Number 643 - day two

On my second day - I only worked on the lower portion. My upper section was not totally dry and for the next steps, I need it to be. I want my paint to flow freely for a fresh wet into wet look as in Alla prima. I am not looking for a dry brush effect, a heavy paint texture, yes.

 #643-2 Natural daylight shot, no studio lighting. Here I've established my main wave and started working my blue into the yellow sun reflection on the beach- still using the same Royal brush

Some tools - Royal brush looks small. Very old palette knife from my teens, I use it to squeeze clean my brushes onto my palette. The razor blade is used to scrape and pile paint on my glass pallet.-that's a new development, now I get paint all over the place, especially my hand,. which is a problem . Jerry's sent me some samples of liquid gloves - I don't want to ware gloves so this might work.

Glass palette 24x30 - took awhile to get use to it - now I want a glass hand held palette when I'm on a step stool - not sure I've ever seen one, but it's definitely on my mind - may have to have it made.

 #643-2 Detail of my single main wave - typical of East coast early calm sea mornings - blue tape is my suns hot spot - I don't want any paint in that area until I'm ready - Important in creating wonderful luminous whites. I'm sure there are other ways, but this works for me.

I like clean colour and find working from a pure white canvas preferable to a stain out or toned canvas. It really gives you an entirely different look. Generally when I do tone, it's colour specific to my end result.

Talent is exceptional and hard to destroy

Today, March 16,2012 is my 3rd anniversary, my first painting #1 and my choice to follow a new professional career as an oil painter. I formed and followed a simple plan and it worked.

This was my 2nd go at it. I didn't have a plan the first time, no reason, my interest like most started at 5 and evolved into oil painting as a pre-teen, my attention span was a few hours - our work habits start young, I became an Alla prima painter until age 35. Then I made a choice to give up oil painting and give design my full attention.......good choice!

When I got out of the service in 1964 I had (1) wife and (2) boys. Painting in oil was the only tool I had to make a living, I sold paintings since I was 13 or 14, teens need money and that's how I got it. No question I would be an artist. I got a job, painted during the day or night. I took the graveyard shift because it allowed days free. It was not a demanding job, besides I wasn't looking for a long term relationship. I got lucky one night, I almost lost my right hand and if it had not been for the quick action of Alice working next to me, I would have. Thanks Alice!

As expected, a wake up call - it was basically my last day as factory worker. With my bandaged hand I quickly rented a small commercial building with substandard living space on the second floor.and opened a gallery. It's safe to say the next few years were interesting. In many respects, its typical how we all start out....no plan.

And, as expected it crashed and burned and at 24, I was less (1) wife, (2) boys, (1) gallery and now (1) divorce. Bummed around for a year (my first and only time) eventually I got bored with it and brushed my self-off  because I still had one thing hard to lose...Talent - interesting word (I actually had to look it up..LOL)

TALENT - 1. a special natural ability or aptitude: a talent for drawing. 2. a capacity for achievement or success; ability: young men of talent. 3. a talented person:

Yep! right word, when I got the ticket on that train, I got the whole car or as someone said recently "in spades".  My whole life, I ignored or brushed those comments aside - changing the subject. This time I didn't and responded "I know"

After 70 years, several crash and burns, Talent (1) wife (2) boys and (1) girl are still in place. I know this because they still put up with me and Talent clearly hasn't left!

My last painting completed 3/7/2012

#641 The Matador oil on linen 48x48

Number 643 - day one

Yesterday I started my beach commission. Like all my paintings it has a number and a history on my calender.  Number 643 will be an ethereal seascape, subtle but with a dramatic sunrise. Based on the painting below.

For this painting I allowed a maximum of 7-days - trust me, at this point no one wants an 8-day painting from me. Essentially I have always been an Alla prima painter and it's taken some serious work on my part to change it. I like clean, fresh looking work Alla prima gives. I also like to paint big so after 5 or 6 days regardless of size I start to lose it. I only work on one painting at a time and will not stop until it's finished and signed. When I start thinking of the next painting or I don't go to bed or wake up with it, its time to quit.

Reference #312 Evening walk 20x24 - cropped to a vertical.

