Linda Blondheim Art Notes

Thoughts From my Past Week

2012-01-29T11:23:00.000-05:00

Two of my Saturday Students- Bonnie Sue and Linda. There are three Linda's in that class. Talk about confusing!!

Notes From my Office

I had my usual whirl wind week, but a productive one. I got one 20x24 painting completed. I organized a food demonstration on Saturday, my wonderful painting class at 3 on Saturday, and managed to rearrange the entire studio, so I'm posting this propped up in bed with my tablet computer, taking advantage of a morning off.

I also managed to do a fair amount of marketing research during the week. I am taking the advice and slowly applying it to my web site and my signage at the loft studio. I share this with my mentoring group.

Visits and sales are slowly picking up at the loft. I sold three paintings on Saturday. Yay!! One of the things I learned in my research is that you get better results in your offerings if you give an added bonus rather than lowering your prices or giving % off. I thought that was very interesting. So, my February offer is to purchase a 9x12 framed painting and get an unframed 5x7 inch painting as a bonus.

I have learned to study business and marketing in the non art sector. Most all of the art marketing stuff is pretty much the same. Studying business in the non art field has given me so much more.

Getting the loft organized

2012-01-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

Notes from the Loft Studio

I thought I had my student today so I came in early. I forgot it was Friday that she comes now. we have changed around days lately so I am perpetually confused. Like that's a big surprise !
I took advantage of the extra time to do some more rearranging and I think I have made it more efficient in the back area where I teach, meet with my mentor project group, and paint for myself. When you have a tiny space that must be flexible for different activities, you have a lot of rearranging to tweak the space. Doing this regularly helps to keep clutter from piling up. I got rid of some stuff while I was at it. I'm going to let the art supply exchange box clear out and end that program. After 18 months of trying to get it off the ground I am giving up. Sadly, there has been little interest in keeping it active. It seemed a wonderful way for artists to help each other, but evidently not. Time to move on!

my quest for more space

2012-01-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

Notes from the Loft Studio

I,m using my tablet to post this at my loft studio. Way cool!

Today I've painted a bit, but mostly I've been moving shelves around to make more space in the back of the loft where my Saturday class paints. I am forever trying to squeeze every inch of space I can get here. Time to pitch some stuff I'm not really using. I get on these binges about four times a year up here and in my painting studio. I am definitely a minimalist in personality. I don't like to have anything in my studios that I don't use a lot and get annoyed with messy stuff.

Sometimes ya gotta have fun!!

2012-01-24T21:21:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From my Office

I had a great day today. I got all of my homemaker chores done early and then settled down to think about what I could do today to advance my career. II make a short list of things I can do every day. Making a weekly or daily list really keeps marketing and painting in the forefront of my mind. I assigned four tasks for the day and accomplished three completely. The fourth partly done as it is a research project. I got out to the painting studio by 1 PM and got a good start on a painting of a fabulous pine hammock I saw at Merritt Island Wildlife Preserve during my recent residency. I'll take it to the loft tomorrow and continue to work on it. I even got a crock pot full of homemade chili made in time for supper.

Just after supper the UPS arrived with my new and exciting toy. I bought a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet computer. Yippee!!! This is going to be so great!!

Some Ideas

2012-01-23T21:10:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Marketing Chair

I work with several art consultants around the country. I really like working with them much better than showing in galleries , as they have a strictly commission policy, no consignment. The paintings are ordered, I get a deposit to pay for my expenses, and then a final payment after the paintings are installed. They are very easy to work with, very professional, and very nice people.

I've been thinking that I would like to work with more consultants in the future. I would also like to change my relationship with galleries by developing a wholesale partnership with them. Crafts people do that all the time. There is no reason painters can't too. I no longer see any advantage to consigning with galleries.

I decided to combine those ideas into a postcard mail out to galleries and art consultants inviting them to view my web site and consider my work. I ordered over sized post cards with a nice painting to have full impact visually. I will also send a few to interior designers as well.

I am using much more direct USPS mail this year than I have in years past. People do love a pretty post card. This will be my fourth mail out in 2012, so I am on schedule. I am trying to use a balance between email and postal mail, the best of both worlds.

A good Painting Day on Location

2012-01-22T22:03:00.001-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Pocahade Box

I was very surprised to get two pretty decent paintings today on my painting excursion to Fair Oaks, where I am an artist in residence, lucky me. I go there to paint as often as they will put up with me. :>) In the last several years I have thought of plein air work as study work. My studio work is superior to my plein air work most of the time, but now and then i do something pretty good on location. Today was just working for me somehow and I can't remember when I've enjoyed a painting session more. Perhaps it was the lovely weather with the temperature about 74 degrees. Not too hot or too cold. Perhaps it was that I again have my Sundays to myself and can go to Fair Oaks to paint. For whatever reason, I really felt good about the paintings and the process.

The real painting work I save for the studio where I can really "get er done". My pleasure as a location painter is the joy of being out in beautiful places, sitting and observing the light and atmosphere, the birds and wild creatures I see. Whether I paint or not is not of much importance, though I usually do paint some if I'm by myself. I find painting with others to be distracting. The world of painting on location is different than paint outs where we are on display. I still love to paint on location and I feel it is necessary if you want to be a good landscape painter. I like the marriage of plein air and studio painting, the best of both worlds. I am less and less enamored with paint outs after doing them for over 10 years. I will see if it's time to let that go after 2012.

Update on the Mentoring Project

2012-01-21T21:29:00.000-05:00

Notes From the Mentoring Project

Today was our first meeting for the project. I think we got a lot done. We split our meetings up in two parts. We start with the business of being an artist, the management of a professional art career and then we talk about the process of painting and do a critique of the paintings they bring. My dear friend Davis records our sessions for us with notes and then sends them to us. How wonderful is she for doing this? Thank you Davis!!

We will see how we progress along for the next 11 months. I have no expectation of results other than the sincere desire to help these artists to make their journey more efficient than mine was years ago. I have faith in their abilities and know that they will not waste this opportunity. They are my friends and I love them. I'm very proud of them for taking this on. It is not easy and requires a good deal of time on their part to complete the assignments for a year. For myself, this will sharpen my skills in critiquing work, in effective marketing and my own work ethic. I hope it is going to be good for everyone.

I have been incredibly busy of late, planning a shindig for the Six Artists Six Prairies project's last event in February, working on the paintings from my first residency project and various other activities, and trying to paint every day. Tomorrow I am off to the wonderful Fair Oaks for a happy day of painting and lunch with my friends there. Yippie!!!!

Musing on Social Networks

2012-01-17T10:57:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

I have decided that the best way to participate on SN's is by posting from my blogs and newsletters. I do a lot of blogging and I send out my news five days a week. I find that I am less interested in SN these days. They are a tremendous time drain and frankly, they don't help me to sell or market my work very effectively. I have nothing against them, but I am not much interested in gossip and fluff. This seems to be the most use for SNs. I need to free up more time for myself. Auto posting from the blogs/newsletters I enjoy writing.seems to be a way to stay on SN and actually get something done too.

Do What I say, not what I do ;>)

2012-01-16T08:29:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Mentoring Project

I'm very excited that the first Mentoring Project session will be next Saturday at 10 AM. I have to put some goodies together for breakfast and arrive early to make sure the studio is in good shape,. That will be easy, as I am a very clean studio person under normal circumstances.

The biggest problem for me will be not to pass on my bad habits to these new artists. I used to be a totally organized person but I'm not so good at this anymore. I have too much on my plate so organization goes out the window. I want to teach them to do as I say, not as I do, but that is a poor substitute for setting a good example for others. I am a very disciplined painter with good studio habits, but my office habits are poor. Obviously, this comes from my desire to be a good painter and my lack of interest in being a good secretary. Ohhh how I need an assistant!!

Hopefully they will not pick up my bad office habits.

Goings On

2012-01-15T11:45:00.001-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Office

What a whirlwind my life is!! I'm back from my residency HERE and now I must prepare for my first Mentoring Project meeting next Saturday. January has been a busy month. I'm going to be careful to slow down a bit in February. I will have one Six Artists Six Prairies event on February 25, which is our last event for the project, and my residency at Fair Oaks which I can't wait to do. Then I have my regular Saturday class and one studio party. That's it and I am determined not to add anything. I have lots of residency paintings to do and my partner in the residency, Mary Jane Volkmann and I are thinking about a venue in about a year for an exhibition of the paintings and writings we do for this residency.

You know, I saw so much splendid landscape and water last week. Exotic and amazing, but as I drove back I began to see the lovely hardwoods and Live Oaks again and I realized that I would never want to leave this part of Florida permanently. I would love to have a little house or condo at New Smyrna Beach but I could never leave the farms and ranches I love so much. If I could live at Fair Oaks I would. It is heaven on earth to me.

Happily, business picked up a little while I was away and some small paintings are selling in the loft. When I get a chance, I'm going to write a little story about the latest residency and send it out to my mailing list. I like to send out stories to friends about these wonderful places.

Artists in Residence Project: A Complete Success-The new Smyrna Residency

2012-01-13T00:39:00.000-05:00

Artists in Residence Project: A Complete Success-The new Smyrna Residency: My New Smyrna Residency I just returned from my first 2012 residency with Mary Jane Volkmann. She will tell you her own story. Thanks so mu...

OutdoorPainter.com | 6 Artists Paint 6 Florida Prairies | Home of Plein Air Magazine

2012-01-11T22:37:00.000-05:00

OutdoorPainter.com | 6 Artists Paint 6 Florida Prairies | Home of Plein Air Magazine

This and That 01/08/12

2012-01-08T20:35:00.001-05:00

Landscape Paintings

My Wonderful Students

Notes from all over the place!!

The lull after the holidays is officially over. My students came back this week. I had a wonderful time painting on Friday with my private student and then Saturday, working with my Open Studio Class above.

I tried out my first Sunday of freedom at my favorite place in the world, Fair Oaks. I tried out my new transport system for plein air work. I had to give up my back packs due to some spinal and rib cage deterioration, so I decided to use one of the office file boxes on wheels. I used to use those before I went to backpacks, so I decided to try a file cart again. Now they make these cool briefcases that fit on the front of the cart. They look like a computer bag with zippered compartments. They velcro strap to the outside of the cart on the front. Awesome!! Now I can carry my promotional materials with me without messing them up.

Tonight I packed the car and I'm off tomorrow to New Smyrna Beach for my first residency for 2012 as part of the Artists in Residence Project. I'm going to look around and think about where I want to paint a larger work. It has to be pretty easy to get to. I'm going to take my TV Table and my table top easel to use for a larger canvas. I may do it at the National Park or JB's Fish Camp or I may go up to the loop. That might be the best place. I can work on it for the day and then take lots of reference photos to finish it back at the studio. This non back pack plein air world is going to take some adjusting to. I've never been one to take a bunch of stuff around. I know that eventually I will give up paint outs for that reason. Fair Oaks is ideal because I have a golf cart that I can pull right up to the car and load into. I can paint in the cart, with plenty of shade, away from the snakes,bugs, and Poison Ivy. Eventually, I'll simply paint at FO or my own neighborhood, but hopefully I will be mobile for a long time to come, with some adjustments.

I'll post again on the flip side of New Smyrna Beach.

Catching Up on the Mentoring Project

2012-01-03T11:54:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

The mentoring project is well on its way to success. I write to my students on Monday, giving them email assignments and information. They can correspond with me every Monday and I call it Mentoring Mondays. We will meet for the first time in late January. So we meet in person once a month and correspond once a week. I think this is going to be an excellent project. A couple of friends are serving as my editors to write a book based on the project, so in about a year I will have a book to sell from the experience. Way cool. I know of no other project like this one so I am excited. I don't know that anyone would buy it but at least I'll have it to refer to for my own future projects.

To help me refresh some of the things I learned from 2010's Art Marketing Think Tanks I ran, I have had two books printed from those blogs for my own use at Blog2Print. It is a handy way to print a blog. So much easier than having to go back and reread the blogs. I will have some ideas to share with my students without mis-using any one's privacy from the Think Tanks. I won't share any names or materials that would reveal any one's privacy from the blogs.

Hoppin John cooks while I do paperwork

2012-01-01T10:52:00.001-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

The Hoppin John is simmering in the Crock Pot and the shiny dime is ready to drop in the pot for a lucky person tonight.

Last night I stayed home and worked on gathering the paper work for taxes, ugh!! One thing that stood out for me in analyzing my expenses was that my shipping charges via,UPS,Fed EX and USPS was not bad. I have offered free shipping for my art since 2009 and I still think it's a good idea. I don't have an international market for shipping. All of my international sales go to people who are carrying paintings with them overseas.When I consider that free shipping is a bonus for my collectors and that they are much more likely to purchase without extra fees, it is worth it for me to absorb that cost. It also gives me the idea that I need to make that part of my publicity material and take advantage of my largess to clients.

I wish all of my readers a Happy and prosperous 2012

Home for the Holiday

2011-12-31T18:50:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

This week has been a nice break from the pre- holiday madness. We closed up the gallery/loft at 5:30, so I am cozy at home. Today I started another deep gallery wrap painting at the loft. It is a painting of the field next to my yard. I like it this time of year, so I try to do at least one painting each winter. I'm using my five color palette for this one and a cad lemon as my accent for the pine trees, just a tiny bit. I was realizing today how much I love to paint. I really do. The unknown adventure of putting a painting together, the challenge to improve little by little and to change and grow in technique is very exciting.

Tomorrow I need to unpack all of the supplies I bought during the mega sales from art supply companies. I have boxes sitting all over the place in my office and the painting studio. I don't think I'll need to buy anything but paint and canvas for most of 2012. I need to get started on the dreaded taxes too, so I may as well hang around the studio and the office and catch up on the boring part of being an artist.

Next week my students return and the following week I'll be hanging around painting waves again at New Smyrna Beach. All of the crazy schedule starts on Saturday again.

