How my artwork might make this Christmas your most astonishingly great ever

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This is what you look like inside. You may not realise it but living in you is either an amazing little toy robot or a magical music box.

It's been there since you were a child but you probably forgot about it.

Today might change your world because what I'm about to tell you will give you a chance to make it move again (and funnily enough it's three tennis balls that helped me remember mine). My hope is that what I tell you will make this Christmas your most astonishingly great ever.

Here's how.

Three months ago In a small parking lot an old man selling paraphernalia approached me offering his goods. I instinctively waved him away only to be persuaded by my wife’s urgings to purchase three tennis balls - one for each of our little children.  As I drove away a strange feeling stirred in me.

You see, somewhere between my compassionate boyhood and my thirties I entered an autopilot mode whenever someone asked me for money which was “no”.

But on this occasion as I shared the tennis balls with my excited children something happened.

It's like a little childhood toy robot started moving again inside me.

These inspired many of my artworks and in particular three which you might think of as my simple instructions to make your little robot or music box to come alive again (because here's a secret: art isn't a picture but rather an arrow to pierce hearts).

I’m hoping this Christmas will be Australia’s and your most astonishing by giving a little only to find you’re the one that got. You see, that little toy robot or music box you vaguely remember inside you is powered by a tiny amount of kindness.

For that reason I’m offering a personally signed A3 print of this artwork for free to the first twenty people who contact me in the hope it will help you to turn your robot or music box on.

(You can also give one as a special gift for Christmas if you'd like to sprinkle the magic here)

I’d love to hear what happens… 

Purchase your very own original print of how to find your own inner robot or music box.

If you'd like to receive my latest work I'd love to send it to you just subscribe here.

If you'd like to see my latest work or if you'd like to see my sketchbook or my adventures & projects.

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Can a man with toothpaste make you care about my art?

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A message to everyone is a message to no one. Let me illustrate with two proclamations:

“I love you, everyone” or “I love you, Jennifer”.

Which is more likely to pierce your heart? (if your name is Jennifer of course...)

That's why for the next few weeks I’m trying to answer question #3 of my  by gifting particular pieces of mine to help individuals care about my art by sharing a tale they might identify with.

(Here is my tally so far)

I have some influential people in mind (to help questions #1 and #2) but if you know someone you think might take heart from one of my imaginary tales of unnoticed people let me know and I might just send them a gift to help them care.

The first recipient was one of Australia’s most visible celebrity journalists with a new piece I imagined about a mysterious stranger who pays visits to the boastful and makes the world gentler.

If you'd like your own humbler just go here

For the next few weeks I’m trying to get more people to care by sharing tales. I’ll let you know how I go…

If you'd like to follow my adventures I'd love to keep you in the loop by subscribing to my newsletter here.

The whole journey:  The Adventures Of Oscar Finch

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How to make £1 million for my artwork

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Can I make £1 million from my artwork?

As long as I can recall I’ve been a dreamer. As a boy I savoured blank paper because it crawled with possibility.

But taking it off the paper and into the real world took a few more years.

The first time my fanciful dreaming tried to walk the bridge from my mind to the real world was as a twenty year old when I placed an advertisement in the local newspaper to sell my old car. Instead of asking the $1,000 it was worth I placed a $7,334 price tag (a specific price I’d heard was more believable) with an explanation it would help rich people appreciate their luxury car.  

This brings me to what I created yesterday and the ultimate expression of my twenty year old self's idea: a magical proposition to make £1 million from my artwork.

You see,  an artist isn't just making art but is trying to find a way into a human heart by floating over the moat of your natural defenses.

This week, I took that boyhood dream, a heartfelt imaginary tale and (as part of Quest Of The Four Questions) a way to help the CEO of Aston Martin care.

I’ve put a lot of fishing nets out into the ocean of possibility (A request for Coke, Writing to a billionaire and now Aston Martin) now I try to reel something in. And that’s to where I turn next.

Oh, and if you'd like to have your very own print of the magical rusty old car I'd love to send it to you.

If you'd like to follow my adventures I'd love to keep you in the loop by subscribing to my newsletter here.

The whole journey:  The Adventures Of Oscar Finch

 

Theme letter from Oscar, quest of the four questions, £1 million

My letter to a billionaire (and gift money can't buy)

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I often wonder whether the things I imagine in my artworks could come true.

That’s why I penned a handwritten note to a billionaire this week. I’ll deliver it next week with a personal touch along with a gift that money can’t buy.

