Frances Byrd is the National Director of Liberatchik.com and a contributing writer at the Big Dawg Music Radio Blog, BlogBytes. Her art can be viewed at MachinePolitick.com
Details for individual works can be viewed in the Art by Category section of this site.
Your purchase of fine art at MachinePolitick will also:
*Help restore America’s culture. This is a goal I am working on with co-founder and friend, Christopher Cook, at Liberatchik. We are networking and showcasing all Conservative artists who are interested in participating. The ultimate goal of this project is to promote Liberty and limited government, while simultaneously repairing the culture of America. I have written a Manifesto and Handbook for the use of propaganda which can be viewed here. For more information, contact me at frances@machinepolitick.com
Order cards to distribute around town or mail to conservative organizations that may be willing to partner with us! Word of mouth can be a powerful tool. http://www.metrobabycards.com/contact.html
*Finally, you can be part of this campaign. Help spread the concepts of limited government and individual Liberty . Become part of the propaganda campaign by purchasing art and merchandise that will spark the interest of others. Help spread the word and influence opinion through a truly creative grassroots campaign: disseminate pamphlets, t-shirts, and greeting cards to make Liberty a badge of honor. Stickers and posters coming soon!
If you would like to donate money to fund my efforts, you can do so using Paypal:
Contact: frances@machinepolitick.com
Artist Statement:
E-Mail: frances@machinepolitick.com
If you would like to donate money to fund my efforts, you can do so using Paypal:
Art Career
Political Art from an Objectivist and Libertarian Perspective
Research: 2001 – Present
Political Art: 2004 – Present
Political Blog – 2007 – Present
Machinepolitick.com: Art For Liberty, Political Art and Commentary
Web Design and Layout, Political Art, Blog
Summer 2006 – Present
National Director - Liberatchik.com May, 2011 – Present
Senior Editor – Liberatchik January 2010 – May 2011
Director of Special Projects – Modern Conservative December 2008 – January 2010
Liberatchik Public Launch Date May 26, 2009; Home of the Declartionist Art Movement, a joint effort between ModernConservative.com and MachinePolitick.com
Movement co-founder, co-author of Propaganda Papers, Declartionist Manifesto and Artist’s Handbook, design of web graphics, blog manager and author, Fine Art Coordinator, Manager of content on Facebook Group for Liberatchik, artist outreach and networking, managing weekly featured artist, writing instructional materials, designing and illustrating graphics for Liberatchik, defining and promoting the Declarationist Art Movemetn, updating and managing social network sites.
Contributing Writer at the Big Dawg Music Radio Blog, BlogBytes
Art Shows
**Note** This is not a complete list of shows as I seldom have time to make changes to this web page. I am a member of the Helen Arts and Heritage Council and have exhibited my work there since 2011. I also participate in several shows each year at the DooGallery on Holtzclaw Street in Atlanta. Please check back with the main blog section for posts on upcoming shows.
Art Shows
CPAC 2013 ***I am currently preparing materials to distribute at CPAC! This year, I will be attending the event with Lisa Mei Norton of Big Dawg Music Mafia and Big Dawg Music Radio. ***
Support conservative art and make a statement! http://liberat.deco-apparel.com/
If you would like JPEGS of Obama vs Liberty designs for print and distribution, contact me! frances@machinepolitick.com
* 3rd Annual Travis Layfield Golf Tournament May 2012 – NORTHERN CA AMERICAN GOLD STAR MOTHERS
Donation: The Hand of Liberty Gallery Print
* “Reflections” Juried Art Exhibit; January 19, 2012 – March 3, 2012; Mable House Arts Center – Mableton, GA
Received 3rd Place in the category Oil/Acrylics for The Hold Up Artist
* Our Lady Nippon Art Benefit for Japan May 13, 2011 at 8:00
Proceeds go directly to Artists Help Japanese Tsunami Victims
* Villains at the Highlander – April 28, 2011.
Portrait of Che Guevara, He Had Murder in His Heart.
* Auction to benefit The Atlanta Urban Debate League – April 29, 2011
Donation: My painting, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death was purchased by Rudy Guiliani at this event.
