A Poet Innocently Turned to Painting

I am a lifelong resident of Massachusetts. I have degrees from Franconia College and Lesley University.

Since high school, I have been writing creatively, largely poetry. I have published three books of poetry, as well as in magazines and on websites. When I returned to school to finish the degree begun long ago, I decided to use painting as my entry point for my study of creativity. I had no previous experience in art beyond doodling in notebooks. Technique developed as colour and brushstroke coalesced into image. It has been an adventure learning a new form of expression.

We are all artists when we are young. We sing, we paint, we dance, carelessly, and with joy. As I created these visual images, I let the child in me take over. My aim is that those who see my work will become similarly inspired. The world is too full of misery not to make the effort to bring energy and light and joy to the world.

This May will see the first public showing of my work. My campaign will fund the creation of prints of my paintings. The main use of funding will be to make scans of eight paintings then print a run of twenty copies of each. The rest of the funding would pay for shipping perks to contributors.

I checked local printers who do art quality scanning and printing. The company that won me let me speak directly with the person who would do the work. Scans cost $125 a-piece. That price includes proof copies to make sure the scan is as I want it). Printing is around $18 a print. Turnover is a matter of days.

For perks, I will hand write a thank you to everyone who contributes. I thank you right now for reading this far. Those who contribute $35 will also receive a drawing by my hand. Contributions of $75 will receive one of my prints. Contributions of $500 will receive all eight prints. Contributions of $1750 will receive all eight prints framed. All contributors will be publicly thanked on Facebook (unless you choose otherwise).

If I don’t reach my goal then I will use the funds to print what I can. If I exceed my goal, I will have the nature photographs that I have taken scanned and printed.

My History

As a poet, I understand the nether world of publishing. Over the years, I have bought books and gave donations to small presses as a way of support. Later I served as editor for Potes & Poets Press, a worthwhile but negatively remunerative venture. My wife and I ran the Press for five years. During that time, we published thirty books, despite extremely untimely payments from our distributor. Profits from each book went to publishing the next.

I envision no extra costs. The showing will last one month. Such prints that remain after the showing will be taken to gift shops and other likely markets in the area,