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Archives for July 2014

The Beauty Of The Brain

Ms. Marie-Eve Lauzier · Jul 28, 2014 · 5 Comments

"The Birth of Venus" by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
“The Birth of Venus” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
How would you define a beautiful piece of artwork?
Would you say, “It takes years to study aesthetic in art!” or ask, “Is appreciating a simple orange utterly different than judging a masterpiece of artwork?”
Orange Cross Section - Wikipedia.org
Debating what is beautiful can be sometimes hazardous. I often got myself into serious arguments with curators of the “modern art establishment connoisseur”.
I am a painter, but also a physicist, so I believe in facts. In this science abstract, the results showed that the most important part of the brain for aesthetic appraisal was the anterior insula: a part of the brain that sits within one of the deep folds of the cerebral cortex. When we read deep in the cerebral cortex, that means we are dealing with the very basics: eating, drinking and reproduction.

Ouch! I see a masterpiece…

Lascaux Cave Painting - Upper Laieolithic Art
Lascaux Cave Painting – Upper Laieolithic Art
The anterior insula is typically associated with emotions of NEGATIVE quality, such as disgust and pain, making it an unusual candidate for being the brain’s “aesthetic center.” Hence, the most reasonable hypothesis is that the aesthetic system of the brain evolved first for the appraisal of objects of biological importance: is this good food or what about this nice suitable mate…. Then, later in our evolution, we started to ask: is this object bad or good for me? This study shows that we came to use this part of our primitive brain to judge artworks such as paintings and music.
Being a classical painter, my quest for beauty is an endless one, just like yours I believe. This study explains the gut feeling I have when I see a remarkable work of art, hear a beautiful music piece or witness a dazzling sunset.
"Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, from C2RMF retouched" by Leonardo da Vinci. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mona_Lisa,_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Mona_Lisa,_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg
“Mona Lisa” by Leonardo Da Vinci
However, I had no idea how instinctive and primal this process is. I kind of believed that art was an acquired taste. Before this article, I believed there was a need to educate people to make them sensitive to our world. As much as philosophers of modern art like to believe, our brains does not contain a specialized system for the appreciation of artworks. Research suggests that our brain’s responses to a piece of cake and to A BEAUTIFUL CLASSICAL artwork are in fact quite similar.
The next time I hear experts telling me that classical art is only good for decorating walls and that they’d prefer an abstract piece over, say, the Mona Lisa… I will have my doubts.

The Best Oil Painting Critiques Advice

Margret Short · Jul 14, 2014 · 1 Comment

Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in the Oil Painters of America Critique Program. For a nominal fee of $25.00 (which helps fund the program), artists have the opportunity to have a signature or master level member review their work and give instructional advice on how they might improve their technique.
Looking back through the critiques I have done for OPA, there are certain techniques I see repeated by beginners. If I could give just one important bit of advice, it would be to use more paint. One of the most beautiful benefits of oil paint’s properties is the viscosity of the paint itself. Juicy impasto adds tremendous interest and excitement to a painting.
 

Detail of Festival of Panathenea by Margret E Short
Detail of Festival of Panathenea © Margret E. Short

Look at your current canvas sideways across the surface and take note of how thick the paint actually is. My guess it’s pretty thin. Begin to think sculpturally. Squeeze lots of paint onto your palette. Once you do this, you will feel compelled to use it up. Do not be miserly, even with the more spendy pigments such as lead white. In the above painting detail, the generously and freely built up texture adds sparkle as the light hits the surface of the canvas.
 
Detail of Deruta Delivery 30x30 by Margret E Short
Detail Deruta Delivery 30×30 Oil on Linen © Margret E. Short

In this painting, I have used natural cinnabar, which can be expensive, but I did not let that hold me back. Both smooth and heavily textured strokes portray the pattern of the fabric. The texture can actually be felt if you run your fingertips across the dry surface.
 
Oil on copper showing impasto on the surgace by Margret E Short
Oil on copper showing impasto on the surface © Margret E. Short

Use the thick strokes of paint in your area of focus. Place pieces of paint and leave them alone. Do not fuss and over blend. Be bold. Make a statement with paint. This painting is from the Minerals, Metals, and Dirt project and painted on copper. Because the copper is completely non-absorbent, the paint builds easily on the surface.
 
Detail on Cupids Arrow showing impasto and brushstrokes by Margret E Short
Detail on Cupid’s Arrow showing impasto and brushstrokes © Margret E. Short

Contrarily, use thin translucent paint in the areas of shadow and background. This push and pull will give the viewer lots to do while their eyes travel around the composition. Give them something to think about so they don’t exit the painting too quickly. The tulips in Cupid’s Arrow illustrate both thickness and brushstroke varieties (directions).
Experiment with some of these ideas and watch the surface of your paintings come to life with splendid thick juicy paint, crisp and blurred edges, and textures you can sense with your eyes. Your viewers will never walk away for lack of interest again.

