Hi, my name is Shawn Bonsky. I have been painting for quite some time now, about sixteen years really.

Four or five years ago I attended an exhibit at the Met museum in NYC that showcased portraiture by European artists from 1920s. What particularly struck me was that many of the subjects were just friends and associates of the artists. It was then that I realized how important it is for artists to capture the look and feel of current times so future generations may see more of how we lived.

I also feel that these United States have places that warrant being remembered and even glorified in art. Which leads to this project's goal: portraying contemporary people alongside places of artistic or historical significance in each of the fifty states.

My goal is to travel to each state for approximately four or five days. Each day will be dedicated to exploring the subjects and sketching the landmarks with some time allotted for travel and inclement weather.

The subjects of each painting-- landmark and individual-- will be chosen by those who pledge the highest denomination. Subjects of states which are not represented at the end of the funding period will be decided at random from amongst willing donators.

In order to complete this project I will need funding for travel, lodging, food, and any other incidentals. Once the traveling/research part is complete I will need funding for supplies such as canvas, wood, paints, and brushes. All told it seems that $10,000 will be the bare bones minimum needed to complete this project.

For those of you interested in what the postcards will look like, I have made a couple for examples: