Painting for the market

Everyone has an opinion about what kind of art sells best in the marketplace. My dealer tells me red sells. Most people say flowers don't sell, but I know differently. Such statements make me feel contrary. I can honestly say I have never created a painting specifically to sell it. I don't think about art in terms of sales. First and foremost, my work has to be important to me. My friend says such statements come from artists who can still eat and pay the bills if they don't sell work. She is probably right about this. For me, it is about creating work and having someone care enough about what I have created to take it home. I think it is impossible to determine what will sell, and if you go down that road you are lost forever because your work ceases to be something that comes from the deepest part of you. It makes art a product defined by the marketplace.

It seems that the kind of work I like to create is often in a category that is supposedly more difficult to sell. Take my penchant for floral imagery. I've had a love hate relationship with flowers as content in my work. How can something so beautiful and delicate be the stuff that serious art explores? Now everyone knows that such subject matter isn't important, not!

The changing face of red flowers in my work

Breathe 2004

Connections 2007

No red lately.... but still lots of flowers

My next post will explore the use of floral imagery in art.

Thoughts on beauty

"All artwork is about beauty: all positive work represents it and celebrates it. All negative art protests the lack of beauty in our lives." (Agnes Martin , 1989)

"When I think of art, I think of beauty," she wrote. "Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye, it is in the mind." Agnes Marin

"I think that our minds respond to things beyond this world. Take beauty: it's a very mysterious thing, isn't it? I think it's a response in our minds to perfection. It's too bad, people not realizing that their minds expand beyond this world." Agnes Martin

The art, life and musings of Agnes Martin gave artists much to think about. When I want to rebut anyone who questions the role of beauty in art, Agnes Martin is one of the artists I depend on to help me in the debate. Her life and her art were one and she spoke bluntly and often about the role of beauty in art and life.

Born in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, she was a contemporary of Georgia O' Keeffe, and a strong woman who lived her life and created art her way. She was never swayed by current trends in art. Matt Schudel, Washington Post wrote in her obituary.

"Ms. Martin was admired for the purity of her artistic vision and was considered a symbol of integrity in the materialistic, sometimes venal world of modern art. In addition to her deceptively simple, gridlike paintings, she also wrote and spoke of the deep spiritual purpose of the artistic life, saying that an artist's goal is not to make political statements but to create lasting beauty ...... She also disavowed politics and any connection with the feminist movement. In 1967, when she was honored by Harper's Bazaar as one of 100 "Women of Achievement," she came to the luncheon wearing moccasins and an unironed skirt and blouse."

Hilton Kramer, critic and editor of the New Criterion, described Martin's work as "like a religious utterance, almost a form of prayer."

It seems Agnes Martin found her artistic voice and continued to produce in a very minimalist style until she died. I find her work strongly patterned in a structured, austere way and it gives me the same sense of peace that I spoke about in previous posts about art that uses pattern. You become one with the work by focusing on the repeating elements; calmness pervades the experience. It is beautiful in a profound way.

You will find these letters written by Joanne Hunt in response to Agnes Martin's work and life" teachings" very interesting I think. They are posted on Red Revine blog.

See more of Agnes Martin's work, a bio and a critique here.

You may also want to check out Katharine Cartwright's blog post on The Role of Beauty in Art . We have been having an interesting discussion back and forth about the role of beauty in art. Where do you weigh in?

Advocacy

I wonder if any of my followers are members of or serve on the board of arts organizations that are involved with advocacy for artists and their rights (copyright, exhibition fees etc.)

I believe that one person can make a difference in the lives of many and organizations are set up to do just that. The other side of my art practice is participation on a nation arts board, CARFAC. Our provincial visual arts organization,Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador (VANL), is an affiliate of the national organization. Four years ago I agreed to be VANL's representative on the national board, and since that time I've transitioned into a member at large position and serve on the executive.

Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC) is a non-profit corporation that is the national voice of Canada's professional visual artists. It's mandate is to promote the visual arts in Canada, to promote a socio-economic climate that is conducive to the production of visual arts in Canada, and to conduct research and engage in public education for these purposes. It was founded in 1968 by visual artists. The belief that artists should be paid for their work and share equitable in profits from their work is a cornerstone of the organization.

