The panoramic shaped horizontals, like the new lead painting on my blog has my attention. I don't do them very often.....if memory serves me right, back in the 60's there was a popular 24x48 size (perhaps there still is). Never liked them or the size. I guess it was the perfect sofa painting during the low ceiling craze. Not much for low ceilings either...then or now.
During the planing of this show I inadvertently ordered a lot of 30" stretcher bars for (6) 30x30's. I wanted them as my small show canvases. However, after doing one it didn't lend itself well to my intent. The scale was wrong and everything seemed cramped. I still don't have a good solution to a small works painting yet and probably won't. But, I do for the 30" bars....I might cannibalize a 60x66 set and do a 30x66 and a 30x60 instead. It might be fun using one as a vertical composition too.
11:54am time to work. Although it's late, I'm in the mood to start a new painting. Yesterday I stretched a 48x44 linen gallery wrap canvas just in case.
DAYS END
957-1 oil on linen gallery wrap (3-15-15)
Monday: Can't say enough about yesterday; besides a lovely day outside, and a new blog look, it was also productive for canvas 957. The first pass is done on my lily pads. The important highlights and shadows were loosely established and believe me, nowhere near finished.
This morning I'm not sure it needs my next design element, a full blown lily....I'm thinking only the few buds it has now works better.
9:36am time to work....a simple plan... find a fish or two then establish a background tone. In one sense I am closing up the painting.....not necessarily a good thing unless you know where you're going....and I do. I'm not really looking for "happy accidents" especially in my composition!
Tuesday: Yesterday went well - can't say much for this photo tho......the background is a warmer grey, not on the darker blue side.......Photoshop magic wasn't much help either.
I still have a few weeks till my solo at Stravitz. It would be nice to generate a few more canvases before making a final selection......perhaps even a few extras to send out to my galleries as a sample of my new collection. With that idea in mind, one of the more interesting marketing moves last week was putting the collection on my website then sending an email link to the galleries who represent me. It was a simple thing when you think about it - I didn't before this....duh! I was going to keep it off my site until the exhibit, but I like this idea better.
I got a good response... they even made selections..... unfortunately, almost identical to each other and of course all were set as my exhibit paintings......now what!
Not that I don't want to give them the paintings, because I do.......it would require more paintings than I was planning and certainly beyond sending out a "few" samples, my original thought. The singular subject may actually be the solution......at the moment, it's a narrow focus field. On the other side of the coin it's also a reason to get up in the morning and paint; although potential artist quicksand to be avoided. BTW....This is how my blog is meant to work..... it makes me think a bit before jumping in full force or making a wrong move. In this regard it works well for me.
If you have 5 or 6 galleries, each will want a half a dozen or so paintings on hand. That's 30 or 40 paintings out there....perhaps 6 months or years work - they won't all be the magic speed-bump paintings either so you need extras. "Required Production" comes to mind here and in my mind self imposed artist quicksand!
One of the unexpected side benefits from this move, was I found their common "speed bump paintings". Not a bad sampling because it was more than one gallery. The collection is still evolving and, as expected, they seemed drawn to the larger works and the later paintings......a good thing, because I would have trouble backtracking. The newer ones are more refined than the first, plus each time I'm more comfortable adding a bit more depth and perspective......much like the last painting 956. If nothing else, all this is a good indicator they like the direction. Maybe I shouldn't worry about it and just do it!
One of the problems of getting up at 4:00am - lots of words between pictures.....blame the dog!
7:46am time to work. I'm going to spend the day on my lily pads...some are well advanced but there's a lot of em!
DAYS END
957-2 48x44 oil on linen gallery wrap (3-16-15)
Tuesday: Yesterday went well - can't say much for this photo tho......the background is a warmer grey, not on the darker blue side.......Photoshop magic wasn't much help either.
I still have a few weeks till my solo at Stravitz. It would be nice to generate a few more canvases before making a final selection......perhaps even a few extras to send out to my galleries as a sample of my new collection. With that idea in mind, one of the more interesting marketing moves last week was putting the collection on my website then sending an email link to the galleries who represent me. It was a simple thing when you think about it - I didn't before this....duh! I was going to keep it off my site until the exhibit, but I like this idea better.
I got a good response... they even made selections..... unfortunately, almost identical to each other and of course all were set as my exhibit paintings......now what!
Not that I don't want to give them the paintings, because I do.......it would require more paintings than I was planning and certainly beyond sending out a "few" samples, my original thought. The singular subject may actually be the solution......at the moment, it's a narrow focus field. On the other side of the coin it's also a reason to get up in the morning and paint; although potential artist quicksand to be avoided. BTW....This is how my blog is meant to work..... it makes me think a bit before jumping in full force or making a wrong move. In this regard it works well for me.
