lessons learned

I was thrilled when at my reception at Athan's, a woman who came said that she was going to buy "Retired Racer" (above). I had my friend John take care of sales and emails. She wrote the email on a list and now when I'm writing to tell her that the show is over and the piece is ready for her, the email bounces back. I have no other way of communicating with this person :(. I have posted on my Facebook page and have contacted other people that I new were at the reception, but no one seems to know who she is. She did take my card and information and I'm really hoping that she gets back in touch with me. I feel so embarassed and unprofessional. This like this shouldn't happen.

Please please please get in touch with me, CarolynWhoBoughtRetiredRacer! I wouldn't want you to think that I swindled you!!!!

SOLD!

So the last Sunday, we had the Insperable Companions reception and I'm thrilled to let you know that "Luna" and "Retired Racer" were both sold that night and 10% was given to the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton MA. Thank you so much to all who attended this great event! It will be up for viewing until the end of August.

Riverside Gallery Annual "Pop Up Show"

Easter Chic

5x7 inches

watercolor and Prismacolor pencils

Onyx

5x7 inches

watercolor and Prismacolor pencils

I am excited to announce that these 2 pieces, "Easter Chic" and "Onyx" will be included in the Riverside Gallery's annual Pop Up Show this Sunday, June 23rd. Come in and check out the show from 4-6pm. All works are priced at $100. For more information check out the Riverside Gallery's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/RiversideGallery?fref=ts

Hope to see you there!

Snow dog

Some one asked me once to not only post my paintings, but post the photos that I work the commissions from. So here's Dublin, the Snow dog!

Dublin

5x7 inches watercolor

Dublin's photo

the client had given me about 10 photos to choose from. After talking with the friend of Dublin's owner, he told me that a) this doggie is no longer with us and b) that he just loved being outside and was a big goofball. Typical golden, right? So I had to do the one with him in the snow. I didn't want to go overboard with the lattice on the porch, so I made it more of a pattern in the painting. And I didn't retort back to my pencils (trying to keep it strictly watercolor) so I had to break out the white watercolor to get the snow on the fur. There were many photos, like I said, and this photo with him in the snow didn't really capture his true golden color. This can show you how important to get more than one or two photos for reference!!!

I hope she loves it!

Look, I'm Famous... (kinda)

My art and I made the local paper!!! Very nice article, thanks Jing for giving me the opportunity to bring my art and opinions to the village of Allston/Brighton. You can read it here: http://www.wickedlocal.com/allston I started laughing when I read that I was "tearing up" when talking about Luna. She was such a mess when I got her LOL.

First Layer

I haven't even titled this piece and was having a issue deciding whether to do it in watercolor or oil. I settled with watercolor, but did a 2nd "trace" of the image in case I go back to oils. So maybe this is just a study? We shall see how this turns out.
T & I went on an equestrian vacation at the Icelandic Horse Farm up in Mad River Valley Vermont. The horses were wonderful, the inn was beautiful and the people were awesome. Of course I took tons of pictures and plan to turn them into paintings. Maybe make a themed show out of it someday....

If you ride, you should really check them out http://www.icelandichorses.com/

The Effects of Art

I truly believe that a successful piece of art is one that leaves you with emotion as you walk away from it. This could be disgust, joy, sadness, anger or anything really. I'm wondering if my art does that for anyone. Does it even do it for me?

"Horse Landscape Vermont"

Oil on Canvas

I will admit I'm more of a junkie when it comes to painting.... and it's not the art that I'm producing per say, but more of the medium: Can I handle oils? What can I do with salt and watercolor? How much can I stretch this composition out with out having it break apart in my hands? As you know I work primarily in watercolors. When I first started working with this medium, I would use colored pencils as well. Primarily  to correct some mistakes I had made, or punch out some values to make the piece more dramatic.  Slowly over time, I've stopped using those pencils because it was more like having a crutch - something to fall back on if things didn't turn out like I wanted them to. I have started using oils and looking at some videos regarding color mixing so that I can master this one as well.... But are my pieces evoking an emotion????

