I found this little painting of flowers. It's small and unassuming. I wish the person had gone a step further and put in a window or a little night table or something. Wouldn't it had been great if the petals and the faces of the flowers went in a few other directions. So that we saw the backs of some of the flowers that would normally have been in the back of the vase. A single light source would have made it slightly more dramatic, something in the background too would have added a little depth and dimension, clean paper maybe? But for some reason I find something charming in it. Would I ever buy it? Now that's a different story. The artist wants $75.00 for it. Perhaps if it was in a gold frame? I'm not even so sure that would help me out. Once upon a time I would have tried to sell something like this myself. Now I give pieces like this away as birthday cards or book marks. They're sweet but I'm not sure they're worth a price tag.
If you did this painting, would you try to sell it and for how much if you did?

I've been told that I am being a bit like 'Simon'. So be it. Anyone can call themselves an artist but does everyone have talent? Or are these cute little paintings exercises and practices? Are they masterpieces?

Thanks for your thoughts!

How do we know when our artwork is worth anything especially money?

I don't know who the so called artist is but I am having trouble with this piece on several levels. Am I crazy? The pricing seems to be on a size basis alone and not the quality of the work. This painting, a watercolor, is about 18x20 or so and has a price tag on it of $300. Is this painting just not speaking to me and is there something really worthwhile here and I'm not getting it or is it simply an exercise in painting folds in material? I have so many negative issues with this $300. painting that I'm embarassed for it:  bad perspective and handling of the two basic objects in the frame, choppy, uncomfortable manipulation of  the medium (streaky, unflattering, inconsistencies like in the blue and green sections), object in the middle of the frame making it uninteresting with no story to tell, no apparent light source and so on. Aesthetically, it has no value, I just can't see it hanging on a wall, even in a mud room.

Perhaps the wisdom of one very learned person is applicable here. He says that he loves to write, it helps him clear and organize his thoughts, however, he would never expect someone to pay money for those thoughts, he's simply not a writer. So when and how do we know that our art work is worth money?    

If you google: painting of a raincoat. The first picture of a red raincoat comes up. This painting is seemingly simple and yet it's intriguing and tells a story . The medium moves with the painting, in other words the brush lines can be interpreted as wind rather than just filling in space. Even though the painting is impressionistic with little detail it's far more complex than the above painting. I don't have permission of the artist to give a link to the painting so I hope you will google it.

I will never discourage creativity, ever, ever! However, either on ones own or with the help of another artist (no one in the family, no moms! - sorry but they're way way too biased), we need to get an honest critique before put dollar signs on our work. I'd love to hear what you think about both images. Perhaps, I'm missing something important in the above painting.

Thanks!

Tear it apart

I am going to go through some of my own art until someone suggests I critique someone elses work.

There is an artist whose work is hanging in the nbc galleries right now. Out of perhaps 30 paintings, maybe 3 of them are little gems. The rest either have no story to tell the viewer, are rushed and undefined are poorly planned, or are plain boring. Even so the prices she puts on them are huge except of course for the three little gems which she still has priced on the unbelievable side. I wish I could give you an example. Unfortunately I can't. So we'll move on from here.

What makes a painting or photograph sing? Lets look at two examples of the same graveyard in Boston. Why does one of these pictures work and the other not as much?

 This is subtle but what's the difference and if you could only chose one which one would it be?

Staying Focused

Diametrically opposed to yesterdays post. One of the issues I have as an artist is finding something that interests me long enough to hold my attention. I love drawing, capturing images but I can't seem to make them sing as well as photos can and I get bored. Maybe not bored exactly but it feels like I've been-there-done-that. Cartoons spill out but then it's over. Writing, is fascinating but then I run out of things to say and I loose my voice. So far photography wins...at least for the moment.

Now what about cooking? This is a creative effort. I love to, but I need stimulation, a break, a change. I can be totally on target one minute and then the next meal is completely off.


So I really wonder how one stays focused on one subject over the years. I can say that my focus is on all aspects of creativity and art but that's it. I can't say that I'm totally one of anything.

As I'm writing, I realize, that despite my interests in all the different mediums I have stayed with one thing, all be it general. Art.

                                                                                                                         Lunch the other day:

                                                                                                                   Halibut with lemon and capers

                                                                                                                    good summer meal.

Any thoughts on this would be more than welcome. How does one spend years on one subject?

Photographing products.

My projects end too soon. Either because there's a deadline on them or because there are monetary restrictions. What ever the reason I feel like I'm just getting started when all of a sudden they're done.

This photograph was the conclusion for this necklace. It may or may not be a piece of jewelry that I personally would wear but playing with it and making it into a something desirable is the motivation.

This is just one out of 5 pieces that my cousin had me photograph. Her designs lend themselves to this type of photo and not the pure white sparkly background shots. Those look better with jeweled pieces. She's working with heavy smithed metals and they seem to look better with some weight or color behind them.

The main attraction is the time I get to spend without interruption, creating in my studio. With music on and various forms of light and props, I easily feel like a conjurer either in the lab or a kid in the sandbox. In my own world....and then it's over all too soon.