where has the time gone?

'the amaryllis project: day 32 morning'  11x14 inch watercolor on clayboard panel

do you remember this project?  this was the last painting i had posted for it, i still have about 6-7 more to do.  my intentions were to have this completed a long time ago, but, well, it didn't work out that way.

as a matter of fact, i have a lot of unfinished and yet to be started paintings lying around.  my poor blog has been neglected as well.  i've just had a lot going on, and as we all know with this bad economy, if you've got work, no matter what it is, you get it done.

so i've been really super busy (and i am grateful) with freelance graphic design work. and since that is paying the bills, and i have no galleries beating down my door right now, that's where i've focused my attention.

plus, i really wanted to spend time this summer taking workshops, which i have been.  i'm hoping to take a classical portrait/figure drawing workshop out in philadelphia in august if my arms cooperate.  yeah, there is this whole other issue of me not feeling the best, lots of tests and blah blah stuff like that.  

but it's ok, i'm in sound health, no worries. 

so anyway, about this amaryllis project... i've spent a lot of time considering, thinking, rethinking, and i've come to the conclusion that i will definitely finish it, but my concerns have always been how will i sell this?  i learned a lot in this sequential series. 

one thing is that it was simply too long, too many paintings. it's hard to sell the paintings as a complete series because of the sheer number of paintings (16-18 by the time i'm done). at the same time, breaking it up leaves stragglers that will make no sense without the rest of them.

plus... since this series came about as a 'spur of the moment' idea, some of the paintings are on clayboard panels, some are on panels mounted to birchwood cradles.  i think i will be breaking up the series and just selling the viable paintings, maybe some in small groups, some singly. gotta make that decision.

ultimately, i would like to do smaller sequential series of maybe 4-6 paintings and sell them together. that seems to make more sense to me.  i'm knocking some ideas around, as well as working through some ideas for other new painting series that i hope to start working on this fall.

but for now, i'm working on meeting my freelance deadlines.  damn economy.

i'm still working on cleaning out the studio. so far i've cleared out a ton of stuff. yesterday i cleaned out two large boxes of stored artwork and graphic design portfolio samples dating back to college. it felt good to rip up and get rid of a lot of crappy work. LOL  

recycling everything i can, giving away a lot, and selling off good supplies.  interested in art supplies?  check out my recent post... these items will be for sale on my blog until end of week then i will start listing them on ebay. 

Cleaning Out the Studio... Supplies for sale

for a number of reasons, i am working on a thorough purging of my studio, two of them being:

1. i'm sick of working in chaos
   
2. i am hoping to move my studio this summer
   

i worked for a few years at a local Dick Blick store after leaving my full time job, mostly to get out of the house and also for the yummy discount. i now have a studio brimming with supplies and equipment, some of which i never really used or found that it was something i just didn't enjoy using.

so i am donating some stuff, selling some stuff, and recycling the rest of it that i don't use. i thought i would list some of the items here first before i start going through the time consuming process of listing them on ebay. this is just a start, i still have tons of books and other stuff to go through. plus a few items, such as a ton of matboard i will never use, which will go on craigslist for local pick up only.

click on images for a larger view. if you are interested in something, send me an email at inquiries [at] mercer-vernon.com with your address so i can quote you a shipping price.  i can invoice you through paypal, or set up an etsy listing.

7/11-These last few items are currently up for auction on ebay:

2 - 5x7 inch Antique White open back frames. One has never been removed from the originally wrapping, the second has been moved repeatedly around my studio and has suffered some small chips and slight cracks.. close ups shown in above photo. 

3-6x12 inch Ampersand Pastelbord, 2-white, 1-gray. One white is opened, and is clean.

16 oz. Gamblin Yellow Ochre Pigment. Used a small amount, about 1-2 Tbsp at most.

12x16 inch Arches Hot Press 140 lb Watercolor Block:  19 sheets left, only used one sheet. There is a little paint on the top sheet along the edge where you insert a knife to separate the the sheet off. The block of paper separated off the rigid backer board. The bottom sheet could be sacrificed and it be glued back on if desired.

