It's been a while since I did any painting at all... really, since the fair. I have projects I need to get started on, but right now my heart really isn't in it. Instead, I'm investing lots of time into my photography (in between the insane bouts of life, including a flooded basement, refinancing the house and more. It's enough to make you pull all your hair out. Literally.)
Still, with Halloween around the corner, I have the urge to work on a couple silly projects. I think I want to paint a really nice Halloween painting. I haven't quite figured out the composition yet, but I love holiday stuff, and it's long past the point that I should indulge myself with it a bit!
So, look for that soon!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Little Bits
I have sort of slacked off with blogging of any type. I started a new photography blog, but even that I haven't quite been keeping up with (although, I plan to - especially with the Autumn season starting to hit.) I deleted my other blog-blog (this makes, what the fourth one I've deleted in a year or something?) So, I've decided minus the photography and art blogs, I'm done with blogging. I think I've actually outgrown it, and it's just taken a while to accept that, because it was such a big part of my life for a while.
I promised pictures of the paintings I finished during fair week, so here they are:
Small Bridge, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 6" x 4" x .75", stretched canvas
$45
Daylight River, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 6" x 4"x .75", stretched canvas
$45
Midnight River - SM, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 6" x 4"x .75", stretched canvas
$45
Twins, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 4" x 4"x1.5", stretched canvas
$45
Midnight River - SM, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 4" x 6"x .75", stretched canvas
$45
Next up, time to shift things around on my website, and get the printing links set up, remove sold paintings and so on. I think the paintings are going to take a back seat for a while though, while the Autumn in Vermont colors are popping and wedding season is happening. It's really going to be about photography until the world is well and truly frozen for the season, I think!
I promised pictures of the paintings I finished during fair week, so here they are:
Small Bridge, Enchanted Forest Series - miniAcrylic, 6" x 4" x .75", stretched canvas
$45
Daylight River, Enchanted Forest Series - miniAcrylic, 6" x 4"x .75", stretched canvas
$45
Midnight River - SM, Enchanted Forest Series - miniAcrylic, 6" x 4"x .75", stretched canvas
$45
Twins, Enchanted Forest Series - miniAcrylic, 4" x 4"x1.5", stretched canvas
$45
Midnight River - SM, Enchanted Forest Series - miniAcrylic, 4" x 6"x .75", stretched canvas
$45
Daylight Alone - Enchanted Forest Series
Acrylic, 12" x 12"x 1.5", stretched canvas
$175
Acrylic, 12" x 12"x 1.5", stretched canvas
$175
Next up, time to shift things around on my website, and get the printing links set up, remove sold paintings and so on. I think the paintings are going to take a back seat for a while though, while the Autumn in Vermont colors are popping and wedding season is happening. It's really going to be about photography until the world is well and truly frozen for the season, I think!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
New Projects
It's been a while since I updated! We had a booth at the fair, locally. Mostly it was to promote the local photography business I just started, but you can't just sit there and sell pictures (especially at the last minute... maybe I could have, I have a photo printer... hmm...) So, I stocked the booth with paintings and prints because I DO have those to sell!
That's what we pulled together with only a week to do it (which was just stupid, in case you were wondering. You should have months to prepare for this sort of thing. Clearly, we must have had a brain hemorrhage or something.) We broke even with the cost of the booth and the paintings/prints that were sold, so minus the time spent, there was no real loss. Personally, though? It was the wrong venue for art. No question. A learning experience without a doubt, but the wrong spot nonetheless.
I finished several smaller paintings, and I need to photograph them so I can share them. Another thing I need to do... on my list.
Moving forward, I have finally opened up more prints for sale of the paintings. I even have prints of the enchanted forest series. I thought I would be unable to do that, because the paintings are iridescent, and thus you lose so much in a print form that can't shift colors as it does on the original. However, even so, we have found they make some nice prints. So far, I have prints of (and the prints aren't taken from these pictures, they're much different for the process, which you'll notice if you click on them):
Starry
Midnight River
Partly Cloudy
Alone
And some of the earlier paintings like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and more. I love them in the Giclee prints, because of the canvas-like value it gives it. The regular prints came out great too,l though! With my new printer, I am able to offer some new things like keepsake boxes, coasters, tote-bags, and more as well. So, there are two images of each single painting used for different types of reproductions. Hopefully it won't be too confusing. Now, I just need to set up the links on the normal Art Gallery Site. I'm slowly adding to the prints being offered, and I'm happy they're of higher quality, and easier for folks to order since it's just a click-n-go set-up.
