Card Art Explosion

 Since the beginning of the Covid era, the bigger scheme of baseball cards has changed. In March 2020, Topps released the Project 2020 set, which was 20 "iconic" Topps cards done differently by 20 different artists. I have mixed feelings about it as an artist and art critic, but that is neither here nor there. The inspiration that it gave was definitely more important during the "Stay at Home" orders due to the pandemic. 

 See, for me, the pandemic caused no difference in my life. I always stay home making art anyways. My beautiful woman cooks me dinner most nights and we are a pretty self entertaining/fed group that doesn't need to be out and about. That said, It has been a while now since Ive gotten to do normal artist things like exhibiting and being out there on occasion doing art stuff. Sitting down at a restaurant and going to a movie does sound nice about now... Now for the other people that DO like to be out and about, this time at home forced some of those people to get creative, and that is nothing to complain about! I truly believe a good focused hobby can take you far! 

Being on Instagram following baseball art, baseball type stuff and being a professional baseball artist that is already inspired by baseball and baseball cards, I upped my production, along with everyone else. The new, hot ticket that blossomed in card collecting and the hobby was hand made card art. Drawn cards, cards cut from sports cards and reassembled, sparkly cards, transparent cards and everything in between! Since first quarter 2020 until today, the market has grown in regards to card art, from the participants to the materials and styles by the individual artists. I have made trades with card art I have made for card art from artist I find special. Currently in my card art collection is work from creators/card collectors I have become familiar with @donnybcollectibles @thirddanart @heavyjstudios @idrawbaseballcards @boldbrett along with other artists I have become connected with to have acquired paintings, prints and other works of art from via purchase or trade. Many pieces of card art I have created in this time have found homes and the art is growing

I started collecting in 1988 and stopped in 1992 once I turned 18. In 2016, I started collecting Will Clark cards again and have not looked back! The sports card community is pretty tight knit and is way easier to get to know people and what they collect on social media, then when I was a kid. There was not a ton of card shops back then, though more than now, and the only way of knowing when a show was, was by looking at the back of Beckett. It has been very cool to connect with others on the various social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook and its also great being back in the hobby!