painter/apprenticing taxidermist

[BVanKirk]

hello, thought i'd introduce myself, I just finished my fine arts degree and started an apprenticeship a few months back, and I thought I'd post a few of my pieces
-Bailey

[Nina]

Nice work, welcome to the forums.

[Harum]

Bailey,
   Your paintings are outstanding! Congratulations on your degree.
-Pete

[roundman81]

WOW!  Very unique. I have never seen art shown that way before. I thought it was a photo at first. Very nice!

[Jknuth]

WOW!!! Very very nice work Bailey!

Beautiful Light and form

Id love to know more details.

Medium?
Size?
What school did you attend? (I had issue finding a school that favored representational work over abstraction)

Sorry to seem nosy, but I also got my degree in fine art (drawing painting sculpture) and had trouble with other students not being as accepting of my work with animals as I would have liked.
so I am interested to hear your experiences.

Have you heard of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum,  Birds in Art exhibit ?
http://www.lywam.org/birdsinart/
An international show based in wisconsin featuring birds in art.
Its a Juried show and very competitive but the work is amazing! from what I see in your paintings you have a really good shot at it. I am not sure when the deadline is, but I thought it was coming up very fast.


Too Cool!
Welcome aboard!
~Josh

[BVanKirk]

I went to Kent State University and had to work my tail off in the painting department to get to the point where my instructors and peers were accepting of representational animal work.  I had to do a lot of convincing that I wasnt a serial killer redneck and worked harder than anyone else in my department the semester I graduated.
I work 100% of the time in oil (I learned in acrylic and cant stand the stuff) mostly gamblin, maimeri, and utrect brands with really rediculously small brushes
The sizes (i think) are 16x42, 31x40, and 11x35. I have more of the same, these were all from my thesis last spring that I've continued since them, though with my apprenticeship Ive had a million more ideas!

[Jknuth]

WOW

your hard work payed off.

I had to work like mad too, although my work was far more figurative then anything else, but still it was a struggle at times.
I was lucky that my drawing professor was old school.
He is from china and went through the old style academy's. So he was very supportive of me and helped me find models to work from.
And likewise when people found out i was paying my way through school working as a taxidermist many thought i was a complete loon! half expecting to find a body in my studio locker.


Id love to see more of your work.
do you have a website?

[BVanKirk]

My main instructor was old and british, and also went through old school training and he seemed happy to work with my the same way.

I don't have one yet but I'll post a few more pieces soon!

[BVanKirk]

Okay here are a few more

[Jknuth]

Wow!

I'm very impressed
Beautiful work!!

are you planning on getting a masters degree as well in the future?

[CMNBONES]

Nice Work!

[BVanKirk]

I'm still a little burnt out on school. For now I'm having fun painting and learning the taxidermy thing but who knows

[Jknuth]

I'm still a little burnt out on school. For now I'm having fun painting and learning the taxidermy thing but who knows

HAHA I hear ya. Ive been out for a while and am not ready to go back yet.

If you do make sure you look at New York Academy of Art
http://www.nyaa.edu/
Their painting instructor Wade Schuman is right up your ally.
He does Taxidermy as well and often paints his subject while in progress.
He is a fantastic artist and teacher and a heck of a good singer and blues musician (he has a band called Hazmat Modine)
Anyway Ive taken a few classes taught by him in NY and my friend study's under him.

The New York Academy is an old school Academy and really gets you fired up. The level of art produced there is top notch.
some of the best artists in the country teach there, its amazing to be in there around them.
(Eric Fischl, Steven Assael, Wade Shuman, Edward Schmidt, Vincent Desiderio....) Regular visits by Odd Nerdrum and other Forum gallery artists.
very cool to be there

[Nina]

I went to Kent State University and had to work my tail off in the painting department to get to the point where my instructors and peers were accepting of representational animal work.  I had to do a lot of convincing that I wasnt a serial killer redneck and worked harder than anyone else in my department the semester I graduated.

Which Kent State campus did you attend? There's one in East Liverpool OH that's not more than 20 minutes away from me since I live so close to the state line. I'm trying to look into colleges with good art programs.

[BVanKirk]

I went to the main campus. A lot of odd professors but some really good ones