If you like to color or paint you might want to check out this coloring book filled with sketchbook pages. I have two drawing published in it and it's on the newsstands right now.
And The Winner Is.......
Here is the bigger version of the favorite color scheme.
Which Hammock Would You Like to Relax In?
Here is the actual hammock photo taken at the winery in Umbria
I like the top version, my husband prefers the bottom version.
Tell me which color sample you prefer and I will enlarge and paint the color version that gets the most votes and send you a print of it.
Which Door Would You Choose to Enter and Why?
Sympathy Painting
Paris
A Mat/Map of Italy
I was enchanted with the placemat in front of me at lunch Friday. I couldn't risk putting my plate on top of it and spilling soup on it. I folded it neatly and took it home. Think of the possible things I could do with it. Collage or paint on it, copy it and make more to use on special occasions, project it on a canvas and paint it, or hang it on my refrigerator or use it as a book cover.
How many of the places on the mat have you visited?
Season Marketing Ideas
In the field of art class and workshop teaching the months of November and December are rather quiet. Peoples minds are occupied with thoughts of gift giving, home decorating and holiday entertaining.
My mind is filled with thoughts of how I can be the most prodctive in my art field during this time. I have accepted that there are low and high seasons in the art teaching biz. I have realized I can look at this quiet time as a gift of the time to work on my painting and plan for my European workshops and domestic classes.
Doesn't the previous paragraph sound mature and serene? Written by an artist who meditates, does yoga 5x a day and eats only the purest diet devoid of sugars and alcohol?
Tat calm artist is not really me. I like chocolate, red wine and only think about doing yoga 5 x a day. The part about doing more painting and planning is true, just the serene part isn't. I spend part of my time trying to come up with marketing ideas for my artwork and writing, and part of the time reassuring myself that a career in art teaching was the right choice for me and that it is to late to consider a career in landscape architecture or be a forensic medical examiner ( my new favorite tv series that I am currently bing watching is Body of Proof on Hulu).
Here are some of my marketing ideas that I desparately need your feedback on:
1. I could make paintings out of your travel photos to hang on your walls or grace the pages of your journals.
2. I could make travel journals out of old books with deckle edge watercolor paper inside like I take on my trips.
3. I could start a vineyard in my postage stamp size backyard, produce the wine and bottle it with my own hand painted labels like the fabulous Umbria artist, Annabale Parisi does. However Rick vetoed this idea, but at least I could paint wine bottle labels...
4. I could print up copies of the 3 almost published children's books I wrote and illustrated (3 finished paintings and the rest is illustrated in ink), and try to sell them from my website.
5. I could paint the large horizontal format pictures of my dogs I have always wanted to hang over my couch.
6. I could get a job at a very quiet used bookstore coffee house and paint and sketch because people will rarely come in.
7. I could change into a model home maker and clean and cook at an exceptional daily level. This one I veto.
8. I could write some travel articles, but I have a feeling those are quite difficult to get published, doesn't everyone want to write these?
9. I could rent an an apartment in a little French or Umbria village and bring a student or two with me to paint for a while.
10. Please send me your ideas or tell me what you do during quiet periods in your chosen field?
I could learn to cook chocolate mousse like this version I had for dessert in Hotel Dei Duchi in Spoleto.
Seeing Shapes
Landscape painters that I admirer and study advise you need to see color shapes, not objects or details in the landcape.
I did this sketchbook study yesterday. I think I am beginning to be able to see shapes in a landscape. I know I have a long practice ahead of me, but seeing a bit of skill building in the shape seeing part of my brain makes me happy.
By the way, my husband took this photo on our recent trip to Italy, he has a good eye for composition, don't you think?
Marketing, Painting Daily and Dealing with Rejection Often
Now that I am mature and have a new attitude I am not longer taking rejection personally. Rejection is part of a painters marketing process. Think of it this way, when you are in the produce section of your local market, do you buy every rutabaga in the bin? No, you select the number of rutabagas you need based on what you are cooking, how big your family is and which rutabagas appeal to your sensibilities. This produce choosing process is no different then choosing paintings to go in a show or exposition or to buy.