* CPAC 2011
For this project and trip, I worked with my friend Ashley Norfleet, who is a graphic designer to create a booklet for CPAC. I attended the conference with several people from Anystreet, Modern Conservative and Liberatchik. My contribution on behalf of Liberatchik was to represent myself and fifteen other artists who are promoting Liberty and America through our work.
* The Music In Me
October – December 2010 Buford, Georgia
* Buford Artists’ Group,” Visionary Reflections – Studies in Aesthetics”, in Oct. 2010 - Feb. 2011 at The George Pierce Park Community Center Gallery in Suwanee, GA
Participating artist: Claire’s Barn #2 and Claire’s Barn #3
* The Patriot Pony Project: Troop Support Rally and Art Show
January-June 2010 – planning and event organization
June 12, 2010 – First event and launch of the Patriot Pony Project
* The Joy of Six, Group Show to celebrate the 6th Anniversary of the Tannery Row Artists Colony
Juried by docents from The High Museum of Art
Buford Georgia
February 20 – April 10, 2010
* February 10 Collector’s Preview; 11th Annual Art Papers Auction
February 11, 2010; 11th Annual Art Papers Auction, Hosted by the Mason Murer Gallery, Atlanta
Participating artist. Full donation of The World According to Alice to Art Papers. Final Bid: $150.
* What I’ve Scene: Group show with the Buford Artists’ Group
Open to the public at George Pierce Park in Suwanee, Georgia.
Meet the artists Reception: Thursday, December 3, 2009 from 7-9pm.
* On Stage Participant at Tea Party Patriots Rally, Atlanta Capitol
November 2, 2009
Donation of Political Drawing at the capitol. On stage appearance to announce donation for fundraising event to benefit Tea Party Patriots.
*Online Store for MachinePolitick Merchandise
Fine Art Prints, merchandise, stationary.
In Progress. Limited Designs available.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/machinepolitick
* Participant in Taxpayers March on DC 9/12, 2009
Political art and activism in the nation’s capitol. Handmade posters, signed and numbered, handed out to fellow participants at the event. Photographs and journal for the purpose of writing an illustrated book of the event. Sketches in progress for the book and a series of paintings based on the 9/12 March and troop support rally at Walter Reed on 9/11.
* Art Quake Group Exhibition
Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 6pm. Norcross
Sponsored by Regency Fine Art and Creative Fine Art
Featured art by MachinePolitick: Don’t Cry for Me Amerika, The World According to Alice, Silence of the Lambs, How to Exorcise Conservative Thought in an Artist
* Cover Illustration for The Light of Day
Novel by James Byrd
Available in print and on Kendall at Amazon.com, September 2009
* Street Strings Community Art Project
September 11 – 20, 2009 Historic Downtown Duluth
Sponsored by Huthmaker Violins and the Duluth Art Gallery
Featured art by MachinePolitick: hand painted Liberty violin
* Afternoon Enrichment Program at Garden of Discovery Montessori School Fine Art Lessons for Primary and Elementary Students
Art instruction (30 minute and 1 hour lessons) and classroom material design for Montessori students
September 1, 2009 – Present
Garden and Art Program Development at GDMS 2010 – present
Volunteer Coordinator 2011 – present
* What I’ve Scene: Group show with the Buford Artists’ Group
Open to the public at George Pierce Park in Suwanee, Georgia.
Meet the artists Reception: Thursday, December 3, 2009 from 7-9pm.
