Brian Boj is starting off 2014 with a fresh and intensive art marathon – Phifty-Two Weeks – A Year of Art Inspired by Phish. An art teacher at “Noah’s Art”, Brian teaches art classes to children ages 2-10 yrs, having taught art for roughly 13 years overall, creating art on a daily basis as part of his job.

Brian’s goal/New Years resolution is to create 52 pieces of art, one per week, based upon his love for and inspiration from Phish. To help keep him accountable, he is utilizing a Website, Facebook and Twitter to record the experience of the art he creates and shares each week. 

As with nearly all art on PhanArt, there is a charitable component to Brian’s concept. “I have a wonderful family, business, and friends. Something that is important to me throughout this year long project is to give back.” To start, Brian has printed 30 block prints of his Mockingbird art (see below) and will have them for sale on his site. From the cost of these prints, 70% of the sale will go directly to The Mockingbird Foundation, while the other 30% will cover shipping/handling, art materials, fees, etc…, a purely charitable endeavor.  Brian notes, “When I can, I want to sell my art and have the profits go to charity.”

Here’s a look at his work so far in 2014:

Week One – “Hot Doggin'” – It’s all layered and cut pieces of wood – the hot dog is actually five layers thick and has a battery powered headlight on it (like the real one). The hotdog and crew are hanging by wires and can freely move, if pushed.

Week Two – “The Famous Mockingbird” This print was made from a hand carved piece of linoleum. A series of 30 prints were made on thick watercolor paper (30 to represent Phish’s 30 year history). The signed and numbered editions are available for purchase in the Online Store. The prints measure 6.5″x 8″. 

Week Three – “Lucy Had A Lumpy Head” – Page and Lucy. Acrylic paint on glass. The shadow behind Lucy and Page are real – since it is painted on the glass there is space between the image and the background.