If you have 5 or 6 galleries, each will want a half a dozen or so paintings on hand. That's 30 or 40 paintings out there....perhaps 6 months or years work - they won't all be the magic speed-bump paintings either so you need extras. "Required Production" comes to mind here and in my mind self imposed artist quicksand!
One of the unexpected side benefits from this move, was I found their common "speed bump paintings". Not a bad sampling because it was more than one gallery. The collection is still evolving and, as expected, they seemed drawn to the larger works and the later paintings......a good thing, because I would have trouble backtracking. The newer ones are more refined than the first, plus each time I'm more comfortable adding a bit more depth and perspective......much like the last painting 956. If nothing else, all this is a good indicator they like the direction. Maybe I shouldn't worry about it and just do it!
One of the problems of getting up at 4:00am - lots of words between pictures.....blame the dog!
7:46am time to work. I'm going to spend the day on my lily pads...some are well advanced but there's a lot of em!
DAYS END
957-3 48x44 oil on linen (3-17-15)
(Photoshop is picking up the warm transparent cross light)
(Photoshop is picking up the warm transparent cross light)
Painting in crisp late afternoon sunlight from my overhead skylights.....love it!... because it means break time!
Wednesday: Yesterday was really a long day.... mostly working on my left side lily pads. The lily leaves are visually much more complicated than most I do in one painting. The intense sunlight, one of my favorite things to paint, is harder to capture.... it takes time......sometimes a third pass. So, my selections unwittingly raised the difficulty factor. A bit of quicksand, but it is my nature to do so and I have a long history doing it. It was a defense mechanism I used effectively as a custom designer to keep my competitors at bay. Probably works in art as well - after all, artists thrive on show competitions.....drawn to the money.
You know the old story, you do the creative work and the snakes try shopping it. New clients, if they don't know, might try it but soon come crawling back or end up getting a poor copy.......in fairness perhaps happy, because it was solely about money for them. I promise you there are a few out there in both camps. I was never worried about the competition trying to reproduce my signature look or do it cheaper. They would have to be equally capable, have the same resources, attention to detail, and more importantly know why I did this or that in the first place! Impossible without a lot of compromise......equally true in art and the artist trying to be a "Sargent", Monet or even Rembrandt. It might be technically possible if it where not for one thing; why "this over that" instinctive moves and choices are impossible to duplicate. The tragedy I see, is missing out by not developing beyond our hero's into our own personal signature style...... I would hate at the end to be known only because I painted in the style of another artist or have it on the info tag....."in the style of". I see this all the time in antique and junk shops pushing dusty old paintings. It may be my faith but never my intent.
If a client likes your work and is financially stretched, it's simple, you omit before cutting the quality or compromising the project.....for the artist perhaps a smaller work. Most projects are about solving problems first. If the problems are solved, money is secondary, even for the client........it's an easy sell when you think about it. I avoid the client when money is their first and only concern. Generally that comes out in the first meeting...... I'm not the right guy for them if it's all about money, because I'm wired to solve problems first and foremost - preferably in the process, aesthetically pleasing. When I do, it's a win/win for everyone!
What does that have to do with art......even this painting? I think everything, absolutely everything, if you care about yourself and the quality of your work! Fascinating subject I'll chat more on later.......especially when it comes to art!
You know the old story, you do the creative work and the snakes try shopping it. New clients, if they don't know, might try it but soon come crawling back or end up getting a poor copy.......in fairness perhaps happy, because it was solely about money for them. I promise you there are a few out there in both camps. I was never worried about the competition trying to reproduce my signature look or do it cheaper. They would have to be equally capable, have the same resources, attention to detail, and more importantly know why I did this or that in the first place! Impossible without a lot of compromise......equally true in art and the artist trying to be a "Sargent", Monet or even Rembrandt. It might be technically possible if it where not for one thing; why "this over that" instinctive moves and choices are impossible to duplicate. The tragedy I see, is missing out by not developing beyond our hero's into our own personal signature style...... I would hate at the end to be known only because I painted in the style of another artist or have it on the info tag....."in the style of". I see this all the time in antique and junk shops pushing dusty old paintings. It may be my faith but never my intent.
If a client likes your work and is financially stretched, it's simple, you omit before cutting the quality or compromising the project.....for the artist perhaps a smaller work. Most projects are about solving problems first. If the problems are solved, money is secondary, even for the client........it's an easy sell when you think about it. I avoid the client when money is their first and only concern. Generally that comes out in the first meeting...... I'm not the right guy for them if it's all about money, because I'm wired to solve problems first and foremost - preferably in the process, aesthetically pleasing. When I do, it's a win/win for everyone!