Why a billionaire? Because billionaires they are people too and have means to make big things happen.

If you are a billionaire or know one who might like to hear from me, it would be nice to hear from you.

Here is the letter and artwork.

Dear billionaire,

My name is Oscar Finch and you probably  don't know me.

(Although if you've ever walked around the city you may have passed me hidden in plain sight capturing unnoticed people and imagining their tales - because I'm an artist).

Why am I writing?

Attached to this note is a gift from me to you. And I want nothing in return. Nothing.

(I imagine as a wealthy person you're forever asked for things).  

I'm guessing that when you can afford to buy anything it means you know (unlike most of us) that things don't make us happy.

That's why I've given you this gift because it's something money alone can't buy. It's difficult putting into words so I tried putting into imaginary tales of real ordinary people I've seen.

My work imagines people doing small things to make their world a little more magical.

I'd love to know if my imaginary tales could be true if someone with means tried to bring them to life.

I'd love to hear how it goes if you try.

Gratefully, Oscar

(If you'd like a copy of this print for yourself I'd love to share it with you, just go here).

If you’ve been following along I’m on a quest for more humans to see my work (a million), more to care and more to give me money ($1 million) in return for it (before New Year’s Eve 2016).

All this of course requires outlandish audacity and imagination but that’s what it takes to change the world (a little).

Next I turn my attention to something even more outlandishly audacious...

If you'd like to follow my adventures I'd love to keep you in the loop by subscribing to my newsletter here.

The whole journey: 'World's 1st Ever Honesty Box Gallery Exhibition' Adventure

 

 

 

 

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Dear Coca-Cola from Oscar Finch

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Recently I shared the impossible goal for one million humans to see my artwork (as part of my Quest Of The Four Questions).

So this week I sent this handwritten letter to Coca-Cola with a request, because gigantic goals need audacious help

(Oh, and gigantic goals also need to money - international registered mail isn’t cheap after all - so if you’d like to support probably the biggest goal of any artist alive today, purchasing one of my playful original prints would help marvellously…)

(If you’d like your very own Coca-Cola print, I’d love to send it to you).

Sending a heartfelt letter for help is one thing, ensuring its read is another. That's a challenge I'm working on now and to which I turn next...

If you'd like to follow my adventures I'd love to keep you in the loop by subscribing to my newsletter here.

Previous post: How to get a million people to see my work (...Buddy Holly and your parents)
The whole journey: 'World's 1st Ever Honesty Box Gallery Exhibition' Adventure

Theme letter from Oscar

How to get a million people to see my work (...Buddy Holly and your parents)

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This week two things dawned on me as I wrestle with my Quest Of The Four Questions (how to get more humans to see my artwork, to care, to give money and before I’m dead).

First, humanity’s greatest quests always set unfathomable imagination-capturing goals. In 1961 Kennedy declared he wanted to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, in 1960 Nike’s goal was to ‘crush Adidas’ and in 1495 Christopher Columbus proposed to reach the East by sailing West.

Second, life is shorter when you realise Buddy Holly died a year into his fame at 22 and if you see your parents once a year that may only be a further ten times.

So today I’m sharing unfathomable goals for my Quest Of The Four Question. I’ll keep a tally in my sketchbook to share with you…

(If you gasped, then, good!)

Of course to help thousands of people care starts with one, so I wanted to share this encouraging note from someone that hinted I’m on a right track. It’s why I spend the dark early mornings alone with my ink, thoughts and imagination. They purchased an award-winning piece of mine about travellers on a bus called ‘Tales from the 470’.

“Yes, I really am happy to support your imagination and hope lots of others do too. I love the idea that someone is out there in my own neighbourhood noticing things in a way that gives us all pause to look at things better and deeper. Keep on looking.”

I also know that people care most when they are familiar with my subject matter so here are two more pieces inspired by people I spotted at my first World's 1st Ever Honesty Box Gallery Exhibition (the body-swapping machine and the wizard)...

With a grand goal I now need to make some big bets and that’s to where I turn next…

If you'd like to follow my adventures I'd love to keep you in the loop by subscribing to my newsletter here.

Previous post: Why we're all like this artwork of mine (and my challenge to you…)
The whole journey: 'World's 1st Ever Honesty Box Gallery Exhibition' Adventure

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Why we're all like this artwork of mine (and my challenge to you…)

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For the past month I've been on an epic adventure to answer the four questions that torture all artists. So I'd like a quiet fireside chat with you to reflect for a moment.  

