THE BEGINNINGS OF IMPRESSIONISM - Paintings of Zacharie Astruc

LANDSCAPE WITH WAGON AND HAYSTACKS by Zacharie Astruc 1869-70

Exposition de 1874
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CATALOGUE

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ASTRUC (Zacharie) 5, rue d'Arcet (Batignolles), Paris

 The address is probably where his studio was located which may or may not have been his residence.

1. Le Bouquet à la Pénitente. Aquerelle. 
2. La Lecon du vieux Torrero. Aquerelle. 
3. Cadre de figures contenant: 
4. Cadre de figures renfermant: 
5. Les Poupées blanches (Japon).
6. Le Ménage mal assorti.

TRANSLATION 
1. The bouquet of the penitent , water color 

2. Lesson of the old bull fighter , water color

3. Figures, Framework

4. Figures , Framework 

5. White Dolls , Japan 

6. Cleaning mismatched

THE MASK SELLER by Zacharie Astruc

Roses négligemment jetées sur un vase by Zacharie Astruc

I was unable to locate any of the paintings Zacharie Astruc showed in the first impressionist exhibition. LANDSCAPE WITH WAGON AND HAYSTACKS was painted a few years before the exhibition. ROSES CARELESSLY THROWN ON A VASE shows his style, which flagrantly avoids Salon rules.

He was also a sculptor as shown in the interesting statue THE MASK SELLER, now standing in the Luxembourg Gardens, Paris.

But his main claim to fame was as an art critic and many examples of his writing are on the internet. During the first impressionist exhibition he published daily glowing reports on the painters and their work in a Paris newspaper. This early publicity must have done wonders for attendance at the exhibition and the subsequent notoriety of the group.

PORTRAIT OF ZACHARIE ASTRUC by Félix Bracquemond

WAYWARD ROSE by Sea Dean

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GAMVAR TEST - Season for Ice Wine

I recently reviewed a small painting I did a couple of years ago and completely repainted it. SEASON FOR ICE WINE depicts the time when certain varieties of grapes are left on the vine through the fall and into the first frost. The picking is an icy experience, not for the faint-hearted. The process concentrates the juice and sweetens the grapes, so when the wine is produced it becomes a sweet sipping wine, delicious for drinking by an open fire in the longer nights to come.

GAMVAR TEST

If you've used acrylics, you will be aware that they dry darker, less vibrant and with uneven shine, so in my opinion they should always be varnished to bring them back to life. Gamvar made a huge difference to the colour of both paintings I tested and brought the finished look much closer to oil painting. I can see why this product is recommended by museums. I've used other gloss varnishes on acrylics and they also improve the look, but are thicker not as professional looking.

Instructions, a video and details for applying Gamvar here. Gamvar is a high gloss varnish,

This is the first time I've used GAMVAR archival varnish. It was developed by museums for both acrylic and oil paintings so I've also been excited to try it. The product is an archival high gloss varnish which can be removed, but not re-painted. I'm notorious for retouching paintings, so choosing a varnish which cannot be painted over is a big step for me. Applied neat, it gives a high gloss look, but varying degrees of matt to gloss finish can be achieved. This is addressed by the excellent table in the link above. It should be used in a well ventilated room or outdoors.

The product was a surprise, because it has a very thin consistency, almost like water. The look is super shiny, even though I used a sponge a few times to texturize and mattify as it dried. I can see how you wouldn't be able to paint over the surface, because it has an oily feel even when dry to the touch. The canvas panel didn't absorb the varnish, but it dried patchy, probably due to the multiple paints and mediums below, so I will probably apply a second coat with added Gamsol or Cold Wax Medium (CWM), to create a semi-gloss effect.

In the same session I varnished the grape painting from yesterday which is painted on canvas rather than canvas panel and is fresh paint rather than retouched. The varnish worked better on this surface and doesn't need a second coat. I mattified more vigorously than with the small painting, which seems to have taken the edge off the shine.

I'm now excited to try adding CWM to give a matte look. I've recently been refinishing some furniture with clay paint and I love the satin wax I've been using to finish the pieces, so I'm sure I would love that waxy finish on paintings. I will share the results in a blog when I do.

The painting above can be purchased at Daily Paintworks.

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GRAPES OF WINE

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GRAPES OF WINE
20" x 16" Wrap Canvas
Ready to Hang

I've been working on vineyard and grape paintings this week. I've never painted them before, so there's a bit of a learning curve, but I suppose if you can paint a sphere, you can paint a grape. You would think it would be tedious making circle after circle, but the trick to painting grapes is to make each one individual, so it's not boring at all.

In this painting I was aiming for a richly textured and energetic style. As with all paintings that are the first in a series, there are many layers, and there was much stopping and starting as I worked out some of the challenges and allowed the paint to dry before the next layer. My biggest challenge was to keep it fresh and prevent over working, which I did by drinking many cups of tea as I contemplated. I'm pretty proud of the final result.

