Some of my work and my thoughts on the problems, joy, humor, frustration and pain of being an artist.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Landscape Pastel
Thought that I would take a break from painting in Oils and Acrylics and do a small pastel. It's only 5x7, but just got a thing for trees and had to do this one.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
New Year's Art Resolutions
A good friend of mine said that she planned to work "smarter not harder" and this is my New Year's Resolution that I am stealing from her. Often, I find that there are just so many things on my plate that it's hard to focus in on the moment, especially while I am painting. So, my intent is to be more intentional. More focused and less random. There are enough random paintings out there that are one-shot wonders and I want to be consistent with less throwing paint around. This is particularly hard with abstracts which I have been working on as well. The Norfolk Academy show is approaching and I am painting for that also and will ship my work back to Virginia. The triptych above will be in the show.
So, Happy New Year to everyone and may God's blessings be with you all!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Small Abstract Studies in Acrylic
I have just had 2- 4 feet by 6 feet canvases made and did these small studies to decide if I am going to use these small studies 2"x3" for them. I loved doing them and the bright colors and the textures have lots of movement. They are on archival media board that I have gessoed, painted upon in acrylic and then varnished. I have them with a small mat which has a very wide border for more impact. Knowing whether or not they will work on a huge canvas is a bit risky...but what the heck? What do you think?
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
What does it mean? What does it Matter?
Lots of back and forth on my phone with text messages to two artists about this painting I just finished. Yes, it's very different from a number of my paintings. The title is "He came to the mountains bearing flowers." The flying conversation was about whether it mattered or not for the artist to "explain" a work and if the explanation, title, or any other "story" made a difference. I think not. It doesn't matter whether you "get it" or not or if the light bulb goes off after an explanation. The work speaks for itself and whatever the artist was thinking about, trying to say, or conveys doesn't change how you perceive it. It is either painted well or not, it either intrigues or it doesn't and the artist painted it for whatever reason they had. I'm not sure why artists always seem to be "explaining" themselves. Now that I'm 60, I am going to be more selective about my explanations. And yes, I can have a conversation about the work, but it's the work, not the artist at this point. After I'm dead it can be about me.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
The Trouble with Green
I just finished this commission for a couple that asked me to paint this photo they provided from some land that they own outside of San Jose, CA. I haven't been there, but I liked the picture and have recently shown it to them. Photos are a tricky thing...you have to use it as a departure point and always end up making modifications to the image. They like it, which is always a relief.
Although it looks like there is a lot of green here, there isn't really. Like Kermit says, "Being Green isn't easy." Nor is mixing it. One of the biggest things that I find to be a problem with green in paintings is the overuse of Phthalo green or Viridian Greeen. yuk! No wonder the word Phthalo is so hard to pronounce! This green is an unnatural, weird, too bright color and all too often I see it being used straight from the tube onto the canvas. This green doesn't really appear in nature and surely should only be used (if at all) with lots of modification and addition of other colors. I seldom use paints straight from the tube anyway, because the color that I want usually needs to be tweaked a bit, but Viridians and Phthalos are almost impossible for me to work with. I think that I have an ancient tube of it floating around that I often only look at as a reminder of what NOT to use. Often, my favorite greens come from Black and Cad Yellow Medium mixed together. There is a bit of transparency left when the two are mixed together, which I often want. I like Sap Greens and Olive Greens, but they too are very transparent, so I usually end up mixing my own. As much as I love green and trees and painting outdoors, I find that there are huge amounts of blue and purples in trees deep inside close to the trunks. There are mysterious areas that I love to try to get into when I am painting a landscape.
So...as an aside...I am looking at turning 60 soon. I wrestle with this because most of the time, I sure don't feel like 60. I have been thinking a lot about the past, the things I have learned, the people that I have loved that are gone, and so many of the mistakes I have made. I try hard not to regret. For me, it's not the things that I have done that I regret, but rather the things that I haven't done. More about this later, because I'm not 60 yet and I still have a little time left to ponder.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Water Lilies Painting
I can only fit so much into the back of my Volvo. So I decided to paint on two canvases instead of one. Each canvas measures 30x40, so together it measures 60x40. The challenge here was to make sure that each canvas could stand on its own and then make the images work together. I moved them around quite a bit to finish all of the edges and to link them in color and shape. There are a ton of water lilies in Brackenridge Park which is not far from where we live. It's a lovely tree shaded place where there are birds and walking paths and lovely old oaks. The cool shade the trees provide is a welcome respite from the San Antonio heat. Yes, I'm still into doing water images, and yes I know that lilies have been done many times before. I was telling a friend about the intimidating task of painting lilies and that my fear was that it was a bit trite. She simply said, no one paints as you, so go for it! These are painted in acrylics and it was a good thing because I had them on the floor, on the table and on the easel and the quick drying time make this so much easier.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Advantages of Switching Between Acrylics and Oils
I know that I have groused and grumbled repeatedly about acrylic paints and how difficult they can be to manage. But these "Water Paintings" I have been working on have forced me to make peace with them. Both mediums are so different from one another, yet still so similar that one would think of them as siblings from the same family, only raised far away from one another. I think of acrylics as sort of the west coast relative...progressive and edgy and still not quite polished. While oils are from some English city; refined and dignified and a bit snotty. But both are unique and have characteristics that allow me to choose which is best for whatever my subject matter is to be. These water paintings are best in acrylic because they can have a transparency that shows subtlety under and on top of the water that I think is much more difficult to express in oil. I also think of acrylics as "cooler" and lacking in the warmth and richness of oils. The biggest difference of all is the drying time, which can be painfully long with oils and wonderfully short with acrylics.
