photo taken at Daffodil Hill in northern California by the author, Linda C Smith
I love spring and summer. And early autumn. Those are my favorite times of year seasonally - which, I guess, is pretty much most of the year.
Early spring has a specialness all its own because the greens are shiney and sweet and flowers you only see at that time come into their own. One such is the daffodil. There is a special place in Amador County in northern California known as Daffodil Hill. From their website: "...Daffodil Hill is a ranch owned by the McLaughlin family since 1887...The McLaughlin’s descendants have continued to personally plant several thousand new bulbs a year...It is estimated that today, Daffodil Hill is carpeted with approximately 300,000 bulbs when in full bloom...."
This year I had the joy of going 'up' to Daffodil Hill last week with friends and - oh my! - the hills were ablaze with blooms! Talk about hitting the floral lottery! Nearly all the daffodils [plus some tulips and hyacinths] were in full and glorious bloom. And, you know me, I don't leave my camera at home, so I
photo taken at Daffodil Hill in northern California by the author, Linda C Smith
got a few great photos. The ones here are untouched [meaning I haven't done any 'art-y' things to them yet] but you can see how gorgeous it was.
So what does this have to do with spring cleaning? And business? Well, this artist is making a few changes in her business. I don't know what your profession or job is, but mine is all about creating things and that process takes the resource of Time just about more than any other resource. As part of this year's business review [you do review your own business practices each year don't you?] I tried to track down where exactly various resources were going and how they were being used. Part of that examination resulted in:
making my website the 'go to' place for all online marketing and information as regards my art business and activities
discovering that I don't need two places for a blog
what role a blog ought to play in my business
There were other results such as calendaring photo trips, times for working on mosaics and times for working on digital art works.
The important news in this vein for this post is to announce a new blog home - one that is, indeed, part of my website [www.LindaCSmithFineArt.com]. This new blog will be a place to: announce new artworks, describe the artistic process, report on events and shows in which my work appears and any art-related news/views that catchs my eye. You can read the first post here.
Here's a few more photos from my trip to Daffodil Hill and I hope to 'see' you at my new blog home.
photo taken at Daffodil Hill in northern California by the author, Linda C Smith
photo taken at Daffodil Hill in northern California by the author, Linda C Smith
photo taken at Daffodil Hill in northern California by the author, Linda C Smith
Best Tuna Sandwich by Linda - photo by the author, Linda C Smith
Here we go again...bringing food into an artist's blog. Well, gotta tell you, I think cooks, chefs - anyone really who delights in expressing creativity through eatables are artists too. So, this post is about the best tuna sandwich I've ever eaten and guess what? I made it myself.
There is a story about why I ended up with this sandwich. Last week I took a little trip south of my community, driving about three hours. I had business in the Bay Area [California] so did an overnight at a hotel. On day two, before heading back home, I had a bit of time so decided to visit some artwork I'd done over a year ago that is installed at a medical center. I hadn't seen the two mosaics in their home and wanted to see how they had been installed and take a few photos for my files. That done, I got on the freeway to go back north.
Lunch time rolled around while I was still driving so I pulled off into a spot that offered several restaurants. The one I chose called itself "American" food. Okay, I thought. Sounds good. The interior of the place was nice - in an okay sort of way. Since it was mid-afternoon by this time, there were few other patrons and I appreciated the quiet. I took a look through the menu, noting that it was rather pricey, but not too bad. Hm, I thought, tuna salad sandwich. I don't usually order tuna when out but for some reason this seemed like a good idea.
The presentation wasn't bad. Presentation? You know what I mean...how it's arranged on the plate, what you get with it...that sort of thing. It was a generous serving of tuna salad, I will say that. The bread roll was okay - only a tad on the dry side. But the flavor just wasn't there. All said, all done, it was a rather pedestrian tuna salad sandwich. Oh well.
Back on the road again and about an hour and a half to go before I would pull into my driveway, I began to think about that sandwich. It occurred to me that I could make a better one. My plan was to put a couple cans of tuna packed in water on my shopping list. Then as I thought more, I wondered what it would taste like to make a tuna salad sandwich using "actual" tuna. What a concept! I decided to buy some tuna steaks, cook them, cool them, flake them and make my tuna salad with that. [lot of nutrition in "real" ahi tuna!]
Two days later...voila! Here's what I used and what I did:
1. I bought a package [frozen] of ahi tuna steaks. The package I got had three small steaks in it. After thawing them thoroughly, I dried them with paper towels. Then I sprayed them with olive oil and sprinkled them with my favorite herb seasonings [just a little - you use your own favorite seasonings]. I
did this to both sides of the steaks, then wrapped them tightly in foil. I put the foil packet on a baking sheet and baked at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. This was plenty of time to cook the steaks. When done I let them cool completely.
