Stu's Clues

Giclees & Reproductions

2008-07-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

The debate over reproductions of an artists original work has been going on for years. One of my galleries was selling a ton of giclees and offered (or rather tried to convince) me to get copies of my work made. I resisted the temptation of a quick and easy buck and decided to only sell original work. My decision definitely cost me sales in the gallery, but I walked away feeling confident about my decision and about my work.

Many artists have jumped headlong into the reproduction market because of the money that can potentially be made. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with their decision, but there are some important factors to consider before doing so.

One of the most important factors to consider is the clients perception of the giclee, reproduction or limited edition print. Many clients believe that they are actually buying a work of art that will increase in value overtime. This will never happen with a giclee, a reproduction or a limited edition print. Only the original work of art will increase in value over time.

Unfortunately many artists are more interested in the royalty checks than in maintaining their credibility as artists. I do understand the importance of making money from our work, however the impact of the reproduction market on the perception of our work can be quite devastating. On one side we all are trying to get fair market value for our work and to be taken seriously, and on the other side the reproduction market can begin selling poor quality copies of your work in the big box stores for $25 dollars. This can ruin all future gallery opportunities for any serious artist.

Like everything else in the art world there are many differing opinions on the subject. Many artists have absolutely no problems with selling reproductions of their works. After all one just has to visit any museum store to see the vast array of reproductions available for purchase. The difference however is that everyone knows they are buying a "reproduction" and the prices for these copies remain quite reasonable. I get more than a little leery when I hear the sales pitches and see Giclees, reproductions or limited edition prints being sold for thousands of dollars.

What a lot of artists don't see is how their decision to explore the reproduction market impacts peoples perception of art in general. They don't see that offering "cheaper" alternatives to the real thing, undercuts the sale of the real thing. The same goes for artists selling their works for under fair market value. They are not only hurting others but hurting themselves.

Many art clubs are having to face the choice of allowing or disallowing "reproductions" in the exhibitions they organise. If they decide to allow the exhibition of the "copies" that decision impacts the artists who decide to show originals, especially if there are huge discrepancies in prices.

The artists who have chosen to sell "copies" of their works seem to be the most vocal and are quick to "sell" others on the idea of marketing their work this way. They are quick to leap to their own defence, and I cannot blame them for doing so, because those who have chosen not to remain the silent majority.

A sense of community

2008-07-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest tragedies is the demise of an art community. We've seen it time and time again throughout history. We've witnessed attempts to "rebuild" yet the new community is never quite the same.

Artists seem to simply move on, retreat into their studios or at the very least disperse into smaller groups. It takes a great deal of time and energy to build a community. One of the underlying factors is the fact that everyone has to want one.

What a lot of us fail to recognize is that most of the great art movements came about because their was a thriving community. People shared, discussed and debated the very nature of what they were doing. One artist would introduce another artist to his or her dealer or gallery. Artists would organise shows together and share materials.

There was a thriving community here in Montreal in the early eighties. There are very few remnants of it left. Many artists have moved down the 401 to explore richer pastures. Many of the founding artists are older or have passed away. Step by step all of their hard work is being erased. Just look at what happened at the Saidye Bronfman Centre school of Fine Arts.

I know...old hat.

That being said I've decided to try to bring people together through the development of an online community. It is in it's "embryonic" stage at the moment, so I have no idea where it's going to go. A community is only as strong as its members, so I am looking to add a few...:)

So drop by Le Café des Artistes. Sign up...share your ideas, your artwork, your exhibitions and whatever else comes to mind. You can choose either English or French when you sign up. I will add other languages as needed as well.

Let's build a thriving global artists community!

The nature of what we do (part two)

2008-07-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

"Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees”

~Marcel Proust~

One of the many things I enjoy about making art is the dialogue that it generates. Art truly is a universal language. So much can be communicated through colour, line, shape and gesture. An interesting fact about the process is that not everyone sees what we intend them to see. Some of our viewers may see our work in an entirely different light. If we are open minded about our work this new information can feed our creativity and move it in new directions.

Does our viewers inability to grasp our meaning in our work mean that we have failed as artists? Not at all. Each of us have our own different life experiences that influence how we feel about what we are seeing. A viewer may not see something in our work because he or she has not experienced what we have. Occasionally our work will trigger an entirely different experience in every individual.

