Prepping for a bunch of paintings

So in about 2 months time I have to have 5 paintings ready for my final graduation show.  Prepping for a painting usually takes about as long as the actual painting itself sometime, depending on the size and detail involved.

I am trying to stick to a theme, winter in Edmonton, and have a few pictures and value sketches picked out to try some colour studies with.  Tomorrow I begin the painting part of this endeavour.

Office Work

I have been picking away at a couple of paintings I posted on my blog earlier this month, trying to finish them off and get some critical feedback.  So... I have been painting each day but won't post the same paintings until they are done.

What I do want to talk about is what I have also been working on over the last month - developing my own website. After listening to many Savy Painter Podcasts and hearing numerous artists stating how important it is to develop your presence along side your artistic development, I bit the bullet. Creating your own website can be daunting and time consuming, but also worth it when you are starting out.  When I got a couple of quotes to have a website developed for me professionally, costs were above $2500, depending on how much additional marketing and assistance I would require.  I decided that until I can sell at least $2500 in paintings, I best spend my money on art supplies and honing my skills.  I purchased a fat book about Wordpress, which wasn't really too helpful, as it was already out of date.  What worked best was watching Youtube instructional videos - love the YouTube!!

I spent probably 20 hours now and I have a 'finished' website = click the link to check it out Tessa Stanley Art .  

The process includes:

 - choosing / paying for a web hosting company (I chose Bluehost based on my 'research' of hosts and costs) 

- choosing / paying for domain name for your website

- choosing a 'platform' in which to build your website - I chose Wordpress.org NOT Wordpress.com - this was very confusing at first as I accidentally signed into both at different times.  Wordpress. org is a self build platform versus Wordpress.com has pre-made designs, less work but less flexible.

- After watching a couple different Youtube videos about building your own Wordpress.org website I went ahead and followed along.  Early on in the process I almost gave up, but it got easier the more I worked at it. The resulting website, I feel turned out pretty good for a beginner, considering my costs were roughly $99 - $150 for Bluehost and domain name. $30 for the obsolete Wordpress manual. Time used - priceless.

I am sure when I start producing some really great paintings and want a more professional looking website I can spend some money on paying someone to build and maintain a website for me, but for now I am pleased with the result.  Have patience and try it!

Impressionist style painting

In my quest to find my painting 'style' I am trying to make this most recent painting more impressionist in style.  It is NOT COMPLETED YET and I am still working on the foreground and sky area.  I chose a lighter palette and trying to do more brushy strokes of paint.  I find I am needing feedback and will try to get a critique from the FCA (Federation of Canadian Artists), of which I am a member, and who provide a monthly critique session.

On the weekend my spouse and I had a nice afternoon checking out galleries here in the city.  We were just looking but the  The Front Gallery had a one person show of Kari Duke's work, which I have long admired.  So... our tradition is that instead of buying Anniversary gifts for each other we buy a piece of art every couple of years - we bought this one below - cause we both really like her style and these back alleys are pretty iconic I am sure I have walked down a few while living near the University in the 'ol days.

Progression without an ending

I am attempting two things this year.  One is to do a minimum, 4 hours of painting / drawing or pottery daily to increase my artsy skills.  The other is to spend less time on social media - so I will try to post on Monday and Thursday's only.  Need to fit in work and family life and some fitness too.

I started this orchid (which I finally got to bloom again after 2 years) but I felt like I had squished it onto a too small, cheap board.  Anyhow...a lesson learned.  If I start a painting and I don't feel like I have the correct drawing AND I really don't like the surface (cheap linen glued to cardboard) then I should start again.  I kept trying with this one and grew more 'disgruntled' with it as I went along. Listen to yourself!!

Back after a break

I've been away for a little bit, sitting by the ocean.  Was inspired to try to paint a beach picture -this is in progress.  It is the first time I had tried painting on Clayboard (ampersand) and was not aware that using oils on Clayboard is not really recommended.  The surface is very slick and smooth and absorbent.  It will require a few more layers and a bit of drying time before I get this one right.

Repeats

I am working on a little painting experiment right now.  I have not used watercolour paints, aside from my travel sketchbook, for a long time.  I hope to have a series of these done early in the New Year.

Watercolour sketch 9x12

Acrylic sketch 9x12

Drying Rack

I have been busy finishing off my Life Drawing course so I haven't had much art to post here.  I did get this fabulous drying rack HANDMADE for me, by the talented Colby, 16 year old wood and metal work 'artist'. Click this link to check out Colby's website -  Colby's Woodworking  This sucker is solid metal, nice and heavy and holds a lot of various size paintings.  Currently I am drying several 9x12 panels in preparation for a painting experiment I am planning.

My FABULOUS solid panel drying rack.

Street scenes

I am constantly saving pictures for potential paintings - this painting was from a picture taken several years ago when I went to Victoria for my first watercolour workshop.  I did not turn out any keepers in that workshop but got some good photos.  Still plugging away at this one.  A few little tweaks with perspective and it should all be good to go!  Savy Painter podcasts keep me motivated while I am painting.

9x12 oil on linen panel

The blahs...

I tried to do a quick one hour oil sketch from life. However, I found the result so boring I wiped it off.  I must have chosen the wrong colours and I really did not want to spend a lot of time trying to do the tablecloth pattern so this was a wiper!

Figure Drawing

One of the best ways to improve your drawing skills is to take a figure drawing class.  Which is what I am doing now.  This is a copy of an old master drawing so I had about 3 hours to work on it versus the drawings done in class are roughly 1 1/2 hrs each.

Charcoal and Chalk on toned paper

Practise til perfect

9x12 oil on panel

This little keeper is created for an upcoming 'Call for entries'  and I am still working out some shading issues, but the theme was retro.  This one is either Saturday morning cartoons or Rumpus room View - orange shag and wood panel - ahh the 70's.  Speaking of which, I found these dandy fashions when I googled orange shag, retro styles, etc. - shocking, yet refreshing to see models who are soooo normal!!

retro mens wear 70's

Onward...

I am reading a really great book on Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaccson   Da Vinci was amazing with the scope of his projects and skills.  However he did have a difficult time 'finishing' his projects.  Reading this made me feel a bit better about my sometimes painting habit of working on something then not quite calling it finished and leaving it 'for awhile'.  NOT that I am anywhere near the skill level of 'Leo' but I could totally relate to how he would often not finish a number of his projects.  He was often "stymied because his conceptions were "so subtle and so marvellous" that they were impossible to execute faultlessly. "It seemed to him that the hand was not able to attain to perfection of art in carrying out the things which he imagined" p 81

I am sure many artists out there can relate to this, in that what we envision the painting to look like just never seems to turn out the way we want.  My current struggle is with creating light in my paintings - so I am back to studying more on value and colour to try to help with this.  Below are this weeks homework for Figure Drawing class and my recent stab at 'finishing' the sleigh ride painting.

Charcoal sketch of Old Master drawing for homework

Calling it on this oil on panel