2. After the tuna steaks were cool I flaked them with a fork. Cool! When done looked just like when you open a can of tuna and flake the contents only this seemed meatier somehow.
3. My recipe for tasty tuna salad:
flaked tuna
finely chopped/diced celery
finely chopped/diced onion
mayo
a sprinkle of salt, pepper and more of my favorite herb seasoning
I didn't put amounts because I think it's a personal thing. Mix in some, taste, mix some more.
When the salad part was done I made the sandwich with a soft, fresh french roll. I spread a bit of mayo on each side and loaded some shredded lettuce [I used romaine] on one side. I heaped tuna salad on the lettuce; put the second side of bread on the tuna and you're done.
The senior software engineer guy loved it! I know because he told me...and he never mentions the meal unless it especially impresses his taste buds. A winner.
Who doesn't think the Mona Lisa is an exquisite work of art? Anyone? Anyone? Here's a question to think about: is the Mona Lisa truly an incredible work of art? or, is it an incredible work of art because someone at sometime said it was and we all kind of just agree?
What do I think? I happen to subscribe to the school of thought that holds that da Vinci was a genius but the Mona Lisa isn't my favorite of his works. Mine is actually "Lady with an Ermine;" I find it much more beautiful and colorful.
Here's another question: have you ever been to an art show or gallery and seen works that entrance you? Have you looked at other works that leave you scratching your head and wondering why they were included because, to your mind, any 5-year old could do that? Why do you suppose this is?
I have always held that Art is subjective: for any given piece of art [visual, print, sound] its value is held in the eyes of the beholder...mainly. I guess then, if enough people hold the same general opinion an art work could be given the moniker of outstanding. I found a great article at the blog Focus On the Artist, titled, "Buying a Painting: How Do I Know If an Artwork Is Good?" Article author Carolyn Henderson wrote:
"...it is difficult for the average person to know the difference between good art and bad.
And do not be misled — just as there are good movies and bad movies, and well written books and poorly plotted ones — there are standards by which one can call one painting excellent, and another one, not so excellent.
The problem is, the standards differ depending upon who is talking. The modern expressionist art movement dominated the conversation in the room for most of the 20th century, drowning out sensible questions like, 'That is a large red square with a yellow line going through the middle and a blue dot on either side, and it looks like something my eight-year-old could draw. So why is that painting ‘better’ art than the ocean picture with waves that not only look like waves, but seem as if they are splashing in my face?'...."
That's my point exactly! So why did van Gogh sell only one painting during his lifetime? Didn't people like his work? [Is it all a matter of marketing?] He painted some 900 works and me, I love his work. For me they "work." I found a segment that 60 Minutes Overtime did with reporter Morely Safer titled, "Take a walk through van Gogh's masterpieces." Take a look, it's really cool:
Back to my initial question: how do you know whan an art piece works?
I'm an artist and as part of my business I participate in shows and art festivals in my area. I love setting up my booth and engaging the public about all things art. When someone buys something I've done I notice that they do so because they are drawn to it for some reason. Here's some of them:
one painting I sold was to a person who said the colors I used made her feel "happy"
another painting I sold...the buyer told me she liked my sense of design
yet another work sold because the buyer was entranced by the technique I used in my work
People see different things and are attracted to different things. There is no way you can teach someone to love Art. Whoa! I know what you're thinking. Yes, you can teach people to recognize techniques and color theories and you can describe [convince?] people that certain painters' works are worth $1 million because so-and-so gallery deemed them of value. However, and it's a big HOWEVER, I maintain that every person can look at an art piece and decide for themselves if it 'works.'
Here's an example. See the photo to the left? It's actually a painting done on a door. I wrote about it last March when on a short vacation to San Jose [CA]. I was walking from our hotel to the San Jose art museum and my attention was arrested, grabbed, by this painting. It worked for me. Why? It had 1) energy, 2) striking use of color, 3) attention-grabbing design elements and 4) it 'spoke' to me. I swear it did! Yes, the professional artist in me recognized the salient points of technique, color wheel use and sheer talent, but the 'regular me' thought it was just too cool. So, in a word, it "works."
When I was in college I took several art appreciation classes among the other art technique and literature classes. It was in my sophomore year that I studied the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe. Immediately I knew this was an artist whose work spoke to my psyche - it's as if my artistic muse and hers spoke the very same language: color and form. In December 2009, I wrote a post about "Why
Georgia O'Keeffe's work inspires me." I said, in part, "...Ms. O'Keeffe work, most especially the flowers, show me the possible in how we could convey the incredible intensities of nature through 2-dimensionality: paint on support...." The photo at right is one I took of my own copy of a book ["Georgia O'Keeffee-One Hundred Flowers" edited by Nicholas Callaway] that the senior software engineer put under the tree for me one Christmas. [Love that man!]
