Archive for May, 2011
Beauty of Nature
Are you looking for a way to enhance the rustic theme in your home? Bring the beauty of the outdoors inside with an inspiring deer art oil painting. Deer are one of natures’ most treasured and beloved animals because of their innocence, majesty and beauty. Now there’s no better way to commemorate the deer than by bringing it indoors, where you can enjoy it day after day, for years to come.
Nature enthusiasts and deer lovers alike can include the elegant artwork of these great animals with one-of-a-kind deer art. It represents an artistic and unique way of adding nature element to your home interior. This abstract oil painting is a great way to bring nature into your home and create the same atmosphere as the great outdoors without having to leave the comforts of home – true beauty of the deer all year long.
Hanging Your Work (Part 3)
When you’re ready to hang your oil paintings on the wall, you’ll need hooks or nails for the hanging, a pencil, a hammer, pliers, (make sure they also cut wire), a tape measure at least 8 feet long and a kneaded gray eraser to clean up any stray marks. A four- or six-foot level and extra picture wire for emergencies are also good to have handy. The average human eye height is approximately 62 inches and many galleries try to position their art with the center of the work, measured vertically, at this level. A picture hanging worksheet can be found at http://www.artistsnetwork.com/article/talbot-picture-hanging-worksheet. If you have a group of same-size works which you want to hang in a row, perhaps using a level might be effective. Or, perhaps ignoring the wires and hanging the frames on pairs of nails driven in the wall on a level line would be quick.
If the exhibition space has track lighting, make sure that the lights are directed so they best enhance your work. Sometimes lighting from an angle, or cross lighting in which more than one work is lit by the same fixture works well.
In finishing, you should photograph your show. Use a tripod and turn off the flash in your camera to avoid reflections from glass or varnished surfaces. Don’t include people. Secondly, prepare a guest book. Getting the names and email addresses of visitors to the exhibition can be a big help in growing your mailing list and your career. A guest book prototype can also be found at the above web address.
Talbot, Jonathon and Marsha. “How to Hang Your Solo Show.” The Artists Magazine, June 2011. p. 59.
Hanging Your Work (Part 2)
Ideally, you’ll have more oil paintings than you need to fill the space because this will give you options. Consider: Do you have more work that you need or not enough for a particular space? Are any of the works in series? If so, must the series by hung together? Are the majority of the works large or small? The most frequent error artists make is including too much work. Or, you may think the more you hang, the more you’ll sell (not true). Quality, not quantity should govern your decisions. The integrity of the show itself, the visual impact of the works, both collectively and individually, are far more important than the number of pieces on display.
The first step in considering what goes where is to consider how the viewers will enter the space and what they’ll see first. If there is a wall directly opposite the entrance, the visitor’s gaze will likely go there first. If there is an exit opposite the entrance or if the works on the opposite wall are small, viewers are likely to turn to the right.
Next, lean works against that wall. Stay flexible. Create an interesting arrangement. Try to see the exhibition from the visitor’s perspective. Continuity is important but sometimes large groups can be broken into smaller groups of unequal size. A small work resting on an easel or pedestal can draw visitors to a corner they might otherwise pass by. (to be continued)
Hanging Your Show
The first challenge is to recognize that, while the oil paintings you have created for the exhibition are the reason for the show, the exhibition is not about the works. The exhibition is a work of art unto itself. Your paintings are just one component of the larger work – the exhibition. Among the factors that contribute to the success of the show are the space, lighting, how viewers will move through the space, unavoidable visual distractions, the arrangement of the pieces and the mechanics of hanging the work.
Start by clearing the space as completely as possible and examine the surroundings. Is there natural light? How many and where are the entrances and exits? Are there any pillars, unmovable dividing walls or other obstructions? Do the walls need to be touched up? Then bring your works, if possible, to the center of the space – not line them up against the wall. We don’t want them to become an impediment to envisioning the best possible layout of your show. (to be continued)
Home, Again
We arrived home again, after a wonderful three day plein air workshop near Belleville, PA. Susan Nicholas Gebhart, Pennsylvania artist, was the Director and James Farrah, well known Phoenix, AZ, oil painter and water colorist assisted.
They will conduct another workshop October 7-9, when the mountain leaves are at their peak. The web site is http://www.snicholasart.com for details. I certainly recommend this workshop for any plein air painter, no matter what media is your forte.
