Coupon for Utrecht

I had to pass this along.... it is good for any item not on sale plus free shipping if you order over $75 at Utrecht. They have some good prices and their quality is good too. I found it on the very first page of my American Artist magazine!

Enjoy!

Continuing Along the Same Theme

This poor girl has been waiting for a nose job for almost a year. It was time to fix her. I started the piece at a class at the Scottsdale Artists School last year but we only had three hours to work on her and at 16" x 20" this is a life size painting. This girl has some head of hair!

The cold weather forces me to stay inside anyway so I don't mind trying to finish these pieces. I have a few other plein air pieces that I did in Arizona last year that are on the schedule to be "fixed or pitched". What should my new motto for this year be? Mediocre: another version of Yellow Ochre. You would have to be a painter to get that one, but I'll explain. Yellow ochre is a bland yellow that resembles baby poo. It's not pretty, Although it is useful. I just wanted a catchy slogan that rhymes. ;)

A few of the things I changed on Julie, using a bit of artistic license:

1.  Her gaze-- it was directed forward and for  my purposes I wanted her to appear to be looking at us (the people viewing the painting.) 
2. I added an earring. It was so tempting because that sliver of hair hanging down to her cheekbone deserved to have an echo. Red seemed to be the natural choice.
3. Her nose. I don't give everyone I paint a nose job but if it detracts from the woman's face and I don't have to have a likeness I just go for it. She still has a strong face but I have made some alterations for the sake of art.
4. I changed her expression from boredom to almost a kind of wariness. Whatever... she is done and I can move on to the next "Rework". It's really kind of fun because I get to play plastic surgeon without using the knife.

Julie 20" x 16" oil on linen

Rework!

Rework is a dreaded word in a factory but not in the art studio.
Definition: rework [riːˈwɜːk] vb (tr)

1. to use again in altered form the theme has been reworked in countless well-known poems

2. to rewrite or revise

3. to reprocess for use again

I worked for a large commercial printer years ago and we were all unhappy when we heard the word "rework". Usually something was printed that was not the right color or it  had been put together wrong. For whatever reason we had to rush through the process of re-printing the job and fixing the mistake to save our reputation. Not fun....

However, in my art studio I like to think of rework as the opportunity to make something better. I have a lot of paintings that just never made it into a frame because they were not ready for prime time.  Or maybe the paintings looked good to me when I finished them a couple years ago but now that my standards are a little higher I see things that could be improved. For whatever reason, I see the painting and I want to throw some more paint onto it. Sometimes I'll change the design and strengthen a focal point. Often it's a matter of creating some atmosphere by pushing the background farther into the background. If I can't bring the painting to a point where I am willing to sign my name to it I will throw it away. Some artists will use the canvas in a collage of leftover rejects but I have tried this and I don't recommend it for reasons I won't go into right now.

This is Nicole, a portrait I painted a couple years ago and one I was never quite happy with. She was fifteen years old at the time. I made a few adjustments over the weekend: a wardrobe change, a background change and a nose job. Now I'm happy with the painting. It may not be the same Nicole who modeled for me but it is a version I like better, one with a message of youth and innocence. The original red background was not a good choice for this theme but when you paint in a group as I do other artists' preferences can sometimes override your own.I had thought the red background too overpowering for this young girl, who seemed to project wholesomeness and good will. The beauty of oil paint is that you can make it what you want anyway.

Some pears are better than others and then some foods are not good for you at all

We like the Anjou pears because they are versatile and ripen faster. I like to paint them because they are cute and compact. This 6" x 8" painting was done in an hour with a palette knife and the paint that was left on my palette after painting the one below it. So these two foods are kind of like "good" and "evil". Pears are healthy and green, hot dogs are red and artery clogging. Whatever... when you want to paint something food is always available and it comes in a multitude of colors, shapes and sizes. It is not about the subject to me; it is about the arrangement of shapes on the picture plane. Is it interesting or is it too static to be a good painting? I don't always know the answer until the painting is finished. And sometimes not even then...

I had a guy from the Russian Federation email me today asking why I didn't ship to their country. Basically he was saying that I should-- I lost a sale because I didn't. So I have amended my shipping exclusions at eBay Etsy and Bonanza. International sales are good and I needed to be reminded that we Americans are not the only consumers in the world. Two of my most recent sales were to Japanese collectors. It's a global economy!

What effect will the decline of the Euro have on American sales to foreign countries? I would think if the dollar is worth more our goods would become more expensive to people who use other currencies. THAT might not be a good thing.

ANJOU PEARS and ALL AMERICAN LUNCH

New Year's Resolutions....Less Travel, More Planning

My New Year's Resolution is to spend less time on the computer and more time working on improving my painting. Expect to see a few larger and more challenging pieces on the blog this year as I change my focus from 'learning' mode to 'creative' mode. I still plan to teach a few workshops but not as many as last year. I am cutting down the travel time as well. I love to travel but it requires energy and planning. I'm going to expend that energy making better paintings.

Last year I painted 160 pieces-- yes I actually counted them, thanks to the wonderful Windows 7 viewing sorter that allows you to sort by day. I cataloged them and recorded sales etc for tax purposes. I am so organized this year. (That was last year's resolution and it has worked a bit-- at least to the point where I now know what I have and where it is hanging.) I sold just over 30% of these pieces. Many of them were small paintings - under 9" x12" and quite a few were plein air pieces. Print sales were up this year and as usual the sports prints sell the best.

I will continue to work on my organization skills so that I am not just distracted into painting a few pretty things just because I can and because I know people will buy them. I am striving to become more intentional this year. I was pleased to find out last week that I have been selected to have a joint show at the Parkwood Gallery in Toledo in August. This is exciting for me and a wonderful opportunity to have people beyond the internet see my paintings.

My first painting of the year was inspired by my cold fingers. I can't wait for Spring when I can get back outside and paint. I had a picture of a planter I took last year and I decided it was time to paint some flowers. I love painting flowers and I haven't done many lately so it was time. My new challenge for myself  was to paint larger so this painting is 16" x 20" and it really is a colorful show-stopper. I have to admit it would not have the impact it has at this size if it were 8" x 10".

"Spring Blooms" $600 oil on canvas, unframed