Playing Around With my Five Color Palette, gallery wrap canvas

2011-12-29T22:58:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I ordered deep gallery wrap canvases by mistake in November, only three and it is because I didn't pay attention to what I was doing. It was too much trouble to send them back so they have been sitting in my painting studio. I decided to do the paintings and wrap the painting around the edges, hanging them wired and unframed. I never really liked that in the past, always having preferred to frame my paintings, but I'm going to see if these three paintings will sell. Since I didn't have to frame them, I can charge less for them so it will be interesting to see if they get any interest. They actually look pretty cool.

I decided to use my winter five color palette on the second one and I love it. As soon as it's finished, I'll show it to you. The palette:

Mars Black

Titanium White

Cad Red Light

Ultramarine Blue

Yellow Ochre

New at the Loft Studio, Supplies have arrived

2011-12-28T20:56:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today was the first day I could use my new toaster oven. I baked three cookies for the gallery staff downstairs. It worked perfectly and it made the whole building smell wonderful. I'm so pleased. I hope to entice more people upstairs to get fresh hot cookies. I found that Nestles Toll House brand has the little squares of cookie dough ready to bake and they have several varieties. Today I baked white chocolate chip. The gallery staff said they were very good. I bought 2 different flavors for this week. I need to buy a 7x9 inch baking pan. That will fit perfectly in the oven. I want to make a couple of quiches and bring them in to warm in the oven. That will be an excellent snack for friends. Also want to make up some good hot dips to bring in to serve. My studio is the best. I have a Keurig machine, a toaster oven and a fridge, and I have Henry on Wednesdays. Top That!!!

I sent out a round of over sized post cards yesterday promoting my layaway program. I will send out an invite post card for my Food Art Party in January next week and I sent out the HTML version yesterday. I am stepping up my postal mail campaign this year. I ordered cards to promote my Art Lover Parties and will send those out in February. I intend to send out a direct mail letter or post card at least once a month in 2012. I am stepping up my loft events as well. A very busy year ahead, but more focused on the loft instead of paint outs. I will be phasing them out gradually, replacing them with residencies around FL and the south HERE

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Art-of-Food--Party-Invitation-from-Linda-Blondheim-Art-Studio.html?soid=1102546521380&aid=mI7LoIuALH4

2011-12-27T15:03:00.002-05:00

This is your invitation to my Food Art Party, January 28,2012

Art Of Food Party Invitation

Routine

2011-12-27T08:57:00.001-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

I got to thinking about routine today. I am a person of routine and I find comfort in that. People have the idea that artists have wild, chaotic lives with no discipline. That artists run around in exotic clothing, funny hats, and stay up at all hours, painting when the muse hits them. What a joke. Most of the pros I know work 12 hours a day and have very predictable lives. We have to because we are business people with others depending on us.

Serious painters know that it takes long hours in front of the easel to be excellent and that marketing is just as important if you want to make a living. We don't wait for the muse or mood to hit us to paint. To me the main difference between a hobbyist and a professional painter is not necessarily skill. There are outstanding hobby painters. The difference is that pros paint whether they feel like it, whether they are sick, whether they have turmoil in their personal lives, etc. Pros know that it is our "day job" to be a painter. We get up and go to work, just like every other job. We don't have excuses not to paint or market our work. That is our job and we have the same responsibility that a business person has, because that's what we are too.

That's why routine is important to an artist.

Painting Finished

2011-12-26T20:27:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Painting Studio

Today I finished the above painting which I started last Tuesday. I often start a painting in the studio when I'm in my painting studio and then leave it unfinished until my next rotation there. I get to see it with fresh eyes. This painting is done on deep gallery wrap canvas and painted on the sides. I've never had the best luck in selling these deep wrap canvases painted on the sides. Clients seem to prefer my framed work, but I mistakenly ordered three of these canvases so I may as well use them. Perhaps it will sell. If it doesn't, I can order a floater frame for the painting. It does look pretty cool with the limbs flowing over the edge onto the sides. I wired it with D-Rings so it hangs flat against the wall. Tomorrow I will start the second one with a new subject.

Getting ready for 2012

2011-12-25T11:35:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

Well, the hoopla of retail season is at last over and I am having a quiet day at home. December is incredibly long. My sales could have been worse and certainly could have been better, which is probably the case for other artists too. Actually, October and November, March and April are usually my best months for sales. Most people like to purchase art for themselves or as a family, so unless you are pushing small work or holiday themed work, sales aren't the best during december. I did sell one major painting and several small things and a fair number of bookmarks. The big advantage of the long hours of work for over a month was a proliferation of paintings for me. What a productive month in the painting part of my job. I managed five 18x24 inch paintings and about 6 9x12 paintings and I didn't even hurry on any of them.

Now I'm in the the exhausted, Christmas Day mode, grateful for a low key holiday after we did our celebrating two days ago. I am blessed on this holy day. God has been good to me.

It's time to get into the get ready for 2012 mode. I do have a couple of weeks to plan and get organized. Then my first Saturday afternoon starts back up, I get away for a week's residency for the Residency Project,

my Mentoring sessions begin and I have a demo for food garnishing. How did this happen? I have always taken January and July off to regroup, but somehow I let things get out of control. I will have to schedule June and July instead.

A Green Discovery

2011-12-22T09:21:00.000-05:00

On My Loft Easel- Work in Progress

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

As a landscape painter, I have to deal with a lot of green. The above WIP is an example of that. I have discovered that color mixing is truly about color value and color temperature, at least for me. All of the fancy color systems,discussion about mixing on forums and the endless arguments on color theory don't mean squat to me. Once I got my mind around those two issues, the light bulb went on. Green is a great example because it is so prevalent in the Florida landscape. If you can't mix greens, you can't paint in Florida. Control is so important here, because green is so often out of control. I wanted to use a lot of variety in the greens for this painting, pushing the warm pattern that runs through the top to bottom, cascading down the painting. It still needs a bit of work, and the color is a bit off in my photo image but this will at least give you an illustration of what I mean.

I used the following to mix the greens for the painting in various combinations. Notice that Mars Black and UB are my blues for the mixtures, with a full range of yellows and the cad orange for the palm frond tips only.

Mars Black

Titanium White

Cad lemon Yellow

Cad yellow medium

yellow ochre

Cad orange

Also notice that I did not include the very cool blues like cerulean and thalo. I often get in trouble with those, so I have learned to mix pretty good greens without them. Mostly I use thalo in sky and water work.

From My Painting Studio

2011-12-20T15:02:00.000-05:00

On the Easel

The rest of my week will be crazy between long hours in the loft studio from Wednesday-Friday to family fun for the holiday, so I have enjoyed today with my Henry in my painting studio for a few hours. I started the above painting of a winter Sycamore tree in my yard. I so love this time of year with a few sprinkles still of fall color, but moving toward winter. This is Florida at it's best. The trick with this kind of painting is the light on the tree branches and just enough in the background to provide interest. The bark on these trees is especially lovely with lots of texture. Since I am not a photo realist kind of painter, I will rely more on the texture and mood of the scene rather than painstakingly rendering the bark.

My Bookmarks

2011-12-19T21:19:00.001-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From my Office

I've had a good time making and selling my old painting recycled bookmarks. I have been a little surprised at their popularity, but happy that they sell. I feel good about recycling old paintings and making them into new art. I wish I had thought of selling them long ago. I used to give them away at studio parties, not realizing that they had value. These old paintings are about 10 years old, long taken off the market and art that no longer relates to the work I do now. We all evolve and grow from these experiments and what a shame to burn them or throw them in a land fill. By making them into bookmarks, I have given them new life and created affordable art for my patrons which is actually useful. They make beautiful abstract paintings. I've been giving away the stretcher frames to the local art center, so nothing is wasted except a handful of canvas scraps.

Managing regret and disappointment in my art career

2011-12-18T10:08:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

Today is my last day as a teacher at Michaels. I started there in May, so I've had a good run. It was not an easy decision to leave. I love both Grumbacher and Michaels. The Gainesville store has outstanding associates and managers and I feel like they are a family. Grumbacher has given me excellent products to work with and much support. The decision was based on my too busy schedule and no access to the classroom. I pondered it for some time before deciding. There were good benefits to working there and the extra cash was great. I also met many wonderful students along the way. So it is with some regret that I leave.

A few months ago, I learned that I had been dropped as one of the 50% of artists who were replaced at the Winter Park Paint Out for 2012. It was an insulting shock, as I have always been a selling artist at this event. There are others who did not sell. I always did a good amount of promotion for them and thanked each supporter and business who provided goods and cash for the event. I always came on time, dressed appropriately, and did what I was asked to do with a smile.I tried to be an ambassador for the event and made many friends and patrons there. Frankly I was very hurt at the time and angry as were many others who were in the same boat with me.

I give you these examples to tell you that there are two ways to handle these things. We can hang onto them and second guess our decisions as in the first example, or move on, knowing that we made a decision based on the pros and cons. We have made the right decision for the time we are living in and our situation and move on, or we can let it gnaw at us. I choose to think I made the right decision, so after today, I will move on.

We can let rejection cost us our self confidence and our self esteem or we can get mad for a couple of days, stew about it and then let it go as I chose to do. So instead of dreading that week, I have moved on with a new project for 2012 and have a week long residency in a beautiful coastal city for May. How about that for moving on?

I think the real key here is to allow yourself a brief pity party. We have to acknowledge the hurt or regret and be honest with ourselves about that emotion. What's really important is that the Pity be brief and that we come up with a real plan to replace whatever we were rejected from. Moving on with a new plan of action is crucial to our self worth.

Cool Cards

2011-12-17T23:05:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I got the above variety of mini biz cards from Moo this week. I was amazed at the quality of the reproductions. Very impressive. They are so fun. My studio visitors have been having a ball picking out the ones they like the best. The back side has all of my web urls listed and my email. That way people can find my web site, blogs, etc.They came in handsome little color lined display boxes, so they can sit around the studio and are easy to pick up. I saved some back to keep in the tote bag I carry everywhere with me. I have a feeling that people will be much more likely to hold on to these tiny miniature cards because they are so pretty. I really had no idea of how they would look and they were not as cheap as some other biz cards but they are so excellent that I will continue to order them as soon as I get a new batch of paintings to use for images. These little cards will be easy to slip into a note whenever I send a thank you or my snail mail studio newsletters. I may even mount some of them on mat board and give them to studio visitors instead of the usual post card, and send them out to patrons as a thank you for support. People enjoy getting something in the mail now and then.

A happy Painting

2011-12-15T09:27:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Every now and then I do a painting that I just feel great about.It can be insignificant in size, quickly done and with no anticipation that I will just love it. Yesterday at the loft I did the above painting in about an hour. For whatever reason I just love it. This is not to say that I don't work hard on all of my paintings. I do, and some of the large ones are of significant worth to me, but now and then I just do something that works for me either in color or design. I love the palette for this one.

Doing a gem is always a nice surprise and pleasure. We all have them now and then, unfortunately not often for me but I believe that is what makes them special. If I knocked all of my paintings out of the park I might become bored with the whole idea of painting. I like the fact that I have to struggle constantly to produce good work. There are lots of imperfections in this little painting, but somehow I don't mind them. I just like the painting, flaws and all.

Some painters have lost the joy of painting and have gone over into the realm of technique. They analyze paintings to death, suggesting all kinds of solutions rather than simply enjoying the painting as a fresh attempt to portray a scene. I think you can love a painting even when it is flawed. I tell my patrons they should buy what they love. There is no other criteria which is important. Artists can spend all of their time analyzing and picking paintings apart. Patrons never should. Paintings should create emotion, not technique.

A challenging subject

2011-12-13T21:38:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Painting Studio

This Rye field is a difficult and challenging subject. The field was glorious last spring in April. I did a painting there and then took a couple of dozen photos for reference. This is my second attempt at the subject. it is getting better but still far from the beauty of the actual field. I learned some stuff about the actual grasses with this attempt. After putting in the values and basic color of the field grasses as I usually would, I was faced with the difficulty of putting in the tips of the grasses with their almost wheat look as they dried. I figured out that by turning the painting sideways first in one direction and then sideways in the other direction, it was much easier to paint the tips. I used a layer of red iron oxide mixed with white for a layer, then a layer of Naples yellow with white, and finally a cad orange with white layer. All of those strokes with the painting turned sideways. Finally, I over glazed the darker parts of the field and the shadow under the tree with cerulean blue mixed with glazing medium.

The color is not quite right in the dark areas. The field was a yellow/cream/white/greenish color in actuality. Difficult to match, so I must have another go at this. it is difficult to describe how beautiful and delicate the grasses were but I'm determined to get it right. I will need to improve the composition as well. I don't like the midway in the picture frame ground. I think in two or three more attempts I'll get it just about right. I'm a slow learner when it comes to a new subject so I have to practice it over and over to get it right. Eventually I would like to do a panoramic format for this subject, at least 20x40.

Thanks to my collectors and friends

2011-12-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From my Office

I am grateful to my friends and collectors for sending me the reasons they enjoy visiting my loft. I have put the list on my web site and my html newsletter that goes out five days a week. Here is the list:

Why should you visit Linda Blondheim’s Loft Studio?

I asked my visitors why they like to come to my loft studio. This is what they said:

I enjoy viewing her original art. She always has great stories about the places she paints.

The loft is a convenient location with great parking next to Fresh Market in Gainesville.

It gives me an opportunity to watch an artist at work and to have a sense of what it must be like to be an artist. Linda is candid and honest.

The Loft is a comfortable place to sit and relax after shopping, with no sales pressure.

There is always a hot cup of coffee or tea or a snack available. It's a matter of being made to feel "right at home" and my sense is that the snacks are often homemade or otherwise, thoughtfully chosen. The whole atmosphere feels personal and warm.

An opportunity to be surrounded by beauty and experience many aspects of an artist’s work - not just the more refined and finished pieces on the walls for sale but also the 'browse bin'...which I always gravitate to, not so much because of the lower prices, but because of the history in that bin and the variety of scenes.

