The only constant is change

This is my rotating art wall outside my studio at home. This is where paintings rest while waiting to go to their galleries or waiting to be shipped to collectors. When a spot opens up I fill it with another new piece. The arrangements don't always look great but the wall is constantly changing and the paintings rotating. 

The wall is pretty full right now. These are a few of the pieces I had hanging downtown at Gallery B. I brought all my work home because this wall isn't the only thing changing. I've decided it's time to leave Gallery B. Sometimes, the vision you have for something takes a different turn and becomes a different space than what you anticipated. And that's OK. We know that the only constant is change so it's just time to try something new. That's how it works on canvas too right? 

It was a fabulous 2+ years there and I made some wonderful friends. To my friends at Gallery B, I wish the very best. I hope they have tons of fun and success. And since I live literally a half mile from the gallery, I'll certainly be popping in to say hi on occasion.

There's a new thing in the future for me and I'm ready! I can't share it yet and it's probably going to take some time to get going but there is something new on the horizon. Meanwhile, I'm here, working at home in my studio, adding to my Etsy shop, and painting of course. So, if you want to know what this new thing is gonna be, and what I'll be up to in the meantime, sign up for the newsletter when the little window pops up.

 Till next time...

 

Art for a Cause

Hi folks, it's been a crazy busy month. There's lots of new stuff going on and changes coming up but that can wait for a later post. For now I just wanted to let you know about this little event we're having at Gallery B. Sept 16th we're doing Art for a Cause and the non-profit that I'm donating to is HOME Hands of Mercy Everywhere.

If you know my history you know why this organization is near and dear to my heart. The home is a place for teen and young, single moms to stay and get the support they need to get on their feet and be great moms to their little ones. Check out their link above to see how they help moms. HOME not only helps young moms with parenting skills, they also help with education, job skills, mental and spiritual health. If something like this were available 41 years ago, things may have been quite different for me and my daughter. 

So if you're in the Ocala area and can support this event, please do! These folks make a huge difference in the lives of teens and their babies. Thank you!!

 

 So this thing happened..... 

The kind folks at Ocala Gazette asked if they could do an interview with me for their paper. Bruce came and took photos and then Lisa came to ask me a lot of questions. Just click this link to read the article or stop by Publix and pick up a copy. Thank you Lisa and Bruce. Thank you Ocala Gazette! Ocala is getting so artsy!! I need to run around town and take some pictures of all the goings on here so I can show you. We have a lot of public art too - Horse Fever, murals, and sculpture.

What is your town up too?

  

Both Sides of the Desk

A lot has been going on lately. I have the honor of being included in the July issue of Ocala Magazine. It's a page they do every month featuring a different artist. How cool!

The other projects happening right now are things I can't share. Here's a piece of one of them. They're both colored pencil commissions that are surprises for friends and family. I'll be able to share after they're gifted. 

We've been busy at the gallery too. We have a wonderful scrap metal sculptor named Josh Price from Contrived Curiosities. We sold this adorable pair of owls this weekend.

A face only a mom could love! This is actually one of my favorite sculptures in the gallery. 

So all this has me thinking about what I do work wise. I'm a painter who sells work in galleries and now I co-own a gallery too. Over the years I've heard from other artists how horrified they are that retail galleries take a 50% commission on sales. People new to the scene don't realize that 50% is the norm. Non-profits sometimes take a smaller commission because they receive other funding. Some galleries like ours are collectives or co-ops, meaning they charge a monthly fee instead of charging a commission. I've never begrudged my gallery reps their share. They've earned it. Since being part of Gallery B I have an even better understanding of what's involved in opening a gallery and keeping it open. 

What do galleries do with your 50% or your monthly fee? They spend it on rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, salaries, taxes, advertising, web design and hosting, licenses, building upkeep, supplies, phone service, banking fees, merchandiser fees, accountants, legal rep, signage, reception costs, and the list goes on.

If you're an artist thinking of jumping into gallery representation, please keep in mind that it's a business partnership. A good gallery will work for you, sell for you, and they have huge expenses just like any other business. You can do your part by being professional, providing good materials like your consignment list, giving the gallery as much information about you and your work as possible, have a consistent body of work to show and have new work available for them when asked. The best thing you can do is have the best quality work you can do. Make sure your presentation is clean - if you frame your work, make sure the frame is good quality and free from any nicks or scratches. Have your work ready for the gallery to hang. Basically, be considerate of your gallery and the customers. 

