Oil Painting

Where did all the color go?

Mr. Will Maller · Apr 3, 2017 · 5 Comments

Photo - San Mateo Coast at Pescadero — Photo – San Mateo Coast at Pescadero

Last summer I received a personal invitation to participate in a museum show. I of course agreed. It only took two months after the invitation to work myself into a corner. This was to be a themed show: submit a larger studio work developed from two plein air studies. So it was off to my favorite Northern California coast location in San Mateo County at Pescadero. After a couple of months, I had eight or so plein air studies and a couple of starts on a larger studio piece. But the weather was not cooperating. With very few sunny days during the summer on this part of the coast, fog generally will burn off by noon and then it will just be overcast through evening. That is, until two to three weeks following Labor Day. Then the coastal fog front recedes and the fall days become warm and sunny. Color is infused into the coastal landscape, providing the perfect setting for end-of-summer beach activities including painting en Plein Air.
Not this year. After years of California drought, off-shore weather systems were now massing early off the coast. My favorite location had lost most of its sparkle and all of its high color. I am committed to this location at this point, however.

Photo - Pescadero Point — Photo – Pescadero Point

Not wanting to start making things up, I decided to complete the project and deal with all the grey atmosphere and moisture in the air as well as light fog. I struggled through another study and then decided on something I really don’t do— a limited pallet. In addition to my four colors (Cad Yellow Medium, Ultramarine Blue, Sap Green and Alizarin Crimson), I added three separate Grey’s—light, medium, and dark. Once I established a very tight value study with the Greys, I added color. The following two additional Plein Air studies were completed:

The next task was to paint my large studio piece. I used the same process as with the Plein Air studies—limiting my pallet, holding very tight with Grey mixtures, then adding color to complete San Mateo Coast.

After completing my work for the museum show, I decided to apply the strategy to another painting at a different site. I was especially happy with Point Lobos Calm No. 2 and have since been using the limited pallet with a couple of accent colors for all of my Plein Air work.

24” x 30” - Point Lobos Calm No. 2 — 24” x 30” – Point Lobos Calm No. 2

I have just received notice that Point Lobos Calm No. 2 has been accepted to the Oil Painters of America 26th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils.
I think I’ll stick with this approach for awhile!

Getting Outside Support – "Finding A Jen"

Jen Kochevar · Mar 13, 2017 · 3 Comments

Jen Kochevar

“Everyone needs A Jen”

I have heard from artists countless times…
“So……who is A Jen and why do these artists want one?”
A Jen is someone who does whatever she/he can to take work off your plate so you have more time with a canvas in front of you, paint on your palette and with a brush in your hand. Depending on what she does for you, you can call her your advocate, your business partner, your salesperson, your marketer, your business representative or your admin person. She is with you to help you manifest your dreams.
Often artists have A Jen that is also A Spouse, A Partner or A Family Member….and for many this works well. For others, blurring the line between business and personal can cause problems. If this is the case, you may want to consider hiring someone from the outside to more fully support the next stage of growth as a professional artist.

Create YOUR Jen

One of the things that impressed me the most when I first met with the artist I represent was her clarity. She knew what she wanted and had it clearly laid out. This was useful, as it allowed us to match up my skills, knowledge and ability. For this reason I recommend you get as clear as possible about what you need and want.

Collaboration mind map, business concept on blackboard

Let’s consider some of the possible projects or jobs you may want Your Jen to do:

Planning/Visioning – help put your dreams into words
Look for new exciting opportunities in the marketplace
Create additional products to boost your visibility: books, cards, videos, etc.
Track and document inventory – both physical (paintings) and electronic (images)
Oversee and assure deadlines are met (entry into juried exhibitions, shipping of
paintings, etc.)
Negotiate contracts/agreements with galleries and/or other Key Partners
Create Sales: Meet with collectors or people/organizations interested in purchasing
your work
Spread The Word͟ through social media sites, newsletters, advertisers and
local/national press, development of print materials, e-mails, etc.
Support with workshops: track registrations, send welcome and follow up letters,
material prep
Other fun stuff that will lighten your load and help fulfill your dreams!

