Doing a commission

When I first start a commission, I use a plastic portfolio such 
as the red one you see here.  I put the person's name on it
written on a piece of tape (I haven't done it here!).  Then I place
every bit of data and photos and sketches in it as I work on the
piece.  That way the bits and pieces do not get lost and I can
immediately locate what I need to do the work, as well as to go
over things with the client as the work proceeds.


I own several of these portfolios.  As soon as the work is done,
I remove the tape and put the things that were in it in a file folder
should I ever need to refer to it in the future.

Plans for the New Year!

Do you feel like this in regard to making plans, yet again?
The New Year being a reason to revisit what you are doing?
I say fie on it all, just continue what you were doing and do more
of it and better!


Happy New Year!  (Get up Lucy, I'm trying to write here...)

Look Up!

Just a Christmas related tip to all of you artists!
You never know where there will be something interesting
to paint or draw!
So look up as well as around you and
SEE what is there!
Merry Christmas and here is to a New Year
of wonderful creating!

Schedules for artists - HA!

OK, so people who work for a living start at some time on the clock and quit at some time on that same clock. How little that has to do with my life as an artist.

I used to feel embarrassed when people asked me if I painted every day. Now I just say no and I've figured out how I work.....in mad spurts! I get some things going and suddenly I can't do anything BUT work on them, paint them. I think about them when I'm cooking dinner, about to go to sleep, daydreaming out the window at my computer desk. But they consume me until they are finished. Then I don't have anything to do that remotely resembles a painting schedule.

There is a point where suddenly it grabs me that I haven't been creating new work for a while (a few weeks? a month?) and I get itching to start the next work. And I do.

Just don't talk to me about a painting schedule. I don't have one, never did.

Get more than your feet wet!

To what main characteristic do I attribute success? The persistence factor. That is, NEVER give up.

This leads me to consider that when we really step into an area with both feet and live in that realm, possibilities and ideas just are not hard to come up with because we immerse ourselves in what we have chosen to do. It is, to me, one of the key ingredients of creativity. You can't just skim across, you have to get in and swim! (I'm hopelessly addicted to analogies as you see!).

Good composition

Here you can see the elements of a good compositional set-up. It was done by one of my students before she started her painting. There is good variety of the major things one needs to be aware of. Good tone or value variety, good differences in shapes and sizes and good colors as well! There is also a good arrangement of these shapes such as the lighter bowl against the dark rooster. If the bowl were against the background, it wouldn't show up so well since it is close in tone to the background.

Always be on the lookout

 

 

I took these photos when I was in my local mega-sized hardware store. I carry my camera with me at all times because I never know when such an opportunity may come up for a painting idea. These were so beautiful! Don't know if I'll ever paint them, but you get the idea. Stay on the lookout! Noticing possible subjects for a painting is your stock in trade!