Art of Kindness event raises $2500 + for Friends of Stark Pound!

Art of Kindness paintings by BZTAT

On Thursday, September 10, 2009, I engaged in a 12-hr painting marathon at Second April Galerie to raise money for Friends of Stark Pound animal rescue group. It was an intense but productive 12 hours! The 4 paintings pictured above were created and auctioned off, raising a total of $520!!! Proceeds from the entire Art of Kindness event totaled well over $2500!

We weren't sure how it would work, but I wanted to open up the auction of my paintings to Twitter fans. As it turned out, it was a huge success. All four paintings were sold to my official spokescat Brewskie Butt's Twitter fans! I cannot thank them enough for their interest in my artwork and their donations to Friends of Stark Pound!

Here are the individual paintings with the names of the top bidders:

White Dog by BZTAT

Purchased by @IamZorro


Blue Cat by BZTAT
Purchased by @Cheriswan


Yellow and White Cat by BZTAT
Purchased by PrettyKitties53


Brown and White Dog (Sylvie Dog) by BZTAT
Purchased by @SylvieDog

We also had donations from @PerrytheBirman, @Whskr, and @Gabby_da_Tabby.

Friends of Stark Pound and I are very grateful to all who came to the event at Second April Galerie and to those who participated via Twitter. Proceeds go directly to animals in need in Stark County.

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Thought for the Day

Artwork by BZTAT

"If you can't decide between a Shepherd, a Setter or a Poodle,
get them all ... adopt a mutt!"
- ASPCA

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Custom Pet Portraits--Original Paintings of Your Pet

UPDATE: Prices have changed. See new prices here.

Since you asked...

A number of folks have asked about my prices for painting custom pet portraits. My prices are deeply discounted at the moment as I am trying to get the word out about my work. I am going to be honest. I fully intend to raise my prices eventually, because, truthfully, I could be making more money selling burgers than I currently do selling my artwork. I want to keep my prices affordable for my fans, but I also want to pay my bills.

If you want a pet portrait by BZTAT, now's the time to do it.

My current prices described below are subject to change at any time. Prices listed are based on a single pet with average difficulty painted on gallery wrapped stretched canvas with acrylic paint. Prices may be adjusted based upon the size of the piece, the surface and media, and difficulty of the image (multiple pets in one painting add difficulty). Shipping costs are extra. Payment in advance is required. Portraits generally take 2-4 weeks to complete depending on difficulty and waiting list.

16 " X 20" - $100
18 " X 24" -$125
24" X 30" -$175
30" X 40" -$250

I also do custom drawings and digital images. Please email me for pricing on these.

I work from photos of your pet. If you are local to Canton, OH, I would love for you to bring the pet to the studio for a photo shoot! If not, you can email me photos or give me links to Flickr or other online photo streams.

Please email me at BZTAT@artadventuresstudios.com to make an order or to get further information about getting a custom portrait of your pet. I look forward to hearing from you!!!!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios

Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Pussycat Island Excursion for Twitter Critters

"Pussy Cat Island" by BZTAT

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios...

Ahoy maties! The Brew is ready to set sail for Pussycat Island with all his Twitter Critter pals! Here are some new details. See previous post for all the scoop!

Fundraising on the island: @SylvieDog is running a fundraiser for one of the largest animal shelter’s in the country. Please donate to Orphans of the Storm help her reach her goal! Sylivie and I thank you!

Many thanks to: @Petiethecat and @just4pets (who happens to be Baby Patches momma) who has offered to donate some prizes, and @BZTAT (BrewskieButt’s momma) for donating a print of her artwork, @Brewskiebutt and @BabyPatches for getting the word out via bloggy goodness, @PerrytheBirman for just being a cool cat in his island hat! And thank you to @SylvieDog who has volunteered to serve drinks at the pawty!