4-6x18 inch Ampersand Pastelbord. All are brand new and unopened. 2-white, 2-gray

 

$8.00

25 Calligraphy, Pen & Ink, Scratchboard nibs, plus three holders. some are well used, others look brand new. a few with corrosion on the end that goes into the pen.

Speedball Calligraphy Nib Sizes:

A-2,5

B-0,1,3,4,5

C-1,3,5

D-0,2

2-Hunt School Round Pointed #56

1-Spencerian Pen Co. N-Y School No. 5

2-Spencerian Pen Co.  N-Y Congressional C No. 28

6-Vintage William Mitchell's Scroll Writer Nibs No. 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60

1-Hunt Scratch Knife 112

1-Hunt Scratch Knife 113

Sennelier 80 Assorted Half Pastels Set. Only used about 4-6 of the colors, mostly just to sample. Black is the most used color. 

Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencil Set of 60. Over half of the pencils have never been used.

FREE to a good home

I have a ton of these little glass vases, I use a bunch of them for brushes and drawing, these two are free to a good home, good for still life, they measure 5 inch high and 3 inch at the widest part.  You pay shipping, contact me for quote.

3- Fredrix Watercolor Stretched Canvas, brand new, still in packaging. 2-9x12 inch, 1-12x12 inch

Colour Shapers Pastel Blender Set: fan brush & brush only, the two plastic shapers are missing. from the looks of it, i don't believe i used either one of these.

don't fear the title... how i title my paintings

when it comes to titling paintings, i think it's safe to say that a lot of artists struggle or even despise the need to give names to their works.  i am one of those odd artists that absolutely love it. no joke. really i do! titling a painting is pure poetry to me.

usually there are a few ways in which titles come to me:

• sometimes it will just come to me in the development stages prior to painting 

• during the painting process i will just start talking/referring to the painting by titles i am tossing around and one will just feel right (yes i talk to my paintings)

• or, at any point when i decide i know enough about the painting i will sit down and 'brainstorm' a title
  

brainstorming is my favorite because it lets me explore so much of what i am feeling and responding to within the painting. some of my best titles come out of brainstorming.  before i share this process i wanted to share a few of my favorites (click here if you want to see the paintings in my archives gallery):

'ugliness: as control slips away'

'the bitterness between women: jealousy & loathing'

'twisted: always looking back'

'butterfly'

and this painting has one of my all time favorite titles, i've posted this painting a few times so you may know it, you may not.  i'll give you the title at the end of this post...but first i'll let you look and formulate your own feelings and opinions (think of my previous poll post on titles).

when i completed this painting i did not yet have a title and could not immediately settle on one that i felt did it justice. i was fumbling around and everything was sounding pathetic and like i was trying too hard. does this happen to you?

well, when i have this trouble, i immediately go to my brainstorming process. i've become so efficient at it, i can usually have a title within a few minutes. sometimes i will work on it, set it aside and come back to it a few times, let it marinate to see what else comes to mind, then go at it again. the good news is, this process has never failed me.

it's basically a writing exercise.  here's what i do and the actual brainstorming sheet i used to title the above painting...this is all done rapid-fire, i do not stop to think, just keep writing as fast as i can:

• first i write a list of all the adjectives or descriptive words that immediately come to mind that represent how the painting makes me feel or what i am seeing/taking away from it, i do not edit at this point, whatever comes to mind is written down....even if it seems irrelevant or obscure

• next, i go back through the list and edit, cross out words that don't accurately represent what i am trying to say, rewrite, add a few, change the tense, etc.

• then, i immediately start putting them together, creating little phrases or snippets, i read them out loud over and over, editing, rewriting, changing words around, swapping words out with other ones.  listing them one right after the other until one clicks. 
  

you can see in the below sample i will draw arrows to indicate connections or words i like combined, circling groupings i particularly like. it took me maybe 5-7 minutes to complete this one. if you click on it i uploaded a large image so that you can try and read my terribly messy writing.

and there it is right there at the bottom, the title i just loved that totally described how i felt the day i stepped outside and the sky and air around me was this eerie yellow glow and inspired the above painting... 'tensed: fear as the sky unsettles'

so......now seeing the painting without a title, then learning what it was, and reading the titling poll i recently posted, do you have any thoughts you'd like to share on how learning this title affected how you felt about the painting?  

i guess you could call this post part two of my titling poll research.... 

and of course, hopefully, my brainstorming process will help someone get over the fear and frustration of giving a title to a painting.

