Easton Waterfowl Festival

History Meets the Arts 2014

I will have about 20 framed originals at this show... many making their first public appearance. It would be great to see you there!

Waterfowl Festival 2013

I'm hoping to finish all my last minute painting and framing over the weekend. It's sure to be another fun show... especially if the weather is good like last year!

History Meets the Arts 2013

Painting Over Photos... Really?!

Last weekend I had my paintings on display in Charleston, SC for the annual Southeastern Wildlife Expo. I always look forward to events like this. Aside from talking shop with the other artists, thousands of people pass through the doors, so it's a great time to meet and greet the public... and just maybe sell a few paintings.

As people stroll by throughout the course of the show, the comments... some meant for me to hear and some not...can be amusing, puzzling, or downright maddening. Yet there is one comment that I've heard several times over the past couple of years that I'm not sure what to do with. It usually goes something like You're just painting overtop of photos, right?

Seriously?!

I'm not aware of anyone really doing that, though I'm sure it's probably happening somewhere. That comment/accusation always catches me a little off guard and I'm never quite sure what the hell I should say. The thought that immediately comes to mind is to flash a glare that says Move along before I bust you in the mouth! (my sister calls it my "stink eye"). However satisfying it might be to send some uninformed little pest scurrying down the isle, in situations like this it's rarely productive (not to mention I'm getting too old to really pull it off and/or back it up). In public, I try to keep the stink eye under wraps.

Of course if I protest too vehemently (perhaps as I'm doing now), I look guilty as sin. If I say nothing, folks automatically think they're correct. I guess the answer is somewhere in between. If people are really interested, I usually try to explain a little about my process, though I'm never quite sure if the message gets through.

Of course I use reference photos. That's no secret. It would be impossible for me to achieve any reasonable amount of believable accuracy in my work without them. In reality, most of my paintings have elements from several photos pieced together to create an interesting composition. Most of the time, it takes a fair amount of planning and drawing to correct "flaws" in those photos that can be distracting to the overall motif. That's pretty basic for most representational painters. Some just do it better than others.

I've recently wondered if I should keep a half-finished painting on hand at these shows just to smack down the notion that my art is nothing more than paint layered on a photo poster I had made at Wal-Mart. How devastating would it be to my career if people actually started to believe that's what happens in my studio?! Sometimes I feel like I'm pounding my head against the wall.

Reworking the Blue Jay

Sometimes I really misjudge a painting as it comes off the easel. I was really happy with this little 5x7 blue jay study last year (image on the left), but it never got a second look at either of the shows it went to... and that's unusual for these mini bird studies. So I put it back on the easel for a little makeover last week. I really liked the bigger soft brush work in the background of the earlier version and I'm kind of sorry I lost that, but the added warmth if the updated piece is pretty appealing. I'm not really sure if I made it better, but it's certainly different. We'll see if it gets any more attention at SEWE later this week!

New Minis

"Whitetail Study" 5x7 acrylic

With the 10th annual McKeever Nature Art Show less than a week away, I've been working on some small affordable studies. See these and many more new originals at the McKeever Center in Sandy Lake, PA September 28 - 30.

"Blue Jay Study" 5x7 acrylic

Time on the Road



History Meets the Arts Preview Party

 Funny how busy life seems to get as I tack on the years. June was never one of those "busy" months unless you include the time I spent fishing. This month seems to be passing by in a blur, though I'm not complaining.
Last week, I had the privilege of displaying my work in Gettysburg during the History Meets the Arts show. My host was the Lord Nelson's Gallery and the event was a huge success. I was fortunate to spend some time with the likes of John Buxton, Robert Griffing, and Michael Godfrey. It was a wonderful experience. Of course preparation in the days leading up to the event, travel time, and the five days I spent there wipe out about ten days where I just don't get any painting done.

Green Heron Study by Jim Coe

Later this month, I'll be on the road again. This time travelling to paint with my good friend, Jim Coe. I'll get lots of easel time while I'm there, but very little (if any) work on potential finished product. We'll be working on some plein air pieces and spending some time in Jim's studio. I learned a lot the last time I worked with Jim and I'm sure this trip will be no different.

REMF Banquet

A couple of months ago, a friend called and invited me to display my work at a banquet for the local chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. That evening was open for me, so I agreed. The banquet was held last night and I guess I wasn't prepared for such a productive and entertaining evening. With everything that goes on at these functions (raffles, auctions, socializing, etc.), I really didn't expect my paintings to get much attention from the members. As it turned out, there were quite a few art lovers in the crowd and I spent the entire evening chatting with folks about hunting, fishing, and yes... art! It was a wonderful evening and I wouldn't be surprised if it leads to a sale or two in the future. Thanks REMF!