I studied my bare white canvas all day Sunday between phone calls, e-mails and watching DVD footage of waves and beach themed movies.  All that and studies aside, I have to make the first move on it. The first brush stroke. What I'm really doing is getting familiar with the size, because in fact, at first, it's size at 66x56 is a bit intimidating.  Late Saturday with a few wash lines I defined my composition. In the morning as the sun rises, I'll make my first serious move. If I'm lucky the sun might even cooperate and become my inspiration. I frequently use the actual sun in my paintings. But, not today - much too bright!

643-1 a few wash lines to establish composition

Normally on a first day, I like a full uninterrupted day. However Monday I had to break for a few hours. I'll be the judge for an exhibit opening Friday night at Crossroads. I can work around it.

 643-1 Completed before going to Crossroads (blue tape is where sun will be)

I use Gamblin Neo Megilp called "Maroger" medium from the outset. Neo Megilp can be purchased from Jerry's in16 oz. bottles - My brush is a #10 Royal filbert (long bristle) soft grip SG4520 (yellow tip handle)

  643-1 Detail of sun (no paint on sun spot yet)

 643-1 Completion of afternoon session

In the morning I'll block-in the bottom 3rd, water, waves and beach with a sun reflection on the sand. The upper section will be dry and I'll do another pass on the clouds and sun. By days end we'll know if it will fly.

Joining forces - creativly

Yesterday was busy, I wanted to start my Juno Beach project, however the wide canvas roll I ordered earlier was shipped UPS and passed off to the US mails. I received it late Friday, too late to do anything with it. As a combined service very inefficient.

I signed off on my Virginia Beach surfer Wednesday. This is a detail for a larger work I eventually want to do. And as I said before, the beach gallery has fostered a renewed interest in marine paintings. I like how this worked, the  Matador is elegant in its simplicity - he owns this moment.... so surfing, at least for a while will be part of it.

#641 The Matador 48x48 oil on linen 3/7/2012

Which brings me to an interesting alliance I'll need to make if I want this to work...especially at 70 years old. No way I'm taking on the Atlantic at the beach. Have you seen those waves...got my attention!!

Sometimes when I'm first developing a subject such as this and I don't have references of my own, I will go on on Flickr. I'm a member and occasionally upload my photos for sharing in creative commons. I search the subject and look at hundreds if not thousands of photos: mostly to get a feel for it. If something gets my attention and it's in the creative commons I'll  download it....possibly even use it. These are mostly used for what I call learning pieces and never meant to hit the market.

This was an interesting situation: I kept coming across this one photographer, but it wasn't in the commons so I didn't bother....until this one "The Matador" -  I down loaded it. Afterwards I kept coming back to it, it fit something I wanted to do.

While I was at the gallery we got into surfing and I told them I was thinking of doing a surfing series - found some stuff I liked but it was "all rights reserved". I asked Page if he knew any photographers....he threw out a few names and one sounded like my guy...spooky. A best friend and someone he grew up with. I came back to my studio and e-mailed him the Matador photo. Didn't hear from him but, felt comfortable he could get the release so I started the 48x48 study. Tuesday I was at the gallery and he said, it wasn't his guy....I had the last 15-minutes left on what I thought was more than a study. Possibly, ad quality for American Art Collectors June Marine issue..............Nuts!!

Using the same search word - I came back hoping to find the photographer again - I got lucky, within 5-minutes I found him - I went into one of his favorites collections and there it was. I read his information; he was also an artist and I contacted him through his website asking for permission to use his photo and possibly forming an alliance - I needed a photographer. Asked if he was interested?

More than a few days went by and no word. I resolved myself that this was a dead issue and the painting simply could not be used or shown at a gallery...

Got lucky yesterday. As I was leaving an e-mail came from Matt, the photographer and here's what he said.

Hi Chuck,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you…been pretty busy this week. I would be honored if you want to use my photos as reference for a painting! I Googled you and found your website and me and my wife are both very impressed by your work. Then I discovered your blog from your website and found the piece you did using my Matador photo as reference…it's gorgeous!! I really really like it. You captured the light and atmosphere of the image perfectly, perhaps even better than the photo itself! So yes, you have my permission to use any of my surfing photos as reference. And I appreciate you contacting me about this too. Some don't always give that courtesy. When you are finished with the piece I would LOVE to see it. Please send me a photo. I'll probably even want to get a print of the final work. Thanks again Chuck, keep in touch!

