Believe – in yourself and what lies ahead.

“Believe” Painting by BZTAT

“We are continually faced with great opportunities which are brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems.” ― Margaret Mead

A number of challenges have come my way of late. Some of these challenges have the appearance of unsolvable problems.

Are they brilliant disguises or truths revealed?

I have been around long enough to know that no problem can slay me in my quest for purpose and impact in my life. But there are many problems that can make my journey less than comfortable.

Those are the sort that are encumbering me now. I won’t go into detail. I have no need for sympathy or pity. I am just stating fact. We all go through it.

The challenge in being human is allowing oneself to believe that, regardless of being a disguise or a truth, all life experience takes us to a place where there is opportunity – and choices to make.

I am lucky that opportunity awaits me without disguise, and I am thankful for those who support and care no matter what my challenge is. I look forward to my travels ahead.

That is what faith and belief are to me.

I am posting the painting above for auction. The auction is short lived, so get your bids in fast and watch closely!

Enter your bids in the comments below.

Here are the details:

11″ X 14″ painting on canvas board by artist BZTAT

(Note: This painting is on canvas board that does not allow for hanging hardware. it will require framing to be hung on the wall.)

Leave bids in increments of $10 below in the comments section.

Minimum Bid $50 USD

Shipping: $25 USA $45 International

BUY NOW OPTION: You can buy this piece now for $125 as long as no bids have been made in the comments below. Simply write BUY NOW in the comments and send a payment of $125 + shipping via PayPal to bztat at bztat.com.

Highest bid at 10 pm ET Tuesday, February 26, 2013 wins the piece.

Winning bidder: send payment of bid + shipping to Paypal using email address: bztat at bztat.com

Please allow 4 weeks for shipping.

February 22, 2013

Another Hippie Peace Pig – Flower Power Pig!

“Flower Power Pig” Painting by BZTAT

My hippie Peace Pets, inspired by a totally random Facebook conversation, have been a surprise winter hit for 2013! I guess we all needed something to pull is out of the winter doldrums.

The biggest surprise to me was the popularity of my Guinea Pig painting of the other day. People liked it so much, I decided to do another piggy painting.

I am posting this painting for auction. The auction is short lived, so get your bids in fast and watch closely!

Enter your bids in the comments below, and be sure to identify your bid with the painting’s name.

Here are the details:

11″ X 14″ painting on canvas board by artist BZTAT

(Note: This painting is on canvas board that does not allow for hanging hardware. it will require framing to be hung on the wall.)

Leave bids in increments of $10 below in the comments section.

Minimum Bid $70 USD

Shipping: $25 USA $45 International

Highest bid at 10 pm ET Saturday, February 23, 2013 wins the piece.

Winning bidder: send payment of bid + shipping to Paypal using email address: bztat at bztat.com

Please allow 4 weeks for shipping.

February 21, 2013

Resident Artist BZTAT – Neighborhood Development through the Arts

Art by BZTAT

It is a simple house. Not that much to it – your basic Rust Belt city neighborhood house.

Don’t be fooled, though. It is about to become the hub of extraordinary activity.

It is about to become my home and studio, and also a place to inspire creativity in others.

For two years, I have been working with the Community Building Partnership of Stark County, Inc., creating projects for their Art in Neighborhoods program. The program is designed to revitalize neighborhoods by encouraging community and involvement through the arts.

The program has been so successful, they are taking it to a new level with an Artist Residency program. Artists will receive a stipend enabling them to live in designated neighborhoods in exchange for monthly art programming with residents designed to create “image-building end-use art projects”.

Today they announced that I will be their first Resident Artist! I am thrilled!

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be moving from my apartment in the Canton Arts District into a house in the northeast Canton Boulevards neighborhood.

It is the same neighborhood in which I have been working for the last two years on public art projects.

I moved to the Canton Arts Distric t 7 years ago with a similar mission – to help revitalize the downtown area through the arts. There is still much to be accomplished with that mission, but it seems like a good time for me to move on to something new and exciting.

I plan to develop a studio space in my new home where I can invite neighbors in to create and learn and enjoy each others’ company as we find ways to make our neighborhood a wonderful place to live. It is already a great neighborhood with people who care about their homes and look out for each other. I look forward to working with my new neighbors to make it the envy of other Canton neighborhoods!

I hope that you will follow along with me as my cats and I embark on this new adventure. Stay tuned for many fun stories ahead!