(p.s.  and as an afterthought... i am a big user of the good old fashioned thesaurus. i try to avoid common words by using the thesaurus to identify an alternative, in which i will use my little arrows to start a new list of alternate words... which usually leads me to something more interesting and unique)

POLL RESULTS_Do Titles Affect How You Feel About a Painting?

The results are in.....   Do titles affect how you feel about a painting?

click for larger view

i can honestly say when i posted this poll, i had no idea how the results would turn out. the early percentages changed drastically by the end.  with only 91 votes, these results are in no way absolute, but it would be interesting to see this poll voted on a much large scale.

i received so much feedback, i've decided to post some of the comments and discussion i received and post my process for titling paintings in another post. 

while there is no clear definite answer, the top three answers make this topic worthy of further study. i'm sure most of the votes came from artists, but i utilized twitter and facebook and know that a small percentage came from non-artists. even still, i feel it has to make you think a little more about how you title a painting. 

while it can be a difficult task for some, i think that if your title choices are consistent in style across the scope of your work, it will make more sense to a viewer or potential buyer, and, it will have a more professional presentation than a group of paintings containing somewhat all over the place titling styles.

and yes, i do feel that as the painting style of each artist differs, so does the titling style in which they name their paintings. it is a preference of the artist and usually an expression of their artistic personality too.

whether poetic, blatant, mysterious, subtle, expressive, non-descriptive, or humorous, a title is an extension of the painting.

personally, i am always disappointed at 'untitled' paintings. i look to titles to not necessarily describe the painting, but to draw me in, make me think more about the subject, even entertain me, and in some ways connect me to the artist and what they were thinking, feeling or trying to express in a particular work. i connect emotionally to art. also, i am quite fond of tasteful, well written humorous titles, not cheesy, nothing will make walk away from a painting faster than a cheesy title.

while i can't say that i wouldn't purchase a painting with a poor title, i have and will definitely linger around to see if there is something else that better captures my attention.

of course, there are those artists out there that could name their paintings anything and it wouldn't matter, they would still sell.

so with that being said, i encourage you to share your thoughts as this is still a very open subject worthy of much discussion.  here are a few of the comments i received:

"My favorite example of how a well-chosen title expands your understanding or interest in a painting is a Bob Kuhn painting of four dall sheep in snow. It's a lovely composition, the subtle colors are so beautifully orchestrated. And then you see the title: Five Dall Sheep. Suddenly you notice the tracks of the fifth animal, and that two of the animals appear to be looking at the fifth. It just enlarges the painting beyond its boundaries!"   - jennifer hoffman gessler

"I can love a painting and then when I see the title I can be completely turned off. I always look at the painting before I read the title."   - dody, non-artist commenter

"I like to see a good creative title but I know that coming up wit one isn't easy. The only time a title turns me off is when a painting is called "Untitled 3 or 4, etc.," it's just not memorable."  - kim vanderhoek

"Yes, cheesy titles can turn me off to a painting too. I agree that a well thought out title can add a level of understanding to the piece. It would just not affect my choice in a purchase of a piece of art. If the painting needs the title to explain what is going on I feel that maybe the piece was not well executed in the first place. It is visual art. I also dont like when titles are translated. If I title a piece in English, it is because I like how it sounds in English. If I title a painting in Spanish I meant for it to be in Spanish. Lots of times a translation ruins the whole feeling. Somebody else's idea of what I meant to say might totally change the feeling of the viewer toward my painting. That is another curve to your original question. Language translation is not always as clear cut as "Haystack in sun"."  - frank gardner

"I am of the opinion that I could care less if a piece even has a title let alone what that title says. I feel like titles are just another crutch for artists to explain to the viewer what they are looking at, or more specifically, how they want the viewer to see the piece. To me it's a form of control over the viewer.  I would prefer that when someone looks at my artwork they form their own opinion about it's content and focus on how that visual content is translating in their mind." - maria janosko