(I call it ‘Quest Of The Four Questions’ which are how to get more humans to see my artwork, to care, to give money and before I’m dead).

Let me explain the predicament of the first question by sharing the tale of a man named Galbraith.  

You see, Galbraith's predicament is that of all artists on earth. But it's also yours if you long to write a book or sing a song or merge your conglomerate to make the world's largest. You're a Galbraith if you want to create something for other people.

But if getting more humans to see my work was the only question to answer I would purchase a Times Square billboard (incidentally, if you can help me with this I'll happily accept...). Inspiring people to care is another matter.

That's why I hide in plain sight around the city and capture unnoticed people then imagine their tales. Tales have a way of floating over the defenses of humans and piercing their hearts.

Here is an artwork I completed recently that inspired care (there were supportive people and ridiculing, but people definitely cared)...

The City Of Sydney and City Of Brisbane both shared it with their parking inspectors which was a victory for the second question.

I'd now like to give you (yes, you reading this now) a small challenge for the next one week. I hope it will help you care...

I'd love to hear how you go (just contact me here).

Next up I've got an unusual way to answer the Quest Of The Four Questions.

If you'd like to follow my adventures I'd love to keep you in the loop by subscribing to my newsletter here.

Previous post: The theft of my Honesty Box art (and does a sign make all the difference?)
The whole journey: 'World's 1st Ever Honesty Box Gallery Exhibition' Adventure

 

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Frequently Asked Questions
What Others Are Asking...

These are the most common questions asked of Oscar.

Products

Why are your products so special?

Many products (including wall art and t-shirts) are made by combining stock art (you know, images you can buy on used on bad advertisements) to make pretty patterns that don't mean a lot.

Oscar’s works are original and interesting - all designed and crafted using his own hands onto real paper with his imagination, real pencils and ink. That’s what makes each piece like nothing else in the world.

What are the prints made of? Why are they such quality?

Each piece is printed onto the finest museum grade paper. Oscar chooses the Hahnemuhle brand because it feels and looks superb (if you’re interested it’s acid free and calcium carbonate buffered) plus it can last longer than 100 years!

The inking process is called giclée printing and is a high-quality way of getting ink onto the best paper.

id="size" Which size is right for me? A few helpful things to consider:

A4 is small and good for a small desk, kitchen or small wall like a corner.

A3 is medium and good for a larger desk, larger kitchen or moderate sized wall.

A2 a larger and really nice on a wall, behind a bed or desk, adorning a hallway or thoroughfare.

A1 a very large and a wonderful way to make an impact in a room, office, reception, thoroughfare or atrium. Pow.

Dimensions

A4 210 x 297 mm | 8.3 x 11.7 in
A3 297 x 420 mm | 11.7 x 16.5 in
A2 420 x 594 mm | 16.5 x 23.4 in
A1 594 x 841 mm | 23.4 x 33.1 in

Buying

Do you offer free worldwide shipping?

Oscar offers free shipping to anywhere in the world. The farthest flung so far is the Netherlands, United States and England but he’d love to go even further! (perhaps you’re from Nepal or Antarctica maybe?)

How can Oscar offer free shipping?

Well, Oscar loves free shipping and it’s worth what it costs him for radically happy customers!

Can I return and get a refund if I’m not 100% happy?

Yes! Of course. Oscar wants you to be radically happy and satisfied (that’s good business isn’t it? But also good humanness...). We’re convinced you will be! But if for whatever reason you’re not super happy please contact us and we’ll arrange a full refund as soon as humanly possible.

Oscar

Oscar is Award-Winning?

Yes. He’s entered and won art prizes including for a piece about a magical bus and its passengers and a 22 page piece Moleskin about a boy who woke up with a strange knowing one day. He was also featured in prominent publications for his work and journey to one of the world’s largest portrait prizes, The Archibald Prize.

But now he prefers to imagine and make to change the world.

What is Oscar’s life Mission?

Oscar mission is to change the world with a pencil, pens and beautiful paper so that his imaginative tales and creations can be found in rooms, offices, buses and wall facades in town and cities large and small - so people awe at the ordinary.

A billion people on earth would be nice :) A beloved collection of children’s books too (that Roald Dahl would be proud of). Oh, and a film trilogy...

But I’d love to start (if you don’t mind) with you today!

● Have another questions? Contact Oscar here and he'd love to answer it!

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