Prize Donation List: Please follow and thank the following sponsors!
@just4pets will be donating 6 prizes to anipals, prizes to be determined by type of animal
@Petiethecat will be donating 2 prizes to anipals, prizes to be determined by type of animal
@BZTAT will be donating a print of her artwork
@FURminator will be donating 2 furminators
@laineyspawtique will be donating 4 bags of dog cookies (flavors are Breakfast Brittle, Milk & Blueberry, Apple crisp and Chocolate cake)
@RockumSockum will be donating 3 prizes to anipals, prizes to be determined by type of animal
@CatToyscom will be donating 2 laser toys

Brewskie Butt, BZTAT and Art Adventures Studios are only responsible for the one prize of an art print of "Pussycat Island". Participants in the contest must be following @BrewskieButt before the contest starts. Please send him a tweet to ensure that he is following you back. Prize will be awarded through a question answer contest sometime between 8:00-10:00 pm EDT on Saturday April 18, 2009. All answers must come in the form of a Direct Message (DM) to @BrewskieButt who will give the clue. The item winner will be the FIRST correct response. We are not responsible for any technical issues that may interfere with the process.

Note: Unframed 8 X 10 prints of the "Pussy Cat Island" picture may be purchased for $30.00 plus shipping and handling. Please email BZTAT at bztat@artadventuresstudios.com if interested.

See ya at Pussy Cat Island! Have a Brew-ti-ful day!

The Brew

Life is an Adventure!

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

A Word about the Pussy Cat Island Picture...

I have hundreds of images stored on my computer--drawings, paintings, digital images, etc., that I have created over the years. I regularly search through them when I need a picture to illustrate an idea. When Brewskie Butt's anipals on Twitter started talking about a "Pussy Cat Island" pawty, I knew exactly which picture to choose.

I wish I could say that I created the picture just for the pawty, but that truly is not the case. The drawing was made in 2004.

The cat illustrated in the picture is named "Who", or as he was called in 2004 by his then companion, my mother, "Kitty Kat Who". "Who" lived with my mother in an independent living center for retirees until March of 2008, when she was placed in a nursing home. He has lived with me, Brewskie, Slick and Noah (his litter mate brother) ever since.

My mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease since 2004. "Who" was the perfect companion for her as she came to grips with the disease and adjusted to living away from her own home. He couldn't go with her to the nursing home, unfortunately, when she needed a higher level of care.

My mother was always creative with the truth when it came to telling a story, but the elaborations became even more interesting as Alzheimer's started taking hold. The story she told about "Who" was that he arrived into the world in a Tupperware dish during a flood. Each time she told the story, it became more extravagant!

The actual story was that Noah, Who's brother, was found floating in a Rubbermaid bin in a flooded basement. "Who" and the rest of the litter had managed to climb onto a shelf, and they were safe and dry. But my mother's story is more interesting, no?

The drawing above was created for a calendar of family pets that I made in 2004 in order to celebrate the creative story that my mother told about "Who".

Although Alzheimer's has ravaged my mother's brain in a very heartbreaking manner, I take comfort in knowing that it has not destroyed her creativity or her character. Today, she lives in a facility that keeps her active and full of life. Our relationship, at times strained through the years, is now very sweet and comforting for both of us.

And the stories between us? Well, fiction and fantasy are full of truth too.

Onward to Pussy Cat Island!!!

Note: Unframed 8 X 10 prints of the "Pussy Cat Island" picture may be purchased for $30.00 plus shipping and handling. Please email BZTAT at bztat@artadventuresstudios.com if interested.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios

Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Twitter Critters Set Sail for Pussy Cat Island

"Pussy Cat Island" by BZTAT

UPDATE: Please see updated hashtag (#) info for
Twitter search of #pussycatisland.

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios...


Hello All. It's the Brew! My Twitter Critter friends and I are getting ready to pawty again! This time we are setting sail for Pussy Cat Island with my friend Rumblepurr at the helm of the ship. Here are some meows from Rumblepurr about the planned excursion:

Thanks Brew!

The origion of #pussycat-island : My beloved brother @inigoflufflebum was trying to ship me off the other day 'cause I was chasing his tail. @BabyPatches was having the same problems with her brofur and sisfur... so we decided to take action and go to the amazaing pussycat-island!

