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My gold


Fall is past and winter showing signs of taking over with some basic snow. It's time to be more indoors and I am reflecting on why I am doing this artwork.

I'm not exactly sure why, aside than having been involved into art in one form of another since I was very young. I used to spend hours in my bedroom drawing and being content with that. Today, many years later, I find myself in my studio painting... and being content with that. It simply brings me great happiness to mix paint and use it. I sort of feel as an alchemist, and if the acrylics I use are less precious than gold by far, well, they are my gold. They allow me to translate whatever seems to need to be translated onto those wood panels.
It takes courage: I feel, at times, the anxiety when I start, for the act of creating is not an easy one. Ask any artist. And yet, it is also a catalyst for doing it. Instead of paralyzing me, it motivates me to see what is going to be painted today. There is great joy in that mystery, and yes, courage, for it would be much easier to just sit with a good book by the fireplace. 

I now understand that I need to pace myself a bit. After having started with a bang recently, I am slowing down some, perhaps due to the season, when we retreat inside - homes and ourselves. I am remaining very inspired but I feel that pausing more will benefit my work. So all the desire to keep up with the various media is slowing down too, even though it's critical. I want what I paint to be more known, for I yearn to share it (not so much for an income, although being paid for what you do is always good, right?). I keep posting on Instagram more often as it's easy, less on Facebook as I find it demanding, and I have opened a shop on Etsy so that I would have a way to sell without stressing about it.

And now, it's time to paint, I am very excited to be doing that in 5 minutes: water is ready in buckets, my palette is primed, off to work.

Making progress



It's been an amazing amount of work to progress on the road of promotion. I have felt that there is so much to be taken care of: it can be overwhelming as it takes a lot of time, away from painting, particularly. I wrote previously about being organized, and that implies having a plan in order to have a map to follow and move forward.

At this point, it's important to establish priorities. It appears that one that is pressing is simply to get framed the artwork that needs it (pieces painted on wood boards as they look so great with that dark floating frame). Once that is done, I will be able to open my shop online. But before I get my artwork framed, I need to varnish them all, with 2 coats each. So, working backwards to find what's most important is a great way to progress, as odd as it may seem.

I don't forget to paint, either, as this is what I live for, after all. So... I have almost finished the painting above, but I am not satisfied yet, I have to push it further. It lacks spice!

On studio time optimization

Browsing the net for info, I came upon a great article for artists about being efficient with time spent in the studio. It's clever, well-written, and I liked it so much that I printed portions of it to have on my wall as a reminder. I read it in the morning with my cup of coffee, before working, and it really opens the mind up to possibilities. 

Not much else to say, read on about Artists - Making Effective Use of Your Studio Time

A great success at the Art Association “Jackson Rising IV” opening reception!



Friday night saw the works of 9 artists being displayed, mine amongst them. It was a lively show, with many people showing up: the reception was part of the Fall Arts Festival and Palate & Palettes, thus attracting quite a crowd. 

It was my first participation to a group show of this size and to see my 7 paintings featured on a large wall, and in the best location, was a true reward. All paintings are different, but my style is clearly established and the whole was cohesive. Many art lovers were present, asking me numerous questions about why I paint this way, what inspires me, drives me, how I create this or that, and I was blown away by the overall response. People really liked what I did and they validated my hard work. 

One of my works was sold, "Summer Between the Sun and the Moon" (keeping the buyer’s name anomymous, but I'm honored). I am grateful for his support, and it motivates me to keep pushing further. I have so much to paint and share, it’s the best part of being an artist! I also want to thank all those who came to see my work, specifically: your support is invaluable!

I can now rest a little, yet I don’t want to “rest upon my laurels” (French expression), and here are 3 actions I intend to pursue by the end of the year: 

1) entering 5 juried shows
2) speak to H.S. about having a solo show at one very very popular place in town
3) ask the newspaper about creating a portrait in the local newspaper

… and paint daily!

Enjoy your week,

Aude

A useful tool: Instagram



Instagram is one of those great social media tool for getting your work more known. It has developed into a very popular app, and if it's not as much as Facebook, it's simply because it is a different interface, and a simpler one, more based on visuals. Check out this article for more details Instagram vs. Facebook
Instagram demands less of you but it seems you can see more. I am learning to use it regularly, and discovering some great talent artistically, which is hard on Facebook. Browsing for great images is a breeze, particularly with hashtags.

