Untitled boat

Untitled

 30" x 40"  oil on canvas

“The seed of your next art work lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece. Such imperfections are your guides–valuable, objective, non-judgmental guides to matters you need to reconsider or develop further.” ~David Bayle

Some paintings take longer than others to produce and you never know when you start how the process will unfold.  A painting may almost fall off the knife or I may have to paint and scrape and repaint ad infinitum until that moment arrives when it starts to come together.

Working through what seems like a horrible session only to see that glimmer of recognition of the vision that you originally had. Its oh so easy to give up and try something easier, but there is no learning in that.  Speed and ease should be removed from everyone's vocabulary when painting.  Yes there will be times when both are there, but there will be more times when they are not.

This boat took a fair bit of working and reworking to get it to where I wanted it to go.  I accept that not everything in the creation of art is easy and that's a major step in forward movement.  Instead of abandoning a piece that isn't working as I want it to, I look at why it isn't working and fix those mistakes. Isn't that true of most of life and how to make it more pleasant?

Thickening acrylic paints

As promised, here's a short video on thickening acrylic paint to use in palette knife techniques.  I have another step by step video on using the thickened paints to demonstrate and am in the process of editing and making it available soon.

Enjoy!

Workshop demos

 Orange Slice demo

5" x 7"

Oil on multimedia paper

The teaching adage of  "See One. Do One. Teach One" applies to art workshops as well as any kind of learning.  So aside from explanation of practical technique, participants need to also see how paintings are constructed and then get some practice putting that information into paint application.  Whether they go on to teach one only the future can tell.

I do demonstrations of paintings and drawings at every workshop, some more finished than others, depending on how much time is available due to class size.  I used to be terrified standing up there with expectant eyes on me, waiting for perfection.  But now, I take it in stride, but of course, things don't always go to plan and perfection is rare.

I'm teaching some workshops for Anna Templeton Centre in the city centre.  Its a lovely old (1849) building that used to be The Bank of British North America originally. Full of creaks and quirks befitting its age, it houses arts, crafts and design classes and is a wonderful space to work in. 

Art journalling

Art journalling is a current trend over the last couple of years, turning into big business in some aspects.  Its not fine art, but it explores creativity, colour exploration and drawing skills and encourages non-artists to dip a toe into the world of art.  I've never been a big one for journalling, but always enjoyed sketching.  On impulse I bought a new Moleskine notebook last weekend.  I had used these quite a lot a few years ago and loved the creamy, wax-like paper surface.  Perhaps I should have bought the sketchbook instead of the notebook, as the paper in the notebook is flimsier than the sketchbook and pen marks do show through to the other side, so I will be using one side only unless I decide to coat the pages with gesso if I want a double page.


I'm an abuser of sketchbooks and the Moleskine will be no different.  It just may get a bit more abuse in terms of media and additions to pages.  I don't view sketchbooks or journals as precious and "mistakes" should be embraced and shown as part of the process.  Not everything will be fit for consumption, but some will be catalysts for paintings and further exploration.

Journals are a way to escape, be creative, work out ideas and release inner thoughts.  An entry can take as little or as much time as you have available and become a colourful way of recording your view on the world.  You don't need to be an artist to keep an art journal, but any time spent creating can only be beneficial if you're heading down that creative road.

I'm going to try to do something in the journal each day until its filled, then see where I go from there.  I have several sketch books for general drawing but the journal will be a little different, a little more personal.

Attention seeking

You've worked on a painting, joined all the social media avenues, have a blog, have a website, but can't seem to get eyes on your work.  How do you get your work to stand out in the giant sea of "art" that is now available online?  With a recession biting hard at our heels, at least in Canada, it becomes more of a challenge to seek attention from the right people and make sales.

Drawing tips for success

 Tea Bag

charcoal and white pastel on Canson paper

There is such a rush with some beginning artists to want to have a finished piece completed in such a short time.  Unfortunately, that usually isn't the case and frustration bubbles up when it doesn't look as anticipated.

Drawing consists of a number of stages that need to follow in order for the drawing to be successful.

1.  Decide on the size of your drawing so that it fits on the paper.

Running out of space on a page is a common problem for beginners.  By marking boundaries for the top,  bottom and sides of the space you want the drawing to reside in, eliminates this problem.

2.  Measure the size of the objects so they are in proportion.

Each subject has a specific height and width in the picture and establishing a basic unit of measurement provides the tool to ensure the the object is in proportion and ensures it is in proportion to other objects in the reference.

3.  Block in the basic geometric shapes that you see in the subject.

 All objects, when brought down to a basic shape, are made up from geometric shapes:  circle, square, rectangle, triangle or cylinder.  Look closely at your subject and establish the broadest shapes.