I like the opportunity to visit with Linda, enjoy the ambience, and see paintings in person; a fun addition to my Paddiwhack visit.

Linda makes every visitor feel loved.

It’s exciting to see the variety of Linda’s paintings.

Linda’s paintings are even more beautiful than the photos at her web site or in her emails.

I’m more tempted to buy at her loft studio than from her web site.

Her paintings are magnificent.

Linda is the real deal and very people savvy.

It is inspiring and relaxing at the same time.

I feel welcomed.

Your inspiring paintings, your company, your snacks and goodies, classes, parties, Henry on the rare occasions I get to see him.

The Loft is a place to put your soul in a place where the colors and inspiration reflecting from a room of beautiful paintings soothes your soul.

I like coming to talk to you. I found that afternoon I spent with you and the other plein air painters delightful.

I couldn't possibly buy this kind of excellent PR. It is so important to let peole know why you have a studio and why they will enjoy being there. If you have a retail studio, ask your friends and patrons to help you. if you love them and are good to them, they will respond.

Meeting with my Business Mentor

2011-12-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

I had a whirlwind week of activities and a short trip with my family to Disney. Now I'm tired but have a rare day off. The holiday season is daunting as we all know.

On Friday, I had a meeting with my business mentor up in the loft. If you don't have a business mentor, get one. I'm talking about a person who has business experience, a business degree, or who works for a corporation or small business, NOT an artist or art related business. You need to have an outside of career mentor if you are already an established artist. They will give you insite and another perspective. We are often too close to our work and our art ideas. We all need someone who can see a bigger picture than we can. My mentor is a banker. If you have a friend who is a business owner or a lawyer who specializes in business law, they would be a good choice. It is one of the best ideas I ever had to do this.

We discussed my current plan for the loft studio in 2012. As I said in my 2012 plan here on the blog, my biggest goal in 2012 is to get people up in the loft, to pay more attention to my loft and not be running around constantly somewhere else. It is a wonderful, cozy space and I need to focus on getting the word out.

We also discussed my other goal of promoting my layaway plan effectively. My mentor feels that this should be one of my top goals for 2012. With the economy staggering for four years and no end in site, the layaway plan will be a real solution on how to help people who used to buy art, get back in the game.

Being much more efficient on the Internet. My mentor agrees that FB, T,G+,etc are time drains. I have to find a way to not disappear but be more efficient. I think auto posting is the only realistic way to continue with the SN.None of them have produced much interest from readers. I will continue to post on my blogs, which is far more personal and unique. I love blogging and am far more interesting as an artist on blogs than I can be on SN. Frankly, I've never liked them and feel like a fake there. Blogs are the real me, good or bad ;>), but sincere.

My mentor thinks I need to find a way to advertise in 2012. I've been reading that doing Internet Press Releases would be useful and so I am going to read up about that. I have been working hard on increasing my mailing list, so I will be sending out more direct mail post cards. This is a tried and true method that actually works.

My mentor suggested that I make a list of good reasons to visit my loft studio. I'm going to ask some of my regular visitors to help me with this and give me their perspective.I am going to post this list downstairs in the gallery, on my newsletter, web site, blogs,SN. You could help me too. If you have visited me in the loft and enjoyed it, please tell me why and why you like to come.

More on the Gray Exercise

2011-12-09T22:41:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Painting Studio

I got a question from my friend Mary about the Gray painting exercise. I think I will try to make the exercise more clear for those who wish to do it. I would use the same palette for both of my paintings save the color temperature in the gray base mixture. Here is my example:

My palette for the exercise would be:

Yellow Ochre

Cad yellow medium

Ultramarine Blue

Cad Red Light

Ivory Black

Titanium white

Warm Gray

Second painting:

Yellow Ochre

Cad yellow medium

Ultramarine Blue

Cad Red Light

Ivory Black

Titanium white

Cool Gray

A word about the gray mixtures:

The easiest gray will be black and white, twice the amount of white, with a bit of red mixed in for the warm gray or a bit of blue mixed in for the cool gray.

Compliments make excellent grays. My favorite is cad orange with ultramarine blue and white. Keeping the bias with the warm or cool color of the mix can give you the cool or warm mix you want. Hope this helps Mary.

Some fun writing -Stories of Marie the Artist

2011-12-06T09:09:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From my Office

People frequently tell me I should write. I have no idea why, because I have no writing or editorial skill at all, and can't even spell. I decided it would be fun to write one paragraph stories about an artist named Marie. I can't tell you who Marie is, that would be a privacy issue, but she is real. I've been putting the stories on my facebook wall and on my newsletter. I have discovered that they are so much fun, though any writer worth his/her salt would scoff at them immediately. That's ok. As long as I'm having fun, I don't care about critics.

Some Gray Experiments

2011-12-05T20:06:00.000-05:00

Notes From the Painting Studio

Saturday I did a nifty little exercise with my students.It is something I do now and then for myself. I use a base of a warm or cool gray to mix into all of the paint mixtures I do for a painting. It creates a nice tonal, very harmonious palette for a cloudy overcast day. In the sample paintings above, the top painting is painted with a cool gray base. The second painting is done with a warm gray base. Because you are mixing gray into every mixture it will be tonal, so the key is to make the gray light.

My Brain is Fried

2011-12-03T22:41:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I'm so tired I feel like my brain is fried. This is the beginning of the shopping season and I have been working very long hours in the loft, with almost no time to myself. Three parties in one week will do that to you along with 9AM-9PM store hours. I have had a wonderful time though. I have seen lots of old and new friends this week and that is such a pleasure. The cookie party was great. I got a ton of different kinds of cookies and we had a good time.

Tomorrow I get a blessed day at Fair Oaks with lots of quiet time to paint and enjoy being with my friends there for lunch. It will be a day to do a couple of small paintings and to wind down before the next crazy week starts. Next week will be just as nuts as this week in a different way. I have an x-ray and bone density scan on Monday, conference with my DR on Tuesday, Thursday off to Disney for an overnight trip with kids and sis for the annual day there. Then to hurry back in time for the weekend of busy long hours again.

We decided to take the rest of December off for my Saturday class as various members are traveling this month for the holidays. We will start back on the first Saturday in January.

I am trying to get a sensible schedule going for my mentoring students, my class and my one private student. I think I have it worked out pretty well. Dropping the Michaels teaching gig is going to help. Not taking any new private students will help, and my Saturday group is so special that they are pure pleasure to work with.

Now that I am getting that teaching part of my career a bit organized, I must turn to effective marketing for the studio. A couple of things are working well. The layaway program and having the sign up for the painting giveaway. I have gotten three pages of new people for my mailing list. I'll have to wait until I have some spare time to get them all put into a file, but anytime I can add to my mailing list, it's a good thing. More to come....

A Busy Week Planned

2011-12-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes from the Loft Studio

Today is my semi-annual Dr appointment, which I always dread. I don't know why. I thinks it's the fear that they would find some dreaded disease I must endure. Let's hope not. As a painter, I try to stay fit.Painting is hard work and takes physical stamina. Hauling that back pack full around on location and standing for hours in front of my easel in studio is definitely physical labor. I've lost about 25 pounds, eat low sugar/carb diet, and I walk every day either around my land with Henry or on the treadmill, next to my desk. I also have some 3 pound free weights that I use two or three times a week. So I will hope for the best.

From there I will head back to the loft and work on a painting in progress. You can read about it on my tree painter blog. Today and tomorrow are the Paddiwhack Gallery season party nights. They are serving champagne and chocolate and who knows what else. I will have coffee and cookies upstairs in the loft. The party includes 20% off all of my paintings for both nights, tonight and Friday. We will be open until 9 PM both nights. It is getting to that retail crazy season for me, where we will be open late until Christmas. Long hours in the studio, but, I get to paint a lot, so I will not complain.

Saturday is my Cookie Exchange party at the loft, so be sure to come from 10 AM-2PM and bring a dozen cookies. They don't have to be homemade. Publix and Fresh Market make great cookies. Take home a nice selection of cookies from the offerings and enjoy them with holiday guests. Be sure to sign up for the painting give away on December 20th.

The Mentorship Search is Done

2011-11-30T21:19:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Office

I'm delighted to announce that I have officially selected four artists for my mentoring project in 2012. I welcome Claudia Ballard from St Augustine, Harold Barrand from Gainesville, Lynn Biddlecomb from Gainesville, and Terri West from Orlando. I based my decision on how eager they were to do the project, how prompt they were in responding and their essays, not particularly on their painting ability. Painting skill and marketing can be learned with hard work and all of them have the potential to be a professional. We will see with time whether they are up to the task of growing into their career. It is a long road with a lot of discipline. They will have a ton of work to do. I'm excited about helping others to have a career. Mine has been a wonderful way to live. I would love for other successful professional artists to take the time to do this for emerging artists in their own community. Every kind thing we do comes back to us, sometimes in unexpected ways.

My Wish List 2012

2011-11-28T19:53:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

Every year I make a wish list for the next year. Surprisingly, many of the wishes come true. These are things and places, etc,that I would love.

A painter's cottage at Fair Oaks or in Evinston, so that I could stay there for days or weeks at a time to paint. It is about 50 miles from me, so I have to do a lot of driving. That area is one of the most beautiful in north Florida. There are several prairies within about 10 miles form that location and the state park is close by as well.

A small truck

Sundays reserved for me- I will soon have that wish come true.

Limited Teaching- I have one private student now and I don't plan to add any more. I will have one Saturday afternoon class in 2012 and three or four one day workshops, so I will have more time to focus on my own work.

More local sales from my studio

Some new clothes

I-Pad II

A wireless printer/scanner

a new couch

good health

flowers

a studio assistant

a selling agent

better connections to potential patrons

a new 6x8 pochade box and backpack

lots of art supplies and frames

travel to interesting places to paint.

lose another 30 pounds, I lost 25 in 2011

More time with interesting friends

Ability to help my mentoring students to achieve their goals

An improved economy, jobs for anyone who really wants one, better leaders around the world

To aid those who are in my circle of influence

That's enough for now....

My Marketing Plan Part II

2011-11-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

2012 Marketing Part II

My biggest marketing goal for 2012 is to get more people involved in my studio. It is a cozy little space, cute and full of paintings. I have a lovely Keurig coffee machine and all kinds of K cups, candy, and a variety of chips for snacking. What to do to get them upstairs?

I have invited my friend Kathy to teach her jewelry making class on Sunday afternoons, as I am rarely there then. It will get a different crowd there and that is always good. I am trying to get a card game group. I have two players and need two more. This would be a fun weekday morning or afternoon activity. I'm going to teach a couple of food garnishing classes in 2012. I have talked with the lady who owns the kitchen store in the same shopping center, who is willing to put some of her gadgets upstairs during the class to promote her store. In turn, I will be able to get some cross promoting from her. A Florida auther has approached me about doing a book signing in April for her garden book. The studio could have a floral theme with lots of little flower paintings scattered around on shelves.

My layaway plan will continue to be a focus for 2012. I really believe this is the way to go for this economy. I added a layaway page to my web site and printed oversized post cards for my studio to hand out.

I tried a referral reward in 9 which was a total flop, but perhaps it's time to revisit that, since this economy is dragging on indefinitely.

I need to renew my Art Salon Plan and get that started again. That went pretty well on 2009-2010 and I have neglected that. It's a good plan and I've gotten a few sales from it. I gets people into the studio with a party mood.

Over the last few years, I have spent a lot of time trying to make social networks actually work and translate into sales. I'm sorry to say that has not worked well for me. it is a time drain with little pay off in terms of promotion or sales. I have to decide what to do about that and I'm not sure. I think auto posting is a good way to handle social networks. What I have found is that my blogs have become more important than the SNs. At one time, the thought going around was that blogs are history and replaced by SNs. I believe that the opposite has been true in my case. I have a very good blog readership, not only from artists but from patrons too. I am becoming diligent about posting several times a week on my various blogs and I believe that is paying off in promotional terms.

The website has had updating over the 2011 period but I need to pay more attention to it. In the last few weeks I have made some changes, getting rid of some pages and adding others. At the very least I keep the home page updated every week. One of the things I have learned to do is to post all of my web addresses on the top of my newsletter, my blogs, and home page of my web site.That increases viewsfrom one site to the other. One of my patrons suggested that to me. A great idea. In fact it might be a great idea to open a suggestion box to my patrons in email form. I'll get right on that.

More marketing to come....

The Plans Continue

2011-11-26T08:33:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

Part I

I'm musing on my marketing plan for 2012 which always must remain fluid. My web site sales really declined in 2011 as a direct result of the economy and Ebay. I don't really feature specials on the site anymore because I have ebay and that is fine. Ebay is simply more efficient. Surprisingly, I sell more higher price point paintings in my studio and almost no 200.00 range paintings there. That has been consistent since I moved in. I think it is odd but there it is. I will be featuring more 300-400 dollar paintings in 2012 in the studio, which more people seem to be interested in now. At one time my 500-1000 dollar paintings were the best sellers. Now I never sell that price range, so I have stopped doing them and waiting to gradually sell off that size of paintings. My current best seller is the 1500.00 paintings and ocasionally larger.

The uptick for me in sales this year were the corporate buyers through consultants. I am going to be focusing on that group in my marketing in 2012. I love working with them and they are very nice. Tight deadlines are always an issue for them, and slow payment as they have to wait for client payment. it is a great large format market and the paintings are usually by assignment, so I don't have a ton of large paintings to hold on to for years at a time, waiting for the right buyer. I have put a page for them on my web site hoping to attract more calls.

More on marketing in my next post.......

Time for the 2012 Plans

2011-11-24T09:57:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends in the world of art blogging. I am waiting patiently for the turkey and anticipating a great time with my daughters and their guys.

It is time for my annual muse about what I want to do as a painter and as a business owner for 2012. I ponder this each year and share my ramblings on this blog. I know that most people do this on January first but I like to do it early, becaue I don't really have time to think it through during the Holiday rush after Thanksgiving.