Eventually we may become our work, meaning that people may begin to perceive who you are by the kind of work you produce. In other words you become typecast by the work you produce. People may begin to see a "soul" in your work as I mentioned in yesterday's post, but it just may not be your "soul". This may happen when we "intellectualize" and project our ideas, thoughts and views into our work. We may have strong feelings on a given topic and decide to paint them, when in fact the paintings are not about us, but are in fact about an "idea".

I believe when our viewer has a hard time separating us from our work we have arrived as artists. When the lines become blurred and we are "judged" as our work is judged it is an artists "baptism of fire". It is the moment when the work surpasses it's creator.

This moment can be a very trying one for us, because "we" may be nothing like our work. Interpretations of our work may be thrust upon us which we dislike, and the feelings or interpretations of our work may not match the person we really are. We may begin to hear "whisperings" about who we are based on what other people may see in what we do. This is a process for which actors are more accustomed. When an actor creates a character so convincingly it is sometimes hard for the audience to let go of that association. Once again I think that this is a sign of extraordinary talent.

The ability to move "the work" to this level requires the artist to immerse herself /himself completely in the creative process. It requires us to "let go" and to become our work.

If done successfully our work will become us.

Nature of what we do

2008-07-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

~Henry Ward Beecher~

What makes a work of art great?

I believe that this happens when the artist is able to tap into something far deeper than the superficial. There are many gifted "copyists" in the world making works that mimic the world that surrounds us, yet very few of their works speak to us on a deeper level.

How does one find "meaning" in what we do?

It is through daily practice and immersing ourselves in our subject and a comprehensive understanding the reasons behind our imagery. This understanding what we are doing is the first step of many. Being able to work through "our stuff" is a learnt ability and cannot be taught. A meaningful work of art requires us to be courageous enough to put a little bit of of our soul into our work for all to see.

Happy creativity!

Art stories

2008-07-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Besides all the technical pressures we put on ourselves on a daily basis, we also have many other unseen pressures to contend with as artists. These pressures eventually catch up with us and invariably give us a full blown case of artists block.

What exactly is an artists block?

Simply put...not creating anything we feel good about.

Julia Cameron says that artists block is caused by perfectionism, self-sabotage, a deep rooted belief that we don't deserve to be as successful as others and undue creative pressures...like having to create something great every time we pick up our brush...something greater than Little Johnny our arch rival....heh-heh-heh

Unfortunately Art is not a sport where there is a clear winner and loser. There aren't any benchmarks. Just because someone is in a gallery doesn't necessarily guarantee that they are a great artist, nor does one not being in a gallery represent failure. Art just doesn't work that way. If there is no "real" competition you'd figure that everyone would be supportive and encouraging.

Nope.

Many struggling artists run in what I like to call "wolf packs". The ranks of these groups tend to be filled with snarling, half-starved "friends" who are completely disillusioned and angry with the art world. When they aren't bashing other artists, the art world and galleries, they are subtly taking swipes at each other. There are clear leaders within the group, an "inner circle" and a different level for the other members the group...sort of sounds like high school doesn't it?....*Cheshire grin*

If you are "running" in just such a group isn't this just another form of self-sabotage? After all it is such a discouraging and *hopeless* environment for anyone to find themselves in. When you hear nothing but negativity it's very hard to believe that there is anything else out there. After a while we simply stop trying to get anywhere and resign ourselves to living within the "pack". We are more often than not too close to our "wolf pack" to see the disastrous effects that our associations are having on our creativity. Who likes to be alone? Misery does love company doesn't it?

It is far better to work amongst peers who are working constructively with each other. Believe me when I say that such groups do exist. They are just harder to find.

One of the first steps you have to make is to ask yourself who you are creating your work for. Is it for the "wolf pack" you are in or is it for yourself? Are you creating work simply to fit in to what the others within your group view as art so as not to draw their wrath upon yourself? Some of the answers may lie at a very subconscious level. What would happen if you found yourself suddenly all alone? What kind of art would you be making then?

Think about it.

Protecting ones creativity is key.

Notes on Art and Abstraction

2008-07-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

"I’m not an abstractionist. I’m not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom,and so on."