4.  Start to define shapes more accurately.

Once basic shapes are in place, its time to start refining those shapes to reflect the subject more accurately.  Use an H pencil and light pressure for all construction lines, so they can be easily erased or incorporated into the drawing.

5.  Block in values.

Establish light, dark and mid values.  These provide the form to the subject.  Value mapping is drawing the shapes of values and provide a guide for adding values to your drawing.

6.  Refine values.

Mid values are the most difficult for beginning artists to see.  These are the ranges between very dark and very light and can have several values between the two extremes.  Careful observation is crucial to see and understand the subtle value changes in a subject.

7.  Add detail. 

Jumping in with detail or highlights too soon in a drawing gives you a false sense that the piece is finished.  Sharp details of light and dark and highlights should be the very last thing you add to a drawing.  If added too soon, it's almost guaranteed that you will draw over them.  Again and again and again before the drawing is complete.

8.  Be patient. 

A drawing takes as long as a drawing takes.  There is no prize for finishing quickly.  Build the drawing slowly, step by step.   80% of time should be spent looking at the subject, 20% drawing.  Observation is so important to achieve work you are happy with.

9.  Practice.

Along with observation, practice is the most valuable method of becoming proficient at drawing.  No amount of art materials, reading art instruction books, watching DVDs, admiring other drawings, or taking workshops will give you the skills that practice will.   Without practicing drawing skills, progress will be minimal and diminish over time.

Practice.  Every day. Even when you don't want to.

Where do cows come from?

 Under A Clear Blue Sky - SOLD

8" x 8"  oil on panel

No, its not one of those "Mommy, where do babies come from" posts.  This is about the origins of the current domestic cow.  Now this is something you're either interested in knowing, or you've just hit the home button to get you out of this post.

Having lived on a dairy farm for a number of years and having the "maternity" field right next to the house on the farm, I was interested in cows, their behaviour and their personalities.  Yes, they do have personalities just like any other animal.  Some would have names, but a lot were just "cow" as there were so many of them.

Crasher, so named as she would pace up and down the hedgeline looking for an escape route.  Once spotting a weakness the the growth, she'd crash through then stand on the other side wondering how to get back into the field again.

Or Lofty, a full two hands taller than the other cows in the field, so always recognizable and acting somewhat superior because of her height.

Sally was the old matriarch.  Now barren, but still in with the rest of the herd, she'd try claiming every new calf as her own and was always in trouble for it with a new cow mother.

But back to the origins of cows.

From a herd of approximately 80 domesticated in southeast Turkey about 10,500 years ago, the current bovines have been domesticated from a now-extinct species of wild ox, known as aurochs, which roamed across Europe and Asia. Those cattle were then bred into the 1.4 billion cattle estimated by the UN to exist in mid-2011.


The original wild oxen (aurochs) were fierce and 1.5 or 2 times larger than the current domestic cow.  Rumour was that a hunter or traveller would sooner face anything but a wild cow.

There, you now have your "did you know?" coffee break conversation for Monday morning.

Internal Fire

Internal Fire 

11" x 14"     Oil on masonite

Work in Progress

Reflections are the keystone of all my paintings, whether water surrounding a boat or the environment seen through glass or reflected on metal.   The challenge of finding the shapes and colours to slot into place to create that magical effect never loses its interest for me.

I've painted and drawn glass before, as in this post, and these tended to be isolated studies of glass, but thought I'd go a step further with an interior scene.  I haven't done a lot with interiors but the play of light on surfaces provides interesting subject matter.  Mariana Gamboa kindly donated an image that was too enticing to resist.

Glass, like any other object, is a series of shapes, light and shadow.  Beginners often find it intimidating, but I believe that is more about the initial perceived complexity.  When broken down into smaller sections and looking carefully at the changes in values and colours, it becomes easier.  Of course, the more complex the piece, the longer it can take and rushing to finish something is a good recipe for frustration.

This piece is done with a palette knife and my favourite colours - golds and turquoises.  The painting is at the point now where details and little adjustments can be made to bring it to completion.

He loves me, he loves me not...

 Happy  

6" x 8"  acrylic on panel  - SOLD

I find it difficult to get back into the routine in the studio after a bit of a break.  Christmas disrupts schedules, but in a good way, all that food disrupts my waistline in a bad way, but it is all under control now.  The gym, a Fitbit to keep me motivated and painting underway gets 2016 off to a good start.

I've returned to the studio schedule this week and am playing around with some acrylics using a palette knife.  Even the heavy body acrylics are not thick enough for me, being so used to working with oils, so I add Liquitex  LiquithickThickening Gel to give them some bulk. This is a transparent, gel additive which dries to a matte finish.  It is mixed in small quantities with acrylics to achieve the inpasto texture that oil paints provide, making it suitable for palette knife work.