I just returned from four days at our fall face to face meeting in Ottawa. It is always an intense time with many board and committee meetings, exhibition viewings and socializing. I have gained so much from my presence among this very diverse group of artists from across Canada who take time away from their own work to participate in meetings and serve on various committees all aimed at improving the socio-economic standing of all artists in Canada.

Not every country has an organization that has managed to gain the right for artists to be fairly paid for their participation in various facets of their profession. CARFAC has achieved just that for Canadian artists . Most of my artist friends outside Canada , and even some Canadians, are astounded to learn that Canadian artists have the right to receive a set minimum amount for exhibitions, professional talks, reproduction of their works etc. This right was not easily obtained and the organization continues to ensure that it remains. Learn more about the minimum fee schedule and its development here.

I feel I receive more than I give to this group. The meetings are long and tiring and the planning is intense, and the day is made longer, but better, by our opportunity to visit various exhibitions and other art happenings in Ottawa. We also have an artist scrum where board members show images and talk about their practice. On this trip I even managed to visit two art stores to stock up on my paper collection.

I belong to a large community of artists through Canada. This gives me a very empowering feeling.

I continue to think about pattern and found two Ottawa artists whose work I admire and will share later. Off to the studio to let my papers inspire me.

More thoughts on pattern

I am always drawn to pattern in textiles, paper, and the natural world. Pattern is usually present in my work. Sometimes it is subtle, as in much of my floral work, and other times it is quite obvious, as in my Remnants series. I'm trying to find my voice in encaustic and patterning is on my mind constantly these days. Thus all the thinking and writing about pattern.

There is a long art history that negates frivolous content for art creation. For many years, beauty, or any connected adjective, is not a word most artists wanted connected with their work if they wanted to be taken seriously. I know that in the last ten years beauty as a concern is moving into the mainstream of art again. Then there is that arbitrary line between art and craft that is often viciously debated. Kim Salerno's art production dares to enter this debate.

Kim is an American artist who has a masters in architecture and studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. She teaches at the University of Rhode Island.

"Kim’s work mixes interests in decoration and design with fine arts. Large paper wall hangings combine decorative patterned shapes with domestic imagery, while panel paintings draw from garden imagery and traditional patterning. Three-dimensional works build on similar themes of patterning and decoration, blurring distinctions between art and design. The work draws from a variety of sources including miniature painting, decorative arts and crafts, and contemporary architecture."

The Bride of the Wind (2004)
mixed materials, 28 x 30

Check out Kim's website here.

Doug Norris, Art New England notes that:
…(Salerno) is bold and inventive with color, making sculptures and paintings that often subvert scenes of domesticity and romantic stereotypes. Some work as twisted fairy tales… And there are signs of the housewife unleashed to confront her archetypes in many of the skillfully composed narrative designs…” This is a good description of her collage work on her website.

One of my favourites of Kim' s work is Installation #2 . I love the overall presence of delicate white forms hovering. I see visual references to sea animals and other plant and life forms.

Whelk Egg Case #2 (2009 )
paper, pins, thread, 52 in. x 14 x 14

Youcan read an artist statement and see more of Kim's work on the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens website here.

Pattern

From my earliest memory pattern has always attracted my attention. There is something safe and calming about pattern. The repetition draws you in and your eyes are ordered to follow the routes laid out by another party; it is a mindless activity when you give over to the rhythms created. Even the most complicated patterns provide this calmness for me if I allow myself time to see the components. I see pattern everywhere in nature and the created world. It creeps into aspects of my artwork and daily life. My daughter has admonished me for my attraction to pattern when choosing clothing; she is a neutral lover.

While we stayed with our friends, Pauline and Chris, in Devon this summer, I admired their wonderful garden which is terraced and works its way up a steep incline behind her house. It was an intricate world of twists and intersections when you looked up and through. My friends were astounded to see what images interested me. It connects right back to lying in the meadow as a child and seeing the blades of grass and stems of buttercups. I am attracted to the parts just as much as the whole. How do you see the world?

Why encaustic?

