Responsibilities

Artists have responsibilities to other artists, students and collectors of their work. We have the power to influence others who put their faith in our expertise and our professionalism. 

I know artists who cheat galleries out of commissions, who belittle other painters to collectors, who steal collectors at openings, and who bad mouth artists to gallery dealers. I know painters who use low quality materials, and overcharge their collectors, and worse yet, ignore them. 

Our students depend on us to give them reliable information, to guide them without hurting their feelings and dignity. Don’t over charge them. Be kind and gentle, always encouraging, so they will be fearless in their art journey. 

Be the artist others look up to. 

Life is wonderful for country painters.....

The other day I shared my rebatment tool with my artist friends. Today I’m sharing the first stage of my new work in progress, sharing the right, left, and center rebatment for this new painting. 

I believe the left side rebatment is my favorite, and the best, but the center and right ones are workable. This tool helps to make sure there are interests throughout the painting, balancing it so there are not dead areas. It is a useful and fun way to consider compositions early in the painting process. I’ll share this painting when I finish it. 

Continual study is vital for artists in my view. After 62 years of painting, I still haven’t a clue about most of it. Painting is both technical and freeing. Understanding the relationships between values, color, and composing takes a long time and endless effort. That is the mystery that keeps my mind occupied when I face the easel.

Painting is bliss for country painters.....

I switched out my medium to oils yesterday. I’ve not felt well enough to paint at the easel this year, but I am determined to be independent again. To day I pulled out a painted I had blocked in just before I became ill. I was able to paint again for about an hour! It was wonderful to work again. 

The hardest part was handling the tubes of paint. I have lost the strength in my hands to open them. I used pliers and that worked well. I was not able to squeeze out the paint with my fingers, but I could lay the tubes on the palette and press the paint out with the palm of my hand. I am learning how to adapt my weakness to success, little by little.

The painting is coming along, not half bad. I should be able to finish it in another session. It feels wonderful to paint at my easel again with my oils. They are always my favorite medium.

Life is wonderful for country painters.....  

My friend Katie shared some photos on Facebook, of a cute little free art gallery with a variety of small art, given away. I loved the idea so much! 

I looked for a cabinet on Ebay and found one. It is country cute, with a glass pane door. Perfect for a free art gallery. I may need to paint the interior white. It is red checked in the photo. I will also make a sign for it so people will know the art is free.  I will get my contractor to mount it to a post on my studio deck. When friends visit, they can pick out a free object d’ art! 

Artists are welcome to leave a little piece when they visit me too. I often do little drawings and paintings and hand made paper that I can fill the gallery with. This will be so much fun! I’ll take a photo when it is ready! Now that I have had both my Covid shots, it is pretty safe to visit the studio and free art gallery! I’ve always loved the idea of low cost and free art. Everyone should own original art. I might even make some tiny hand made paper bowls to go in the free gallery. It is like having a doll house again. We are all kids at heart. 

Life is great fun for country painters....

I’ve been having so much fun making hand made paper, that I decided to try my hand at sculpting paper into bowls. For a first try I think it turned out pretty well. I learned some things and have some ideas for the next effort. I would like to try molding my hand made paper in sheets to a bowl shape while they are damp, while gluing one side and overlapping. On the inside I would use recycled paper to make it smoother. 

The next bowl will be a bit thicker for more stability and have two different colors on the inside and out. I have to make a batch of paper tomorrow and use it wet to mold the outside of the next bowl.  Dark eggplant mixed with blue might be nice for the outside and pale Gray for the inside. 

I also have the idea for a black inside and white outside bowl with some gilded lines. I can play with paper bowls forever with cool ideas, once I get my technique more consistent. It would be fun to add some sculptural elements too, like feathers, folds, and shapes. This is almost as much fun as paper making.

Life is interesting for country painters.....