OPA - Oil Painters of America

Dedicated to the preservation of representational art

Self Improvement

How to Prepare a Winning Portfolio

· · 1 Comment

Interview notes by Elizabeth Robbins

Panel of Three of Scottsdale’s Finest Gallery Directors
Artists eagerly poured into the lecture room to hear what Scott Eubanks (Gallery Russia), Scott Jones (Legacy Gallery), and Beth Lauterback (Scottsdale Fine Art Gallery) had to say about Portfolios and getting into galleries.

Elizabeth_Robbins_Scott_Eubanks_Scott_Jones_and_Beth_Lauterbach_OPAIn our modern age of new methods for presenting our paintings; this group of experts gave us a window into their world of submission expectations.
Galleries are swamped with submissions, so artists, do your homework! Find out if the gallery that you desire to be in actually is a good fit for you and your work. For example: Legacy Gallery averages 248 submissions per month. Unfortunately, 95% of these submissions have no idea what kind of work Legacy Gallery sells. Match your subject matter, your pricing and your style to the kind of work that the gallery actually exhibits. Then, be a salesman, sell yourself to that gallery.
Be considerate of the gallery. Don’t walk into a gallery without an appointment and expect them to drop everything and look at your work. Use a portfolio to present your work. The type of portfolio doesn’t matter, digital or print portfolio, although all three of these galleries prefer e-mail portfolios. Whether you show a variety of subjects or just one, your portfolio of images is as good as the worst piece shown. Be sure to show only your best. Galleries are first looking for standout art, and secondly, your bio, good shows, publications in magazines, and competitions. Likewise, they are disappointed if only one piece is strong. They will be looking at your work to see if you consistently produce good quality art that sells. Need they remind you, they are in the business of selling paintings? Their wall space is valuable and they need to move art. It doesn’t matter if you can paint in all mediums and many subjects. In your portfolio, if you do offer them a single medium and a single focus, it is easier for them to see how your work will fit into the gallery. It will tell them if and how they can sell your work.
Be sure to check each gallery for their specific format for submission then stick to those guidelines. It is not about the packaging of the portfolio; it is all about informing the gallery of your best qualities, such as:
Education: Whom did you study with and with what program.
Web site: This gives your work a presence and links to the gallery. In no way should you work in competition with the gallery for sales. Your web site should work jointly with the gallery to create sales for you. Be a partner with your galleries, include links to their web sites.
Competitions: Only include the big shows, not the small shows (no county fair awards, please) and especially not the shows that you entered but were not accepted.
Publications: Articles are great, but not necessary if your work is strong. If you get an article or two, excellent, but in the meantime, put out press releases on your work and your awards.
Images of Paintings: Show only your best paintings with a variety of compositions that will exhibit your strong points.
Personal Rapport: Any gallery that is considering bringing you into their stable of artists needs to feel comfortable about working with you. Are you easy to work with, forward thinking, and creating your own opportunities in your career path? Don’t tell a gallery that you are better than “so and so”. That is not the way to approach a gallery.
Timing: Remember they reminded us, that timing is everything and lots of exposure helps the odds. Put yourself out there every way that you can, magazines, shows, awards, web sites, Facebook, Blog, etc.  They will notice you.  Show them your best painting. Catch their attention. Let them be the judge of what they can and cannot sell. They each have their own client base and know what will and won’t sell in their market.
Rejection: Okay, so you have been rejected from a gallery, pick your self up and try another one. You don’t want to be in a gallery that isn’t excited about your work.

“Galleries often work together sharing information. If your work is not right for their gallery they may recommend you to another gallery that is a better fit.  You can also ask the gallery that has rejected you, if there is a gallery that would be a better fit for your work.”

