dancin’ in the park

Description

Dancin' in the Park has got a good number of black bears (they look similar to the grateful dead dancing bears, but they're different enough) grooving around at the drum circle in Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville. The iconic S&W building lies in the background with the birch trees. Pritchard Park is where I was first drawn to upon moving to Asheville. The drum circle acts as the heartbeat of Asheville in the warmer months, drawing locals and tourists alike! Drummers carry a rhythm that resounds through downtown. You've got your flow artists, your drummers, your visual artists, your dancers, and all the rest. When I wanted to find a way to capture this, it made sense to represent all these arts as black bears dancing around the park. Pritchard Park is the first place I'd ever brought my prints to sell before I even knew there was a word for "busking." I'd brought the prints leftover from the round printed for my "coma fundraiser," and sold them to whoever would look, just hoping somebody would be interested. Getting bored of selling a piece I'd made 4 years prior, I wanted to show viewers I am most talented in the present, so the idea to work live as the "dollar-a-minute doodle dude" came to me, leading to a whole art career in the city. Renowned Asheville Artist, Phil DeAngelo inspired this piece. Big thanks, Phil! Watercolor pencil and acrylic marker on 36" x 48" wood panel.