I can cover great amounts of the canvas in a relatively short time with acrylics as the paint goes down quickly and I work quickly as well in order to avoid too much paint drying on my palette. I mix my palette carefully with oils and know that my paint can sit there all day as I work it into the canvas. Mixing with acrylics is a whole other matter...I seldom mix on the canvas as it almost always dries too quickly and the results are not always predictable. Mixing on the canvas in oils allows for subtle shading and smaller detail that I simply haven't figured out how to do in acrylics yet.
I have learned from each of these mediums and think more about underpainting and layering as a result of working with acrylics. I have brought to acrylics my experience in mixing colors from oils and know that what is often a gentle shift or change in color or shade is still perceived by the mind and can often make or break a painting.
This painting is called Only a Motion, is acrylic, and is 36x36. I took a photo to work from while in Sonoma, CA, recently and the reflection of the red flower intrigued me the most.
I can cover great amounts of the canvas in a relatively short time with acrylics as the paint goes down quickly and I work quickly as well in order to avoid too much paint drying on my palette. I mix my palette carefully with oils and know that my paint can sit there all day as I work it into the canvas. Mixing with acrylics is a whole other matter...I seldom mix on the canvas as it almost always dries too quickly and the results are not always predictable. Mixing on the canvas in oils allows for subtle shading and smaller detail that I simply haven't figured out how to do in acrylics yet.
I have learned from each of these mediums and think more about underpainting and layering as a result of working with acrylics. I have brought to acrylics my experience in mixing colors from oils and know that what is often a gentle shift or change in color or shade is still perceived by the mind and can often make or break a painting.
This painting is called Only a Motion, is acrylic, and is 36x36. I took a photo to work from while in Sonoma, CA, recently and the reflection of the red flower intrigued me the most.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Water Mystifies
What is it about water that draws people to gaze into its reflection? What is it that we seek and hope to find there? A renewal, cleansing, and new baptism perhaps? This painting of water is in acrylic and is pretty large at 36x48. There are so many ways to get lost while painting this that I hardly know where to begin, but doing it in the forgiveness of acrylic helps because you can layer over and over again. I haven't decided what to title it yet...any suggestions?
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Lake Murnau
Now that it's September, I would like to think that cooler weather is just around the corner, but not so here in Texas. I hear from the locals that it will be at least mid Oct or November until it feels like autumn. I finished this painting anyway and it is from out trip to Europe last October. Right outside of Garmisch is small lake and I sat and sketched, took photos and just took it all in. Doing all of this "seals" a day, an event, a memory for me for forever. I'm lucky to be able to hang on to things like this and know that if I paint them they will never fade away.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Abstraction Already Evident
I just finished this acrylic painting the other day. It looks fairly abstract and I toyed with making it more so, but decided on letting it be the "water" that it was. Perhaps in painting a few more of these water studies, I will let it become more and more abstracted once I understand how water works a little better. I find that I am drawn to things "untouchable" and ethereal like clouds, smoke, water, shadows and reflections. The mere challenge of trying to hold on to something so slippery and to freeze it time somehow is where I always seem to end up. Maybe that's why dusk is my most favorite time of day. It truly lasts only for minutes... and then it moves into evening, then night. This took longer than I thought that it would and thankfully, I chose to paint it in acrylic, otherwise it would have taken forever to dry.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Why I Don't Make Giclees
Well, I'm crossing into delicate territory here. I try in this blog to keep the stuff that I write that has a point of view as solely mine. I say that the whole thing about giclees is delicate because I know a number of good, trustworthy, talented artists that do, in fact have their work made into giclees. I also know a number of icky artists that pawn poorly printed artwork off as"original" and cheat the customer. But, first things first.