~Mark Rothko~

There has always been a great deal of fist shaking and finger-pointing being done in the arts. Any new form of expression is at the root of many angry debates. One cannot have a discussion about any art form without first having a discussion about the nature and the purpose of the art being made. There is the issue of Art for Art's Sake and on the other polar opposite the far right wing view that are must uplift the nation. There have always been different opinions as to what constitutes good art and what constitutes bad art.

The general view is that artists are more open to new ideas and modes of thought . Historically artists and the arts have been at the forefront of many a revolution. Ironically more often than is a failed artist who begins to dictate the terms and conditions of what constitutes a work of art. An example of this can be found in the words of one of the most infamous of failed artists, Adolf Hitler. His views on what was and wasn't art were very clear in his mind.

"As for the degenerate artists, I forbid them to force their so-called experiences upon the public. If they do see fields blue, they are deranged, and should go to an asylum. If they only pretend to see them blue, they are criminals, and should go to prison. I will purge the nation of them."

I get very nervous when I start hearing blanket statements coming from anyone concerning style or form of expression the arts whether they be pro or con. I get equally nervous when I see and hear resistance to experimentation and a the favoring of one form of artistic expression over another. I am not a proponent of state sponsored art support either.

Hardliners are scary individuals...pure and simple.

Abstraction still stirs debate amongst artists and art lovers alike. The biggest question that faces "abstractionists" is why the heck they do it. Lets face it Realism (a.k.a illusionism) is a very hard thing for everyone to give up, especially the more conservative amoungst us. For the new artist it brings compliments, accolades and groupies when they start getting it right.

Who in their right mind would want to give up all that?

You don't have to if you don't want to. Whatever floats your boat is fine by me.

I do encourage the more open minded to start thinking about new ways to approach your painting and to begin to experiment with abstraction. You will quickly see that it is the logical next step for most serious painters. Although abstraction on the surface may appear simple it is not. An in depth understanding of chiaroscuro, colour, technique and compositional theory as well as your materials are a must.

Just have fun and see where it leads you!

My work

2008-07-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Like many artists I'm worried about what is going to happen to the oodles and oodles of work I've created over the years and justifiably so. The "hefty bag" syndrome is very much alive and I'm afraid. What is the "hefty bag" syndrome you ask? Well that's when upon an artists death, the family takes the initiative to introduce the artists work to the local refuse disposal facility.

Like many younger artists I view myself as indestructible and immortal....but alas immortal I am not.

As a businessman I see lots of stuff that needs to be taken care of and accounted for part of which is planning for my own inevitable demise. Leaving clear instructions concerning how your work will be disposed of is essential for any artist. Making it easier for those you leave behind is a thoughtful consideration as well. The hefty bag solves your heirs tax issues immediately, however with proper planning such drastic measures may not have to be taken.

It would be a shame that my life's work end as fertilizer or as a pretty bonfire. This inevitability is only far more certain if I don't take steps to ensure that I am leaving someone behind who actually gives a (insert your own bad word here) about the stuff I do and/or a structure that administrates my vision for the work.

Either way something has to be done now.

This is yet again another stay tuned topic.

It looks like I'll be hiring shortly

Summer Reading

2008-07-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

I picked up Sue Roe's "The private lives of the impressionists" and I am thoughly enjoying it. I'm about half way through and have a hard time putting it down. As usual I have "other" books underway as well, some "just for fun" and others as part of my ongoing "research"...

One thing about technology, it's no replacement for a good book....

Notes on Creativity

2008-06-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

“Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.”

~Tina Turner~

What makes an artist create?

One just has to take a look at history to see that out of the millions of artists on the planet at any one given time, only a handful succeed in making a name for themselves. Very few indeed are a financial success. Many have been shunned by their families and society as a whole yet they still showed up at the easel and created very beautiful works of art.

Creativity or at true creativity comes with one's ability to let go according to Ms. Turner. Being able to let go is no easy task. You would think that with years of experience it would be easier. But it is not.

I hear many younger artists say "If I only had a studio I could paint" or "if I had more money I would be able to make more art". Having a studio never guarantees an artist creativity, nor does having money. What does guarantees creativity and success at is one's ability to be present in the now and the ability to let go.