Some artists even make a killing selling their art on it! Once again, from The Abundant Artist website, an article on such situation and if it is certainly motivating, there is no doubt that this doesn't happen overnight, that successful selling artists on Instragram, or any other social media, work hard at this, and are pretty good at marketing. Which can be learnt. I used to think of myself hopeless in that department, but perhaps because my motivation is totally different now, I understand a lot more and have more interest in it.

One thing I learnt is that posting regularly is good, often is better, several times a day is optimum. That said, I don't have the time to do so, but my goal is to post once a day. And don't forget hashtags, they are critical to spread your work in that network. You might want to limit them to 10 or so, after that it becomes a little obnoxious and is not recommended. Also, try to post with hashtags that are not so common: for instance, if I post with a #abstratctart, I can see that there are over... 126 million posts, so your work will get lost at the bottom really fast. Be creative, find hashtags that are not typical keywords, or create your own.

And now if you want to see quick images I post, my Instagram name is "audenevius"

Final notes:

  • my website is now up and running!
  • tonight is the opening of the Jackson Rising IV exhibition where 7 of my paintings are featured. I am most happy and can't wait to talk to viewers.

What's the header about?



I created my header to share a small part of what I do. The left side is self-explanatory, it's a cropped view of my work area, a sketch that took me a good hour to make, it's fairly detailed. I probably should sketch the whole area but that would take me a lot longer, so, in due time! 
And about the painting on the right. Do you feel as if you had all the time in the world? If so, you're lucky! I wish days were twice as long. I wish I could buy time. Even better, make it! The painting was an attempt at translating the "busi-ness" of life making us go like mad, and finding a still moment, which was when I was painting. The process of painting is always very meditative, I don't work fast, I observe a lot. This is, among other reasons, why I'm an artist: because it makes me pause and find my center, and sense of freedom (the seagull on the bottom).  I like symbolism a lot, and the Chinese IChing came to mind, and it fit right in. 

Are your days busy? Do you pursue any artistic purpose? What does it do to you, for you, in relation to a busy life?

Enjoy your day,
Aude

On selling your art through social media


Being an artist means spending a lot of time on your own, doing what you do best, your art. It can be a bit lonely at times, as a social life is not easy to bring into the picture. If you are a total hermit and never need to see anyone, perfect, but it’s probably not the norm. And it is well-known now that being social is an important part of healthy brain function. The other side of being social is that it is a critical step in order to get your artwork out in the world. If you’re not already doing that, read on.

About the whole aspect of selling your artwork online. I am finding out all about it these days, studying options and ways to do it well, and slowly moving forward that, rather than gallery sales. The reason for that is that for a minimal investment, you can see new collectors come to your store and buy your work. It does take a bit of work, and that does involve social media. 

Some pointers as far as what you can do:
  • Blogging: keep people informed of what you are doing. Blog a couple times a week, or more. Inform potential art collectors about what you’re doing, what is happening in your artworld. You never know who might be interested.
  • Facebook is now a fabulous tool, and I am going to use it shortly: for a small fee, $10 or $20 a week, you can reach quite an audience. Cory Huff at The Abundant Artist tells you all about it
  • Instagram: great tool and here is Cory Huff’s take on it 

There are other options, but these three are a good place to start.

What about Twitter? in my opinion, it is helpful for getting known, but I find it a lot of work. I like participating in the occasional chat, but it takes too much time overall. I keep it as recreation.


*Note that I am not getting any commission for mentioning Cory Huff’s website. I simply like what he does and am considering following some of his courses eventually.

Tooting my own horn



A week from now, Friday Sept. 11, is the opening reception for the Jackson Rising IV exhibition. I am part of it, as I have been nominated by an artist friend of mine. It came to a total surprise in July, yet it came at the perfect time, as I was painting - and still am - daily and had much to show.

There are 8 other artists, and this exhibition will be part of the famous yearly Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival. I will have 7 paintings showing and this has come at a very auspicious time! I have so much to paint and share, I’m proud of what I’ve done so far, and intend to go much further. This involves selling my art online, rather than approach galleries locally and nationally - at least for now.

My collection is all about my dream-like world. It is abstract, yet I am inspired by nature so much that it comes out in its own ways in the pieces. I like that they are all open to interpretation. That is my intention: to make the viewer decide what they are seeing, to take them away from the every day scene. Specially in Jackson, where art is all about the scenery and fauna. We’ll see what the reaction is. I know what I do is unique. But it’s hard to be a prophet in your own country, and I am not sure I have my place in Jackson. Time will tell. Thus the goal to sell online.