SEWE 2012 Wrap-Up

Another Southeastern Wildlife Expo has come and gone and I feel like things are looking up. It’s funny how the collective attitude of the show-goers changes from year to year. There was a happy energy throughout the venue that built to a crescendo Friday evening during the Quick Draw auction. Congratulations to my good friend, Lyn StClair for executing such a masterful painting in the Quick Draw event. It whipped the auction crowd into a frenzy and achieved an appropriately high selling price. This year’s featured painter, Dustin Van Wechel set the show “on fire” selling 25 of his 29 paintings… each done with Dustin’s flare for drama and remarkable style. It was exciting to see him do so well. Sculptor, Don Rambadt continued to wow the guests with his new work. He told me he had fun creating the pieces for this show and it was apparent in each of them. As for yours truly, it was my best show to date. A total of 9 originals found new homes and I couldn’t be happier. I felt my body of work was my best yet and a few of my favorites struck a chord with collectors as well. The entire Charleston experience… the food, the music, and the friendly people… keeps me looking forward to my next visit J

I forgot to mention... the painting "Graceful Exit" featured in the previous post was the first to go at the VIP Preview Thursday afternoon! After reworking the background of that small piece, it became quite popular and I probably could've sold it to more than one collector. Who knew?

Waterfowl Festival 2011

This will be my first adventure to the Easton, MD area and, of course, my first time exhibiting at the Waterfowl Festival. Most of the work is done, yet there are still some odds and ends that will cost me sleep over the next couple of days. I’m still waiting for title plates to come in that were apparently lost in transit, so those paintings have yet to be packed. Chances are slim they will get here before I leave. The inside of the truck needs cleaning… maybe tomorrow. Seven hours of driving (each way) during the peak of the whitetail rut will be a 70mph game of “dodge’em.” My state of arrival in Easton on Wednesday will likely be red-eyed-white-knuckle-teeth-grinding-coffee-induced-hyperexcitement… followed by crash-and-burn exhaustion. Nice that I’m so even-keeled, huh? J

I had planned to take 30 originals with me, but the severely limited display space (2 8x4 panels) means I can show less than half that amount. So I’ve trimmed my show inventory to 23 paintings. It’s still too many, but there are none that I really want to leave behind. The show should be great fun and there’s much to do between now and then. I better get busy!

A Good Luck Charm

The 9th Annual McKeever Nature Art Show wrapped up earlier today and it was quite a success. It was one of my better shows and I'm quite pleased with the results.
Of course, as I was setting up on Friday, the skies opened up and the rain thoroughly soaked everything outside. I feared this would keep people from attending this small show, but that was not to be. Opening night was pleasantly cool, reasonably dry, and as patrons began to browse the gallery, a barred owl lit in a small tree just outside the window. It seemed as curious about what was going on behind the panes of glass and watched us watching him.
I've heard owls can be good luck. Well, I'm inclined to agree. The owl stayed throughout the weekend and became quite a celebrity. I'm sure I won't be the only artist with an owl image in my display next year!

Snatch the pebble from my hand, Dung Beetle

I was having a pleasant conversation with a couple of clients at a small local show when a young couple approached and said hello. The clients excused themselves and moved on browsing my display while the youthful pair took their place and began chatting me up. I knew the young lady from one of my recent workshops. She had since enrolled in the Fine Arts program at a small university and was anxious to introduce me to her boyfriend, who’d been in the same program for… well… several years. He shook my hand with what I can only describe as disinterest and avoided eye contact with me. We all made small talk for a bit and I was ready to move on to some potential new clients who had just entered the gallery when he finally looked me in the eye and offered this little gem…

“Realism is so easy. It’s really not much of a challenge. That’s why I work in abstract.”

Huh wha? Did he really just say that? Okay, I’ve dealt with know-it-alls before. He’s just testing me, so I tried to remain diplomatic.

“It’s nice that realism comes so easily for you. That doesn’t happen to be the case for me, but it’s not rocket science either. The challenge is taking realism and making it fine art. Not many seem to be able to make that connection. Since I’m working with recognizable subjects, the challenge then becomes making the painting both believable and pleasing to the eye.”

Which is pretty much my artistic philosophy in a nutshell.

“Only someone with an advanced knowledge of art and the complexities of abstraction can do what I do.”

Now he was pushing his luck.

“I’m sure your art is very nice.”

Yes, that was probably a little condescending, but I was really trying to end this conversation.

“I’m sure you don’t understand the complexities of true fine art.”

Okay, now he was just being a little prick.

“So you’re saying it takes a degree to fine art to bullshit people? Maybe it just takes a degree in bullshit. I think I understand that just fine. Enjoy your career asking people if they’d like fries with that.”

Asshole J

SEWE 2010... the aftermath

Now that the 12-hour drive from Charleston is over and I've had the better part of a day to get caught up on some thing neglected while I was away, there's a little time to reflect on the experience of my first major art show. Of course, getting to the show in the first place was a task in itself. The first 300 miles of the trip were spent in 4-wheel drive at 35mph. It was snowing so hard in West Virginia there were times when I just had to guess where the road was and 50mph gusts made my truck hop sideways... but I made it in one piece.