Question : In the midst of this staggering economy, is this a good time to apply to galleries, or should artists wait until the economy strengthens?
Answer: Do it now. Many galleries are looking for fresh ideas to grab the patron’s eye and pocket book. This may be the time that galleries are replacing or adding new artists.
Question: Do you look at all the submissions?
Answer: Scott Jones, of Legacy gallery, says he looks at everyone’s submission and their websites. He looks for that magical quality that grabs him. Scott did admit that after 3 years of looking at the submissions for the Legacy gallery, only two submissions got into the gallery. This last comment created quite a stir in the audience. A wave of discouragement could be felt throughout the room. However, Scott reminded us that he and the other galleries are always looking at many sources for their artists. He has a list of 109 favorite artists that he is secretly watching and always looking for more artists to add to the list. He regularly checks out their web sites and links that those artists have to other artist’s web sites. That is how he finds other artists. It is easy for him to surf the web looking for new and exciting work. He loves Blogs, but not Blogs or websites that are not updates regularly. He watches artists mentioning other artists. It is a wonderful way to find new painters. Other recommendations: Newsletters: example – Clint Watson’s newsletter – one artist vouches for another. That goes a long way. Contests: i.e. win a Ray Mar Contest. Scott is a huge fan of OPA. It gives artists tremendous exposure. He asked 7 artists at the OPA show to be in Legacy Gallery.
Question: Typically how many paintings do the galleries want from artists coming into their gallery?
Answer: Scott Eubanks- six paintings to start off, four paintings to be hung and two more in the back. Beth Lauterbach answered, six paintings plus good photography of each painting. To create a good connection with her clients she also requires a good contemporary biography (don’t dig too deep into your past) and a good photo of the artist.
All three Galleries agreed:

  • Do keep sending submissions to galleries
  • Keep your web sites current. Only show your best work. Take off your older paintings.
  • Enter shows. Win awards
  • Get exposure from many sources: Magazines, Facebook, Blogs, Newsletters.
  • Don’t get discouraged.
  • Look for galleries compatible with your work.
  • Persevere. Keep putting it out there
  • Seek a gallery that is wild about your art, they need to fall in love with it.
  • Seek a gallery that is run or owned by someone you can trust and is enjoyable.

One of the tough jobs being an artist is that you must find people that share your love of subject matter and style. You must be successful both at painting and also at finding those people that love what you paint.
In closing, for those artists already in galleries, these three galleries all had final words of wisdom!
Question: What if an artist is doing all of the above, but the public isn’t buying his/her paintings?
Answer: Here are some points that Scott Eubanks gave us to consider why art doesn’t sell (besides the poor economy):

  • The painting is not as good as originally thought.
  • It is over priced. What is the actual track record for that artist’s work.
  • Same subject over and over
  • Bad choice of subject matter.
  • All the paintings from one artist look alike.
  • Perhaps the gallery that your work is currently in, but not selling, is not helping you sell the art. Perhaps the gallery itself doesn’t have enough exposure.
Solution:

  • Work your craft, perfect your skills. Climb to new heights.
  • Carefully consider your price and increases based on performance.
  • Choose subject matter that appeals to the clients in your galleries.
  • Find your uniqueness, build excitement in each painting.
  • If your gallery isn’t a good fit and you are not selling, look for another gallery that is a good fit for your paintings and you.
  • Don’t ever compete with your galleries, they are your business partners. Take good care of them.
  • Connect your work to your galleries.
  • Take your older paintings out of your current galleries and replace them with uplifting paintings. Scott Jones called them “Prozac Art”. There is enough stress in everyone’s lives, people are needing and buying peaceful, pretty art that soothes their minds and souls.

Most of all, Beth Lauterbach concluded, “What you do well, continue to do well. If you are selling, keep doing it”.
We all left the room inspired!

Fasten Your Seat Belts He’s a very Jovial Gent

· · 1 Comment

Notes from the Harley Brown, Allan Duerr Interview

By Howard Friedland

AllenDuerr and HarleyBrown InterviewAttendees at the 2010 Oil Painters of America National Show in Scottsdale were treated to an informative and extremely entertaining experience. I don’t use the word “experience” lightly, because being in the presence of Harley Brown (a legend in the field of representational art) cannot be expressed by using any other word. Allan Duerr who is the co editor and publisher of Art of the West Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing Harley. These two chaps go back a long way, so there were high expectations in the air, and boy were those expectations met!