It's laughable that the term gliclee has come into vogue in the last few years. Just as the terms, "faux", "vintage", and "retro" have come to signify the simpler terms of fake, very old and old. Giclees are reproductions of original artwork (through the advances in computers, printing, and inks), that are often printed upon canvas or textured papers. In some cases, if the work has been faithfully reproduced, it is difficult to tell the original from the reproduction. More often than not, the work reproduced is a mere shadow of the original and will fade horribly in a very short time. Unlike lithographs or silk screened work that is numbered, supervised and signed by the artist with a limited edition, this new method of printing is often designed to duplicate paintings without regard to a limit of the number of copies that will be made. There is a huge range of quality in the reproductions available to the public. Buyer beware cannot be stressed enough.
To add insult, artists are having their work reproduced on canvas, then paint an original stroke or two with pigment that is strategically placed on the work, and sign it passing it off as "original" work. Unethical too loose a term for this.
To complicate matters further, the successful artist, who is selling regularly, can afford the not insignificant costs associated with digitizing the work and subsequent printing using quality, archival, materials. The struggling artist often cannot afford to pay premium prices for reproduction and sometime resorts to reproducing their work using little more than home printers attached to their laptops. This paradox hardly makes the playing field fair, but there it is.
I have heard stories of artwork being passed off as original that was being represented by fairly reputable dealers. There are also the many articles existing about fake signed and numbered prints by Picasso, Matisse, Miro, etc. Again, buyer beware.
I have decided to just not enter this whole game. It can be costly and in some ways, in my mind, devalues the original. There are people that think that it is great that for those that cannot pay 1200.00 for the original, it is just as good to get a smaller print for only 45.00. Not me. I like the real stuff. Always have. The choice remains for artists to decide what it is they want their work to remain and say about them long after they are gone. I would hate to think that a cheapo print of my work that was perhaps matted and framed was pitched into the trash years down the road because of horrible fading. Better to just not go there.
It's laughable that the term gliclee has come into vogue in the last few years. Just as the terms, "faux", "vintage", and "retro" have come to signify the simpler terms of fake, very old and old. Giclees are reproductions of original artwork (through the advances in computers, printing, and inks), that are often printed upon canvas or textured papers. In some cases, if the work has been faithfully reproduced, it is difficult to tell the original from the reproduction. More often than not, the work reproduced is a mere shadow of the original and will fade horribly in a very short time. Unlike lithographs or silk screened work that is numbered, supervised and signed by the artist with a limited edition, this new method of printing is often designed to duplicate paintings without regard to a limit of the number of copies that will be made. There is a huge range of quality in the reproductions available to the public. Buyer beware cannot be stressed enough.
To add insult, artists are having their work reproduced on canvas, then paint an original stroke or two with pigment that is strategically placed on the work, and sign it passing it off as "original" work. Unethical too loose a term for this.
To complicate matters further, the successful artist, who is selling regularly, can afford the not insignificant costs associated with digitizing the work and subsequent printing using quality, archival, materials. The struggling artist often cannot afford to pay premium prices for reproduction and sometime resorts to reproducing their work using little more than home printers attached to their laptops. This paradox hardly makes the playing field fair, but there it is.
I have heard stories of artwork being passed off as original that was being represented by fairly reputable dealers. There are also the many articles existing about fake signed and numbered prints by Picasso, Matisse, Miro, etc. Again, buyer beware.
I have decided to just not enter this whole game. It can be costly and in some ways, in my mind, devalues the original. There are people that think that it is great that for those that cannot pay 1200.00 for the original, it is just as good to get a smaller print for only 45.00. Not me. I like the real stuff. Always have. The choice remains for artists to decide what it is they want their work to remain and say about them long after they are gone. I would hate to think that a cheapo print of my work that was perhaps matted and framed was pitched into the trash years down the road because of horrible fading. Better to just not go there.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Acrylic Painting for Church Donation
Acrylics again. I love how you can so easily knock something out without having to worry about the drying time. Oils just seem to take forever and when something unexpected like this small painting comes up, it's so nice to just be "done". It's only 8x10 and I hope that it finds a nice home at the church annual raffle.
Haven't been writing much as the heat here seems to have knocked all my energy out and by 3 everyday I'm ready to take a break!
Haven't been writing much as the heat here seems to have knocked all my energy out and by 3 everyday I'm ready to take a break!
Monday, June 24, 2013
Art in Texas
Flowers by the Sink-Acrylic on media board
It has been a whole month now since having moved to San Antonio and at times, seems like a blur and that I am living on another planet. San Antonio is HUGE and surprisingly the seventh largest city in the US. Everything I have to do seems like a struggle though; losing my way on these crazy highways, learning where to go to get what, meeting new people and trying to remember names, places and how to get there...The fact that I am completely directionally challenged doesn't help a bit. I have met some lovely people and everyone is just so darned NICE and Friendly! Still, the hot weather is an adjustment and I keep hearing, "Just wait til' August!". Yup.