Consider that any of these items could, on the one hand, be a stand-alone project for A Jen to do. On the other hand, if you are ready, this might be enough for a full time job! You choose.
Envision the type of person you would like to work with. Imagine what it feels like to be sharing ideas and goals with Your Jen. Do they listen? Share your passion and love for this craft? Are they responsible, reliable, creative and self-assured? Do they see opportunities to enhance your vision or just repeat back what you’ve said? Are they dependable and do you trust them?

Take the Leap

Now that you have defined your needs and set your intention, it’s time to spread the word! Tell people you are looking for your Jen. Describe this person to people. Paint it for them with your words. Keep an open mind….you never know where Your Jen is going to come from!

How I became A Jen

People often ask me how I came to being an artist representative – A Jen. It was not a conventional path! For many years, my primary work was in accounting and bookkeeping, both in the corporate arena and for small businesses. I was using my coaching and leadership training in the service of my accounting work. At a certain point, I started looking for other opportunities to bring forth my skills in the world to play a bigger game. Representing an artist was nowhere on my radar.
Little did I know, many miles away, a certain artist had decided it was time for her to take her business to the next level. She had decided to call someone into her life who could help her with the business aspects of being a professional artist. She set her intention and got clear about what she wanted this person to do.

Through a series of connections and synchronicities, I landed in her living room. While it wasn’t clear during that first conversation how we would be working together, in time, it became evident. At the time, she wasn’t sure if she could afford to pay me, and, having never been an artist rep, I wasn’t so sure of myself. This was going to be a leap of faith for both of us. We agreed to set a budget and play as long as we were having fun and/or until the money ran out.
Almost 4 years have passed since that night in Mary’s living room. We are having more fun than we ever could have imagined and there is still money in the budget! Today, I manage almost all of the above mentioned business aspects for her. This allows her to spend her creative time doing what she loves most, painting and teaching.
Only you know if you are ready to seek out Your Jen. Listen to your heart of hearts and trust what you hear. Have fun and enjoy the process!

5 Mistakes All Artists Make (And How to Overcome Them)

John Feustel · Mar 6, 2017 · 1 Comment

We at OPA are fortunate to have the enthusiastic support of many quality vendors. As such, we have decided to give them an opportunity to pass along information that is helpful to our membership. While these blogs will link to the vendors information we want the primary focus to be on supporting and informing our membership. First up, Artwork Archive.