Matt Haddaway
www.matthaddaway.com


GAME ON!

Progress - LED Studio Lighting

LED lighting - after a bit of research I went over to Lowe's yesterday and bought  small and large LED daylight lamps, each with a 5000k daylight rating - The smaller one I flashed on my glass palette and the larger at the center of my easel. At first not so impressed - not exactly what I saw at the gallery. I left the lamps in - this morning I turned my lighting on with a fresh 66x56 white canvas on my easel. Bingo!....This was not so bad after all. I just need a few more. The light on my canvas was very clean, much like I experienced at my all white beach gallery.

Yesterday it was shining on a painted canvas so it was absorbing light and not reflecting light as in the white canvas. In this case it really shows how clean and bright it really is.

Right now, I'm more than sold. A few more lamps and grey days or night painting won't be an issue. At this point I would go with the larger lamp - seems like a better deal.

Small lamp - Utilitech  #O321353, PAR 30 Dimmable indoor reflector 5000k, brightness 600 lumens $1.63 per year to operate @$39.98

Larger lamp - Utilitech #0321682 PAR38 Dimmable indoor reflector 5000k, brightness 810 lumens $2.17 per year to operate @$44.98

In search of better studio lighting

Days are starting to get longer - the sun has moved back to the left and beams on my glass palette again. Much better for my paintings. The colour key will raise and I'll be happier because good light produces cleaner paintings.

Studio lighting is problematic, but I saw something the other day which got my attention. LED Array daylight lamps.

The beach galley is looking into replacing the standard Halogens with LED lamps.....my experience with LED is not good. However this new lamp is incredible and much brighter. It's an Array light (looks like a shower head) by Rohs, Nexxus or Ledteck lighting AE26PA2083315 (another number #3RK6) Very close to daylight, no heat transfer almost no power requirement (18 watts) and could possibly make good studio lighting - so far my research has led me to two retail outlets, Home Depot and Lowe's. I'm going over this morning and check out their lamp supply. 

What I see online are mostly warm light and a few so called daylight lamps (typically a noticeable blue) I want the natural daylight I experienced with this particular lamp. I'm told by the gallery this is a new lamp number and so far my Google search using the number brings nothing up. I'm hoping this lamp is is on the shelf. If not I'll contact the same lighting rep the gallery is using. 

I want this quality of light in my studio. This lamp was so clean you could see the light beam hot spot more than 10 feet away in bright natural day light. The halogens might just as well have been turned off...useless against this lamp.  

When you shine it toward a painting, the difference is stunning! A painting which appeared tonally dull was clearly not! That's why it got my attention - it was like stage or out door movie lighting used on grey days. Cost seems to be from 35 to 70 a lamp and fits standard sockets. 

This is when a product solves a problem and fills a need, price becomes incidental.

More tomorrow! 

Attention to detail is important

Tuesday as planned, I loaded the SUV with a few paintings plus the big one, #740 and headed to the beach gallery. Beautiful cold sunny day...no tornadoes!

The gallery is very white, including a pure white floor - very popular in beach communities 20 or 30 years ago. It's a mid-century look,and it's well maintained, so it still works. However, the white walls are problematic for certain kinds of paintings....LOL..yeah, as in my big one! I indicated in an earlier post, I was concerned because it is darker and more somber than either study.

The painting works but, not what I nor the gallery had in mind for the beach or my WOW! feature painting. It was instantly clear, I needed a higher key, cleaner painting that would sparkle against a white environment.

White walls are very effective and sparkle with Halogen lighting. The art pops, the walls recede, however a bit trickier with a sunny day and lots of natural daylight competing. It will look better at different times of the day.....So, back to the easel.

The reason I was successful as a designer and now as an artist is my attention to detail. I always knew if  I presented a quality product or design in its best light - it would be successful and accepted. If it filled the needs of my client, it would be financially rewarding. Art is no different!

It's in my best interest and my new gallery's if I take the time to fill both our needs, making good art they can sell and the best walls for me.

