You Tube for Arts Programs

You Tube is such a great resource for artists! Its great to do a search and see where things lead you. One favorite is Lucy Worsley's historical documentaries. Ah, what a job she has... Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces.

But back to art and artists... there are countless videos to watch contemporary artists demonstrate or talk about their work. Its always interesting to see behind the scenes and learn from others - so long as you don't spend more time on there than at your easel! Even better are the historical ART documentaries I've been finding.

Tonight, while sitting for an hour and a half at my daughter's gymnastics class, I found this video that aired on the BBC "David Hockney's Secret Knowledge" and found it very fascinating. I thought I'd share with you and I'm curious what you all think of his ideas. It made me look with new respect at works by Jan Van Eyck and other Renaissance artists. The amount of work in all that detail is mind blowing. I would sooner eat my paintbrush.

Old New Orleans

24x12 oil on panel

Ask Tidewater Gallery about this painting.

Sunday Brunch II

10x10 oil on linen panel
$350 (sale price!)
PURCHASE

Last fall, someone from the Academy of Food and Wine Service contacted me from the UK and wanted to use an old image of mine for their membership brochure. Very cool.

I didn't have the original so I thought I'd paint a new one slightly larger and be able to get a hi res image of it for them. Well, they prefered the original so we made do. Perhaps the image is now in use for their organization.

What is next? Well... this is the last of my 2013 paintings and I've been mulling over some new ideas. I have some larger canvases and bigger ideas. Perhaps more "posed" and planned and less serendipitous references materials (models at home and posed family scenes) -- but narrative and inviting. I hope. I'm enjoying the larger canvases too. A LOT. Now a 12x16 seems tight to me.

I am debating the daily painters websites.... shouldn't mention that here I suppose, but I just don't think my work fits the genre. I get some inquiries, but my larger paintings are too much for most buyers on there. And now that I am going bigger still...
I have this constant debate with myself over how much self promotion and marketing to do. Should I bother with direct sales at all? Should I go entirely to direct sales? Should I enter more shows? Join more groups? Be all over ETSY and FineArtAmerica and DPG and DPW and advertise? Should I move my blog to my website? Open a "store" on my site? Keep everything on my own domain? Will I lose all my followers? Sheesh -- 717!?!?! When did that happen? (WOW!)
OR... should I enjoy painting and hope my galleries will do the work for me?

Its a real conundrum. The economy is still lagging, art sales continue to be slow and there are sooo many quality artists producing so much wonderful work that its hard to know how to compete and make my voice heard. Hence my desire to experiment more and move in new directions. Perhaps its just time for growth and I am ready for it. I started blogging in 2006. I started painting larger "gallery" work and dropped the small daily paintings somewhere in 2011. And now I'm ready for a new chapter.

Was this what I hoped this post would be about? No. It took on a life of its own. Its good to meander those unplanned paths once in awhile.
I'm hoping you all will come along with me as I wander.

Melancholy Days

Our friend Major passed on Monday and is running free in heaven now. I firmly believe one of God's greatest gifts is the dog.

Their lives are just not long enough - or perhaps ours are too long. It seems the dog embodies so much of what we wish we could be. Ever faithful, affectionate, loving, patient, obedient, happy,  living each moment, and above all, forgiving.

When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always." — Rudyard Kipling

Art Lovers

20x16 oil on cradled panel
Ask Castle Gallery about this painting

 This was fun to paint. And pretty fitting for the upcoming holiday. Happy Friday!

ps - the frame and the molding lines are not warped... camera does that.

Corridor of Art

20x16 oil on linen
Ask Castle Gallery about this painting

This was painted a couple of years ago, but hasn't been seen publicly in awhile so I thought I'd share it again. Hopefully it will find a good home in Indiana.

At Court

16x20 oil on panel
Ask Castle Gallery about this painting

Sorry for my long silence. Life just moves at too fast a pace - no matter how I try to slow it down. Dogs (both ailing now), school, Girl Scout cookies, weather, life in general... you know the story!

The above is a scene from the Court of The Two Sisters restaurant in New Orleans. The photo doesn't do it justice - nor did I really. There are parts of it I like but sort of sent it out before I fixed a couple of things I'd like to adjust. Ah well... deadlines will do that to you.

I wanted to get it to Castle Gallery before their big Valentine's show "Amour de l'Art" which opens Friday night. Here's hoping another Arctic blast won't ruin their party.

I have been working on other things and stretching my wings a little which is exciting for me. I'm not ready to show the work yet tho. So for now, enjoy seeing what will be available at my galleries in the coming weeks.

Palette Ponderings

V....Vaughan took this photo at Joel's and sent it to me. I can't quite remember why it intrigued her but I think it was the palette arrangement sort of reflecting the painting image. I have mixed - quite unconsciously - my colors as they appear in the painting. The darkest darks were the first down (alizarin and pthalo). I used that to sketch my figures as well as paint the darks. Then I mixed the fuscia shirt color, the green shadow color is below just as it is in the painting and the flesh tones and background light to the side. 

I don't know if I do that other times. Maybe I do since it was quite unplanned. I think when I have a larger space I start mixing my darks (cool colors) on the left and work lighter (warm colors) to the right. That is how my palette is set up as well. 

Note: you don't need fancy equipment and the perfect setting to work! Lately I've been sitting on my family room floor painting while "watching" the tv and hanging with my family. 