Looking forward, beyond the prints, I have a new project (besides the photography), where I plan on working to complete 12 paintings for the Enchanted Forest Series, but with the intention to use them in a calendar. I'm working through how I want to portray each month, and I'm excited about the project in general. At the same time, I'm looking at a second calendar project, which also involves paintings, but probably a bit more "fun" (i.e. I plan on a glittering and wonderful Christmas Tree, and snoozing cats and so on.)
Additionally, I picked up a package of bismuth pieces, and I'm working through on how to use them in my paintings. They're like little pieces of fractal art in themselves. I'm contemplating a castle, perhaps...
Much to do!
That's what we pulled together with only a week to do it (which was just stupid, in case you were wondering. You should have months to prepare for this sort of thing. Clearly, we must have had a brain hemorrhage or something.) We broke even with the cost of the booth and the paintings/prints that were sold, so minus the time spent, there was no real loss. Personally, though? It was the wrong venue for art. No question. A learning experience without a doubt, but the wrong spot nonetheless.I finished several smaller paintings, and I need to photograph them so I can share them. Another thing I need to do... on my list.
Moving forward, I have finally opened up more prints for sale of the paintings. I even have prints of the enchanted forest series. I thought I would be unable to do that, because the paintings are iridescent, and thus you lose so much in a print form that can't shift colors as it does on the original. However, even so, we have found they make some nice prints. So far, I have prints of (and the prints aren't taken from these pictures, they're much different for the process, which you'll notice if you click on them):
Starry
Midnight River
Partly Cloudy
Alone
And some of the earlier paintings like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and more. I love them in the Giclee prints, because of the canvas-like value it gives it. The regular prints came out great too,l though! With my new printer, I am able to offer some new things like keepsake boxes, coasters, tote-bags, and more as well. So, there are two images of each single painting used for different types of reproductions. Hopefully it won't be too confusing. Now, I just need to set up the links on the normal Art Gallery Site. I'm slowly adding to the prints being offered, and I'm happy they're of higher quality, and easier for folks to order since it's just a click-n-go set-up.
Looking forward, beyond the prints, I have a new project (besides the photography), where I plan on working to complete 12 paintings for the Enchanted Forest Series, but with the intention to use them in a calendar. I'm working through how I want to portray each month, and I'm excited about the project in general. At the same time, I'm looking at a second calendar project, which also involves paintings, but probably a bit more "fun" (i.e. I plan on a glittering and wonderful Christmas Tree, and snoozing cats and so on.)
Additionally, I picked up a package of bismuth pieces, and I'm working through on how to use them in my paintings. They're like little pieces of fractal art in themselves. I'm contemplating a castle, perhaps...
Much to do!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Excited!
I really am just so excited right now! With the establishment of my new business, Kyra Wilson Photography, I have had access to a couple different professional printing services. Now, while they do photos, they also offer printing on other stuff. Like canvases and Giclee prints. So, as all fine art prints are taken from a high quality image, I've been playing with the printing service trying to see if they can offer me more options for my fine art prints.
The first printing service I used was a complete dud. The canvas showed up looking like it had been only printed with half the ink and then left in the sun to dry. I wondered if my image just wasn't high quality enough, or something else. But the truth is that I was using the same file that I use for my prints here that are excellent. So, I switched services and then saved up to try it with them.
Well, my order just showed up today, and I cannot be happier! The basic prints were perfect. The canvas print I have is just gorgeous! I have never been able to offer canvas prints before, because the price was so prohibitive and the minimum orders required made it simply impossible. But with this service, they do one at a time orders at a reasonable price, so I will be able to offer not only regular prints - but canvas replicas as well that people can frame just like the original!
It really is exciting for me as it reduces the amount of traveling I have had to make in the past to printers, arguing over colors and print runs, and buying up front in bulk. Now I don't have to tell anyone that I'm sold out of a certain print. Even more, people have long asked me to put together a calendar and maybe some note/post cards. I can do that as well, or create the option for them to create their own set. I knew I could do that through something like Zazzle or CafePress, but I have never been thrilled with the quality of their stuff, which is why I haven't done so before now.
