Set Without Balance

Last weekend, my wife and I went to see the musical, FAME, at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta Ga. The show was performed by the very talented Pebblebrook High School Performing Arts program. It was an excellent show because it was perfectly balanced. The right performers were picked for the correct parts, the sound and lighting were excellent, but the set is what really caught my attention.

I really dislike going to a performance where the set is either too strong or too weak. This set looked just right to me. It didn't take away from the performance by being too flashy or over the top. I also noticed the stairs were very sturdy but not bulky, which tells me the designer or builder knew something about weight-bearing structures. I've seen sets in the past that didn't seem to have any structural integrity, with things coming undone or not coming together correctly. These kinds of problems create a distraction that is hard to break in a visually oriented person. Having a set you think is 95% extraordinary doesn't equal the same to that visually oriented patron. If you have artists and designers in your audience, we will ALWAYS catch that 5% that isn't so great. We don't intentionally do this, our brains just hone in on these problems. While most people are focused on a certain piece of music, I'm stuck on the poor placement of a wheel or that color pallet that doesn't go with the time period.

So next time you're wondering if your set is just right, go and find a few visual artists and ask them for their HONEST opinion. You definitely don't want to end up with a set without balance.

Buy Some Art

It's that time of the year again when families pack up the little ones and head to outdoor festivals in cities across the United States. We love the atmosphere, crafts and beautiful artwork, but we seldom take the final step to purchasing the art. Here are a few reasons that might motivate you to buy some original artwork:

1. Original art is unique and you'll be the sole owner.
2. Because it speaks to you and your mind keeps repeating the words, "beautiful" or "wow."
3. It's a way to connect with very interesting people. Artist love to talk about art and their inspirations. They will stay in contact with you, FOREVER!
4. Because there is no better way to encourage talented artist. 
5. Artist stay where they're accepted. This builds a great art community. 
6. It will give you a different perspective on the world around you.
7. To feel in touch with the creative mind of another person. 
8. To make that empty room come alive. 
9. Because it's the perfect present for someone who has everything.
10. You believe art is a tangible asset.

"But I know these things?" you say. Well, maybe the problem has to do with knowing how to approach the artist. Here are a few tips:

1. Learn to speak Klingon if you can, but English will do if you don't have time. 
2. If you can't afford larger pieces, ask the artist if they have sketches for sale.
3. Prints are not the same as the original. There is a huge price difference.
4. Consider a commission. It's a way to combine their talents and your ideas. 
5. Read the Artist Statement. You might find something very interesting about that artist.
6. When a piece is expensive, ask yourself if you would value it the same if the price was lower. 
7. When dealing with a commission there are usually two options, hourly or by the piece.
8. Don't be afraid to ask for the price of a piece if not posted. Sometimes artist don't want to scare people away with pricing.   

Now go out there an buy some beautiful art. 

Fun Questions

I wanted today's blog to be short and fun, so I've decided to interview myself with some random artist interview questions I found online. Please leave me a comment with your favorite question or answer. It is hard to find good questions for artist, so here are just a few I've found in case you're looking at interviewing an artist. Follow this link for a bunch more.