Have you ever painted grapes and vines? Do you have any tips for my readers? Please comment below.

ON VIEW AT ANCIENT HILL WINERY and Musical Afternoon

ANCIENT HILL by Sea Dean

As you see, I added more sunshine and blue sky to this painting, plus a few more leaves to the trees on the right. It is named after the winery where it was created and is available at Daily Paintworks

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ANCIENT HILL is a lovely winery set above the rolling hills of the Okanagan. It is owned and run by the Kamphuys family who have steadily built the business over the last 24 years. They are a vital part of the community, supporting many charities, artists etc. and neighbours are constantly dropping by for a chat and to pick up some delicious wine for dinner. It's a very pleasant place to spend the afternoon.

Yesterday I was invited to paint at Ancient Hill Winery during the CARRS LANDING STUDIO TOUR. The winery is on the very edge of the tour and few arty types dropped by, but nevertheless the winery was bubbling with tasters and visitors enjoying the lovely covered picnic patio overlooking the valley.

The CARRS LANDING STUDIO TOUR spans two weekends, so I will be painting there again next weekend and hopefully I can round up a few more artist friends to accompany me, so drop on by with your picnic basket and enjoy this gorgeous location. The tour is both Saturday and Sunday and on Saturday afternoon a couple of musicians will be entertaining visitors.

Some of my paintings are on display for the intervening week, so feel free to drop by during the week between 9:30am and 5:30pm. These are my paintings on view.

Cherry Cherry I - Framed - 6" x 4" - $75
Popping Out - Framed - 4" x 6" - $75
An Apple a Day - Miniature Masterpiece - 6" x 6" - $60
Daisy Chain - Miniature Masterpiece - 6" x 6" - $60
The Vinyard - Framed - 5" x 7" - $85
Designer Nest - Framed - 5" x 7" - $85
Sunset Over the Lake - 4" x 12" - $80
Glimmer on the Lake - 8" x 8" - $80
The Old Barn - Framed - 8" x 10" - $90
Ancient Hill - 12" x 12" - $100
Hoodoo Ridge - Framed - 11" x 14" - $135
Summer Breeze - 24" x 36" - $520

PRICING YOUR WORK

SWEETNESS ACEO by Sea Dean - 2.5" x 3.5"

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PRICING YOUR WORK

Pricing seems to be a very difficult choice for artists. It's probably the most common question I get.

The challenge is that when an artist is starting out they are probably much slower and go through many repaints and adjustments before they consider a painting complete. A more mature artist spends far less time fussing and adjusting because they've had a great deal more practice. Beginner professionals and hobby painters can't hope to come close to the rates that mature professionals are charging and must consider the number of hours they have spent part of the learning process, because you can't make a customer pay for your learning curve.

In the beginning it is probably best to forget about time altogether and for the first year of so focus on covering the cost of supplies. A canvas may be $10, paint and medium $20, wiring $2 and so on. Stay away from expensive framing and choose a narrow or deep gallery wrap canvas instead.

After you have painted at least 100 marketable works, you can set a price scale with a riser every year. By this time your work should be acceptable to juried exhibitions and galleries. I covered value and trust in a previous post and it would be good to read that blog before setting your prices because it is crucial to your standing as a professional artist.

It took me a long time to settle on a pricing structure that was simple for both myself and my buyers. I started with small works which take a lot longer to paint per square inch than larger works, but are my bread and butter. What really helped me was a local exhibition called UNDER 100, where all the work must be under 100 square inches and under $100: I saw paintings flying out of the doors and decided I wanted a piece of that action. It stood to reason that if I could optimize the time and the material cost on each piece and use maximum knowledge and technique, my work should also sell fast at these affordable prices.

So I set the standard of 100 square inches for $100 which is $1 per square inch.

Miniatures are $3 per square inch with 10 - 100 square inch paintings somewhere in between.

Larger than 100 sq inch paintings are approximately $0.60 per square inch.

These prices work for me in my market, but you may need to tweek them a bit for your market. The important thing is that once you have set your prices you must honour them regardless of where you show your work. You can decide on the increase each year in collaboration with your galleries and advisors, but it is never advisable to drop your prices and alienate your patrons.

DEVELOPING TRUST AS AN ARTIST AND WHY

THE VINYARD by Sea Dean

DEVELOPING TRUST AS AN ARTIST

How does trust affect Art sales? What is the role of trust between Artist and Patron?

The occasional buyer will choose your work simply because they like the style, the subject matter, or the colour scheme, however these are few and far between. That type of buyer can just as easily buy a print from a big box store. 

 Trust of the intrinsic value of the piece

It is a rare patron that doesn't give at least a passing thought to whether the work is worth the money they are paying and is likely to increase in value. The serious investor is actually more concerned about the investment value of the piece than whether they like it, or even if they have space on their walls.

