Commission continues

Once I'm finished adding the 3D elements and designs, it is time to add the paint.


I mix up some acrylic to match the paint swatch the client gave me. Acrylic will dry fast and give me an opportunity to do more underpainting in the same day. If I used the oil paint that will be used for much of the process, I will have to wait a couple days for the oil to dry.




I place items under one end of each panel and allow the watery paint mixture to drip down the surface and settle in the crevasses and valleys I made in the gesso applications. With many layers of varying colors, I will be building depth while capturing the freshness of the drips to bring the viewer the feeling that when they are viewing the final piece, it still looks as though it were wet and in movement.





Depending on the look I'm trying to achieve, I can pour the paint on, brush it on, or drip it. Then I tip the panel to the desired degree to get the paint to flow how I want it. Once I get the effect I want, I lay the panels flat to dry before the next layer.

New commission

So I've had this commission looming for some time and I'm finally getting to it. The procrastination can be explained... it always can, that's what's so dangerous. Well, I thought I'd chronicle the process through photos and this blog to illustrate my process. Since debuting this style last winter, I have received countless inquiries into the process. Many artists dare not share their process for fear of someone stealing the technique. I don't mind sharing. For one, any artist stealing another artist's technique and running to the gallery with it ain't worth a damn anyway. If someone wants to try out what I'm doing, experiment, make it their own, I'm all for it. Hell, don't think this just came to me as if delivered my the Arch-Angel Galbriel... I got inspiration by viewing the artworks and interior faux finishes of Danny Phillips at InYourSpace. I had it in my head for about a year, then worked on it for the same. Now it's yours to take it to the next level.









I Build my own art panels as shown in the pic above. Have for many years. I get better quality and value and the freedom to experiment.


I have 3 panels, each 1 ft w x 3 ft h. they will hang 9 inches apart above a bed and between 2 windows. They are going to a client in California and to save on shipping, I designed it in 3 pieces. My pricing is based on the sqft of surface so breaking up the panels and hanging them with space in between also covers more space while saving money.

I put a thin coat of Gesso on the panel surface to accept the oil paint. Once dry, I lay a pre-made stencil made for faux finishes down (I work on the floor) and lay a thick coat of the Gesso on using my finger. This will take some time to dry. I let it cure up a bit but not dry before peeling the plastic stencil off. I will do this again and again, adding to the design, until the desired look if achieved. Now I have the 3-d effect that will be the bones of my final painting.





More to come...

Who do you work for?

As artists, we have a big decision to make every day... What kind of work are we going to make?
Art is not just a pretty picture. It has to be more. We have to make it more. That is our job. What does it say? Why are we making it? Who is it for? In essence, who do we work for?
If we plan to make a living at making our art, we'd better hope that someone likes it enough to spend money to pay for it. We have to keep this aspect in mind but is not the most important thing. Maybe we work for them, the buyer. The galleries who sell our works, they know what sells. They know the clients and what they are looking for. Maybe we work for the galleries. The truth is that clients who will buy your work are looking for you and what you have to say. The galleries are selling you and your unique ideas. If you have nothing to say, what is you are selling. What are they buying? Just a picture?
You work for you. Let me express that again because it is very important. You work for you... and you owe it to yourself to be you in your art. Without you, your art is just a picture and not worth a thing. If your art is you, then it is worth everything. Be you. Be an Artist.

Shot of Penicillin

It's tax time and I've been reviewing my books for 2008. Not the kind of topic you expect to find on an art blog but, yes, I'm a business owner, too. In assessing my numbers for last year, it is evident that the recession hit this small business in May. After May, there was not a steep decline in revenue, though. On paper it is more like a slow leak. But thinking back, I can remember how each sale required more and more effort to set up and to close after May. Now, after several months with little activity, galleries closing, and inventory accumulating, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Seemingly all of a sudden... I was invited to exhibit at SxSW, one of, if not the biggest music and media festival in the country; I have 2 group exhibits poised on the horizon to open within a month's time; 2 trusted brokers are setting up client presentations of my work again; and I recently received confirmation of a private commission. With all of the promise that these signs bring, I expect that we are on the road to recovery. And if this trend continues, it's going to be a good second quarter!