By the last day of the show, my back and feet were sore from standing so much and my voice was almost gone. I met so many new people that my head is still spinning. I've learned a lot from this experience and I'm already kicking around ideas for next year.

It snowed in South Carolina while I was there and everyone blamed it on me! Still, some days had high temperatures in the 50s and after the weather we've been having in PA... that was just fine.

Now... if only I could gather enough ambition to finish unloading the truck...

Potential Cures for the "Slow Show Blahs"

Recently, I displayed my work at a small local nature art show. The woodland setting of the facility is perfect for this type of event. I’d done this show for several years (since it the very first one) and the attendance was usually moderate, if not at least enthusiastic. Typically I do a fair amount of business… at least enough to cover my framing costs. Then it happened… the bottom fell out of our world economy… collectors began to panic… and casual buyers dissolved into the woodwork. Everyone was cutting back… including artists and show promoters. Advertising dollars certainly don’t go as far as the once did. Postage and printing prices are still on the rise, so newsletters and fliers are often difficult to justify. The combination of all these factors have some small shows in a downward spiral from which they may not recover.

In the midst of all this turmoil, some artists (myself included) may have a weekend show go by without a single sale. When that happens, it’s hard not to question everything about a career in this chosen profession. We all have a need for validation and there’s no better way to quench it than the sale of a painting. There is also no more crushing a blow than an entire weekend show without a decent lead.

There are elements in this equation beyond our control (weather, economic climate, simultaneous events, lazy show promoters, etc.), so it makes no sense to worry about them. On the other hand, there are things very much within our control that often go ignored. EVERY ONE OF THEM need to be analyzed and addressed:
Subject matter – When we hear artists use the term “inspiration,” most often this is closely related to subject matter. As a painter, I love to paint subjects that move me. My art is a reflection of my personality… as it should be. Unfortunately, sometimes these subjects don’t overlap with what’s actually desirable in the marketplace. So there has to be some middle ground… or balance. It’s impossible to work for long without inspiration, yet there are bills to pay and food to put on the table (Otis the Wonder Dog would be very upset with me if I had to cut back on his beloved Beneful!). So we end up “prostituting” our talent at times just to promote a little cash flow… a necessary evil for all but the most successful artists.
Quality of art – This is a huge complicated can of worms and I could probably write an entire book on the subject. Briefly… with art being such a subjective market, actual “quality” is almost impossible to define. In the end, the artist can only put forth his/her best effort. And if that’s not good enough, it’s time to do the necessary work to get better. Attending workshops and getting better reference material are always a good place to start. Becoming a better artist may not show immediate financial results, but in the long run, it will energize your efforts and be evident in your finished product (at least that’s what I have to believe to push myself forward).
Gimmicks – Personally, I hate gimmicks. That being said… gimmicks sell. It’s a fact. If you’re comfortable “hiding treasures” in your paintings like a “Where’s Waldo” puzzle, fine. You’ll probably make a million dollars while I wallow in relative obscurity, but don’t expect me to acknowledge it as “fine art.” I just can’t do it. On the other hand, I’m always contemplating ways to set my work apart from the masses. There are literally hundreds of skilled painters out there and it’s difficult (if not impossible) to make your work stand out on artistic merit alone… especially with the majority of the buying public doesn’t give a hoot about artistic merit!
Pricing – In a stable market, it’s acceptable and even necessary to bump pricing structure up 5% or so annually. The problem with that is when the market tumbles and collector dollars become scarce, it’s very hard to go backward. Collectors having purchased your work in the past expect the value to increase. Reducing prices shows an inability of your work to hold/increase its value making it a less than desirable investment. Once that word gets out, it’s very hard to recover. So in a sense… you’re stuck.
Attitude – This is the biggest mistake I see artists make. You never have to ask how sales are at an art show. You only need to assess the demeanor of the artist… and a surly artist will almost NEVER sell a painting. In reality, the whole “tortured artist” thing is tiresome and will serve no other purpose than to drive people away from your work. The only thing the we can do is keep smiling and talking to people. Treat everyone that comes through the door as though they have the potential to be your most prolific collector. It’s not easy, but if people like you, they want to see you do well and are far more willing to part with hard-earned dollars.

It’s times like these when I (once again) realize just how important my collectors, fans, and supporters are. No matter what happens, I know this is my life calling and I’ll survive. Thank you all.

SEWE

I found out yesterday I'll be at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, SC in February. This will be my first time at this show should be a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to it. The paint will be flying between now and then! I'm hoping to take at least 30 pieces with me. We'll see...

VIP Event

This past Saturday, I held my annual “Summer Cookout and Art Sale.” In spite of the lousy weather, everything went quite well. The food was awesome thanks to my sister and Mom. Dad kept everyone entertained with his famous line of… um… stories. And I left sales for the evening in the capable hands of my good friend, Gay. Thank you to everyone that helped. I couldn’t have done it without you. And thanks especially to all my friends who participated in this growing event. I can’t wait to see you all again.