I came across another video I found on Forbes.com about how to value art. I found it interesting and relevant [to a point]. It briefly talks about the difference between purchasing/selling art for collecting purposes and donating art. The person being interviewed talks about "wall power." Take a gander:
Here's my best input on the whole art collecting thing:
Buy what you like; what draws you in and what speaks to you
Don't be influenced by what the marketplace says or doesn't say - the 'marketplace' is not a person
Realize that you can express your creative impluses by the art you choose to put in your home or office
My very own cookbook bookshelf. photo by author Linda C Smith
I recently cleaned up my cookbook bookshelf. I know, 'big news' you're thinking! Well, for me it was because until yesterday morning this shelf had, besides the books you see above, a bunch of magazines, magazine pages crammed here and there and a few other books I had to say to, 'what was I thinking?' The other reason I cleaned it up is that the senior software engineering guy and I are in the process of house hunting here in the northern California community we relocated
to a bit over a year ago. See the photo with all the boxes at left? Well looks like we'll have to reload them again. Only this time we'll go a short distance from this rental house to the new-to-us one I just know we'll find soon. I don't like the process of moving, but a new adventure is something I always relish.
Relish...a good food term...[think I'm getting hungry]...I like to cook and occasionally I even love to cook. The books above are ones I use quite a lot and a few, I admit, I've yet to use. For today let me describe the highlights of my cookbook library:
*the big one with the blue spine that is laying flat [to the right in the photo] is a book of the cuisines of China. It's titled, "China, the Beautiful Cookbook: authentic recipes from the culinary authorities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Sichuan." [published by HarperCollins in 1991] It's one of those fantastic books with gorgeous photos and historical foodie info. I've had this book for some years, but haven't actually fixed anything from it but certainly do plan to.
*sitting on top of the China one is "Crock-Pot: Slow Cooker Bible" done by the brand of slow cooker of the same name, published in 2010. It's my newest book and I fixed the 'Jerk Pork and Sweet Potato Stew' recipe featured on page 54 in my copy. It was pretty tasty. I like using my slower cooker in the cold of winter - in fact I used it to make the split pea soup I wrote about just this past November.
*the movie Julie & Julia came out in 2009 and the following Christmas, under the tree, were Julia Child cookbooks for me! One package had the famous two-volume set and the other package was this cool one titled "Julia Child: The Way to Cook" that was published in 1989. It's a good-sized book as you can see in the photo above and I've actually fixed several of its recipes including: 1)the master recipe 'Sauteed Chicken,' 2) a mold of sliced potatoes and cheese 'The Stove-Top Anna,' and 3) a most amazing pumpkin pie 'A Fluffy Pumpkin Pie.' Ummmmm gooooood.
Also on the shelf are three other favorites:
*"Food to Die For: Secrets from Kay Scarpetta's Kitchen" by author Patricia Cornwell [with Marlene Brown]. Patricia Cornwell is a best-selling crime writer whose key character is Kay Scarpetta. Although both the author and fictional character are medical examiners [coroners] both love to cook and the books include references to good meals...most with an Italian flavor. There is one recipe in particular I've made several times, 'Miami-Style Chili with Beer,' on page 58 in my copy of the book. [I substitute high quality root beer for the alcohol-based beer called for in the recipe - actually adds a ton of cool flavor.]
*"The Silver Palate Cookbook: delicious recipes, menus, tips, love from Manhattan's celebrated gourmet food shop," by Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins. I've made so many of these recipes - some multiple times - that my copy of the book is getting a bit worn. I made a great one that surprised me: 'Oxtail Stew.' [who knew I'd like this so much!] Other favorites are: 1) 'Beef Carbonnade' - again I substitute root beer for the imported dark beer called for; 2) 'Lemon Chicken,' 3) here's one I highly recommend - 'Chicken Marbella,' and 4) 'American Picnic Potato Salad.'
*"In Great Taste: fresh, simple recipes for eating and living well," by Evelyn H. Lauder. This was published in 2006 but I can't remember when or where I bought my copy. I made 'Asian Shrimp or Chicken Salad' just last week [I chose to use shrimp] and it was so good. I've also fixed 'Beef Tenderloin with Parsnip Mash.' Parsnip Mash you wonder? It's delicious!
I can totally understand how food bloggers can wax poetic about recipes and ingredients and utensils and flavors and such. I find such beauty in the process...oh, and of course in the eating!
Do you have a favorite cookbook and/or recipe? Share in the comments!
Happy Presidents Day. Well, I guess that's what this non-postal delivery, non-school attendance and non-working day for many foks is - a holiday...of sorts, in the United States. Let's see, Abraham Lincoln was born on Feb. 12 [belated Happy Birthday] and George Washington on Feb. 22 [Happy Birthday in advance] and, in a bit of a stretch to get included for this holiday day, Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13 [Happy Birthday next month]. So, no gifts just the day off - which is a gift in itself.