The Painting Plan

I am planning to be a bit more disciplined about my painting schedule on location in 2012. I have a fabulous routine in both studios and produce a good amount of work in studio. Plein air has gone to h*ll in a handbasket as they say, in 2011. Too many paint outs, too much drama related to that and other events, etc.

My solution:

I have cut back to three paint outs for 2012 and none of those are actually confirmed as yet. I am replacing most of that format with my new Artists in Residence Project. Some peace and quiet to paint in wonderful places. The no pressure paint out if you will, which I expect will improve my location work considerably.

I have resigned from my teaching gig at Michaels, effective on January 1st. This will free up Sundays for me to travel to my residency in Evinston at Fair Oaks, so I'm excited about having my painting Sundays back.

I have rearranged my schedule on Tuesdays to allow a day of painting with Six Artists Six Prairies members or Residency Project partner Mary Jane Volkmann.

I plan to get started back with my plein air journal which I used to carry with me all the time. I need to get that field note taking habit back again. I have gotten lazy about it and need to shape up on my field work.

Studio:

I have been in a pretty good place with my studio work in 2011. I've spent a lot of time doing some experimentation with light and color in studio and some of them are pretty over the top but that's the way I learn new stuff. At some stage of the game I will begin to even out and produce well from these experiments.

I have begun to be known for my tree paintings and will continue this path for awhile. They are a difficult subject to do well and I still have a lot of growth there to do. I still have a strong interest in farms,ranches,cattle and rural lands. That exploration will continue. I am still working with a couple of limited palettes that I really like as well as using accent colors late into the painting. That research is going well. I will supplement the themes I love the most with paintings from my travels to beautiful places.

These are my thoughts today but there will probably be more to come, including my annual wish list, and my business plans...

A Bunch of New Reference Photos

2011-11-23T09:01:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Yesterday I painted over at Tuscawilla Prairie with friends. I got one finished 9x12 painting and one started 9x12, which I will finish in studio as time permits. The color on the prairie is just perfect for my favorite winter palette and we have decided to paint there on Tuesdays for awhile. I have become quite fond of Tuscawilla and actually prefer it to the more famous Paynes Prairie.

The most important accomplishment of the day was to get some really good reference photos for studio paintings. We drove down on the prairie to get an up close and personal view, taking the mowed loop around the prairie, frequently stopping to gasp with joy at the magnificent views. It was quite warm with no shade and no safe place to actually set up to paint, what with the wild beast population alive and well, so we took lots of photos.

The thing I have discovered is that the excursions with the camera and the keen observation up close of trees, plant materials, the grasses and land really are more valuable than the actual painting time on location. I enjoy the painting process, but my best work is done in the studio later.

The Year of the Loft Studio

2011-11-22T07:53:00.001-05:00

The Cake Party

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I've decided that 2012 is going to be the year of the loft studio. I have not taken full advantage of the wonderful space I'm fortunate to have. Last year I did too many paint outs and had too much travel to really focus on the loft, so I am going to cut back on paint outs for 2012 ( I have just three). Most of my travel will focus on the Artists in Residence Project for the future, at least that's what I hope.

I'll be doing 3 or so parties a year with my group of artisan friends, and several small one day parties like the cookie exchange on December 3 this year. I have invited a jeweler friend to start teaching her jewelry class up in the loft on Sunday afternoon, since I am not there that day. It will get people upstairs to the loft. I will continue my Saturday afternoon class for 2012, as I love it and it is fun. I am going to schedule a food garnishing class in late January. As some of you know, I was a chef at one time and specialized in garde manger, a fancy term for making food pretty ;>) I think I will get some interest in that and could do a part one basic garnishing and part two more advanced. I will try to collaborate with the kitchen equipment store in the same shopping center to provide tools, coupons etc. I might even invite some caterers or local chefs to teach food classes as well.

I would like to start a book club or card game group too. I need to get a variety of people coming up there. More on that to come....

Progress on the Mentorship

2011-11-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

SOLD

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Office

I have had a few inquiries about the mentorship program. Not surprising to me that most of the interested parties are not from Gainesville, where I live. Gainesville has a million or so artists due to it's beautiful location and being a two college town. I imagine that many artists feel no need to study with me for a year. However, I have several who are vying for the opportunity from all around north central Florida. I am waiting for the essays to come in before I decide. I want to make sure the person is genuinely interested and willing to commit to a long term project. Growth can be painful and intimidating so I need to make sure the artist is up to the difficulty of self searching and going out on a limb.

I expect that I will learn a lot about painting and marketing from this experience myself as I always learn from my students. They are often better painters than I am. They just need a bit of self confidence and direction. They also need the companionship and camaraderie that we share. I consider them to be dear friends.

What is in this for me?

No monetary advantage, as it will be freely given. I think a sense of satisfaction that I have the opportunity to launch a successful career for someone who may be dreaming and struggling along. As an art teacher, I have always had the desire to be the discoverer of the next great master painter. I'm a decent painter because I work very hard at it, but I have no real natural talent. How fantastic could I be if I was born with the ability instead of only working hard for it? I hope to find the person who has both and to help them soar.

I also wish to foster a sense of kindness and non competitiveness for this potential master. I have been through all of the art wars over my long career and I find that career artists seem to have a competitive nature, at least in their early years. I didn't really understand what I was supposed to do until I was about 50. I learned to stop existing in that arena and to let go of the ladder climbing, thank God. I'd like for my apprentice to avoid the one upsmanship and snobbery of the art world and instead focus on what is best for them.

Lots Going on at the Loft Studio

2011-11-19T22:08:00.001-05:00

Notes From the Loft Studio

I've had a very busy weekend and I teach a class tomorrow, so I'm ready for a break on Monday. The photos are of the wonderful cake party at my loft studio. I belong to a little group who shows their wares at my loft about 4 times a year. We always have a swell time and it brings in diversity to my studio for a couple of days at a time. Our next party will be the Sunday before Mother's Day next spring. We will have an appetizer contest next time that Chef Jackie will make. We will invite voting for the favorite recipe again and our visitors really enjoyed that part of the party. The Hilda Pound Cake won by 3 votes so it was a close contest.

My next Studio party will be Saturday, December 3rd from 10 AM-2 PM. My annual Cookie Exchange party. Bring a dozen cookies and your recipe to share and take a dozen home. I will provide zip lock bags.

I have gotten some inquiries for my mentoring program. I have decided to shorten my time line to apply to November 30th, as I expect anyone who is serious about this will make up their mind in a short time. No sense in dragging this out. If you wish to apply, send me a brief essay about why you want to do it, what you expect to learn and your level of commitment. Send me the message on my web site contact page.

A mentorship for 2012

2011-11-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I am offering to mentor an emerging painter for 2012 with a once a month meeting, free critiques, and help with business and marketing. This is a free service for a deserving artist. I want to do what I can to help the art community.

The following criteria must be met:

A desire to learn

willingness to work toward a written, well designed mission and business goal for a year.

promptness and reliability are required

desire to be an eventual full time professional painter

attention to detail is a plus

must bring a 3 ring binder to each session and be willing to take notes, there will be assignments.

must be willing to take direction and advice

must leave ego at home.

If you are a north central FL emerging artist who can benefit from this, please contact me on my web site Linda Blondheim I will accept applications through December 31, 2011

Meetings and critiques will be at my loft studio in Gainesville, FL We will start in January 2012 and continue through December of 2012.

Update on my Layaway Plan

2011-11-16T22:14:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

A few months ago I decided that I really needed to promote a painting layaway plan, especially in this rotten economy. I made a stand up sign for the table in the loft studio. I started mentioning it to visitors as well. It is starting to take off a bit now, though not at the pace I had hoped for. About a month ago I sent out a post card mail out for the layaway plan. I sold my 4th layaway painting for fall today, so I am pleased. I keep it quite simple. I allow layaway on a painting for up to one year. I keep the painting, hanging it on the stairwell with a sold sign and the purchaser's name. They can come visit the painting whenever they like and they enjoy that. When it is payed in full, they take their painting home. No interest, no credit card charges, easy and fairly painless as they can make many small payments or a few large ones. For a small painting, it only takes a couple of months to pay for it. It's a great way to do business for me and an easy way to own real art.

I want to think of some more ways to promote this plan. I think more postal mail outs will be good, as well as a sign for the window at Paddiwhack Gallery downstairs. Perhaps some fliers around town might be good too, made up like a poster. I also think a rack card might be a good idea. Send me your ideas.

Six Artists Six Prairies: A Fall Look at Tuscawilla Prairie

2011-11-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

Six Artists Six Prairies: A Fall Look at Tuscawilla Prairie: Notes From the Prairie Today Mary Jane Volkmann and I took a quick look at fall on the Tuscawilla Prairie. It is spectacular right now wit...

Transitioning from plein air to studio

2011-11-15T18:47:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From my Pochade Box

I have come to the realization that I have become a studio painter. That is not to say that I don't paint on location because a I do, about once a week at least. I still love painting on location, but my studio work is the real stuff. My plein air studies are fun and I learn a lot from doing them, and I can put together some work at paint outs, but my studio work is far superior to anything I do on location. I did alla prima, plein air work for at least ten years with no studio work, but I finally realized that alla prima work is very limiting for me. I somehow in the last 5 years or so have become a real studio painter. The other day I started a painting on location and it was truly a disaster. I thought I would probably need to throw it out. I took it back into the studio and saved it, turning it into a good painting. It was instantly easy to see what was wrong and to fix it in a snap. I used to be able to do that on location, but it becomes more difficult the longer I paint. Perhaps I have passed through my dependency on plein air as being the correct way to be a landscape painter. Now I think of my plein air work as a way to study for good studio work and to study the light and atmosphere I love so much. I'm ok with that!!

Artists in Residence Project: Our First Residency

2011-11-14T18:58:00.001-05:00

Artists in Residence Project: Our First Residency: Our first residency will be in beautiful New Smyrna Beach, Florida. We will explore the National Seashore, Spruce Creek, The Loop and other ...

Our blog is live. Check it out!!

A Palm a Day Project

2011-11-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I started a new project doing a palm painting every day that I'm in the loft. For some reason people really like my palms. At the Canaveral Seashore Paint Out lots of people complimented me on my palm paintings, so I decided I need to paint them more often and practice them to make them even better. It's a fun way to practice painting and have small affordable paintings. I'm doing them on Masonite panels so that they can sit on little easels unframed. 95.00 I'll show them as I do them.

Letting things go

2011-11-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I'm learning to let things go. In the last week or two I've had some situations which presented two ways to go, either confrontational or not. The old me would have taken up my shield and sword and have invested time to try to disavow the other person of his or her mistaken beliefs. The new me is learning to let subtle insults go and to ignore opinions that I believe to be ridiculous. When you are an established artist, you run the risk of having unnecessary swipes made at you from other artists. Often they are made out of envy because you are living the life that they long for, or they feel threatened by other professional artists, or perhaps they have some self esteem issues. I'm no psychiatrist so I don't pretend to know why people are deliberately mean spirited. I don't know how long the new me will last, but I confess to liking the change. I discovered how easy it is to just wish someone well and let them go on with their fantasy world. I don't have to fix other people. I don't have to be responsible for them and what they do, even when it affects me through association. I only have to be responsible for what I do and promise to do.

I found myself visited by an artist today after my students were gone. She spent a lot of time talking about what other artists are doing, while asking me why I was just a landscape painter. "Couldn't you do more interesting subjects? Nobody who is on the cutting edge of art would do landscapes, etc.etc" In other words how pathetic I must be. She finished her coffee and went on her way. I'm sure she felt that she had given me great insight into my career and that I would be well on my way to changing everything about my work for the better, after her advice. The old me would have been in a rage over the audacity, but I laughed to myself instead. It wasn't worth the time or trouble to defend my choice of subject, or to take the time to explain how much I love my subject. Better to wish her a happy day and go home happy with the artists who come to my class and who give me such joyful support.

A new Project

2011-11-11T10:13:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Pochade Box

I have cut back on paint outs gradually. I do two or three a year now. There is a lot of stress, and expense involved with them and after 10+ years of doing them, I have become selective about doing them. I love the Canaveral paint out, the Epcot paint out and the Wekiva paint out, so I will continue to do them.

That leaves me with some free time. I still love to travel and paint in wonderful locations, so my painting pal, Mary Jane Volkmann and I have decided to team up for a new project called Artists in Residence. We plan to do from 2-5, seven-ten day residencies around Florida each year. I'm working on a blog for the project which will be online soon. We have enjoyed being the project managers for the Six Artists Six Prairies project, which will soon be over, so we decided to launch a new project for 2012 and beyond if it suits us. I'm excited. We have residencies lined up for January and February.

Expanding on the comment about finding patrons

2011-11-09T22:30:00.001-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Office

I got the following comment on my blog post from a couple of days ago.

"Really, I agree with much of what you have said.... however... I'm really at a loss as to how to "find" people who are interested in art but who are not necessarily artists. People who sign up to follow my blog are generally other artists. Unfortunately most of the time, what I see on FB is from other artists as well. And I LOVE seeing these things, but it still doesn't get me beyond that pool of people."

The way I find patrons is by thinking about what I love myself about my subjects. My subjects are trees, farms and ranches, rural lands and nature. Where will I find people who like that too? That's how I begin my search for patrons. I make a list of all kinds of possible organizations and people who love:

birds

wild life

cattle

farm and ranch land

trees

state parks

rivers

springs

coastal marshes

flowers

etc.,etc.

Then I think about where I will find these people. They often belong to:

garden clubs

cattlemens organizations

state parks

hiking clubs

water and land conservation groups

birding groups

nature groups

etc.etc.

They have disposable income:

professional business people

corporations

dr's

lawyers

environmental engineers

biologists and scientists

etc.etc.

So, you see that none of these people are artists or really in any way related to the artsy crowd that most artists hang around with. Frankly, most of my friends are not in the arts. They are professionals in other careers. They have many interests that gives me a more well rounded view of the world. Many artists make the mistake of being insular, only spending time with other artists. I view this as having a narrow view of the world. After a week at a paint out, talking shop non stop, I want to spend some time with non-artists. I learn and get good ideas from my non artist friends. My business mentor is a banker, not an artist.