I have a love/hate relationship with acrylics.  I love that they dry fast.  I hate that they dry fast. I don't like the slight change in colour on drying, so have to remember to bump up the value or I get a paled version when the piece dries.  Fortunately, its easy to paint over, but when you've created that perfect colour/stroke, its frustrating to have to re-do a section. For palette knife work, similar effects can be achieved as with oils, but a bit more planning is required due to the nature of the beast.

I think I'll work on a tutorial on using acrylics with a palette knife for my January video demo.  I'm going to produce a video demo once a month on a drawing or painting technique, so this will be the first of twelve.  I'll go into the process in more depth and work step by step through a small painting using acrylics with a knife and medium.

You can watch previous videos on my YouTube Channel.  If you subscribe, you'll be notified when a new tutorial is posted.  This tutorial is on sharpening a pencil.  You thought you knew how?  Maybe, maybe not.  This is how we were instructed on sharpening a pencil when learning to draw and mechanical sharpeners were banned from the studios.

Unwrapping 2015

 
After the other gifts have been unwrapped and admired and the last of the chocolates found their way to my hips, I've left the best present for last.  My review of the year that has passed.  Its a long post, so grab a drink and a comfy chair while the new year rolls in and celebrate another year passed and an opportunity to fulfil your dreams in 2016.

Looking back over successes and failures, learning and growing, networking and evolving, a review helps me cement ideas, celebrate what worked and try to learn from what didn't.  It forges a bridge to the next year that is based on knowledge and experience, with a little "what the hell, let's try it anyway" thinking.

I break my review down into categories that are consistent with my business objectives as I am then measuring apples against apples to see what progress has been made.

My 2015 business plan, at least the one for public consumption, was vague and my review of 2014 pretty non existent, aside from my favourites pick for the year. My mother had died just before last Christmas and my mind wasn't wrapped around much more than dealing with all that entails as well as finishing pieces and preparation for the Wooden Boats solo exhibition in June.

Ok, let's have a look at what the year looked like.

Production

Without production, there are no sales.  Without sales, there is no art business.  And yes, art IS a business.

Career change

At the end of February 2015 I transitioned from a full time day job to a full time professional artist. this move took time and planning before making the decision to switch.  As the lifestyle and paycheque for an artist can be variable, there has to be a lot of planning done before jumping into the ring.   Decisions around finances, lifestyle, accommodation to working from home, building the art business, etc. all must be considered carefully.  Its not a career for everyone and my background in nonprofit management served me well from a business perspective, but it was difficult managing work and an art career.  I think sleep became an option for quite awhile!

Written Resources

I created a book that accompanied the Wooden Boats project.  I made hard copies available to individual who purchased a painting from the series and also made the book available online as a download or to purchase as a hard copy.

Online Drawing Workshop

I have written the final drafts of  a series of five modules for an online drawing workshop with sketches completed.  Filming and narration will be completed in 2016.  This was on hold for most of the year with issues around filming and finances, but looks like full steam ahead for the future.

Introduction to Palette Knife Painting

I removed the Introduction to Palette Knife Painting from circulation on Amazon and have completed a draft outline for a comprehensive how-to book on palette knife painting.  This project will be worked on as time allows over 2016 with a hope for publication in 2017.

The Gyotaku Project book

The Gyotaku Project hard copy book has also been removed from circulation and is available only as an e-book through Blurb.

Colour Theory Supplement

I developed a 21 page colour theory supplement that accompanies my colour workshops.  This is tweaked and amended as I delve further into colour and ultimately I will make it available online.

Visibility

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" is a philosophical thought experiment that raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality.

If a painting is created and no one sees it but the creator of the painting, does it exist?

Mailing list

Studio News was sent out monthly during 2015 with occasional additional mailings for special events or offers.

My mailing list subscribers increased by 32% through direct invitations, social media teasers and a popup on my blog.

Social Media

I continued my social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and (less frequently) Instagram.  I have a personal page on Facebook as well as a business page, where most of my art and art related information is located.

Media 

The Telegram

Tara Bradbury of The Telegram interviewed me about my solo exhibit on Wooden Boats in June. You can read the interview here.

CBC National news 

In July I was asked to participate in a national CBC series: Voters of Canada.  The project consisted of interviews with Canadians with no political affiliation from a variety of professions who would speak about issues they felt were important in the upcoming election.  I was the representative artist and the resulting interview can be seen here.  The image below shows the producer in the studio filming the painting I was working on at the time - Red Boat.