What does that have to do with art......even this painting? I think everything, absolutely everything, if you care about yourself and the quality of your work! Fascinating subject I'll chat more on later.......especially when it comes to art!
9:08am it's that time.......no plan other than continuing my 2nd pass on lily pads. As you can tell by the number 956-4 I'm starting day 4....in case you wondered what the last number represented.
DAYS END
DAYS END
957-4 48x44 oil on linen gallery wrap (3-18-15)
DETAIL
DETAIL
Thursday: I only had about 4 hours to work on the bottom left leaves and do a 3rd pass on my Koi. I'm pretty happy with the shadow part of it now. The background colour is still off in the photos.......I think the problem is light bouncing off my white canvas surface. A lot of the colours I use are very transparent so it does change with light. The upside of doing this is lots of depth in one pass. This painting does have the feel of warm light washing across the waters surface. Photoshop is picking up the effect. If I were to do a second pass, the effect would be destroyed because light has a more difficult time reflecting off the white base. The photos will have to be "off"....sorry.
Picking up from yesterdays rant: I'm not sure if it was, but it was, one of the things I learned early in the game; know your client and what they expect, give them that, and a bit more. You'll never really have to sell anything to make a living. Art may be the same way......speed bumps sell themselves if they fill a need and annoy the hell out of you on any road with no reasonable need.....except in extreme situations.
In today's world of mass production, good or bad, we have choices. In the end it's space, quality, attention to detail, and craftsmanship that rules and is more desired by those that can afford it. (the ones who, BTW, also buy art) In my experience as a custom designer, they don't want "off the shelf" anything. What they do want is a good solution that fits their own needs. Which explains why they have no qualms about gutting an absolutely gorgeous home they just purchased. Well they liked something about it, but not everything. Regardless, a good design will last and transcend time while the garbage is decaying at the local landfills. The dumpster divers retrieve the "good stuff" first, so even in that eventuality, quality rules! Seems logical it would also apply to the art they buy.
You can be the one who spends your time struggling with clients about money, or you can become good at what you do and command a fair price for your talents, expect it, and get it!
8:46am time to settle down and finish this painting. I'm at day five...and still don't have my lily pads done...gurrr. I really did open up a can of worms with this thing! But, they'll have caricature and perhaps a bit of personality..:=)
Friday: I finally got to the bottom of the painting yesterday. It even got signed.....however, today there are still a few tiny items needing a dib and a dab....so I'm not really free to start the next one! Right now it's sideways while the bottom edge dries. Last night while studying it I realized as a top view it theoretically can be rotated and still visually work. This one does that rather well.....nice:=) As cool as that is, I think 957 also requires a full 3rd pass.....even at dibs and dabs certainly another day or so.
Yesterday I also followed up with my panoramic view idea and stretched up a 30x66 linen gallery wrap for my next project.
In today's world of mass production, good or bad, we have choices. In the end it's space, quality, attention to detail, and craftsmanship that rules and is more desired by those that can afford it. (the ones who, BTW, also buy art) In my experience as a custom designer, they don't want "off the shelf" anything. What they do want is a good solution that fits their own needs. Which explains why they have no qualms about gutting an absolutely gorgeous home they just purchased. Well they liked something about it, but not everything. Regardless, a good design will last and transcend time while the garbage is decaying at the local landfills. The dumpster divers retrieve the "good stuff" first, so even in that eventuality, quality rules! Seems logical it would also apply to the art they buy.
You can be the one who spends your time struggling with clients about money, or you can become good at what you do and command a fair price for your talents, expect it, and get it!
8:46am time to settle down and finish this painting. I'm at day five...and still don't have my lily pads done...gurrr. I really did open up a can of worms with this thing! But, they'll have caricature and perhaps a bit of personality..:=)
DAYS END & SIGNED!
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957 Koi and Lily Pads 48x44 oil on linen gallery wrap (3-19-15)
Friday: I finally got to the bottom of the painting yesterday. It even got signed.....however, today there are still a few tiny items needing a dib and a dab....so I'm not really free to start the next one! Right now it's sideways while the bottom edge dries. Last night while studying it I realized as a top view it theoretically can be rotated and still visually work. This one does that rather well.....nice:=) As cool as that is, I think 957 also requires a full 3rd pass.....even at dibs and dabs certainly another day or so.
Yesterday I also followed up with my panoramic view idea and stretched up a 30x66 linen gallery wrap for my next project.
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