WIP aka Works in Progress

Been a while since I've posted anything new that I have been working on. Probably because I'm all over the board right now. I think it's part of my creative process in bouncing around here and there. Could be a lack of focus, too, come to think of it ... hmmmm

Actually, I have made considerable progress on the colored pencil piece that I started back in late January. This is the same one that I started and about three weeks in to it decided it was not good enough. Start over. It's only paper. And colored pencil. And time, which I wish I had more of, but don't we all.

In any case, here's Marin or the Little Girl with All Those Curls. Not sure what to name the painting when it's finished.

Marin

It has been that constant push-and-pull that goes in to every painting. I know I have at least two challenges ahead of me in her hair on the right side. It is reflecting a lot of light as well as sporting most of her curls. The painting really hinges upon that. I know it, and probably why I'm waiting till the end.

 The second part, believe it or not, is her lower lip. She's biting it and it's almost non-existent. Along with that is concern about her teeth. Not many of them and there are some spaces between. Need to avoid the "Chiclets" look.







I have been  working on three oil paintings, but am only showing two of them because every time I look at the third painting, I don't like it and wipe the paint off and start over again. 



That is, indeed, the luxury of oil painting or any kind of painting over colored pencil. There's a greater opportunity to fix mistakes. I have always found colored pencil to be the most unforgiving of mediums.

New Hampshire Horse Farm

 

Worked on the fence line, added the horses, noodled with the barn and began laying in some of the snow in the pasture area. 

Kennebunkport

 Didn't do as much here as I had hoped. Still need to darken the sky in the background. Added the ocean -- which may need to be darkened or toned down. That little white blob will eventually be a rock or two or three.

The clouds need some work too.


Hopefully, next week I can feel comfortable enough with painting number three to post it on the blog. Today's progress was positive, so hopefully it will look that good in the morning! 

Congratulations to DC 119!

The results of this year's 21st Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition and six members of the local Greater Cincinnati Chapter were selected.  The local members who were selected were:

Margi Hopkins, Vanessa Lawrence, Cheryl Metzger, Donna Schwarz, John Smolko and Katherine Thomas.

 

John Smolko was featured in one of my blogs a few weeks back and his work is always outstanding. Margi Hopkins won First Place in the local show back in December, though her piece accepted in to this year's Exhibition was a different work. I featured that also a few blogs back. Katherine Thomas, like John Smolko, is linked to my blog and you can see her exceptional work -- Adagio -- on her blog.

 

To be selected in to the International show is a major accomplishment and all six of the local members deserve the honor. Great work!

Of contests and workshops

Last week, I mentioned that I had been fortunate enough to have two of my pieces of artwork accepted in to the local Evendale Fine Arts Exhibit.

A question artists often discuss among themselves is how important is it to enter shows and exhibitions? As with many decisions in life in general, the ultimate decision usually comes down to cost.

Is it worth the expense to enter a show? For those who read this blog and are not artists or who have never entered a show, almost every show or exhibition requires a fee from the submitting artist. Sometimes it's a one-shot fee, sometimes it is a per-piece fee. Entry fees vary across the board. Entry fees help the promoters allay costs. There may be a rental charge for the exhibit hall that has to be paid. There may be a juror's fee. Prize money may, in part, be paid by the entry fees. All or some of those possibilities may exist at the same time in each show.

The Steelworker

As a rule-of-thumb, the higher the prize money, the higher the entry fee. But also, the higher the prize money, the more prestigious the show is.

As an artist, you have to weigh various options -- many which I hear in discussions regularly. Is the fee worth entering the show? If the show is not offering prize money, is it still worth entering if though they are charging an entry fee?

There's another cost that artists have to take in to account and that is shipping costs. If the show is local, you can generally deliver your artwork in person. If the show is out-of-town, then you have to figure in cost of shipping to and from the event. Most exhibitions, especially out-of-town shows, do not want glass as part of the framing and, instead, prefer plexiglass. This could be an additional expense. 

All these factors come in to play every time I look at entering a show. One of the first things I consider, however, is -- does acceptance add to my credentials or art resume? If you view yourself as a serious artist or more than just a hobbyist, then your credentials are important. It adds to your personal prestige. It can add value to the current art you have for sale as well as art you have previously sold. It can justify fees you may charge for commissioned artwork because the purchaser can feel that they have commissioned a piece of work by an artist who has won "Such-and-such awards."

Another consideration that I some times look at is whether getting accepted in to a show helps toward earning Signature status in a particular medium. For example, in entering the Colored Pencil Society of America Show, for one to earn Signature status, you must have been accepted in to the International Show three times over a 10-year period. I have had one piece of artwork -- The Steelworker -- accepted in to the International Show. 

Ironically, I entered The Steelworker at the urging of my colored pencil mentor, Vera Curnow.  I did so, primarily because she insisted. I never really expected anything other than a rejection slip. I was floored when I received the news I had been accepted.

The point being is -- enter a show because you never know what might happen. 

If you can't handle rejection, then entering shows may be difficult. Realize the opinion of Judge #1 who didn't like your piece in year XYZ is just one person's opinion. Enter the same piece the following year and Judge #2 may absolutely love the piece. 

Of course, that doesn't mean you enter EVERY show. You still have to pick-and-choose. But you should pick-and-choose and don't stand on the sidelines. You may be better than you think you are!

