Art & Inspiration

BY KEVIN CZERWINSKI

Ray Bailey doesn’t mince words when it comes to his artistic ability. He’ll be the first one to tell you that he doesn’t have any.

“I can’t draw,” the Illinois native and resident said.

Yet, Bailey has become one of the more talked-about creators in the sports-card art field over the course of the last three-plus years. The reason is simple. Bailey, 45, has a keen eye and he uses it to put together some of the niftiest pieces in what has become a popular and crowded field.

“As far as presenting things, special things, I’m good at that,” he said. “As far as drawing, I can’t do that. But I do have an eye for things that work well together. This [creating cards] is more like therapy for me being quirky. I can be creative and do different things, things that have been done before.

“Even as a kid, I’d find ways, photograph things, shoes, jerseys, sports cars, take and arrange them in some way that’s eye-catching. It’s more about designing. I can definitely design things fairly easily.”

There was a time not too long ago that Bailey wasn’t creating cards. Then the pandemic came along and Bailey, like so many others with a love of cards and creative aspirations, found a hobby that turned into just a bit more. He was inspired by Jason Schwartz, an extremely popular card artist who goes by the name of Heavy J, and encouraged by fellow Illinois artist Matthew Lee Rosen, whose work is among the sharpest and most creative in the industry.

“I got started in July 2020 when I saw on Twitter that someone had made some designs,” Bailey said. “I thought I could do that. The next thing you know, I’m in my office doing it for hours and I was pretty much hooked. I always loved sports cards and art so it was a natural fit. Then it kind of caught fire and it’s been a fun journey for me.”

Bailey’s work is exquisite. He uses Bazooka gum wrappers, pieces of old baseball gloves, All-Star ballots and other imagery, anything on which he can get his hands in order to make something special. So, while he can’t draw, he sure can create, using a pair of scissors and a razor to make the necessary cuts and come up with spectacular pieces.

It can take him anywhere from a half hour to 45 minutes to create a card though some take longer depending on the material and the complexity of the design. His creations are standard size but are much thicker than normal cards. He uses as many 10 cards to add depth to his pieces, creating a mini diorama. They are then placed in one-touch holders.

“They have more depth than a normal trading card so I think that sets them apart,” said Bailey, who grew up as a big Michael Jordan and Chicago Cubs fan. “The cards are deeper and more eye-catching when it’s all finished. I go through phases, using wrappers or gloves and creating series with different designs over the years.”

Bailey’s work, which can be found on his Instagram and Etsy pages, usually runs in the mid-$30 range. While he sells them, he also keeps many of them for himself. He has many that he likes but one of his favorites is of Bo Jackson, incorporating both baseball and football elements when picturing the two-sport star. Jackson was one of his favorites, as were Andre Dawson and Nolan Ryan, when he was younger.

“I got an autograph on a custom I did of Dawson for his MVP season,” said Bailey, who was a three-sport star [basketball, football and track] in high school. “He said I was really talented. That was super cool to hear that from him.”

Bailey said that he has created thousands of cards since he started this journey, most of which are baseball. He’s able to make more cards in the summer largely because he is a middle school language arts teacher by day – and during the school year free time isn’t as readily available. So, he’ll spend hours on his creating with the support of Niki Bailey, his wife of 19 years. She is a registered nurse and her hours are just as demanding as his.

“She’s very accepting of it all,” Bailey said.

As are his students. Bailey will bring his cards into class from time to time, show his work and get the kids to make and trade cards of their own. He’s made cards for students and some for parents, saying it’s a fun way to share a passion with his students and perhaps inspire them in the way in which he was inspired.

“I have kids who make their own cards or draw on cards and give them to me,” Bailey said. “It’s cool to have that, too. It’s a way to inspire them in a typical school setting.

“I love what I do and I never give it [card art as a full-time gig] a thought. I love being a teacher; that’s what I do. This is more of a hobby than anything else. Teacher, family and card art is tertiary.”

That, however, doesn’t mean that Bailey has any plans to stop making cards. He loves his hobby and his humility is part of what makes his work so remarkable.

“I don’t think I’m that talented; it’s not that hard,” Bailey said. “It’s kind of odd. From my end, when people say that it’s not a big deal to me. Others have gone to levels that I have never reached. What I do, I do fairly well but others are more talented than I can ever be. Folks out there just blow me away and I get inspired by them.”