Varnishing and primping

Friday: One of my favorite back house chores is varnishing! Something I wasn't really sure would happen on this particular collection. The unvarnished handcrafted look is very appealing but it would mean giving up some important depth and clarity. Varnishing as everyone knows magically brings paintings back to life - crisp and clean looking. Matte varnish might work if I had a good source equal to Gamblin's GAMVAR picture varnish.......but I don't. In the end, as I knew it would, depth and clarity won out. It did dry to a low semi-sheen because I applied it sparingly.

Linen is susceptible to atmospheric changes which can cause canvas to loosen up a bit. A quick water spray lightly on the back side gets things tight as drum again...... Water shrinking is useful at the front end on a larger canvas. I don't use the stretcher "keys" because water shrinking works in my situation.

I also check to see if any additional cross bracing is needed.....especially if you water shrink. It can put a lot of tension on longer bars and occasionally cause centers to cave in.

In between all this, stretching canvas for the next collection will sneak in. I won't start painting until this collection is hung and the reception next Friday night in over.

THINGS LEARNED 

As a daily painter, I'm really excited about the progress made over the last 3 1/2 months. Perhaps the most important part for me was simplifying my subject range to one, coined "Singular Focus".

Painting with a plan made me think more broadly why I was standing at the easel everyday. It was not to simply paint a painting, but a cohesive collection of paintings to fill walls. It kept me engaged throughout the entire process because each painting lead to the next and so on. Will it do the same with a gallery audience? Opening night tells that story well...

Increased efficiency was significant using the "Singular Focus Concept". It also made a difference in the quality and advancement department.... which I was more interested in. I can comfortably produce "X" number of paintings over a 4-month period, enough for any exhibit, using it. However, uninterrupted time was essential. Keeping appointments after 2:00 and barbarian tasks only between painting worked well maintaining focus.

I narrowed down my canvas sizes based on potential exhibit needs and previous sales experience. This also allowed me to take advantage of the most economical roll cuts.  All my canvas going forward, regardless of size will be on 1 1/2" gallery wrap for display versatility. Meaning, able to be shown with or without frames - who could ask for more....well? GOOD SUPPLIER SALES!

I also found a floater frame I'll use exclusively on the next collection from JFM, my framer.

The most unexpected thing was an added reproduction capability because of a tour and my signing with the World Art Group last week. I'm looking forward to a long association. The next collections will have an additional focus......quality reproductions. That means 1st class high resolution images will be secured during the process, not an after thought as it was with this collection. The door is certainly open there, but once the paintings are in a gallery........nothing is certain.

Saturday: I had to paint the bottom edge of 942, one of the first paintings in the collection. actually it was the concept painting I used that best represented what I was after.

Unfortunately I left it on the easel sideways while it dried..... it gave me some study time. The white lily always bothered me so yesterday I removed it!

BEFORE

942 Koi and Lily 66x60 oil on linen gallery wrap (1-11-15)

AFTER

 

 942-2 Rework (4-4-15)

I ended up doing another pass over much of the upper left pads. I like it better but adding a few pads extending off the canvas might be a good thing?

Sunday: A little painting on 942, structural supports, a few frames from storage and stretching up a canvas made for a full day.

FINAL MOVE

942 Koi and Lilies 66x60 oil on linen gallery wrap (4-5-15)

Works for me:=)

Wednesday: Well, yesterday was a big day, the day everything gets delivered. As expected, it was a long eventful day.......lots of new gallery personnel to meet for the first time. Paintings to hang, lighting and all the rest that goes with it. Fun day even though we'll all feel it today.... The staff however won't get to rest until the last guest leaves Friday night. Yet somehow everyone gets a second wind when the party starts. 

RAW SET UP

kimono

Sometimes the unexpected happens - you use a painting you didn't think you would, a new gallery director and her associate brings in a group of dazzling kimono's from the 60's - things start to happen. The kimono still has to be dressed and fluffed but the game is clearly on.  Does it really need the painting at the top?....perhaps not, but this is also about display and a bit of showmanship too.

The varnish even at a low sheen caused a bit of glare here and there - so a bit of matte varnish research going forward. The mix of framed and unframed painting worked well again. I used the same concept in my last show too. Some simply need a floater or gallery frame to finish them off. Plus the eye feeds on detail changes from one painting to the next. Otherwise it would become sterile....it's kinda like using the same frame on everything.....it gets boring as hell unless its part of an organized design detail. The canvas wrap is fine, perhaps perfect on its own as a statement piece but not necessarily a constant theme. From a gallery's standpoint and the buyer for that matter, versatility is clearly in place with this collection and how it's displayed.

The right painting looks fine on the overall....until viewed as a single wall (below)

 Both gallery wrap - right painting needs a standout

Left has a bronze floater (single wall)

All this might sound a bit silly, BUT! The sales staff will love it once they realize the client can easily see the difference and decide for themselves if they prefer a frame or not. Plus in my case, its a free incentive either way. The paintings value is not based on the frame but the painting itself.....a frame is the cost of doing business. If the client loves the painting and it fills a need and if you've given them a bit more than they expected.....it happily leaves the room:=) 

Frames can be daunting for any collector and kill a sale if they have to do it..... much less pay additionally for it. It's an aggravation like sales tax tacked on at the end. Plus retail framing is truly expensive for anyone.

I'd rather include a frame as an incentive than a discount method to sell original art. It's a method which clouds the true value and hurts the collector who invests in us and our work. Besides the artist, I think the utmost effort by a gallery should be protecting and building the value of the artist and the collector who supports them. The truth of the matter, if the painting fills a need it doesn't require an incentive to leave the room. An upscale business didn't get there by using discounts........ filling the clients needs first did.

If the sales staff does not know what the artist or a painting is about they can't talk intelligently about it to anyone....... Its a real art reading people, knowing when to step back or how to answer, what might seem an innocuous question on the surface but important to them. They may walk in with a need, but trying to pin that down instantly is a mistake. They have to be visually attracted to something first.... if it rings true, regardless of why they walked in, they create a need. It's a process I'm not sure an outsider can influence. We can answer questions, but offering personal opinions about taste - I'm not sure holds water....in fact it could be a serious turn off. Listening carefully and intelligently answer the questions is key....I try to avoid embellishment.

An interesting question, "what do you like about it?," is quicksand when it comes to visual arts.....you gotta hope the person is comfortable verbally translating feelings.....otherwise you could be faced with an uncomfortable shut down.

While many are engaging, many people don't want to be bothered and prefer to make the first move.....you better be ready! Because as fast as they make that decision, they leave if no one responds. I'm in this camp, so like I said, it's a real art!

Thursday: I thought today would be a quiet do nothing day other than get a haircut. However this morning the gallery requested another painting..... of course bigger than will fit in my SUV..:=) So another rental van on reserve for my return trip tomorrow. I'm just glad I have the painting - actually it works out because I can get a floater frame for the painting that needs a pop....small detail but perhaps an important one in a paintings future.

All done