Allan: Harley, when did you know that you want to become an Artist?
Harley: I remember a moment, at seven years of age, while sitting on the floor drawing. I knew then that I wanted to be an artist. As I was growing up I was a visual savant, I wasn’t much good at anything else. His mother played the piano and encouraged him to take lessons. He later would become a professional musician.
While mentioning that his father was an artist, he suddenly leapt up and left the stage excitedly to grab a painting that was on display at the front of the stage. It was a painting that his father painted of the actor Ronald Coleman. Showing the portrait to the audience he declared, “This painting is my prized possession”.
From that point on, Harley became more and more animated. He moved gracefully down from the stage to cast his spell on the audience. He just as seamlessly popped back up on the stage to resume his interview with Alan. He made the room come alive.
Allan: Did you ever consider giving up?
Harley: No, I never felt like a failure or a success. I didn’t much care what others thought. I had “Tunnel vision”.
Allan: When did you get the recognition?
Harley: Recognition doesn’t really happen in reality. I don’t think about it. It’s fake.
I did a portrait of Ronald Reagan. I got only one commission from it. Life is fickle. People are fickle.
Harley Brown, Allan Duerr Interview 2Harley then proceeded to tell us about “The Three Harleys”. First he picked up a self-portrait of himself as a young “Serious” Harley. The style and color clearly showed the determination and seriousness in his demeanor. Next he showed us the second self-portrait that was painted later in his development. Cranky Harley the “Hyper-Ego” period. This is the time that he considers a “Tipping Point’ in his life. The Third self-portrait he called “Happy Harley”. This is a more self-assured, jovial look. He said that at this point in his life he says whimsically that he doesn’t “look down” on people for not having aesthetic values.
Allan: You are a member and invitee to Prix d’ West and Cowboy Artists of America. How do you keep the shows and the galleries supplied?
Harley: I have learned to say NO!
Harley BrownTo interject some fun, Harley livened things up with his impression of John Wayne, followed by the same impression only in reverse, as if it was on a film being played backwards.Harley’s huge smile and warmth are infectious and his quick wit and antics were hilarious. He has the ability to convey his enthusiasm and wisdom about art by spicing it up with pithy and humorous stories. One such story was about a time when he was starting out. He was married with kids and was working in a studio in a fellow’s basement. The janitor that worked there became his “Art Dealer”. Harley began painting glitzy pseudo-modernistic portraits with graphic backgrounds and Elvis paintings on velour. To do this, he reinvented himself as the artist “Belenofski”(a pseudonym, the name Brown simply didn’t have the glamour). The problem was that Brown was becoming jealous of Belenofski. It seems that Belenofski was selling his paintings for more money and faster than Brown’s paintings. The people just loved Belenofski! Harley created a life and history to go with Belenofski. Belenofski was a white Russian who was married 5 times. To get rid of Belenofski when Harley didn’t want to paint more of these pot boilers, he had made up the story that Fleur, (Belenofski’s last wife) came back into is life and Belenofski and Fleur disappeared together.
Allan: What does respect mean to you?
Harley: It could be just a little word from a friend. Years ago I had a two man show with Ramon Kelly. Ramon was really established already. The show was in Denver and most of his paintings sold and I only sold one. Ramon said to me “Don’t worry about it, your stuff is just too damn good”. I love giving respect. When I see good work I love telling the artist. Once I was watching a little kid draw. I saw that he had so much talent so I told him “If you don’t continue drawing and growing, I will haunt you!”
When I was young I used to talk a lot about being an artist. One day my father said to me “You’re a big talker; you are just a lot of talk. Make your mind up. I will support you and send you to art school. Sign up tomorrow. If you don’t, I don’t want to hear about art any more”. God bless my father for making it happen.
Harley’s teaching style:
HarleyFrom what I gathered from watching and listening to Harley I can imagine that a student would have to be on his or her toes to capture the essence of what he is saying.  He will interweave topics that are seemingly unrelated to painting such as movies (Harley is a big fan), classical and jazz music (he is an aficionado), what is the best pizza (Harley wants one named after him), etc.  At times there would be those who didn’t like his rambling style and thought that he was “wasting time”. Harley considers them “Spoil sports” and devised ways to “Hunt them down”. The truth is though that Harley was an extremely dedicated teacher. So much so that his classes would go on day and night.
Some things that he stresses are; never put detail in both the light and shadow equally. If the model is primarily in light, keep the detail in the light and not so much in the shadow. The same is true if the model is cast in more shadow than light. Keep the detail in the shadow and then the light side will be bleached out with less detail.
Harley pointed to the work of Donald Teague and Rembrandt to talk about the importance of design and correct values to a painting.  He stated,” Values are an artist’s best friend”. The more you know the values the stronger the color. It’s not just throwing on color.
On another subject, he remembered being shocked by a painting that he saw in London. It was a painting of flags by Jasper Johns.
To make a point he picked up one of his most valued drawings to show to the audience. It was a charcoal drawing that he did years ago of the actor Boris Karloff. He then proceeded to slowly and deliberately tear the prized work in half, and then in quarters, over and over he tore the drawing until it was torn to bits. There was a collective gasp that was heard from the attendees. Harley said “because of the shock value, this spectacle will most likely be the only thing about the interview that will stick in your visual memory.” He called it “Memory value”. We remember the out of the ordinary, the shocking. The Jasper Johns flag painting. The composer John Cage’s composition where he sits by the piano for an hour without playing a note.
Allan: Harley, you have had a number of memorable quotes.