* Libertarian Party of Gwinnett & Hall Counties Guest Artist and Volunteer
Railroad Days Festival May 16, 2009 Lula, Georgia
Volunteering at Libertarian Party booth, art and portfolio on display, painting in progress: Liberty (working title)
* “Dancing Through the Ages” Backdrop for Annual International Festival
Garden of Discovery Montessori School (6′ high x 26′ long)
May 16, 2009
Grayson, Georgia
* Donation of Liberty Drawing to Fair Tax Fund Raising Raffle
Snellville Days Festival, Volunteer at booth
May 2 – 3, 2009
Briscoe Park
Snellville, Georgia
Proceeds to benefit FairTax.org
* April 15 Tea Party Rally
Participant and volunteer at the State Capitol in Atlanta
Participant in follow-up rally at Saxby Chambliss’ office in Smyrna regarding Health Care Reform
* Color, Light and Shadow: Group Show of the Buford Artists’ Group
Peoples Bank & Trust
255 Peachtree Ind. Blvd.; Sugar Hill, GA
February 26, 2009 – March 31, 2009
* Hand Painted Block Display at Elizabeth Willis Branch Library, Snellville Community Art Project
April 2009
Snellville, Georgia
* February 27,2009
Participant in first Atlanta Tea Party Rally at the State Capitol
* New Year, New Directions: Group Show of the Buford Artists’ Group
Presented by the Atlanta Artists’ Center
The Ida Williams (Buckhead) Library
269 Buckhead Avenue Atlanta, Georgia 30305
January 9, 2008 –February 5, 2009
* Art for Liberty: Selected Paintings on Display at the Bob Barr 2008 Headquarters
Smyrna, Georgia
October and November 2008
* Donation of framed sketches to Mary Hall Freedom House
Organized by Jamele Wright Sr.
Atlanta, Georgia
November 2008
* Safari: An Adventure in Searching and Finding (Juried Show, guest artist)
Original Handmade Jewelry and display case
Tannery Row Artist Colony
Buford, Georgia
October 18th through December 6th
* Director of Garden and Art Programs,Volunteer Coordinator, Parent Volunteer at The Garden of Discovery Montessori School; Grayson, Georgia
* Inhabit ACT: Political and Experimental Art
One night Private art event: October 3, 2008
@ The Triumph Lofts
Atlanta, Georgia
* Thursday Things: September 25, 2008
Demonstration: Using text and graphics in paintings
This one hour demonstration taught the use of text and graphics in traditional paint media on a wood panel. Techniques include stenciling, creating drips in under painting, rubbing paint into textured surface, and applying drawing materials between layers. This is a technique I use extensively in my political paintings to create mood and tension. This is a very diverse technique that can be used to either create a moody, emotional background, or a subtle under painting for a wide range of painting styles and subject matter.
* Buford Artists’ Group; Painting and Critique
Every Wednesday
Buford, Georgia
July 2008 – 2011
* Thursday Things Artist Lectures and Demonstrations (As attendee):
Judith Surowiec – Color Theory, Colored Pencil
Carly Clements-Hardy – Composition, Oil Stick Techniques
Judy Isaac – Handmade Bowls, Clay Pendants
Rosa Jang – Charcoal Drawing
Tannery Row Artist Colony
Buford, Georgia
April 2008 – June 2009
* Word Art Show and Poetry Readings (Guest Artist by invitation)
Justice is Served (painting)
Tannery Row Artist Colony
Buford, Georgia
June 21st through August 16th
* For Good Measure (Group Pin-up Show)
The Wrong War, In The Wrong Place, At The Wrong Time? (oil painting)
Eyedrum
Atlanta, Georgia
June 28th – August 9th, 2008
* Art That Makes You Think: The Aesthetics of Politics and Philosophy (Solo Show)
Cosponsored by Apache Café and MachinePolitick.com
Atlanta, Georgia
September 1st – October 3rd, 2008
Press
* Patriotic ponies to encourage gratitude
About the writer
Cody Francis is a Tribune-Review staff writer and can be reached at 724-830-6293 or via e-mail.
By Cody Francis
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Some animals on a Westmoreland County farm will trade in their summer coats for a coat of paint.
Whispering Winds Farm in East Huntingdon is hosting a “Patriot Pony Workshop” from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Artist Frances Byrd of Georgia will use the farm’s horses as a canvas to create a “living manifestation” of one of her original pieces of patriotic artwork “that spreads a message of liberty and freedom,” said Claire LeJeune Kemp, owner of Whispering Winds. Byrd will use nontoxic materials.
Although everyone is invited, Kemp said the event will focus on military veterans and their families.
Attendees will be invited to paint on the horses after Byrd’s exhibit.