The Lighthouse for the Blind event at the Witte Museum was such fun. People were everywhere, the food was great and I met a number of folks who said some very nice things about my painting. The couple that ended up with it was particularly nice, so I'm glad my child has a nice home.
The opening at the Mercury Project on Roosevelt Avenue on Friday night featuring Lars Hundere's work and was lively and full of his fantastic assemblages and paintings. I talked with Lars several times and his true and complete focus on exploring this current work is inspiring and fascinating. In much of his work, one thinks that the "script" written is some kind of verbiage that would enlighten the direction of the painting. But surprisingly, on closer examination, one finds that there is not ONE single, identifiable, real word. Lars told me that if he "accidentally" creates a real word while working, then he messed up and then has to start all over again. So these assembled pieces with their graphic, calligraphic look are not actual words or true symbols as we have come to think of them. They are Lars' words and only he knows their meaning. There are other words stamped out in reverse, some foreign words coupled with music as well as often an accompanying large, graphic, eastern looking symbol(s). Hard to explain it all, so I will insert a piece of his work here and as I always like to say, Let it speak for itself. He sold a number of pieces on Friday night and people were thrilled with being able to acquire some of his work. If I had an inch to spare in our tiny apartment, I would have bought something as well.
I keep hearing from so many of you about my blog and how you enjoy seeing work and reading up on what I'm doing. Please comment or just sign up as a follower, then I will know for sure that somebody is out there!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Art in the Dark Fundraiser at the Witte Museum this Friday
The event kicks off at 6:30, is open to the public and tickets for this event are 25.00 per person. I know that this will be a fun and entertaining evening for all involved and for such a good cause!
Also, the Mercury Project, where my new studio is located, will be having an art opening on Friday, June 21st at 6 pm. Lars Hundere will have his work featured at the show called "Found Language/Cursive Words". I have seen one of Lars' paintings and they are so very interesting and like nothing I have seen before. Antonia Richardson, Cindy Palmer, Louis Trevino, Kim Bishop and I will have work featured in the front galleries as well. Since I am new to all of this, I can only say that Antonia has told me that the gallery is jumping; people and food and drink and music are all happening! The show lasts from 6-9 and the Mercury Project is located at 538 Roosevelt Avenue in San Antonio.
If you would like to know more about the Mercury Project, you can find them on facebook or go to the http://mercuryproject.net.
I am still taking it all in and haven't really been doing much painting as it seems to be taking forever to get settled in. I can only say that living here is so very different from Virginia, the people here are wonderfully friendly, it has been hot as the dickens and I can't wait to learn more about this city. My desire about my work seems to be the same...every time I see something beautiful or interesting, I just want to paint it. I know that the act of studying something carefully and then painting it, somehow makes in "mine" and that it then becomes embedded within me forever. So, the different trees here, the hill country, the HUGE sky and the Mission Concepcion that I saw on Sunday are all things that I want to paint. I don't care if every artist in town has painted this mission or not, I loved its cool walls; ancient, pale frescoes; and majestic presence. I've put a picture below and hopefully will paint it soon.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Saying Goodbye is Never Easy
Almost time to go. It's hard to believe that 10 years in Virginia have come to pass. But it's time to move on, adapt, and find whatever adventure lies ahead. But wherever the path may lead or how exciting it promises to be, it doesn't make leaving any easier. The good news is that some of my work will remain at Blue Skies Gallery. They have been wonderful to me and I have met many lovely people there like Tom, and especially Leslie, the owner. Having someone like her who knows how to market, is open to new ideas, and is thoughtful and even tempered makes the gallery an oasis of peace and friendliness.I am sad to have hugged her good-bye today. I will miss it all. I have learned a great deal during my stay here in Virginia and for that, I am grateful. God has been very good to me and has blessed me in many ways. So, "bye, y'all" and "Hola, San Antonio."
I promise to stay in touch.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Where Do Artists Find Their Inspiration?
How do writers tell their tales? How do musicians create lovely songs with lyrics that touch the soul? How do artists of all kinds find deep within themselves something that they are able to tap into and bring forth to share with others or perhaps keep to themselves? Some heavy stuff to think about. If you are an artist and are reading this, I know that this question has been asked of you many, many times. How do you think up this stuff? Where does it come from ? For some artists, it's very hard to explain what inspires them or why they do what they do. For others, it's an easy thing to talk about and share. Just like the individuals that we are, each of us draws our inspiration in different ways and from different sources.