Details are: Our lovely ship departs from it's Twitter dock Sunday at 10am New Zealand time (so that will be Saturday for most of you 3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST) We’ll hang out on the island and frolic in the sun till 8am (1pm PST, 3pm CST, 4pm EST) the next day so that everyone will have a chance to pawty! The amazing Hunkerbell (@Wildboutbirds) is also going to be running a ship as are the fantasic pups known as @Scruffypebbles.

What's on the island: There will be lots of nip-based drinks, sun puddles, tuna fishies (but no eating @copious_tuna - he's off limits) dancing and fun! For the doggies, there is a special Doggie Sandbar that will have steaks, rubber balls, frisbees and dancing fun! For the bears, we have honey and for the bunnies we have carrots! Everyone is welcome!

What to wear: Island wear! @BabyPatches has a lovely look at the moment (as she always does... hubba hubba!) You can get Island bling here.

What we need: Bartenders and DJ's! If you're interested in doing a shift, DM @rumblepurr and any other help is totally welcome! This will be a fun day for all!

Many thanks to: @Petiethecat who has offered to donate some prizes, @Brewskibutt and @BabyPatches for getting the word out via bloggy goodness, @PerrytheBirman for just being a cool cat in his island hat!

Follow all the Pussy Cat Island action here and make sure that you have #pussycatisland in your tweets so everyone can follow you!

Special note: BZTAT and the Brew will be offering an art print of the drawing "Pussy Cat Island" pictured above to one lucky critter during the island adventure!

See ya at Pussy Cat Island! Have a Brew-ti-ful day!

The Brew

Life is an Adventure!

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

A Word From the Slick Cat

"I do not share my house mate's enthusiasm for electronics."

Black Jack: The Painting of a Dog

Meet Black Jack! Black Jack is a friend that I have known for some time, his person being a neighbor who has an office in my building. He is a sweet fellow whose bark is certainly worse than his bite! His person asked me to paint his portrait, which was a wonderful experience for me!


First, I took some photos of Jack in the studio. He was very excited, and moved around quite a bit, stopping only for a second to pose.










Next, I played around with his photo in Photoshop, using digital filters to abstract the image into an interesting composition. Then I started painting.

All of my paintings begin with a simple line drawing on a dark background. Sometimes I freehand the drawings, but with Black Jack, I traced the image from the digitally altered photograph onto a canvas using an overhead transparency. After the drawing is drawn onto the canvas with a light colored pencil, I begin blocking in colors with acrylic paint.



Several layers of color are added, with essences of previously applied layers showing through in subtle ways. A border is masked off around the edge to allow for a faux frame to be painted in later.









It looks a little bizarre at this point...

As much as I enjoyed the tail in the previous stages, it just didn't seem to work right for the overall composition, so I took it out.


Eventually, it all comes together. Black Jack's portrait is finished!

Allowing others to see my step by step process like this is a courageous new step for me. Although I am not at all nervous about sharing my process or having others look over my shoulder, so to speak, there are times that I do not know exactly where a painting is going. It is a bit unnerving to allow others to watch as you venture into uncertain territory.

I was brave enough with this piece to actually allow "live" updates to Twitter (@BZTAT) as I was working on the piece. My followers on Twitter seemed to enjoy that, so I plan to post future endeavors "in process" as I work. Search #bztatptg if you are interested in following these updates on Twitter.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios

Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month/National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Is it a coincidence that April is both National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month?

Perhaps the choice of April to promote awareness of both child abuse and animal cruelty was coincidental. The two issues, however, are deeply intertwined. Recent research has demonstrated a strong link between animal cruelty and domestic violence, leaving little question that animal cruelty has a painful impact on our human society beyond the pain for the animals.

"A Little House with Freedom" by BZTAT

We cannot ignore child abuse. We cannot ignore animal abuse. Both involve emotional and physical injury that hurts both the individual victims and the communities in which they live. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

My artwork often takes a whimsical and cheerful tone as I explore and celebrate the nature of animals. Animals bring us back to our innocence, and that innocence often brings out such beauty and benevolence in us. The spirit of joy and eager wonder that is experienced through the love of a pet takes us back to a time where we were young and unencumbered by life's trials and tribulations.