What are you [those for whom this is indeed a day off] doing with your gift of Time today? Me? I'm actually doing some housekeeping things like laundry and vacumming and getting caught up with correspondence. See, I've been ill for almost two months. The flu that has swept through the country hit me [and yes, I did get a flu shot] and opened the door to a few other microbes. Sigh. So I'm rather overjoyed to not be confined to the sofa with a cup of hot tea, a blanket over my feet and books on the table and old movies in the dvd player. Funny thing, normally I love that scenario, but a month or more of it is getting just plain old.
The bright spot since New Year's however has been those books I mentioned. I love to read and in the past six to eight weeks I've read six books and started two more. Back in December I wrote a post listing seven books I'd like to read this year. Of those I've read one and started another. I also got a bug to re-read...I love to re-read my favorite authors. First, let's mention one on the list, "The Lost City of Z." In my previous post I wrote of the book: "...Seems reporter David Grann was curious [as most reporters are] to find out the truth of a story of an explorer who was searching for a 'lost city' deep in the Amazon rainforest - an explorer who disappeared and was never heard from again...."
Okay, I loved it! David Grann wrote in an interesting way - he wrote of his own journey into the myth and he wrote of British explorer Percy Fawcett's quest way back when. Fawcett indeed did disappear and has never been found. However, the Lost City of Z was discovered and...you'll have to read how for yourself as it's a good read.
The other book from the list I've started is "Bright Lights No City" by Max Alexander; "...An African Adventure on Bad Roads with a Brother and a Very Weird Business Plan....two Americans in the back country of Ghana. Looks interesting...." And it is, so far, very enjoyable reading! Max Alexander sprinkles much humor in his prose.
I've titled this post "Art of Living and Loving to Read" for a reason. First, I believe there is art in crafting your life and, for me, reading is part of what brings quality to my life. Our grandson is five years old and learning to read. It thrills me to hear him sounding out words and making baby steps into the world of reading. Being able to read is a gift I treasure. Again, for me, re-reading is also a joy.
One of my collections is by author Sue Grafton. Back in September of 2010 I wrote a post titled "Painting with Words-so beautiful" in which I featured this talented author. In looking back at that post now I realized that I had then begun to re-read Grafton's alphabetic series starring heroine and PI Kinsey Millhone, but didn't get farther than "'D' is for Deadbeat." Something must have grabbed my attention away. Now, however, I'm up to "'F' is for Fugitive" and plan to plow through to the latest, "'V' is for Vengeance," which is not yet on my shelf [or in my Nook reader]. Am looking forward to W, X, Y and Z.
What do you re-read? What author's works do you collect? Are you a 'book in the hand is worth two on a reader' person or does it matter?
Sometimes during the evenings, after the day's work is complete and dinner is done, the senior software engineering guy and I like to relax with something in the dvd player and flock with our birdies. We call it "flocking" because in the evening our parrot will sit on the edge of the coffee table and either clean his wings or play with some toys; and George likes to watch tv too...he loves dialogue especially. Pippin, the parakeet, also likes to join in - mostly he spends
his evening bugging the much larger George. If you've seen my guys, you'd wonder how an Amazon and a parakeet can be buddies, but in Pippin's mind at least they are!
Since I can never just sit and do nothing, I usually also have my iPad and surf the 'net. I like to catch up on reading blogs or news or pinning stuff on Pinterest. I like to read art-related articles and news of course, and recently I read something about the elements of design. The author of the article seemed to be saying that if an artist's work doesn't follow all the right elements, then there has to be something wrong with it. Can you hear me sigh? Since when does 'art' have to follow strict rules? It's actually more like the pirates' code...kind of loose guidelines.
Anyhoo, loose or not, there are a couple of elements of design that I do actually pay some attention to: color, line and value. Doesn't seem to matter if a work is a simple photo I'm playing around with (like the one above) to upload onto my Facebook page (oh, and I almost never NOT artistically mess around with a photo) or a fine art photography piece I'm hoping to sell. Let's take a quick look at the 'Parsley Tree.'
My three favorite elements of design [I've written about the principles of design before which you can read here]:
Line: see the blue and red lines? You'll note that in framing this photo I did pay attention to line flow. The red lines show a flow from the viewer away - these lines take you into the picture. The line of the tops of the chairs, the lines of the square pot and even the line of the window lead your eye deeper into the picture, giving depth. the blue lines give movement upwards and outwards. The plant itself provides these.
Value: Value, simply explained, is nothing more than the lights and darks...from the brightest, whitest white to the deepest, darkest black and all the grays in between. [*Have you ever looked at a painting or a photograph that at first glance looked interesting but then left you flat? That flatness was probably a lack of sufficient value change. If all the values are about the same, the work can appear flat and uninteresting.] In this little photo you can see on the surface of the pot [see the yellow circle] that there is a very light value next to a very dark value. Even higher in the foliage [again see the yellow circles] you can see depth caused by value change.