So, while I'm working on expanding my paintings on the "Daylight" portion of my enchanted forest series (by request, I'll soon have a slew of smaller, more affordable ones of the same style and color scheme - the original has sold), I'll also soon be opening a new section on Kyra Wilson Photography, and K. Wilson Studio to offer these new items as well.
Edit: I've opened the new area on Kyra Wilson Photography, featuring the fine art prints. I'll slowly be adding to it as I go along, including new prints of paintings I haven't offered before (like the enchanted forest series.)
The first printing service I used was a complete dud. The canvas showed up looking like it had been only printed with half the ink and then left in the sun to dry. I wondered if my image just wasn't high quality enough, or something else. But the truth is that I was using the same file that I use for my prints here that are excellent. So, I switched services and then saved up to try it with them.
Well, my order just showed up today, and I cannot be happier! The basic prints were perfect. The canvas print I have is just gorgeous! I have never been able to offer canvas prints before, because the price was so prohibitive and the minimum orders required made it simply impossible. But with this service, they do one at a time orders at a reasonable price, so I will be able to offer not only regular prints - but canvas replicas as well that people can frame just like the original!
It really is exciting for me as it reduces the amount of traveling I have had to make in the past to printers, arguing over colors and print runs, and buying up front in bulk. Now I don't have to tell anyone that I'm sold out of a certain print. Even more, people have long asked me to put together a calendar and maybe some note/post cards. I can do that as well, or create the option for them to create their own set. I knew I could do that through something like Zazzle or CafePress, but I have never been thrilled with the quality of their stuff, which is why I haven't done so before now.
So, while I'm working on expanding my paintings on the "Daylight" portion of my enchanted forest series (by request, I'll soon have a slew of smaller, more affordable ones of the same style and color scheme - the original has sold), I'll also soon be opening a new section on Kyra Wilson Photography, and K. Wilson Studio to offer these new items as well.
Edit: I've opened the new area on Kyra Wilson Photography, featuring the fine art prints. I'll slowly be adding to it as I go along, including new prints of paintings I haven't offered before (like the enchanted forest series.)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Dryad
Dryad
(Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped
16 x 20" x .75"
$300
I really like the effect of having the woman (or nymph) in the tree. I like the feel of it. I'm going to take it further with my next painting, and I am already hard at work on it.
The more I paint this series, the more I am playing with the depth of the iridescent paints, and I'm really enjoying some of the new effects I am able to create. I still love that these paintings don't need to be lit (in fact, I would say that they should NOT be lit by any special lights), and that they change throughout the day or evening. I recently took down my paintings from their show, and I confess that many of them are now hanging in my house instead of being stacked in my studio, because I enjoy the colors shifting that much.
(Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped
16 x 20" x .75"
$300
My enchanted forest series has taken a new direction. This painting was an experiment, as I wanted to combine the current series with some of the other themes I enjoy. What resulted is this.
I really like the effect of having the woman (or nymph) in the tree. I like the feel of it. I'm going to take it further with my next painting, and I am already hard at work on it.
The more I paint this series, the more I am playing with the depth of the iridescent paints, and I'm really enjoying some of the new effects I am able to create. I still love that these paintings don't need to be lit (in fact, I would say that they should NOT be lit by any special lights), and that they change throughout the day or evening. I recently took down my paintings from their show, and I confess that many of them are now hanging in my house instead of being stacked in my studio, because I enjoy the colors shifting that much.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Jade
I finished a canvas that has been bothering me for a while now. I wanted to try doing the opposite with the copper/gold trees and purple, and try using my silver and iridescent white paint... the only color I could think of that would look contrasting as a backdrop was red.
But it turns out that silver trees just look like dead trees. I grew up in Colorado and there were always areas of the forest that died, and when that happened the birch and the aspens were silver. I was painting dead trees. Ugh.
