The Independent Carolina Baseball League

The Independent Carolina Baseball League
Let me introduce you to Hank Utley who is generously allowing me to use his photographs of the ballplayers to paint the portraits. As you recall, he wrote two books about the "outlaw" league, The Independent Carolina Baseball League and Outlaw Baseball. Here Hank is pictured with "Alabama" Pitts, so you can see the scale of the portraits. Yes, they really are life-size.

The Independent Carolina Baseball League

Richard Broadus Culler was a graduate of High Point College, NC- played short stop in Cooleemee, 1935; Concord 1936, 37 ,38. He signed with Philadelphia Athletics at the end of 1936 but returned to outlaw baseball in 1937 after release by Connie Mack in the spring of 1937. He played eight seasons in the majors, career batting average .244.

Culler is pictured here in front of Webb Field in Concord, NC. Webb Field had a steep slope upward in the outfield, a definite disadvantage if you were from out of town and not used to this run up the hill.

Notice the three-quarter length sleeve of the uniform. The Concord uniforms changed to this length in 1936 when the first night games were played. This portrait is not quite finished, I need to add stripes and the letter "C" to the sleeve.

Opening reception for these portraits is November 10, 6-10 at Original Art. Bring your camera and have your picture taken with the players. Hank will be here that night signing books for you, too.

Diane Overcash
Original Art
21 Union Street South
Concord, NC 28025
704-784-1549

The Independent Carolina Baseball League

"Alabama" Pitts is finished. It's not signed yet, that would mean there is nothing else I could do to make the painting better, and that's a scarey thought.

The more I read about these "outlaw" leagues the more interested I become. The ballplayers were real people, with real lives and who made real mistakes. When I first thought about this painting project I knew I wanted them to be painted life-size and now I know why. I want to bring them to life, show them in action doing what they do best. I want to bring the viewer in close to the action as if they could speak to the players. We're not going to speculate on what they would say. It might not be friendly comments.

Another thing that fascinates me is that these leagues were formed as a way to cope with the depression of the 1930's. Textile manufacturers and local businessmen organized the leagues to give their employees something to get excited about and something to do during those bleak years. They had the audacity and the independent spirit to make the best of a bad situation.

Next up is Richard Broadus Culler. Opening reception for these portraits is November 10. 6-10 at Original Art. Bring your camera and have your picture taken with the players, remember they are life-size.

Diane Overcash
Original Art
21 Union Street South
Concord, NC 28025
704-784-1549

The Independent Carolina Baseball League

Here is Pitts with the correct uniform on when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.

This one is almost finished. He does look a lot better with hands and a face.

Diane Overcash

Here is the lastest portrait of Edwin Collins "Alabama" Pitts. It's not finished but it is well on the way.

Pitts, after leaving Albany in 1935 and Trenton midseason in 1936, joined the Charlotte Hornets in the outlaw Carolina League where he was a hitting sensation. No stats are available but he had a .411 BA after the first 19 games. In 1937, with the Gastonia Spinners and Valdese Textiles, he hit .333 BA. In 1938 with the Valdese and the Lenoir Finishers he hit .268 BA. On June 7, 1941 he died from a stabbing and subsequent loss of blood after a barroom brawl in Valdese, N.C. This was 6 years after his release from Sing Sing on June 6, 1935.

The next time you see this painting the uniform color will have changed. Hank was in the gallery yesterday and reminded me I had painted the uniform the wrong color. It is gray, not beige. It's hard to tell from black and white photographs. I'm glad Hank is here to help me with these details. I really want these portraits to be authentic.

What do you think of the painting so far? Leave a comment.

Diane Overcash
Original Art
21 Union Street South
Concord, NC 28025
704-784-1549
dianelovesart@vnet.net

As Hank Utley would way "I got a story to tell you". This is how this blog got started. I am a fine arts oil painter. I own an art gallery and studio above an ice cream partlor in downtown Concord, North Carolina.

I got a phone call from Hank Utley. He said "This is Hank Utley. I wrote a book about these outlaw baseball players in the 1930's. I've got all these photographs of the players and I thought somebody might like to paint portratis of them. Do you know anybody"?

I had a wet paintbrush in my hand at the time, so I had to excuse myself while I put the brush in some turpentine. Back to the phone, I pulled up a chair and sat dwon. I had heard of Hank Utley before and was vaguely familiar with his books. He had said three words that made my eyes pop open: paint, portraits and baseball. I love painting, especially portraits, and, yes, I like baseball. Don't ask me about stats because I couldn't tell. I just like the game.

Long story short, he brought over his book of photographs, I looked at them, he told me stories, I said,"let me think about this", I went to the library, checked out his blooks, read about bb players, major league, minor league, make your own league, outlaws, kidnapping other players, jumping contracts, ex-convicts, preacher ballplayers, the great depression, cotton mill, I called Hank and said,"I'll do it".

So, I found some canvas big enough to paint life-size portraits of renegade baseball players. They have to be life-size, don't you agree?

The first book is called "The Independent Carolina Baseball League, 1936-1938" written by R. G. (Hank) Utley and Scott Verner. The seceond book is titled "Outlaw Ballplayers" written by R. G. (Hank) Utley and Tim Peeler and Aaron Peeler.

The first portrait I will paint is Edwin Collins "Alabama" Pitts. I chose him partly because the photograph of him is so good it shows the kind of expression on his face I would expect him to have. He's the ex-convict. Looking at his chidhood history, he did better for himself than you might expect.

The next choice is Richard Broadus Culler, short stop, played for Concord 1936 and 1937. He was a graduate of High Point College.

Up next (I think), is Ginger Watts and Marvin Watts who played for Concord, Landis and Kannapolis.

That's a good start. I'll keep going until I have them all painted. And, yes, these paintings will be for sale. At some point, I plan to have prints made also. First things first. Get the paintings done.

I plan to have two paintings finished by November 10, for the Concord Downtown Artwalk. That's the night that all the art venues and restaurants will stay open for partons to walk the brick-lined streets and shop for artwork. Hank will be here in the gallery, Original Art, 21 Union Street South, Concord, upstairs to sign books for you.

Post a comment or call me at 704-784-1549, if you have an interest in what I am doing. I will be posting regularly and adding photographs of the work in progress.

Gotta go paint,
Dine Overcash