Month: September 2010

Art of Kindness: Yep. I am doing another Paint-a-thon.

Art of Kindness 2009
Art of Kindness 2009

This time last year, I held my first 12 hr. “Paint-a-thon” as a part of the Art of Kindness fundraiser for Friends of Stark Pound.  It was a huge success! The overall event raised over $2500, of which $520 was raised from the sale of my paintings created during the Paint-a-thon.

All of the paintings were purchased from bids taken on Twitter. Rumor has it that this may have been the first online auction done on Twitter, although I cannot confirm that.

I have done 2 other paint-a-thons since then, both of which were very successful and a lot of fun. And guess what? We are doing another one for this year’s Art of Kindness event!

All Proceeds from this Paint-athon will go to support the animals with Friends of Stark Pound.

Art of Kindness

On Thursday, September 23, 2010, I will engage in an exclusive “Paint-A-Thon”, painting animal themed artworks non-stop from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm at Second April Galerie at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW in Canton, OH.

All works created in that 12 hours will be auctioned off in a silent auction at Second April and online via Twitter.  Online bidding on BZTAT artworks will begin at 7:00 pm EDT and conclude around 9:00 pm EDT.

My paint-a-thons are a great way to find some affordable bargains on artwork that my never come around again. You can bid on the artwork either on site at Second April Galerie or online via Twitter.

The Paint-A-Thon is in conjunction with a fund raising and animal adoption event entitled the Art of Kindness. Billed as “An Evening of Fun, Food and Furry Friends!”, the Art of Kindness will include an animal themed art exhibit showcasing local talent; a silent auction of pet-related items; music by Roger Phillips and Ken Weiss; food and drink; and lots of furry frivolity. Pets available for adoption will be on hand to greet those who attend.

Several artists from the Stark County area have contributed animal-themed artworks to be shown in a very special art exhibit. The showing is curated by Brennis Booth, co-owner of Second April Galerie.

Friends of the Pound is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to coordinate community outreach, rescuing and fund-raising efforts for the puppies and dogs being held in the Stark County Dog Pound. Friends of the Pound operates in cooperation with the Stark County Dog Warden’s staff to significantly enhance the quality of life for the homeless puppies and dogs and to increase their opportunities for placement through adoptions or rescue groups.

I will have assistants tweeting photos of the works on Twitter as I am creating them and after they are completed.

Online 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!

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.

Pets with Pizazz: Special pets need special people.

Whiskers
"Whiskers" Drawing by BZTAT

I posted this image awhile back. It is a drawing that I made of Whiskers, a 15 year old cat who needs a home. I drew it in hopes that someone would fall in love with Whiskers and take her into his or her family.

So far, my efforts have not worked.

Whiskers is not on “death row” like many animals who are up for adoption. Still, she is a wonderful animal, and she deserves a home.

I thought I would post her drawing again, since today begins the “Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet” challenge set forth by the Be the Change Panel at BlogPaws West.

There are many animals awaiting adoption across the country who have been classified as “Less Adoptable”. I, like Dr. V. at Pawcurious, am a little dismayed at the classification. I’d prefer to call them “Pets with Pizazz”.

These pets do have pizazz! They are often overlooked because of age, special needs and/or medical conditions that require a little extra attention. But they are as lovable and giving as any other pet, often more so.

I am glad that Petfinder and Be the Change for Pets are focusing on them to help them find homes. These animals have great courage and spirit, and they deserve our extra attention.

Life has been a challenge for Whiskers. She reportedly endured neglect in her past life, yet her current caretakers say she is now the most grateful of felines.

It is time to give her a change and let her see the good side of humanity. Can you help Be the Change for Whiskers?

If not Whiskers, do you know another “Pet with Pizazz” who you can help out?

Although Whiskers is located in the Richmond, VA area, assistance to relocate her to another area is available. You can learn more about her and how to contact her foster family here at CrystalsAndJewelry.com Blog & News.

Whoever gives Whiskers a permanent home will receive her portrait shown above as an extra bonus.

Feel free to re-post the drawing of Whiskers, if you would like, to help her find a home. Please do credit the image with “Artwork by BZTAT” with a link to this blog.

I used because of the leg pain (or rather due to the unbearable constant pain caused by the tumor in the knee joint).

Let’s find this fabulous feline a permanent home.

Whiskers was featured in the video below by the “Be the Change for Pets” panel. The whole video is very moving.

It brings me to ask, what is your gift, and how can you use it to help pets in need?

BZTAT
"I am not waiting for the world to change. I am being the change." -BZTAT

Announcing: 10% Discount on BZTAT Pet Portraits for BlogPaws West Attendees!

Mamselle Chloe
Custom Pet Portrait of Mamselle Chloe by BZTAT

Are you one of those people who came up and talked to me at BlogPaws West about painting your pet? Were you thinking about it but didn’t say anything?

Well, now is your chance. For a limited time, I am offering a 10% discount on all pet portraits for BlogPaws West attendees. To get the discount, you must purchase your portrait before October 1, 2010.

Please contact me ASAP if you are interested so that we can discuss the details. It is an individualized process, and we need to connect quickly for you to take advantage of the discount. You can read more about the process of commissioning a pet portrait here.

I look forward to hearing from you!