"Personally, I don't care what the title of a painting is. Either I like it or I don't. But that's me. I try to wrack my brain to come up with decent titles for my own paintings because I know not everyone feels the way I do." - janelle goodwin

"I love the story (not sure if true) that Magritte would ask friends to send titles, not having seen the painting in mind. Once the painting was done, he would open a suggestion and that would be the title. Thus, a painting with a hat might be called "Pipe." That makes me so happy. I don't know why, but I love that. So in my case, an "appropriate" title is less interesting, but a "good" title might be one someone else would consider inappropriate."  - ColorJoy LynnH

"I find 'good' titles helpful. I understand the thought processes about 'not controlling the viewers experience' - and I will almost always look at a painting to form my own opinion before looking at the title. BUT then if it is a clever or multi-layered/dualed meaning or otherwise descriptive title that *adds* to my viewing experience I am unreasonably happy. It has just deepened my whole interaction with the piece, and I have gotten another insight into what the artist was thinking when creating (which I always find fascinating). An unimaginative title adds little, but an inspired title can contribute hugely IMHO. (wish I was better at coming up with inspired titles!)"  - tara l chang

"I think it matters if the painting or work of art is abstract, but for representational work the title doesn't typically affect the way I feel about a piece. Every once in a while I'll read a title and think, "Oh, that's clever", or "Oh, I didn't realize that was what it was about", but for the most part the title is just an identifier. Of course, I'm a landscape painter who gives my paintings the most boring titles EVER, so what I have to say should be take with a grain of salt." - stacey peterson

"I can be drawn in by an interesting title or very occasionally put off by something pretentious. This is a really interesting topic to explore. I felt about 4 of your suggestions resonated with me. I do like a picture to have a title if it doesn't, I wonder what it is." - elizabeth

"I am drawn to a painting first and foremost by the scene portrayed, but a clever title will make the experience of enjoying the painting even better. If the title doesn't seem connected to the painting, it might cause me a few moments of puzzling, but then it is a "whatever", and back to enjoying the piece." - joanne

"I had voted "I could care less" and that's true for me as a viewer. Either the visual of the work appeals to me on an emotional or intellectual level or it doesn't and very rarely do I learn more if the appeal is not there. However, a name can add something to my experience if I'm already drawn in.  I often think I'm so disconnected to the titles of paintings because painting is such a non-conceptual, non-intellectual thing to me. It's just visual and actually very visceral when it comes down to it. I'm inspired by what I see more than what I think - does that make sense?" - julie gerleman

"I voted "change how I emotionally feel about a painting" because I am drawn in by some of the creative daily painting titles, especially ones I find humorous." - irene rencsi

"I did vote twice, each for a specific reason. What makes a 'good' title is VERY subjective, BUT, if I am looking at a thumbnail of a painting a 'good' title may be the thing that inspires me to click for the larger view that I may otherwise not have done. Having said that, regardless of the title, if I like it, I like it, if I don't, I don't." - ruth jamieson

** should any of the links in this post not work, please send me a message so i can fix them, blogger was behaving badly as i was putting this post together. 

Figure Sketch from workshop

'figure sketch' 12x9 inch oil on gessobord, 2009

i spent the past two sundays taking a figure painting workshop, streaming live online with lisa gloria. part of my month long, time off painting to take some workshops and draw and stuff like that. 

it was nice to paint without interruption! i could add another layer refining this more but considering it was just for practice i am happy to leave it where it is.  since it was streaming live over the internet we worked from a photo. i only had an 8x10 print and we were painting on a 9x12 panel which was really hard for me.  i do not like working so small. i found it really difficult working on the facial features this tiny. 

there's a lot i could improve upon in this, but again it was for practice so i will just let it go. i was pretty thrilled with that necklace though... and the nipples, i've always had a knack for painting them, what a skill to have, huh?  wonder if i can put that on a business card.

this workshop left me feeling like i learned something and improved my skill, unlike the portrait drawing workshop i took a few weeks ago. blah.

i should have my post up in a day or two with the results and feedback i received on my poll. also working on my deconstructed self portrait too.

here is a detail, the color is much closer in this pic although i think it's a bit saturated.

figure sketch, detail

Research for Upcoming Blog Post - Poll Please Vote...

