Marion's Landscape Painting Newsletter - JUNE 2011WELCOME to my June newsletter, Dear Newsletter Readers, All in the month of an artist ... PLAN CAREFULLY Lots and lots of hard work would certainly sum up my overall feeling for the last few weeks. Due to some poor diary planning I was heading for two exhibitions to be hung within a week of each other. Having been inspired (thankfully) and created some new work I then choose which works were the most suitable for each exhibition. So last week I had a great morning considering the careful science of hanging work… Suitable frames, colour schemes, shapes and styles together and complementing each other. COME RAIN OR SHINE A very mixed a week of whether whilst on holiday in the the Gower lead to interesting painting experiences. Although it means carrying a lot to your chosen location – (mine was a beautiful rugged beach) it is worth painting outside when you can. To work outside I personally would always choose to have it at least dry and if possible sunny. Daringly or was it just mad? I worked straight onto a canvas. I started by applying gesso with a palette knife to achieve the interesting cliff shapes. The sun’s heat dried this medium quickly and then I continued working with acrylic paints. I chose to limit my colour palette and keep them ‘natural’. Working against the elements and so against the clock meant there was no time to fuss. Although this is a pressured way of working it did mean my brush strokes were strong and fresh and created a very pleasing effect. ORIGINALS OR PRINTS? As a hobby artist or professional artist we all like to sell our paintings. The question I have been revisiting recently is if getting some limited addition prints of a number of paintings is a good idea or not. This is all really comes down to personal choice and taste … I think it’s safe to say the majority of people who prefer to have an original. However in the current economic climate I believe and an art gallery owner has suggested to me that prints are becoming very popular again. As an artist one of the hardest decisions is not so much of are prints a good idea but which paintings to get prints created from. I was discussing this recently with some art minded people and we agreed that is hard to predict what will be popular as a print. I’m sure many artists have created a painting they are very pleased with; its hard to part with; if it sells or not is another matter. The best advice I can do is to create some mini images of some your paintings and ask a range of contacts which they think could be good, commercial prints. Or get some greeting cards printed and see which of these sell best –however the market for cards and prints is quite different. If you have any thoughts on this please do let me know.
June's ProductSimple but effective and probably not as expensive as you might think – silver leaf. You can buy this online from Jackson’s art supplies or well stocked art shops. I have used some recently to add a touch of highlights, shimmer and elegance to some abstract paintings of reflections. Use it sparingly and it can add a beautiful unusual dimension to your work.A Few Other ThingsIf you would like to ask any questions or share your thoughts please get in touch with me via the contact page on my website. Tell your friends to sign up please, the number of readers is growing so a big thanks.BE INSPIRED, BE CREATIVE! |