Many children cannot remember such a time, however, despite their youth. Child abuse has encumbered them with experiences much more trying than their young lives are prepared to handle.

Still yet, as a children's therapist (my day job), I am often amazed at how children affected by trauma and emotional turmoil still have a sense of wonder about their lives. I see a lot of children affected by child abuse and domestic violence, and it hurts them deeply. But hope and wonder are still there, even if one has to dig deeply to find it. My hope with these children is to build upon their still-existent sense of wonder, so that they can recover and feel safe again.

My artwork dances around a number of themes. Pet art reflecting the character of cats and dogs is the most prevalent theme, but issue oriented work is also very prominent. One major artwork, "Jesse's Journey", explores the resiliency of children affected by the pain of trauma, as does the piece "Rediscovery" that was recently selected as the winning piece at the Hearts with Hope art contest for the Domestic Violence Project in Canton, OH. My "Anonymous Feline Spirits" series addresses the issue of homeless pets and the need for spay/neuter programs in our communities.

I ask you to revisit these works in the effort to heighten your sensitivity about the critical issues of animal and child abuse during this very important month of awareness. We can do something about both problems. What can you do? Check out the websites for the ASPCA and Pinwheels for Prevention for a variety of things that you can do in your community.

Every piece of hope matters.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios

Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Happy Birthday Brewskie Butt, Official Spokescat for Art Adventures Studios!

Brewskie Butt, the Official Spokescat for Art Adventures Studios, is hosting a 24 hour online Paw Pawty for his Twitter Critter pals and anyone else who would like to celebrate his birthday! A Paw Pawty is a way for all of theBrew's Posse on Twitter to have some fun and games and to help raise money for animal charities at the same time. There will be contests and games throughout a 24-hour period with prizes from a variety of great sponsors. Attendees will be encouraged to donate to @RomeoTheCat, who raises money for animal charities across the United States.

Special art from Art Adventuures Studios will be given out to members of Brew's Posse of Twitter followers during Brewskie's Paw Pawty!

Start Time:
Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 2:00pm

End Time:
Monday, April 6, 2009 at 2:00pm

What's a Twitter Critter? It is an animal that "tweets" or blogs on the microblog site Twitter. There is a whole subculture of animals who Tweet on Twitter, as well as people who love animals. It is a very positive and supportive group that chronicles the lives of pets and other animals and is dedicated to making the world a better place for critters.You do not have to be on Twitter to enjoy the Paw Pawty. Simply go to http://tweetgrid.com/search?q=pawpawty and watch the critters live stream of Paw Pawty posts! Of course, to win prizes, you have to have a Twitter account and follow the following critters:

@Brewskiebutt

@Emmythecat

@Romeothecat

@Duke Richard II

@oscarthecat

@frugaldougal

Information about the Paw Pawty will be updated here and at frugaldougal blog.

Please join the Brew, the ultimate PAWTY ANIMAL for this very special event!

Note: Times listed are EDT (New York, NY). Check http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ to see conversions for different time zones.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios

Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Madamoiselle Chloe: Next in the Twitter Critter Series

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios...


Hello All. It's the Brew! I thought I would share a painting that my person BZTAT painted that is very near and dear to my heart. It's a painting of my special Twitter and Facebook sweetheart, Madamoiselle Chloe. I have a tender spot for Mon Cherie Chloe, who is the green-eyed, tuxedo chatelaine of a charming, if small, chateau. She has seen some rough adventures in her life, but she now lives a comfortable life, and she's always very sweet to me me on Twitter.

Meet Madamoiselle Chloe!


BZTAT is working on a whole series of photos, drawings and paintings of different critters who blog on Twitter. For those who don't know, Twitter is a micro-blogging site where you can converse with others around the world in short meaningful statements. Did you know that there were hundreds and thousands of animals who post on Twitter? Each one puts up a small photo called an avatar on their Twitter page, and BZTAT finds these avatars to be very inspiring. Some of the critters have given her permission to use their avatars as points of departure for artwork. Mademoiselle Chloe is the third in the Twitter Critter series.

