Today was the new look Camden Market Free Art Man.

New colour co-ordinated signage, new LP style paintings for people to flick through as if looking for an album in a record store, and my new album Class on CD. The only copies of my album anyone took today were people I gave them to without them asking. For anyone to take one voluntarily I’ll have to attach them to an artwork. Camden’s more known for music than art, and a similar type of music to what I make. Guitar based alternative, punk, it’s taken me two years to get my albums to Camden, way too long. The table makes art that was otherwise on the ground a lot more popular:

A problem with the new signage is that it’s no longer clear enough that you’re supposed to do an interview for a painting, and that they’re not just free to take and then walk off. Quite a few people took a painting today without doing the interview, but as long as it’s just a Blond Card it doesn’t matter. I’ll get some new signage done for next weekend to stop this happening so much.

The LP style painting table today was a trial run, and did pretty well. Next weekend I’ll have at least three tables up with signage on the front of each box. Hopefully it will make the Blond Cards less popular and get some bigger and more powerful Advertism up on people’s walls. I like the idea of people all standing next to each other on the pavement flicking through paintings. Those queuing up for an ice cream on the other side of the road will think I’m giving away records and come over. It was Alan, the town crier’s idea to do the lettering on a yellow background.

The overall display still isn’t getting many people photographing it, far less than stop and photograph Zombie and Alan, but that’ll change when more tables are out and there’s more bright signage asking them all to do the interview. The legs of the tables need something painted on them, but not sure what yet. I’ll need to find somewhere in Camden to store these tables, as it’s all getting too much to carry on the bus as it is. Shelley let me store today’s table at Maddarings, her silver jewellery stall where I get my rings from. Some of my art promotes Maddarings. If she can take the other tables, it just needs to be figured out how to get them to me in the mornings. Another reason to get Aon over here from Thailand to help out.

Aon was going to come this summer, but then the peace talks failed, oil jumped to over $100 again and return tickets from Bangkok to London went from £700 to £1500. 2026 is all preparation anyway. 2025 I did all the wrong work. 2026, I’m learning what art works at Camden and how to mass produce it. 2027, if all goes to plan, will have all the right work done in advance, have both Aon and I in operation in London, and therefore be the first year I expect to make some real progress getting FREE ART FREES ART off the ground.

Once it’s publicly demonstrated that giving your art away on the street is, not only an alternative business model to the traditional gallery one, but a superior one. Other artists will try it and the model can spread. So to get the money rolling in, my online shops have been filling up with more work. Especially scheduling online auctions. If all this can get sorted out this year, 2027 will be all set and ready to go.