerv, Jackie Jensen, and a little later, Irv Noren for regular centerfield duties, the position that had been vacated by the great DiMaggio that prior December. He was not yet a god. Hell, far from it. Probably still just a scared kid at this point. The day the photograph was taken, the Yankees raised their third consecutive championship banner. Joe DiMaggio gave his glove and newly retired #5 jersey to Rowan Spraker of the Hall of Fame. Gil McDougald was given his Rookie of the Year award. Yogi his MVP award. Allie Reynolds the Page One prize. Phil Rizzuto an award for his play in the '51 WS. But still, here's the kid with the weight of the world on his shoulders, and all the ability to make himself into what Stengel bragged about him to be. I guess for me, knowing all of that stuff makes the portrait seem extra special. Annnyyywwwhhhhoooo, sorry for being all cerebral and reflective. Hope y'all dig the painting. And as usual, feel free to reach out with any comments, critiques, or questions! Thanks for reading! Graig |
Lord have mercy Man!! The backstory is amazing...sets the tone perfectly and its all captured effortlessly in your brushstrokes. Why are the paintings so more captivating than the photos they are based on?:eek:
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I really appreciate that, Michael. Thank you. Even if I don’t necessarily agree, I am super thankful for your sentiments!! 😬
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You're being modest. I agree with Michael. . |
Dagnabbit, Leon. Thank you, guys.
Also, might be worth mentioning that giclées of the aforementioned Satchel Paige painting are officially on sale as of this morning. https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds The Main Attraction is a signed and numbered time-limited edition of giclée prints which will be available for one week, starting at 8:00 AM ET on Monday, July 7th and ending at 7:59 AM ET on Monday, July 14th. The edition is limited by the number of prints sold during that period and never reprinted. In other words, after next Monday, it's gone forever. It's printed on Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350 gsm paper, which is really high quality stuff. The company actually dates back to 1584. And "yes", you read that right. Anywho, I figured I'd post the link here since I know a lot of folks have been interested in prints of my work, which I'm finally hoping to be able to offer, even if it's only on a limited basis. https://store.graigkreindler.com/pro...raction-giclee Note that a portion of the proceeds go to benefit both the Satchel Paige estate and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Really, thanks again for all of the kind words, everybody. Graig |
Hey all,
Brooklyn Editions, the folks I've teamed up with the Paige giclée, put together a little behind the scenes video of their process, which I thought might be cool to share: https://vimeo.com/1100106826 Pay no attention to my gut hanging out in some these shots. Hope everyone is keeping cool! G |
sweet stuff my friend.... sweet stuff... love the subject matter as well...
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Reminds me of this painting that I see everyday...
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Makes me smile every day...
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Here is the photo
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to me one of the most important Negro League photos in existence...
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Thanks so much, Al!! I’m honored to be on your wall and in your collection…or something like that.
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1923-24 Santa Clara
Here are a few write ups on the team:
https://wordsabovereplacement.com/le...in-excellence/ https://sabr.org/journal/article/twi...ara-leopardos/ https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/t...23.5&teamID=SC Also, Ryan has bios on a lot of the Santa Clara players on this net54 thread: https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=346254 |
On the easel...
The moment last night when I noticed a 2025 acquired Graig Kreindler painting in an 11 year old post. Just another case of someone getting "The Kreindler Goosebumps" and loving every moment of it.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...327c3a2c9a.jpg thanks Graig for sharing your talent w/ the world. ----------------------------- Quote:
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Thank you for all of the kind words, everybody!! So very much appreciated.
Here's one I finished recently that should be arriving in my client's hands tomorrow (Monday): https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Rube Waddell, (ca) 1904, 32" x 22" I'm super glad to have this out of the studio, as it had been sitting here for quite some time. It was actually really close to completion, but because of an influx of larger canvases, somehow this one ended up getting hidden behind a few, and I lost track of it. Woof. Anywho, it was an enjoyable one to paint, though pretty complicated. Rube himself wasn't too bad, though there were a few spots in his uniform that proved to be a bit complicated, what with all of the wrinkles and what-not. And then the fence with all of the knots! And the ground with the grass, wooden planks and dirt!!! Oh, my. Just a ton of different textures and eye-candy. But in the end, I think the painting is successful and am hoping the client agrees. For what it's worth, I have *NO* idea where the original photograph was taken. It doesn't seem like a big league ballpark considering the fence and condition of the ground, but I'm of course not 100% on that. Also, I'm not 100% on the year either, as it's a general guess from the jersey and belt style (check out those long sleeves withOUT the button attachments). His face also seems to be a bit on the younger side, I think? But certainly, if anybody has any information they're willing to share, I'd love to hear about it! Also, I thought I'd share a few shots of some other stuff I've been working on as of late, all of which are in varying states of completion: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds The painting of Mantle is after his MONSTER home run during spring training of '51, against the Trojans at Bovard Field in southern California. It's *almost" there. Super close. Same can be said with the Earle Combs piece and the larger Ruth painting behind it (the other Ruth behind THAT needs more help). And the Warren cabinet of George Wright! Another one that's getting there. So incredibly honored to be so busy though, not matter how stressed out I might be. Also also, here's an interview I did with PJ Kinsella and the good folks at REA a few months back: https://collectrea.com/stories/post/...raig-kreindler If any of y'all have comments, critiques or questions, fire away! Hope ya dig it all. Thanks for reading, Graig |
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I don't mean to be the one to tell you this Craig...but, I think you are getting better!!