Hope you enjoy the picture and that you have a Brew-ti-ful day!

The Brew

Life is an Adventure!

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Thought for the Day

" God made the cat in order that humankind might have the pleasure of caressing the tiger."
- Fernand Mery

Did someone say cat party?

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios..

Calling all Twitter cats in the Brew's Posse! Art Adventures Studios is giving away a special prize for March 15 Twitter Cat Party! Some lucky cat will win an 8" X 10" unframed signed print of the picture above by BZTAT entitled "This Brew's for You!" tonight! Simply leave a comment below about the picture and why you think you should be the one to receive it. (You can send an email to brewskiebutt@yahoo.com if you are not able to sign onto blogger.) You must be a cat following the Brew (@BrewskieButt) on Twitter and you must be a participant in the Cat Party, designated by tweets identified with #stpaws #catparty to be a part of the contest. Sorry, no dogs or other critters. BZTAT will pick the winner at 11pm, so all comments must be posted between 8pm and 11pm (EDT) on March 15, 2009. Winning entry will be chosen based on originality of your comment, convincibility of why you deserve the print, and pure flattery of the Brew!

Have a Brew-ti-ful time at the Cat Party!!!!!!

The Brew

Life is an Adventure!

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Help Homeless Pets

As an artist inspired by love of pets, I like to support groups that help pets as much as I can. Did you know that there are lots of pets in your community needing homes? Did you know that there are wonderful rescue groups working to match homeless animals with people who want to love them? These groups need help to survive so that they can continue to do great work. I have signed up my cats' favorite rescue group, Woozez Animal Rescue, for a contest to receive donations from a fund raising cat, Romeo the Cat. Romeo contributes money to animal rescue for every follower he gets on Twitter, so please follow @romeothecat if you are a Twitterer!!!


Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Oscar The Cat: Next in the Twitter Critter Series

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios...

"Oscar the Cat" by BZTAT

Hi Everybody! It's the Brew! I thought I would share a painting that my person, BZTAT, has been working on. This is a picture of everybody's best pal among the Twitter Critters, Oscar! We moved Oscar up the list of those critters who have portraits in process, because Oscar has fallen ill this week, and I wanted to give a special shout out to him.

I met Oscar (known on Twitter as @OscarTheCat) early in my days on Twitter, but it wasn't until one fateful night that we became best pals. Someone nominated us both for one of those crazy Twitter popularity contests that they have, and he and I both got kinda silly with it. By the end of the night, we were in first and second place! Our friendship was cemented.

Oscar is one cool cat! he is always encouraging other cats and other critters by passing out *nosetaps*, and he has developed a special website just for Cats Who Twitter! Oscar wrote about me on his first "Blogger Tuesday" feature! He also has a blog called The Furry Tripod, so named because of his being a three-pawd cat. He lives with a slightly irreverent younger cat named Henry (known on Twitter as @Quadpawd), to whom he is trying to teach manners and the finer ways of being a cat. It's a big job, but he takes it in stride.

Oscar developed some kidney problems last week that gave his person quite a scare. I and all of his Twitter pals have been sending well wishes all week. Last night, we posted a Get Well card, and well over 50 folks have already signed it! You can sign the card here, if you like. The posting page only displays the last 25 comments made, but we have saved all of them for Oscar to see.

My person, BZTAT is working on a whole series of photos, drawings and paintings of different critters who blog on Twitter. For those who don't know, Twitter is a micro-blogging site where you can converse with others around the world in short meaningful statements. Did you know that there were hundreds and thousands of animals who post on Twitter? There are cats, dogs, horses, hamsters, chinchillas, parrots--even a hermit crab! Each one puts up a small photo called an avatar on their Twitter page, and BZTAT finds these avatars to be very inspiring. Some of the critters have given her permission to use their avatars as points of departure for artwork. Oscar's portrait is the second Twitter Critter artwork that she has completed.