Harley Quotes:

  • “An artist’s greatest attribute isn’t skill it is attitude.”
  • “I had average talent, I worked my butt off”.
  • He then screamed,
    “I WANT TO BE AN ARTIST – Not for the money.
    TO MAKE ART!”
  • “Draw everyday from life not just photos.”
  • “Value drawing is the artist’s best friend. Be religiously faithful to values, it will take you to another level.”
  • “There is a moment when you are on your own.”
  • “Allow your sub conscious to do the work.”
  • “The painting is finished before the artist knows it is.”
  • “Feel the portrait’s heart beating.”
  • “Leave well enough alone.”
  • “Learn the rules first then say,’the heck with it!’”
  • “Go as close as you can to Mother Nature.”
  • “Be yourself! You won’t become the artist that you want to be
    until you become yourself. That takes time.”
  • “James Dean was influenced by Brando, Brahms by Beethoven.
    We are all influenced.  You will get to the point when you don’t think of other artists. You will let it flow and let it pour out of you. That’s a magical moment.”
  • Harley told us about his two imps. One imp is on his left shoulder and one on his right shoulder. One imp whispers “put that in the painting” the other good imp implores “No, No, No, Don’t do it!” The first imp hollers “SELL, SELL, SELL!”  The other shoulder good imp advises “Have fun and explore”.
  • “My hope is to live in a little log cabin, some trees, a creek, listen to the birds and have a few shows. If I never sell another painting I could be happy.”

I know that this OPA member will not soon forget this “jovial gent” and his sometimes-outrageous ways of communicating his love for art and artists.

 

Perception

· · 2 Comments

We are currently reading two fascinating books about human development and the evolution of art: The Social Conquest of Earth by E. O. Wilson and The Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain, from Vienna 1900 to the Present by Eric R. Kandel. While each author offers different but mutually supportive discussions on the rise of perception, self image and cultural myth-making, they are both sharing with us different aspects of the latest scientific discoveries in the fields of human development and cognition.
Mystics have told us for centuries that what most of us experience as life is an illusion. They assert that we do not see life as it is. Rather, we impose our biased interpretations on everything that touches us and that our particular, personal vision guides our actions and reactions.
Recent research by cognitive scientists has also determined that our brains are wired to deduce general, global patterns from whatever limited, local information we can gather and then to try to form a reliable, predictive pattern or picture of the world from which we can operate. This ability to think in the abstract is a sign of higher intelligence, and is at the very root of art-making. Furthermore, we each tend to assign high value to those random events which seem to support a view or pattern which pleases us and a low value to everything else. In essence, we are seeing through personal-colored lenses.
Because the whole is too large for us to see well normally, we have evolved to operate with this illusion of certainty, each forming our own unique view of the world. Our deviations from each other’s views may be slight, or they may be great. We all accept and share certain facts about the largest phenomena in common, like gravity, the seasons, orbits of the planets, and so on. However, there are an innumerable amount of details about the world that we individually may not agree upon, that are open to interpretation. Enter the Shaman, the mystic and the artist.


So, if life is partly an illusion, what does that mean for the visual artist? Number one is good news – since everyone has a slightly different perception of the world, each artist, by definition, must create unique work. The trick is to be able to thoroughly tune in to and assign high value to one’s perceptions about the world, and then have the courage to express that unique view in one’s art.
Surprisingly, it is also ambiguity that makes great art. A certain amount of ambiguity in an image allows viewers to participate in the artist’s world-view while simultaneously imposing their own interpretations. Mr. Kandel writes, “The meaning of the image depends on each viewer’s associations and knowledge of the world and of art, and the ability to recall that knowledge and bring it to bear on the particular image.”
When looking at art, our brains are using our pattern-making architecture and our memory to extrapolate familiar, personal associations from the image, and in a sense make it part of our own experience. In this way, great art always possesses the potential to become a unique experience for each person.