 Artist Talk – Wooden Boats, June 2015 - Peter Lewis Gallery, St. John's, NL

On June 13th, I gave an artist's talk about the process and background of creating the Wooden Boat series.  Many thanks to VANL for coordinating the talk at the gallery. The talk was well attended, fueled perhaps by me bringing homemade lemon bars for snacks!

 

Exhibitions

• Solo exhibition –Wooden Boats, June 12 - 26, 2015 - Peter Lewis Gallery, St. John's, NL
• Group exhibition - Eclectic Eight – December 5 - 19, 2015 - Peter Lewis Gallery, St. John's, NL
• Arts & Letters Awards - Meritorious entry - Coming of Age - The Rooms  April  - May 2015
• Five Island Gallery, Tors Cove  - Group Exhibition  May - October 2015
• The Glass Studio, Rocky Harbour - June - September 2015

Coming of Age  12" x 12"  oil on panel  NFS

Pouch Cove Open Studios

In August, I took part in the Pouch Cove Open Studio event.  This is a two day event where Pouch Cove area artists and artisans open their homes and studios to the public to showcase their work. This year I was one of the two artists from Flatrock who participated. Over the two days I had 85 visitors to my studio with a variety of backgrounds and interests from collectors to artists and people visiting the province.

Colouring Sheets

In December I created eight colouring sheets of fish and boats and made them available for free download on my website. 

Ottlite easel lamp review  

 In March 2015 I completed a review on my blog of the Ottlite Easel Lamp.  You can read the review on my blog post  Into The Light.

New Website

In March I bit the bullet and created a new website and also changed site hosts to a less expensive one.  With the current exchange rate between Canadian and US dollars, it wasn't economic to work with the previous host.  I still have the same (and better, in my opinion) functions but with a cleaner look and more easily navigable site layout with purchasing options for paintings and all at a better annual hosting price.

Red, White and Blue

24" x 30" oil on masonite

Available from Five Island Art Gallery

Financials

 Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.

Andy Warhol

In a nutshell, its been a good year.  With a solid business plan, lots of hard work, marketing and taking some risks, I'm happy with the outcome.

I hired an accountant to work on art business financials.  That took a load off my plate and was money well spent to leave taxes and financial dealings to the professionals.  

There was a 34% increase in revenue overall

-          51% increase in sales revenue

-          Teaching revenue was down 9% from 2014. This reduction was due to my cancellation of summer sessions to allow me to do workshops in other regions and research potential painting sites as well as travel outside the province.

The NLAC art grant which was received to complete the Wooden Boats series was finalized and reported.  As usual, the costs over ran the actual grant amount which was not the full amount requested due to funding changes.

Art pricing was raised 5% - 10% in gallery, studio and online sales.  An annual increase is the norm for most professional artists and reflects productivity, artist value and increases collectors' investment purchases.
 

Evie Rose

Art production

79 paintings created

-          27 large paintings

-          52 small paintings

-          Daily sketching, pencil, pen and wash or oils

Painting sales  

84 paintings sold

• Gallery sales – (23% of sales)
• Artist Studio Sales - (33% sales) 
• Etsy Store - (44% total sales) 

Workshops

I spread my wings further afield to deliver workshops in 2015.

-Flatrock Studio - workshops & private classes – drawing & painting

-St. John’s (Anna Templeton Centre) – Introduction to Palette Knife Painting

-Carbonear – Colour Theory

-Rocky Harbour - Gyotaku

 

What I need to work on

As with all of the best laid plans, they don't always come to fruition.  I've learned over the past year to pace myself and not spread myself so thinly so that I get stressed.  I left that behind when I left the day job!  In 2016 I am reducing the number of workshops I'll be offering to allow me more studio and marketing time.

I can procrastinate with the best.  I have to concentrate on one task at a time, and I know it spurs me to have a deadline biting at my heels. Instead of nibbling a bit here and there, I need to take on a single project and complete it without interruption, then go on to the next.  Of course, as an artist, we know that's not always possible as there are many tasks  pulling at us from all directions.

The Bagger - SOLD

6" x 8"  oil on panel

What's coming in 2016

I'll be offering a demo in an aspect of drawing or painting once a month on my YouTube Channel.  I've neglected the channel over the past year and really need to develop the interaction that video provides.  Make sure you subscribe on my channel so you don't miss any.

I have a pet project that I will be working on this year.  All I can tell you is that it involves a boat and a Victorian painting. I know, frustrating isn't it?

I will be creating a new series of boat paintings in Newfoundland towns.  I'd like to explore some night/twilight settings to see the changes in value and colour as light fades.

I'll push the Online Drawing Workshop to completion in 2016.  Accessing appropriate filming and editing services is challenging in terms of time and money.  I'll be pursuing ways of completing and delivering the best product for you to use. 

As of February 1, 2016  HST will be added to purchases of classes and paintings.