So, I set the canvas aside. It's probably been over a year now, and it has been sitting in the corner of the studio... mocking me. I finally decided to tackle it when I came across my iridescent green paint, and this was the result:
Jade (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
11 x 14" x 1.5"
$150
The sun is iridescent gold and copper, and textured. The forest, in person, looks like it's made out of jade, which is really pretty neat. The red was very hard on my eyes while I was painting, though. I won't be doing another one like this, although I think I will use the jade-tree-look again. I find that this painting has an... aggressive feel to it. Not the usual peaceful feeling I normally create for myself with my paintings.
I have gone back to my purple backdrops and fiery trees, but I have a new slant that I am really excited about. I should have the first painting of my new direction finished in a few days. I'm excited about the way it's already turning out!
But it turns out that silver trees just look like dead trees. I grew up in Colorado and there were always areas of the forest that died, and when that happened the birch and the aspens were silver. I was painting dead trees. Ugh.
So, I set the canvas aside. It's probably been over a year now, and it has been sitting in the corner of the studio... mocking me. I finally decided to tackle it when I came across my iridescent green paint, and this was the result:
Jade (Enchanted Forest series)Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
11 x 14" x 1.5"
$150
I have gone back to my purple backdrops and fiery trees, but I have a new slant that I am really excited about. I should have the first painting of my new direction finished in a few days. I'm excited about the way it's already turning out!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
A Narrow View
I just finished this smaller painting:
Narrow View (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
12" x 6" x 1.5"
$200
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
12" x 6" x 1.5"
$200
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Daylight
Last night, while trying to stay up so the Easter Bunny didn't fail to make an appearance, I finished a painting I've been working on for a while. A friend asked to see my current Enchanted Forest series with a daylight/pastel theme. So, I went ahead and gave it a go:
"Daylight"
Enchanted Forest series
Acrylic, Metallic/Iridescent
Gallery Wrapped, Shallow
16" x 20"x .75"
$300
The color changes from one side of the painting in the trees to the other is an affect of the lighting. The trees are actually the same, but different lighting conditions will bring out different colors throughout the day and evening.
To be honest... I'm not in love with it. I like my deep purple hues with contrasting fiery iridescents. I actually struggled with this painting, because normally I get lost in the canvas. I can lose myself in it, and I suppose it's a sort of... meditation. I've never been one for meditation, I can't even get through a whole session of yoga without going "Come Ooooooooon!!!!!" Running is the closest I get to being earth bound and quiet.
Well, except for when I paint, as it turns out. I found this painting intrusive, rather than relaxing. Stressful. My husband likes it, and we'll see if my friend likes it, but for myself? I don't think I'll be creating another with the same bright lines.
I'm going to paint a smaller purple one, just to set myself back at ease.
I actually have plans to start incorporating a few other familiar concepts into this series, with a plan for a very large painting with a figure in it. We'll see how it turns out!
"Daylight"Enchanted Forest series
Acrylic, Metallic/Iridescent
Gallery Wrapped, Shallow
16" x 20"x .75"
$300
The color changes from one side of the painting in the trees to the other is an affect of the lighting. The trees are actually the same, but different lighting conditions will bring out different colors throughout the day and evening.
To be honest... I'm not in love with it. I like my deep purple hues with contrasting fiery iridescents. I actually struggled with this painting, because normally I get lost in the canvas. I can lose myself in it, and I suppose it's a sort of... meditation. I've never been one for meditation, I can't even get through a whole session of yoga without going "Come Ooooooooon!!!!!" Running is the closest I get to being earth bound and quiet.
Well, except for when I paint, as it turns out. I found this painting intrusive, rather than relaxing. Stressful. My husband likes it, and we'll see if my friend likes it, but for myself? I don't think I'll be creating another with the same bright lines.
I'm going to paint a smaller purple one, just to set myself back at ease.
I actually have plans to start incorporating a few other familiar concepts into this series, with a plan for a very large painting with a figure in it. We'll see how it turns out!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Lily
I finished the painting that was bugging me earlier.
I'm glad it's done, but my husband absolutely hates it. Well, you can't win them all I suppose. The truth is that it's fine when someone doesn't like my art. Heck, I don't always like my art either. What is interesting is that only one person has to like it enough to want to keep it. It's just about what speaks to you, and that is independent of everyone else.