I hope that all our well wishes help Oscar feel better. We love ya pal! Hope you have a Brew-ti-ful day!

The Brew

Life is an Adventure!

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

"Lou Mama's Boy" First of the Twitter Critter Series

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios...


Hi Everybody! It's the Brew! I thought I would share a picture that my person, BZTAT, has been working on. It's a picture of Lou, who is one of my favorite Twitter Critter friends.

"Lou, Mama's Boy" digital photo

Lou is the most smiling guy I have ever met! He has taught me that I don't have to be afraid of dogs, at least not when I talk to them through Twitter and Facebook. Lou lives with his adopted sister Pebble in Arizona. He has his own blog Lou Mama's Boy and he is very active on Facebook and Twitter.

My person, BZTAT is working on a whole series of photos, drawings and paintings of different critters who blog on Twitter. For those who don't know, Twitter is a micro-blogging site where you can converse with others around the world in short meaningful statements. Did you know that there were hundreds and thousands of animals who post on Twitter? There are cats, dogs, horses, hamsters, chinchillas, parrots--even a hermit crab! Each one puts up a small photo called an avatar on their Twitter page, and BZTAT finds these avatars to be very inspiring. Some of the critters have given her permission to use their avatars as points of departure for artwork. Lou's is the first one that she has completed. She is also in the process of making a painting of one of my sweethearts, Madamoiselle Chloe. Purrrrrrr.....She is a very fine kitty!

Next up in the Twitter Critter series include: Monkey Cat (another fine and purrrrty girl kitty!); Pebbles, Lou's sister; India, a real Bengal Tiger; and many others.

Hope you have a Brew-ti-ful day!

The Brew

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

"The Adventures of Brewskie!"--Brewskie Butt's First Blog

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios...

Finally! BZTAT (my person) is letting me blog on the Buzz From BZTAT!!! It's my very first official blog that can be more than 140 characters (Twitter limit). I am so excited!!!!!

For my first blog, I thought I would tell you about my best pals, Noah and Who--the coolest cats around! OK, I'll tell ya about Slick, too, but I don't get along with her as well.

Here's Noah:


Noah and I have been pals for a long time. He was at my house when I first arrived. Noah is a HUGE cat! We think he is a Maine Coon cat. He's lots of fun to wrestle with, and he likes to snuggle too. He got his name from an early life experience he had. When he was born, he was kept in a plastic tub in a basement with his cat mom and kitten siblings. The basement flooded, and all the others got up to higher ground. Noah, though, as the story goes, was left in the tub, and was found floating around in his little Rubbermaid ark. Luckily, he was rescued, and he, too, got to higher ground. He came to live with my human mom, BZTAT, not too long after that.

This is Who:



Who is Noah's brother. He was in the flood too, but he got out of the ark before Noah was stranded. He came to live with Noah and BZTAT for a couple of weeks when he was little, then he went to live with BZTAT's mom in a retirement center. He was the king of that place, let me tell ya! Who is a large cat, too, although not as big as Noah. He is probably a Maine Coon cat, as well. Everyone says he is a strikingly beautiful cat, as he has a very unique face and swirly patterns in his fur. I just know he's lots of fun to play with! He came to live with us in February 2008 when BZTAT's mom went into a nursing home.

Who got his name from the "Cat Who..." book series by Lillian Jackson Braun. I never read the books, but I guess they are about cats that solve murder mysteries. BZTAT likes to sing the CSI theme song to him, "Who are you? Who? Who?" She sometimes calls him "Who-dini" cuz he can be a trickster. She calls out "Yoo Who...." when she can't find him, and calls him a "Ya-Who" when he's being silly.

This is Slick:



Slick is older than the rest of us. She's 13-1/2 years old (We're all 4-1/2). She's still pretty active, though. She is a calico, and half of her face is a different color than the other half. I confess, I get very jealous of her, cuz she and BZTAT have such a special relationship. I have a special relationship with mom too, but Slick was around during the legendary Beezie-tat's era (story for another blog), which gives her special status. Slick gets growly and hissy when I chase her or try to bump her off the cat tower, and mom always protects her. That's why she's my nemesis.

