Epic Fail

Available sizes: 8.5" x 11" open edition print (only at shows) 11" x 14" open edition print 16" x 22" signed and numbered, limited edition print (out of 250) Want to purchase this artwork? Buy it directly from the artist at the following shows: Chattacon MidSouthCon JordanCon The Tennessee Renaissance Festival LibertyCon GenCon Dragon*Con Ohio Renaissance Festival ----------------------------------- About the Piece: This is the eighth piece in my Gesture series, a series of works that use imagery of my own hands. I start with a basic concept, one that by definition is concise and easily understood. However, these concepts often are viewed differently by each of us, as our experiences and point of view greatly affect our interpretation and personal meaning of these ideas. From this simple concept, I use the images of hands to build upon the idea and make it my own. Epic Fail is designed to work as a bookend piece to Critical, where the two pieces are mirrored in such a way to compliment one another when hung. Critical is an homage to everyone who enjoys playing a certain game in their basements. My brother introduced me to the world of Dungeons & Dragons when I was about 10 years old. I have tried my hand at leading sessions with others, but for me, playing one of my brother's campaigns is the most exciting and fun. I am also a very big fan of M.C. Escher's work, and this is also a tribute to him, and his influence on my art.  Epic Fail came about because of a large number of customers that wanted to purchase Critical for their gaming friends. However, many of these people felt that since their friends always rolled so poorly during their gaming sessions, that buying them Critical would simply be a mockery. I asked them, "what I should do for such an instance?" and the overwelling answer was I needed a piece featuring a die with a 1. I replied, wouldn't that also be mocking to your friends? To which they replied, yes, but it will be funny. So I did. ----------------------------------- About the Artist: Paul and his brother Michael opened Aradani Studios in 2002, selling both their artwork and costuming as they travelled all across the US. Paul’s medium of choice is charcoal, a passion he discovered in college. He loves the fluidity of it, the ease of moving it across the page with a simple gesture, and on the flipside, the challenge of it, such a simple gesture can also erase hours of painstaking detail. Paul’s work has won numerous awards around the country, including the prestigious Chesley Award in 2006, for Best Monochrome Unpublished for his piece Nightmare. He currently resides in Nashville, TN, where he, his brother, and sister continue to expand and build their elf ear empire. You can see his artwork at http://paulbielaczyc.com/.