Hazards of the Trail

Sometimes the hardest thing about a day is the view: finding it, trapping it, painting it - but there are other hazards: cows moving to new pasture, drunk campers, weather. This day, on our way up to Rock Creek, Sue McCullough, David Montgomery and myself, made a stop for a friend, coiled up in the middle of the road.
I saw snakes, of all kinds in California, but this is my first Rattle Snake here in Colorado - and it gives one pause. They like to sun in warm spots, like the middle of the road, or find the cool in the underbrush - so, be careful where you step when finding that perfect view.

Rock Creek Revisited

Last week Sue and I went back up to Rock Creek for a morning of painting. I have been looking at streams and little waterfall configurations lately; to practice something I haven't done a lot of.
My first interpretation of this view is a few posts back, but I like this one much better and also like the 1 x 2 format better as well.
This piece is 6"x 12".
You can see my set-up and sketch in the photo at the bottom. About the time I got really into painting a herd of cows came up the road at my back. In an effort to avoid me and still cross the stream, there was a lot of mooing and thrashing around.

Art of the TRADE - Part 2

To read "Art of the Trade", Part 1, scroll down 3 posts.

The TRADE is not an emotional buy, it is a negotiated buy.
The person that you are doing business with might never have purchased a painting from you - either directly or in a gallery - on their own. Part of what you are offering is a unique opportunity.
You may be saying to yourself -
"no one would ever take my work in trade",
but you might be surprised. If you have ever SOLD a piece of art, or are currently being represented by a gallery, your work has value.
Most people, even those who don't buy art, have a sense that good work has value, and that it might even appreciate in the future.
So, if you want to use your work for a possible trade,
first get a good idea of it's fair market price.
The retail value of a piece would be the price set in a gallery. Most artists get 50- 60% on work that sells out of a gallery and that could be considered the wholesale value. Know what you have before you jump into the game.
This Spring I was able to negotiate a trade with a local concrete contractor for a new driveway- probably my biggest trade yet.
I went about it by first getting a bid for the work.
From experience, I know that roughly half of his costs are materials and the other half labor. It isn't reasonable to expect to trade for the entire amount but it might be possible to propose a trade for half.
Once I had his bid I figured out what I could offer that would roughly equal half and worked out a proposal from there.
From my point of view there is nothing to lose here; all he can say is "No" and I haven't lost a thing. So if the party you approach does not want to trade - don't take it personally; this is a business deal, not a passion purchase.
In the end, I found out that the wife of my contractor had seen my work locally and liked it. That helped!
I am also fortunate that my work could be viewed in a gallery within driving distance, so they could easily see, both the type of work I was proposing and also get an idea of its retail worth.
It was surprising but also very gratifying, when the couple decided to go through with the trade and once that was decided it went forward almost like a commission.
I would make one thing very clear here: the decision to trade services for art was made and put in writing, with the bid, BEFORE any work started. If you are thinking of negotiating a trade, propose it at the start; don't pull up at the last minute with art instead of cash; VERY bad form.
My driveway was installed and we talked over the kind of painting that would be suitable to his taste, but also to the trade amount in question.
At this point I can be very flexible because, essentially the art has been paid for, up front.
In the next post about 'Art of the Trade', I will talk more about my trade negotiations and the actual art involved.

Plein Air Around Town

My painting classes have gone strictly plein air for the Summer, in and around Alamosa; on the river, the wetlands - neighborhood gardens. The mornings have been lovely and the evenings alive with stunning sunsets.

At the top is my painting from
last Thursday morning at the
wetland north of Alamosa.
I have been using 6"x 8"
panels in class, so that
I can concentrate on
students and still
get a painting done.
Small paintings aren't
my favorite thing so
I consider it
a discipline and my focus
is on keeping it simple:
simple scene,
simple shapes,
simple brushwork
- No noodlin'.

Painting in heaven

Sarah Waldron is a friend & colleague from my designer days in San Francisco. She left the field before I did, turned herself into an award winning illustrator then great painter and fine artist.
This summer she is one of 5 artists chosen for a residency through the Maryland Institute College of Art, hosted in the medieval village of Lehon Brittany.

"The residency provides time for uninterrupted work in an inspiring and historic setting made unique by Brittany;s extraordinary light, distinctive landscape, and rich cultural traditions, a favorite location for the French Impressionists." her words.

Sarah's work proposal for the Residency was "History Reflected in the Waters". Just the title sounds so wonderful and when you see her work you will understand.
So I invite you to spend a few internet moments "in France" for beautiful photos and paintings. Use this link to Sarah's Blog.

Art of the TRADE - Part 1

What's a trade?
The exchange of goods, and or services, where everybody is happy in the end and no money is exchanged. Sometimes the term "Bartering" is used.
My on- line dictionary defines it this way:

barter
verb
The exchange (goods or services) for other goods or services without using money.

Artists have been doing it for years and so many stories are circulated about the impressionists paying for food or rent with paintings -
Makes sense to me.
In my days as a graphic Designer I wasn't too keen on the trade idea and wanted hard cash. None the less - I own custom designed furniture, leaded glass and some real treasures from those days when I traded design services for what ever the client offered.
I have even traded for the more mundane things- like food.
In the best of all worlds, both parties have something the other wants.