For me, filling your head up with good, useful and beautiful stuff that you love to see and do is the first place to start. No, I do not turn a blind eye to tragedy...hey, the news every night is enough to make anyone sad. But I want to focus on the uplifting, the beautiful, the stuff that makes us smile. So, I want to fill my head with as much as I can that is lovely. In my mind, how can you draw upon something within yourself if it is empty and there is nothing in there to reach? So, reading everything I can find the time for, looking at things in museums, online, in books, in magazines, and then really looking a second time. Paying attention and taking notes in sketch books, and in the margins, and in a journal are very helpful. I often have a gazillion pieces of paper floating about at any given time. Sometimes, I rewrite and reorganize these notes often simplifying them or elaborating on them. I let these "notes" ferment for awhile and I carrying them around with me in my head, all the while thinking what I might do with them. An example of this would be that after a visit to a museum or art gallery, I might love the way an artist uses orange and green together. So I will put down on my lengthy list of ideas, "Orange and green together with various pale shades of blue on the orange." Then perhaps I will think about these colors while I am gardening or looking at my orange flowers that I bought at the store. A week later, I might think about that orange flower with green leaves on a blue tablecloth in front of a window and may even take some photos of that flower to use... and from there it goes. If I am outside, it's an easy thing especially when the weather is nice and your bright canvas is staring at you full of infinite possibilities. Here, out in the world where the light bounces off of everything and is there just for the moment, I want to work as quickly as possible to capture what I can before it fades.
And I must say that God is ever present in all of these possibilities. I always feel so full of gratitude to be able to mix some paint, turn on some music and just paint! Everything is an inspiration. They say to writers, "Write about what you know..." For me, it's the same with painting. Paint what you know and see. This whole process for me not something to be agonized over but rather joyfully embraced, although I know that there are many artists out there that use their pain for inspiration as well. I have painted after my mother died, after my friend Tom died and in spite of how sad I was, I still felt that the "doing" was helpful in my own healing.
I know that artists can be "blocked" and that there are dry spells. But I cannot truthfully say that since I have been working seriously at my own stuff for the last 8 years this hasn't happened. Hopefully it never will. Knock on wood...now I've done it!
So your palette can be half full or half empty. You can sketch and draw everywhere you go and then rework it at home. You can have people you love sit for you to draw or paint. Infinite possibilities.
Let me end with this...
"Imagination is the beginning of creation, You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will."- George Bernard Shaw
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Norfolk Academy Art Show
I'm getting work together for the Norfolk Academy Art Show while dodging boxes and packing for the move. This painting is called Silent Beach and will be in the show. The opening is scheduled for April 27 and it runs through May 12th.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
San Antonio Art World and First Impressions
The painting above, called "Hay in Winter" is from a photo that I took in Lexington, Virginia, while there this past January. It is my first attempt at snow and will probably be my last as I move to much warmer climates in San Antonio. Downsizing hardly describes the current "pitch everything" mode that I am currently in. I hope to arrive in San Antonio mid May and if I possibly can, will be so organized on this end that it will be a breeze on the other. Ha!
I met some really helpful and interesting and kind artists while there. Marcus,an artist who also works for his glass artist friend, filled me in on a number of good tips on galleries and possible locations for a studio. Hank, who has a lovely gallery featuring primitive Mexican work and has been in business at the Blue Star area for 25 years, and some folks that I need to call and get more information from that were given to me by others. It seems that everyone I spoke with was either an artist, knew an artist, wanted to be an artist, or "just loved" artists. It was a very welcoming visit, although terribly hectic and surely not enough time to do all that I wanted.
I have come away after having met so many new people in such a short time in San Antonio, feeling that there is a universal lingo and simpatico feeling among artists. We shared tales of sharing artist's space and the whole "beehive" mentality and the difficulties that go with that. The frustration with the fact that so many people want artists around because they bring huge cache to any number of places, but that seldom does this help with sales of artwork. We commiserated about how snarky other artists can be because so many are easily threatened. We laughed at those who call themselves artists and who couldn't draw worth a hoot and didn't see the need for it. It was like groundhog day again from some of the conversations that I have had in Virginia many times with so many of my artist friends. There are many different kinds of artists out there doing all kinds of interesting and wonderful things that it is hard to define so much of what is being talked about and what is happening in our art world.
Reassuring in some ways because there still is an immediate kinship and understanding that somehow we are in this whole creative soup together.
I'm going to do my best to try and keep up with this blog, but it's going to be a real challenge. Ten years worth of artist's stuff is a lot to deal with. I have lots of paintings I don't want to move....
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Charleston Painting
Maybe it's because I know that I will be moving fairly soon that I want to paint as much "water" stuff that I can...This one is unusually long and will require a special wall. 24x72 is a hard size to work with and the only thing that I wanted to convey is how that long stretch of ocean can make you feel so small and insignificant with a world so vast. Acrylic on a gallery wrap canvas.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Defining an Artist's Success
As much as I might like to talk, I also like to listen and sometimes when artists talk about their work, my work, other work. much is said and even more is left unsaid. Strangely, it doesn't seem to matter whether you play the guitar, write poetry , compose music or paint, there is so often an quiet undercurrent spoken ever so softly of, "How did you do...(insert here-at the show, at the event, at the competition, this month for sales, with your classes, when you went out to paint, sing, dance...?????????.....) An innocent question.