I've never been one wanted to "disturb" people viewing my art. Blame it on my 1990 experience of being in the middle of threat of the pulling out funding National Endowment of the Arts. I was in DC at the time of Maplethorpe's NOT being shown at the Corcoran Museum (my school). Too many people where figuring out how they too could make "shock art".

I was at Mass MoCA recently and saw this piece:

"You Are Loved"

Andrea Mortson

Oil on Canvas

I was thinking, "Oh my goodness. It's so beautiful the way she leans against him, how the tree encompasses both of them" and then I read the title and was just hit with a wave of emotion. That we should all feel loved.. Am I loved like the woman in the painting? I believe so. Is the artist loved? She must be, how else could she have captured this so perfectly? You might not feel the way that I do, but again, this is what I call a successful piece of art.

I hope to God that my art does this to people, and if not, will some day. Maybe I should start believing that it does and it will reflect in the art itself. But like everyone I need reassurance. And I guess I haven't got that in a while.

Art Online

So I get emails from Dog Art Today, a great blog dedicated to... Dog Art! http://dreamdogsart.typepad.com/ They are holding their 3rd annual wine label competition for the Mutt Lynch Winery and this year's theme was "naughty" Aww! I asked my friend T, who's got a goofy white boxer named Sugar, if she had any photos of Sugar being "naughty". She sent me some and here are my interpretations:

Sugar's busy day

8x10 inch watercolor

Sugar's Flower

5x7 inch

watercolor with Prismacolor pencils

You're only allowed one entry per person and because my black and whites tend to get more response out of people, Sugar's Busy Day is my entry. Fingers are crossed!!!

Lil Silver Pug

5x7 inch

Black watercolor and a silver Prismacolor pencil

So like I said, I'm finding that my black n' whites are getting more attention than my color pieces. I'm all about it. I've been working with black watercolor for a couple of years now. I started doing black and whites with some breeds, like pugs, that I already had a lot of color paintings of and wanted to do something a little different. I've done a couple of commissions this way too. I think black and white definitely creates more of a dramatic effect. I think the dog in Lil Silver Pug looks more regal ... or even old timey because of the black and white. Stay tuned for more!

???

Does anyone know what artist created this image? I found it on a blog, LOVE IT but there was no reference to the artist. I found the image for sale on Ebay as well and they only listed it as a Brazilian artist... hmmmmm. Anyway, if anyone knows please tell me! Thanks.

I heart my new iPhone 4!!!!!

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Allston Open Studios - Recap

It's like Christmas or a wedding day ... you get yourself so worked up, there's so much to do and then it happens *flash* and then.. it's over? Huh. Allston Open Studios felt like that to me. I did a lot of press releases and online marketing to get people out and about and come down. Not to mention get my stuff in order, hung and set up in a timely manner. There was some definite highs and lows to this show.

Luna

5" x 7" watercolor and colored pencil

The Highs:
The Allston Brighton TAB ran the press release that I sent them. I had also attached 4 images of different artists to run as well. Of course I sent one of my pieces but left it to them which one they wanted to feature, if any. Well, they chose my Luna piece to go in! I was very excited that my Tuna made the Tab! (she also caught and killed a mouse in my kitchen Saturday night - Best. Cat. in the World.)

And I had some friends come down and visit me on Saturday which was very nice. I was able to bring some work with me as well, (the great thing about watercolor, can be so very portable) so I think that got people interested in my art. I did have one woman talk to me about doing a portrait of her mother. I hesitated but told her to send me the picture anyway. WTF, right?

I attended the small reception for artists on Saturday night and Marilyn gave me a nod in her speech of thanks for the press work that I did. And it was very nice to meet the other artists in this space as well.

The amount of space given to me prompted me to go home and get more art that was framed to fill up the wall. I brought my acrylics too, which were all done plein air, and more of me just playing around. But I'm thinking it's open studios, sure why not?

Allston Open Studios.... the Right end of my set up

The lows:

Not a whole lot of traffic. At. All.

I sold 5 calendars for NEAFA and one magnet.

No one said anything about my acrylics.