Horse and Groom - Greeting Card

5x7 water soluble graphite on watercolor paper
greeting card
$30 + $5 sh

And so Christmas is around the corner. I wish all my friends the happiest of tidings at this blessed season.

Runabout - Greeting Card

7x5 water soluble graphite on watercolor paper
greeting card
$30 + $5 sh

Happy Winter Solstice. The days will be getting longer now. More light to paint by!

The Times - Greeting Card

 

7x5 water soluble graphite on watercolor paper
greeting card
$30 + $5 sh

One of my favorite things to do - sketch people in coffee shops. Its interesting to note that its primarily men who read the newspapers.

***

There is still time to buy a piece of original art for a gift that lasts lifetimes.
See my ETSY store for large and small works.

Window Seat - Greeting Card

7x5 water soluble graphite on watercolor paper
greeting card
$30 + $5 sh

Barely have had time to paint, but am doing so in fits and spurts. The season is upon us, and I am finishing last gift shopping, wrapping and shipping and beginning baking. Lots of little parties for the kids and family. Its all holly jolly!
We've snapped out of our arctic blast here and are enjoying some lovely "winter" weather - 70 and sunny. :-)

Today are the class parties and in the afternoon the Girl Scouts are going caroling at a nursing home nearby. I hope that all my cyber friends out there are having as pleasant a time - remembering the reason for the season. I myself have been a little too stressed and am trying to take deep breaths. So much to do... best to remember WHY we do it.

***

Check my ETSY store for more available art. I've shipped to Italy and Australia recently. So amazed at the reach my artwork can have. So very blessed too.

Early Hours

12x9 oil on panel

Available at Castle Gallery

I did this sketch as an idea for a commissioned painting and decided to go ahead and send it to the gallery for their holiday opening. It looks rather festive! The setting is an Indiana restaurant "Joseph Decuis".

Is Paco In There?

12x9 oil on panel

Available at Castle Gallery

Reframed, signed, varnished and sent to Castle for their Holiday Show opening Dec. 14.
More about the painting here.

No Waiting

 16x16 oil on panel

Available at Castle Gallery

This is an interior view of a Kerrville restaurant "Franciscos" that I like a lot. I painted the sidewalk in front of this restaurant during the Kerrville Outdoor Painter's event in Oct. and that painting won the Quick Draw event. I'll share a better photo of it tomorrow since its also available at the holiday show at Castle Gallery Dec. 14th.

Kitchen Konfab

14x18 oil on panel

Available at Castle Gallery

Castle Gallery will be hosting their annual Holiday Show Saturday, December 14, 6-10pm. From what I hear its always a fun party with great art, yummy food and live music!

This is a recent painting featuring the kitchen of a local Austin restaurant Roaring Fork (great name). I took some liberties with the chef hats - the togues are such fun.

Friday night I was in Marietta at dk Gallery and had a lovely time meeting Donna and her husband, the gallery staff, several of my collectors and some wonderful artists. The gallery is really a unique blend with some really exciting art. Wonderful to meet you all Susan, Holly, Elizabeth, and Jodie!

I am in love with "May-retta" too - lots and lots of painting ideas now!

Jeannie Seated Serendipitously

12x9 oil on paper - work in progress

Tuesday I was finally getting to work - having moved my things into my living room downstairs where it was so sunny and bright - when V called. She was nearby and wanted to see if I could meet at Starbucks. Then her sister called her and we agreed I should focus on my work and she'd visit her sister. THEN she called back and said her sister would like to pose for us if I'd like. Well, of course I liked that!

She sat in my sunny window and we all visited while we sketched.
I am definitely going to finish this up. It's a nice start.

I am in Atlanta - Marietta specifically - come visit with me at dk Gallery tonight 6-9 pm!

Chartres St. Sunset

6x6 oil on panel - sold
$100 + s/h


Revisiting New Orleans in my mind.

***

Upcoming Events:

• December 6: Small Gems show dk Gallery, Marietta, GA
• December 14: Annual Holiday Show, Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN

Carrie's Family

12x9 oil on panel - sold

This is a commissioned piece for a very dear "old" friend. The kiddos are her niece and nephew and I hope I am not spoiling any surprises by sharing this here now. Carrie came to visit me at our Chocolate and Chiaroscuro event. I hadn't seen her in quite a long time. We reminisced about "coming a long way, baby" since our first meeting in Austin as volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. 

I used to have an annual party and forced all our friends (think construction types) to put on suits and nice dresses to come to my little apartment for a Christmas Ball. We had no other reason to dress up so I made my own fancy dress party! Ah, good times. 

Incidentally, I met my husband on the construction site. I saw him walking with a heavy box of nails on his shoulder... he had a good swagger (that we still laugh at today!) He came to my Christmas party that year... cleaned up very nicely. We were engaged the next Christmas and married in April ('00). Ah, even better times.

Carrie sent me this photo to work from. It was a neat composition - right up my alley. ha ha! 

On A Wintry Day - Cafe Scene

6x6 oil on panel - sold
$100 + s/h

Aside from a few commissions this week, I am painting some small works that are perfect for gift giving. I've been debating ways to sell - there are so many options from ETSY to the daily painter's websites/auctions, to a store on my own website. For now, ETSY seems the best bet since there is a whole community or artisans drawing people to the site.

Later in the week, I am heading to Georgia for the opening at dk Gallery Friday night. I am really looking forward to this little excursion. I always enjoy exploring and it will be very nice to meet some of my new collectors. If you live in the Atlanta area, come by on Friday night 6-9 pm.