I am working on it daily, and my next steps are:
- redo my website
- create my Facebook page
- get business cards printed

Have a great week-end,

Aude

Slow and patient


Today is a new day! I love getting up in the morning and feeling the full potential that lies ahead. However, I am learning fast that becoming a professional artist is not easy. Not easy at all, in fact. After the conviction that I would sell paintings fast, that I would be quickly be able to stop working in graphic design and paint all the time (how naive), I have understood over the past few days that it's not how it goes. Unless one is extremely lucky, have unheard-of talent, and is noticed by some collector, slow and patient is the norm.

I have be listening to the radio show Artist Helping Artists, also available in podcasts, and it's a gold mine of information. And now I get it: you need to be very prepared before you enter the selling world. And it takes time to get there. I will write more on this as I go.


When I thought that such news would make me depressed, when I had high hopes, I actually relaxed! How surprising! What happened is that it took the pressure off to succeed today. The concept of giving myself 2 or 3 years to go into the art business is just what I needed right now, as I was pushing pretty hard. I was simply going to exhaust myself, and was feeling stressed. Suddenly, a weight has lifted and I can paint with my heart, to my heart's content too, and work towards building inventory over time.


Slow and patient allows me to set up goals and a plan. Starting with today, I will, in any order:

  • paint 3 hours
  • write a blog post (done!!)
  • work on MindMeister to organize my thoughts and plan my path.
May also your day be filled with potential, and realizations,
Aude

Towards becoming a professional artist


This year, I decided to finally embark on the path to becoming a professional artist. Not a small thing, considering that the world probably could care less to have another artist. But does it need it? YES! I keep reading about being showing something different, and I feel that I am. I was sketching and doing watercolors and as of March, entered an abstract realm that is new and suits me well. I am not sure where I fit, and I'm not sure the world will like it, time will tell.

There are so many things to cover before I actually become a little bit known.


1. Painting! It remains the reason why I want to do this. It's about holding a brush, and doing my work, primarily.

2. Social media and networking, which lives in the realm of marketing. I am not fond of having to spend more time than I want on that, however it is a amazing tool nowadays and I am grateful to have access to it.
3. Marketing. That is THE largest part of getting anywhere. It includes many areas to cover.

There are more than 3 but those are the main categories. So, I better keep at it.


On a great note, I have been selected by a friend and artist to be in the upcoming Jackson Rising IV. It is happening soon, more on that in a coming post.

Summer between the Sun and the Moon

Acrylics on wood panel - 20 x 20 in. (50 x 50 cm)

Summer is going by very fast and already we are seeing fall colors around! I heard nature is a month ahead of schedule and that may mean winter a month early too, we'll see.
In the meantime, since we are still basking in warm temperatures and the sky is still filled with lovely puffy clouds, pollen and birds, I let the season lead me to paint this piece. It took me about a month and a half to complete as this was my first larger abstract painting. It's a shift from my usual 10x10 inches paintings and I learnt a lot, to stretch my imagination and my strokes too. 
I love painting larger, it is freeing, less constricting, but more work as there is more space to fill. I still enjoy the smaller sizes for they are simpler and quicker. Although, you never know when I decide to cover it all and start over, so a small painting can be revisited later and change skin completely!
Back to this one, the title sums it up. I have spent a fait amount of time outside observing. What? Nature, simply. It is a constant source of inspiration for me, and if it comes about in more abstract ways, it's simply my interpretation of what my eyes and mind drink up and retain. Since I don't feel fully in charge, it's always a surprise to see how a painting turns out. I like the spontaneity this gives me.

Festival

Acrylics on wood board - 10 x 10

I had started this as a simple study in texture but it developed in a lovely way. I work intuitively, very often, letting the piece lead me into a certain direction. I had many doubts that I was going down a good path on this one, but after I made the decision to add some lines, some green, some shapes, it got better and better. Working with gray is also very satisfying as its variation are endless. 
I was inspired by some colors on one of our maple trees outside. It's a Rocky Mountain maple, and it has numerous of those little helicopter seeds ripening. They are amazing shades of pink and orange, and the green leaves provided a great contrast. After that, it's a world in my imagination that takes over. I like this piece a lot.

Dawn, as the birds know it.

Acrylics on wooden panel, 16 x 20 in.

Each morning, birds are the ones waking me up. And I love mornings, for they are full of hope, the hope that this day will be leave me with a full heart and mind. 
I try not to become "attached" to shapes as I paint, or to anything at all, in fact, but shapes seem to be what calls to me the most. That is how I work, by developing shapes and creating a composition that is harmonious. I often see something in a shape and want to keep it on the painting, but it doesn't always work. When I slowly traced the bird shape on this piece, I knew what it was all about: dawn and birds.