Color: I do love color! Color, hue...whatever you call it, it's the life of the work. [*It's my thought that one reason black and white photography can be so arresting, is that our brains "see" in color and can fill in the black and white photo or painting with a palette of our own choosing.] See the number one circled in purple? I just put that there so you'd note that even though most of the color in this photo is green, there are actually quite a few different greens!
Okay, let's do one more. Here's a fine art photograph I have titled "Clover Log."
Now let's look at it with my three elements:
Line: I really like the flow of this work, it's simple yet compelling. The log is a strong diagonal downward line - it could almost dominate the image. However, all the vertical lines of clover offset that, as well as the two diagonal upward lines of fern in the top right corner. Line...don't you love it?
Value: Although I softened this photo [an artistic enhancement feature I enjoy applying to some works], the deep darks are still in evidence and are balanced by all the lights [the tops of the clover].
Color? Mostly greens and tans to be sure. In a simple color composition as this is though, it is the almost scattershot placement of values that increases the visual interest.
The other elements of design? Glad you asked: shape, size, texture, direction. You can pretty much take any work of art and pick it apart element-by-element to see what makes it hang together.
So...which elements of design float your artistic boat?
photo off beach at Drake's Beach, CA by author Linda C Smith
When the end of one calendar year rolls around and the beginning of the new one is in sight, many people begin to make lists of resolutions. They make lists of things they want to change or things they might like to accomplish. Many of these things are usually pretty common such as losing weight or starting an exercise program. And I'm no different.
Sure enough losing weight, getting more exercise, spending quality time with my family - these were all on my 2013 New Year's resolutions list. I also had some professional resolutions, or goals, that I added this time. I have artist friends who I talked with around the end of the year and they, too, had some things that they hoped the new year would bring to their art businesses.
So, I got the idea of asking more artists what their hopes are for this new year and got
Virginia (USA) artist Felta Virginia Hall shared some of her hopes for 2013: "...This [2012] has been a good year for me as I have been settling down in a new home. I got into a gallery, grew my online presence, and now have a public studio space. So for 2013, I hope to continue to grow, get into a few more galleries, and sell enough work that I'm actually making a monthly living...."
some fascinating answers - like this from Kathy Bergen of Colorado (USA):"...I
hope to be able to move a step higher in my art work...to improve as an artist
to where my heart can smile again and say: ‘It is good.’...."
There were common themes: some are going to give more attention to marketing and some want to give more attention to the creative process...while others are going to get organized and clean up their studios. Other responses were very individual and touching.
Let's find out what some artists from around the world are hoping 2013 will bring...
Chris Marshall of Perth, Western Australia works in several media: painting, drawing, mixed media and collage, and digital art. Says Chris, "...I am vowing to get myself
more organised - clean out my studio, art materials, half-finished paintings
etc. and reclaim my space and my life (painting life that is) all ready for the
start of 2013 so that I can embark on a new couple of projects. Also sort out my online presence a bit and get it more focused...."
Colorado (USA) artist Karina Silver hopes to combine words with her paintings: "...I
am in the process of creating an art book of my paintings with the poetry that
accompanies them. Upon reflection my pieces weren't complete until the poetry
was created to accompany them often months after the paintings were completed.
Also in 2013 I am revisiting why I have a website so that it is more about the
viewer...." (I share the last part of Karina's statement in that I, too, have work to do on my artist website which I see as the public signpost of my art business...the shingle, as it were, that I hang outside my office door for all the world to see.)
Patricia Belmar, artist from Quebec, Canada says, "...I am travelling to Italy, as part of a program (Bachelor of Fine Arts, major in Studio Arts), I am attending at Concordia University, here in Montreal, Canada. I will be earning credits and I will be visiting Rome, Florence, Vatican City, etc. It is really exciting and I am glad I joined. Next year I will have to plan my schedule very carefully and assign time to my work, studies and art projects. It looks like a lot but I will take one step at a time!!...."
Organizing, finding new artist digs...these are included in the hopes for this new year of Canadian artist Patricia Haftar:
I am in the process of
checking out sites for a new studio/gallery. I am in need of moving from
cramped quarters in my home so I can hopefully work on larger canvases and have
room to display. I have just had my website revamped by Melissa Wells. It's
wonderfully interactive. I think she did an excellent job. I also have a
Facebook page "Art of Patricia Haftar" and I write a blog at www.life
and times of a studio easel.blog spot.com. I organize and manage " Art In
The Park" a juried fine art show in the town of Pelham 3rd weekend in
July. I try to get some time to work on my Etsy Shop -- a goal for 2013. 2013
is going to start with a bang as my son is getting married in Mexico in
January. Looking forward to doing a Mexican photo shoot!!