It's funny how artists use art to define themselves, but it's really the buyer who is expressing their own unique qualities by what they select for their own collections. This is what always makes the critics who try to psychoanalyze an artist through their art rather interesting... I always wonder what they have hanging on their walls.
I actually kind of like the lilies. I may have to experiment with them, away from the Enchanted series. Maybe go back to my swirly skies... I might actually start playing with something tomorrow with this. Lilies can be a bit monotonous, but they're just kinda cool too. No wonder Monet payed them such tribute.
I'm glad it's done, but my husband absolutely hates it. Well, you can't win them all I suppose. The truth is that it's fine when someone doesn't like my art. Heck, I don't always like my art either. What is interesting is that only one person has to like it enough to want to keep it. It's just about what speaks to you, and that is independent of everyone else.
It's funny how artists use art to define themselves, but it's really the buyer who is expressing their own unique qualities by what they select for their own collections. This is what always makes the critics who try to psychoanalyze an artist through their art rather interesting... I always wonder what they have hanging on their walls.
I actually kind of like the lilies. I may have to experiment with them, away from the Enchanted series. Maybe go back to my swirly skies... I might actually start playing with something tomorrow with this. Lilies can be a bit monotonous, but they're just kinda cool too. No wonder Monet payed them such tribute.
Awry
Today, I hit a roadblock with my painting I mentioned earlier that has similar characteristic to Alone. My intention was to create a strong reflection in the water, and thus create a Tree of Life look to it. But everything I try, in order to achieve the reflection looks... wrong. It's seriously annoying me.
Worse, I have a huge area of water - much larger than Alone - to deal with. I'm switching tracks. I'm looking into adding lily-pads... and anything else I can come up with. I hate messing up a painting. It doesn't happen often, so I find I have a lack of patience when it does. Unfortunately, it's been happening more frequently than I would like. This would make the third painting in a recent string that has gone awry.
I started in on the pastel version of the Enchanted series, and it's not going well either. *sigh* Sometimes I have days where I wish I had someone more to yell at than my paint brushes and my own two hands.
Worse, I have a huge area of water - much larger than Alone - to deal with. I'm switching tracks. I'm looking into adding lily-pads... and anything else I can come up with. I hate messing up a painting. It doesn't happen often, so I find I have a lack of patience when it does. Unfortunately, it's been happening more frequently than I would like. This would make the third painting in a recent string that has gone awry.
I started in on the pastel version of the Enchanted series, and it's not going well either. *sigh* Sometimes I have days where I wish I had someone more to yell at than my paint brushes and my own two hands.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sideways
It's funny how life can sideline you when it comes to getting things done. I came down with some sort of cold-flu thing, and even though I had all that motivation to get rolling on my work, I instead found myself laying on the floor and doing nothing but snuggling with my tissue box and reminiscing over the days when I could breath like a normal person.
Fortunately, my head is still in the game. I have a bigger painting that is similar to Alone, but about twice the size - and I'm contemplating really making the reflection stand out like the tree of life symbols do, and perhaps a few birds in the branches... we'll see. Anyway, I have plans to work on that today, and if I am able to actually work - I believe I can have this painting finished by the end of the weekend.
Which is good, because I have a joint effort painting with a friend and fellow artist (Chris Edmunds) that I need to work on. Chris plays with perspective and generally just has a lot of fun with his art. This is a picture of the first painting we did together, which is in my own collection:
And now I'm working on something similar (but much larger), for their own collection.
Lastly, I am going to try taking my current enchanted forest series into a pastel colored direction (briefly, because I really enjoy the vibrant striking colors and contrast that I get with the dark blues and purples) for a friend and see how it comes out. She really liked this painting:
(Enchanted, Sold, No prints)
Which was actually my first venture into my enchanted forest direction. This is where I started, and you can see where it has evolved and shifted into what it is now. I'm not entirely certain I can use metallic paint with the pastel colors, because they really are about the contrast between light and dark. So, I may have to try a few things to see what I can come up with.
Off to my brushes!
Fortunately, my head is still in the game. I have a bigger painting that is similar to Alone, but about twice the size - and I'm contemplating really making the reflection stand out like the tree of life symbols do, and perhaps a few birds in the branches... we'll see. Anyway, I have plans to work on that today, and if I am able to actually work - I believe I can have this painting finished by the end of the weekend.
