Merry’s Musings

I’ve been asked about my painting, How do you do it?”  My only answer is, it’s easy, peasy. Because for me it is. Of course, if you consider that, if you’ve been practicing something for almost thirty-five years, you get to be  proficient at it. I’ve certainly had to learn quite a bit about what I do.

When I first started painting in this style, I drew everything out in pencil. I didn’t trust myself to put a brush down on canvas and know which way to go next. As for my little people, I have definitely come a long way.

As you can see below, yes, I paint them naked first. Shock! Horror! I found early on, painting little pants and attaching shirts and plugging heads and arms into them just didn’t look right. I remember one painting I did many years ago that had an entire school yard of children playing. I was showing it to a client at the gallery where I was showing and as we were looking at it on the wall, I was very embarrassed to see an empty pair of pants running down the hill at the back.

The client was very understanding and did buy the painting. I had to take it back home to my studio and plug in the missing child. From there I decided there must be a better way. I started painting the whole person in first, get the body language going and then, dress them. And that how I still do it.

So, here is my latest painting, the first of the new year. It’s called “Butterfly Parade Too”. From start to finish.

So for me painting is easy. It’s the web page that is hard! 

Welcome 2012!

One of my favorite saying is, “Start as you mean to continue”.  So, taking the expected day off yesterday, I hope to start the new year, hard at it. Here is my first musing of the year. Nothing profound, don’t expect miracles.

I thought a good way to begin would be to answer a couple of questions I’ve had in e-mails, about my work.

The first is a big one. And, I thought you’d never ask!  You will find the paintings for sale in  the Available section of the gallery page. Prices are available on request.

The next is, I show my paintings at New Masters Gallery in Carmel. You may also contact the gallery for  inquiries on prices or anything else.

Yes, I do commissions. Most of the paintings on my web site have been sold. I do not repeat any of them, but, I do similar ones on request.   And, I will take commissions of subjects suggested by clients, but only if I feel I can do them justice.

I paint in acrylics, on canvas.

I think that covers the questions I’ve had so far.

And, oh yes, to the cheeky person who asked, and you know who you are, that photo in the bio is only 2 years old. And congratulations on the math. Yes, I just turned 60, and yes, I do clean up well. Thanks for noticing.

 

This image is available in cards and prints, HERE.

Back in 1995, I was asked by UNICEF to take an image I had submitted to them and make an advent calendar out of it. I was incredibly honored. I also hadn’t a clue as to how to go about it. They sent some materials from a previous one and I just crossed my fingers and figured it out. It was a learning experience.

UNICEF reminded me of when I was in elementary and junior high school, “Trick or Treating for UNICEF“.  What I remembered the most was, walking door to door with that milk carton wrapped in orange paper, and,as a little kid, feeling so empowered that something I was doing would help  children in need. I never forgot it.

This project has remained one of the highlights of my career. I thought this year, I’d share it on my web site. I’ll start opening the windows tomorrow.

I hope. If this works right. This is another learning experience.

And so, during the shopping and frantic running around, parties and general mayhem of the holiday season, don’t forget there are many great organizations out there that can always use your help. So count your blessing and fling a little their way too.

Happy Holidays!

If you like this image, it is now available as cards, posters and printed on canvas at FineArtAmerica.com.

Way back in 1977, I was working in a Cannery Row art gallery for a lovely man named Les Anderson. He was an incredibly talented watercolor artist for whom I’d worked, for many years. We had a very successful artist who he’d shown named Anne Rugh who, at that time, started painting primitives, as they were called. She had been even more successful doing that, under the name, Mrs. “B”.

My style of painting up until then, had gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. My boss and friend Les suggested I try the primitives. So I did and when I showed this to him, he told me to do a few more and he’d hang then in the gallery. I couldn’t believe my ears. Not only was he an incredible artist, he had an array of artists in that gallery that was amazing when I look back on it. That my work would be hung with them, for me, was unbelievable.

I did it too, and he took them to his framer and got them framed for me, and hung them in his gallery. This was the first one I did. It never sold. But much to my amazement, others did. I was absolutely amazed that I could sell my art. In the end, I pulled this one from the gallery to keep, to remind me of how it started. It hangs in my studio.

