The Glacier National Park Project

I recently discovered a web site called "Kickstarter". They facilitate fundraising for artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other creative folk who are interested in developing creative projects. It's incredible how far technology has come — this kind of opportunity didn't exist just a few years ago. Now the individual artist, musician, etc., has access to a much larger base of people who are interested in funding the arts and those that do wish to fund creative projects have access to a much larger pool of talented creatives.

With my discovery of Kickstarter, I decided to take the opportunity to try and get a project of my own funded...

Due to the financial limitations many of us artists face, we can often feel limited in producing the best work we're capable of. In many ways, I've felt such limitations. In particular, I've felt limited in my access to the subject matter I love; the mountains and their inhabitants. Every year I try to get out for as long as I can afford and immerse myself in the landscape — soaking up as much as I can. But all too often, I'm limited, financially, to spend as much time as I feel I need to truly connect with my subject matter. But that's life and I try to make due. However, with my discovery of Kickstarter, I have an opportunity to fulfill a long-held dream of mine; to spend an extended period of time in one of the most pristine and remote of America's National Parks painting, sketching, and photographing my subjects without feeling rushed. If my project were funded, I could relax and focus on my work and my subject in ways I've never been able to before.

In the end, my project is about producing my most comprehensive, reflective and personal body of work to date.

I invite you all to take a closer look at my project. For those of you interested in supporting the arts, please consider my project. For those artists out there, take a close look at Kickstarter. Maybe it can help you to fund a project you wouldn't otherwise be financially able to on your own.

Click here to check out my project!

Shows: What To Bring And What Not To Bring

I'm often asked by artists just getting into group art shows about what they should be bringing in the way of artwork, i.e., how many pieces, what sizes, what subjects, etc. I stressed over these same questions when I first began, and in my relatively short time doing shows, I've now arrived at a conclusion that seems to work for me.

First, I try to bring a wide selection of work. Depending on the show and the amount of space I'll have, I typically bring anywhere from 12 to 20 paintings. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? Well, it's not as bad as you might think.

The paintings I bring are basically divided up into three groups — small (11x14" or smaller), medium (12x16" - 18x24"), and large (anything above 18x24"). These groups are based on my pricing structure. Smaller paintings are more expensive per square inch, medium paintings get a little less expensive and larger ones drop even more. This selection of small, medium and large works are typically divided as follows; 1 half of the paintings are small, the rest are medium and I'll bring one, or maybe two, large paintings depending on my available space. Large paintings are great to bring folks into your space, but in my experience, they can be difficult to sell in these kinds of show environments.

What subjects should you bring? You’ll hear a number of varying opinions about this from other artists. My opinion is simple — bring the subjects you enjoy painting. Period. Do not try to cater to what you think a particular show's demographic is interested in purchasing. You'll almost always be wrong and as an artist, you're missing the very point of being a fine artist — you paint what you want because that's what you love to paint.

And finally, I'd like to say something about making your work available to everyone. I bring a number of very small paintings to these shows (6x8") because 1st, I enjoy painting them. They're simple, expressive and they give me an opportunity to focus on my brushwork and color usage without struggling with the complexities a larger painting might bring. And 2nd, they are very inexpensive (when it comes to fine art) which allows serious art buyers who may not have much discretionary income to spend, an opportunity to obtain one of my paintings if they so choose.

Here's an example of a recent 6x8" painting of mine titled, "Iorek".

In The Zone Or Just Making Excuses

Ok, I'll admit it. I've let slide my electronic responsibilities. It's been more than two months since I've posted an entry here. I apologize (assuming of course that anyone out there actually cares).

But, I do have an excuse. I've been painting — feverishly. I'm in the process of creating new pieces for my upcoming shows and I've made little time for anything else. Now that the holidays have arrived, I've been somewhat forced to take some time off and be with family — which is why I'm hiding here in my office writing on my blog.

New Year's Resolution #1: Make no more excuses and write more frequently on my blog. Check.

So, here's a small peek into what I've been working on. It's a 16x20" oil on linen. Hope you like it!

Happy New Year everyone!