"The Salvation of Ryan Chad Karpinsky, Provided for by The Loving Messiah Jesus, Who Frees us from Sin and Who May Have Freed van Gogh's Neighbors from the Ignorance of the Priceless Value of Art"

 Semi Abstract Begginings

This painting has energy, and history already.  It was conceived and finished in 1996, one of only three paintings that remain in my collection from that time frame (1995-2000).  Its medium is Conte-Crayon on raw canvas.  The title is "The Salvation of Ryan Chad Karpinsky, Provided for by The Loving Messiah Jesus, Who Frees us from Sin and Who May Have Freed van Gogh's Neighbors from the Ignorance of the Priceless Value of Art". 

Yes, it is that long.  Comes from reading too many Dali titles in my early 20s, and lots of acid.  I finished this right before I joined the US Army.  I thought the sale of it was going to get me out of debt, pay my overdue rent and electric bill.  It didn’t and off the painting went into storage for 3 years while I was in the army.  

Met some artists in Fayetteville, NC and did a show with them, pulled this piece out of storage from Augusta, GA, drove it to NC and knocked out everyone at the show with it.  Still didn’t sell.  I ended up gifting the piece, which is quite large to a woman named Malinda.  She hung it for about 4 years and then one day out of the blue she found my number and called me. 

She tells me she must give this painting back, and that it just “has too much energy”.  I am like “wow, sure, I am in Kentucky, bring it”.  So, she drives this piece from NC to KY and I don’t see her again for about 10 years.  I eventually gave this piece to my mom, and she had it framed like a boss then it hangs in her sunroom for 10 years. 

I have my first solo show in Gastonia, NC and brought the piece from her house to the gallery for the show.  It would have sold but the price has always been out of most peoples’ budget.  The title…well…again, Dali.  I realized God was real back in 1996, while I was painting this.  Understood who Jesus was and why He existed and was crucified.  He freed me from the hopeless condition my soul was in. 

That’s the first part of the title.  He really was and is the messiah, investigate for yourself, forget about religion for a second.  The second part was me thinking about how if Van Goghs neighbors would have known his art would have been worth hundreds of millions of dollars one day, they would have gladly traded him some sandwiches for art, and he’d obliged.  Had they done that their grandchildren’s children and beyond would have never worried about money again.