Kemp, whose husband, brother and two brothers-in-law have served in the military, said she feels events such as the Patriot Pony Workshop are a small way of giving back.
“I feel like we all owe (the military) a debt of gratitude,” she said. “These children have their mom deployed, their dad deployed or sometimes even both at the same time. They go through a lot.”
For the past five years, Kemp has used her horses as part of a therapy program for autistic children, mentally handicapped adults and others in need.
The equines have even been used for a group of salespeople who wanted to work on their personal skills.
Kemp calls the horses “teachers” and said working with them, whether it be painting them or riding them, is good for anyone who has been through difficult times.
“When children (gain trust of the horses), they feel so good that that big giant thing shows them attention,” Kemp said. “They really feel like the horses love them. It’s incredible.”
Whispering Winds has partnered with Horses4Heroes, a nonprofit horseback riding program for the families of “community heroes.”
Sydney Knott, founder of Las Vegas-based Horses4Heroes, said her organization not only serves military families, but also families of firefighters, police officers, coal miners or anyone who has a “tough job.”
“It’s for people who every day go to work knowing there’s a chance they may not come home,” Knott said.
Knott said Kemp’s program is just the type her company looks to sponsor.
“What she does is use her horses in special ways,” Knott said of Kemp’s work. “It’s called an unmounted act. A lot of people love horses but are scared to get on them. This is a good way to introduce people to horses.”
A membership to Horses4Heroes requires a one-time $25 fee for a family.
“There’s a lot of really neat things out there in our country that deal with horses,” Knott said. “Most people love horses but just assume they are too expensive. If a military family has four kids, for everyone in the family to be able to ride horses is big for them. Even a trip to McDonalds can be expensive with four kids. As we grow, we want to offer our members a lot of options of horseback riding opportunities that are safe and affordable.”
* An equine partnership at Whispering Winds Farm
Claire LeJeune Kemp likes many things about the Rocky Mountain horses that she raises at Whispering Winds Farm in East Huntingdon.
“They are people-pleasers, very affectionate, gentle and they love attention,” she said.
Those are valuable traits for horses that are partnered with people in a program in which the horses are the instructors in teaching respect, trust and cooperation. “They are fabulous teachers,” Mrs. Kemp said.
Something that the horses taught her, she added, is how important it is to do what she’s doing.
Mrs. Kemp, a certified equine specialist, founded the nonprofit Angels in Horsehairs and its workshops, Fulfilling Connections, for at-risk children and youth and for individuals with cognitive, behavioral and physical challenges.
She also is partnered with Horses4Heroes, a group based in Las Vegas that runs programs for families of those in the military, law enforcement, firefighting, emergency response and other dangerous jobs.
Mrs. Kemp recently held an open house to introduce a related program, The Patriot Pony Project.
Political artist Frances Byrd of Georgia, founder of Art For Liberty, kicked off the new project by painting red, white and blue stars and stripes on Mrs. Kemp’s horse, Honey.
“It was a community event that supported our military and their families,” Mrs. Kemp said, “and Frances wants to promote liberty and freedom and to thank our veterans and military.”
The two women met in Washington, D.C., in the fall and realized they had common goals.
“The main issue for me is art,” Mrs. Byrd said during her visit to Whispering Winds. “I started out doing political art and found out that people needed something uplifting and inspirational to keep their spirits up. I want to encourage people to be grateful.”
So she focused on American symbols such as stars and stripes and the Statue of Liberty, which she will paint on Mrs. Kemp’s barn in the fall. It will be the first in her plans to paint the Statue of Liberty on barns across the United States.
The Patriot Pony Project was Mrs. Byrd’s first performance art. After she decorated Honey with nontoxic paint, guests were invited to put their own designs on two other horses.
Since then, Mrs. Kemp has presented the workshop, including lessons in American history, to 4-H Clubs in Westmoreland and Fayette counties.
Mrs. Kemp has six Rocky Mountain horses, a breed that at one time was endangered.
They are believed to have originated in the late 1800s in Kentucky, and one story claims that the strong, gentle horses got their name from their stamina in the rocky terrain of the Appalachian Mountains.
