Free original painting by Keith Jensen
I hope that by offering free art to people who do selfless, creative good deeds, I can use the paintings to affect more than one person - maybe even spark a chain reaction of good will.
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 08, 2013
Over the past 18 months, artist Keith Jensen has left nearly 50 original paintings on the streets for strangers to find and take home (as seen here: http://youtu.be/jEXSlONuvy8). While Twitter followers received hints as to where the paintings might be found, any random person could happen across the art pieces and discover a sign that read: "Free Art. If having this art will make your day better, then it's yours." Now, Jensen says he'll be exploring a new way of giving away his original paintings - by accepting good deeds as payment.
"The idea started because I thought it would be fun to improve a stranger's day by leaving a painting on the street," says Jensen. "Now I want to take it a step further. I hope that by offering free art to people who do selfless, creative good deeds, I can use the paintings to affect more than one person - maybe even spark a chain reaction of good will."
The new idea was released on Jensen's Facebook and Twitter accounts on November 5th. Two of the most notable good deeds that have already been reported are an Atlanta art teaching doubling her monthly contribution to the non-profit Golden Harvest Food Bank and celebrity Jason Mayhem Miller & friend donating $2,500 to a Brazilian charity to help homeless individuals.
"I work as a creative director, which meets my financial needs," stated Jensen. "I paint for fun – and I don’t want it to become a job. I don’t sell any paintings, prints, or profit in any way from this. I'm honored that so many people enjoy my paintings, so I figure that if I can leverage that to inspire even one good deed, that's payment enough. Really, this isn’t about me or about the paintings. It’s about people doing selfless acts for others."
Jensen will be using his Twitter account (@PaintPenArt) and Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/iwantfreeart) to display new art pieces and managing his "good deed auctions." According to Jensen, after a new painting has been posted, participants will have a certain amount of time to perform, document, and post their good deed or positive action. "The good deed can be for anyone in the world except for me. The best, most creative good deed will win and I'll give that person the painting at no charge. Even if the winner is in another state, I'll ship it to them on own dime," stated Jensen.
Studies show that doing good deeds increases happiness levels. In one study, participants were asked to write a "thank you" letter to someone and hand-deliver it. The people who wrote the letters reported increased happiness levels for up to one month afterward. "Over the past year and half, I tried to make one person happy each time I left a painting on the street,” says Jensen. "Now, I hope to spread that happiness exponentially by rewarding people who do good things for others. I'm hoping to inspire big, creative actions that have real impacts on people's lives. And I plan to share these stories to encourage others. Who knows, maybe it will catch on and spread throughout the country. It's worth a try, right?"
Keith Jensen is Manhattan-based and can be contacted via email at paintpenart(at)gmail(dot)com or at http://www.facebook.com/iwantfreeart.