12-29-2014 - Daily Painting - Santa Fe Garden Lunch

Santa Fe Garden Lunch

$100

13 x 9 1/2

Inktense Ink & Acrylic

12-25-2014 Daily Painting - Sunset, Saco II

Sunset, Saco II

$100

9 x 12

Acrylic

12-23-2014 Daily Painting - Sunset, Saco

Sunset, Saco

$75

5 x 7

Watercolor

Update on 11/29/2014 Blog - $2 Billion in art sold in just two weeks

http://www.artnews.com/2014/12/01/2014-art-basel-miami-beach-preview-part-5/#jp-carousel-41486
In a previous post I said that buyers are looking for innovation; I think this (see link above to an entry to Miami's Art Basel) may be what the future may have for the art world. God help us!

$2 billion in art sold in just two weeks

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/29/business/with-art-investing-in-genius.html?_r=0

Record prices are being bid for art recently. Some are seeing art as an investment. That could be a good thing for artist right? Well maybe. You would think that all of this interest in buying art as an investment would raise the prices of art across the board, but what investors seem to be looking for is innovation. Japanese artist Kazuo Shiraga's “BB56”sold for $4.9 million was painted by the artist's feet as he suspended himself above the canvas by a rope. BB56 last sold in 2008 for $300,000 (the artist has since died). Thomas Wolfe in his book "The Painted Word" cited the fact that modern art is moving from the visual to theories of what art should be. Today, the trend could be toward who could be the most innovative. Will beauty be lost in the race to dollars?

In Miami, Art Basel (https://www.artbasel.com/miami-beach) will start on December 4th, let's see if they will break last year's record.

By the way, anyone interested in getting in on the ground floor of art investing my studio, both 'brick and mortar' and online is always open. :)

12-13-2014 - Daily Painting - Santa Fe Window

Santa Fe Window

$100

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas

This was a view of a window I saw when I was in Santa Fe a few years ago. It was on the second floor above some shops and I always wondered about the person living there.

Sweet in the middle: map reveals Americans’ art tastes, state by state

Who is your favorite artist? ebay has mapped out the most queried artist by state. Is your favorite one of them?

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2014/dec/23/art-tastes-map-americans-ebay-terry-redlin

The Future of Brick and Mortar Galleries

There are over two hundred art galleries in the state of Maine. Some are artist owned, most are not. The marketing strategies of most galleries are outdated. Today's economy will not sustain the high price model of 'curated' galleries. The selling of art in the United States is a multibillion dollar industry that caters mostly to rich collectors who collect for investment and rely on gallery owners to tell them what to buy. The vetting process of these galleries locks out many artist. I suspect that supply and demand is at play here, where the art of a relative, favored few is worth more to the gallery owners.

But what of the artists? Who do they create for? What are the goals of Artists?  Is it to create and share beauty? Is it to become rich? Is it to be shown in museums? What role do galleries play in the artist's goals?

New technology, the internet and social media has allowed artist to interact directly with the public without the gallery middleman. Sites like Daily Painting Works and Portland Art Gallery(along with eBay and Pinerest) allow artist to sell their creations directly through the internet. This is a tool that artist can use to earn money while creating for galleries and museums, if they so choose. As with any new technology there have been detractors as outlined in the following article from the Portland Press Herald.

http://www.pressherald.com/2014/12/07/new-gallery-draws-competitors-ire-by-charging-artists-for-exposure/

12-22-2014 Daily Painting - White Boat

White Boat

$100

6 x 6

Acrylic on board

12/19/2014 - Daily Painting - Maxfield Parrish Christmas

I have been reading about Maxfield Parrish and how he would put a varnish glaze between each layer of color on his canvas. This must have been very time consuming and I wondered if he ever tried acrylics. Granted, acrylics were new during Parrish's time but many of his works have been damaged by his technique, I wonder if his works would have fared better if he used acrylics toward the end of his career?
Here is a winter scene done in acrylics inspired by Parrish and using Stephen Quiller's style.

Maxfield Parrish Christmas 2

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas mounted on board

Here is the same scene I will use for my Christmas card this year.

Maxfield Parrish Christmas

5 x 7

Acrylic on board

12/18/2014 Daily Painting

I got inspired after reading an article by Stephen Quiller on how he paints with acrylics and watercolor. This is the most colorful painting I've done in a long time.

Mountain Sunset

$100

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas 

The long ride home
$75

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas mounted on board

Brass Bowl Study

$100

6 x 6

Acrylic on canvas mounted on board

Wishing for Spring

$100

6 1/2 x 6 1/2

Acrylics

Boat in fog
$100

6 x 6

Acrylics on canvas mounted on board

Lighthouse #1
$100

6 x 6

Acrylics on canvas

This was started yesterday. I wasn't pleased with the outcome, so I went back today and reworked it using oils. I am still not pleased but as they say every piece of art can't be a masterpiece.

Horse Study

10 x 10

Oil on Board

A Painting A Day

Seagull on Roof

5 x 7

Oil on Board

Cardinal - Winter Bird House

11 x 14

Oil on Board