So the next time you take one of your pieces of artwork out of the house to be looked at and judged, remember my "Rutabaga Rule of Rejection" and don't take it personally. Do not think your painting was not bought or juried in because your skills are not perfect or your technique is lacking. Instead realize that the buyer or judge did not need a "rutabaga" like yours for several reasons; it did not fit with the shows theme, it did not catch his eye or appeal to his personal style, etc.
I hope this helps and by the way, my painting that I submitted to the member show at the SDWS was not chosen for the show. There were over 200 entries and only about 109 spots, so I can't take this personally, plus I know all about the "Rutabaga Rule."
Sketchbook Studies for Future Paintings
I am continuing to paint in my sketchbook from my Italy photos. I am finding working in my sketchbook travel journal helpful in two ways. First, I am completing my sketchbook so it will chronicle my trip in paintings + a little writing. Second, since my journal pages are small , about 5"x8" I feel free to try out new paint colors and combinations since I am going to use them as studies for future paintings.
Post Trip Painting
I've been painting in my studio this past week using photos I took in Italy as reference.
View from hotel window in Florence
Here is the painting I finished this afternoon and took down to the San Diego Watercolor Society and entered it in their monthly member show.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Umbria Needs More Time
On our last evening in Spoleto we walked through town to visit the Roman Aquaduct on the outskirts of town. I counted at least 5 places I hadn't seen yet and wanted to explore. Spoleto is in the province of Umbria and we need to definitely return again next Fall and visit more Umbria towns and explore more nooks, crannies and Roman artifact museums.
Spoleto building with clocktower
Travel Journal Art Supplies.
One mistake to avoid when packing your art supplies for travel painting, is to not take too many art supplies. Even though I thought I had pared down my supplies for this trip, I took a lot of things I didn't use.
These are the supplies I carried with me daily in Italy
The only brushes I used were my travel watercolor brushes in 4 sizes made by cheapjoes.com
I am eliminating what I didn't need or use on this trip.
I discovered that using a mechanical pencil with a good eraser and my Schminke pocket paint set with its own little water container really made a difference when I sat down to paint in an outdoor location. The mechanical pencil was great because it was always sharp and carried its own eraser so I didn't waste time searching for my eraser or pencil sharpener. The pocket paint set was great because it had enough room for plenty of paint colors, and I didn't have to use a separate water container when painting in restaurants or on the airplane plus it was small enough to fit into my supply bag easily.
I clipped the paintbox to my sketchbook with a clip I bought in Tuscany because Charlotte had one.
This is what I threw into my messenger bag/purse when we went out everyday.
These travel supply reductions really helped because weight and ease of use are big factors in choosing supplies that you can grab at a moment's notice when you catch sight of something you want to paint while touring around. The weight of your supplies is important too because its very tiresome to carry around pounds of supplies when you are out for the day plus too many supplies take up too much room in your 22" suitcase.
On the Way Home to Dogs, Dust and household Duties via Amsterdam
We have a 4 hour layover in Amsterdam and found a quiet spot in the airport to sit. In a few minutes I am going to reflect on my new insights gained from our time in Italy.
Please don't expect me to actually follow through on most of these insights, I rarely do. Of course I have decided I will learn to meditate so my brain will be pristine and rid of crital thoughts about my artwork. I must go to the Y and attend Yoga, ballet, weight lifting and flower arranging classes 6 x a week or more. I am going to redecorate my office so it looks like a replica of the Tuscan artist/wine maker's studio that we visited in the Chianti region. I am going to paint several large paintings based on the photos I took of the Italian landscape. I am going to learn to bake focaccia bread with my friend, Nancy Holtz and I am going to mak sure I paint everyday and find somewhere to display my work. Also I would like to be a nicer,wiser, more charitable person and go to museums often.
Check in with me in a few months to see what I have accomplished, I have heard that following thru on one's goals requires accountability. Have you a secret method of following through on your goals? Would you please share it with me?
Some Workshop Journal Paintings
Making New Friends and Appreciating Old Friends
My workshop was filled with new friends and old friends. Everyone succeeded in painting and writing in their journals. I really don't like this after workshop feeling I get when I watch my students depart to their differing homes. It was so much fun to paint and travel with everyone.
IToday we traveled to Florence and spent the day visiting the Palazzo Strozza Museum, strolling the neighborhoods and enjoying the spectacular weather. I met the guy in the photo above, in front of the suffixing Museum. He was really nice and very smart but a little bit cold.
