Why Purple?

TEN YEARS ago I was asked to paint a mural with the 200 students of TRUS here in Three Rivers, CA – part of a curriculum of artists volunteer teaching. To come up with a process that would work with kids ranging from K-8 grade, I played around with bright backgrounds and bold line. I liked orange the best. The kids filled in the spaces, leaving orange showing next to every line- it gave it a stained glass effect- the colors popped. And when finished the mural was clean and beautiful There are now 4 in town.

I LOVED doing it so much I continued using orange ground color and lines on my canvases , and I paint that way still.

SEVERAL YEARS ago I was asked to paint 16 murals in 2 months for Tulare County Welfare – what became known as my 1st "Marathon Murals" project. My assistant Fabi Belman and I painted the visitation rooms for foster children in 5 towns. We did all but one with the orange ground color.

WHEN WE got to the last one in Dinuba, we were told that the rooms were for mothers visiting with their babies who were born addicted to drugs. We agreed that orange might be too harsh for their little eyes. I experimented with lots of colors and purple worked wonderfully- especially with all the green of the forest. It still had a stain glass (or woodcut) effect, with less vibration.

TODAY I still use those 2 colors. I've tried other colors – some work, some are awful! Every painting is different and I decide before starting which color I think will work the best. I find it interesting that I almost always pick purple for dog portraits.

Nova Color

 MY FAVORITE paint. Nova Color paint from Artex Manufacturing Company in Culver City, CA. I paint all of my acrylic paintings with Nova Color. It is an amazing product, shipped directly to the artist since 1965. Since there is no middle man, the cost is much lower than buying tube paints. I purchase once or twice a year, in gallon size. If I should find I am out of a color, I order online and paints are delivered to my door in 1-2 days. Love that. Customer service is very personal; you can always talk to an expert if you have questions (the first time I painted a mural on a metal tank they were very helpful about preparing the surface.) SO glad I found this paint.

Business Card Art

Several years ago I attended a seminar by Andrea Adler, where I learned great ways to market myself. This was my favorite. I was told to purchase business cards in a variety of my painting photos. I chose 8 paintings that fit the shape. When asked for a card I would have people pick their favorite. In doing so they were actually "choosing" their first painting of mine, possibly opening a door for future purchases. I love it- some people REALLY can't decide!

I PAINT every day of the year. I'm a full-time artist creating acrylic and watercolor art. Most of my art is commissioned, and when I can find extra time I paint for myself. This week I finished my dining room chairs. It only took 6 years. I acquired 8 different oak chairs at garage sales, and eventually painted them in all the colors of my house. The butter and lavender walls are newly painted as well. Hmmm...I think it's time for a dinner for 8.

Kor and the Blue Chair

This is Kor. He's a Great Dane puppy. He goes to the studio with me every day; sometimes we walk, sometimes we take the truck. This is Kor's chair and he LOVES his chair. I'll be posting photos of Kor as he grows up (or as he HAS grown up- he is 6 months old already).

How To Shoot Great Photos of Artwork in a Minute.

Add caption

I'M NOT a photographer. But I need good photos of my artwork to sell it. I've always had problems with reflection and glare. I bought 2 photo lights but it was a lot of trouble to shoot a picture every day. This is what I came up with.  Outside, in full sun, I put the painting on a chair top in front of my studio window. I put a piece of tape on the back so the painting leans toward me. It eliminates the glare, but distorts the shape. Then in Photoshop I reshape it.  Then finally I adjust in Filter, Sharpen, Unsharp Mask to finish. It takes about 2 minutes for each photo.

Boxes for Shipping Canvases

Do you ship paintings? I discovered this really great way to cut down boxes to ship paintings.
   1. Make sure both ends are taped shut.
   2. Decide how deep you want your box (I want about 1.5 inch to ship canvases), take a box cutter and cut 1.5 down from the top, all the way around. Then do the same with the bottom.
   3. Throw away the middle and you have 2 exact pieces that fit one inside the other, for a perfect, strong flat box. I then mark the size on the box and store for when I need it.

#85 Fox Theater: 3

WORKED all day Saturday (top) and all day Sunday (bottom). I actually finished Monday morning. And by "all day" I mean get to the studio at 11am, break for lunch, go home to let the dogs out, break for a long dinner, back to the studio until 8.