Are you an art collector?

Breezy

SOLD

I sold a painting yesterday. Woohoo! So I was thinking about this whole buying and selling art thing. The collector who bought Breezy said she had been in the gallery several times and every time she came in she gravitated to that one. It pulled her in and she decided she couldn't leave without it. 

Some folks think collecting art is only for fancy people. Art collectors are the ones investing in blue chip art - the pieces done by very famous people and sold at very famous prices. We see those amazing numbers when auction houses report their sales - $10,000,000 and up for one painting. But that's another universe. Most of us regular people don't have the funds to invest in blue chip work. 

Sometimes people wonder if a lesser known piece that they're interested in could have the potential to be a big seller in the future. Is this painting a good investment? I think there's a better way to approach buying art. To me, an investment in art means an investment in my environment, an investment in my mental health, an investment in a spiritual connection, an investment in my home decor, an investment in beauty!

It's about love. Pure and simple. If you buy art it should be something you fall in love with - something you want to live with in your home because it makes you feel good when you look at it. Anyone can be an art collector. We start collecting art when we're children. Were you a kid who picked up rocks and stuck them in your pocket to take home because they were pretty? Did you save certain leaves in the fall because of the gorgeous colors? Did you press flowers in a book because you couldn't bear to let them go? I was. I was an art collector then and now. 

Anyone can own original art. I paint more than I collect but when I do buy someone else's art it's because I want to look at it - all the time. If you love an artist's work and have a strict budget, look for smaller pieces they have available. That usually means a smaller price. You could also ask about a payment plan. Many artists are more than willing to work something out with you. Please don't think that art collecting is a game you can't or shouldn't play. Please don't think collecting art is about dollar signs. It's about love and making your surroundings a place where you want to be. It's about letting an image take you on a mental or emotional journey. It's about an investment in yourself.

 

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?

  

The Coast is Near

This. When you're driving down A1A and you can't see the water but you feel it's presence - the way the sky goes on forever, the way the sun is hitting the palms, the way the breeze feels as it blows in from the ocean and brings you that salty scent. You can't see the waves but you can hear them pounding away and then retreating. 

The Coast is Near

Just a quick little post to share the newest painting. Sometimes you just wanna paint something familiar, bright, simple, and says Florida. This one fit the bill and was crazy fun to paint. And it's telling me that I need to get to the coast soon. 

If this piece brings you joy like it does for me, look for it here on my website.

I hope you're getting some beach time in this summer.

Peace,

C

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 

When you're between projects....

Happy 4th everyone! I hope you're doing something fun today. We have pretty lousy weather right now so I don't think we're doing anything outside, hence, the reason I'm sitting at my computer. 

So this is the kind of thing I do when I'm between projects. I just finished the last nest painting. I have 2 commissions waiting in the wings. I have multiple canvases prepped and waiting for new nests and landscapes. Before starting all that I wanted to play with something a little different. It always helps to get the creative juices flowing. 

I started with a full sheet of watercolor paper, gave it a layer of gesso, and taped it down on all the edges. Then I used the tape to section off 12 squares. With a large brush I started throwing acrylic paint around - thalo blue, light green and red gold. I also scribbled a bit with graphite and colored pencils.

 

While the paint was still wet I used the handle end of the brush to scratch into the paint and make more marks. I applied the white with a big kitchen spatula. You can see here that I peeled the tape away. 

I tore the squares apart using a straight edge. Since the paper has deckled edges I didn't want to use scissors and make the inside edges too clean. Tearing against the straight edge gives a more deckled feel. 

As a last step, I used my favorite black - BLK3.0 ultra matte black, to add areas of contrast. They're fun little abstracts! Now what do I do with them? I thought about framing them but I HATE framing. The hassle and expense of framing is one of the reasons I no longer do much work on paper but sometimes the urge is too great. So what now - I realized that these little guys fit well on an 8x8 canvas so I ordered a case. I'll paint them solid black and then mount the paintings on the canvas. I like the way the black edge frames the design. 

While I'm waiting for the canvas order to come in I can start working on the commissions. This is one of the best things about being a painter. I love having multiple projects to work on. Maybe it seems like I'm all over the place or unfocused to some folks but I never get bored in the studio! And it seems to me that working with multiple subject matter and methods can influence the other work you do. Isn't that how we grow as artists? Anyway, this is definitely something I'll do again. If you're looking for a fun exercise to build your composition and design skills, this is it. 

Just some thoughts on a rainy day.

Till next time,

C

Neighborhood News

The nest from the video in the last post is finished. This cardinal had a story to tell so I'm calling it Neighborhood News. Birds are such resourceful creatures. You never know what you're gonna find tucked into a nest. I've found cloth, yarn, plastic grocery bag pieces, hair - horse and human, moss, newspaper pieces, and a gold foil strip from a cigarette pack. 

This new piece is available on my website. I've also added a new landscape to the site today. Have you been to my site yet? Please check it out by clicking here. There's a link to this blog along with tabs to take you to each section - nests and landscapes along with a few other collections of things I do. We don't have to stick to painting only one thing do we? It's much more fun to mix things up - kinda like the birds and their building techniques. 

Have a fabulous rest of your week. On to the next painting....

C