As a selling painter, you wear a lot of hats because you have to do the selling along with the making of the art. Now I'm on both sides of the desk and get to experience not only selling my work but the work of other artists too. One thing I've noticed - it's easier to talk up other people's work than it is my own. Why do we find it so much easier to brag on others than it is to toot our own horns?

Enjoy the rest of your day. I hope it's filled with joy and the creative juices are flowing.

C 

The Best Break

There was no studio time this past week. I didn't paint. I didn't work the gallery. I didn't post anything. What I did do was get in the car with the hubby and drive to Texas to see some of my favorite people. Distance from children and grandchildren hurts the heart during the best of times but during a pandemic it's especially hard. We hadn't seen our babies in a year and a half and that's just way too long.

My lovely daughter and grandson.

Granddaughter silliness!

Our little guy loves painting, drawing and origami so of course we had to have a fun, artsy afternoon along with the swimming, karate classes, gymnastics, and water balloon fights.

On the way home we stopped in Tallahassee at the Signature Gallery to pick up some of my work to swap out with Gallery B in Ocala. Soon I'll be shipping some new work to the Signature. It's good to move work around and keep the galleries fresh. And now that we're back from the trip I'm ready to PAINT!! I have so much I want to do. I have some abstracts to finish for Signature, new landscapes to do, a new nest reference I'm dying to work with, and a portrait commission to start. 

Sometimes the best way to get inspired and motivated to paint is to stay out of the studio for a while. Take a break, think about other things and do something completely different.

Now I'm ready.

C

It's Experiential

The little abstract painting below was a piece I did a few years ago. I liked it then. It's where I was at the time. Looking at it again recently, along with a number of other ones, I decided it wasn't what I wanted anymore so I started putting more layers on top, sandwiched between layers of thick gloss acrylic gel. In those layers I also scribbled with graphite and colored pencil, and dribbled alcohol to lift color. If you look closely you can still see bits of the original painting peeking through so scroll down to see what happened to it. 

When the last layer of clear gloss dried I added a final touch.... accents painted with BLK3.0. This is the most matte black paint I've ever seen. It absorbs all the light so you don't even see the texture that's underneath the paint. I love the contrast between the matte black and the high shine of the gloss gel. 

One thing about this kind of work where you have layer upon layer and extreme contrasts, it's hard for all the details to come across in a photo. It's so experiential, it's best to see pieces like this in person. Below is a detail shot and then a couple of pictures at angles so you can see the difference between the shine and the black areas. 

The original painting was called Time Passage 11 so I guess I'll call it Time Passage 11 Redux. There's more experimenting to do so stay tuned for a few more of these. I just added this one and one other to my website so check out the abstract page to see more. Of course I have some new bird nest paintings in mind too, and some landscapes. So many paintings to do!

Happy Wednesday and I hope the rest of your week is spectacular.

C

New Horse Fever and More

 

What a crazy year! I'm happy to say I'm fully vaccinated and ready for life to be "normal" again - whatever that means. I'm still painting, doing commissions, and working Gallery B so maybe normal will just mean wearing a mask less often. 

I've painted another horse. This time it's for the 20th anniversary of Horse Fever. It's called Home Sweet Home and it's part of the Giving Collection. It's one of 3 horses that will be going to a lucky raffle winner June 4th. The tickets are $100 and available at  Marion Cultural Alliance. The proceeds from the raffle benefit the arts in Marion County. Very cool! Is anyone surprised that I painted nests all over this horse? 

After painting the horse, me and my co-owner friends have also been incredibly busy doing a bit of a refresh in Gallery B. The walls have fresh paint and there's new carpet on the floor. We've also brought some new friends in to share our space. Welcome to The Graceful Gardener, Pen and Ink, and Grated & Cured. We've also added new artists to the gallery so if you're in the area you should definitely stop by.

New pretty space!

I have lots of new work to share so I'll just start with the three below. I also updated most of the pages here so click on a tab above to see more. My abstract work seems to be influencing my landscapes. I still love realism but these are fun too. I felt the need to loosen up and play more. I've also started adding colored pencil to the canvases - swirling round strokes layered between glazes of acrylic. 