Many artists are challenged when they have to speak or write about their work. I am certainly one of them. I need time and research before I feel I am in any way ready to record my ideas in print especially. That is why this blog is an excellent vehicle for my development as an artist. I've always believed in confronting things I find difficult.

Since the last week in August I've been exploring the various facets of encaustic. I am attracted to this medium and using it feels like the next step in my mixed media work.
When a friend asked me why I like encaustic I babbled a somewhat incoherent answer that satisfied her, but left me feeling less of an artist because I was so inarticulate. Since then I've been scribbling furiously in an effort to redeem myself in my own eyes. I'm feeling more grounded and informed as a result of this exercise.

Encaustic is truly a multi-sensory medium, appealing to the the visual, tactile and olfactory senses. It is one of the few mediums you actually love to smell.

Its transparency allows you to create many layers of information that show the history of the process. The seductive surface draw and hold the viewer and prompts an emotional response. It is a perfect medium to evoke many things at once: layers of history, t transparency of water, emotions, elusive memory and the passage of time.

Nothing is more sensuous than the feel of wax and the movement of your hands as you fashion the surface to match your intent. It is reminiscent of soft skin.

When compared to the static nature of oil or acrylics, encaustic is a very malleable medium that exists in a continuum from liquid to solid. This allows you to manipulate it in many ways to suit your needs.

Pouring to:

• create smooth, deep and fairly transparent surfaces
• create wax castings of real objects (more about this later)
• fill a large inscribed area with a different colour.

Heating/Fusing to:

• merge previous layers and a new layer together
• integrate an image transfer with a previous layer of wax medium
• attach a collage element to a new layer of wax medium
  

Brushing to

• create smooth surfaces that can be buffed to a high shine
• create very textured surfaces depending on the temperature of the wax medium and the roughness of the bristles.

Dipping to:

• coat paper or small objects with wax medium and adhere them to the surface of your work
• create raised lines or whole areas on the surface of your work

I guess I'm now worthy of continuing to work in this exciting medium.

Check out the work of one of my favourite encaustic artists and the person who first introduced me to encsustic, Angela Antle. I am also the lucky owner of one of her works.

Referred

I am enjoying a new blog, Tackad, that I found through Art Propelled, another favourite blog of mine. I highly recommend both blogs. Check both out, you won't be disappointed.

Today I'm focusing on Tackad. This blog is truly a treasure trove of artist sites that have been sorted into various categories. Of course, I love it because the categories are ones I'm very interested in- language based art, text in art, circles/dots etc. I especially liked the most recent post about collage artist Rex Ray and his work. His story is interesting. Check it out on Tackad.

Torn

When I want inspiration, ideas for natural compositions or just plain old visual "eye candy", I go to my period wallpaper collections gathered from various old homes under renovation on the Bonavista Peninsula, Newfoundland. I have hundreds if not thousands of shots. I sort and resort them in various ways. I imagine the lives and stories that these remnants store. Each is a perfect composition in its own right. Here are my selections for today.

And then there are floors...

Caught

It was a lazy day today as far as art production went. The rain, wind and low light was not in the least inspiring. My studio in my St. John's home is in the basement. While it is bright with artificial light, it didn't call to me today. There's something about going to the basement. I miss my studio in Duntara with its three big windows, French door and north light. Feeling guilty about wasting art production time, I decided that I would organized my photos. I recommend this as a worthwhile activity because it often leads to ideas for future work. I have a habit of sorting and resorting photos into different categories. Today I explored my Newfoundland landscape file and created a subfile I titled .....

Caught

to capture or seize
to discover or come upon suddenly or unexpectedly
to become cognizant or aware of
to hold by snagging or entangling

In praise of purple

I love purple in all its guises and uses.

From pillows

to plates

to purple flowers;

I embrace all with open arms.

I am in good company. Purple was the favourite colour of Cleopatra. Purple is supposed to be the colour of good judgment. I like to think this applies to me.

It is a good colour to use in meditation and having it around you is supposed to give you peace of mind. It is one of the colours I chose for my summer house.

A purple room can boost a person's creativity, but be careful because too much purple can cause moodiness. Lighter purples are more romantic and delicate while deeper purples suggest riches.

