Abstract Art

Same Blues, Stronger Composition in Latest Painting on Paper

I began with the same blues in this acrylic painting on paper as the last one (see previous post), but I used stronger, more fluid brush strokes.  While most of the colors came straight out of the tube, by blending and contrasting them with white and parchment, the effect is strong without being overbrearing.  At least, that was my intent! 

Drawing lines with Prussian Blue helped complete the overall effect.  Which painting would you choose?

   Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 18" x 24"

 

New Contemporary Paintings Now on Website

It always feels like an accomplishment to get new art up on my website.  A few days ago I added eight new paintings on paper to the Contemporary Art Gallery, and to my Catalog of Horizontal Paintings as well.  I like to offer visitors a number of ways to find what they are looking for. 

Here's a sampling of the new paintings I added:

  Contemporary Art Four, 24" x 18" Acrylic on Paper.

  Contemporary Art One, 24" x 18" Acrylic on Paper.

Contemporary Painters Show Their Art in Open Studios This Weekend

This is the last weekend to visit 56 artists in their studios on the Greater Ithaca Art Trail.  Of course, you can make an appointment to visit any of us year round, but on these two weekends in October, all studios are open at once and no appointment is necessary.

Today I'm featuring contemporary painters on the trail:

Erica Pollock:  Oil paintings taking a pedestrian view of people and places in urban environments.

Yvonne Piburn:  "Finding beauty in all things common, I respond to color and the power it holds in creating mood."

Nari Mistry:  Landscapes in bold colors express my vision of subjects that inspire me.

Mary Beth Ihnken:  "I am a professional muralist and decorative painter."

Patty Porter:  "I am an expressive realistic painter."

Leslie K. Brill:  "The gorgeous trees of Ithaca have inspired my oil paintings, which range from representational to interpretive."

Organizing Your Art Business: Artists Tend to Procrastinate

While my first priority is making my abstract paintings, if I don't pay attention to my art business, they will simply pile up in my studio.  This Fall I have a museum show coming up at the Cayuga Museum of History and Art, as well as two group shows.  This means careful scheduling to drop off art, hang the show, prepare giveaway materials and price lists, get my thoughts together for an art talk, etc.

Most artists want to focus on their art and not have to worry about the business end.  We'd all be happy if we could play with paint or clay in our studios all day and let someone else do the marketing. Unfortunately, only a tiny percentage of artists alive today have the luck to be in this position.  The rest of us have to hustle. 

In any case, I finally got around to putting everything I need to do on my calendar, making to-do lists, and checking them off.  I feel better now. 

New Abstract Paintings Posted on Website

It always feels good to complete a group of paintings and put them up on my website.  This new group of eighteen vertical abstract paintings appear in Gallery 5.  Here are a couple samples:

   Whim Win Situation, 18" x 24" on paper

   Tracking Hope, 18" x 24" on paper

Speaking of hope, I woke up this morning feeling much better.  The horrible funk I've been in lately has lifted, for no apparent reason. 

Painting with Acrylics on Watercolor Blocks

I used up all my 22" x 30" watercolor paper, so today I started painting on Arches watercolor blocks.  The important thing, when you're painting on paper, is that the paper not curl up.  When using sheets, I tape them to pegboard, removing the tape only when the paintings are completely dry.  With watercolor blocks, the sheets of paper are attached to a heavy board on the edges, and you remove them one by one after a completed painting dries.  The blocks are stiff enough to set on an easel, which is how I paint.

I paint on these blocks "to the edge," which means they end up with no white space around them like my paintings on paper sheets (when the tape is removed, it leaves a white border).  That's why I now prefer the sheets, but in these economic times I can't afford to buy more supplies before I use up the ones I have.

One of the 18 x 24 blocks I have is "hot-pressed" which gives the paper a smooth flat surface.  The other is "cold-pressed" which means it has a rough texture.  The paint has a slightly different effect on each surface.

My first effort on the watercolor block is very loose:

   Nave of Hearts, 18" x 24"

The vulnerabilities of contemporary artists: scams and bad deals, part 3

Some of the most disappointing deals I've gotten involved in when trying to sell my contemporary paintings have been through honest, well-meaning people.  Just because someone loves your art and thinks they can sell it, does not mean it is going to happen that way. 

A few years ago a very nice retired couple from Canada drove to my studio to see my art after viewing it on my website.  They were planning to immigrate to one of the islands in the Bahamas, where the wife would become a designer and sell art.  She was also planning to manufacture handbags with printed images of art, and she was in love with my paintings.

Obviously this woman was over her head with these projects.  The fact that she thought my art would "sell like hotcakes" on the island, and that her handbags would be a great success, meant nothing.  She had no experience selling art or handbags. 

These were lovely, well-meaning people, but I wasted a lot of time and energy shipping my art back and forth, preparing images and promotional materials, etc.  I was very fortunate that I did not lose actual cash, and that I received my paintings back safely at the end of the failed experiment.

No matter how much someone says they love your art, think carefully before getting involved if they do not have a track record selling art.