I hope this was helpful.

Painting process and personality

2011-11-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

One problem I've had until recently was the Hurry Up problem. I am naturally a very fast painter. It is not something I've tried to do, I just paint fast. For a long time I had the bad habit of getting to the final stages of a painting and just getting it done. A year or two ago I realized that I was missing an important step in the process, so I have learned to slow down a bit and to consider the end of the process more carefully. I think personalities have a lot to do with how we process through a painting. I have always been a driven person, ADD, and fast at everything I do. I make quick decisions and I don't wring my hands over things. I consider the possibilities, make my decision and then move forward with little regret. My painting pal is just the opposite. She is a painfully slow painter and wrings her hands over every decision. It works for her. My way works for me. I think someplace in between would be ideal, but nothing ever is ideal so we go on. perhaps we should realize what sort of personality relates best to our painting method and simply accept what we are.

Blogging is Better

2011-11-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From my Office

Over the last few years I have maintained a presence on Twitter and Facebook, with questionable results at best. In the last six months or so I have stopped feeding this blog to FB and T. I still send my html opt in newsletter to them but not this blog. Since I stopped sending it to social networks, my readership has improved here on the blog. I really like blogs so much better than social networking. Blogging is personal, more in depth, and really more intelligent than social networking. A reader suggested that I have the blog made into a book and I am intrigued by that idea. I've always liked journals, my own and others' journals teach me a lot about art and about art careers, marketing art and so forth. A lot of blogs are about the study of painting, but since I have my own muse on that and my own way of working, those become less valuable to me. I am more intrigued by the career journals of artists, how they approach their careers, marketing, time management, studio management and events is very interesting to me.

Social networking doesn't do a very good job with that. It seems to be quite trivial most of the time. Many artists use it to show paintings and I have done that for some time too, but I am finding more and more that other artists simply copy your ideas on FB,T rather than offering anything useful to others. They are poor platforms for selling and marketing to patrons because you are inundated with requests from artists to be your friends. That never makes any sense to me. Shouldn't we be looking for patrons, not artists? That's why I have several blogs. This one is for artists and friends, not really of much interest to patrons. My other blogs would be better suited to patrons and collectors. Social networking has not been the answer for me. It is a place to send my photos of events and reminders, but it is a marginal way to communicate in my view. I realize that most people will strongly disagree.

The Issue of Painting On Demand and Marketing

2011-11-07T09:14:00.000-05:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

After a very full schedule for three weeks, I have a blessed day at home today. I'll do some computer stuff and then go out to the painting studio and fool around out there for awhile, put some stuff away from the paint out and the painting event I did yesterday and then see about doing some painting.

At yesterday's event, I struggled to get a little painting done and it got me to thinking that "painting on demand" at events and paint outs is not something I want to do much anymore. This includes doing private commissions with subjects I'm not really interested in and so forth. More and more, I have the desire and need to paint what speaks to me and what I am eager to paint. When I did the demo at my studio on Saturday, I loved it because the subject was one I am thrilled to paint, a field of trees. I was prepared, I had done my thinking through the process prior to the demo and I knew the subject and place where I had taken the photograph. I knew that I could refine the painting later and get an actual good painting eventually, when I get back to it.

I realize that being on display and doing these events for causes I believe in is a necessary part of my career, but I have learned to be very selective about this. I support CTF and ACT in this way because I am committed to land conservation in my area. I no longer do any other events. I am also very proud to support KIVA because I can help women business owners around the developing world. That is a great feeling.

As an artist who believes in savvy marketing, I find myself always in a struggle between doing what I want vs doing what I must. I'm sure this is the case for all business owners, not just artists.

I believe that thoughtful compromise is warranted in my case. I have gotten rid of all of the little clubs, associations like the national associations for artists.I never go to any meetings any more, a total waste of time. If it can't be done on the phone or by email, I don't need to be involved at all. I have really tried to learn from my marketing mistakes and not repeat them. Believe me, I have made some profound mistakes in my long career.

I am gradually paring down to the essence of being a painter. I have learned to say no to many ideas and insignificant opportunities. I am getting rid of minutia and thinking in big ideas instead. If I do nothing else in 2012, I am going to focus on my loft studio for marketing. I have neglected that in favor of other events and that is dumb. I will teach only there, and spend more time promoting it, because it is such a wonderful little snuggly place to be.

The fact that I have it in this economy is a miracle and I need to devote more time to it's success. In fact, I would love to have some ideas from my readers here on ways to promote the Loft.

Today's Adventure

2011-11-06T20:14:00.000-05:00

Goofing Around with Friends at the Conservation Trust for Florida Fall Round UP

Notes From the Pochade Box

Today was great fun. I painted with pals Mary Jane Volkmann and Charles Dickinson at the Hans and Debbie Tansler Ranch near Waldo Florida. They were very gracious hosts. We were at the Conservation Trust For Florida's annual event. The crowd was large and enthusiastic and we enjoyed meeting new friends and seeing old friends. Land conservation is a big part of my world as a landscape painter. It is the last chance we have to save Florida, so I support these organizations as much as I can. We were there representing our Six Artists Six Prairies project.

I breathe a sigh of relief that my schedule will now start to slow down a bit for the rest of November. I am anxious to get out to Fair Oaks for more painting adventures and to get back to some painting in the studio on Wednesday. Thanks to the many people who came out to support www.conserveflorida.org and who will be at the Alachua Conservation Trust event where we will be again on February 25, 2012 www.alachuaconservationtrust.org

Report on my Knife Painting Workshop

2011-11-05T21:44:00.001-04:00

Knife Workshop Painters November 5, 2011

L to R, Thelma, Harold, Linda B, Janet, Courtney, Linda D, Mary. Linda W also attended but left before the group photo.

Practice Knife Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I had a wonderful day with 7 other landscape painters playing with painting knives all day. I set out a couple of jars with knives in them for each table, gave them knife painting exercises for the morning. We broke for a chili with all the toppings lunch with corn bread and oatmeal cookies. I love the one day workshops. They are busy enough to keep people engaged but not too long. I was so impressed by my friends paintings that I am inspired to work even harder to improve my own knife work. I enjoyed doing a little demo painting for the painters, which is not quite finished. I will tackle it first thing on Wednesday afternoon. Demos are fun for everyone. People really enjoy them.

By the time I finished cleaning and organizing after the workshop, it was time to sit back with a good cup of joe and enjoy a visit with my friend Emily. Time flew and it was time to go home. Next Workshop April 28, 2012.

Getting Ready for my Knife Workshop

2011-11-04T21:51:00.000-04:00

Notes From the Loft Studio

I spent today moving things around the studio getting ready for my knife workshop tomorrow. Naturally, I'm not exactly sure whether I have 6 or 8 students. I've been so busy and distracted that I can't remember who said they were coming or not. I'm ready for 8 but will be happy whatever the number. It was a good excuse to move things and change the studio a bit. We are going to have chili, cornbread and cookies for lunch. My daughter the caterer will take care of that for me. I'll try to remember to take some photos of the class. I'll start with a demo and then torture the class with knife painting exercises. After lunch they can do an actual painting. I think we will have a ton of fun playing with painting knives all day.

I'm thinking I'll teach a workshop on painting skies next workshop. I like teaching these one day workshops. Short enough to be fun but not exhausting for anyone. April will be a good time to teach a workshop. how about April 28th? 10-4. Come paint skies with me in April.

Today's Loft Adventure

2011-11-03T23:16:00.000-04:00

Seascape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today was one of those relaxed days. I started with breakfast with a painting pal and then wandered over to the studio. I did a 9x12 painting today and then decided to fool around in the studio, changing some things around. It makes me feel like I have a purpose when I move things around a bit. Tomorrow I have to get the studio ready for my knife workshop on Saturday from 10-4. We are having homemade chili and cornbread with toppings and cookies for dessert. My daughter the caterer takes care of all the food, thank goodness. I have selected two reference photos to do a demo knife paintings. one 8x10 and one 9x12 panel. I'm ready to start an 18x24 tomorrow time permitting. A busy fast week. Monday I will breathe a sigh of relief for a little while and get back to my usual painting ;>)

Getting Back to My Beloved Routine

2011-11-02T22:37:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today I was back in the loft studio and back in my painting routine. I finished the above demo painting which I put on Ebay and then got started touching up a couple of paintings that needed a bit more work. They were done at the paint out last week and needed a bit of contrast adjustment. It took about 10 minutes on each of them to improve them significantly. The other paint out paintings will be fine as they are. There are always a couyple that need a bit of work, due to time constraints at the event, or weather difficulties which interrupt the painting process.

I started a 9x12 today and will continue with that tomorrow. I'm trying to decide what my next larger format painting will be, so I think I'll warm up with the 9x12 first.

Getting my week organized

2011-11-01T17:26:00.001-04:00

Balcony Palms- SOLD

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Studios

I am busy trying to sort out my week and catch up with all I put off for the paint out. When I returned, all of the boxes of art supplies were waiting for me at both studios so I unpacked all of my supplies today and sorted them out. I am rich for a little while with lots of paint and canvases to paint. when I arrived at the loft today I was greeted by stacks of paintings from four of the six prairie project painters. I agreed to store them at the loft and hand them off to the Conservation people for their event this Sunday. It never ceases to amaze me that some painters don't bother to bring the work at all, and others don't even pack the paintings in protective packaging, while others don't send a price list or label the work for sale. At one time this would have bothered me and I would have tried to remedy this, but I am over my co-dependent tendacies. Nowadays, I take care of what I'm supposed to do and ignore what other people fail to do. I'm not responsible for other artists. It sounds selfish I know, but it works and feels good to me to let go of other peoples responsibilities.

Tomorrow I have my morning student, who I love. Tomorrow afternoon, I will be back to painting again. I have lots of new reference photos from Fair Oaks that I want to paint, and a demo I did two weeks ago that I need to finish for an Ebay painting.

Friday I have a new private student and Saturday I have my all day knife painting workshop. I'm looking forward to that. We are having homemade chili and cornbread for lunch, provided by my daughter, the caterer. Then Sunday, we have the Fall Roundup http://www.conserveflorida.org/ at a ranch in Waldo Fl, my first chance to paint there. By Monday I'll be ready for some serious down time and getting back to serious painting in the studio with all of my new goodies.

Some Artists Have Bad Karma

2011-10-31T19:51:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My Office

Most of the artists I know are thoughtful people who go out of their way to be kind. Most of the plein air artists I know have been really like a family for several years. We assimilate new people a few at a time and rotate in and out of paint outs during the year. I look forward to my time with them, talking shop and catching up a few times a year. Most of them would lend you their last dime, give you anything and generally tend to send patrons your way if they can't sell to them first. They congratulate when you win and console when you get skunked. They are amusing, droll, and a lot of great fun to be with. They tend to not be overly competitive and are amazingly kind as a group. They befriend you whether they paint better or not. It really doesn't matter to them. They simply love to paint.

Then there are the artists who have bad Karma. They often come across to promoters as the nicest most successful people, and they often sell well. Underneath, they are rude and deliberately cruel to other painters. They spend a great deal of time bragging about their many sales, counting the number of sold signs on other artists walls, sneaking around with cameras to take photos of other painters work and generally making snide comments about their own superior career and that of their friends over the other artists. One artist like this can ruin your week and make you seethe with disgust and anger before the week is out. They have poisonous personalities with a superficial charm that can fool many. The more time you spend with them, the more you see their manipulation and mean spirited personality. They get away with it because they are cunning and they know who to suck up to to look good.

Then there are the types who begin to believe their own press and that they are superior to the other artists and spend a lot of time telling the person in charge that they are superior and need not follow the basic rules like framing their work, paying the usual commission and so forth.I'm not talking about people like me who don't always stay in the park or sign all the posters, which I freely admit that I am guilty of. I'm talking about rules that all of us must follow in order to have a professional cohesive show which will help the organization to sell work. I mean artists who rarely dress appropriately for a more formal event, or who don't bother to show up for many of the events, because they are more important than anyone else. I'm not saying that I like going to events night after night but if I don't want to, I should just decline the paint out invitation. These artists need to read the contract before the event to know what is required of them.

I think this kind of personality probably exists in every profession, but it is somewhat depressing to have to deal with their drama in an otherwise wonderful event.

My Canaveral Paint Out Report

2011-10-30T16:13:00.000-04:00

Linda's Wall at Eldora House

Notes From My Office

I'm home and tired but happy from my journey to New Smyrna for a week. This was the kind of paint out that is a pleasure. Pat and Milan should be congratulated, along with Nancy, Beverly, Chef Sue, Dick and all the other wonderful unsung heroes of this event. The park rangers were gracious hosts during the week and quite patient with the artists. Thanks too to the many businesses who hosted us for meals,and refreshments along with their sponsorships. My special thanks to the Friends of Canaveral who gave me the purchase award this year to purchase my View From Turtle Mound painting for the visitors center in the National Park. it will be part of their permanent collection. I am very honored.

I can't think of a thing they all could have done better. The advertising was first class, food yummy and frequently served, volunteers outstanding and ever helpful, and scenery magnificent as you can imagine in a national park. It was well supported by the residents and visitors, and sales, considering our economy, quite good for many of us. I sold in a variety of sizes, 8x10,9x12 and 20x24 so I am quite satisfied.

My accommodations were fantastic and many thanks to Guy and Pat for extending such a generous invitation to stay in their beachfront condo. It was beautiful and within a mile of the park.

Thank you New Smyrna Beach and Friends of Canaveral for this wonderful experience.

Commission is finished

2011-10-19T21:47:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today was the day that I tackled the changes in the commission. They wanted puffy clouds so that's what I gave them. Now the painting is approved, varnished and waiting. Tomorrow I'll cut it off the stretcher bars, roll it up and ship tomorrow morning. Yippee!! It's done. I really enjoy doing these big paintings and I hope I get some more of the commissions soon.

