As I will be at the Western Heritage Art Show in Great Falls, Montana for awhile and miss the next blog post time, I wanted to share something with you that I found completely fascinating.
This observation and photo were sent to me by a friend in China:
Check out the attached picture. Notice these two guys on the tallest part of the building way up towards the top of the split towers to the left.
No safety harness. A single strand of cotton rope (not a stronger hemp or synthetic). Their "seats" are hunks of old wood just notched on the ends for the rope. There is a rope-brake sort of thing at the top, but once they start, they "hand-over-hand" and paint their way up from the bottom, get to the top, release the brake, and "hand-over-hand" back to the bottom without touching the wall.
Oh......and for painting equipment they have a roller and bucket of paint.
Just stop and think about the scope of this job.....not to mention the threat of imminent death.
Makes going to the easel to paint every day seem like a bubble bath.
A few years ago I was in an area that I knew was frequently inhabited by Rocky Mountain Sheep. As a wildlife artist I really did want to take the time to watch them. So here I am in this rocky terrain with big boulders strewn all over the landscape as it gets increasingly steep up to the ridge summit.
Peeling my best sheep eyes, my focus was toward the top where the sheep trails were just barely visible on the sheer rock walls. Knowing the sheep were there, but not spotting them right away, my concentration was keen.
After studying this wild landscape hard for several minutes, a small movement in the foreground, about a 1000 yards in front of me, caught my attention. A dozen sheep were there just going about their lives, doing sheep stuff, while I was focused over their backs way up on the mountain side.
While I would like to be kind to myself and say they blended in well with the habitat, they didn't blend that good. I mean they were right in front of me. Ever since I have wondered what else have I missed? What really good ideas for marketing art or creating art have I overlooked while focusing on a distant idea?
One project that I took on recently was doing ACEO small format (3.5x2.5") paintings and selling them on EBay. It was an experiment to see if there really was a market there. It didn't take long to get disenchanted with selling them really cheap and I had not figured in the time to photo them, posting in the auctions, writing the descriptions, paperwork, package them for shipping.....you know.....the details.
Because I was doing at least one a day, this amounted to a lot of time.
So about the time that my whining was starting to get annoying, I realized what I had learned and it was rather a lot. It's an excellent exercise in learning what colors really can get a painting to stand out and it was a dramatic lesson in what sells to what I call a "cold" audience. Meaning it was not connected to a particular region or show, so I was selling cold with no way of even guessing what they might be interested in.
About the time I decided to throw in the towel, these little paintings have even started increasing in selling price....not impressive money by any measure, but enough to get my attention. So how long will the experiment go on? With a new attitude about this venture, I'm just focusing on the close up picture.....just paint the paintings that I know stand a good chance of selling well and leave the far-off, top of the cliff things to work themselves out. This lesson applies to all the art work that comes from my easel now.
Now and then, though, I look to the mountain tops too.
Announcing a new category of art works, PAINTING A DAY PROJECT, on my web site.
This cheerful miniature painting, "Summer Flowers" can be found along with a wide array of other subjects.
As a study of color and brushstrokes, each is distilled down to an essence and usually
measure 2 1/2x 3 1/2".
I paint them as a celebration of life.....I hope you enjoy them, too.
Give them as memorable gifts or as an addition to your own collection of original small format paintings.
(You do have one, don't you?)
Go to "Art Works" and click on Painting A Day Project for more details and to view these little jewels.
"The purpose of life is not to be happy--but to matter,
to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some
difference that you have lived at all."
Leo Rosten
Hi Friends,
I love this quote.....it says so much in just a few short words. The first thing I think of every time I read it is,
why in the heck can't you be happy too? It may not be the purpose of life, but why can't it be a part?
In the last few years, while I was learning some of life's toughest earth lessons, many times there wasn't a whole lot to smile about. Until I finally got it.......live in the moment and be open to the possibilities for smiling.
My little nut case kitten, that I have written about before, gives me many opportunities to smile and an abundance of outright belly laughs. With all the serious trials in her life, she still lives each moment with a tornado force enthusiasm. And she takes me along with her.
Creating and marketing art is hard work......many long hours, and by definition it is a solitary endeavor created in your head and executed by your own hand....alone. Getting so far into your creative zone for too long a time is going to show in your art and your attitude.
So work hard, make a difference that you have lived at all, but do it for you too.
Find something that makes you smile.....or let it find you. You aren't going to get extra points in this life for deadly seriousness.
This is one of those reasons to smile....if you listen closely you can hear the frogs and crickets singing around the water's edge, the gentle summer breeze bringing the scent of pine trees and water. If you look closely you can see my smile as I painted it.
This landscape painting is so new it doesn't have a name yet and the great part is.....it measures 2 1/2x 3 1/2" small!
Color Outside the Lines (with enthusiasm!)
All my best,
Sandra
"The greater danger for most of us is
not that our aim is too high and we miss it,
but that it is too low and we hit it".
Michelangelo
Hi Friends,
The above quote is from an incredible artist that could be counted in the ranks of the best that ever lived. If you have ever had the chance to see his work first hand, you realize what jaw-dropping art it truly is.