Classical (Classic) Realism – Part 3

· · Leave a Comment

A three-part series that highlights the origins and resurgence of Classic Realism and its importance to the 21st century artist.

Juliette Aristides – Yael - 25″x 20″ – Charcoal on toned paper
Juliette Aristides – Yael – 25″x 20″ – Charcoal on toned paper
In concluding this three-part interview series on Classic Realism, I want to thank our three participants: John Angel, Juliette Aristides, and David Hardy. Their insight and knowledge of the subject…and their ability to express themselves so clearly concerning this important movement…has been a valuable contribution to what’s going on in the contemporary art world. They will continue to be strongly influential in training the next generation of fine artists.
In this final part of the interview, our interviewees consider the importance of having a knowledge of art history and of the arts, how to encourage creativity, and why art students should attend their schools.
Juliette Aristides – Mother and Child – 48″x 36″ – Oil
Juliette Aristides – Mother and Child – 48″x 36″ – Oil

 

Why is it important for an artist to have a knowledge of art history?

Angel: Edmond Burke, the English 18th-century philosopher, wrote that those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it (‘s mistakes). Why waste one’s time re-living the failures that led to the understanding of compositional and technical principles? The paintings of the past are inspirational and instructive, and paintings are painters talking to each other over the centuries.
Aristides: It helps to have a context for human achievement. Being an artist is a very difficult calling (for all but a few). It is a source of real encouragement to see the artists of the past, not as gods, but as real people like ourselves with hardships and struggles. A knowledge of art history can brush away the dust of the past and help us see ourselves in a bigger picture.
Hardy: Art history gives us clues, as artists, of who we are, what we are, why we are, and how we got that way.


 

How can parents best aid and encourage the development of their child’s imagination and creativity?

Angel: Send them to a good school.
Aristides: Limit media, provide plenty of opportunities to be outside experiencing nature, and provide exposure to the arts. This is harder then it seems, parents are under a lot of stress – it is difficult to role model a life of imagination when so few of us have the time, resources and support to do so ourselves.
Hardy: By encouraging children, when possible and appropriate, to make decisions. Also by accepting, respectfully, childish outreach into the unknown by means of fantasy.


 

Can creativity be taught, if so, how?

Angel: Creativity cannot be taught, but it can be nurtured. All human beings are more or less creative. What modern artists need is technical instruction, philosophy and art history.
Aristides: I don’t think it can be taught as much as encouraged and fostered. The environment needs to be stimulating while providing space and time.
Hardy: By helping the individual to accept themselves and dare to make decisions.
 

Why are the fine arts (painting/sculpture) important?

Angel: Life without the arts – drawing, painting, theater, novels, films, dance – would be bleak indeed.
Aristides: It has many functions and is important for a multitude of reasons. The fine arts provide us a glimmer of an alternate truth – that there is more to a human life than progress or acquisition. We have an innate love of beauty, learning, challenge. and encouragement which can be provided through art. Fine art provides us with a different vision and something greater, something noble to strive towards that can last through the passage of time. It holds up a mirror to our society and is the expression of our culture and becomes a legacy for future generations.
Hardy: Because the fine arts are a part of the total human range of responsiveness with which we as humans are endowed. Not only are painting and sculpture important, but also music, dance, drama and literature are part of the gift with which we are endowed. Much like the fact that muscles grow and function more fully for us in proportion to being used, so our involvement with the fine arts becomes more enriched and rewarding when we open up to it.


 

Are art and beauty synonymous?

Angel: No
Aristides: I think we would be hard pressed to say that.
Hardy: I think this depends upon how we perceive art and how we perceive beauty. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Artists of the Ashcan School responded to the beauty of simple, everyday things and happenings. But that does not forbid me my love of the miraculous beauty of a rose.
 

How do you encourage and help your students find their own creative path?