Rising Sun Workshops -- the best deal around

 

For the past 6 or 7 years now, Rising Sun, IN has been hosting two-day workshops for artists in various media. Without question, it's one of the best deals around for artists in the Midwest.

The two-day fee is $90! That's not a typo. 

Often, workshops are being taught by nationally known artists. The bang for the buck is exceptional, especially when you consider that that same artist may charge five to 10 times as much for a 3- or 4-day workshop elsewhere in the United States during the year.

While one workshop in colored pencil has already been held this year, the following workshops are still available:

June 15 & 16 -- Patti Mollica in oil/acrylic painting
July 20 & 21 -- Dianne Martia in contemporary explorations with Oil and Cold Wax
Aug. 17 & 18 -- Susan Stuller in watercolor
Sept. 21 & 22 -- Tina Tammaro in Oil painting/Floral Stll Life
Oct. 19 & 20 -- Eric Phagan -- Clay sculpting (additional fee required)
Nov. 9 & 10 -- Ray Hassard in pastels

For further information the best place to check is: http://www.artsinrisingsun.com/

Hopefully, I will see you in June or November!

Good news always welcome

It's always good to know that someone else thinks you are doing good work.

Just this past week, I received news that both my entries for the annual Evendale Fine Arts Exhibit were accepted in to the show. This is a juried show and that means your work is judged by another artist or panel to be deemed acceptable for their respective show.

The Evendale Exhibit is truly a local gem that often gets overlooked. Many of Greater Cincinnati's top artists annually display in this show, so for me to be accepted this year is a great honor. This year's show is also the first year that prize money is being awarded to the top three winners, and usually that generates greater motivation from artists to enter.

My accepted entries were: Still Life with Pear, a pastel piece that was selected as the Peoples Choice Award winner at the Loveland Winter Art Show in December; and Storm Clouds, an oil painting that I completed early last year.

Still Life With Pear

Storm Clouds

Getting selected to this year's show was especially appreciated in light of the fact that I was not accepted in to the show last year. Ironically, I had urged two of my artist friends to enter the show and both of them had their works accepted -- and rightfully so.

This year's exhibit will be held on Friday, May 3 with the Artists Reception from 6-9 p.m. and runs through Monday, May 6 at 4 p.m. at the Evendale Cultural Center in Evendale, OH. 

Next Week ...

I will be featuring what I consider to be the best bargain for artists in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and lower Michigan!

And the relative merits of entering shows and competitions.

Avoid the traps

I spent last week's blog discussing the fact that I have been struggling to get my "touch" back. Just having that approach or attitude runs against my normal grain of thought.

I am a firm believer that artwork, like anything we pursue with a passion, be it a musical instrument or a garden or knitting or golf ultimately hinges upon a very solid principle: "10% inspiration, 90% perspiration."

For the truly gifted, it may be 20% inspiration, but, nonetheless, when you stop working it you undergo a couple of things. First, and most obvious, you aren't producing. Second -- and perhaps the most insidious -- is the erosion of your confidence. For that reason alone, I truly believe it's essential that you produce something every day, even if it's just an hour or two. It keeps your head in the game, so to speak.

If you are not in the business of art in some fashion, be it graphic design, advertising, etc., or you have the luxury of being able to devote all your time to your artwork via retirement or financial wherewithal, it's far too easy to fall into the "I'll do it tomorrow trap." Or, in my case, "I've lost my touch."

There's no magic. Just time and effort.

This week's work

Been working on this oil painting for a while now and I keep "noodling" or tinkering with it cause it still doesn't feel right.

In looking at it in Photoshop just now I saw a couple other things I need to tweak. I think I fixed the croissant so it actually looks like a croissant instead of this lump of bread tossed in on the right to balance out the painting. 

Still, I'm struggling with jelly/jam jar in the middle. It doesn't have the right feel yet. The coffee mug needs some adjustment too. I may need to add a little tea bag string-tag coming out of the top of it.





CPSA International Show

The 21st Annual International Colored Pencil Society of America deadline passed on Easter Sunday evening. I managed to get my two entries submitted and now it's just a matter of keeping your fingers crossed. The competition is just so intense and the talent level of the artists never ceases to amaze me.

The two pieces I submitted were:

ANDREW

Andrew is a painting of a pig asleep. I shot the photo several autumns back. I estimate there are about 15-to-18 layers of color around the nose and snout area. This is the third and final time I can enter this piece and while I had the painting shot professionally, I'm still not certain it could capture all the colors that are in this piece.  

PUTTING ON THE RITZ

Putting on the Ritz is a photo of my daughter's husband's nephew (whew!) getting fitted for the tuxedo for their wedding last fall. I changed my style to more of the scribble technique that John Smolko employs in his work.


The winners will be announced on the CPSA website in late April or early May. I have qualified for this show once in Bethesda, MD in 2007 and need to get accepted in two of the next four years' show to earn CPSA Signature status.



Speaking of John Smolko, he is one of four colored pencil artists featured in the May issue of The Artist's Magazine. The article features four colored pencil artists, including Joseph Crone who produces astonishing work with one colored pencil -- a black Verithin.


You know it's spring when ....

... When you mow the lawn for the first time this year (which I did today)! 

Feel free to add to the list!