For many artists art is what we do because it is integral to our life. Artist Selina Steiner of Israel says, "...My wish is to have a better
place to work on my paintings and then to sell them, so I'll have enough to buy
more material for painting. Anyway, I plan to go on painting - it fills my
life and does good to my soul...." (I so agree with Selina! Art fills my life too.)
I'm not sure how people in other professions describe what their work is. But to me, the work of artists is to create whatever from whatever. It could be to mold a portrait from clay. It could be to translate a photograph into a painting. It could be to solidify an inspiration into a song. Whatever form that creation takes, it takes time to do and finding time can be a goal unto itself and then it's the work of working.
Jennifer Winahradsky, who lives and works in the New York area (USA) said,"...I…hope
to sort out my online presence and get my studio organized again. I'm taking
another drawing class in the upcoming semester so I also hope to take my art to
a higher level. But most of all I hope to work, work, work in the new year...."
"Golden" by Mary June Armstrong of Ohio, USA. She says, "...I need to strictly avoid distractions and be more creative and productive in the coming year. I have ideas and need to make them "happen". And I wonder if a better website might help or just be another.....distraction...."
May Lise Hoel, an artist in Norway, is hoping to create a book about her art and processes: "...I
am a hard-working artist from Norway. I’ve
been working with my art for about 8 years in Norway. But now from this spring
I am also starting to work in France, Cotignac. I am looking forward to it. I
am going to work a lot with my paintings. But I am really thinking about doing
a book about my art. With a lot of pictures about the process and the
paintings. And in January I will go to Barcelona and work with graphics. This
is going to be my year!...." (I'm sure it will be your year, May Lise!)
Having time to create, free from distractions was also a common theme - I certainly can relate to that desire.
Artist in Florida (USA) Joan Garcia has this to say: "...My
main focus is avoid distractions. I have been doing for other people instead of
myself. Next year is "Art Year". I have 3 paintings rattling around
in my head, I need to revamp my website and make time each day to paint, paint,
paint...."
Sometimes it's the little things that keep us from our easel or art table or studio and sometimes it is bigger challenges. Health concerns can certainly complicate a person's life and get in the way. In my own life I've had to watch whole days and weeks given way to illness which have kept me from my work. However the goal of regaining health so that an artist can "art" is the goal and hope of several artists.
"Blue Pottery with Reflections" by Missouri (USA) artistHolly J. Banks who says, "...I am always trying to find time and health to draw and paint more. I want to focus on improving my figure drawing skills and and start a blog, work on my website, and maybe get my own domain name. Worry less about local shows coming up, and more about growing as an artist...."
New York City artist Carmen Corrigan's (USA) hope for this new year is one I related to expecially. Although cancer is not a health challenge I've dealt with, I live with a chronic disease that steals from me. Says Carmen, "...I've
been staring at my easel for some weeks now, wondering if I'll ever get back to
work. Going through chemo right now, often dragging from the mailbox to the
couch. Looking forward to the moment when need to paint outweighs the need to
sleep. It seems to me that staring at a blank canvas is the thing to do. It's
primed and reaady. Studio needs organizing as well. Hopes for the new year?
That I can play with paint again...." - (It's my profound hope for you, Carmen, that you will indeed play with paint again!)
Peace of mind is one of the goals of Kristin Kreger, an artist from New Mexico (USA). She shares:"...This
[past] year I have stopped hoping for anything for my art just so I can have
some peace of mind to make it. I found that the pressure of so many things
surrounding making art and making art to make money, marketing art, framing
& packaging art, sitting in galleries to sell art, all this energy around
art was totally draining me. Now for several months I have given myself space
to allow my creative energies to accumulate and cross-pollinate with my horse
activities. For 2013 I would like to see more of this occur in my life and
work…I want a small group of people who keep wanting to tune into what I am
doing and if I make sales from them then that is certainly welcome. This
Elia Cosimi is an artist in Rome, Italy and says, "...Next year I'll have 2 solo exhibitions, one in Italy and the other in Spain, so I have a lot of work to do...."
is the
first time I realize that I want an audience. I am going to consider the
possibility that I can get this without massive marketing and massive exposure.
I am freeing up my energy to create something that is within the boundaries of
what works for me. My art is starting to come from a place of well-being.
Everything else will come out of that. This is what I want for 2013...."
Other artists have 'hit the ground running' and are showing work right in this first part of the year. Maryland (USA) artist Sandra Davis said, "...I am working on new pieces for a show in September 2013; also will start
the year off with a small solo show in January. It will be my first!!! The rest
of the year will be dedicated to finding new places to show my work and being
ready for [artists] call[s] throughout the upcoming year...."
