1/29/2023 11:36:43 AM
For the last three days I attended Watercolor Live 2023 conference. During her presentation, Linda Baker mentioned that warm paintings sell more than those that are predominately cool colours. Apparently paintings with red sell best. I've read that some studies have shown that paintings with red, orange, and other warm colors sell for the most at auctions. Blue is a close second in terms of sales.
I conducted a short google search for documented researches on this but haven't found any. What I did find was a number of gallery owners confirming that warm paintings sell more than cool paintings.
Will this information change what I want to paint. Nope. However I happen to be paintings some marigolds which are warm. The rest of the paint will be cool.
Last summer I planted some marigolds so that I could use them for still life photography to be used for paintings. Well I almost forgot to take the photos. However I did take more than a hundred with a silver bowl and some blue jars. From those photos I selected two. Stay tuned for the ones with blue jars.
Here is a photo of my work in progress. It is approximately 16"X12".
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| WIP Approximately 16"X12" |
I thought that this size would be sufficient for the amount of details. But I was wrong, the details on the flowers are very small. My paintings with the jars will be larger, but I doubt that the flowers will be much bigger.
A few days ago, I also started another painting that will have lots of peeled paint and an old lock.. This one started off with some stamping with lots of colours. This is a unique technique that I picked up in a couple of the workshops with Angus McEwan. I have just started putting the darks in.
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WIP Approximately 12"X16"
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There is one more week left for my solo exhibit at the Galerie d'art Eugène-Racette Le MIFO , 6600, rue Carrière, Orléans, ON.
If you enjoy workshops with Terracotta, here is a link to get $50 off on your first order with Terracotta: terracotta.art?ref-id=1633711598511x797134436145333600
For the love of watercolour,
Danielle
1/22/2023 9:20:51 PM
Have you ever attended an art show where a lot of the paintings were derived from photos? Do you ask yourself how some artists use take reference photos and make exciting paintings. I believe that this might be the result of the analysis that the artist makes before picking up the brush. These artists must clearly define what attracts them to that photo and what is the main area of interest. Having a clear focal point is always the most important part.
With this information, the artists decide on what is worth keeping and which areas to play down or eliminate.
When taking photos for still life paintings, there is no shortcut. Many many photos are required. Artists must try out numerous compositions and other tips.. This includes:
- moving objects sometimes one centimeter forward or back, left or right, or up and down;
- adding or removing objects to balance warm and cool colours;
- eliminate objects that don't look right;
- change the angle of the camera; and
- changing the lighting direction and intensity.
Taking multiple photos of a scene helps the artist see many of the nuances.
After weeks of effort, here is my painting of roofs from Sienna, Tuscany. It is currently on my easel as I study it to see what details that I can add to improve the painting.
In the coming week, I'll be watching Watercolor Live 2023. During this 3-day global virtual conference, I'll discover techniques used by the world's top watercolor artists. This will be the third year that I watch this incredible event.
Have a great week
Danielle
1/16/2023 3:09:56 PM
One of the advantages of having a studio at home is that I am surrounded by trees and peacefulness. This fulfilled life calms the mind and enriches the ground for idea growth.
When looking or being outside I find myself daydreaming. Apparently daydreaming is one of the most valuable things that creative people do.
Lately I find myself bursting with ideas to paint. Maybe it's because I have a new class starting on Thursday and the prep work has me planning to paint many more rusty objects. You may see a few new paintings of rust in the coming months. Then there are a couple of photos of blue jars and marigolds that I also want to paint.
Here is where I am with my painting of the roofs in Sienna, Tuscany. I hope that in a week it will be finished. Stay tuned.
1/9/2023 7:44:21 AM
Like many things in life, sometimes we overcomplicate things. When I was a public servant, I certainly saw this a lot. I see the same of many artists with Facebook, Instagram, TicToc, etc. In addition to this, numerous artists are putting additional pressure on themselves to participate in this challenge or that social media challenge in order to be seen.
Growing our social media audience should be about sharing our work and inviting those with whom we share it to experience more, including purchasing our work. I think it's too easy to get distracted by the trivial quirks of Facebook or Instagram or search engine optimization that we forget why we're doing it: to share our work and invite those that respond to get more of it.
I suggest that we need to simplify the marketing stuff so we can focus on producing quality art and not get overwhelmed.
Do I believe that posting on social media is sufficient to sell art? Nope. There are numerous better artists than each of us. It is our job to create the appetite for our artworks. The phone will not ring just because we think we produce good art. We must learn to identify our target audience and engage it. There is a lot of artwork out there, all demanding to be seen. We must find our voice and actively engage.
In the Fall of 2017, I had the pleasure of visiting Sienna, one of Tuscany's loveliest medieval city. The photos taken of rooftops have been on my mind since then. Until my classes start in a couple of weeks, I thought it would be a great time for a new challenge. After a week of effort, here is my progress.
I probably have 2 more weeks of effort. At least one to finish painting the shapes and another for final touches.
Tomorrow will be an exciting day. I get to hang my solo show at the Galerie d'art Eugène-Racette, MIFO (6600, rue Carrière, Orléans ON). Nowadays, many families are getting rid of their objects made of crystal or silver. These often belonged to their grandparents and were reserved for special occasions. A tribute to those who have enriched our world with these ornate objects, this exhibition highlights the reflections of these objects often passed down from generation to generation. The vernissage is this Thursday from 6-7:30pm. Consider joining me. For planning purposes, please register for free at: https://app193.digibotservices.ca/dbo/event.php?org=5190&event=68987894.
Happy New Year
Danielle
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