Click here to learn more about the Oil Painters of America Critique Program

Selling your Art without selling your soul

Bill Farnsworth · Jul 7, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Bill Farnsworth "Lily pads" Oil on Canvas 14 x 18
“Lily pads”, by Bill Farnsworth, Oil on Canvas 14 x 18
Choosing to make your art career a full time occupation that pays your bills has always been a daunting challenge.
In the past parents discouraged their kids from becoming an artist because many starve. Thus starving artist. But if this is truly what you want to do, you must be “all in” and go at it with not only your passionate artist heart, but the mind of a business person. My background as an illustrator gave me a thick skin when it came to rejection and from that I knew the “art ride” would be a roller coaster. One success would erase 10 failures.
When I entered the illustration field the big names where already established so I had to hustle even more. Dragging my portfolio all over New York sometimes felt like I was invisible.
My portfolio had to be relevant for the times. I would look at magazines and books on the stand and see what was selling. Was it something I wanted to do or was even capable of? So I had to redo my book every few years as I gained more tear sheets from jobs, showing only my best.
 
Fine Art is no different in the marketing aspect. What are galleries showing and will my work fit? Some galleries only show abstract while others feature mostly representational or a mix.
Bill Farnsworth "Chewin' the fat" Oil 24 x 36
“Chewin’ the fat” by Bill Farnsworth, Oil 24 x 36
The gallery might love your work, but if it overlap’s with another artist they may pass on you. That’s actually a sign of a good gallery, because they are protecting their other artists from competition within the gallery.
Another big consideration is your price structure. When just starting your prices should be low with gradual increases annually based on sales, exposure, awards, etc.
Your price structure will be a factor when entering a gallery. If you are low it might hurt the other artists and if you are high collectors might pass you by favoring a lower priced artist. It is the job of the gallery to educate collectors as to why this artist demands their prices.
As you build your sales, it’s important to increase your price structure gradually, because if you go too high too soon you can never go back down. If a collector buys your painting and finds out you had a fire sale on the same size painting they will not be happy and you may lose a loyal collector.
Most galleries will show art that reflects the area, so depending on the region your scene of palm trees may only sell in galleries along the Gulf Stream. Ideally, if your subject matter sells in any gallery you will be able to rotate your work through all your galleries for each season.
Framing your painting is the packaging for your product. The right frame will either make your painting sing or groan. I see many good paintings with cheap frames that suggest the artist doesn’t care about the final presentation.
Fine Art SoldWhen you have finally broken into a gallery, you are in a trial mode. The gallery owner needs to get a reaction from your art. Collectors have to gravitate to your art and with the help of the gallery may decide to purchase your painting. Red sticker “Sold”!
This is such a big thrill for an artist, because the Collector wants to live with your art. It is the very best compliment.
Now your stock in the gallery has gone up and after a few sales you might be offered a show.
The best galleries will suggest but never tell you what to paint. If seascapes are selling then paint them. My subject matter is fairly broad so I might have several different things I like to paint that collectors like as well.

When your art isn’t selling don’t panic! “There is a collector for every painting”

Bill Farnsworth "Invitation" Oil on Canvas 21 x 17
“Invitation” by Bill Farnsworth, Oil on Canvas 21 x 17
This is when all artists think their careers are over. Paintings aren’t moving and we second guess what we are painting. This is a critical time to take a step back and review your body of work and Galleries. That’s when taking a trip to a new place, visiting museums and maybe taking a workshop from another artist you respect could renew you.
Paintings could sit in a Gallery for a couple years and then a Collector walks in. Or you may move the same work into another gallery and it sells quickly.
The main thing is you must never lose your pure excitement and passion for painting.
If you are excited about what you are painting others will feel that too. Painting something that you think might sell cannot stand by itself without the passion. This will reflect a struggle and collectors will ignore it.
As artist’s, we constantly learn from each other and it’s great to spend time and share your thoughts. Teaching workshops not only is an added source of income but helps you verbally articulate what you do. This well improve your painting skill when teaching others. Your students may also be future collectors.

Advertising, Website, and Social Media

Taking out ads in art magazines, maintaining a strong website, and using all forms of social media puts you out there. You may be a Master in your own studio but if no one knows about you, It might as well be a hobby.
I find my website is being looked at every day whether it is 15 or 100 people. I use FASO, and this site helps me upload and change my site whenever I want. It also gives me website traffic info. What are folks looking at, for how long and what part of the country are they from.
More and more collectors are looking at websites, so it is probably your single most important vehicle to put you out there. More articles on websites for artists.
Social media, like Facebook is a lot of fun and sometimes a huge time killer.
When I am done with a painting I’ll post a few of them on Facebook to get a reaction. Sort of a pre-marketing thing. General public reaction can give you a good idea of how well collectors might view it.
If anything, it gives us an ego stroke if other artists “comment”, or ” like it”. The camaraderie of social media helps artists gain encouragement and we all need that, as long it doesn’t over inflate our ego.
Finding the balance between the business side of art and staying true to ourselves as artist’s maybe different for each of us. Making a living as an artist is a great calling that hopefully improves other people’s lives as well as letting you have a wonderful and full life.

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