And yet, from the quote, we can assume that he must have worked, not only to get that good but to continue to aim higher.
With single-minded intent, in spite of a well-to-do family that thought an artistic career a lowly pursuit, Michelangelo attained an almost mythical reputation in all three disciplines....drawing, sculpting and painting in the golden century of the Renaissance. This extraordinary achievement was due, no doubt, to his obsessive single mindedness.
Sustained by his vision and prepared to work very hard for his art, Michelangelo created his own mystery by virtually shunning the outside world and living an incredibly frugal life.
All the world saw were his great achievements of almost unparalleled beauty.......he even burned all of his preliminary sketches (called "cartoons" in his time) so that no one could see the effort that went into his work and the development of his skills, lest they see something imperfect.
Though all of us are in different circumstances as we pursue our own art, with dedication and tenacity, we can hit the higher target. Even if we miss it on the first try.....or the 10th or 99th try......the target is still there. Load the artillery and keep shooting.
How do you get ready for shows? Or an open house? Do you have all these things that "must be done" until you feel like you're holding on with just the tips of fingers on one hand?
What would happen if you did some things a little differently?
My first show of the season is fast approaching, but the difference this time is letting some of my traditional "have to" things just go. Plenty of new wildlife and landscape art is already done......a few pieces need framing, price cards and brochures need to be printed, but it really is under control. And it left me with enough time to enter a few more shows and frame up a donation piece for a benefit auction.
Instead of painting the big "show stopper" piece (which I have several of anyway) using up precious weeks before the show, I am working on painting several Art Card Editions & Original paintings a day. If you have not gotten acquainted with ACEO cards, they are 2 1/2x 31/2" pieces of art. It doesn't take long to paint them and it distills your colors, ideas and brushstrokes down to an essence that is a great learning experience. Plus, it then leaves plenty of time for other things in the studio.
Like building blocks, I have come up with several uses for them. Reproductions will become notecards and small size art fair prints. The ACEO originals, in a more impressionistic style than my larger work, will be sold on Ebay.....about 5 per week. I can hear the groans out there.....Oh my god, she's not a real artist, she's selling on Ebay. With tenacity and without fear, good money can be made in that venue and that's exactly what I plan to do. DIVERSIFY YOUR MARKET!
Small art works in this size can be marketed at art shows with some clever take off on the "30 paintings in 30 days for 30 dollars each" concept. I've only begun to think up ways to market them, and maybe create some new collectors along the way.
The best thing about ideas though, is if this one doesn't work, there are more! It's not life ending if something doesn't work out.....in our culture we are taught from the start to win at nearly any cost. You know what? Life doesn't end if you don't win and if you pay attention to yourself and advice that is available around you, you just might learn how to think for yourself and come up with some really outstanding ideas.
A good resource for learning how to develop new ideas is ArtBizBlog by Alyson Stanfield. A wealth of information in one place.
There have been a couple of new oil colors added to my line up.....these may be old news to some, but several artists I've talked to recently, especially ones that paint sorrel or chesnut (any shade of red) horses and other reddish animals, had not heard of these. Transparent Oxide Red and Transparent Oxide Orange, both by Rembrandt, are great ways to achieve what can be very difficult shades to create in a painting. I endorse these only because they work.....let me know what you think if you try them.
Thank you for stopping by, and keep Coloring Outside The Lines,
Sandra
While discussing some issues very early with artist friends via e-mail and telephone this morning, it was plain that we are all pushing ahead with the things that must be done with our art.
Whether it's marketing ideas or painting techniques, the learning is ongoing. As we shared ideas it was obvious just how busy and dedicated we are.
The list of projects that I'm currently working on are pretty impressive when viewed on paper, whether they are things that need to be done to further my marketing or choosing the next painting that will advance my understanding of techniques and still appeal to my collectors.
When the momentum starts to slow down and it starts to feel warm and fuzzy, my "comfortable rut" alarm goes off. It's very tempting to linger awhile in this place, but I know I'm not moving forward either.
Accept the journey that is yours alone to live.......and get out there and make it all it possibly can be.
"Do. Or Do Not. There is No Try."
Yoda
The newest animal to make it's appearance on my easel is this beautiful bobcat.
More scratchboard wildlife can be viewed at Sandra Haynes Fine Art
"Spirit of the Woods" 10x8"
Scratchboard $350
This is one of three subjects that will be used in my Scratchboard Workshops. The others are a horse head and an outdoor still life. This will be the subject of a blog soon, detailing what scratchboard is, and how my workshops are set up.
Once again, I am grateful for the chance to visit. Thanks for stopping by.
Sandra
(ps. Check out the Unconventional Guide to Art and Money by Chris Guillebeau. Chris also has some free downloads on his site The Art of Nonconformity that may jump start your next really good idea.)
"We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make the world."
Buddha
Where does your art come from? The actual thought process, the act of putting it down on a surface, the creation.
Are you beyond just making pretty, random pictures? Or is your art the authentic you that comes from the heart?
