Artists Online at ArtId.com

A scant few oak leaves had just begun to color. The oaks grew along the edge of a Sierra trail in a place that would have been awkward to set up to paint. I photographed them for later work in the studio, framing the scene with the camera as I intended to paint it. It was horizontal with a great deal of the dusty greens of late summer/early fall and the yellow leave in the lower left hand area, in a text book example of one of the perfect focal point locations. However, I did not like the first painting effort following that plan. There were large amounts of dark areas, with the eye drawn to the bright leaves and staying there. In the next effort I went to a vertical composition, using only one third of the leafy area I had originally painted… Continue reading… 0 comments

The internet is quiet today and it is still warm in New England but today is dry and breezy. I am attending Odyssey, a Lettering Arts Conference at Stonehill College in Easton, MA. All the calligraphers are busy learning something wonderful in their multitudes of classes while I docent the Participants,Faculty and Nice Rendition Exhibit. … Continue reading… 4 comments

I've had a lot of good fortune selling prints of one of my paintings titled Expecting. Expecting is a watercolor painting of a pregnant woman who seems to be very serenely and patiently expecting the arrival of her baby. It is a very pleasant image that seems to send a quiet and hopeful energy to the viewer. Much to my delight it seems to strike a chord with people in general and women within the healthcare industry in particular. It has been published on-line, it hangs in the offices of massage therapists, obstetricians, physiotherapists and so on. So, in the interest of exploring the theme of an image that seems to resonate so strongly with people I decided I would explore the theme of birth and pregnancy. Maybe there is more I want to say. Maybe… Continue reading… 0 comments

How To Respond To Criticism In Person and Online. "Everybody's an art critic." (Judith Martin) Consider the source: "The lot of critics is to be remembered for what they failed to understand." (George Moore). While it is true that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, an opinion is not a critique. A critique is backed by education, insight and objectivity. If someone's remarks about your work are not based in these then the remark has little value. A critique opens up an opportunity for response. An opinion is a dead end. Is it really worth it to exchange caustic remarks and insults with someone whose opinion is baseless? Try, "Thanks for taking the time to comment."… Continue reading… 3 comments

I made this short video for one of my on-line students and then thought others might fid it helpful also. I welcome any comments or suggestions. Continue reading… 2 comments

Exhibition of Puerto Rico and Venezuela Artists Pictured Antonio Perez Melero with Padre Diego Jaramillo. On June 21, 2010 I had the honor of attending the exhibition of Artists from Puerto Rico and Venezuela at the Venezuela Mission to the United Nations in New York City. The exhibition was beautifully presented and I enjoyed viewing all the sculptures and paintings on display. The Venezuelan Artists represented were Alicia Meza, Arnaldo Moncada, Ernesto Leon, Nejia Vivas, Guillermo Barreto, John Kelly Aguilera and my good friend Antonio Perez Melero. Antonio was born in Spain but has spent most of his life living in Venezuela and has art studios in Spain, Venezuela and New York… Continue reading… 1 comment

Painting people is a pleasure, and art lovers usually enjoy paintings with humans portrayed in them. After completing a recent watercolor of two children exploring a sea star and barnacle bedecked rock at low tide, I gave some thought to portraits, figure painting, and the market. There is definitely a market for portraits of celebrities, and portraits by master painters from the past can command large figures when they come on the market. Surely the Mona Lisa is one of the world's most cherished and visited paintings, and one cannot imagine any circumstances that the Louvre would let go of it_thus placing it in the category of "priceless". However, I think in the more ordinary world of art marketing, the successful portraitist works largely on commission… Continue reading… 0 comments

We now have 2 artists, Mike Bell and Dr. Merrill Raikes who have sold work to our client, Anthropologie. We have posted 6 more Calls For Art from Anthropologie. We are working very hard to keep this client happy and to work with them on their design needs. ' ' These Calls For Art will change as Anthropologie's design needs change. If your artwork doesn't meet any of the current criteria, DO NOT be discouraged. They change out their spring and fall line every 6 months which means we will update these Calls For Art. ' ' Dr… Continue reading… 0 comments

I realize that I have not posted to my blog for far too long, but I have a good excuse. For two years, I and other volunteers from Masscribes the calligraphy guild based in Boston Massachusetts, have been planning Odyssey 2010 . The week of July 24 -- 30, 2010 marks the 30th international gathering of lettering artists, at Stonehill College, just south of Boston.… Continue reading… 2 comments

It's a good idea to take yourself seriously as an artist but don't slide over into the area of pomposity. Art that moves us deeply is a wondrous creation. The world would be emptier without those art pieces that make us cry, that make us want to shout, or that strike us into silent awe. Yet there is also something to be said for the artwork that simply makes us smile-- or occasionally laugh out loud! Of course, everything that applies to creating a "regular" art is equally important in humorous art. Good composition with a nice flow of the eye through the work, color choices that work, a balance of values that helps us make visual sense of the work, etc… Continue reading… 3 comments