As artists, we all experience moments of doubt along the trajectory of our career path. Moments when the sales aren’t flowing in or multiple late nights in the studio leave us second guessing our choice to follow our passion of becoming professional artists. But before you let these doubts get the best of you, see if there is an easy fix to what is keeping you from achieving your optimal success.
We outlined the biggest problems that artists face when making the transition from hobbyist to
careerist, and how to overcome them.
As a team of artists, designers, developers and writers at Artwork Archive, we have been lucky
enough to spend the last five years talking with thousands of artists about how they have grown
their businesses. Here are the five most common mistakes we hear, and how to fix them!
Problem One: You Accept Stress, Disorder, and Chaos as the Norm
One universal artist problem is that we jump from project to project, driven by sparks of
inspiration, deadlines and financial pressure. We fail to realize that taking the preliminary steps to have a strong foundation in place will make all of our future work easier.
Staying organized is crucial for those of us who want to make a living doing what we love, and to actually have the peace of mind to enjoy the process along the way. Without something in place, we run into the same problems day in and day out, wasting valuable time searching for information and perpetuating a cycle of stress when we should be making work.
Fix: Find a system that works for you and that you will actually use. There are many productivity, inventory management, and financial tracking programs that can help give your business structure.
We suggest setting aside one night a week to download and compare these programs. Then, and this is the hard part, take the time to determine which one is right for you.
Evaluate whether or not the system is making your workflow easier, or if you can see it benefitting your business. Most of the time we try these apps in a crisis moment, but then never follow through fully to see how beneficial they can be.
Problem Two: You Let Deadlines Slip By
We’ve all been there. You wrote all the upcoming important dates on a whiteboard in your studio.
You thought you were on top of this year’s applications and events. Then, in passing, a friend asks about your submission that was due … last week.
Half the battle in making it as an artist is applying. You need not only to apply yourself to your craft but also apply to every opportunity out there… the residencies, grants, juried shows, and fairs. There is a lot to keep track of in an art career.
Fix: Get in the routine of setting reminders for yourself. If you aren’t already using a system that keeps you up to date on important deadlines set reminders on your phone, on your computer, on an old-fashioned paper calendar, everywhere and anywhere that you will actually look to see what you have coming up.
Problem Three: You Don’t Know What Artwork You Have Available
So, you just heard from a potential collector that they are interested in your work—and you are ecstatic! You get to talking and they love all your artwork, but one series in particular. Here’s the problem: you don’t remember which gallery those pieces are in, or even if you’ve already sold them.
The more work you make and the longer you practice your art, the harder it is to keep track of
everything. OPA member Jane Hunt shared this all-too- familiar story with us. “As my art business has grown, it’s been increasingly difficult to keep track of everything. I’ve also entered a painting into a show when it was actually unavailable in a gallery. It was very stressful not knowing where everything was. I kept feeling like I was going to mess up.”
Fix: Start tracking your artwork from the start. Or, if it’s already past the beginning—start now! The sooner you start tracking your work (where it is, which galleries it’s been in, who you sold it to, when and for how much) you will be able to not only build a comprehensive overview of your inventory, you will be able to make more informed decisions about your art business.
Then, check out these 5 FAQs about art inventory management systems.
Bonus: Did you know an accurate and up-to- date provenance makes your artwork worth more? According to Christine Guernsey, ISA CAPP, “Solid and documentable provenance increases the value and desirability of an artwork.”
Problem Four: You Waste Time
You don’t have to be producing all the time, but learn to waste time productively. Taking breaks is absolutely essential, and can be a healthy way to stay creative and rested. However, many of us waste too many hours or days or weeks doing administrative tasks that steal away our energy and only lead to frustration and burnout.
Fix: Take time to plan your week, work around your peak creative time, set a timeframe and take breaks, use productivity tools, then reward yourself and recover for the night. We are most productive when we don’t take work with us everywhere and we actually take the time to relax.
Problem Five: You Don’t Appear Professional
Notice that we didn’t say you aren’t professional. Even if you are at the top of your game skill-wise, if you don’t make a good first impression with potential clients or galleries, you won’t appear professional.
Collectors want to purchase artwork from someone they feel confident in, and can see they are on the path to success. They want to know that you will be around in a few years, and perhaps the value of the artwork will increase. Galleries want to know that you are easy to work with and will follow through on your word.
Fix: Have inventory reports, invoices, and consignment sheets ready to hand over to clients. Before you head out to meet with a gallery or collector, bring along a list of your current works available to present them with. Make it as easy as possible for the other person to say “yes” to a purchase.
Don’t make a potential client do the leg-work to get the information they need to make a decision about acquiring your artwork. Having professional reports that include details like contact information, images, price, and creation date help buyers understand the big picture of your work and help you make the sale.
The good news is that these are all fixable. The main takeaway is that having a system in place frees up a lot of your time tracking down information and a reduces the stress of trying to remember things or find things. With these fixes, you’ll be more productive and have more peace-of-mind.
One inventory system that can help you accomplish all these goals is Artwork Archive, an online inventory system used by many OPA members that gives you the tools to track your work and contacts, manage your time, print professional reports at the click of a button, and gain insights into your career.

