Possible Future Paintings

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS AS a Live Wedding Painter are the views that potentially become future paintings. For example, last fall I painted a wedding (I think it was late November) at White Oak Manor. On the property they have the cutest chapel. Coupled with the haybales, changing leaves and gorgeous sunset (as well as an eerie image of the chapel at night) there are potential possibilities of future paintings. It's just...finding the damn time to do them. 

Go Fish Project

A FEW MONTHS AGO, ROCKET POP MEDIA was contacted by the Edgeworth building in Richmond, Virginia to refurbish one of the fish from the Go Fish Project that was started back in the 1980s. 1708 Gallery originally put these around the city to bring environmental awareness to the James River. At one time, you couldn't swim or fish because of the high concentration of deadly bacteria.

This is from start to finish, cleaning the fish off, repainting it, and attempting to restore it. Sorry for the redundant music.

Our Story Begins in Richmond...

 Our Story Begins in Richmond is now available for purchase either as a physical copy or ebook at the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVSGMLSH

AI Bots and Infringement Issues

THIS IS A SHORT POST, but it really is a shame that I had to unpublish my blog for the first time since I began it 16 years ago. Why? Because of AI Bots. I am not an artist who is against AI. In fact, I think it's useful for references, color studies, etc. I also am not against artists who use it as long as they disclose it. My art blog doesn't get a lot of traffic, maybe a few hits a week, but I don't keep it going for hits - it's just a journal of my life as an artist. The thing is, there is almost 2 decades of work on it, meaning, there's a lot to consume. I began to notice my blog had almost 200 hits in one day, then 150 the next, then 85, and then 180...and this kept going on for about 2 weeks. And then I noticed the comments section promoting bullshit ass products. Shortly after that, individual art posts were clicked on dozens of times, which has never happened before. 

I think the worst thing about AI is that it's allowed to take your work and use it without your consent. If I did that, it would be illegal. So imagine you create something, and a bot reproduces it without your consent, and it now belongs to them. It's kind of fucked up. Since activating my account again, in just 24 hours, they're right back at it.

I guess it's no different than companies like Merch Traffic, a company that contacted Etsy to let them know the below image of Stevie Nicks was an infringement and belongs to them. Etsy's policy is that if a company claims your image is an infringement in good faith, then they remove the image, no questions asked. The only proof they have to provide is that the claim is in good faith. Let's say you built something, and then someone comes along and says it belongs to them, the police take it away and gives it to them just because they made the accusation in good faith. That's what this is akin to. 

The above image was painted almost 6 years ago, is my original creation, and has been in my Etsy store for that period of time. I reached out to Merch Traffic and they've refused to respond. They don't have to. They claimed that image belongs to them just like an AI bot. Etsy will not entertain a counterclaim because in their email response, "you need to work it out with them." So...this image is no longer for sale on Etsy because Merch Traffic claims it's theirs. I think what's concerning about this policy is that anyone can claim an image belongs to them in good faith, and that's all that's needed. An artist's entire body of work can be removed because of this policy. I don't think a lot of artists on Etsy know this; I certainly didn't. 

No, this isn't a slam against Etsy, I think they're a great company but do feel this policy needs to be revisited. For the record, I don't sell a lot of Stevie Nicks prints (maybe 1 or 2 a year) but it's bothersome because I created that image, a representative from Merch Traffic claimed it was theirs with no proof, and Etsy removed it. At this writing, if you do a google image search, the above image shows up only under my name, because I created it. But I guess when you can't create something for yourself, you steal another person's work.  

The original idea for the painting was published on this blog in 2015: John Price Art: Stevie Nicks - Pop Art

And then I repainted it using only purple in 2020: John Price Art: Stevie Nicks Print

Merch Traffic wasn't founded until 2016, which means the image they claim is theirs, is older than their company. If after reading this you thought, "damn, wanted to purchase this as a print!" Well, you can. You can purchase it from my website at the following link: https://www.johnpricefineart.com/workszoom/6259323/stevie-nicks

Merch Traffic is more than welcome to reach out to me directly to remove it from my website and blog because of a bullshit infringement claim, but quite frankly, they can go fuck themselves. 