Minimizing the risk of posting images to the web By Nancy Bryant When putting artwork or photographs on the internet, it can become "fair game" to the whole world, despite copyright laws. There are complicated codes that can prevent images from being copied, but these codes are not used on all sites. (ArtId does use such coding and your images can not be easily copied.) Social media sites like Facebook or Flickr do not protect your images and what you upload, can be downloaded.… Continue reading… 8 comments

Don't be afraid of a little rejection. It'll do you good to know you're not wanted. Trust me! I tried a little experiment this month. I decided it was time to throw down the gauntlet (or whatever) and approach a few galleries in hopes that I might gain representation. I had been wanting to do this for a while now. Well, to be honest, I've been wanting to do this since I started painting, but I've known all along the timing wasn't right. In fact, it wasn't even in the ball-park of being right. Obviously. That was about six years ago when I first started painting. I wanted it all at first! I wanted shows and popularity and fame and fortune. As naive as I was, I was ravenously competitive in the beginning. My first show occurred six months after I first picked up a paint brush… Continue reading… 4 comments

Secrets to Success in the Art World. I am often asked by some of my friends who are artists my secret to success. I do not have any secret formula for success I only follow my heart and listen to my mentors whose years of experience and the lessons they learned would take me more then a lifetime to gain on my own. Below I will list a few and I hope that it will help the Artists that are reading this Blog become more successful. 1) Persistence - Keep on going no matter what. 2) Belief - Believe in yourself and the art you are creating. 3) Dream - Dream big and always follow your heart. 4) Prepare - Be prepared to act on opportunities when they come your way. 5) Network - The people you meet in the art world and other events will be most helpful… Continue reading… 4 comments

Renowned Sculptor, Manuel Velastegui exhibits at Union City Art Gallery at City Hall. On Wednesday, May 12, 2010 I had the great honor of attending the Sculpture exhibition of the world famous sculptor Manuel Velastegui. To the right is a picture of Jaime Andrade Gallery Associate of Knoedler & Company with the Sculptor Manuel Velastegui. Manuel Velastegui has been creating sculptures for over 40 years he is a master artist and his works are of the highest quality. The beauty of his marble sculptures is breathtaking as the forms give off a sense of movement. Manuel Velastegui metal sculptures are created of found objects and are more whimsical but still have that sense of movement and a few actually do move… Continue reading… 0 comments

I have recently been talking to clients about framing options, and decided that the subject was very worthy of a blog. There are many theories of framing which differ markedly from each other, based in large part on assumtpions about the function of the frame itself. My own theory is that the frame is a buffer between the painting and its environment, an environment often not controlled by the artist. What does this mean for how you choose a frame for your work? One major choice you have is whether to "frame the work" or "frame the space". In the first instance, the frame is chosen entirely to best set off the works: its colors, its light, its degree of strength or subtlety… Continue reading… 0 comments

It is a small world. It really is. I woke up this morning and opened my laptop to see what I could see. I found a bit of writing. I liked it. I shared it with friends. What I saw within this piece of writing was (seemingly) a heartfelt out-pouring of sheer frustration over an art show the writer (who is also an artist) witnessed recently. Alright. I like that. In fact, I loved that. As an artist himself he had something to say about the current art scene in New York City. Impressive. I go about my day. I run errands and I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I come home. I re-open my laptop. I see what has happened since I left. Another fellow artist I've met recently has a completely different perspective on the writing of the first artist… Continue reading… 1 comment

Tiny paintings that work well may combine great color and value choice with simple forms. They punch you between the eyes from across the room. Other outstanding miniatures are complex and draw you in with detail, luring you to discover their secret heart. "Electric City", which sold last weekend at a local gallery on its first trip out of the studio, mostly falls into the second category. It doesn't punch you between the eyes from across the room, but it does invite you in from 20+ feet away. While the eyes pick up an overall colorful quality, it is the forms created by areas of lighter and darker values that are most noticeable from a distance… Continue reading… 0 comments

Thin Line between Good & Evil Sometimes in life you just get tired of seeing the injustice and abuse that we humans inflict on one another. That is probably the reason I do not like to read Newspapers or see the News as all you learn about are more horrific crimes against humanity and more abuses of our fellow humans. Today as I walked across Bryant Park here in the City I was disturbed by an art piece that used young girls walking about aimlessly on top of a box that was much to high for them to get off until when someone would come to fetch them, presumably at the end of the day. I thought to myself how sad I would feel if one of my teenage children would have to endure that type of abuse just to make a few bucks… Continue reading… 4 comments