Part of letting go is getting rid of the preconcieved notions of what an artist is. There are no nice little labels or descriptions to assign to an artist. There are no standards of behavior nor of lifestyle. There is this nasty little myth that says an artist has to "suffer" for his/her work and what a load of crap it is. Why suffer when you'll get more done when you're not suffering? Once again suffering is just another lame ass excuse for not being an artist. No studio, not the right materials, not inspired...I must suffer before I can produce something really meaningful are simply excuses not to be creative.

I tell people you just have to "do it". Spread some large sheets of plastic on your apartments floors and walls and just do it. Stake out your corner of a room and just do it. Work on your balcony and just do it.

Nothing much has ever been achieved by just talking about doing stuff. You actually have to get your behind up of the couch to do that.

Just do it....

Pigments

2008-06-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

"They'll sell you thousands of greens. Veronese green and emerald green and cadmium green and any sort of green you like; but that particular green, never."

~Pablo Picasso~

Enter any reputable art store, go to the paint tube rack and you instantly face a dilemma.

What colour do I need? What colour should I choose?

And where do all the colours come from?

Without getting into too much detail the "colours" are made from pigments from a variety of sources.

Here is a very basic explanation of the differences:

Inorganic pigments:

These pigments are coloured insoluble minerals. They are considered very durable for most painting applications.

Natural Metallic Mineral colours: These pigments contain iron and other metals that can be blended or heated or chemically treated to create different hues. There is a very wide selection of colours to choose from these sources.
Natural Earth colours: These too are made from some very basic minerals or ores, of which some may have been altered as well through such things as heating or chemicals to produce different hues. They tend to be a little dull in finish and more often than not a little transparent.
Synthetic mineral pigments: These are duplicates of naturally based mineral pigments that have been reproduced in a laboratory.

Organic Pigments:

These pigments come from non-mineral sources.

Synthetic Organic Pigments: These are duplicates of naturally based organic pigments that have been reproduced in a laboratory.
Plant derived pigments: The title says it all. Some pigments are made from plant and vegetable sources. They tend to be very unstable and not as durable.
Animal derived pigments: These pigments are made from extracting pigments from animal remains. Colours like Bone Black (made from charred bones), Carmine (made from the dead body of an insect) Sepia (made from the ink of squids) just to give you some examples. These pigments tend to be very unstable and not as durable. Because some of these practices have now been banned and the colours have been replaced by synthetic pigments.

Once again knowing what you are working with is key. Making art should never be a haphazard assemblage of materials you don't understand, especially if you are serious about your art. The longevity of your work and it's stability are very important, more so that many other artists will tell you.

Outside the box...

2008-06-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

"There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun."

~Pablo Picasso~

In art school I was told that a painter over the age of thirty very rarely creates something new because more often than not an artist gets trapped by style and subject when his/her work begins to sell. Many galleries demand that an artist develop a certain style and produce similar work to fill their walls.

When your work begins to get noticed and you are appreciated by the public for the first time in your life it becomes increasingly difficult to move in another direction. Let's face it who really wants to struggle all their life?

On the flip side, an artist who's work causes nothing but scandal and judgement with every brushstroke gets tired of defending himself/herself continually. Being in a negative light may be fun in your twenties but may not be as much fun after 30 years of doing battle in the public eye. In this case an artist may decide to throw in the towel and simply paint like everyone else.

When we first begin to paint we learn very quickly that certain kinds of art bring us praise and that realism is king. That why many artists choose not to venture into any kind of self-expression or abstraction. We like to be told that we are gifted and one sure way to guarantee that we get a daily dose of it is to stick to what we know will bring us oodles of it. Many realists justify their toeing the "illusionist" line with outwards hostility towards all forms of art that are not realism. We hear such things as "there have been no great painters since Bouguereau" slipping from the lips of a painter who is in fact living "after" the master...heh-heh-heh

The problem with pure abstraction is that the viewer really has nothing to compare your picture with. Your painting is something entirely new and either they like what you have done or they don't and it's more often the later. Abstraction based on a recognisable subject gets the artist in hot water as well. As in the quote above either it's a yellow spot or it's the sun. For example if you decide to paint the sun red, your viewer might simply say that the sun isn't red and won't move on or get what you are trying to do on the picture plane. Because you didn't paint the sun yellow you are therefore a bad artist.

But that's their problem...

I encourage everyone to experiment in your daily work because I simply don't think it is natural for an artists work not to evolve and change. The changes may be subtle or they may be radical. What is important in our work is that we are learning new tricks and applying them to our vision of the world.