The actual "business" of having an art business is also on the minds of artists as the new year of 2013 gets going. Although the creating of art is the fun part of the job, there are the necessaries of running a successful business such as bookkeeping, finding venues to show and exhibit your work, working on marketing - which includes everything from online social/business networking to building and maintaining a website. It also
Sheila Reid of France says, "...Avoiding the 'business' part of art probably has to come to an end for me this year because my book “A Place Between Thoughts” will be published in French and all my French supporters expect me to start selling my work again. How I loved the last years of staying out the market. It gave me such tranquility to create & just show my work in museums. I hope I can keep that serenity….
includes (if this fits in your overall business plan) finding gallery relationships, working with clients (again if doing commissioned work is in your business plan) and a myriad other tasks. One huge task could be drawing up that business plan to begin with.
Selling work...making money, income...is one of the goals of any business and an artist's business is no different. Artists have costs of doing business - raw materials have to be bought with which to make the art (products) to sell. The grandest painting, having a price tag of half a million dollars is, in essence, a product - it was produced (created) by the artist for the purpose of selling...to generate income. That's the basic nature of commerce...I think. So it's no surprise that making sales is a goal of a great many artists this year. It's no surprise that most artists (if not all) are truly hoping that the Art Market as a whole takes an upward turn so that it's not just the mega-rich who buy 'art,' but also the middle class.
A gallery owner told me, a couple years ago, that the downward economy hurt artists the hardest whose work sold in the $100 to $5,000 range. How true that has been. One of the things I've appreciated about the artists with whom I've spoken, is their forthright transparency. These are real people following their muse in a real world. I like what Katherine
Fish of Manchester, United Kingdom had to offer: "…a place to sell my work, real clients or an employer, and
recognition…" I couldn't agree with her more!
Of course, all the business plans in the world won't make a bit of difference if you aren't spending time with your muse and getting on with what it is that you do as an artist. Do you sling paint? Then sling it. Do you hammer metal? Then hammer it. With
Delaware (USA) artist Anne Jenkins: "...my hope for 2013 is that a couple of new interesting directions/ideas that are percolating will work and to survive the chaos with sense of humor intact...."
abandon, with joy, with a sense of fun. I love the way Connecticut (USA) artist, Gail Mally-Mack put it. She shared:
"...Make
messes. Turn the creative process into a process of discovery. Don't start with
an idea or image in your mind of what kind of product you want - adopt once
again the Child's way. Smear the
paint around. Stand back, look: What do you see? Don’t name it. Draw into the
painted surface. Just make lines, shapes, forms. Anthing. And do not ask anyone
else’s observation or comment. Revel in the color, the spaces, the texture. Let
it come...let it go. Keep smiling....."
Don't you just love that?
A super huge THANKYOU to all the artists who took the time to share their hopes, dreams and goals with me...and you...for this New Year of 2013.
My most immediate goal? To reach the summit of this technological learning curve...who knew the iMac mouse would be so perplexing? Writing a blog post has never been more challenging.
Who knew I could paint Norman Rockwell's portrait? :) Not really, it's an illusion.
Most people I know over the age of, oh say 30, have heard of Norman Rockwell. Yesterday I went to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento (CA) to see an exhibition of this prolific artist's work. Wow.
Cameras were not allowed in the exhibition proper, but they had this easel set up outside in the foyer on the third floor that is a setup of one of Rockwell's more famous (and amusing) works, "Triple Portrait." Folks visiting the exhibition, like me, could sit on the stool, hold a replica of Rockwell's palette and pretend to paint. Fun.
One long hallway had magazine covers - must have been several hundred from the 1920's through the 1940's. Rockwell was the cover illustrator of the Saturday Evening Post for 47 years beginning in 1916. I was, of course, entranced by the artwork on the covers - many funny and amusing, some touching and endearing and all of them executed masterfully. But there was also an element of history. These were actual covers so there was some indication of what was inside. Some had stories by author Agatha Christie. Some by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The issues done during the years spanning World War II were touching.
The main body of the exhibit had original oil paintings, drawings, illustrations and war bonds posters. Truth to tell, I had only ever thought of Rockwell as a superlative illustrator. Now, having seen this exhibition, I realize that he was a fine artist as well. The wall in the foyer had this information:
"...He called himself a reporter on current events and of contemporary America. The media gave him various labels: "the people's painter," "a contemporary Currier & Ives," and "the Dickens of the paintbrush." Norman Rockwell's hopeful and admiring attitude about humanity was the hallmark of his work...the paintings of this exhibition, many from the artist's personal collection, chronicle Rockwell's life and art. They span fifty-six years, from his 1914 interpretation of American folk hero Daniel Boone...to his 1970 report on American tourists and armed Israeli soldiers witnessing a Christmas Eve ceremony at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem...."