KEEPING IT FUN

Ms. Terry Rafferty · Feb 27, 2017 · 2 Comments

New Beginning, Fresh Start, Turning a New Leaf. Just a few of the ways we talk about being re-energized and re-focused on our projects and goals. Sitting with a group of artists recently, the conversation went like this: “I haven’t done anything new.” “My brain is mushy.” “I have a show coming up and no work for it.” “I’m just repeating myself”. “It all looks the same.” “I don’t know what to do.” Sound at all familiar? How do we keep it fresh for ourselves and spark creativity when we have deadlines to meet and feel like we need to ‘produce’ creative work? While we can’t just wait for inspiration to strike, there are ways to foster the joy of creating. For me it doesn’t usually require any Big changes (new medium, new genre) but rather small changes I can easily fit into the work I already do. Here are some suggestions that work for me:
Change Scale
Townsend Atelier recently hosted a show that had one simple requirement – all artists had to create a work on 4” round coasters. At first this seemed crazy. Four inches? and Round? But what at first seemed really limiting resulted in a huge amount of fun both in creating my own pieces and in seeing everyone else’s. The landscapes, portraits, abstracts and even sculpture and mixed media were eye-opening!

This show helped me see I could easily mix up the size of my work, so instead of just working in a mid-size, I’m bouncing back and forth, one day working and forth, and forth, one day working tiny, the next very large.

M is for Mouse, 4x4, oil on panel — M is for Mouse, 4″ x 4″, oil on panel

WIP, 30x30, oil on aluminum panel — WIP, 30″ x 30″, oil on aluminum panel

Lovely Lamb, 4x4, alla prima,oil on panel — Lovely Lamb, 4″ x 4″, alla prima,oil on panel

Take on a Challenge
A friend and I talked about our resistance to dealing with social media and promised each other we would post more often. That didn’t happen till we were invited to a Facebook Challenge: post 7 paintings in 7 days. Rather than posting old work I chose to try working alla prima – something I never do. Again, this turned out to be really fun, and successful. It gave me so much more confidence in painting, and I wouldn’t have done it without the Challenge.
Change a Material
Choose just one new material – a new brand or color of paint, a different medium or varnish. I recently switched to aluminum composite panels for larger works. So far I’m really liking it, but there is a definite learning curve in prepping the panel and in how the first layer of paint soaks in when compared to oil primed linen. Making just one change keeps the frustration level down during the learning curve; when something goes ‘wrong’ I don’t have to wonder which new material caused the issue. Its easy to isolate and solve.
Choose a Workshop with a Specific Goal
I quit taking workshops for awhile – I found I was just taking random classes that were fun but unrelated to my actual work. After considering what I would find truly useful I chose a drawing class. In last month’s OPA blog, David Dibble quoted Jeremy Lipking’s advice to painters:
“Draw more, that’s basically it. A lot of people feel like they know how to draw good enough already, but don’t trust yourself. Learn to draw better.” I can draw – but not nearly as well as I would like, and not in ways that actually inform my paintings. Choose a class that builds an area you want to strengthen. Growing and stretching skills is so satisfying!

Join a Group
We work alone so much of the time and often with no feedback other than the voices in our heads – which, admit it, are frequently negative. Even if you’re an introvert (I am), get over it and go find a few other artists to hang out with on a regular basis. I joined two groups this year – one is specifically a critique group and the other is in a shared studio space. Both support me in my work and let me learn about the very different kinds of work that the others are doing. We talk about our successes and dreams and failures. It makes the load lighter.
Count the Ways

