CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. - May 28, 2020 - (Newswire.com)
In mid-April, Bay Area Artist Ed Attanasio began looking around for something he could do to bring joy to people during the COVID-19 pandemic. He lost his job as a writer the day before, so suddenly he had a ton of free time on his hands.
One day, a few of his friends asked the illustrator to draw their pets, and when they saw what he had created, they either smiled, laughed, or cried tears of joy.
So, he reached out to all of his friends, fellow artists, and a few celebrities on Facebook and Instagram and started the Pandemic Pet Project (PPP), where he offers to draw peoples' pets for free.
In return, Attanasio asks them to pay it forward by donating whatever they can to Muttville in San Francisco or the local pet rescue organization of their choice.
What started as a favor to friends, Attanasio’s idea quickly gained momentum. "I thought maybe half a dozen people would respond, but on the first day, I had 30 requests and more than 50 by day two, and it's still growing. I’m drawing like crazy!" (Total to-date: 250 illustrations requested and nearly 140 completed within the first 30 days of the project.)
If you want to be a part of the Pandemic Pet Project, go to Facebook at www.facebook.com/pandemicpetproject/?modal=admin_todo_tour and submit photos of your pets (limit two per person) with your mailing address (via Messenger).
About the Artist
Ed Attanasio, 61, started sketching as a form of rehab after he had a mini-stroke in 2009. Little did he know that, eventually, his illustrations on little sticky notes would lead to a career as an artist, astounding critics, gallery owners, his friends, and even himself.
His speech therapist recommended that he should get involved in some type of activity where he'd be using his brain daily. So, he started drawing a series of illustrations on post-it-notes, for hours and hours during a 14-month rehab.
Then, in October of 2011, Attanasio's ex-wife handed him a notebook, and all of the drawings were there—close to 400. Over the next 14 months, he created a wacky collection of baseball and football players, gangsters, dinosaurs, dogs, birds, monsters, and aliens.
Today, Attanasio continues to draw on post-it notes, selling originals and prints and using his art for his pet causes, mostly animal-related. In 2013, his baseball players ("Bushers") became a graphic novel, and shortly after that, his art career began to flourish.
Known as "outsider art" or "folk art," Attanasio's creations have sold online and through galleries in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Germany, and Russia, just to name a few.
For more information about the artist, visit www.my3x3world.com.
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Original Source: California Artist Draws Happiness for Pet Owners During Coronavirus