The views from Kish Creek and Plum Bottom Lane are magnificent. The panoramic vistas of the Hameau Farm Studio, beautiful fields and Amish farms from Jack’s mountain give every artist inspiration. The demos and critiques are helpful and Susan works to fit your schedule, interests and budget. Life doesn’t get much better for artists!
Plein Air Workshop
Two weeks ago or so I met an art teacher who told me about a plein air oil painting workshop near Belleville, PA, a bit south east of State College. My friends checked out the information and we decided to attend.
So tomorrow, we plan to leave Betty’s house at 8 am – a bit early for me – and, hopefully, get there in time to paint. We’ll attend all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Then drive back in the afternoon. I’m eager to meet the artists involved and get to plein air painting again. However, you won’t hear from me for a few days, but then I will continue this series.
Alternative Spaces – Part 3
After you have chosen a location and you and the business owner have agreed on the dates and spaces to be used, your next task is promoting the show. Promotional efforts might include writing press releases, publicity on local radio or TV stations, mailing postcards or sending emails to your collectors, hanging posters around town and announcing the event on your blog, Facebook page or e-newsletter. You might also display a sign on an easel outside the venue or a poster in the window announcing the show.
You might be able to design and print some of your promotional materials on your home computer and printer. When designing these materials, be sure to use one of your featured oil paintings from the show as your focal point. Also consider giving the show a witty name. Remember to include all the essential information with each promotion: name of the show, location (including address and town), the time and date of the opening and the duration of the show.
This article largely taken from “Showing Your Art in Alternate Spaces” by Diana Botkin, May 2011 issue of “Professional Artist” (formerly “Art Calendar”) p.11.
Alternative Spaces – Part 2
Before deciding to exhibit somewhere, consider the presentation quality of the location. Well the available lighting show your oil paintings well? Is the business clean, with good space to hang? If your work is small enough to be easily carried off, will it be in view of the proprietor’s watchful eye? You might want to talk to other artists who have shown here and ask if they would show again.
Once you find a place, it is crucial to have an inventory price list as well as an agreement that the work is loaned for exhibit. You will also need to include your contact information, the length of the show and how sales will be managed. For example, will the business hold a check from the customer, or are they willing to run a credit card sale?
Another topic to be included in the agreement is the sales commissions – generally 10 – 20 percent for the proprietor. Another 10% for the waiter or waitress who writes up the sale is a good investment. When finished, you keep a copy and the proprietor keeps a copy, each with both signatures.
This article largely taken from “Showing Your art in Alternative Spaces” by Diana Botkin, May 2011 issue of Professional Artist (formerly Art Calendar)
The Last Super
The story of the Last Supper, ostensibly the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles, has transfixed Christians for more than 2,000 years. Today, many of us think of the scene as it was captured in Leonardo da Vinci’s titular painting, which he completed during a span of three years in the late 15th century. The painting was done in fresco, and it can still be found encompassing the whole of the back wall of a church in Milan, Italy.
The Last Supper, certainly not one of those abstract expressionism paintings, is hardly the first or the last biblical scene to inspire imitational art, but it is certainly one of the most memorable and endearing. The event has even been replicated and re-imagined in the form of an etched mirror, which can serve as especially inspirational wall art inside a family home. The moral lessons and parables taught in the Bible remain fresh and vital today, and the story of the Last Supper proves this point perfectly.
Alternative Spaces
Having just finished reading two articles about solo shows in alternative spaces, I thought it might be well to write about this topic. So this will be the first in a series.
When artists think of an exhibit space, they first think of a fine art gallery. However, one may or may not be accepted by the local gallery and it might be to the artist’s advantage to look for other places, called “alternative spaces” which would be great places to show their work.
If you paint figurative work, a fitness center or dance studio might be appropriate. If your still life oil paintings feature food or wine, or if you paint abstracts, you might inquire at that upscale hip bistro or local winery. Regional landscapes are a nice match for restaurants, banks, coffee shops or your community airport. Other suggestions might include medical clinics, car dealerships, library, clothing store and city hall.
Hanging your own show is a lot of work, but we’ll talk about that next time. The best part is that you will get your work and name in front of a group of people who might not make it to the gallery.