My most useful tool, my calender

I’m about to enter my 4^th year in my relatively new career as a professional artist. I followed my original business plan and happy to report it’s working. I’m however a long way from one plan goal of 5,000 paintings……5,000 you say!!…God is he serious? You bet your sweet tail I am! I am at #641 with 4359 to go....:::::=))))

As a product designer and manufacturer, I knew if I wanted to keep track of 5000 paintings, I would have to organize it. Like any product, I gave my very first painting a number along with a title. About 3-months in I started gearing the titles to internet search words. ie. #153 Venice - Dawn Tide. Google search "Venice - Dawn Tide" this might come up

 #153 Venice - Dawn tide 20x24 oil on canvas 9/30/2009

Dawn Tide was my first entry into Greenhouse Salon International 2010 exhibit in San Antonio Texas

Each  painting is  photographed digitally and placed in files broken down by year. At a glance, I can look at a large body of work in thumbnail or detail.

I have a hard copy in red binders with basic information....a hold over from other times.

At the end of the 1st year I started an inventory list in Excel.  Eventually I wanted to track and establish a value for the collection. I don't spend a lot of time on this - I update it every few months.

My most useful tool, my calender

My most useful tool however just evolved over time with my work flow. I print out a monthly calender - doing it forever. I use it as an appointment diary - instead of a client. Now I have a painting date. First I start with the painting number and size ie.  641 48x48. Then track start and finish dates. For example 641-1 (day one) 641-2 (day two) and so on. When it's finished I place an asterisk star ie 641-4*. I've been doing it for more than a year now.  At a glance I or anyone else will know the time line of each painting.

 February 2012 calender

 Detail

 March 2012 - detail showing progress #641-4 - day 5 is marked - But, shortly I have to go to the beach, so no paint today. Tomorrow I'll mark it as such and carry #641-5 on the March 7th.

4th day progress #641-4 No Title 48x48 Oil on linen

Now almost at 3-years, I'm only concerned about the calender and the images. With the certainty of computer death - I have all my images backed up on an external drive.

This only takes minutes if done along with each painting. Could you imagine trying to sort that mess out later…not me!

If you want your history protected........need I say more:=)

Joining forces....becoming a team

Following up my last post, on my drive back, I formed a plan to help make my relationship work economically for both me and my new beach gallery.

The range of my early small development studies requested by the gallery and more importantly the final selections the gallery made, gave me important tells and quickly was very beneficial in discovering what appealed to the gallery.

Oddly for a beach gallery, it had very few marine paintings...the reason they contacted me in the first place. I like to paint anything with water, including seascapes. The gallery gave me reason to revisit this subject and possibly develop a market for my marine paintings at the same time.

Virginia Beach has a large second home market - our target market. Eventually they look for art. And in my experience as a designer working this market on the west coast, it means filling bare walls of new vacation homes generally themed to the area.

Better yet, if a designer is involved, then it will be an informed purchase and space appropriate as well as filling any emotional needs of the owner. However in this case we have no client, so I'm first painting for the gallery's needs with the hope it will get some attention when they hit the gallery door.

My plan

My plan is simple - paint larger scale works of the local ocean beach; a subject the gallery gravitated too and indicated they needed. My plan also included using those paintings in upcoming American Art Collector full page ads. 

NOTE: As a new artist in this gallery, I have no selling history with them...the gallery has no reason to spend money or go beyond hanging my paintings. If I want this to work, I'll have to take the first step.

My inspiration from a study they liked

 #309 Sea Storm - study 8x10 oil on canvas panel 3/15/2010

I pulled the original 30-minute study as reference. The gallery never saw this. They did like the image of my follow up 16x20 painting #310 completed a few days later. 

#310 Morning Calm 16x20 oil on linen panel 3/17/2010

I chose this particular study as my inspiration. It was the one they really wanted, however, I didn't have a frame so I left it behind.....Lucky for me because I have the original as my main reference.

Size matters when your trying to get attention in a gallery filled with a mosaic of sculpture and art! 

 I had one canvas all ready to go, it was a 56x48. The original studies , both horizontal would  not necessarily work for what I had in mind. As a designer I know vertical is preferable to a horizontal. Vertical will emphasize height, very desirable, and a square is a good compromise to either.

My First attempt

#640 Virginia Beach 56x48 Oil on linen 3/1/2012

 As you can see it worked out fine, making a better vertical statement. It will grab attention either closeup or at great distance.