Then there is is connection to magic, mystery and royalty.

Did you know that Thursday's colour is purple?

I've used purple in my artwork from the beginning.

One of my first art sales. In 2003 I was working in oil pastel.

An early work (2002) created in a pastel class.

Expoloring colographs

The oil pastel painting in my ensuite bathroom.

Two monotypes created using fresh leaves and plants.

A wedding gift for my friend Thelma in 2002.

Guess who else likes purple?

Sasha, a budding artist and aspiring princess at 3!

Some people are really into purple. Check out Purple Worm blog. Are there any other purple lovers out there in blogland?

Reading a Garden II

I had no idea that Hestercombe would be one of the highlights of my trip to the south of England this summer. I didn't even know it existed. Our good friends, Pauline and Chris, had visited us when we stayed at The Bothy in Ireland the previous summer. They had the perfect garden getaway planned for me while the rest of the troop went to the archives in Taunton, Somerset. I had two hours strolling Hestercombe with my camera. It was a beautiful day and there were few visitors. I felt like the garden was all mine. I couldn't imagine that my husband and the rest of our small group would rather have their noses in musty books.

Hestercombe, developed over several centuries, is a collection of three gardens and several buildings which have all undergone restoration work in recent years.

The Georgian Landscape Garden created in the eighteenth century was designed to give the impression of a classic landscape with grottoes, lakes, temples etc. Flowers were a minor design element while trees and shrubs play a more prominent role in the overall design . This garden style has seats and small buildings where visitors can enjoy views similar to landscape paintings - hence Landscape Garden. This was new information for me and it was only after I got home and began to read a book I'd purchased that I discovered this. I would love to go back and begin shooting from each sitting space to capture the landscape as it was meant to be seen.

The Victorian Terrace on the south side of the house is a beautiful garden with colourful period style bedding schemes which are changed twice a year.

The Edwardian Formal Garden was created in the early twentieth century by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. The planting scheme designed by Gertrude Jekyll uses borders of graduated colour. The Formal Garden is considered the finest example of design created by this famous partnership.

From the Victorian Terrace Garden looking down on the Formal Garden

I was taken with the design of the Formal Garden, particularly the repetition of circular and semi- circular motifs which worked very well to relieve the hard edged rectangular and and angled shapes.







I have so much more to share ...

Claimed

Claimed (2009) 10 x 24

mixed media (photo transfer, acrylic mediums and paint on board)

to demand
to ask for
to take as one's own
to state to be true
to assert or maintain
__________________
claim

I'm nearing the end of my show and tell of "Reading a Garden" which was the work I exhibited at Cube Gallery in Ottawa. This is one of my favourite pieces. For several months I felt it would never reach completion. It was the classic case of "what next?" You get so far and then you have no idea how to resolve the work. I later decided the difficulty arose from now having a firm idea about what I was trying to say in this work. Once I wrapped my head around that , I was fast forward.

As you might expect Birr Castle is a very prominent aspect of Birr Castle Demesne and can be seen from many vantage points . It sits on the edge of a small valley and my favourite orientation was looking up at it. I wanted to highlight its physical presence in this work while at the same time mark the long history of the Parsons family in the Birr area and my own presence on the property. Because I know Sherwood (fellow renter of the Bothy cottage in Birr Castle Demense) will have a comment on this work I'm posting the inspiration pictures. You will understand all from these and realize I take lots of liberties when composing.

One of the prominent features of the Millennium Gardens are elegant white benches situated near the Barvarian Urns. I loved the flourish of the intertwined Rs, designed to commemorate Anne's (the present Earl's mother) marriage to Michael Rosse, the sixth earl in 1935. There are two designs but I preferred the more angular one. Can you see how I used it in the painting?


The family motto - "Pro Deo et Patria ad Astra": For God and Country to the Stars- is inscribed on the main gates to the Demesne. We made many trips through them to reach The Bothy cottage. I have to admit I never once felt "right" about going through these gates. They admitted me to a property that was a far cry from what I knew growing up. In my own way I have claimed this property and at the same time I recognize the long history of the Parson's family .

I