Angel: We make them aware of the myriad paths within the discipline of Representationalism. We do this by teaching them technique, the play between Conceptualism and Empiricism, the dialectic between the real and the abstract and a study of art history. We also encourage the students to copy paintings (contemporary, as well as pre-21st-century ones) and explore (absorb?) these various voices.
Aristides: We have a fourth year in our Atelier – a thesis year, where students work with mentors (high achieving professionals in the field) as role models. Students put together an artist’s statement, formulate a plan for a body of work based solely on their artistic vision and have an academic year to create it. The work is then placed on exhibition. We then arrange for the graduates to have their first professional show within a year after leaving the program.
Hardy: Belief in and acceptance of one’s self is crucial, in my opinion, as a bedrock for creativity. Combine this with the daring to make decisions – to be able to choose the superior between two whatevers that are almost equal, almost identical, is also important. Sometimes it is better to replace “why” with “why not?” When planning student projects, I prefer to have students take responsibility and try out their ideas. If a certain set-up is not quite working. I suggest some possible advice, but it is up to the student to reach final decisions. Even if (very rarely) something doesn’t work, there is much that can be learned that will enrich future projects.


 

Why should art students attend your school?

Angel: I honestly think that we are one of the best. As well as thorough training, we have Florence and the rest of Italy to draw on (Rome is an hour and a half away by train, and Venice is three hours away). The atmosphere at Angel’s is convivial and friendly, while the quality of instruction is very high – all one has to do is look at the student galleries on our website: www.angelartschool.com/galleries.html. In addition, we are one of the very few academies that teaches the business side – professional painting means painting for a living – as well as the creative.
Aristides: Art students should attend some form of rigorous education to become challenged to produce their best work. There are many great schools out there right now. Aristides Atelier is located in Gage Academy: www.AristidesAtelier.com and as such we benefit from a lot of cross fertilization.
Hardy: Because we help and encourage students in how to be effective in their artwork, understand themselves better and prepare for today’s professional art world. We train champions. The core of good instruction, in my opinion, should be accessibility and effectiveness (another way of saying dependableness). In line with this way of thinking. I have in many instances invented my own ways of presenting time-proven traditional art technology. The School of Boston did not have a strangle hold on important art procedures and viewpoints. My training came down to me from the Julianne Academy in Paris, plus the Royal Academy in Brussels and the Superior Institute in Antwerp.
 

Four must-see videos

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsiP2pUT2qQ
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUd1J4wMijQ
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijzxRfR5odI
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tYbd9DnuyA

Painting Fred Red

· · 1 Comment

2013-National-Exhibition-Photo-08If you didn’t make it to the 22nd National Exhibition & Convention this month in Fredericksburg, TX, you missed a lot.  It was better than ever.  But don’t despair, just begin planning and saving for next year!
Events like these are reminders of who we are and who we want to be. This year, I met so many top artists for the first time — artists I had interviewed and written stories about but never met or whose artwork I had not seen in person. While you can read all the books, magazines or surf the net from dawn to dusk — each helpful and invigorating in their own ways — to be face-to-face with the art and the artist is like drawing a Royal Flush in a Vegas poker game!
The exhibition itself was superb, presenting an amazing array of talent, subject matter, and style.  At any other show, we might expect to see a handful of paintings that knock our socks off, blow our hair back or electrify our senses—but the exhibition at Insight Gallery this year hit all those categories and more.  Painting after painting revealed craftsmanship any professional artist would be proud to call their own; paintings that exemplified what can be achieved with hard work and dedication.  Underscoring the impression the show made on me were the many red dots that caught my eye and told me that art lovers felt the same.
2013-National-Exhibition-Photo-25Once the reception was over, the crowd gathered for another exciting awards ceremony—replete with surprises, awards and well-earned nods for the winners from their peers. It was time to celebrate and acknowledge the culmination of months of preparation by many of the finest artists in America. We wish every one of you who participated could have been there too.
By Sunday morning, Insight gallery owner Meredith Plesko told me that 40 paintings had already been sold.  Checking in with her this past week, she informed me that the count is now well over 50 and has amassed nearly $200,000 in sales.  Plesko was still awaiting several clients who had their sights on larger pieces, which leads her to believe that totals will undoubtedly rise even higher.  The gallery loved hosting the OPA and, speaking on behalf of those who attended, all had a fantastic time!
Southwest Art magazine again put on their first-class opening event, the “Pampered Paint Out,” this year and Kimberly Moore whipped up an unforgettable day, including a continental breakfast, lunch and a wine and cheese send-off to help revive tired artists who painted the hours away.Southwest Art
When Friday night rolled around, it was time to relax and enjoy a beautiful evening during American Art Collector magazine’s “Party Under the Stars, Texas Style.”  Dining outside under a glorious old oak tree at the historic Pat’s Dance Hall, guests spent the night sampling some of the best barbeque in Texas and listening to one of Austin’s hottest up-and-coming country bands, “The Lonesome Heroes Band.”   It was a perfect end to a perfect day.  Thanks to Joshua Rose, Amy Gause and Alex McKee for putting together such a memorable event for OPA members!
2013-National-Exhibition-Photo-13However, competing and sharing with colleagues, as well as the wonderful opportunity to network and party with vendors and new friends, is only a part of the convention’s value. There were demos by such masters as Sherrie McGraw (this year’s judge of awards), Kenn Backhaus, Scott Burdick, John Michael Carter, John Cosby, and Elizabeth Robbins.  We all learn from watching those who wield a skillful brush and, this year more than ever, we came away inspired.  I think what impressed me most about the demonstrations were how generous and kind each artist was as they shared their insights and answered questions.  There were no showboats, no posturing—only stars within our tribe bent on helping us all move forward.  They appeared so at ease.  They were in their natural element and among friends.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday each brought presentations touching on various aspects of a professional artists’ life.  Each speaker contributed insights to our understanding of all that this crazy business requires.