Early on, when I had talked about being an artist, everyone would indulgently ask, “Yes, that’s nice, but what do you want to do to make a living?” I knew the odds of actually making a living at it were fairly slim. But, almost thirty-five years later, that is exactly what I did do. An erratic one at best, but almost thirteen hundred paintings painted and most sold, I am still at it. And I’m not done yet.

My main intention when I added this “Musings” page was to have a place to share some of the stories I brought back from Japan. It was so incredible that I wanted to share some of the experiences. I am in the process of adding a few paintings I did for my last show there in 2005.

But today is different and I want to add a story that is more about being an artist. Not so much as someone who produces paintings, but as a person. Too serious? Maybe a bit.

Today is my 10^th wedding anniversary. So that is my reason for writing this. To say thank you to the man who had supported my efforts to be an artist for as long as I have known him. Who went with me in 2003, 2004 and 2005, to Japan and was unwavering in his enthusiasm for the trips and the experience and my work. Because there were times when I just wanted to quit. And because of his support, I kept on going.

On our final trip in 2005, my first show was in the south, at Takamatsu. It was lovely there and we stayed at a beautiful and elegant Clement hotel. It was across the street from the little train station next to Takamatsu Castle.  That is where I left and returned to, from my show at the Tenmaya department store.

The economy was starting to slack off in Japan and the show got off to a very slow start. I was beyond discouraged. I came back to the hotel from the first two days of the show feeling very low. I got off the train on the second day and I looked up to the 16^th floor to see Rick, waving wildly at me. When I got to the room he asked if I could see his note. I could see that someone was waving madly for that room but that was pretty much it, I told him.

The next day I came back to the hotel and got off the train. I got to the street and looked up. And this is what I saw.

I started laughing and got some very odd looks. But it turned out, the woman standing next to me had lived in Santa Barbara, she told me, and knew exactly what it meant. The others gave me wide berth.

So this is my Happy Anniversary card to my husband, for the years of love and support and encouragement.Thank you. ILY!

Well, it’s live, I posted, and nothing blew up! Off to a good start.

Here’s a good question. Why does one, at 2AM have the perfect idea of what to write? Yet in the light of day, all I can think is , “That’s dumb. Who cares?”  I am an artist. I don’t do writing. I wouldn’t know what to say. What if nobody cares? Welcome to the life of an artist. Self doubt, all the time.

When I made my first of three trips to Japan in 2003, for an Osaka company, I was really not sure what to expect. My first show was in Tattori City. I walked into this display in Daimaru, a large department store, and there was an entire space of only my paintings, spectacularly framed. Even though it was my work, I was impressed.

I sat down at the table and I waited, trying to look interesting. Did I mention I’m pathologically shy? All I could think of was, what if nobody buys a thing?  It stayed quiet and the manager of the company took me to lunch a bit later. While we we eating, he got a call from the gallery. We had a sale!

So back we went to the show.  The woman who bought the painting was waiting. One of the traditions at these shows was to present a shikishi, a small art board edged with gold colored trim on which I’d painted a miniature as a gift. I was asked to sign the back for the client with a personal message. She selected to miniature and I signed it for her.

When I looked up I saw that she had tears on her face. Startled, I asked my translator what was the matter. He told me that she was so happy that she had been able to buy this painting and to meet me, she felt she was blessed.

I felt like looking over my shoulder to see who she was talking about. I paint funny paintings, whimsical, jokes on canvas. Paintings; lite. But having her sit there telling me that, made me realize that what she was saying was exactly what I have always wanted to do with my art; effect people.  I felt humbled by her reaction to it.

When I came home from that trip, it was with a new appreciation of my own chosen profession.  That first show was the most successful one the company had ever had I was told.  But I’ve never forgotten the reaction of that sweet, little lady who reminded me that being an artist is what I am meant to be.

PS

On the other hand, I remember years back when I worked in a gallery that showed my work. I’d just finished a painting that I was particularly proud of. I had just hung it on the wall and a woman walked in and asked me to take it down and show it to her. Once glimpse and she said she’s take it. I was so excited.

I wrote up the sale and packaged my painting for her to take home. In parting, she casually said, “This will be perfect for over the toilet in the guest bathroom”. Wow, I guess that meant that only the men would see it. So, it’s not all glamor.