1. If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet, what would you want? Coffee
2. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? I'm already a technopath so maybe a little telekineses.  
3. Do you think that creativity is part of human nature or is it something that must be nurtured and learned? Please explain your answer. For me it's been both. I always enjoyed creating things but creating really amazing and unique things must be nurtured. The more you ask yourself to be creative, the more your mind will achieve it. 
4. What made you decide to follow a creative career choice (though possibly risky) rather than something more stable? I actually work in IT but dedicate most of my free time to art. I'll reverse the trend sooner or later but it will happen. I don't think the art business is any riskier than IT at this time. The market is flooded with IT people and the world needs more artists. I don't believe in the struggling artist philosophy. Art schools don't teach enough art business and marketing.
5. What is your inspiration? How has personal experience influenced your creativity? I'm inspired by random images and at times I have to create it. I also love to create based on someone else's idea. Sometimes I need someone else to focus my attention on one idea and I go from there. I usually have lots of ideas, that's why I don't have a series. If you need a random idea, ask me. 
6. What is your favorite creation? Please explain why you selected this one. I did an impressionist painting of a conga player using pointillism. It turned out very different than what I expected and found a new technique I really love. 
7. What do you wish to accomplish with your art? I want to fill every empty wall with color and energy.  
8. How do you know when a piece or project is finished and needs no additional work? I tend to slightly under-complete because I know that If I push, it might get ruined. I also set deadlines so I don't have to fight the urge to overwork a painting. I also ask friends and family for criticism. 
9. Have you ever been faced with negative feedback? How was this reflected in your work, if at all? I'm my worst critic. If I had a clone I would probably cry once a day. Criticism drives me to be better. 
10. What impact do you think that commercialism and the media has had on your work? Is this good or bad? Your art either sells today, tomorrow or becomes trash. Bankers don't work for free, so neither should artist. Creative people are highly underpaid in our society. 
11. Are you a fan of cartoons? If so, what is your favorite one? I love cartoons and comics. My favorite comic is Calvin and Hobbes and right now I'm reading High Moon at Zuda comics. 
12. What is playing in your CD player/Ipod right now? Ray Lamontagne
13. If you had to be any of these things, which would you like to be? a) a member of the opposite sex, b) a clock, c) a pair of shoes, d) a duck Please explain your choice. I would have to be a yellow rubber duck. You get to play in the water everyday. 
14. If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend your day? Painting my wife and baby girl while drinking a Guinness. 

Till next week.

Expectations of Greatness

Yesterday I saw a piece of art by young artist Gianna Oms-Rosell, which stirred up some childhood feelings, not because of the subject, but the comments posted to the picture. I've always enjoyed a high level of praise, which I'm sure encouraged me to draw, but looking back now, it didn't encourage more quality even though I knew I could do better.

Should family and friends provide generic positive praises to such levels that the artist either blindly accepts them or thinks they're not being honest? Today children's art lessons in art critique are using the "golden rule", the "platinum rule", and even the "double platinum rule" to avoid hurting anyone's feelings. We're so concerned with making sure the child feels special and unique that we've totally restricting their ability to grow and become successful. We now have an entire generation that has a sense of entitlement that was nurtured with constant praise and little criticism. A generation that is beginning to shatter under the pressures of older generations and the realities of an imperfect world.

I'm not saying we should criticize our children's artwork in a negative and unproductive way. We need to be honest, educated about the work and continue to reinforce the positive aspects of their art. Criticism is highly feared, which is why I think it is avoided like the bubonic plague. Instead of avoiding criticism as if it doesn't exist, parents need to help children accept it as just another opinion.  If parents and teachers continue to avoid teaching critique, children will eventually encounter it and be knocked off their pedestals.  Dr. Bruce Cline the chair of the Photography Department at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio says, "The critique is the primary vehicle through which students get feedback on their work. Improvement in image making is almost always based upon the reactions we get from others after they look at and consider our work. Few of us could survive in the art world if we lived in a critical vacuum. We gain an important kind of objectivity in relation to our work when we listen to what others have to say about it." 

I randomly picked four artists to see if critique helped them succeed. Vincent, Pablo, Salvador and Edgar become very successful and only one dies poor, by choice. Under close inspection one finds a similarity between all four, something that isn't very well known and sometimes overlooked. All four had an influence at home that created an expectation of greatness. They had an artistic friend or family member that provided guidance. Guidance, not constant praise is what created their greatness.