Priorities, Objectives and Deadlines...

2008-06-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has spent any time in the Corporate world knows that these words are at the core of the business world. You also know that if you are going to have any success in business you have to have to know what has to be done (objective), it's order of importance (priority) and when it has to be finished (deadline).

Whether you like it or not, making art is a business and being able to manage your business is essential. I know that the notion of art being a business doesn't fly with a lot of people. Most have fallen for the romantic vision of the misunderstood impoverished artist struggling just to get by. Most artists have fallen in love with this romantic vision of themselves.

Romance sell many books. If one believes in the notion of conspiracy theories, perhaps this myth has been kept alive by the higher echelons of the art world to keep artists in a less advantageous financial situation. After all power and wealth walk hand in hand.

As an artist ask yourself the following questions:

What are your objectives?
What are your priorities?
When do they have to be completed?

These three questions can apply to most everything we do as artists. Grant applications, exhibition proposals, meeting with galleries, and OUR WORK!

Honest Self-Assessment is a must for anyone contemplating a life in the arts. Each of us must start by taking an honest look at our strengths and our weaknesses and making the necessary corrections. Once we have a clear view of our individual objectives then we have to start prioritizing and setting our deadlines...

Somewhere in there we have to remain true creatively as well.

Artists who have mastered all of this are the ones who are making a living in the arts.

Sketchbook-ing

2008-06-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Summer is the perfect time for us to start thinking about carrying a sketchbook around with us. Most of us think of the sketchbook as something we used in art school and that once we're out of school we don't need them anymore. It's a huge mistake to never pick them up again.

One of my mentors carried one his whole life. The sketchbook he would proclaim in a loud voice "is not great art but where all great art comes from". There is no pressure to be great in the pages of the sketchbook. It is in a great many ways a very private exploration of that which interests us.

How many of us buy new sketchbooks with only the best attentions only to have them gather dust in some corner someplace?

As an instructor I will be insisting that everyone working with me have one from this point forward.

If I was to write a addendum for visual artists to Julia Cameron's book "The Artist's Way" I would make sure everyone would be doing morning pages in their sketchbook...3 pages of drawing everyday...

Dust off your sketchbooks....have fun...play

Enjoy the creative freedom that can be found in between the pages

Palettes

2008-06-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

A visit to any art store offers the artist many choices of surfaces on which to mix his/her paint. There are paper palettes, plastic palettes, porcelain coated steel ones, glass palettes and of course there are your traditional wooden palettes.

The handheld wooden ones are what most of us are most familiar with. Several years ago they were sold in a "ready to use" state, however in most cases today they need a little prep work before you can actually start using them. There are a few basic steps to get a palette ready to use. First you may have to sand the surface a little to remove any rough areas. The traditional way of priming your palette would be to take a little of your linseed oil and rub it into the surface of the new palette and to repeat it as necessary to help seal the surface of the wood. When doing this remember to correctly dispose of your linseed covered rags because they have been known to auto-combust. In a previously mentioned tip I suggested that you wet your rags with water immediately after finishing with them and prior to disposing of them. An alternate and completely viable solution would be to rub a little liquin into the surface of your wooden palette. It doesn't pose the same hazard with rag disposal and does give the artist a great surface to mix paint on.

To clean a wooden palette one simply has to scrap off all excess oil paint and wipe the palette down with a rag. Overtime your palette will develop a grey-ish patina which actually is far superior than a white palette when attempting to do colour matching.

The tear-off paper variety of palette are great when attending art classes because of their apparent easier clean-up, however I have found the traditional palette just as simple to clean up with the added bonus of it being a better colour mixing surface.

For my acrylic painters I suggest that you invest in a wet palette. Although some of my colleagues will say that they are an unnecessary added cost to the art student , in the long run a wet palette will pay for itself because you will waste less paint because of it's retardant qualities. Paint kept on a wet palette has been known to remain wet and usable for several hours if not several days.

Why is traditional gesso white?

2008-06-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

An interesting fact about oil painting is that over time the glazed areas of our work become more and more transparent. Some experts say that even the more opaque areas of our work tend to do the same over time. Technically speaking this would mean that our oil paintings done over a traditional white gesso surface will actually brighten with time. This is one reason (besides the nature of the material) as to why gesso is white.