I got another painting finished today. I started it at the painting studio yesterday. 18x24 inches. I am so loving this palette I've been using lately. Great diversity and consistency.

I'm going to take a break after today until October 25th. I'll be back with new stories and an evaluation of the Canaveral event soon.

Art Supply Heaven

2011-10-18T09:02:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From my Painting Studio

Remember last summer when I was flat broke? Sales in summer are very poor. I nearly ran out of supplies. Now that business has picked up, I decided it was time to restock. I have been using sale coupons to buy paint and frames at Michaels, and I took advantage of a catalogue paint sale a few weeks ago to buy more paint. This week, I focused on canvas and framing. I picked up several frames at half price and yesterday I bought birch painting panels and stretched canvas from one company and stretched canvas in bulk from another company. It feels great to have lots of supplies again after such a sparse 4 months. Of course now I am flat broke again, but this time with supplies!!

Awhile back I decided that I wanted to help save trees by switching to eco-friendly frames. They are inexpensive, MDF products which look like wood frames but are recycled products. I am ok with this because it saves our environment. Frankly, Most of my upscale clients reframe to suit their decor. The frames look nice. They are dark espresso or silver, so they look good in the studio and I can feel good about using them and saving more trees.

For a long time I bought into the whole plein air gold frame thing and spent way too much money on framing. it's that whole keep up with the Joneses mentality that artists fall into. First it was gold frames, then it had to be plein air style, then it had to be puttied corners. I was spending more on frames than my art. I decided to bail out of that whole "cool artist" scene and I have no regrets. The interesting thing is that switching to recycled material frames has not deterred my sales at all. Most of my clients actually like the frames. I like them too.

Narrowing Down

2011-10-17T11:27:00.000-04:00

My Landscape Class October 16th

Notes From the Painting Studio

If I could have all the time back that I have wasted wouldn't I be rich? I have been systematically working toward narrowing down my markting and painting focus over the last four or five years. It has been difficult and I have continued to make wrong turns. I never claim to be the smartest person around that's for sure. But I am smart enough to know that expecting a bad idea to work the second time is something I'm trying to avoid.

I am in a risk taking mood again. I am gradually phasing out my browse bin system at the loft studio and going with 8x10 or larger paintings there. I will still have a few small things like my minis on easels and bookmarks, but all of the paintings will eventually be framed and at least 300.00. We have to decide what we want to do with ourselves as artists. I don't want to focus my marketing on 50.00 paintings. I have been lucky with Ebay and am selling regularly there. The price points are inching higher there now, so it has become my low end market. There is a lot of good to that, in that I have freedom to do many studies that are not bad at all and sell them.

I think the studio will have a better more upscale look to it as well, with good paintings not having to compete with browse bin work. Yes, I will lose some of my local market, no doubt, because the town I live in is a consistent low end market. I do though, have an upscale market here as well as a surprising number of visitors from around the world.

In this economy I have two buyers, low and high. I have given up doing mid priced paintings and am focused on low and high price points. I have taken steps to try and help my mid price point patrons who used to buy in the old economy to come back and buy again. I had a nice oversized post card made advertizing my interest free layaway plan and I posted them today.

I am narrowing down my focus on my painting subject and have been for some time. I know what I love to paint and I want to spend my time working on my trees and fields, the piney woods, cattle and natural Florida. That's what I paint best and so I will do everything possible to give myself more time to focus on those themes. I believe the market finds us if we do good work. We have to discover who loves our work and then put it out in front of them. Sounds pretty simple but it's not as we all know.

Painting is Hard

2011-10-15T21:00:00.000-04:00

Open Studio

Notes From the Loft Studio

Every Saturday afternoon from 2-8 students come to Open Studio. I never know how many will come but I always love every minute of the afternoon. Today Thelma, Linda and I decided to study waves. It was a lot of fun and our paintings were all very interesting. We got into a discussion about how hard painting is. One of my friends felt that painting was frustrating and stressful because she never feels like she knows what to do. I said "welcome to the club". The fact is that most painters, especially me, never quite know what we are doing. Some fake it and pretend to be experts but most, like me are life long students of the art and craft of painting. It never really gets easier either, because the more you know, the more you realize that you don't know. Each step up the skill ladder reveals the new and more difficult challenges.

In thinking about this, I realize that I don't really want to know everything about painting and to be a superstar. I fear I would soon grow bored with painting if it were too easy. I am a risk taker. You can't paint for a living and not be a risk taker. Why would any person who wants security do this for a living? I am selling a product that few value in our society and fewer can afford. I survive because I work harder than most people I know and I am too stubborn not to survive.

I paint for the joy of it and the challenge. I always have. I don't worry too much about not painting well. Each painting gives me a new skill.

Thinking about Sincerity

2011-10-14T23:42:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Field II

Fair Oaks

Finished

Notes From the Loft Studio

In my recent conversation with my painting pal, we talked about some of the art we see that makes us scratch our head and wonder if the artist is pulling the "Emperor's New Clothes" wool over their clients eyes.We decided that whether art is legitimate or not depends on the sincerity of the artist who paints it. It seems like such a simple concept but it makes real sense to me. There are all kinds of fakes in the arts, and all kinds of copy cats that jump on the latest popular style hoping to cash in on it. I don't consider that to be sincere.

Most of the really good painters I know are individuals with their own personal mission and vision. That's why I never have been ashamed of any of my work, though it took me years of lesser painting skills to learn to paint. It will take still more years to achieve the best level of work I can do. My older paintings were done with the same passion and sincerity that I pour into my current work. They were the best work that I could do and I feel no shame for them. They are part of my process. My long time collectors own multiples of my work over a period of time and they enjoy seeing the process and change that my paintings evolve through.

I believe that any artist who is truly sincere has something of value to contribute, whether we enjoy their work or not.

Thinking through my palette

2011-10-13T22:05:00.001-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Work in Progress

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today I put the monster aside to give myself some space and time to work on another painting with the palette I like so much.I need to work a bit more on the field in this one. I really love this palette. It is so versatile and so simple. It gives me a very good range but it is still subdued and easy to control. I think it can work for both summer and winter, though I tend to like painting winter the most. It is ideal for the warm winter colors in Florida. Here it is again:

Ultramarine Blue

Mars Black

Titanium White

Cadmium Red Light

Cadmium Yellow Lemon

Yellow Ochre

This painting is challenging because the values in the tree masses were very close and all tending to be mid dark-dark in value. I brightened up the tops of the trees and the small trees in front of the large tree masses. Then there is the prominant tree which was quite dark. If I had done this painting from my reference I would have had an really dark painting with a very light field. Instead, I added a couple of hours to the time frame of the painting in order to bring up the late warm light in the clouds and tree tops. I have been using a lot of gray in the sky instead of blue for this palette and it seems to have a richness and cohesion with the warm clouds and tree tops, sort of a nice subtle contrast between warm and cool, without the strong predictable blue. It's been a long time since I found a palette I like this much. I am going to try to work with this for awhile. I have a few issues with light control and some of my paintings are over the top with the application of light. That's ok. People actually like most of them, but I feel I am in a growing stage about how to handle light. This palette may help me to get there.

An interesting conversation with an artist pal

2011-10-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I have put the monster aside while I wait for feedback from the client to see if changes will be necessary. Tomorrow I will see about starting a new painting in 18x24 inches. I am liking the palette in the above painting so much, I want to get another painting with it before I leave for Canaveral. This is the palette I will be using at Canaveral.

One of my artist pals visited with me today in the loft and we had a conversation about a couple of interesting topics. One was her observation that artists don't seem to spend as much time in small groups talking shop and about painting as they used to. I believe she may be right. I remember my art school days when nearly all of my free time was spent in cafe's or studios talking shop. It was a regular hang out routine for young artists. I get a fair number of artists who visit me in the loft, seeking advice on painting and marketing. I have been thinking lately that it is time for me to do some mentoring again. I've not done that for a couple of years, so for 2012 I am considering offering myself as a mentor for a couple of emerging painters. I could have them come to the loft twice a month and talk about their marketing and painting plans,etc. I like doing small things to help other artists.

The other topic was about the fact that we have found our real mission as painters over the last few years. Having a sense of purpose and place has become very important to me as a painter. My quest to record rural lands and trees has shaped me as a painter. This is no small thing. Not all painters really find themselves in their career. Many spend years going from one subject to the next, a jack of all trades and master of none. Building a real body of work over a period of years is serious business and not as easy as it would seem. If there is one thing I have learned in my love affair with rural Florida, none of this came overnight. It was a slow process of understanding what I had right in front of me. For years I traveled all over the south, searching for the next great place to paint, and I still enjoy traveling and painting, but my deepest relationship and understanding of subject is within 50 miles from home.

The Monster II WIP

2011-10-11T20:05:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today was day two on the 40x40 Monster II painting. This is a derivative painting from a smaller version. I've had a lot of fun with this one and it is going pretty fast. By Thursday, I'll be ready to send an image to the art consultant to show to the client. I want to show it to them before I get it nearly done, so it will be easier to make changes if needed.

I am really enjoying the challenges of these big landscape paintings more than ever. There is a level of excitement in doing them and in doing a good job. This kind of work is better than commissioned paintings directly for clients. Those are so stressful, I don't enjoy doing them. These paintings for art consultants are relatively stress free and I don't deal directly with clients. The only stress at all is the short timeline. To work successfully with consultants means being able to plan and execute a large painting in a few days at times or at most a few weeks. Slow painters would have difficulty with these projects. The artist also has to understand that clients and designers don't necessary fall in love with your work. Sometimes they just want a Florida painting having no care about your process or your favorite painting spot. They may be more interested in how it fits the space or the color palette. This is not an ego trip for artists, it is business. It makes me happy to know that most of these paintings are seen in large public buildings and seen by hundreds of people.

Progress

2011-10-10T22:30:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I started the next monster today. My canvas arrived at 9:30 AM and by 4 PM I had a very good start. This one is going much more smoothly than the last one. This one is in the same format as the original painting the client saw, just bigger, so, much easier to compose. It will be a slightly different composition, as I rarely ever repeat anything but it will be close, with the same palette as the first one. The client has asked to see some images of the painting before it is shipped in case there are a few changed they would like. That is fair, so I'm going to work hard to get this one very far along in about three days. I want time to make any changes I need to so I can get it shipped by mid next week before I leave. I don't want this hanging over my head while I am at the paint out. I always make a supreme effort to clear my schedule as much as possible before paint outs, so that I don't have to think of anything high pressure during the high pressure there.

As soon as I get back I have a painting workshop the following Saturday and the day after, a conservation event with the Six Artists Group. Then I have the Studio Party on the 18-19th of November. After that I can breathe a sigh of relief through December. I'll be going out to Fair Oaks to paint as much as possible during December.

Starting the next monster and getting ready for the Canaveral Seashore Paint Out

2011-10-09T22:39:00.000-04:00

Tree Paintings

Notes From the Painting Studio

Today was a rare day at home for the painting studio. Instead of painting, I spent some time wiring frames and putting the hardware on them. I always do this for paint outs. it saves time when I am there under pressure to turn in paintings to the wet room. I would rather do that chore here before the paint out instead of wasting valuable painting time at the event.

I have narrowed down what I want to do for the event. I am using 9x12/8x10/5x7 for paintings and frames. I am taking one 20x24 of the Seashore Turtle Mound to hang the first day. We are allowed to bring one painting and I always inclurage promotors to allow this. It gives people a chance to see finished work immediately, which keeps their interest up until paintings can be completed. It also gives the artists a chance to show off some serious, good work, not just quick alla prima studies. I am also taking a prepainted framed 9x12 to give to my host as a thank you for giving me the condo for a week. I chose a seascape, which will go nicely in a beachfront residence. Now I don't have to worry about painting something while I'm there. I can focus entirely on painting for the event.

I have also decided on the palette I will use for the paint out. I am really liking the palette I used this week for a couple of paintings.

Mars Black

Titanium White

Cad Red Light

Cad Lemon Yellow

Yellow Ochre

Ultramarine Blue

Thalo Red Shade for mixing a curulean for sky or water. This will be used very sparingly. I will rely on the Ultramarine for most of the paintings.

A variety of brushes and extra paints, even though I won't need them. My tool box, both of my pochade boxes with backpacks. 9x12/6x8. All of this with my usual supplies should do the job along with my clothes and toiletries. I'm almost ready. I will travel light and fast this year without a stand up easel, or umbrella. I'll find shade instead.

Tomorrow morning I'll be back at the loft waiting for my next monster canvas to be delivered. I plan to get this one done and shipped before I leave for Canaveral. I'll have to work hard this week.

The Next Monster

2011-10-08T21:27:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I have another monster painting to do starting Monday. This one is for a diffferent art consulting firm and will eventually be installed at a business in Florida. I never get to find out who buys the paintings, so that is the only drawback to working with consultants. I won't complain. I enjoy the challenge of the deadlines. Again, I have a deadline for this painting and it must be in their office on November 1. I will need to "get er done" this week so that I can ship before I leave for the Canaveral Paint Out on October 23rd. I had to buy a much bigger canvas than I needed because they will need extra canvas to restretch and the art supply place didn't have the 40x40 inch that I need. I will use a 48x60 and draw the 40x40 format onto the canvas. After it is painted, I'll trim around it, roll it up and off it goes to be restretched at the art consulting firm. I must confess that I enjoy these assignments.

An Interesting Patron Visit, or not!!

2011-10-06T21:21:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I had an interesting visit today from three ladies who had stopped by my booth at the recent festival. They hemmed and hawed around at the festival looking at my paintings and said they would visit my studio. Today they arrived. One of them stayed downstairs. Naturally, I was willing to carry a few paintings downstairs to show. I ended up carrying all of the large paintings downstairs and back up. Taking them off the walls, carrying them up and down and then rehanging every single one of them. They would never tell me exactly what they wanted and found some reason that none of the paintings would actually work for them. Then they decided they would come back another time when they have more time. Sigh..

