Wednesday, January 29, 2014

a painter's best friend

small detail of large oil 33.5x48, still in process
Who is the painter's best friend? What do you think?
 For me, it is my trusty razor. Each day I am at the easel I wipe away about half of what I do. Maybe it's too sharp, too thick, too descriptive, too purple, too dark, any of the many toos we can have. Say more with less.
For pastel it's easy, before I leave the easel I wipe with my palm or a tissue. With oil I often go into a scraping frenzy with my trusted razor or give it a rubbing with a paper towel or tissue.
here she is, the well used worker

Monday, January 27, 2014

marketing and the painter

small pastel 9x15, concept for next oil

This week I was fortunate to attend a marketing workshop by Ann Bevans. As a group I would say most painters dislike the idea of marketing. We just want to paint. Selling should just happen. (Right?)
I am not saying I will be changing my ways, but this workshop did pose excellent questions.
Here are a few of Ann's questions to the group.
Define your idea/ concept. What is it? 
Why are you passionate about it? 
What is the potential  and likely impact of your idea? 
What is the value of the impact?  
Next we had to define our audience. Who chooses your work? 
Good things to think about and I will leave you to think. Feel free to share your thoughts via comment. I will post more about this later in the week.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

contrast and a small trick

oil, 12x12

Contrast draws the viewer's eye. That said, there are many different ways to achieve that contrast. You can use value, hue or temperature, or a combination of all three. Value contrast is the strongest worker of the lot, that is why I will check my paintings in photoshop. I simply change the mode to gray scale and I have a tonal check-up. If it looks good there, then I analyze the color.
This painting has gone through so many metamorphoses, finally making it to this. I know the contrast is not super high, but I hope I made it enough to attract the eye of the viewer. I think that there is the reduction of shape, vibration and sense of wanting to know more.
Maybe its next metamorphosis will be growing big. I can see this one 60x60.
It's snowing like crazy outside (yay!)...time to do some snow study.

Monday, January 20, 2014

vibration and the landscape


Having the name for my next show has helped me understand how narrow my focus  really is. Oftentimes I am guilty of just painting without seeing the patterns. Do you know what I mean? The act of writing a title made me realize exactly what I have been thinking about, in a more succinct way. The title, Vibration, Mystery and the Landscape is the point of what I do right now.
This is a large pastel, 36x36 on gator board coated with marble dust and gesso . I began this one about 7 years ago and was never truly completed. One day, about a month ago, it called to me. Although it's not finished. it is finally on the right path.

Monday, January 13, 2014

and the winner is!

 
Unfortunately Baby was slacking tonight, but fortunately Poochers came to the rescue. The Pooch took a moment to rest by the fire then stood up, mixed up all of the paper and picked two. When instructed that her goal was one she spit the extra out. You can click on Poochers show-off photo to read the name. The winner is Laura Campbell, one of my new Facebook friends. Laura, please shoot me a FB message or email to let me know your choice and give me your mailing address.
I am sorry that everyone could not win. Maybe next year!
Thank you so much for all of your comments, emails, likes and just for being there looking at my work.
xo Loriann