I just finished my 1300th painting. I like, Jack Benny stopped counting after 30, so this is 30 plus, plus, years of working as an artist.
I do seem to repeat subject matter, themes and ideas. But as an artist, I feel I learn something from every painting I do. And then, I use that in the next one. For me, they are very different from each other. So here is my 1300th painting. And 1301. Similar, but very different.
It’s been a busy year and it’s coming to a close. I haven’t been posting much here. I’ve made my New Year’s resolutions already. One to paint more. Two, to com-paint more. I’ve had fun with both. I haven’t done enough of either. Here’s hoping I stick with both. I will do my best. Keep watching this space.
Any bright ideas for subject matter anyone wants to see, drop me an e-mail. I don’t guarantee I’ll do it but if I have done it before, I can do it again most likely. For those of you who keep “liking” and “sharing” my work on FB, thanks. I do appreciate it. Just as long as you spell my name right.
As I am working on the scans for new site I joined, FineArtAmerica.com , I was remembering the back story to this painting. When people ask me where I get my ideas from, I always answer, from everywhere. You have no idea.
Some of you may know that my husband was with the police for many years. He retired as captain of the Monterey Police Department a while ago. But he started off living in Detroit and before his long career in the police, he did get up to a few things. He told me this story years ago and I incorporated it into this painting. I tell the story here because I’m pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out on train robbery.
When he was about 12 or so, in Detroit, he and a few friends went down to the train yard. This was good number of years ago, before all the security.They went exploring and got themselves onto a train, and into the locomotive. All of them began throwing levers and pushing buttons and, lo and behold, the train started up. A few more switches and it backs itself out of the train yard and off, down the tracks it goes.
Now this event did cause a bit of distress to the boys as they were only having a bit of fun. They managed to get it stopped eventually and then, as they were good boys at heart, they got it going again, forward this time and returned it to the train yard. Of course, that’s when they got caught. Parents were all called and the boys hauled away by them. My husband told me he’d never seen his father that mad….or that proud he suspects.
Here is my new painting. I find I just have nothing more to say sometimes after the actual painting is done. I know these things are supposed to be amusing and insightful. And if you read the comments I get, just before I dump them into the SPAM netherworld, full of insight and oh so useful information. Yeah; right. And by the way, they have a lovely shopping site if I am in the market for a Gucci bag.
So here is my latest offering. Complete with a link to Fine Art america. I’ll put them unobtrusively at the bottom from now on. I will appear, sporadically I am finding, in the third row of a search for the mentioned subject matter.
Okay. So Fine Art America says If I want my images to appear in the third row of a search, I have to post this link on the Internet. Now as there are only four slots for that next row, I am wondering what happens if five people post a link. But I am going to try it. No way to dress it up, so there it is. We’ll see if it works. Here’s hoping! It is for their cards.
I am up to 70 images on the Fine Art America web site. It has been a bit challenging, but a learning experience overall. Having to do high resolution scans from transparencies is somewhat like watching paint dry. That was never on my favorite things list. I figured that if I did go ahead with this, I wanted the images to be as good as possible, though of course, not an original.
But I am excited about being able to offer some of my work in prints and cards, as there is nothing out there in print right now. I have made sure to add a lot of my winter scenes in case anyone wants to use them as Christmas/Holiday cards. I am working my way through my catalog of images, a little at a time. If there is an image on my web site that anyone would like to made available as a print or card, let me know. If I have a transparency of it, I’ll upload it.
Here’s one I just put on there that is a favorite of mine. It was a commission from a few years ago, but I really enjoyed it. It was something very different from anything I had done before. and being quite the Anglophile, and a big Eastenders fan at the time, I had a good time with it.
For years, I worked in art galleries. I dreamed of being a real working artist but knew that was not going to happen. I had read somewhere that only one out of 30,000 artist is able to make a living at it. And that was over 35 years ago. So I worked in an art gallery on Cannery Row, loved it for the most part, and eventually started selling my art there. But for my living, I sold art. And worked part time as a cocktail waitress so I could pay ALL the bills.
We had some lovely art there too. Most were way beyond my means but here and there, I started collecting. But the one single most frustrating thing working there was, the dreaded phrase, “Does that come in a print?” No sale there.
So, I am not a snob about art. I do realize that not everyone can afford art or care to do so. Of course, I love selling the originals. I’ve had to make a living over the years, so sales were a necessity. But that is not the end all, be all for me.
Everyone doesn’t care if a piece of art they hang on their wall is an original. If an image that speaks to you is only available as a print, then, there you go. I certainly couldn’t have afforded a Salvador Dali, who’s work I love. For many years, I had a print of his, “Christ of St. John of the Cross” on my wall. Not even framed, horror of horrors. But I loved it. A print was just fine.
One of the most memorable experiences go. I had while in Japan was when a lovely woman came up to me, just thrilled to meet me. She told me she couldn’t afford my paintings but would I please sign her UNICEF card she had been saving. As an artist, that was the highest compliment she could have given me. To know that my work had touched her for all the years since that card had been published, for her to make a trip to the gallery to have me sign it, well that is as good as it gets.
So finally getting to the point, I have decided to join Fineartamerica.com. I thought I’d give it a go. A friend of mine kindly shared that he’d had a very good experience with this company.
They are really very interesting too. You select an image you like, from the artist portfolio, and can pick out the size you want, in a paper print, canvas print, acrylic print or even on metal. Or, you can have them made into cards. Those are available singly or in bulk.
I have just started uploading images and will continue to add them. I flung a couple of Christmas cards designs in there ahead of the season. If any of those folks out there who like my work but just don’t buy original art, here is an alternative. So now, years later, I have an answer to you if you say “I love it. Does it come in a print?” The answer is yes.
I realized just now that there are just so many way you can say , Here’s a new painting , without is sounding like every other time you’ve had a new one. I suppose it is the same problem that sports writers have, trying to make the previous night’s game sound just a bit more exciting that the 3 million other games they’ve written about. Hopefully in my case, a picture is worth a thousand words, and my works says every I need to say. Which is, “Have a look. Smile. Laugh.!” Preferably, the latter.
And for that person who asked, bless you, I’ll answer here. Yes, the new paintings I post are for sale, this one is sold however, unless it was a commission. It may take a while for me to get them put on the available page. But any inquiries concerning availability or price, can be made to me or, Bill Hill, owner of New Masters Gallery .
Over the years, I’ve had many jigsaw puzzles made from my work. But, public interest seemed to fade away. Or so I thought.
Then this year, my licensing agent had inquiries from four different companies. A while back, I put up a link to one a that produced three designs. There is another to be produced next year. But here is and interesting one. Hand made wooden puzzles that are done to order, one piece at a time. As are any hand made item, they are pricey. But apparently, there is a market for them.
I am excited about this new venture with Platinum Puzzles.
But don’t ask for samples because I don’t actually think I get any this time.
I know it is early for an Easter painting but this was a commission I just did. And that was what it was for.
I was a little nervous about it. I didn’t want it to be disrespectful, but I did want it to be one of my paintings, in my style. And that is certainly not traditional. I have been happy in the past with the Christmas ones I’ve done. And I did one with both Christmas and Hanukkah. So here is my newest painting, “God Won: Satan Zero”. I did my best.