Which is good, because I have a joint effort painting with a friend and fellow artist (Chris Edmunds) that I need to work on. Chris plays with perspective and generally just has a lot of fun with his art. This is a picture of the first painting we did together, which is in my own collection:
And now I'm working on something similar (but much larger), for their own collection.
Lastly, I am going to try taking my current enchanted forest series into a pastel colored direction (briefly, because I really enjoy the vibrant striking colors and contrast that I get with the dark blues and purples) for a friend and see how it comes out. She really liked this painting:
(Enchanted, Sold, No prints)Off to my brushes!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Restrictions
When I first started out in art, it was all about "more". If I started a drawing, and it went wrong, I just flipped to the next page. I started over. It didn't matter if my bedroom was littered with crumpled papers, because it was OK to start over. But that was only pencil and paper.
When you graduate to something like paint, you start risking more. It's expensive. So, you start conserving. Planning. You spend more time envisioning than you do actually working on a piece. You can literally sit around all day, and when someone says you did nothing that day you can argue that they're wrong. Because while your body was still, your mind was at work sketching, and erasing, and layering, and chipping, and starting over a hundred times until you had it right. Or at least going in the right direction, enough so that you could actually approach the canvas without guilt and worry overcoming you.
It's a process that not everyone uses, but many of my friends do. I can honestly say that out of the last hundred or so canvases I have begun, only two have been a loss. Not every painting was worth hanging, but they were as I intended at the time... for the most part (art isn't something you can just dictate. It's organic. It's sort of slippery, like water. You can try to direct where it goes, but at times it simply has a mind of its own.) So, I restricted myself to only paintings I knew would generally come out right.
By another seemingly unrelated turn, for many years I worked only in black and white. Color is the first thing every person reaches for, but it's far harder to use correctly than working in strict shades of gray. I didn't touch color for the longest time, not because I didn't love it, but because I was afraid of it. Of creating something worthless, or worse - costly and worthless.
I'm not sure why, but for the longest time I have struggled with creating junk. It doesn't matter that no one would care. That making a whole slew of junk might even be a good thing, a necessary process sometimes. It is... wasteful.
Lately, I have found myself wound into tighter and tighter circles, holding myself back. The best example would be my online gallery; in all those paintings there is one that looks like a game of "which one is not like the other?" The boy sleeping on the moon, while different from the other works, is not unique. I seem to have two styles, one that works for contemporary endeavors, and one that runs just a wee bit on the cliche side.
And let me tell you, cliche can be fun as hell. I have written and illustrated a children's book, on a project for charity that was unfortunately dropped due to a change in program. The children's book gave me the latitude to create on that level. It was going to go somewhere, so it was acceptable to play around and make goofy kitsch-like compositions.
I have had many people ask why I don't sell postcards and calendars of my contemporary work. The answer is that I just never got around to looking into it. But lately? I've been looking into it, and I am happy to say that I'll soon be offering those requested cards and calendars featuring my work.
But as I was thinking about the calendar, I realized that I may have to do two. The reason being not that I just have so much work, but because I would really like to play. To make pictures with a calendar in mind, no matter how cheesy (I love making Christmas pictures, for example) would be a lot of fun.
I think I have forgotten how to play with my art. It's been enjoyable, but... well, I suppose it's like being a grown-up verses being a kid. As a kid, you get recess and the opportunity to run around like a lunatic and hang off of things like monkey-bars without feeling any embarrassment (assuming you don't fall on your head, which I did do a time or two.) As an adult, you can still run about - but you are expected to do it with dignity, to find a sport, or activity generally accepted as a "hobby" by the grown-up-playground at large.
Maybe this will only create a whole lot of junk. Trash, even. It could happen. But I recently sold a painting, I'm already in the green (or the black?) this year business-wise, and I could take the money and set it aside for "junk", and not feel guilty about my economic success with my business.
Yes, I think I will. It really is time for a recess. Long past time.
Besides, I always have the fire pit in the back yard if anything truly hideous results from my efforts.