If we take a step outside our "traditional" box and think about the many possibilities available to the artist today thanks to new developments in surface preparation and acrylic technology, we can start thinking about how our work will age vis-a-vis the ground and the gesso colour we lay down under our layers of paint. For instance, Golden makes a black gesso. If we decide to put black gesso on our substrate instead of our traditional white this would technically mean that our painting would not lighten but darken over time. What if we coloured our gesso a different colour?

Most of us want our work to brighten not darken. After all our work gets exposed to dirt and grime of many varieties which tend to darken it anyways.

The thought of being able to manipulate a painting over time has a great deal of appeal however no one of this generation will be around to enjoy the effect.

Understanding the process

2008-06-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most important things for all artists to understand is how to put all the ingredients that make a work of art together. To do this successfully all artists must become students of art. We must look at how other artists make their works as well as come to an understanding of their processes. To do this I encourage everyone to look at as much art as possible and whenever possible study originals and not reproductions.

In my own practice I put a great deal of emphasis on understanding the materials I am working with. In my opinion it is important that we be concerned with the quality of our materials and the substrates we are applying them to. We must also be concerned with the ageing of our materials and the impact it will have on our imagery.

My recent visit to Europe only strengthened my belief in the importance of protecting works and varnishing paintings. Many artists from the late 19th and early twentieth century chose not to do so with dire consequences. Their works have suffered brutal attacks from the elements that have probably changed them completely in less than 100 years time in some cases.

If an artist chooses to collage materials into a painting, what impact with those materials have upon the work? Knowing and understanding how these materials age is essential. Picasso often collaged pieces of newspaper into his work. Over time these collaged sections have yellowed and have become brittle. The colour of these sections has changed and no longer matches what he was looking at when he created the work. The tutu on Degas Little Dancer has had a very similar fate as well.

But does this really matter? Is it important that a work of art be well made? Is it important that a painting last for several hundred years?

These questions have been debated throughout the history of modernism and it's many offshoots and these questions continue to be debated in the trenches and front lines of contemporary art.

I still believe that it is important that an artist understand his or her materials and how they will be impacted over time. With this knowledge an artist will be able to adjust his or her processes to ensure the desired result in the work.

Doing business online

2008-05-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

One of the most asked questions concerning the business of art I get has to do with selling art on the Internet.

Here are just three (of my many) simple online rules to live by:

1. -If something appears too good to be true it usually means it is.

2. -Very few (if any) good galleries will ask you for money to either:

have an exhibition
review your slides / images
represent you
all of the above

3. -An Internet based business doesn't run itself.

I have been fielding so many calls and emails of late that I am preparing to give several seminars over the next few months on this very topic at The Studios.

Stay tuned

"Drawing" under the paint.

2008-05-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

Art instructors will often tell you that you can sketch out your painting using vine charcoal or a light pencil. A couple of problems arise when using both these drawing mediums to plan out your image on your canvas. First, you may find it difficult to erase your drawing without leaving marks on the surface. Secondly you may find it difficult to hide the marks under lighter coloured areas of your painting. Thirdly your lighter colours may pick up either the graphite or charcoal and get muddy.

One of the secrets I share with my students is to use a light blue watercolour pencil to sketch with instead. Corrections to the drawing can easily be made with a sponge or wet rag, and blue is far more easily covered up than grey or black and the impact on your final colours in minimal.

Painting over old paintings

2008-05-09T10:58:00.001-07:00

I often get asked if you can paint over old paintings. The simple answer is that you can paint over some kinds of painting better than others. What happens in some cases is that your previous image or textures appear under the surface of your new painting. This can be very distracting especially where the texture or brushstrokes don't match the new image. An artist should always consider scraping down and sanding the previous surface to eliminate any remnants of textures and strokes.

That being said, I definitely don't advise painting over old oil paintings. The reason behind this is because as oil paintings age, the paint films become more transparent with time and in some cases the previous painting begins to appear under the new one. This effect is called pentimento which can sometimes been seen in some Dutch masterworks from the sixteenth century. These "ghost-like" images often are the result of the artist changing his/her composition, making corrections and moving figures and forms around. They can be very distracting to say the least

Once again this brings me to the importance of planning out our work and making our decisions before undertaking our final work. It is important to take all the necessary steps to ensure that our works are compositionaly sound, that the proportions and the drawing elements are right and that we have a definite idea about our colour choices and technique.