Your background, the life you have lead, holds the key to your creative powers. Were you always drawn to the woods......or maybe the city? The family that has a history of musicians, or maybe people that were close to the land in some way, are all part of you and will give you the key to authentic art.
It can be more recent in your life.....perhaps you have spent years studying local or pioneer history, or have had a hobby that has been ongoing for a long time, or experienced a life event. How can you weave this into your art?
A lot of questions that only you can answer.
Art is truth telling.
Giving credit to the person that puts these ideas into my head.....Lisa Lepine, Consultant to Creatives. llpromo@gmail.com
In this trying time, many artists are doing smaller pieces......I am, too. But let me introduce you to a piece that just had to be done. Probably not in the category of small. As it was being created, it was known far and wide to friends as the "Big Honkin' Painting" or BHP.....it has a new name now.
"Earth Elements" oil 30x40" $2800
As I drove along a river in a remote area last Thanksgiving day, I was marveling at the look and feel of a late fall
landscape.
The bare branches of trees against a brilliant blue winter sky, on a perfectly still day. The kind of day where even the wide, moving river was without a ripple in the glassy surface.
Turning the bend in the road, these clumps of poofy grasses shone like a beacon with almost an inner glow.
The towering cliffs along this scenic river took nothing away from these jewels.
With the contrasting soft grass and the depth and liquidity of the green water against the large sharp-edged boulders, I knew this scene would make it onto a canvas. And it just couldn't be a small one, either.
by Sandra Haynes on 1/28/2010 5:00:39 PM
2 Comments
Hi Friends,
Courage is all around us. Each day I see something in a new and different way and realize that courage isn't always the hero act of saving someone from a burning building, but shows up in small ways, too.
Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice
at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."
Mary Ann Radmacher
A wonderful example of courage lives with me every day in the shape of a very small kitten. She's actually full grown, but at 2 1/2 years old still has the zest for life of any youngster. Her story began at 3 months old when an infection destroyed one eye, robbed her of hearing in one ear and partially paralyzed one side of her face.
As she was one of the wild cats that liked to invite everyone over to my house to eat, I just doctored her some and left nature to take its' course. Every day I brought her in the house and gave her some antibiotics and salved the eye socket, then put her back out telling her it was time to "chuck her back out." Soon the name "Chuck" stuck on her.......and she was starting to look somewhat better. That being rather relative as she was one of the smallest runts I had ever encountered.
Then an urge to explore overcame her and she climbed through the fence into the neighbor's yard....only to be caught by a dog and mauled pretty badly. Now with several very deep puncture wounds mostly in her stomach, I didn't give her any chance of surviving. But survive she did........by then Chuck was in the house......and when she was still alive a few days later, it dawned on me the total courage this small little being possessed.
Nearly all of her long hair fell out as a result of such sustained trauma and looked very much like a chemo patient. When it did grow back, it came in gray which now makes her a 6-colored calico.
Fast forward 2 years to the lively, incredibly smart (not always a good thing in a cat), wondrously inventive, teasing, gentle creature that entertains me constantly.
Courage is sometimes just surviving until tomorrow, sometimes it's believing in yourself in whatever you choose to do. I wish that for all of you.
by Sandra Haynes on 1/22/2010 9:52:57 AM
1 Comment
After being around Rowena Wildlife Clinic, something I started to notice is the iron will that so many of the animals have to live, even after severe injuries.
One that always comes to mind first for me is a golden red fox with the clinic name of "Foxy."
I was new to the clinic life, and on one of my earliest visits I was allowed to go into a little glassed-in sun room where Foxy was living. Now imagine being up close to this exotic little creature with thick golden red fur and huge eyes that look at you so directly. I also noticed right away those eyes were not glad to see me. Fear and resentment were what I saw. This was a wild animal that had no intentions of "being grateful" for his rescue.
Foxy came to the clinic by way of a call that a fox had been hit by a car and had ran into a huge pile of blackberry vines to hide (and probably die). Doctor Jean, the fearless vet that is the driving force behind the clinic, went out armed with a towel and carrier, to retrieve this little animal.
I'm not sure what went on in the berry vines, but Doctor Jean came out with the fox and got him back to the clinic. His injuries required the removal of one back leg and the start of his year-long recuperation, which one of the assistants termed his "alien abduction."
As I'm standing there, only about 3 feet from him, and seeing the look in his eyes and the warning that "he does bite" echoing in my ears, I looked away with only quick glances in his direction. Staring directly into the eyes of most animals is interpreted as a threat. It wasn't too long before he started to relax some and allowed me to take a few photos.
This scratchboard is the result of that encounter.
"Foxy" scratchboard 10x8"
You can see the alert and watchful eyes, but now without the fear and resentment. And he didn't offer any attempt to bite. Foxy was later turned outside during the daytime with the intention to bring him back inside the clinic at night. He had other ideas, and it wasn't long before he decided it was time to go back to the outdoor life where he belonged. He is doing fine and living his life with purpose.
With single minded focus, whether you want to call it just survival instinct or not, Foxy knew where he needed to be.
As an artist or from another walk of life, I hope you find that focus and life with purpose too.