Sparkle

8x8

The painting below was inspired by a tall stand of trees at a local park. It just sold at the Signature Gallery in Tallahassee to a lovely gentleman who called to tell me how much he appreciates my work. That call made my day! It's such an honor to have someone spend their hard earned money on something I created and then to have them call and tell me about it, well, that's just plain wonderful and I'm so grateful, not only to him but to the Signature and staff.

Soaring

36x18

SOLD

Relaxing

12x12

We have a long weekend coming up. I hope you find time to relax and also remember all the men and women who served our country and paid the ultimate price. 

Peace and love,

C

Looking Forward

Black Thread Woven

11x14

"Everyone needs time to develop their dreams. 

An egg in the nest doesn't become a bird overnight."

Lois Ehlert

Good Monday morning! What are you dreaming about right now? Painting is my dream job so all my dreams right now are about people. I'm dreaming of visiting my children and grandchildren and squeezing them with all the love I've got. I'm dreaming about not worrying about a virus. I'm dreaming of gallery openings and people laughing. I'm dreaming of hugging my friends and sharing a pie over a 3 hour lunch in our favorite pizza place. I'm dreaming of being at the beach, playing in the surf with the kids. 

It's all about friends and family. I'm looking forward to the dreams coming true.

Before, During and After

The last post was pretty heavy. It's a heavy subject that's very important to me and the next painting in the Don't Forget series is prepped on the canvas and ready to go. But, sometimes you need a break from heaviness and have to lighten things up a little - literally and mentally. After doing so many detailed nest paintings I needed to play so I was looking around my studio and realized I have some old abstract paintings that I didn't really feel all that connected to anymore.

I pulled this one out and decided it was too dark, too tight and just wasn't me anymore so I did this....

And then after more layers and lines with acrylic and graphite, some scrubbing back and then more layers, I ended up with this.

Perspective

24x24

acrylic and graphite

You can still see remnants of the old painting peeking through and I like that. It gives the painting depth but it also has a lighter feel now. A new perspective on an old painting and a lightness of being.

Love in the time of Covid-19

Yes, I'm back. I bet you thought I'd never post again. I wasn't sure I would either but times they are a changin'. A lot's changed in the last year and a half so there's lots to share with you. I'm not going to play catch up all in one post though. Maybe sharing bits and pieces as I go will get me back in the habit of posting again.

This is a tough time for all of us. It's hard to keep the spirits up sometimes but I'm working on it. I'm also working on working if that makes sense. Working in the studio is not a problem. I've always been an introvert so this work at home thing is heaven for me. I love solitude. What I have to work on is sharing the work that comes from that studio time. So now I'm spending more time online and getting back to this blog.

My biggest news.... last year I became co-owner of an art collective. I'm one of 6 painters at Gallery B in downtown Ocala. I've been part of the gallery for less than a year and now, here we are, with temporarily closed doors. All my time and energy has been toward the gallery and I love it! We're a close group that has so much fun working together. Of course we're looking forward to opening again when this mess is over, we just don't know how long that's going to take. So in the meantime, we're all just working on ways to keep sharing the love, our love for our friends and family and our love for art. The big gallery news is 👇

I love this photo! This was the coolest thing to happen at our gallery since we opened. That building on the right is Citizens First Bank. It's the first branch to open in Ocala and they contacted us at the gallery because they wanted to purchase original art for inside the bank. The bank is located directly across the street from our gallery. They were amazing to work with and in the photo above you see four of us from the gallery delivering the art across the street and leading the art parade is the bank President Lindsey Blaise. Our friend and photographer Jenny Eggers risked life and limb getting out in the middle of the intersection to get this shot of us taking our art to the bank.

Here are a few pics from inside our gallery...

The doorway opens into our neighbor's beautiful store, Greiner's Clothing

We're so fortunate to have this space. We have 6 painters - the other 5 artists are Julie Shealy, Sandy Sanders, Cheryl Ritter, Bobbie Deuell and Laurie Kopec. We also have a potter, Gene Hotaling and woodworker, Garrett Boutwell. 

That's it for now. I'll share again soon, I swear! I have some updating to do and a lot of new artwork to share too so check in again. Until then, stay safe and healthy. 

Much love,

C