Looking for a new New Deal

There's been a lot of talk of late about the Great Depression and how similar our current situation is to the early 30s. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything like what was created under the PWAP or the TRAP. If you don't know, in the 30s, artists were paid by a division of the Treasury Dept. to paint and sculpt and design for federal buildings and offices. Hundreds if not thousands of artists including Jackson Pollock would work to create pieces of art in their chosen medium and subject, and when a work was complete, they would turn it in to "the man" and receive a check. Some of the works were places in public places, some were stored and later destroyed. I think the motivation behind the government project was that either these artists were going to be making money from their art or they would fall into poverty and resort to crime. Yes, in essence Uncle Sam was paying for a product that he didn't really need but it served to uplift the people and make them feel neccessary as they were contributing something to the cause. I keep hearing about "shovel-ready" projects. While I agree that our national infrastructure does need some attention, I know I have some "easel-ready" projects that, once finished, would look great in a federal office, like one that is oval, for instance. So, Mr. Obama, if you're reading this, while you're rebuilding the nation's economy, don't forget about the we creative types. We could use some help too.

New Year, New Start

Here it is, the beginning of Jan. It always sneaks up on me. All the anticipation and lead up to the holidays and then, Yea... We're in 2009! Then all of a sudden, it's March before you know it. What I'm saying is that the beginning of each year always seems to go so fast. I have recognized it, I am aware of it, so it can't best me again, right?
In this new year, when we are supposed to reinvent ourselves (Dr. Phil told me so) I have decided to do something about it. I have had an idea for a new series in my head for a while now. In truth, I've had ideas for several hundred series in my head but there is one which is ready to be realized. It will require an introspective look at my relationships with male members of my family, my forefathers, and how I came to be who I am. I have always been interested in social history through the ages. Examining how we arrived here as a people? Which key moments and individuals shaped our laws, borders, speech, attitude? Now I am applying this examination to myself and my family tree. Who came before me? Who influenced me? What lead me to become an artist from a line of doctors?
I am very excited about this new line of work. Because of this, I will be taking my time to form the ideas before crafting the look and application of those ideas. This will be a break from my MO of the past few years when I felt I had to create as much work as humanly possible, send it out to my galleries and representation, and they sell it, right? Not so much in these trying times. Sales have slowed considerably as several of my galleries are having trouble staying afloat. I have been so prolific over the last 2 years that I have created an inventory which far exceeded sales, even when sales were good. This means that I have plenty of inventory to carry me through the foreseeable future, even if the economy turns around and sales pick up sooner rather than later.

Make a list, check it twice.

With the holidays already here, we're all making lists... wish lists, gift lists, shopping lists. As artists, we are often overlooked as small business owners (often by our own doing). We need to see ourselves in this way and we need to plan accordingly. This is the time to look back at the year and evaluate our sales numbers as well as production and marketing. How many paintings did you make in 2008? How many did you sell? What was your average sale amount? Now forecast for 2009? Where do you want to be? What if you increase production? what if you raise your prices slightly? Maybe you need to increase marketing. We are all in different stages in career development but it is true for all of us that we can only improve if we have a plan. Look at what you did well this year. Maybe you finally felt comfortable approaching that gallery you had your eye on for some time. It worked out well and they not only accepted to show your work but also sold several pieces. Great! So next year, you should be looking at other galleries to reach out to to broaden your retail territory. Maybe you found a patron who is supportive of your work and your career. Next year you should be looking at ways to being that individual closer into your process and making them feel apart of your art so they continue with their support. This is the time. Make a plan. Write it down and keep it handy through the year. Return to it often to make sure you are on track. You can't get to where you want to be unless you know where you're going. Be well. Happy Holidays.