Thank you everyone for voting and weighing in with your feedback. This poll is officially closed. Gotta sort through everything and will work on a post for next week. 

Lots of great info was gathered, thank you all!

deconstructing my face

my nose, charcoal on paper, 2009

i originally began these drawings as studies and practice, since i don't have a model hanging out in my house to sit for me at any random moment, a mirror and myself seem to do the trick.  but now, i decided to make a challenge:  i'm going to draw all of the parts of my face independently, as accurately as possible then collage them together in photoshop to see how accurate i was. in other words, does it look like me.

my mouth, charcoal on paper, 2009

so far my mouth is my favorite drawing, i even included the freckles on my bottom lip. genetics are amazing to me, shelby also has these same freckles on her lip too.

my right eye is my least favorite as i have determined the iris is too big, i have much beadier eyes...LOL.  will revise that. when finished i will post my collage face.

my right eye, charcoal on paper, 2009

this weekend i am taking an all day portrait drawing workshop locally, so i am excited to have an entire day to draw with no interruptions. haven't had that since shelby was born, so this will be like a vacation for me. will post my drawings next week.

in the meantime i am collecting opinions on painting titles for an upcoming post. so if you don't mind taking a quick moment to vote, i'd like to know how important the title of a painting is to you. please feel free to leave additional comments as well. 

i should note that if more than one answer applies, please feel free to vote more than once. really curious to see how the %'s play out. if you do vote more than once, and wish to comment on why, please do! thank you!

thank you

Gala Recap

'tensed: fear as the sky unsettles' 18x24 oil on canvas

i survived the gala! although this painting is a good representation of how i felt most of the night.  i DESPISE social gatherings. it didn't help that i attended this one alone, as chad stayed home with shelby.

i twittered the event which was quite humorous. on my way there, the road was blocked off heading into the city due to a fire, they detoured everyone off. considering i don't know lancaster city i basically freaked out. but... somehow, i managed to find a shortcut to the gallery. i don't think i could retrace my steps but i had one of those, oh wow, it's really ok, moments.

of course i didn't know anyone upon arriving, but i found spotty polite conversation here in there with individual wanderers, though for the most part, i was on my own early on.  there were artists demonstrating so i ended chatting with a nice young artist working on linocuts. 

while talking with her i befriended a nice couple, with whom the woman was also a donating artist. shortly after dinner was called and everyone needed to find a table. they were kind enough to invite me to sit with them. needless to say it felt like high school all over again. every table we approached had all the seats 'saved'. ugh.

we did find a table. meal was very good, i was lucky to have a special plate that was kindly prepared for me due to my celiac. it was delicious!

the auction was fun and moved along right on time. there were about 34-35 donated items to be auctioned with all proceeds going to the Boys & Girls club.  i felt prices were very low and that a lot of very good buys were made.  there were several times the auctioneer didn't get a bid for a painting until he was down to $25, which was very nerve racking, although he was very good at quickly getting things moving once he got some bidders.

i am happy to say my painting started at $100 and had about 3-4 spirited bidders and quickly climbed and sold for $325. it was a small painting 24x12 inches, seen in this post. so i was pleased. the auction raised over $50,000 for the boys and girls club and it seemed like all 170 people in attendance had a good time.

i was also thrilled to finally meet the couple which purchased a large diptych of mine last year.

all in all it was a good night, but my opinion on social events is that i would gladly skip them if i could.  :)

shelby's toes @3 months

'wiggle toes' 6x8 inch pencil on paper

i've wanted to do this drawing since shelby was 3 months, but well you know, life happens and other things need done, and i never got around to. since i'm blocking out may to take some workshops and spend some time drawing and working on some studies, i can take the time to get around to all of these little things i've wanted to do.

it's cold and rainy here today so my fingers are stiff and cold, they didn't feel very graceful while drawing but i was ok with how it turned out.

been fascinated with her feet since she was born, they are very long and skinny and her toes are so different. she's always moving them, they're never still.

i have the KACC Gala saturday night. actually going out in public, i hate social events, i'm very socially impaired in these situations. maybe people will chalk my weirdness up to being an artist. LOL