We shouldn't be trying to work out problems on the finished piece. That is why I encourage my students to do drawings, colour studies as well as an actual study of their final work. We often discover ideas for new works during these processes, which are invaluable for all of us.

Framing your work...

2008-05-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Finding a good framer is hard.

What exactly is a good framer in my books?

Price Point: Most frame shops are way too pricey in my opinion. On the average they charge over three or four times what they should be to supposedly cover things like overhead here in Montreal. My advice is to shop around and ask lots of questions. Certainly I wouldn't give my work to the first framer I met. You should be getting at least three quotes, from different frame shops.
Materials: Acid-free mats are an absolute must. Things like using masking tape and scotch tape to hold the work to the mat are a big no-no. If you can, ask to see the area where they are doing the framing. If they allow you to see the work area, see how they are putting things together and ask questions. If they say no...I would say no to them as well.
Work done on location: Is the work actually framed on the spot or do they ship it elsewhere? If they ship your work elsewhere it can lead to damage, loss and lengthy delays in getting the work framed. The more hands that touch the work the more likely the chance for problems and delays.
Delivery time & servicing: Most work should be available within a week or less. The longer your work is away the more chance for something to go wrong.

The most important thing is to develop a good relationship with your framer. A good framer will also like to develop a good business partnership with you as well. Like any other relationship communication is key.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, and if you don't understand something ask again. A good framer should be able to give sound advice and be knowledgeable about things like conservation. Be wary of sales people trying to get rid of overstock. When you hear sales pitches like: " Oh, look how this green mat brings out the green in the trees..." I would be very leery. Metal frames used to be in style as were coloured mats. Personally I dislike coloured mats because they take away from an artists work. Ask to see examples of the work they have framed. Remember clients also ask for specific things, and peoples tastes vary. For example some people like coloured mats...:)

And shop around.

Making Art as career

2008-05-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

There are as many self-help books out there as there are artists...well at least it seems that way. One of the things they don't tell you in books is that the steps towards a career in the arts is different for each of us.

There is no right way or wrong way to proceed to get your work on public display anymore. The Internet has changed the world forever, especially the artworld. Artists no longer have to rely on galleries and gallery owners as much as they once did...or thought they did. The grass roots movement in the visual arts has been going full force since the late eighties and early nineties. One of the great things about globalization is that there truly is a venue for all kinds of work and many artists are discovering now what many of us have known for years: Relying solely on galleries will get you no where fast. Artists are an amazing bunch of people. On one hand they are innovative with their materials and lifestyles, yet very few are innovative when it comes to the business of art. The world is moving very quickly indeed. So is business.

An artist who wishes to live from their work must become business-like or get left behind...pure and simple.

Thinking things through

2008-04-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Artists...

We have to think our "product" right through to the end. We have to plan it right through until it reaches our clients wall. We must make sure that our materials are safe and of the best quality. We must make sure that our framing and supports meet only the highest safety standards. We must make sure our work is finished correctly, varnished and protected to last our lifetime and beyond.

We must become better craftmen and women...

Varnishing

2008-04-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

To varnish or not to varnish...that is the question.

I say varnish.

As with solvent not all varnishes are created equal therefore there are differences between them.

First of all an oil painting must be dry before applying a varnish. How long? Depends on how thick the paint has been applied, what mediums have been used, atmospheric conditions...you get the picture.

As a general rule an artist should wait at least a year before applying a final varnish. We should wait at least 3 months to put a protective coat of retouch varnish on a painting, and once again this depends on many factors.

As a general rule a varnish should do the following:

-A varnish should be transparent and without colour or tint.

-A varnish should be reversible for later cleaning and restoration.

-A varnish should have the appropriate "gloss" for the work in question.

-A varnish shouldn't yellow with age.

-A varnish should be applied in a thin layer so as not to disturb the textural effects of the painted surface. A thin coating of varnish is less likely to crack. Too thin can actually be removed too easily and potentially permit damage to the surface of the painting.

-A varnish should be able to expand and contract in different environments especially when the painting is on a flexible surface like canvas. The varnish must remain flexible for it's lifetime and not become brittle.

