Last Week to Pre-Order Shark Shirts

Infested Waters - Ink drawing by Bryan Collins

The new ink drawing which features five different kinds of sharks below a fisherman in a boat will be printed on shirts at the end of this week. From now through Friday (Feb 21, 2025), you can pre-order a tee or tank for just $25 (regular price $29) or UPF 50+ long sleeve sun shirts for just $40 (regular price $45). These prices include FREE shipping in the USA.

The art will be printed on the back of the tees and sun shirts, and on the front of tanks. Tees and sun shirts will also have the new Swallow-tailed Kite logo on the front left chest area. Tees and tanks are the same, ultra premium Bella+Canvas shirts that I always print on, and the sun shirts are stain resistant, premium shirts that are moisture wicking.

Don’t miss your chance to save some cash and get these brand new premium shirts before anyone else.

See the color choices and order yours HERE.

Brand New Logo

Swallow-Tailed Kite Logo by Bryan Collins Art

As I enter into my 20th year of being a full-time artist, I’m reflecting a lot. What have I done right, what have I done wrong, and what could be changed to make things more rewarding and efficient? Sometimes just cleaning my studio gives me the boost I need to move forward, sometimes releasing a new shirt design or finishing a new original fuels me up. Sometimes the energy is hard to come by. Let’s face it. If you do anything for 20+ years, there are times you will struggle with it, and need a fresh wind to keep you going.

This week I decided that fresh wind would come in the form of a new logo. In fact, why not make it something IN the wind—Like a Swallow-tailed Kite. One of my favorite birds, this creature playfully navigates the sky with skill and precision, making it a great mascot for what an artist hopes to be. These kites are seen above my home on occasion, and I always stop what I’m doing to watch them glide for a bit. I’ve also drawn them into a few pieces of art, but never truly featured one as a centric element, until now.

This new logo will be printed on the front left chest of Bryan Collins tees, long sleeve shirts, and hoodies from here forward. I’ll also make some hats and stickers are being printed for you now, that will be included with all online orders (once the stickers arrive) and might even get dropped in bags at in-person events. I hope you like the logo, I hope to see you at an upcoming event, and I pray that you’ll stay with me on this journey in art.

A New Place

It’s no secret that social media is unpredictable, volatile, divisive, distracting, and carries many other undesirable qualities.

That’s why I’m rekindling my affinity for blogging. I ran a blog on Blogger since the beginning of 2008, and have largely neglected it over recent years due to social media posting. In all honesty, I’m not that regular with social media either. I’d rather be making art or sharing it at in-person events than posting and scrolling. Conversations are so much better than comments.

At least with a blog, I can actually share concise thoughts and not be bombarded with ads, suggested content, trending videos, and other brain shredding material. Here, I will try to post at least weekly—more if the caffeine hits me just right—letting you in on what’s brewing in the studio, what shows are coming up, what our various pets are up to, and whatever else comes to mind. If it’s okay with you, I may also post personal happenings, like camping and fishing photos, pics of family trips and hikes, something impressive that I ate, and so on. I think it’s important to know who people are. Personally, I’m much more inclined to buy art or music from those who I think I understand, or people who have made a positive impact on my life. Maybe, in some tiny little way, I might make a positive impact on you. Maybe this blog will inspire you to create, to go on a walk, to appreciate your coffee rather than chugging it on the way to work.

That’s always been my goal with art. To slow down. To appreciate every little detail. To take time and realize that life is short and wonder is everywhere. How many of us overlook the beauty around us in our haste to “get likes”, or “get ahead”, or “get someone to agree with us”? Our real friends are drifting away. Our children are growing up. Our bodies are in decline. We are fading from this life into the next. The problems of today are temporary. Your soul is what needs to be attended to. Not your status. Not your profile. Not your trending capabilities. It’s your soul. Your eternal energy. It’s the life-force that carries a permanent record of how you interact with others and whether or not you place them before/above yourself.

There’s something to be said for slowing down. You may or may not believe in prayer, or that an infinite Creator hears them, but I believe it’s impossible to pray and NOT benefit from it. If you’ve never done it, or perhaps it has been a while, can I suggest you take a moment and do it now? Stop reading this, close your eyes or look up to the sky. Whisper or shout. It doesn’t matter. Call out to the Almighty and see what happens. Regardless of your belief, I promise you have nothing to lose. If you’re not a believer, you might think you also have nothing to gain, but what have you gained by scrolling social media for hours on end? If nothing else, prayer gives you a break. It gives you restoration. Best of all, if your prayers are heard, they just might get answered.

I hope you’ll check in from time to time, send me an email at bryancollinsart@gmail.com, and continue stopping by my booth at RAM and other events. There’s no possibility that I could do this without you, so thank you, thank you, thank you!