It's a much harder question to answer than one would think.
First, the answer shouldn't matter, but it does. If you have been doing well in terms of sales, do you say something? If sales have been terrible, do you bemoan this and whine? What does it matter?
If you have been focused on things other than sales, must you justify this and explain yourself away? OR, do you remember that you have a business, have bills to pay and must work diligently every day at meeting your commitments thereby seeing your labors pay off financially?
And then (as if it's not sticky enough) ...if you are selling consistently, what happens when you hear that phrase, "She sold out..." or "Too commercial" or "Her work isn't SAYING anything..." so, OF COURSE her stuff sells....
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I know that I have said this before, but artists really need to define what "success" means in every endeavor they pursue with their art. If learning to be a better painter is your goal and you see that you are progressing and are diligently working at this, then it is easier to feel successful. As long as your goals are progressive and reevaluated often, your definition of success is something that comes from within and is determined by you alone.
Alas, though, we artists are such a sensitive group...and we are constantly judging and being judged by others. Surely, just hanging your work on a wall and placing a price tag on it is asking for judgement. So let's not pretend that the evaluative nature of what we do isn't there. We want someone to connect to what we have created. We want them to connect so much so that they are willing to plop some money down and carry our work home with them to live. It's the nature of what we do.
Every artist has their own distinct path. It's harder than it looks and requires more than you sometimes feel you can give. At the end of the day, it is still just you and the canvas (or the guitar, or the computer, or the piano..)and the work to be done. But you have to do the time and work and not just talk about it.
It's a much harder question to answer than one would think.
First, the answer shouldn't matter, but it does. If you have been doing well in terms of sales, do you say something? If sales have been terrible, do you bemoan this and whine? What does it matter?
If you have been focused on things other than sales, must you justify this and explain yourself away? OR, do you remember that you have a business, have bills to pay and must work diligently every day at meeting your commitments thereby seeing your labors pay off financially?
And then (as if it's not sticky enough) ...if you are selling consistently, what happens when you hear that phrase, "She sold out..." or "Too commercial" or "Her work isn't SAYING anything..." so, OF COURSE her stuff sells....
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I know that I have said this before, but artists really need to define what "success" means in every endeavor they pursue with their art. If learning to be a better painter is your goal and you see that you are progressing and are diligently working at this, then it is easier to feel successful. As long as your goals are progressive and reevaluated often, your definition of success is something that comes from within and is determined by you alone.
Alas, though, we artists are such a sensitive group...and we are constantly judging and being judged by others. Surely, just hanging your work on a wall and placing a price tag on it is asking for judgement. So let's not pretend that the evaluative nature of what we do isn't there. We want someone to connect to what we have created. We want them to connect so much so that they are willing to plop some money down and carry our work home with them to live. It's the nature of what we do.
Every artist has their own distinct path. It's harder than it looks and requires more than you sometimes feel you can give. At the end of the day, it is still just you and the canvas (or the guitar, or the computer, or the piano..)and the work to be done. But you have to do the time and work and not just talk about it.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Painting with Water Soluble Oil Paints
I have been painting in oils over the last 5-6 years after a long, long break. While I lived in Heidelberg a few years ago, I had been working mostly in pastels. I love pastels, but don't really like the dust, the having to get everything framed and dealing with glass. Pastels taught me a lot about layering colors, and scumbling and thinking about texture. I learned quite a bit about color while working in pastels because you can't really mix the color you want as you do in mixing paint. You have to layer the colors sometimes to get the exact color you want if you don't have 4000 pastels available to choose from. I do like the portability of pastels and the ease of sliding through the airport without causing an uproar over what is in my carry on bag.
But there's just something about the BRUSH.
The mixing of the paint, the way that the paint flows and how it can be just about anything you want, is just so alluring. Also, I learned very quickly that in art shows, generally speaking, oils are king and most buyers for whatever reason, simply prefer oils. So, when I decided to return to painting and planned on purchasing all of the materials that I would need, I decided to try the fairly new water soluble paints. I need to make this very clear...these paints are NOT acrylics, although many artists that I know continue to think that they are....
Just as you can go into a paint store and purchase oil house paint that can clean up with either turpenoids or soap and water, you can choose your paints the same way. Water soluble paints clean up with soap and water, and turpentine or turpenoids are not used. Water is used the same way one would use turpentine or thinners in traditional oils. You thin the paint with water, you clean with water, and you still use all of the various mediums available to increase flow or transparency, but they have to be those that are created specifically for water soluble paints. I use a great deal of linseed oil when I paint and adhere to the "fat over lean" principle. The linseed oil for these paints is made specifically for these paints. I have also used safflower oil and drying mediums and stand oil as well; all designed to be used for water soluble paints.