Après la pluie, le beau temps

Acrylics on board - 10 x 10 in.

This was a really fun yet challenging piece to create. I had worked on placing several layers of paint, and when I laid the whiter one, this humanoid appeared. I could have modified it with the stroke of a brush but I might have felt guilty to take its life away. Thus, it stayed. It was not easy to make the rest happen, but working carefully and taking my time tied it all together. The hardest part was looking at it from different angles and try NOT to see a human shape in order not to be too attached to it so that I would be able to change anything, even it, if necessary. 
I work on several pieces at once. This way, when I feel bored or running out of options, I go to another. These days, I have mostly larger works going on, but still finishing those smaller ones that demand attention.

A Primary World

Acrylics on illustration board - 15 x 20 in

I first created the background with much spontaneity, having decided I would mainly use primary colors to see how I could balance them all. Searching for shapes and creating them is a lengthy part that demands constant reassessment of what I am looking at. Nothing is inconsequential, although, with acrylics, it is easy to fix. But I may never be able to reproduce something I liked so my modifications have to be careful. At times, they are a leap of faith, and it either pays off or not.
This particular piece amuses me, probably because of its varied shapes that remind me of creatures. The human mind needing to associate what we see with something familiar, I think it is easy to do so here and have fun.
This is my last piece on illustration board. I have tried this support enough and am not happy with it. From now on, I am working on wooden panels.

Field Day

Acrylics on illustration board - 15 x 15 in

With all the rain that has fallen, nature is green as can be. It had to show in my work! I spent some time in South Park, observing all I could, and was, as always, amazed at the variety, of greens, this time. Nature being my church, I can never tire of what I find in it for inspiration. 
I am also in constant search of a new shape, something not seen before, with the right arrangement, and the right hues. 
I created this piece on illustration board, which I'm not a fan of. I managed to push its limits using a medium for texture and more support. 
I am happy with the result, though.

Auspicious Moons

Acrylics on board 10 x 10 in. (25 x 25 cm)


"Auspicious Moons" - I worked spontaneously on this one. Once again the process is about pushing the piece as far as I think it can go, without being too much. It is not easy to achieve the right balance yet it remains a fascinating search for harmony of the big principles, hues, values, line, color, shape, and space.
In Europe I've seen so much art work adorned with gold leaf, it was the right use of it on the upper moon. It adds a note of sacredness, a concept that is a little frayed nowadays, without necessarily being linked to religion. To me, gold is magnificent, and sacred, yes, for it remains a rare metal after all.
I will keep doing 10x10s as they allow me to work faster and I like the format, but I am working on some larger pieces, which take longer, indeed. Drum roll...

Floral Dream

Acrylics on board - 10 x 10 in.

Patterns and shapes, endlessly witnessed around me. Nature is a poem that begs to be translated, and to do so, I must let myself see beyond what is there. The sky is the limit. Just look at clouds and how varied they can be: wispy, ominous, puffy, frayed, dense, bright, translucent, massive, should I go on? Then it's just a matter of letting the hand do its work. I may not always be the one driving the bus, here.

Sunny Day

Mixed media on board - 10 x 10 in.

Joan Miró said "Courage consists sometimes of staying close to nature, which could not care less about our disasters." 
I find it incredibly true, in the sense that nautre is here, always present, and that it can take courage to disengage ourselves from the daily dramas, regardless of how terrible they can be, and find solace in nature and what it is to us.
The target is a symbol that I favor, forcing me to remain aware and sharp. Mindful, if you wish. It allows me to create work that is lively, connected to nature, daring to be here, present. 
My hope is that none of my work leaves people indifferent. I'd like to allow people's imagination to wander and wonder, to let the mind dream a little, take us out of the realm of daily news, technology, business and everything that makes us feel overly busy and stressed. 



Dry point portrait of Malik

About 9 x 7.5 inches, printed on Rives BFK.

This was my last project in the printmaking course I took with Eleanor Anderson. I carved it on a piece of plexiglass with a scribe, after having made a drawing from a photo. This is a long process and the printing part is as well, and you don't want to miss any steps or you wind up with a lousy print.
I'm pretty satisfied with this one, the first of 3 and most successful. It totally looks like Malik, although his muzzle is more concave and not so flat on the long part. Aside than that, yep, it's him, and he agreed to it.