There are so many possible ways to change things up and get recharged. See what’s new in your colleagues’ approaches. One friend of mine is learning about gold/silver leafing. One has decided to stop taking commissions to have more time to follow her heart. While I’m trying out alla prima paintings, another friend has just discovered the pleasure of working slowly in layers. A Facebook friend has committed to doing 100 drawings before returning to the easel. Yet another is documenting her shoe collection through paintings and drawings. Every. Single. Pair.
Finally –
This is something I hadn’t considered until reading Jerry Hardesty’s blog post ‘Art Does Not Speak For Itself’ on FASO’s Fine Art Views. It’s about the need to be able to talk about our art. He writes about having a collector ask about a piece only to find himself completely tongue tied and have the collector wander off. I’ve been there, bet you have too. He suggests a number of ways to get comfortable speaking about your art. My personal favorite is his suggestion to join Toastmasters, but no matter how you achieve it, learning to communicate with others about the work we do can only enhance our own experience of it. So, on my list for next year, is to learn to speak about art publicly. Who knows – even that could turn out to be fun (I’ll keep telling that to my inner-introvert).
Why?
Why do all of this? Because the benefits are huge. It keeps me excited about painting, and it keeps me asking questions – What happens when I do this? What if I do it here instead of there? Why did that fail and what can I do about it? By nature I prefer the safe, the familiar. So its unlikely I will suddenly take up performance art, or abstract work. But by trying out changes that aren’t too far outside my comfort zone, I stay connected to my work but continue to grow and to love being an artist.
What gets you excited about being at the easel? What do you want to try, and why? What challenge could make you actually get going? What we do as artists is very hard work. But it should also be very very fun. Ready, set, Go!
Blog post by Terry Rafferty
www.terryrafferty.com

Musings on a winter day…

Ms. Eli Cedrone · Jan 23, 2017 · 8 Comments

“Even the strongest blizzard begins with a single snowflake.”
~ Sara Raasch
And so it is with painting; the first stroke on a blank canvas is like that single snowflake. The tabula rasa… the promise it holds, is built on the premise that all knowledge comes from experience or perception.
Art is the external expression of the intuition. As artists we are constructing an imagined thing. Each stroke building upon the last until form and content are in correct relation to each other and the idea is clearly expressed.
“Mere copying of nature is not an expression of emotion.
Raw emotion, without rules of academic correctness to govern its output,
just produces nonsense. Great art, can only come when creativity
is tempered by taste, when the design is conscious, and when the form
is uniquely suited to the ideas presented.”
Shakespeare said that art is a mirror held up to nature. Yet if the making of art was limited to just copying, then nature would surely eclipse any effort of the artist. The artist’s interpretive vision would be lost in the cold reflection and recording of external facts. Reality is obtained not by copying but by interpreting. Even in painting the portrait, the artist must fix in his mind the quality, the character, the very soul of the person before him.

The transcending of art above nature is an age old discussion. Aristotle with his idealistic view, was likely the first to claim that true art is an improvement upon nature and that man must be depicted not as he is but as he ought to be. Realists believed that only common depictions of life offered an enlightened view of reality. But even this belief doesn’t destroy the presence of artistic quality in their work. An internal vision along with the external, skill of execution is required for all true Art.
“Seek first for absolute truth of value and color,
and paint this truth in the simplest and most direct way.”
The mechanics of picture-making, require a mastery of the basic principles. There are no great secrets, simply a commitment to careful observation and mindful, sincere rendering. Painting is a fusion of the external; skill of execution and the internal; vision or intuition. It requires an understanding of who we are and who we are becoming. An unfolding of the mind with each new experience.
Mysticism teaches that everything in the physical world has a parallel in the spiritual. Baltus said; “A spiritual stroke, correctly placed is beyond calculation.” This belief resonates with me; it suggests that something outside of our unique experience and knowledge is at work. That the hand of the artist is guided by the mind as well as the spirit.
As with snowflakes; we all have our unique experiences. But maybe the accumulation of human experience is like a blizzard, resulting in what Jung called the collective unconscious. When a painting transcends or inspires, perhaps it has struck that universal chord.

Oil Painting

“Everyone needs A Jen”

Create YOUR Jen

Take the Leap

How I became A Jen

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