I never cared for the turpenoid smell or having to worry about flammability, storing used rags and the pain of cleanup with traditional oils. This is huge for me and surely one of the biggest benefits of using these oils. Painting out of doors and transporting your stuff is great because you don't have to worry about the turpentine issue again-just a little water will do just fine. These paints also dry in about the same time that traditional oils do, depending upon how much medium you use. They require a 6 month wait prior to varnishing just as traditional oils do.
My favorite brand is LUKAS Berlin line of paints because of it's buttery consistency and miscibility. Lukas also seems to stay moist and ready to go down to the last squirt of paint, whereas I have found other paints to harden up a bit toward the end. Whether you choose another brand or not, you will find that the selection of colors to be a bit more limited than those offered by traditional oils. This doesn't bother me a bit, I just mix what I want from the selection of paints that I have.
I can say that sometimes the cad reds seem to lose a bit of their luster once they are dry. But this problem is solved when I varnish the painting once dry.
I could write pages, but I don't want to write volumes and bore everyone to death. I am happy to answer any questions about these oils. Just email me and I promise to write back...
ltovardietrick@hotmail.com
But there's just something about the BRUSH.
The mixing of the paint, the way that the paint flows and how it can be just about anything you want, is just so alluring. Also, I learned very quickly that in art shows, generally speaking, oils are king and most buyers for whatever reason, simply prefer oils. So, when I decided to return to painting and planned on purchasing all of the materials that I would need, I decided to try the fairly new water soluble paints. I need to make this very clear...these paints are NOT acrylics, although many artists that I know continue to think that they are....
Just as you can go into a paint store and purchase oil house paint that can clean up with either turpenoids or soap and water, you can choose your paints the same way. Water soluble paints clean up with soap and water, and turpentine or turpenoids are not used. Water is used the same way one would use turpentine or thinners in traditional oils. You thin the paint with water, you clean with water, and you still use all of the various mediums available to increase flow or transparency, but they have to be those that are created specifically for water soluble paints. I use a great deal of linseed oil when I paint and adhere to the "fat over lean" principle. The linseed oil for these paints is made specifically for these paints. I have also used safflower oil and drying mediums and stand oil as well; all designed to be used for water soluble paints.
I never cared for the turpenoid smell or having to worry about flammability, storing used rags and the pain of cleanup with traditional oils. This is huge for me and surely one of the biggest benefits of using these oils. Painting out of doors and transporting your stuff is great because you don't have to worry about the turpentine issue again-just a little water will do just fine. These paints also dry in about the same time that traditional oils do, depending upon how much medium you use. They require a 6 month wait prior to varnishing just as traditional oils do.
My favorite brand is LUKAS Berlin line of paints because of it's buttery consistency and miscibility. Lukas also seems to stay moist and ready to go down to the last squirt of paint, whereas I have found other paints to harden up a bit toward the end. Whether you choose another brand or not, you will find that the selection of colors to be a bit more limited than those offered by traditional oils. This doesn't bother me a bit, I just mix what I want from the selection of paints that I have.
I can say that sometimes the cad reds seem to lose a bit of their luster once they are dry. But this problem is solved when I varnish the painting once dry.
I could write pages, but I don't want to write volumes and bore everyone to death. I am happy to answer any questions about these oils. Just email me and I promise to write back...
ltovardietrick@hotmail.com
Sunday, February 3, 2013
My Fantasy Art Show
I have mentioned a couple of times to fellow artists my idea of the perfect art show...here goes. A jury would select out of all the applicants, only the top 100 artists that applied to be in the show. Each applicant that was accepted would then paint on the same sized canvas, any subject that they desired. All work would then be submitted to the jury with only a number (1 though 100) identifying who the artist is. No signatures on the work. No frames. No photos. No digitally enhanced work. No copies. No giclees that have been painted over. Just watercolors, oils, acrylics, pencils, pastels. The judges would then rank the works submitted from one to one hundred, with 1 being the best work in the show on down to 100. The show would then be hung and the names of the artists later identified.
I would like to see a jury (not just one judge) rank the work. I know that this is difficult in order to get judges to come to some kind of consensus, but it would be nice to have the results of the show not be dependent upon only one person's view. I would also like the see the work just as it is, which would mean, no mats, no frames, no glass, etc. Just the work.
I would like the work to be evaluated solely on the work itself; not on the age of the artist, not on whether the artist is well known in the area, male or female, black-green-white, not on how well their work sells, or whether it is simply "clever" or "shocking", but just the work.
