The Sketchbook project

Karen — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:06:54 +0000

I recently came across this sketchbook project by the Art House Co-op in Brooklyn NY. Since I have been feeling quiet uncreative lately I thought this might be a good way to get those creative sparks flying. Check out some older books online and maybe get one for yourself! The Sketcbook Project

The art of being an artist advice on rejection

Karen — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:53:43 +0000

Understanding rejection, here are some reasons why artists can get rejected and what they can do to make the gallery they want to be represented in feel like they are a good investment. I feel that I would get rejected every time, right now. I do not put out enough work to look like a “serious” artist. Even if I have talent. I need to focus on that image. I haven’t been able to devote myself full time to my art as I have a full time job and family obligations.
I follow and I am friends with artists on Facebook, its a community. I have seen in FB artists grow, grow in style, confidence, and getting recognized. They all put in a full time schedule of developing their art, their presence. They are committed, hard working, professional and yet fun and keep themselves in the talk if you will.
Today we have so much technology to advertise ourselves. Still as artists we have to continually work at our art to build our unique brand our style while simultaneously working at the business side to promote ourselves, its a double occupation and its not an easy task.
Read the article. Keep moving, drawing, painting, be the best you can be at it. Learn everyday. In this case even if you keep getting rejected the investment is in yourself as an artist. The recognition hopefully will come.

Working with Metal

Karen — Thu, 13 May 2010 21:04:09 +0000

: Wire leaf neclace

Besides painting I really like to make jewelry. I started with beading and then I learned how to make lampwork glass beads, now wire working and bead weaving. I would like to incorporate all these together.

I find that wirework can be very challenging, ok frustrating as it takes many attempts to get the wire to do what you want it to do. I teach myself and look at pics in the books but realize too that the artist in the book struggled at the beginning as well.

To learn lampwork beading I took a class at a local stained glass studio that teaches workshops in fusing and beadmaking. It was so much fun. There is something really intriguing about working with fire and molten glass; as there is with working with metal and a hammer. It’s like taming elements. Making something beautiful with raw materials. Very sexy.

My Artwork at Spector Furniture Gallery

Karen — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:16:05 +0000

Spector Furniture Exhibits

My Work will be on display till the end of June.

: Spector Furniture Gallery

Life Drawing Class

Karen — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:33:54 +0000

I will be hosting my first life drawing class at the Valley Center of the Arts in Derby CT. I thought I couldn’t get enough people to pay for the model or even get a model. I was ready to give up!

But today, through meetup.com I got enough people to come draw and a new model to pose. I am so excited because the Valley needs a class like this, I have been traveling too far to even get to a figure drawing class. Most of my responses have been from my meetup.com post. http://www.meetup.com/Drawing-From-the-Model.

Crystal Blue Dawn

Karen — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:37:29 +0000

It snowed all day and night the other day, driving to work the next day was like a winter wonderland. Good thing I had my camera with me and despite the dirty looks from drivers that day I got some pretty awesome shots to paint from.

This barn is near my work, the sun was coming up over the far hill and the snow was all shades of blue and pristine. Pastel on paper 12×16

A free pastel book chapter by chapter by Deborah Secor

Karen — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:19:01 +0000

clipped from landscapesinpastel.blogspot.com

CHAPTER ONE—PASTELS AND OTHER MATERIALS

Section 1- MATERIALS

CHAPTER ONE—PASTELS AND OTHER MATERIALS

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Pastels are pure, dry pigments mixed with a binder to form the familiar sticks. However, anyone who refers to pastels as chalk will be drummed out of the local pastel society! Why? We’ve worked long and hard to educate the public, explaining these differences: chalk is made of dyed limestone (now mostly gypsum), while pastels are the same pigments used to make familiar paints like watercolors and oils. Usually the sticks are made by combining these powdered pigments and a binder, most often gum tragacanth, rolled into sticks and left to dry. If you look at a particle of pastel under a microscope you’ll see that it has a crystal structure that reflects light in its color. This is why the medium has such clarity and brilliance of color. When I say “pastel,” I’m referring to soft pastels (not oil pastels), but under the soft pastel heading is a range of hardness depending on the ratio of binder to pigment. NuPastels are hard, Rembrandts are medium and Schminckes are soft, but all of them are called “soft pastels.” NuPastels have more binder than pigment, while Schminckes have more pigment than binder. You’ll find a ratio here: as the softness increases the cost usually rises. Pigments are more costly than binders.ELS

Working with Pan Pastels

Karen — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:47:22 +0000

It been very cold here in CT these past few weeks and the perfect time to paint. I bought some pan pastels after I viewed a demo on their website. I started this pastel with the pan pastels to block it into a Canson paper. Then I used regular harder pastels to put in more detail. I love the pan pastels. Its like painting with pallet knives with sponges on the ends. You can get a painterly effect or smooth it all you want. But I may try it on another surface as I felt I could not layer a lot. Enjoy-more to come!

The grammy’s, Pinks performance

Karen — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:23:36 +0000

Here is pinks performance so beautiful I had to post it.

Painting a watercolor winter wonderland

Karen — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:47:16 +0000

: Winter hIke

Yesterday I went for hike with my best friend, Rose just loves the snow, she is my 2 year old lab mix. The snow was soft and light, and the trees had an inch of powdered white sugar on them. I took my camera but midway it froze and I could only get a few pics. The trail path was quite muddy at times but Rose didn’t seem to mind and I had to walk her in fresh snow to get her clean before getting in the truck.

I did this painting today from the hike. The pics colors are not quite right. I drew the trees and rocks, masked out the whites on the branches, did a wash of grey blue for the backgound. Worked in the farthest trees in lighter greys. then the front, darker as you get closer. Then you add the detail of the smaller branches, rocks and shadows. Finally spray on some white for falling snow.