Slick was rescued from an oil spill on the Tuscarawas River in Navarre, OH. That's how she got her name. She didn't get any oil on her, but was brought in with a bunch of ducks and geese that did. She had an injured paw, but was fixed up by Dr. Jeff just like new. To this day, Slick gets nostalgic when she hears geese fly overhead.

My person, BZTAT, as you know, is an artist. She made all of the pictures of us here. She says that, if it weren't for us cats, she would have nothing to draw or paint. I think she would find something, because she does paint other things, but we sure do enjoy being her models. The picture at the top of this blog is my favorite picture that she has made of me. Make sure that you check out her website, her Cafe Press Shop, and her Zazzle store for all kinds of cool art and other stuff. Had to put that plug in, ya know, cuz I am her spokescat and all.

Thanks, mom, for letting me blog! Look out for more "Adventures of Brewskie!" in the future!

The Brew

Follow me on Twitter @BrewskieButt and on Facebook!

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

"Marley and Me"...Beezie and Me...Brewskie and Me

I went to see the movie "Marley and Me" today. Yes, it was as billed-- a tear-jerker in that genre of movies that pulls at the heart strings of pet lovers. The tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes, but not just because it had a moving ending to which every pet lover can relate. This was not just a love story between a human being and a pet. This was a story about a man discovering hidden potential in himself that would never have come to be, were it not for the relationship that developed between him and his dog.

If you are not a pet person, then you have no idea what I am talking about. But if you are a pet person, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Pets have an effect on us that is indescribable and beyond our verbal capacities to capture. Tears are all we have, sometimes, to express that effect. You see, animals have a way of getting into that place in our hearts that is totally unguarded and unfettered. We have pure love with no conditions. Through that kind of love, you discover the parts of yourself that are your best, and you realize how truly blessed you are.

In "Marley and Me", the main character John Grogan is a journalist who is sure of what he wants, yet distracted by the adventures of life. The adventures include marriage, family, career, and all the personal sacrifices that come along with the choices he has to make along the way. Enter Marley, a boisterous and undisciplined Labrador Retriever. Forced into writing a newspaper column for which he is lost for inspiration, John draws on his experiences with Marley for material. The column is a hit, and John discovers himself as a writer, as a husband and as a father through his relationship with Marley.

I am writing about this because the story very closely parallels my own life. I have had pets my entire life, and as a shy and awkward child, they were my closest companions. As a young adult, a small black and white tabby cat entered my life and stayed with me for 19 years. Now, I have four other cats who are the very joy of my life. But like John and Marley, the beauty of the story is not just in the love I have for animals.

Like John Grogan, I have drawn upon my experiences with my pets for "material". That black and white tabby was named Rembrandt (Shortened to R.B. by a friend, then later to R.Beezie, then to Beezie-tat), and she quickly became my model and artistic inspiration. I cannot tell you how many paintings I have painted of her or how many I have sold. Painting Beezie and having her as my soulmate companion for 19 years, I discovered my best as an artist and as a person. She helped me discover the best I could offer as an artist, and personally, she helped me develop an identity that was true and unique. Over time, I started using her name to sign my artwork--BZTAT.

Today, my mainstay of artistic production is bright, colorful and fun pet portraits. Not only do I enjoy painting them, I enjoy sharing them with other pet lovers. Even if no one buys the paintings, I love sharing them with other animal lovers. I love sharing stories about their pets and sharing tears about that special quality that we feel but cannot describe.

One of my current feline children has recently helped me develop a new line of communication with pet lovers on a global scale.