This is the kind of thing that makes being an artist difficult. It's not that I minded carrying paintings down, it's that I know in the back of my mind that these ladies are not going to choose anything in the studio. If they do decide on a commission at some future date, they will probably be very difficult to deal with. You can just tell with some people that they are never able to make decisions.

The last time this happened, the client took two good paintings home and kept them for 8 days before bringing them back and saying she could not decide on what to buy and would have to have her decorator come in the next time she is in town.

Then there was the time that a university department manager made an appointment to purchase a painting, came and stayed a couple of hours and then emailed a day later to say that the department head didn't want to spend that much money. Would it not have made sense for them to have a budget worked out before contacting the artist? Am I dumb or what?

That's one reason I like working with art consultants. They know the budget before they call and it is cut and dried. I never work directly with the client. It is all business.

I do love most of my clients. They are wonderful, charming people who know when they see the painting they like. Most of them have a good idea of what they want, and the size they are looking for. Working with them is pure pleasure. Most of them are real friends who support and treasure our friendship as I do.

We don't get to choose...

This and That

2011-10-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I'm back in my loft rotation for the week. I had a successful day of painting and working with a student this morning. She is a real pleasure to work with and I look forward to our lesson each week.

Yippee, I sold my first 4 bookmarks today from my recycled art. I will be delighted to put 10.00 into my truck envelope. Now just a bunch more and I'll be able to buy my truck.

I got some more potential good news today from another art consultant firm. They are interested in a 40x40 painting, so I will hear back on that later this week . I hope it will happen. It is a derivative painting of one I did a couple of years ago, only larger. This will be easier to do than the monster was. This one is a square format like the original, so I won't have to completely reconstruct the composition.

This is very good timing as I have been a bit down for a few days and a project always makes me happy.

Happily, my painting session went well today, so I have narrowed down the problem to plein air work. Don't know why but I hope I can work it out to paint decently for the Canaveral event. I am going to try hard to get out on location a couple of times before I leave in two weeks. I think I just need more field time, having spent five months in the studio over the hot months.

Recycled Art

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

Notes From the Painting Studio

I decided it is time to recycle some of my old paintings. I have about 5 old paintings that I have cut into bookmarks and into tiny abstract paintings. I cut those into 2x2 inch paintings and glued them to 3x3 inch matboards. They are quite cute and original.

I'm going to sell them at 3.00 each or 2 for 5.00. The stretchers for the paintings, I have donated to an art center, so nothing is wasted. I like the idea of making something new and useful out of older work that for whatever reason, doessn't sell over a 3 or 4 year period.

I have decided that I need a small pick up truck rather than a car. I share a car with my sis, so it is always a struggle for both of us to manage our schedules. I want to take trips around to good painting places without leaving her stranded. I want to be able to go out to wild places and stand in my truck bed to get a view and be safe from the snakes and gators. I'm going to start a little truck nest egg with my bookmark and painting sales of the recycled paintings. It's not much but it's a start.

Musing on Collectors

2011-10-03T10:03:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Office

This morning I read Making a Mark with keen interest. Being quite interested in the marketing side of being a painter, I find Katherine's blog to be very helpful. Go and read her poll results today.

Lately, I have been paying close attention to what people do, who admire and buy my paintings. I would say that a very high percentage of them have a very close connection to nature, not watching it on TV, but really being connected. They are rural land owners, farmers/ranchers, national and state park biologists, hunters, boaters, hikers and so forth. They may be doctors, lawyers and business people in their day jobs, but they have a direct connection to nature.

Now I have to figure out what to do with this information. According to Katherine's poll, subject matter is number one, then issues like color palette and composing. I completely agree with this.

Given our economy, this is not the piece of cake that it used to be. I may know who my market is, but convincing them to buy my paintings is something else again. I have to find a way to get them into my studio in the first place, and then give them incentives to buy my work. I am not the typical sales person. I don't use all of the tricks they use. It's really not in my nature to do that, much to my own detriment. I honestly like my patrons and want them to cherish their painting. Using tricks to sell is not an option to me. What I must do is to find a way to nurture the people who like my work, to make them a part of my career as a partner. I must take some time and use my pea brain to figure this out.

A nice weekend

2011-10-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

Notes From New Smyrna

I had a swell weekend in cool breezy New Smyrna Beach. I was there for the local monthly art walk at Clay Gallery. They had a nice jazz band and beer and wine, the usual fare. Four of the paint out artists set up our paint boxes and painted for the art walk attendees. It was a pleasant evening.

My friend Elisabeth and I stayed at our friends little beach cottage that they use for visitors. They actually live a few blocks away in a beautiful home. The cottage is so sweet!! It is two bedroom, 1 bath and about 700 square feet. It was a kit housed from Montgomery Ward in 1913. They have lovingly restored the wood floors and the bead board walls and ceiling. It is so cute and I love staying there. It is about 3 blocks from the beach and two blocks from my favorite restaurant The Beacon. I always eat breakfast at the Beacon when I'm there in town.

After the Gallery Walk a few of us went over to the other great place Mahoneys or Maloneys, I can never remember which. They have great stews and soups with good bread. We sat out on benches along the sidewalk.

I love beach towns. People walk everywhere, day and night. It is relaxed. People stay out late at cafes and the lifestyle is far more relaxed than our city life. Most people wear flip flops, even out to eat. I love going to NSB. I am looking forward to going back in two weeks and staying in a beach condo. I'll be able to do paintings right at the place where I am staying.

An interesting conversation with a young collector

2011-09-30T22:44:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today I had a visit from a young friend. He works at the estate where I love to paint and he is a graduate student, just beginning to collect art. He has a good eye and asked a lot of very intelligent questions. We discussed the difference in the approach of different painters and how we view painting. I explained to him that some painters strive to be as realistic as possible and to use visual accuracy in their painting approach. Other painters like me are after intense light, atmosphere or a more abstract approach to their work. I explained that the scene in front of me is just a jumping off point for my work. I constantly move things around, changing this and that in the scene. I've never really desired to copy nature or to paint realistically. Many painters who do more realistic work are former illustrators who have been required to paint with visual accuracy in their art profession. A lot of the way we approach painting has to do with our art background, the art school we attended and so forth. Also our personalities. I've always been out there on another planet, so I suppose my work is in sync with that. I am ADD so the painstaking rendering and tight detail would be out of the question for me. I simply can't focus that long on anything :>/

Some Marketing

2011-09-29T21:07:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Now that I have my loft studio nicely organized, I need to start thinking about how to serve my patrons in the best way. This town is a fairly low end market. Lots of artists charge much less than I do for their paintings and many of them sell large reproductions on canvas and paper. On top of that, there are many painters here competing for business. If I were an emerging artist or had a second income stream I could charge the low prices that so many others do, but I really do make a living from painting, so selling them for nothing is really out of the question. I have worked hard to build a career and my larger paintings are worth what I charge. I am really in the middle as far as price points go, so I feel secure about what I charge. I don't mind selling the studies for very little.

Given this, what can I do to attract patrons? How do I get the right folk up to the loft? Those who appreciate original fine art, and original art, not copies. What have I learned about who my market is? Surprisingly, I learned quite a bit about that at the recent festival which was a failure for me. The people who did stop to look carefully at my work, consistently commented on my work having excellent light and atmosphere. I probed to find out whether they enjoyed nature. Almost all of them either grew up on rural lands, hunting and fishing or are farmers, ranchers or nature fans. These are people who know nature and have first hand experience out exploring.

I knew this to be true of my current patrons as most of them are either arborists, biologists, rural land owners, farmers or ranchers in this part of Florida.

I think making it easier and less painful to purchase my work would be an advantage. I've been having some success with my layaway plan this year, but I need to get the word out more effectively. Last night I ordered some new post cards advertising my Layaway Plan. I will mail them to my postal mailing list and put some in the loft on the post card table.

I'm going to step up my studio party schedule for 2012, trying to have a party about every three months. They will have my foodie themes and I am going to combine some food activities with the parties. I am going to have a food garnishing party in January to teach people how to cut fancy plate garnishes and how to create food bouquets, so it will be an appetizer party. I'll get my daughter the caterer to help me with this one. In May, I'll have a taco/ puzzle making party and in late August a hot dog/miniature painting party.

I have learned a lot in the year I've been there. The most important thing being that I need to let go of a lot of other activities and focus on my studio more.

A Day of Fun

2011-09-28T22:07:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today was a big relief day for me. I've been under and lot of stress with doing activities I haven't really wanted to do lately and a lot of time lines to meet. We don't realize how much pressure we live with until it is over. I had a swell day today. I got the big browse bin moved out and my new wonderful easel set up as a display easel when I don't need it to paint on. At last I have my studio arranged with the ability to set up student spaces for a comfortable 8-10 students. When they are not working, everything can be put away and I have a nice open space now. It's almost time for my one year anniversary in the loft but I have no time for a party in October. I think I will plan a nice party in January when it is slow.

I got news that the Wekiva Paint Out will go on this year under new direction on March 4-11, 2012. They are planning to do a lot of publicity this year so I will go. It has always been my favorite paint out because it is such a fabulous location. It gives me the opportunity to paint a lot of pine tree, live oak and cypress hammocks and I just love it there.

I did an 18x24 painting today of afternoon light on a live oak tree. it is quite dramatic. I wish I could get a good photo of it. I have so much trouble with that.

Lastly, I heard from the art consultant who received my monster painting safe and sound. I'm so relieved about that.

The Canvas Adventure

2011-09-27T08:44:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Yesterday was the big day to take the monster off the stretcher bars and get it shipped. I was very nervous about it, fearing I would rip a very expensive painting and having to start over. My friend Valerie Druga who is the manager of Paddiwhack Gallery helped me with the job. This was one of those newer style canvases with the tucked in spline. I prefer working with the back stapled canvases, easier to take off, but nowadays most of them are tuck in. We used a screwdriver to pry out the stapes which go along the spline. Peal out the spline gradually. Gently pull the canvas out along the stretcher. On each corner there is a staple to pull out, and then a staple under the flap of the canvas fold. That's it. You are done!

I did some research on how to remove and safely roll canvases and so I'll share it with you. Lay the canvas face down. Lay acid free paper on top of the back side of the canvas to cover it. get down on your knees and lightly roll the canvas and paper, so that it is not too tight. Gently slide it into the tube. Be sure the tube is taped with tons of tape over the lid and so forth. It is a terrific way to ship canvases and very inexpensive. With good fortune, the monster will arrive on Wednesday to the art consultant and be restretched and framed by them. Yay!!!

Art Festival Notes II

2011-09-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

Wrap up of the Art Festival

Was the festival worth the considerable effort, time away from the studio, physical exhaustion, and lack of painting time? Absolutely not. I had a lot of time to think about it during the three long days. Many artists say that the PR has value, being able to meet people and give out cards makes it worth the time. I have to disagree. I think festivals appeal to masses of people who need an excuse to get out, hear music, entertain their kids and be seen in social situations. They do not appeal to high end buyers and serious art patrons for the most part. They used to work fairly well when I was a festival artist to appeal to middle class people. Now that there is really no middle class anymore, they are even less successful. I have only two markets. Those who used to buy medium priced work, who now buy low end work and high end buyers. The people who used to afford entry level low end art no longer buy it. Those who used to buy medium priced art now buy browse bin work. I had a number of people ask if price was negotiable, which I was not willing to do. This was for my low end browse bin work which is rock bottom already.

In terms of the PR value, I did not find that there was much transition between the festival connection and later contact at the studio. I am basing this on the results from last years Downtown Festival. There were no real results from that connection. I don't know that there will be from this one.

Most of the people who stopped to talk to me were people who want to study painting with me, not potential buyers.

In no way can I blame the festival people for this poor showing. They did an outstanding job in every way. My space was outstanding. I can't blame them for anything. They were excellent and kind to all.
I can't even blame it on the fact that I have higher end paintings. I had 3.00 note cards and 10.00-75.00 paintings in browse bins. It is simply that the people who come to my studio regularly don't go to these events. I saw none of my regular buyers there.

I am glad I did it so that I can now be sure that the festival venue is not for me. I have that out of my head and can move forward with other marketing ideas better suited for me. A big thank you to the GFAA for an excellent job on their festival.

Art Festival Notes

2011-09-25T07:37:00.001-04:00

Notes From the Art Festival

I was given a premier spot, in front of the local fitness club for women. I am grateful for that, and the shade. It has been miserably humid and hot since Friday, so little pleasure in that for festival goers and the artists. The crowd has never been more than moderate, unlike some of the bigger art shows I have done back in my festival days when there were mobs of people. This can be good, in that people have more ability to look at your work.

Sales in my estimation have been very slow. I don't see people carrying a lot of paintings or packages. I made about 25.00 more than my booth fee yesterday. There were no sales for me Friday night, but I so enjoyed the jazz music and meeting legendary Frank Sullivan. He was fabulous. In fact, the Friday evening jazz has so far been the real positive at this event. ( I am thinking next year I will skip the festival and come enjoy the jazz instead.)

I took a quick look around at the art yesterday. There were no wows for me in the painters. There was one acrylic painter who paints Florida swamps and birds/animals. From a technical perspective he was quite good, but his work has no life. It is refined completely in every aspect, from the distant trees to the foreground, detailed to boredom in my view. All of the paintings look the same as if they were turned out en mass. Exact same palette for all. Great ability as an illustrator and technician. I'm sure he does very well painting for offices and so forth. Most of what he was selling were reproductions. Mostly I look at acrylic painters these days to get a feel for where I am.

Festivals now support artists who sell reproductions. That is just the way it is. I knew that when I came. Most of the artists who do the circuit are heavily into reproductions. In a strange way, even though I don't do well at festivals, I am so grateful that I made the choice to avoid the reproduction route. I have never regretted my decision and my clients are grateful too.

I must be off to day II. I'll finish this up when it's over.