Another links the Kentucky lineage to descendants of Spanish mustangs that roamed the Rocky Mountains.
The breed is recognized for its smooth four-beat gait and for being versatile for riding or pulling plows and wagons. They have been compared with golden retrievers for their affection for humans, and that bond makes them well-suited for Mrs. Kemp’s work.
The equine workshops are not riding programs. Rather, participants form a partnership with a horse to solve problems in a safe, trusting environment with a goal of self-discovery.
“Once people get to know a horse and build a relationship with it, they can transfer that over to life in many aspects, usually developmental assets, and character and social skills,” Mrs. Kemp said.
“The Patriot Pony Project combines history lessons, but it’s not intended to replace traditional schools. It’s an alternative to reengage students’ interest.”
Fulfilling Connections is starting a program with Comprehensive Holistic Assessment Rehabilitation Therapy and Education in Squirrel Hill, which serves developmentally delayed individuals. CEO Howard Dobrushin, a licensed professional counselor, brought several clients to the first Patriot Pony Project.
“It will be part of our wellness program where they can work on trust, self-confidence and image,” he said.
Mrs. Kemp has always loved horses. As a child, she asked for one every Christmas — an impractical wish for a child who lived in a “tiny” home in Brentwood, she said. So she rode at stables when she was older, and eight years ago, when she was 50, she finally got her own horses.
“I had no idea of the power of a horse and the relationship you can have with them,” she said. “Every day, they teach me something new, whether it’s about myself or something else. They are excellent messengers.”
They are also, she added, a connection in a culture that she believes has “lost touch with a sense of relationship and communication.”
* This Time Bomb is Poli-ticking
Interview with Gary Dale Cearley, American ex-patriot author living in Thailand
September 1, 2008
* Liberatchik: Declartionist Art for Conservatives and Libertarians
Article by Brandon Martin at Daily Uprising
June 5, 2009
* My Favorite Drawing – Liberty
Blog post by Gary Dale Cearley
http://thepolitickingtimebomb.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/my-favorite-drawing-liberty/
July 2009
* Frances Byrd. Political Artist, Blogger, and Jeweler. Atlanta, Georgia.
678-923-4999 cell www.machinepolitick.com
Artist Photos
Betsy, the current Propaganda Machine
The Patriot Pony Project 6.12.10 Whispering Winds Horse Farm
Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania
Artist Bio
I was born and raised in a small Florida town, called St. Augustine. I stayed home with my son until he asked to go to school at 3 1/2. In 2001 I started research and brainstorming for my political art. In 2004 I started creating a body of work and in 2007 I started blogging. Within a year I was invited by ModernConservative.com to help spearhead a Conservative Art Movement. My formal art training consists of a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design, completed in 1997. I have drawn as long as I can remember and cannot imagine doing anything else but creating art. I have participated in a variety of individual and group shows, in St. Augustine, Savannah, and Atlanta.
I am currently working on political art and expect to do so indefinitely. I recently started working on historic and patriotic themes as well. It is my goal to spread awareness of the current political environment and build support for the concepts of Liberty and individualism. I spend a considerable amount of time doing research for my work before I begin the sketches for a painting. There is, and will always be, work in progress that is not displayed on the site. If you are interested in a particular topic, contact me, because I may be working on it behind the scenes.I also gladly accept commissions.
Politically speaking, (if you must label me)I am a Libertarian, which means I want the Government to do its job as laid out in the Constitution, and leave me alone to live my life. Whether you agree with me or not is irrelevant. The point of my work is to make you examine your opinions, and why you have them. I am less interested in converting people to my view than I am in making people consider why they hold their views and support their Representatives. My work is also an outlet for my displeasure with the political system in this country, especially the way the two major parties work together to keep themselves in power. The paintings are typically a representation of what I perceive as a problem. The description usually serves as the answer to the problem. Now that I have expanded my work to include patriotic and Liberty based themes, I am creating more positive representations and solutions.
Frances Byrd
Born February 5, 1975; St. Augustine, Florida
Married October 13, 2002
Son Born May 31, 2004
Education
Graduate of The Savannah College of Art and Design
Bachelor of Illustration, 1997
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