Captured moments

A quick sketch allows me to capture a moment in time, similar to the way a camera does, but with a longer exposure time. Sketching more quickly provides training in putting down lines economically and removes hesitation, allowing me to become more relaxed in how I draw.

This is the barn waking up. The horse was cranky as the ducks were in her way. I couldn't figure out if she was going to bite them or set them up for a drop kick. Neither happened and they resolved that early morning tetchiness without coming to blows.

Technorati tags: sketching, moleskine, sketchbook, barn

Sketching

There is a new Drawing 102 class at Wet Canvas on sketching, led by Katherine Tyrell

I have admired Katherine's work for a long time and view her blog on a daily basis, gleaning information constantly. Katherine's blog is linked to mine on the right hand side of this page or through the link in this paragraph.

I will be reading the text of the sketching class and participating whenever I can during the next two weeks. Sketching comes more easily the more you practice and the skill of drawing under the scrutiny of the public grows also.

I did a couple of sketches tonight, but not live ones so they won't go into the new sketching class thread. These were more loosening up exercises, having been out of the loop for a few days due to work demands.

Animals and people always appeal to me, so are my first choice in drawings.


Technorati Tags: sketching, molelskine, art

Solitude

I've spent the last 5 days in a whirlwind of activity related to work. It has been brutal at times in terms of workload and time consumed. It has eaten away at any semblance of private life and removed 99% of my drawing time and a similar amount of my time to write this blog.

I am a solitary person by nature and enjoy time to myself to think and draw and refocus my thoughts about life and work and people. The constant pace and unceasing numbers of people around me, demanding my attention, really wear me down. By yesterday, I could feel my mind and body reacting in a non positive way to the stress of constant demands. I found my ability to concentrate on people or conversations diminishing, along with my patience.

It didn't help that the weather has been miserable for a week and the one bright sunny day was the one that I was in 12 hour meetings so saw the sun only through a window and felt it briefly on my skin in a lunchtime quest for fresh air. Today, its the same dull grey sky. I can really see how being deprived of light depresses the mind and creates weight to the body. It will have to change eventually, just soon I hope!

I have dropped my friend at the airport at 6am this morning (it seems as if every day has started at 5am for the last week) and have come to work to make a start on the work coming out of these last few days while its quiet. I'll go home early and try to catch up on some drawing, some sleep and some solitude.


Technorati tags: solitude, art, drawing,

Pricing your work

This is a pen and ink stipple drawing that I started months ago but didn't get around to completing. Several people have seen it and were interested in it, asking what I would charge for it. I really don't know. I have ball park figures for art, and use a sort of size/medium formula, working on a per square inch in most instances. However, I always wonder if that is the correct way, if I'm charging enough or too much

What to charge for art is a constant question for many artists. You don't want to undersell yourself, but you also need to ensure that you don't price yourself out of the local market that you are targeting.

From The Painter's Keys a 'Ten Commandments of Pricing' caused a lot of discussion.

Artists young and old--particularly those who have the intention of staying in the game--ought to strategize for the big picture and honour their strategy with Biblical tenacity. Here are the Ten Commandments of art pricing:

Thou shalt start out cheap.
Thou shalt publish thy prices.
Thou shalt raise thy prices regularly and a little.
Thou shalt not lower thy prices.
Thou shalt not have one price for Sam and another for Joe.
Thou shalt not price by talent or time taken, but by size.
Thou shalt not easily discount thy prices.
Thou shalt lay control on thy agents and dealers.
Thou shalt deal with those who will honour thee.
Thou shalt end up expensive.

I did a little research and found a couple of links that are a good jumping off place for further reading and thinking.

From Self Representing Artists, another view on pricing.

Alan Bamburger's article on Pricing Art Realistically

There are as many articles and discussion on pricing as there are pieces of art.

Technorati Tags: pricing your art, drawing

Meetings

A while back I tried my hand at a miniature drawing. So many people were talking about ACEOs (art cards, editions and originals)that I thought I'd see if I could work on this scale and produce something recognizable. Here it is.

These days are filled with meetings, but never the ones that I want with the people that I want to meet. Instead I am confined to rooms discussing programming and marketing and processes and policy - all things that have their uses but my mind would rather float into the past or future of my memories or imagination.

A colleague is in town from Ottawa and is staying at my house. We get along well, almost too well at times, so work isn't the chore that it could be. We connect on a different level, that is rare, but when it does happen, it is to be treasured, either in life or work. The next few days will be a whirlwind of meetings and activity until Monday takes her away again and brings back a semblance of normality to life once more.

Blogger has been difficult the last couple of days and won't load images, so tonight's may have to wait for another time. However, I will try. There have been similar problems with Blogger in the past and it becomes frustrating when you're trying to update regularly. Perhaps its time to consider Plan 'B' - a back up blog site in case this one decides to take a nosedive.

Also, the ocnsideration of archiving all those posts, photos and drawings. I haven't really considered it til now. What do I do with them? I write as the mood takes me and I don't save copies so I am trusting the ether to ensure that my words are always there and available. I should not be so naieve and back them up I believe.

Technorati tags: meetings, friends, backup