I'm out of time

2011-09-22T23:00:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I got it done. I need to varnish this and and let it dry over the weekend. I'll pull it off the stretcher bars on Monday morning and get it shipped. I'll be so glad to be done. The photo is not good but the painting is nice.

In the mean time, my studio is completely trashed in preparation for this 3 day art festival, starting tomorrow night. In all honesty, I am not looking forward to it but I made the commitment and so I will smile and just get through it.

I'm looking forward to a nice weekend for October 1st in New Smyrna with my pal Elisabeth. We're staying at a friend's beach cottage, so I imagine we can get into all kinds of trouble together as we usually do. Then I have two weeks of classes on Saturdays and Sundays followed by a week in New Smyrna for Canaveral Paint Out. November is slightly less intense with only two one day events to worry about and a one day workshop, which i think I need to reschedule to February. I'll report in on the festival in a day or two.

Getting ready for the festival

2011-09-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Today was really busy. I painted until around 3 PM on the Monster and then put it aside for the day to focus on the festival for the weekend.

I decided to show six paintings all of the same size on the easels, 18x24 inches. I had originally planned to include some of my large paintings, but on second thought, with the economy, it would be foolish to risk damaging the frames on those paintings for an outdoor festival. If they can't afford an 18x24, they sure can't afford a 24x36 or more. I know that large paintings attract people and that art show judges like to look at large work, but I am there to get people interested in seeing my work in the studio and to do PR. Sales would be wonderful but my experience at festivals has not produced any but low end sales. Given that, I am going to take a browse bin with older paintings to let go at a great price, and my miniatures. So, I will have 1500.00 paintings, 300.00 paintings, 195.00 paintings, 75.00 paintings and 35.00 paintings. I think this is a reasonable range of prices; and I will have a few notecards.

I have spent more time thinking this festival through than I did last year for the one downtown. I drug a ton of paintings to the last years festival, which helped me not at all. I spent a good amount of money on display stuff last year which helped me not at all. This year, using a folding table and 3 easels will be so much easier and less stressful. Even if the results are the same or worse, I will not have spent more than my entry fee this time, so I won't feel like I have spent money unwisely.

An Efficient Day

2011-09-20T21:33:00.001-04:00

Notes From the Loft and Painting Studio

I had a good day in both studios. I have progressed through the tree canopy on the Monster Painting and am now working on the marsh grasses and water.Tomorrow I plan to finish the grasses and Thursday the water. Friday I will go back to re-address any problem areas and to integrate all parts and pieces of the scene.

I came home around 3 PM to start prepping frames and covering them with bubblewrap for the Canaveral Seashore Paint Out. I have received all of the painting panels I'm using and have them all in a box. I have:
2-12x16
2- 9x12
12 - 8x10
15 - 5x7

I am trying to match frame sizes to the panels so that I'll have the right number for both.

I ordered new paints 2 days ago so those will come in time. All I need to buy now is a few new brushes. I have plenty, but I always like to take brand new brushes to paint outs. It's like carrying a rabbit's foot.

I don't do all of the panels but I like having all I want.

Back to the Monster all day tomorrow.

The Week Ahead

2011-09-19T08:47:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I'm munching on breakfast getting ready to head to the loft studio to work on the monster painting for a few hours. It seems to be growing larger every day ;>) Not being a regular large format painter, it is challenging. My comfort zone is 5x7-30x40 so it is good for me to do this now and then.

I am also getting ready for this art festival next door, and I hope to be pleasantly surprised by the end result. I have read posts on facebook from other artists who are attending and they seem to be madly painting as many paintings as possible for it. I on the other hand have planned a minimal presentation of 6 good paintings and a few browse bin things, so either I am crazy or they are very optimistic. We will find out. Because I am not a regular festival artist, I have a different client base. Most of the people who buy my work don't really go to outdoor festivals, so it will be interesting. last year when I tried the Downtown version of this, I sold nothing but browse bin paintings. It was discouraging to say the least.

Since I now sell most of my studies on Ebay, I am phasing out the browse bin work at my Loft. Increasingly, "Go Big or Go Home" is becoming my motto at the loft. I think 200.00 and up is a resonable price point there with the exception of the miniatures at 35.00. I have a wonderful, interest free layaway plan for clients so I think it's time to leave browse bin to Ebay for awhile. This seems to be a logical idea, so I'll give it a whirl for awhile. Sometimes it's good to be different. Either I am a wholesale artist like some I know, or I'm going to sell my paintings for what they are worth. No sense in trying to do what everybody else is doing.

I made another decision too. I decided to resign from my teaching job at Michaels on January 1st. I want to give them plenty of time to find another teacher. I have had a lot of fun there and I love Chartpak/Grumbacher. They are very supportive and have great products. It is simply a matter of good time management. It is smarter for me to teach in my own studio, since I am there anyway. I will be teaching an acrylics class on Saturday morning from 9:30 to noon starting the first week of January. That way both of my classes are on the same day. It will be a long , fun day. There aren't a lot of painters in this area who can teach acrylics well, so I should be ok. Most teachers here paint with oils or watercolors.

I'm off to battle with the Monster....

A quick Post

2011-09-17T23:18:00.002-04:00

My Wonderful Saturday Open Studio Class. I love them to pieces!!

I've been working on the monster painting early in the morning before the gallery is open. I'll be working there on Monday and Tuesday, my usual days in the painting studio or out on location. I have to get this painting done in less than two weeks.

I enjoyed my Saturday Open Studio Class today with six of my students. They are all fine painters. Tomorrow I'm off to Michaels to teach my Pine Tree class. I'm going to take advantage of the great coupons to pick up some paint and frames.

A Good Samaritan

2011-09-16T22:56:00.001-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

A Good Samaritan named Hudson arrived this morning in a parking lot. I bought the giant canvas for my commission. I realized that there was no way it would fit in my little hatchback car after I got it out to the parking lot. What in the world was I going to do? To make a long story short, a kind young man happened along with a van and offered to take my canvas to the studio for me. He followed me to the studio and helped me carry it upstairs to the loft. He refused to take any money for his kindness, so I insisted that he take home one of my miniature paintings with the easel for his fiance. He was very pleased and I enjoyed our time together. What a nice young man. It is so good to know we have every day good Samaratins living among us. I hope to pass on a favor to someone else who needs my help someday.

This afternoon I got started on the big painting. It is huge and I will need to work hard to complete it on time. I see quite a few early days this coming week in the loft before others arrive.

A large commission

2011-09-16T09:54:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I have a big commission for my Atlanta art consultant. There is a short time line for this one, so I may need to be absent from the blog for a few days. I'll do my best to check in. I'll be doing the painting in the loft as it is a derivative painting from one I have there. They wanted to change to a verticle format, no easy task. Hopefully it will be a quick turn around and I can ship it off with no worries. I'm waiting to hear back from Atlanta on the exact size for the painting and then I'll run out, buy a canvas and get started today. If all goes well, I'll be set for a month or two. Always a good thing...

Working on a new painting

2011-09-15T09:02:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

I started a new painting yesterday. I used a reference photo which I had used in 2009 for a painting of a similar size. I want to see if I have improved my skill set, so this is an interesting way to "redo" if you will. I am using my winter palette for this one. The other painting was done in summer with a more intense cool palette.

My Palette:

Yellow Ochre (Old Holland)

Cadmium Yellow Light (Grumbacher)

Cadmium Red Light (Winsor and Newton)

Titanium White (Golden)

Mars Black (Golden)

Ultramarine Blue (Old Holland)

I've never been a huge Golden Paint fan but the white and black are perfectly fine and that's what they sell locally and I've not had time to put in an order to Dick Blick.

These are the acrylic paint brands I like the best:

My Favorite:

Old Holland

Stephen Quiller

Next Best:

Winsor and Newton

Best Student Quality:

Grumbacher- I even use these. They are smooth and creamy.

Best Mediums:

Golden

Don't send me a bunch of mean comments about this please. It is only my opinion after all. ;>)

Planning my Spring for 2012

2011-09-14T22:39:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

SOLD

Notes From the Loft Studio

I'm starting to plan my activities for the spring of 2012. I launch a new project which begins January 1, 2012. It will overlap the Six Artists project for a few months but six artists will be over June first, so there will only be a short overlap. The new project will be easy to manage. There will only be two of us this time and we both have quite a bit of experience in project management now. My goals is to eventually replace paint outs with this new project, hopefully for 2013. Unlike the six artists project, this one will be unlimited in time with a very flexible time line. I'll have more to say on this project on January 1.

I have two trips lined up for spring, first to Fair Oaks for a week in February and then a week in New Smyrna in March. I am looking forward to both of these trips, as they will be all about painting and discovery of nature. No schedule except to arrive and depart. I'll be going with a painting buddy, so we will certainly enjoy the best kind of plein air painting. I plan to spend a great deal of time painting at Spruce Creek while in Smyrna. It's a favorite location for me on the east coast and I could paint there every day.

I am assuming that I'll have the Epcot Paint out in late March and possibly the Winter park Paint Out in late April. Those are my only two planned paint outs for spring.

I am not going to allow myself to get mixed up in any spring festivals, gallery shows, etc. I will tell myself this every day!! Instead, i would like to think up some ideas for getting people into the loft studio. Perhaps a series of parties, food events, etc. I have to spend some time on this. I also need to ramp up my postal mail outs before February. I should have a Valentines Day Studio Party.

I have a lot to think about....

It's been a nice three days

2011-09-13T13:03:00.001-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Pochade Box

I've had three nice days at the painting studio/outside on location. Yesterday I mopped the floors of the studio and did some hardware wiring on frames for the upcoming paint out. Then I've headed out around 4 PM to set up and paint trees. I've enjoyed it so much. It's one of those things that takes a transition. The first day was misery in some ways. I felt a panic that I couldn't do the painting. It is so different from studio work and I've been away too long from it. Day two was much easier, emotionally at least. I didn't experience any panic. I'll be heading out today for the last time this week as tomorrow starts my rotation in the loft.

I've been thinking a lot about the posts I made earlier regarding the anguish of time management. It seems to me that I need to pare my activities down to

1. loft studio

2. painting in the field/painting studio

3. my classes

4. preplanned travel 4 to five times a year.

If I do this and focus more on my marketing these parts of my career, I will be more comfortable and feel that I am accomplishing something. I have spread my self too thin.

My first day in the yard

2011-09-12T11:26:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From the Pochade Box

Yesterday was my first day out in the field for fall. Oh my gosh, it was so hard!! When you take 4 and 1/2 months off from plein air work, you pay!! It was difficult and exhausting. I had all kinds of trouble with values and edge work. All kinds of trouble with light. It's an ok painting, so I'm pleased that it wasn't a total wash out. Physically it is so much harder than my studio routine. It was hot, the bugs buzzing around my head and so forth. What seems effortless in April after an eight month season seems so very hard now.

On the positive side, it was wonderful to smell the earth, see the light bounce around and change, hear the birds and movement in the trees, and hear the rustling of small animals in the woods. I will go back out this afternoon to paint. I find that startinbg at 4 PM is just about perfect for light and color. I am probably going to use Sunday- Tuesday as my field work painting days, and paint studio work in the loft.

Wrestling With What I Really Want

2011-09-11T09:13:00.000-04:00

Landscape Paintings

Notes From The Office

One of the things I constantly struggle with is getting to do what I want. How do I get more time to be in the painting studio? More time to paint the farms and ranches that I love? The trees I love? I think all professional artists share the same dilemma. How to manage our time effectively. As I have written often on this blog, I allow myself to make poor decisions. I am an idea person. I have hundreds of ideas filtering through my pea brain constantly. Somehow I have gotten the notion that I must act on many of them myself rather than writing them down in a notebook for others to do. My motto should be "just because you can do something doesn't mean you should". I need to have that tattooed on my forehead.

I think part of this problem evolved from our disastrous economy over the last four years. Prior to that time I didn't have to work very hard to sell paintings. Marketing was of a lower priority in my world. I spent most of my time happily painting. When the doom and gloom began to creep in, I went into high marketing mode so that I could survive and that was necessary. I have survived while many of my artist friends had to give up and take other jobs. Even during the summer when I thought I would have to give up acrylics for lack of supplies, I never doubted I would make it and I have.

The cost for survival has revolved around my time commitments to projects, more teaching, and doing exhibits that I no longer should do. Many artists have lowered their price points in order to sell. I have done this with my studies to make them affordable, but to make a living I cannot lower my good work. This has made it more difficult to sell in small town galleries where many hobbyist painters show. These kinds of shows while nice for the community, are a waste of my time and effort to do. They are the kind of activity that I need to give up.

As I begin to consider all of the activities coming up for fall, I have regret at some of the choices I made. I am committed to them and will do my best to make them successful, but i must begin to be smarter about all of this. They will take precious time away from the places I love to paint; they will take me away from Loft time during the best part of the season when patrons will be looking at work. I have a business to run and I should be there.

I have much to consider for 2012 if I am not going to repeat the same missteps over and over again.

The Canaveral Paint Out Strategy

2011-09-10T08:57:00.000-04:00

Paintings

Notes From the Loft Studio

Last night the UPS man delivered my painting panels for the Canaveral Seashore Paint Out. I'm using Raymar and Source Tek this year. They are both very high quality. I ordered frames too which will be delivered this week. Simple, espresso colored will be consistent and do well. I still have to buy paints and new brushes.

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do. I am going to do several 8x10's this year and about 5 5x7's. Last year I did nothing but 5x7's which sold well. I want to see if there is a higher price point market for me this year. I am taking one 20x24 painting with me which we are allowed to do. I might do a couple of 9x12's, time permitting. I want to have a lot of paintings in the 200-400 dollar range, given the economy.

I have decided to paint the seashore this year so I've been practicing ocean paintings. I will focus on water and sky for this trip. I will be going my own way as usual, avoiding the other painters to work. There are a few events I must do and that is fine but for the rest, I'll do my thing. I plan to paint at Spruce Creek again, a favorite for me, though it is not on the list.