So, how does it work?
Many of my artist friends like to trade artwork for artwork. To my mind, a trade of art work is a compliment of the highest order. I don't take it lightly - and am careful and respectful about who I will approach.
My prize trade was with Stephen Quiller and the idea was brought forward by his wife. How great is that? I now own a painting of his that I LOVE and he considered my work worthy of a trade - WOW!
but I digress. . .
Trading art for art is pretty common, among artists. Where you really see the worth of your work is in the broader market place.

There are 2 basic ways a trade comes about.
We paint the masterpiece, someone sees it, has no cash, so proposes trading something they have - for the art.
A variation on this theme: We paint the masterpiece, see something WE want or need and try to use the piece as a form of currency.
There is a 3rd twist that looks like a commission - and the hardest to negotiate. This is trading work, not yet created - for whatever.
I am in the middle of something like this right now; but more about that later.

I write about this to encourage you - not to run out and try to pay bills with paintings that are laying around -
but to think about your work in a new way.
Have you ever SOLD a piece of your art? Are you currently being represented by a gallery? If you can answer "yes" to either of those questions, you know that your work has value.
Making it work for you in a new way may take courage, but is worth the consideration.
In the next post about THE TRADE, I will explain my current trade negotiations, and make some suggestions about how to approach the TRADE.

Summer Plein Air

The PAAC Show was a happy success for me with 2 of my 3 paintings sold- YAY!- and all the craziness of May and June has passed. July is a bit of quite in the middle of the summer; instead of framing, packing, shipping - there is a little more time for actual painting.
These pieces were all done
here around Alamosa:
a water fall at Rock Creek- 9x12,
beaver ponds above Rock Creek- 16x12,
Cows- 9x12,- what can I say about that? -they were there,
and at the bottom the afternoon sun on Mt.Blanca- 6x8, painted last night with my class.
So now I have to go to the studio and really get to it; I have a commission waiting with a serious deadline- but more about that later.

Your Are Invited - PAAC Show, Saks Galleries, Denver '12

I will be in Denver on Friday night for the opening of the 15th Annual PAAC Show at Saks Galleries. This annual juried exhibition draws plein Air painters from all over the country and I am very excited to have 3 pieces in it.
Click on any images to see them larger.

If you are in Cherry Creek Friday night the 24th between 5 and 8pm - step into Saks Galleries and enjoy the party. The show will hang until July 9th.
At the top:
'Twilight Graze' 9"x12", SOLD
'Monday in Taos' 12"x16", SOLD
and 'Rock Creek Thaw', 20"x 10",
all in oil.
By the way, "Monday in Taos" was the painting I was working on last October when I took that really stupid leap off a porch and broke my foot. Fortunately for me, the piece was almost done.

See the entire show catalog on line; click on Saks Galleries.

Moon Rise Paint Out

Tuesday night the San Luis Valley Painters met at the marsh north of Alamosa, facing Mt. Blanca to paint the full moon rise as the sun set. The evening was a little breezy but not bad enough to keep us from painting. At the top is my 6"x 12", Moonglow.
At 6pm it still seemed like broad daylight and hard to get a handle on what values would be like. Evening phenomena is like that - an hour of hanging around and 10 minutes of frantic painting. I take time while the light is good to layout my composition, work the shapes and try to anticipate where the moon will pop up. Some decisions should be made ahead of time, like: do I want to keep the foreground lit with the setting sun, or dark indicating the sun has set? - Will I use the alpen glow when it lights the mountain, - if so my foreground will be dark. Sometimes, you find yourself just standing there watching it all happen - with out a clue. That's not all bad - the first time - but going out to see the sun set, in a place where you can see the horizon is a good way to observe what happens in the landscape. Nothing can take the place of direct observation.

David Montgomery checks out the scene through his viewer and in the other photos Dee Bartee, Dave Roepke, Beth Keck, and Judith Greenwood paint by the water's edge.
This marsh is one of my favorite places to paint and summer evenings are stunning as the sun sets and Mt. Blanca lights up with alpen glow. The water is a destination for migrating birds of all types and in the Spring the water can be covered with Sandhill Cranes.
I am a member of the PAPNM (Plein Air Painters of New Mexico) and all over New Mexico and Colorado painters were out to paint this event. To see more "MoonGlow" paintings click on the link to the PAPNM wesite.

Class Notes: Speaking of Drawing

The challenge this session has been DRAWING - things bunched or stacked; making radishes appear fore shortened as they radiate from a center bunch, or working with ellipses that go in several different directions. Like the bowl and cups shown here- which are so slightly OFF.
Painters tend to focus on broader subjects such as over-all composition, or value, which are important but as a landscape painter, I get a little drawing lazy. The demand of doing a class demo twice a week is one of the best ways to stay sharp - or even improve.
Ellipses are what drive me crazy. It's a love-hate thing and I am always looking for ways to include them in a still life.
An ellipse is a only circle in perspective, but like a circle the eye of the viewer can always tell if it's off.
I strain after accurate ellipses and it seems like problems only appear after the painting is finished.
If ellipse drawing is a struggle for you, practice, practice, practice.
Two good things to know as you draw:
1. an ellipse is made up of arcs and has NO flat edges - just like a circle;
2. if divided into quarters, each quarter will be exactly like the others - just like a circle.