Who wudda thunk it? Simply AMAZIN' |
Graig that Rube is amazing
I sure your client will stare at it everyday |
I'm captivated by that Waddell! Outstanding work! Those pant wrinkles seem real. Once again... superlatives aren't enough!
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Terrific hyper-real painting, Graig. Looks like some kid tagged the fence back in 1904.
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Thanks so much for all of those super kind words, everybody!!! I really appreciate the good vibes.
Definitely hoping the client likes the painting (lord knows he’s waited long enough). Y’all rule. Graig |
Incredible talent Greg
Geoff Bedine Premier Card Collectors Since 1977 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
Honest to God question.....how can paintings look better and more realistic than pictures?:eek:. Every single time!!
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That Waddell is sick. Just incredible work.
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Thank you so much for that, guys. I really appreciate the kind words. I still haven’t heard from the fella who commissioned Rube, but I do hope his reaction is similar to the ones you’ve been giving me!! 😬
Michael, I’m really happy you feel that way!!! The goal is always to get better and better, but I still keep climbing the ladder, hoping I’m gonna reach the peak…and then I realize I’m still at base camp. Kinda Sisyphusian, I guess…is that even a word?!? Now, if I can only get Mr. Wonderful and two other folks to invest $13,000,000 into these things. Hah! |
Hey all!
Hope the end of the summer has been treating y'all well. My kids are fully back in school, so I'm still adjusting to the new schedule and figuring out when I can paint, when I can go to the gym, and when I just sit on the couch and zone out for five minutes. Things remain as busy as ever in the studio (thankfully), as I do my best to make a dent in the ol' backlog. Here's one of the latest efforts: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Babe Ruth, 1929, 40" x 36" I've gotta be upfront here--I've *never* liked the '33 Goudey #181. I know it's iconic, and as a playing-days Babe, it's always been extra desirable. Heck, it's one of my earliest vintage card memories from those reprint books. Buuuuuuutttttt, I've just always hated the image. To me, he looks old, fat and tired. Very Jabba-esque. I guess the brown hat didn't help things, but I was already pretty down on it to begin with. For whatever reason, when the original negative for the source image was discovered/offered up, I did a complete 180. Granted, I do still think he looks old and tired, but finally seeing him in context with everything else in the image helped a TON. I love seeing how there's hazy sunlight shining on him, something that's not even super evident until you notice the shadow of the bat on the rack. And then being able to see his teammates in the dugout, coupled with the way he's holding the bat, it just makes for something extra three-dimensional. All of the aforementioned stuff proved to be a bit of a challenge to paint. The tendency (for me) is to try and push the values and temperature differences a little bit when I'm dealing with direct sunlight. But with this kind of sun, those differences had to be a lot more subtle. So there's less of a value separation, and fewer hard edges. The changes in temperature (especially in the face and the bat rack) are still there, but the jump between the warms and cools are less drastic. But with all that said, I think that Ruth and his cohorts really turn in space. And now I feel like I can look at that Goudey with less disgust. :) If any of y'all have comments, critiques or questions, fire away! Hope ya dig it. And as always, thanks for reading, Graig |
Hi Graig-
Fantastic as always! I really love and appreciate your insights and "behind the scenes" discussion. Thanks so much for sharing! We're due for another lunch in Soho! |
I feel like i can reach through the computer screen and take the bat Babe is offering into my hands. I love the teammates in the background almost fading into the shadow of his greatness.
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Graig, as always, your paintings look so very, very realistic!