-A varnish must protect the painting from atmospheric contaminants and impurities like dust and other substances found in the air.

Acrylic paintings should be varnished too with the same considerations. An artist doesn't have to wait a year to varnish an acrylic painting however if one considers that it takes about one month for acrylic gesso to dry completely, the same consideration should be taken for a finished work. How thick the paint has been applied should also be considered. Trapping humidity under the surface of any varnish whether it be oils or acrylics may cause a condition called "bloom" where the varnish actually becomes cloudy and looks like the painting has a cataract...yuck!

The secret to this stage of your work is patience. I was told as a young student that an artist should live with his or her work for a while before letting it go out into the world. I see far too many painters letting their paintings go without letting them dry properly or getting a basic protective coat of varnish. For example I saw some very impasto oil paintings for sale in early January dated 2008...the paint couldn't be dry and there wasn't any varnish...and yes they were oil paintings!

Very poor craftsmanship indeed!

Lightfastness

2008-04-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

One of our concerns should be the lightfastness of the paints, inks, markers, watercolours and coloured pencils we are using. Drawings are especially susceptible to change due to exposure to light.

Once again choosing the higher quality material usually gives the artist better results. Before embarking on a big project, the artist should be testing his or her materials before hand, especially when one is thinking about selling the work.

The word "permanent' we so often on some materials can be misleading. By "permanent" the manufacturer sometimes means "under certain or specific conditions". For example the word "permanent" when discussing inks usually means that they are waterproof and do not guarantee lightfastness. What materials should we be testing? I suggest we test watercolours and pastels. I also think that it is important to test coloured pencils. inks and markers because sometimes they contain experimental or new ingredients and vary from batch to batch. We shouldn't simply believe the "sales" literature, because it too can be out of date.

A really simple lightfastness test would be to take the material you want to test and to apply it evenly to 2 surfaces (either paper or canvas) and then proceed to cover a portion of one of the the test strips with a thick opaque sun resistant material. Take the other test strip and store it in a dark place. Expose the whole surface of the remaining test strip to the sun (southern exposure is the quickest) and check your results every so often. You will see a difference quite quickly in some cases.

Depending on your results and your desired results you may have to find a new source for your base materials.

Know thy solvents...

2008-04-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Not all solvents are created alike.

First of all there are commercial grade solvents like the ones you find in hardware stores and there are artist quality.

Lets just look at turpentine for a second. The commercial variety can be made from a variety of sources that are not as "pure" as the artist quality pure gum turpentine sold in art stores. Ever been to an art class where the teacher lets students use turpentine? Your eyes burn, your throat gets irritated...we've all been there I'm sure. Most toxicologists would agree that a better solution for the classroom is to have everyone use minute amounts of odorless solvent.

Pure gum turpentine has been used by artists over the centuries for use in varnishes and in oil painting mediums that contain damar varnish. Pure gum turpentine should not be used to clean your brushes or hands because a lot of people have been known to develop allergies to turpentine with long term exposure. Mineral spirits is a far better brush cleaner because it leaves far less residue in the hairs of your brushes. Here too there is a difference between commercial mineral spirits and artists quality mineral spirits. Many of us get tempted by the price difference between the two. Cheaper isn't necessarily better in most cases when we are talking art supplies.

Like anything else I talk about here, I urge you strongly to read your labels and to follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter. I am not a chemist so I have a great of respect for people who are. If you are unsure about a products use, you can always contact the manufacturer and request a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the product in question. Many companies have toll free numbers that we can use for all questions and concerns. Please use the product only as directed.

Just because a solvent is odorless doesn't mean it's not dangerous or toxic. This is why I always encourage people to only use small amounts of it at a time and to follow the manufacturers instructions to a "T".

Remember that the biggest organ in your body is your skin. Avoid washing your hands with solvents. There are many barrier creams out there that can be applied to your hands before painting that will not only help protect the skin of your hands, but also make wash up a breeze using only soap and water. The other options are gloves. Remember latex gloves can also be affect by some petroleum based products just like condoms. Protect yourself with masks and take all the safety precautions that the manufacturer recommends. There are valid reasons why they suggest doing certain things. What are the storage instructions? What are the disposal instructions?

I can't say this enough! Read you labels and know what you are using.