The woman who I shared the space with was nice but she had her doggie with her. Don't get me wrong - you know I love dogs but he would bark constantly and aggressively when he saw another dog. It didn't make for a pleasant afternoon when this happened. And kept those pet owners out of our room. *grumble grumble*

And it makes me think that maybe I should branch out from doing animal art. Oh I'm sure if you know me or follow this blog at all this is a constant battle I have with myself. I'm selling, but painting pictures of kitty cats. I love to do it. But somewhere something inside of me says paint your feelings, your dreams, your bugs! ( I brought that up to one woman who then said, "Yeah, but I don't think that would sell!") I paint, I love to create - even if it is a painting of your dog.... Can you see that? 'Cause my vision is getting foggy.

I can sense it in the air.....

It's the holiday season. Because I've been having dreams of sugarplum fairies in my head. No, not really. My dreams are way weirder than that, but lets not go there.

The commissions are starting to come in. Ebay sales are picking up. I love those folks who realize that Christmas comes every year, and it happens pretty much the same time during the year. Actually the last time I checked it was the 25th of December. (sarcasm?) But this is great for me. I love not only the painting, the shows and the stories that people share with me about their pets, but there's something about knowing that when that day arrives that people are opening up their presents and there's their beloved pet.... in a watercolor.... by me. It gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling that I believe that's what the holidays are all about.

"Retired Racer"

5"x7" watercolor

Above, is a small painting that I did of a greyhound. I took the reference photo at the Bay Colony dog show that happens every year, usually the first weekend of December. They used to have it at the Bay State Expo Center in Quincy, but just found out that it's moved to Providence RI expo center. http://baycolonydogshow.com/ Anyway, this cutie was hanging in front of a Greyhound rescue table. I chose to leave the pillow and the background white because to me it gives a more "airy" effect. Especially when you normally see pictures and photos of greyhounds, they're running on air - not sleeping on it.

So a busy schedule ahead:

November 13th & 14th Allston Open Studios http://www.allstonarts.org/

November 13th through December 13th the Allston Art expo at the Honan Library in Allston http://http//www.allstonarts.org/ Reception is Saturday November 13th. (I will not be at this opening as I will be working at the Allston Open Studios. If I could be in 2 places at the same time I would, but I learned a long time ago on Three's Company that this is impossible.)

November 18th New England Arts for Animals Members Show. Opening reception from 5pm to 8pm in the Fernwood Gallery (430 Washington Street Norwell MA ) The show will run until December 31st.

December 4th First Church of Jamaica Plain Christmas Show. http://http//www.firstchurchjp.org/index.asp

I hope to see you at least one of these events!!

Scottish Terrier on Cotman paper

So, If you've been following this blog, you know that I have a ream of Cotman paper that I'm trying to use up. Watercolors are my thing and I prefer the Arches coldpress, but got a ream of this Cotman. The artworks end up as mixed medias, but hey, that's okay too.

This is a Scottish Terrier that I'm working on. This is going to be a challenge on this paper because this dog is entirely black. The Cotman has issues holding on to the paint so that this may end up pretty smudgey.... we'll see. My other challenge is to try to keep my black consistantly black. I don't use black paint out of the tube, instead I mix Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue. So I have to try to be careful not to go too brown or too blue. And then, since this will be a mixed media piece, when the pencil overlay comes in.. that's when the blues and the browns show up.

Cat Crazy

I've been teasing myself lately looking at pictures of kitties at the local shelters. I keep telling myself to wait, but there's a cat void in my life right now.... The thing is that I feel like I'm looking for my next top model because you know there will be pictures taken and paintings made. I also was thinking that if I had to get a new cell phone for whatever reason that I'd have to get a new kitty to put his picture up on the welcome screen. Although, I'm wondering if they can take the old photos from my phone and stick it on the new one.... but then again, my phone's fine right now (knock on wood) and still has D's picture right on the screen. I'll get one soon enough....

I received an email from a woman who recently won one of my gift certificates in a fundraising auction and she's bumping up the order from a 5x7 to a 16x20 so there's some extra dough there! She sent the pics via email over the weekend and this is one senior beagle! I'm thinking that I'll take some pictures of the progress as it goes.