When you graduate to something like paint, you start risking more. It's expensive. So, you start conserving. Planning. You spend more time envisioning than you do actually working on a piece. You can literally sit around all day, and when someone says you did nothing that day you can argue that they're wrong. Because while your body was still, your mind was at work sketching, and erasing, and layering, and chipping, and starting over a hundred times until you had it right. Or at least going in the right direction, enough so that you could actually approach the canvas without guilt and worry overcoming you.
It's a process that not everyone uses, but many of my friends do. I can honestly say that out of the last hundred or so canvases I have begun, only two have been a loss. Not every painting was worth hanging, but they were as I intended at the time... for the most part (art isn't something you can just dictate. It's organic. It's sort of slippery, like water. You can try to direct where it goes, but at times it simply has a mind of its own.) So, I restricted myself to only paintings I knew would generally come out right.
By another seemingly unrelated turn, for many years I worked only in black and white. Color is the first thing every person reaches for, but it's far harder to use correctly than working in strict shades of gray. I didn't touch color for the longest time, not because I didn't love it, but because I was afraid of it. Of creating something worthless, or worse - costly and worthless.
I'm not sure why, but for the longest time I have struggled with creating junk. It doesn't matter that no one would care. That making a whole slew of junk might even be a good thing, a necessary process sometimes. It is... wasteful.
Lately, I have found myself wound into tighter and tighter circles, holding myself back. The best example would be my online gallery; in all those paintings there is one that looks like a game of "which one is not like the other?" The boy sleeping on the moon, while different from the other works, is not unique. I seem to have two styles, one that works for contemporary endeavors, and one that runs just a wee bit on the cliche side.
And let me tell you, cliche can be fun as hell. I have written and illustrated a children's book, on a project for charity that was unfortunately dropped due to a change in program. The children's book gave me the latitude to create on that level. It was going to go somewhere, so it was acceptable to play around and make goofy kitsch-like compositions.
I have had many people ask why I don't sell postcards and calendars of my contemporary work. The answer is that I just never got around to looking into it. But lately? I've been looking into it, and I am happy to say that I'll soon be offering those requested cards and calendars featuring my work.
But as I was thinking about the calendar, I realized that I may have to do two. The reason being not that I just have so much work, but because I would really like to play. To make pictures with a calendar in mind, no matter how cheesy (I love making Christmas pictures, for example) would be a lot of fun.
I think I have forgotten how to play with my art. It's been enjoyable, but... well, I suppose it's like being a grown-up verses being a kid. As a kid, you get recess and the opportunity to run around like a lunatic and hang off of things like monkey-bars without feeling any embarrassment (assuming you don't fall on your head, which I did do a time or two.) As an adult, you can still run about - but you are expected to do it with dignity, to find a sport, or activity generally accepted as a "hobby" by the grown-up-playground at large.
Maybe this will only create a whole lot of junk. Trash, even. It could happen. But I recently sold a painting, I'm already in the green (or the black?) this year business-wise, and I could take the money and set it aside for "junk", and not feel guilty about my economic success with my business.
Yes, I think I will. It really is time for a recess. Long past time.
Besides, I always have the fire pit in the back yard if anything truly hideous results from my efforts.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Website!
We finally relaunched the website for www.KWilsonStudio.com.
It looks pretty much the same, but there is no flash animation involved anymore, and every picture takes you to a specific page with the painting you wanted to see on it.
It's rather ironic how backing off the fancy technology is actually the better choice for a slicker website design for an art gallery. The upside to all of this is that the site is easy for me to edit and update with new paintings as they are finished. All in all, it should take a lot less time to load for everyone else, be a lot easier to look at what you want to (and easier to purchase, although contact through email will still have to happen.)
I'll still post here... as a matter of fact, I am contemplating restarting my art-blogging. Of course, life always seems to creep in, because that's just who I am. And frankly? Art without life influencing it is pretty darn boring anyway.
It's rather ironic how backing off the fancy technology is actually the better choice for a slicker website design for an art gallery. The upside to all of this is that the site is easy for me to edit and update with new paintings as they are finished. All in all, it should take a lot less time to load for everyone else, be a lot easier to look at what you want to (and easier to purchase, although contact through email will still have to happen.)
I'll still post here... as a matter of fact, I am contemplating restarting my art-blogging. Of course, life always seems to creep in, because that's just who I am. And frankly? Art without life influencing it is pretty darn boring anyway.
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