I've visited art museums before. In Honolulu (Hawaii) I saw an exhibition of original
paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe and last year I visited the art museum in San Jose (CA) and saw a unique exhibit called "To Hell and Back:Sandow Birk's Divine Comedy." I have to say that regardless of what growth the internet will have, regardless of how awesome digital images are and will become, nothing takes the place of seeing something in person...especially art done 1)prior to the advent of digital tools and 2)art created by hand.
The Muse. A Muse is a source of inspiration for a creative person...an artist. I know artists who are painters. I know artists who are musicians. Artists are quilters, scupltors, writers...any endeavor that requires the passion of imagination.
Some people find their inspiration - their muse- through music [the artistic expressions of other artists] and others through solitude and meditation. Me? My muse resides in nature. No matter what form my art may take, my inspiration has always come from both the large and the small of Mother Nature. The colors I love so much I learned from the flowers, plants, mountains and skies I see.
In getting ready for this new year's work, I've had to upload my photo library into one of my newest tools, a new desktop computer. Sadly, my laptop died an ignoble death of viruses...malware, spyware, Ebola, whatever. So Santa, the wonderful white-bearded fellow, put this triangular shaped box under the tree and wouldn't you know? It contained an iMac. I know quite a few artists who swear by Apple computers and until now, didn't understand why. However there is a learning curve which I'm working to climb up and over.
So, back to having to upload my photo library...in doing so I came across photos taken this past year and they reminded me of why I love Art so much and why Nature is my muse. [These are unretouched, straight from the camera shots.]
I get inspiration from the greens found in nature and the myriad forms and shapes. The
image above and the two at the right were taken at Muir Woods National Monument park in my home state of California. This beautiful place - well you can't help but have your breath taken away and be inspired. Maybe a song is born in your heart or a book takes seed in your mind or you envision a grand canvas smeared with the colors of the rainbow. In the photo above, two giant redwoods frame a peek at the forest beyond with a lacing of branchlets in between. In its way, it's an abstract composition all by itself.
The first of the two at right shows a quiet stream flowing through a part of the park. How many different "greens" can you see? In the next photo, the
senior software engineering guy and I, in another part of the park, came across what I can only describe as a fern grotto...amazing! So many shapes and forms, so many gorgeous greens and yellow greens - even some blues and purples in the shadows.
Sometimes it's not so much the big picture, the panaramas, that spark creativity, it's also the small. This shot is a close-up of two little branch sprouts growing straight up off another branch. You can even see the spider webs.
Some of the best colors I've ever found I've found in nature; and not just in flowers. The next two photos are examples of what I mean. The first is a close-up of two blossoms that were on my sweet potato vine this past summer. The plant itself had deep purple leaves and stems and the flowers are a wonderful shade of pink. The other photo is a gorgeous red...branches of a manzanita tree on Mt. Tamalpias in the San Francisco bay area. Wow...such awesome colors!
My engineering fellow took the next photo...and I love it just the way it is - the color came out kind of weird and it gives it a unique feel. I also like the composition.
What is your artistic muse? What inspires your creativity?
Oh, this final photo? Not really inspirational is it...just kind of funny. We were at Drake's Beach and I saw this fish skeleton just, well, sitting there minding its own business and couldn't resist taking its picture. :)
A "work in progress" that sits waiting to be completed.
Whew! Am finally back at my desk in the studio and contemplating all the work that needs doing this year. This holiday season has been a whirlwind of family activities, visiting, watching favorite Christmas movies ['A Christmas Story' is by far my fav], and just reveling in the joy of the season.
I was joking a couple days ago that I needed to get back to work so I could rest! - said oh so tongue-in-cheek of course!
Don't know about you, but learning how to use new technology is one of the key things on my January to-do list. I have a confession to make: on Jan. 27 of 2010 I wrote a post on the business blog I used to write that I didn't see a need for the then new tablet that Apple was coming out with. I said, "...Here’s my wondering: what would I, as a small solo-preneur business person, need with the iPad?..."
Sigh. Okay, bigger sigh...I have to eat those words. Santa brought me not only an iPad but the iMac - my old laptop died from Ebola virus. So sad. We had a funeral. So I have two new-to-me technologies to learn. And enjoy. I'm loving the retinal display screen of the iPad - photos look totally gorgeous; and this 21" or so screen on the new iMac is going to make my fine art photo work such a joy to do. Once I figure out how it all works.
So what will this New Year of 2013 bring? Besides:
painting
mosaic-ing
showing my work in local shows and exhibits
photography [both in building up my library of stock photos to using those photos as "canvas" for new fine art photography works]
working on marketing [everything from social networking to work on my new website, and the other business parts of having a business]
writing [not just my blog, but also a six-month writing program I'm starting, and finishing my first screenplay]
I'm not really sure. And that's just some of what is on my business plate. My personal plate also has some delicious items such as spending time with grandchildren, visiting with friends and family, gardening and scrapbooking [gee, I'd really like to get caught up on my scrapbooks!].
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