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Graig,
I have to admit, I've always had the same opinion of that card. I think that a lot of people have a mental image of Ruth as old, fat, lazy and tired. Instead, his playing career, right up until the last couple of years, demonstrates that he was strong and fast, and known as being pretty athletic. I think that images like that card have not helped his overall image for modern generations. Your painting does bring to life that photo in a different way. He still looks old and tired, but not as bad as the card made him appear. Really neat to see your take on the image! kevin |
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Have you ever gone off the script, so to speak, by just adding your own touches to the original? For example, I have done acrylic paintings of a few vintage cards from my own collection - those I consider to be iconic - but with a bit of a twist to them. The result can be fun. Here's one I did in July on a 20" X 16" canvas. I detailed his face by using the artwork involved in the #149 card, which is supposed to be a blowup of the original photo used on card #144. |
Being that Robert Redford has just passed away, is there any way we might get a closer look at the painting with him in his "The Natural" uniform that is partially obscured behind other paintings in this photo?
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Beautiful work, Graig! I, too, have never been a fan of the Goudey dugout Babe. But this painting is fantastic.
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What an unbelievable treat scrolling through this post - don't know how I missed it in the past.
Truly, thank you for sharing, Graig! |
Saw one of your earlier works at the REA offices today. It was Teddy Ballgame coming home after a homer. Stunning work in person. I love your color studies skills. See it up close was fantastic.
Anyway, just wanted to mention it. Andy . |
Thank you so much for all of those wonderfully kind words, everybody!! You're all being super kind.
A super cool rendition, Rob! I actually *do* like seeing those little personal touches in paintings, but for whatever reason, I just can't bring myself to do them. I think I'm just so anal about keeping everything historically accurate that I'd never want to change anything that's clearly there, ya know? In the beginning of my career, I did do a few paintings that had the client placed into them, which at the time, I was somewhat okay doing. Now, I look back at those paintings and it's ALL I see. Ugh, and I really don't like it. But again, that's just me! Brian, here's the Redford piece you mentioned: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Roy Hobbs, 1939 (Robert Redford, 1983), 20" x 16" The client who commissioned it actually came by the studio the other day to see it in person (it'll ship out in a few weeks), and he was sad about Robert's passing. But, I do know that hes going to be using the painting in some sort of 50th anniversary celebration of the movie, so I'm curious to see what he has in mind. The image itself I thought was pretty cool. Aside from Redford being handsome, I just love that back-lighting, especially as it illuminates Robert's strawberry blonde hair. It's also pretty cool to have the War Memorial Stadium stands in the background. Overall, it was just a fun one! Andrew! Cool that you saw that one. I had forgotten that it was there until I went into the room last winter--it was a nice surprise. It's interesting seeing it now though, as there are things that I would have handled differently, had the painting still been in my possession. I guess that's not a bad thing though, as it shows that I'm growing. Or something. I think. Graig |
Hey all,
Thought I’d share another one I got back from the photographers recently: https://hosting.photobucket.com/9940...080&fit=bounds Mickey Mantle, March 26, 1951, 20” x 28” I’ve been a fan of this image for such a long time. Well, the photograph it’s based on, I mean. The quality of light is exactly the kind of thing that I get off on, and adding to that, a smiling Mickey Mantle about to enter his rookie season—I just think it’s super special. The story behind this particular game has been eloquently described in Jane Leavy’s book The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood. For those who haven’t read that one, it’s VERY much worth the effort, especially since we think we know everything there is to know about the man. Jane certainly proved me wrong when I first read it all those years ago. Anywho, you can read a bit about the game here: https://thegloryofbaseball.blogspot....ickey.html?m=1 And believe me, this chapter is so incredible in Jane’s book. The whole notion that this game was, according to Justin Dedeaux (the USC batboy who was sitting with Mantle that day), "the day the whole world opened up" is the chef's kiss. Painting the image proved to be a bit of a challenge, as it was tough to find much information on Bovard Field in terms of color, but my guesses are all based on pertinent research. Admittedly, the one I’m a bit iffy on is the outfield wall. In a color photograph from the mid-‘70s, that same wall was that deep maroon color associated with USC. And since that color has been synonymous with the college since time began, I thought it wouldn’t have been a stretch to say that it could have been that color in 1951. The newspapers of the day made no mention of it, but if I ever find out that my guess was incorrect, the painting is going to a client who lives close by and’ll let me fix it. 😊 But man, that sun light! And those late afternoon shadows!! All of that reflected light!!! And the palm trees!!!! Everything a painter could want. Hope y’all dig it, and as usual, feel free to reach out with questions, comments and critiques. Thanks for reading!! Graig |
Great arwork and thanks for sharing the story, Graig.
Someday you might be working on it again... Quote:
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