Joe Paquet
Joe Paquet
Starting things off with a bang, Joe Paquet took the stage and hammered home the importance of being authentic in our work and in our lives.  He described how to discover our unique, personal vision and develop it to its highest intent. His final point? EVERYTHING matters!
John Cosby
John Cosby
John Cosby shared his real world experiences with the business of art—what you do when you lay down the brush and interact with galleries, collectors, writers, museums and framers—and how to manage and build your pricing structure.  Cosby was followed by Montana art law attorney Bill Frazier, who covered topics such as copyright, trademarks, Internet piracy and contract analysis.  Professional artists today must develop a working knowledge of these topics and, perhaps most importantly, know where to turn when the waters get choppy.
Sherrie McGraw
Sherrie McGraw
All of this and it was only Friday! When Saturday rolled around, there were even more presentations to enjoy.  Following an extraordinary demo by Sherrie McGraw, art publisher and entrepreneur Eric Rhoads took the stage to teach us how to build our “brand.” If you know Eric, you know he can be persuasive! His talk was filled with helpful marketing advice, but the tip that stands out for me as a strong takeaway is “repetition, repetition, repetition”—that is, repeatedly using tried-and-true methods as well as fresh new ones to help us build name recognition over time.  Whether through advertising, networking, exhibitions, social media or a combination of all of these, we must step out of our studios and mix-and-mingle!
Scott Burdick
Scott Burdick
Scott Burdick shared an ironic and entertaining survey of modernism and traditional art, one that has stirred a bit of controversy in some circles (visit his website at //www.scottburdick.com and click on his one-hour video titled “The Banishment of Beauty.”  We have only to look at Burdick’s luminous paintings to be persuaded that beauty is best!
One of my favorite presentation events was Southwest Art’s editor-in-chief Kristin Hoerth’s interview with Sherrie McGraw on Sunday morning.  Hoerth delved into McGraw’s life and influences, and the artist responded with warmth and wit and practical advice.  To achieve what McGraw has achieved and to see the quality of her craftsmanship reminds us all that hard work and determination pay off.  Now and then we see an artist attain a flash of popularity only to fade from view shortly thereafter.  But the real masters lay down a solid foundation and then add to it brick by brick, year by year, challenging themselves, extending a hand to others, and remaining open to life and art.  Sherrie is truly one of those.
Kenn Backhaus
Kenn Backhaus
The last day of the convention was wrapped up beautifully by Kenn Backhaus’s discussion of conceptual thinking and how to find your own unique place in the art world. Being “literal” may not be enough. Literalism means adhering to a strict representation of “what is there.” That in itself takes skill, but to rise above that level means mastering a new language, seeing more in the scene before you—extracting patterns, designs, physical elements, and atmosphere, and manipulating them in a way that is all your own.
As we prepared to say our goodbyes, we had a last reminder of the practical side of art as a profession. Bill Bush, owner of Frederickburg Artists’ School and a certified public accountant, shared his thirty years of experience dealing with such issues as taxes, insurance, agent relationships, gallery representation, and the finer points of “doing business.” We left fully charged!
This was a long post, but for those who couldn’t be with us in Fredericksburg, I wanted to share how rich the national exhibition and convention experience can be. I wanted to urge you now to begin planning for next year’s so you can take it all in for yourself. You won’t be sorry.
For those who were there, you each did your part. You painted Fred RED—and they won’t soon forget you!