I know that I dream of all this in a world where things are judged. We all "judge" and make evaluations of just about everything. Our judging is often simple; good or bad, hard or easy, soft or hard, sweet or sour...
but somewhere there is an ultimate truth in all of that that I wish fervently could be found in the world of art. Don't we all pretty much agree that Monet's haystacks are lovely? Don't we think that the Mona Lisa is indeed mysterious and beautifully painted? Maybe not...but in my dream world, life is fair and just and I wish that people were the same. Sadly, they are not. They see life through their own lenses, with some seeing things in a more distorted way than others. An Alternate Reality, where blue is green and red is pink. Maybe one day, artwork will be evaluated at competitions like the reality show, "The Voice" and the artist is not viewed as a "package" but rather seen as simply, an artist.
I would like to see a jury (not just one judge) rank the work. I know that this is difficult in order to get judges to come to some kind of consensus, but it would be nice to have the results of the show not be dependent upon only one person's view. I would also like the see the work just as it is, which would mean, no mats, no frames, no glass, etc. Just the work.
I would like the work to be evaluated solely on the work itself; not on the age of the artist, not on whether the artist is well known in the area, male or female, black-green-white, not on how well their work sells, or whether it is simply "clever" or "shocking", but just the work.
I know that I dream of all this in a world where things are judged. We all "judge" and make evaluations of just about everything. Our judging is often simple; good or bad, hard or easy, soft or hard, sweet or sour...
but somewhere there is an ultimate truth in all of that that I wish fervently could be found in the world of art. Don't we all pretty much agree that Monet's haystacks are lovely? Don't we think that the Mona Lisa is indeed mysterious and beautifully painted? Maybe not...but in my dream world, life is fair and just and I wish that people were the same. Sadly, they are not. They see life through their own lenses, with some seeing things in a more distorted way than others. An Alternate Reality, where blue is green and red is pink. Maybe one day, artwork will be evaluated at competitions like the reality show, "The Voice" and the artist is not viewed as a "package" but rather seen as simply, an artist.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Shenandoah Home Landscape Painting
My mother is from the Valley, as they like to call it. The Shenandoah Valley is one of the most beautiful places in Virginia. This painting has been sold and has a new home, but I thought I would share it. 24x30, Acrylic.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Lake Garda Bougainvillea Painting
Our room was right on Lake Garda and had a small balcony with two chairs and a small table. Even though it was October, the flowers were still in brilliant bloom. I had never seen bougainvillea up close and it was so wonderful to just sit there in the sun surrounded by these lovely flowers and just stare at the serene lake. It was so very quiet.
This painting is in acrylic, 24x36 on a gallery wrap canvas. I am beginning to understand this acrylic medium a bit more. I had a long talk with Larry Vanover, from Hampton Roads Wholesalers, and he gave me a quick lesson about glazing and using mediums that has helped considerably. One must be immediate and without hesitation while painting in acrylics because if you are too slow, the paint will dry on your palette in mere minutes. Larry jokingly referred to oil painters as, "taking a little stroke here...another there...have a cup of tea and mull it all over, paint a little more...la la...." His exuberance is undeniable and I think that we both agree that working in different mediums; oil, acrylics, pastels, etc. makes you a better artist all around. Isn't that the point?
This painting is in acrylic, 24x36 on a gallery wrap canvas. I am beginning to understand this acrylic medium a bit more. I had a long talk with Larry Vanover, from Hampton Roads Wholesalers, and he gave me a quick lesson about glazing and using mediums that has helped considerably. One must be immediate and without hesitation while painting in acrylics because if you are too slow, the paint will dry on your palette in mere minutes. Larry jokingly referred to oil painters as, "taking a little stroke here...another there...have a cup of tea and mull it all over, paint a little more...la la...." His exuberance is undeniable and I think that we both agree that working in different mediums; oil, acrylics, pastels, etc. makes you a better artist all around. Isn't that the point?
Monday, January 14, 2013
Blue Skies Art Show and Red Heart Sale
Every year, right after Christmas, Blue Skies Gallery has one of their most popular events-the Red Heart Sale. Leslie Thayer, the owner, has graciously allowed me to bring in quite a bit of my work to show in conjunction with the sale. I have reduced EVERY SINGLE ITEM that I have at the gallery. According to a number of other artists, I have been told that my prices are ridiculously low already, so now they are even lower! Hey...I'm moving to Texas and this stuff has got to go!!!
Blue Skies is open Tues-Sunday so if you want the best selection, be there at 10am tomorrow. You will not see me or my work at these prices ever again...
Boy, am I pooped!
Blue Skies is open Tues-Sunday so if you want the best selection, be there at 10am tomorrow. You will not see me or my work at these prices ever again...
Boy, am I pooped!
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