Vincent had a sculptor and 4 art dealers in his family and initially worked as an art dealer himself. Even though he was always mentally troubled and had strong negative opinions about art as a commodity, he was still guided by many family members to take up painting. In contrast Pablo was different because his father was a fine arts professor and directly guided Pablo. Many people have criticized and praised Pablo's work over the years, but it didn't affect him because, from a young age, he didn't fear it. Salvador like Pablo was also encourage by his father to take lessons and he was also responsible for Salvador's first exhibit of charcoal drawings. Finally, we have Edgar, a wealthy child with a banker for a father, which many thought was critical of his son's artistic career. The reality is that his father was the one that encouraged him to enter art school and had already laid the foundation through his own love of music and art.

These 4 artist became great because they didn't fear criticism. These 4 artist became, Van Gogh, Picasso, Dali, and Degas because a family member, not only believed in them, but guided them to greatness at a young age.

Paint Battles

Have you ever wondered what's the big difference between oils and acrylics? I'll break it down in four parts for you; pricing, durability, color and technique. I don't mean pricing as in the cost of the paint, I mean pricing in the cost of the painting. I'm sure art buyers repeatedly hear about the great quality of oil paintings, so inherently artist charge more money for oils. If you're looking at buying art and would like to make a good investment, don't get fooled into buying a piece just because it's an oil painting. Buying art should first come from the connection you have to the piece and second (here is my business mind at work) if that piece will retain its value. If an artist has been painting professionally for a while then they're most likely, but not always, the better investment. It has nothing to do with oil or acrylic, it has to do with lastingness and recognition. 

I'm always surprised with how easily artists are convinced that oils have better durability than acrylics. Here are a few facts about oils you might not know. Oils crack, yellow and can even eat away a poorly treated canvas. In the 50 years since the invention of acrylics, they haven't cracked, yellowed or altered. Acrylics are also great if you're a mixed media artist because it has great bonding properties. For 50 years these crusty old conservators have been trying to defend oils, and science, not myth, says that acrylics have better durability. Even though durability might seem to have the final say on the debate, we need to remember that oils and acrylics have different chemical compositions which will give the artist different results.

One thing I know  for certain about acrylics is their lack of pigment load, which is how much pigment the paint can hold. The pigment load is very import because it's what covers your grids, guides and pencil marks with fewer applications. I've also found oils have a consistent pigment load, while acrylic yellow, orange and red have the worst. There is nothing more frustrating than painting the same base coat over and over, which also takes more paint. Yes, oils are more expensive but they also cover better than acrylics. That's probably why you hear people saying that an oil painting is more colorful than an acrylic. 

The final difference between oils and acrylics is technique. Because one is oil-based and the other water-based, you'll have drastically different drying times and viscosities. If you want to paint lots of detail, little hue and very quickly it might help to use acrylics. If you want to layer colors and use a "fat over Lean" approach then oils might be your choice. Acrylics are very hard to blend on the canvas because they dry so quickly, but with oils careful planning is important if you're planning lots of detail, since drastic changes aren't always easy to accomplish. 

I mostly paint with acrylics and can tell you not all brands are created equal. I generally use 3 brands in acrylics, Winsor & Newton, Liquitex, and Daler-Rowney, but I only use Winsor & Newton for oils. Liquitex makes BASIC, and the name says it all. BASIC has the lowest pigment load of all brands, so be prepared to layer and layer and layer. Liquitex also makes a heavier grade Liquitex that's pretty good. The no-basic Liquitex and Winsor & Newton have similar pigment properties and viscosity. Personally I prefer the Daler-Rowney System 3, if I can find them. That's what Walmart carries for $5 but other art shops charge $10. The only problem is getting a good color selection at Walmart. System 3 also has a skin tone which can be helpful with portraits since acrylics don't blend well on the canvas, but you will not find it at Walmart. The System 3 Titanium White is the best white and highly recommended. Recently, I tested the Dick Blick brand and must say they're the closest to System 3 and a really good price. The worst brand I tried was Van Gogh which is now Amsterdam. I wonder why they changed names, because they suck. 

Well, hopefully that covers the paint battles since it really just comes down to what you're painting, and how much time you have. I'll probably always love and hate them both for their own unique properties.