Enter @BrewskieButt, a slightly undisciplined yellow and white cat who is fast becoming a star on the microblog Twitter. My incorrigible cat Brewskie, you see, has taken to blogging on Twitter, and he communicates with other "cats" and "dogs"; "hamsters" and "chinchillas"; "horses and donkeys"--you name it, there are "Tweeters" of every pet breed. Through Brewskie, I have shared the joys and the sorrows and the day to day humor of pet life with others who share that unique love of animals. By chronicling Brewskie's little ways--his love of TUNA and catnip, his penchant for chasing the "Slick cat", his disgust for hairball "goop", etc.--I have found a new vehicle for artistic and social communication with people around the world.

Like Beezie, Brewskie is helping me overcome barriers within myself to become the best that I have to offer--artistically and personally.

Truthfully I started exploring Twitter because I had read that it was a good marketing tool for artists. It is that. But the best marketing happens when it is genuine, and Brewskie's play with his Twitter Critters is very much that. Some of Brewskie's pals have given me permission to use their photos for artistic inspiration, so look for the "Twitter Critters" series to be coming soon.

What would we be without our pets? I do not want to know.

And with that, I must stop writing, as I have a furry face *nosetapping* me, wanting some very well-deserved love.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.

Cat Art? Dog Art? Pet Portraits? Murals? Contemporary Folk Art?

Exactly how would YOU describe my artwork?

Cat Art? Dog Art? Pet Portraits? Murals? Contemporary Folk Art? Any of these words would easily apply, I guess. And then, again, none of them could apply, just as easily.

You see, to be a visual artist, it is always a part of your nature to be both seeking and defying verbal description simultaneously. Artists seek to illuminate through a visual language that touches the soul beyond what a simple phrase could say; yet the artist is also perpetually looking for creative ways to speak about his or her vision. Such a paradox.

The paradox deepens when the artist is faced with the modern era of marketing artwork via blogs and websites and social media. Suddenly our verbose oratories have been shunned. We must now find a few "keywords" that will be noticed by search engines, and we must limit our posts to 140 or less characters in some venues!

OK, I confess, I put those words in my title and again in the text copy to satisfy the keyword thing. As far as I am concerned, however, you can call my stuff whatever you want to call it.

I love to paint. I love color and texture and interesting visual effects. I love dogs and cats and I love painting the critters. It's a lot of fun! but if you ask me my passion, well, truly, it is the more expressive work that enriches my soul and feeds my artistic spirit.

My expressive work usually comes in the form of collage. For some reason, I feel more free to dig into my own person with collage, expressing something about personal thoughts, feelings or beliefs by assembling random objects and phrases onto some sort of background. Although I struggle as I am creating them to find some way to bring order to the randomness, it always sorta surprises me when a theme or core structure begins to take shape. I don't make them with the intention of selling them, necessarily, so it tends to surprise me when others even take interest in them.

I open up my studio on First Fridays and other days that I am there during the day so that people can come in and chat or buy things. Usually it is the animal art that people want to buy, but it is the collage that moves them. I like that. My art professors from college would cringe if they knew how much I was enjoying the more slick and commercial aspects of some of my work. Never they fear, though. I am always just a paintbrush away from digging into the depths of my creative soul.

So, please, do follow me on Twitter and MySpace and even Facebook! I also have a CafePress shop and I am exploring Etsy and other commercial venues. Please check out my website as well. This is all part of the world of finding ways to survive as an artist, and, truthfully, there is a lot of creative potential in cyberspace. Plus, it gives YOU an opportunity to make a favorite image into a favorite shirt or mug!

I hope, someday, though, that you get a chance to look at one of my more introspective pieces, too, and that you take the time to share your thoughts. Those are the keywords that mean the most to me.

It is all part of the adventure.


Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT
www.artadventuresstudios.com

Canton First Friday January 2, 2009

Wow, we just finished up the Canton Shop Hops, and now it is already time to be preparing for the first First Friday of 2009! This is one you won't want to miss! Come see BZTAT carve her first ever ice sculpture in front of Art Adventures Studios as part of Ice-o-rama! BZTAT, known for her colorful cat paintings, drawings and photographs will be making an ice sculpture with a finicky feline theme! Warm up inside and see her latest cat and dog art on the studio walls.

Mark your calendars now!

First Friday, January 2, 2009 6-10pm Ice-O-Rama!!!