Bamboozled

Acrylic on board, 10x10

Art for me is full of surprised as far as the creative process goes. One can fully structure what they will come up with, and I will do that at times, although never fully. I like keeping some margin for surprises. I also work from nothing, spontaneously, and this is where I have no idea what will come out in the end. This very free process keeps me on edge, forces me to keep looking at the piece, finding the way to push it further, until I consider it done. This particular one took me many hours and you can see below what it was like at its early stage.
I can see surrealism in this. I enjoy the odd shapes, how I relate to the quizzical look of the...face ? It is very layered work, and I had my moment of indecision with it. It took stepping away from it regularly for a couple of days, but I trust that I will always come up with a solution.
This is one of the reasons I paint and create art. I like the mystery of it all, the piece that is not yet created and waiting to come to life. So, another one down!

Ethnico

 Acrylic on board 10 x 10

I was inspired by nature and my life in Western African countries. It is built of layers upon layers, some sanding, adding more, and details, and repeating the process. I was also largely working while listening to a Western African radio, as some of my roots will always be there. It had its influence and I'm starting to see it peak through more of my work. I was drawn to work with a warmer palette, and I'm pretty happy overall with the result, as it was a work of patience and many decision to take.


Collagraph - Printmaking ink over Rives BFK paper, 8.5x6 in.

Printmaking ink on Rives BFK paper, 9.25 x 7.5

I am taking a printmaking course with Eleanor Anderson, who is so incredibly talented, in printmaking, and in ceramics! I love her work, she is highly inspiring to me.
The first week was lino cut, which I like, but didn't create anything transcending.
This week we did collagraphy, which is is a printmaking process in which materials are applied to a rigid substrate (such as paperboard or wood).  Ink or pigment is applied to the resulting collage, and the board is used to print onto paper or another material using either a printing press or various hand tools. The resulting print is termed a collagraph. A variety of materials can be used in creating the collagraph plate. I used vinyl onto mat board. After I sketched my composition, I put it together, which took a while. The result feels like magic and I want to explore that medium further as it was totally thrilling.

Floral dream - Acrylic over encaustic on board, 10x10

This painting is built on a previous one. The warm layer underneath is from encaustic work, and I saved the parts I like best. Painted with acrylic over that waxy part, I like the depth it gives to the work. A friend of mine mentioned it looked surrealist, and I see her point. I like the looseness of it all: from usually working in a fairly detailed way, I'm learning to be playful and let things happen as they want to.

Soulful




One artist, Nicholas Wilton, absolutely inspires me. I took 2 of his workshops a few years ago, and learnt a lot, and found a way to let my abstract ideas come to life. Since it's also good to learn by mimicking artwork we like, I set to do so and came up with this piece, which I"m pleased about. I used the structure of his painting as the basis, but did my own thing, and I find the result quite lovely, with a choice of hues that is different yet works. So I only take credit for that and the fact that I put my own touch in it. Do click on it to get a larger view.
Very helpful to have done this, I should now try a masterpiece by Caravaggio!

Oh, and here is Nicholas Wilton's site, his blog rocks, and his listed work is amazing... to my eyes and hopefully yours!
http://www.nicholaswilton.com

A NEW BEGINNING!

I haven't posted for a long, very long time, in fact. 2014 was a year of questioning and being deeply involved in my graphic design work. I went also on a 3-month trip in France, not exactly traveling since I was also working online. I did much, visited friends, family, made new friendships, did a meditation retreat, walked a lot in cool villages, saw some amazing art, was inspired, felt French again when it was time to go back to Jackson.

Upon my return, I realized that I was at a turning point in my life. I wondered about pushing my graphic design business further, as I enjoy it, and it pays me well. However, when I finally allowed myself to be truly honest, I came to realize I simply wanted to be an artist. I wanted to paint and paint and paint. I knew it all along, as one of those truth embedded in you, that keeps pursuing you, yet you never dare looking at it. Well, I did, and this was HUGE for me. This is my life-long passion.

It has many implications. The first one is that I am making a commitment to paint every day, if I can. There will be days when I can't, indeed. I still need to work in my business, I am not ready to let go of it, and it will pay for my art supplies and expenses. So, I will paint every morning and also develop my presence online, as being an artist today is a bit different than when Gauguin was one. You need to get known on the internet. That takes time too. Yet my primary focus will be to work hard in order to get better and get a direction in my art. I am looking at submitting my work to contest, galleries yet being patient with progress. It can't happen overnight

Voilà, this is what is lined up for 2015. I am thrilled. Joseph Campbell said "Follow your bliss" and I am. This is my passion. I have a voice through my paintbrushes and pens, I intend to let it express itself. I have many details to cover in order to get anywhere, but the foundation is simple: paint and draw.