My palette was different than the two studies done in 2010.  I didn't realize it until the last day. One important colour, Vermillion, was missing. On the last day I added it back in and it helped a bit. However, this painting is still darker, tho more dramatic. It may be a bit ominous, and in all honesty could deter some clients. The gallery input will be useful here. In any event, I will paint it again in a higher key which will give it a much lighter feel as in the 309 & 310 studies.

This morning I'll varnish it, install it in a new gold floater frame I ordered earlier in the week and tomorrow I plan on delivering it to the gallery. 

Everything has a proper sequence – including art.

I like painting water and figures. Water, I was always interested in but, figures in any form is a new development. Portraits yes! From the very beginning, at a very early age, in a very rare moment, my mother gave me a quick art lesson, she explained the basics of drawing a face. As a teen I made a few bucks from it.....Thanks Mom!

#316 Coronado Surfing 11x14 Oil on panel - 3/30/2010

 My first surfing painting - ever! I was developing my water skills at the beginning of 2010 - so everything water and sea was fair game.

#413 Triathlon - Katie 2010 8x10 Oil on linen 12/5/2010 

 Quite possibly one if my first action figures  - sold a few prints off this one. It gets a lot of hits internationally each week. I know this, because I get a stat report every week from Fine Art America which sells Fine Art Prints  - good company - see link to right.

Now I have a beach gallery interested in my marine work, so I have a new reason to revisit this subject. The gallery found me via ads and articles in American Art Collector. I started a national ad campaign in 2011. I can say the ads are starting to work too.   

All I really had were small studies, a few 20x24's and one larger painting #583 Breaking Thunder, which they didn't ask for. In any event it was painted for a full page bleed ad and had a large vacant area at the top for print. None the less I carted a number of my early marine paintings down to the beach. They chose a number, but I knew none of these paintings would hold a wall, much less sell. They were simply too small and would get lost in the mosaic of other art. If this was going to be a successful venture for both the gallery and myself.....I would have to paint a subject they thought could sell in the local market and more importantly, work that would command instant attention and of course the galleries best walls! The only walls I'm interested in!

Driving back I formed a plan to make this thing work!

A Significant Choice

"The Koi fish grows proportionately to the environment in which it lives"  -  Dr. Nido R. Qubein

# 461 Winter Koi 60x90 oil on linen - Cottrell Collection

Ten months ago my gallery needed an anchor piece for an annul exhibit revolving around a local Richmond Park known as Maymont. I was at the early stages of painting in larger formats. This co-coincided  with my Koi and Lily series, spurred on by my recent discovery of Maymont's Japanese Gardens and it's incredible  Koi Pond. 

I knew the space and what I would have to do - in this case, if, as an artist wanting the best wall, I had to paint a large statement piece. That meant in your face BIG. I wanted the best wall...period! 

I also knew this exhibit would draw an opening night crowd of 1000 to 1500....wonderful exposure.

I chose to paint Koi - I only had a short window of a few weeks to pull it off. As luck had it, I just received an order of 3-60x30 pre-stretched linen canvas panels - giving me my final size of 60x90 - if I had more panels this painting would have been even bigger.

This opportunity gave me a new sandbox to play in or as in my choice of Koi, a bigger pond to grow and expand my universe.

When Winter Koi was hung, an 800 pound gorilla entered the room. It wasn't painted with any monetary motive - in fact none of my paintings are. It was painted to fill a need. The gallery needed an anchor, I needed to prove to myself I could hold that wall and I did!

Winter Koi was eventually sold, when it filled the needs of others, a wall. And finally, and most important, a special meaning for it's new owners. The significance  was brought home when I received a surprise FedEx holding a very small book with a very powerful message "Seven Choices for Success and Significance" by author Dr. Nido R. Qubein  www.simpletruths.com  Dr Qubein is a noted Inspirational speaker and President of High Point University. It was a thank you gift for painting Winter Koi - way better than the check I received for it......it's never about money but, first filling a need! 

The simple secret to selling is first fill the need then if necessary talk money. When selling, art has a proper sequence - have a product to sell before looking for a gallery. Then make sure when you go in, you have painted for their best wall!

I made a significant choice, painting Winter Koi and the story is only at the beginning!