Triad on a Table-9x12
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my attempt at some still life. dont mind em if i can do them outside in the sunlight!
next myth to explode: that artists that make their living painting are happy with everything (or most of what they do)
on this one i will in no ways speak for anybody but me on this topic.
as for me, i'm only completely happy with only a percentage of what i do. a small percentage. now there are different degrees of happy. i say that because i think you rarely hit a homerun on all aspects and problems you were working out on a painting
.then there's the matter of when am i being asked if i like it or not. 9 out of 10 times (on the ones i know arent complete crap when i finish), i like em right after i do them. but its funny that as days go by the shine wears off. then heaven forbid they come back around after six months or more. Oh my. some you wonder what you were thinking to even let it leave the studio and hang it somewhere in the first place.
then there's the "wall of shame", i have a place on a wall where paintings i'm working on (that arent going well) hang. i can see them from my couch. they mock me constantly from over there. blasted things!
as far as i can tell there are two schools of thought on what to do with the unsold ones that have been around awhile. one camp says never ever gesso over them, somebody somewhere, at some time in the future might buy it. the other school of thought does the below.
what do i do with the ones i get back that have been around forever and seem to be doomed to be orphans without a good home somewhere besides mine? on the bigger ones i hold up a frame cut out of cardboard looking for smaller paintings i can cut the panel into. hey $75-$100 is better than painting over it or using it for firewood right?
the ones that didnt have 6x8 inches of potential saleability get the electric sander on their face and get gesso for makeup. as i'm painting the gesso on, i have one of two feelings. on a painting you wonder why it didnt sell, the sorrow of watching a good friend leave town for good.
OR on the ones that you are flat out ashamed of, the joy of watching an ex leave town for good!
ive heard of some artists cathartically having bonfires and burning the paintings that start piling up and becoming pesky bothers to their soul. i'm too cheap to waste the boards, thus my sand/gesso tradition.
would be curious what you guys do with paintings you doubt will ever sell. comment below. we might give each other some new ideas.
7 comments:
When I saw an unexpected still life with your name on it pop up on DPW I had to check out your blog to get the back story... Makes sense that you would say it has to be "outside in the sunlight"! Nicely done!
I found your blog years ago and have enjoyed all of the insightful information about the business end of art. I've gained a lot from your straight forward and common sense slant on this crazy thing we do! Thanks a lot!
I usually have a big sale in November - my friends like to Christmas shop with my paintings. So everyone's happy: I at least make back the price of supplies and they get a horrible painting for super cheap!
thanks kathleen!
youre too funny marla!
Mike, was inspired by your blog I wrote about my own purging of paintings that are among the wall of shame.
Thanks for letting my share My inspired blog is johnclaytonpaintingblog.blog.blogspot
Hi Mike,
I have your DVDs and love your painting style. Do you gesso over dried oil paintings? i didn't know we could do that. If so, I just may have a pile of new canvases to paint on!
Could you say more about sanding and gessoing old canvases? I have piles--can I use regular gesso (I think it's acrylic) over oil paint?
How much do I have to sand? Can you sand right through the canvas??
I use left over palette paint to cover old canvas, but I don't like working on a very dark ground, so gesso sounds great to me.
Got up t 6am again and read your blog. I need to start creating my own blog because getting some feedback is what I need. I enjoyed reading your blog. Makes me feel lIke I'm in your boat!
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