House Commission

 COMMISSIONED HOUSE DRAWING FROM HOGG & ASSOCIATES

Live Wedding Painting - Jesse and Emily Juday

 Jesse and Emily Juday

Live Wedding Painting at the Historic Whitewood

Live Wedding Painting in the Outer Banks

 THIS LIVE WEDDING PAINTING WAS LAST year right as the summer season was coming to a close. We decided to go a day early, sight see and enjoy a few of the restaurants. I've always loved sandpipers and it's crazy how close you can get to them. It always amazes me that just as a wave comes crashing in, you just know it's about to swallow one of them whole...and it flies off in the nick of time. 

Go Fish Project

 SCATTERED AROUND RICHMOND, HERE AND there, are these whimsical fish sculptures (I think about 200 or so) that were originated by the 1708 Gallery that brought awareness to the restoration of the Rockfish back into the James River. They were originally sculpted by Alex Nunnally and companies would sponsor them. This one was acquired by The Edgeworth Building, and I was commissioned to come up with a design for the fish. Last weekend I power-sprayed it in our backyard and will begin repairing and repainting it in the upcoming days.  

Live Wedding Painting - Allison and Matt

 Allison and Matt

Balcony Downs

Buena Vista, VA

Custom Pet Portraits

 THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TYPE of pet portraits to do. A photograph of the pet is provided, and I get the opportunity to draw them in a comical way. This particular one was taken from four different photographs and the result was exactly what the client wanted. 

Kayakers At Sunset

 Kayakers at Sunset

Oil

18x24

Original available at Crossroads Art Center

Sunset Under the Belle Isle Suspension Bridge

 Sunset Under the Belle Isle Suspension Bridge

Oil

11x14

$400

This original oil painting of a sunset under the Belle Isle Suspension Bridge is available for purchase at Crossroads Art Center. Prints are available at my etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4360043830/sunset-under-the-belle-isle-suspension

What The Actual Hell...

I WAS AT THE VMFA NOT too long ago and the bottom 3 images were painted/sculpted by artists 100 or more years ago. The top 2 are works of "art" that were completed in recent years. While I understand that an art museum's purpose is to conserve and exhibit art for educational and enjoyment purposes, it's my understanding that the art displayed should exhibit the best of what is culturally relevant for that time. 

If the top two pieces are the best of what is culturally relevant for our time, future generations will most definitely look back and think, 'what in the actual hell was going on? Is that the best they had to offer society?' Based off of what is in their modern art collection, yes. This is as good as it got for us. 

From Camera to Canvas 2025

 FROM CAMERA TO CANVAS 2025 will take place September 12 at the Willow Oaks Country Club in Richmond, Virginia. There is a very light bluish tint on the image that I unfortunately cannot seem to change. The painting looks closer to the two bottom images. I do everything I can to make the images online look as close to how the original is. 

If you would like to bid on the painting, you can follow the link and set your bid. The painting starts out at $500 and whatever it sells for, 100% will go to the Friends of the James River. 

Camera to Canvas 2025 | Items

The Shornaks - Live Wedding Painting

 The Shornaks were married on Roanoke Island in Maneto, North Carolina. If you've watched American Horror Story, AHS Roanoke is set on this location. The whole area consists of the Nags Head, Outer Banks location. The Lost Colony in Roanoke in the late 1500s just disappeared. The colony was established in 1585, but when a ship visited in 1590, all 112 residents were nowhere to be found and their fate remains unknown. When I travel somewhere for a live wedding painting, I will often spend an extra night or two just to explore the area. So I went where the Lost Colony disappeared, saw where the original earthwork mounds were, saw the lighthouse on the island and had an unforgettable experience at The Scarborough Inn...whatever you do if you visit Maneto, don't stay there. 

Sarah and Rob - Live Wedding Painting

 THIS PARTICULAR LIVE WEDDING PAINTING WAS more of a challenge than most. It was that late part of summer right before fall sets in where the sun begins to cast really harsh lights and shadows on the landscape. Sarah and Rob asked me to paint their wedding in the Outer Banks and she was facing the sun...his back was to it. The sun was so harsh on her face that she could barely look at him. Regardless, she made it work and the purplish shadows on her dress is an artist's dream to paint. 

NASCAR's Race Week 2025

 THIS PAST WEEKEND, ON FRIDAY AND Saturday, Lynanne and I were invited to NASCAR's Race Week 2025 at Richmond International Raceway. On Friday, I did a live painting of Dale Earnhardt's car, and Saturday we went to the race. I'd never been to a NASCAR race before and it was intense.