Image is everything here. You can increase the sense of value by showing a professional face to your buyers. This can include business cards, website, a track record of sales in the same price range, showing gallery backing and/or a list of juried exhibitions or membership in a prestigious art society. 

Trust in the longevity of the piece

Use the best archival quality supplies that you can find and make sure that is mentioned on your website and in other literature. This is especially true for acrylic painters and mixed media artists because buyers tend to trust oil painting more. Your buyer doesn't want to find that in 10 years the colours are fading or yellowing or worse still, pieces are detatching themselves from the body of the work.

Well known artist Robert Genn, sadly deceased last year, added a lifetime guarantee with his work. Robert would touch up or fix any problems even foxing on the matt or damage to the frame. You can add a similar guarantee to your certificate of authenticity.

Trust in your image in the Art world

If you have earned prizes for your art, flaunt it. Show that you have passed through the jury process and been selected for exhibitions. If you sell internationally, let them know and especially if your work has been collected by a museum or public gallery.

Trust that your Art will increase in value or at the very least not lose value

Buyers want to know that you are serious about your profession and will continue to work hard to get your name out into the marketplace. Show that your work has increased in value over time, or let them know that every year your ticket prices is increased by a percentage. This also helps with sales if they are considering buying just before your price increases.


Trust the price they pay is the best price and a similar painting will turn up somewhere for less

This is a tough one, but buyers need to know that your prices are set no matter where the work is displayed. This is increasingly important now online sales are becoming more common. Some inexperienced artists set an approximate amount that they want for a work and then change the price according to whether the piece is for sale in a show, online, or in their studio.

For example, if an artist values their work at $100 and a gallery charges 50% commission the price there would be $200 and if the purchaser buys direct from the artist, $100. An online website may have costs of 10%, so the painting would be 110% if purchased online. You can see that a gallery would be annoyed at this and a buyer would feel insecure.

It is also important to be careful about discounting and charity auctions. If a buyer knows you have holiday sales or that you will let your work go for low prices in a charity auction, they will wait and buy at the lowest price. No so good for regular and ongoing income.


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WHAT IS THE OPTIMUM SIZE FOR A PAINTING?

WHAT IS THE OPTIMUM SIZE FOR A PAINTING?

This isn't a question I get asked often, but if you want to sell your work, it is a crucial point to consider.

Recently the daily painting movement has made a radical difference to being an artist. The movement is based on creating a finished work each day and selling them online. Due to time constraints and the amount that buyers are willing to pay when they perceive it has not taken much effort, these paintings are traditionally 8" x 10" or smaller. An offshoot of this is the hand painted ACEO which is a tiny 2.5" x 3.5".

CORELLA by Sea Dean 8" x 6" Canvas Panel

Some artists find it difficult to paint large and others find it difficult to paint small: They are both learned techniques. 8" x 10" is a size that is acceptable for most artists and buyers. It is easy to find space in any home for something that size and the canvas to hand size, is not too restricting. Smaller paintings can cramp an artists style and larger can be too difficult to paint in one day.

Naturally, smaller paintings sell for a lower price point and therefore more often, to bring in a living wage. Miniatures can sometimes take longer to paint than a larger piece, so unless they are very simple watercolours they should have a higher price per square inch (buyers often don't understand this).

Most artists believe that painting big encourages expansiveness and freedom and helps in developing a unique style. Cost of supplies can spiral with larger works because the structure must be stronger and it's easy to blast through copious amounts of paint. Although buyers know this, buying a large painting may be a once in a lifetime purchase rather than an impulse buy due to finding the space for a large piece and also the higher cost.

It's important to paint in a size that suits your style, but little sales pay the bills, so the smaller the better. You will sell fewer large works in the beginning, but it gives you a greater high and allows pays the bigger bills. I find that my ratio for small to large sales is more than 10 to 1, although that is increasing as I become better known.


CORELLA PEAR
8" x 6" Canvas Panel
Framed
Available at Daily Paintworks

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ACCEPTANCE - Nests

I've been accepted for the COHA Exhibition "Expressions of Death: dying, grief and life after" showing in September at the Alternator Gallery in Kelowna, BC.

"The Central Okanagan Hospice Association (COHA) offers compassionate care, comfort, support and learning to those who are dying or grieving within our community. We all will die, yet the words, death, dying, died are spoken in hushed whispers if they are spoken at all. Through the denial of our death, we deny those around us the knowing of our wishes, fears, and hopes. We deny lasting connection in our final breaths. Through starting the conversation on living until death, we hope to create an atmosphere where to die is not to lose a fight, but an inevitable step on one’s journey."

This is the first time I've been accepted  on the strength of a proposal for a conceptual piece, which is a step in the direction of public art submissions. My proposed art work is called CROSSING OVER. The piece is a sculpture based on my nest series, exploring a much loved area of my artistic life that I rarely play in. Stay tuned for more, as I develop the proposal and start construction. Yay!

I think this may be the only 2D nest that I have available at the moment. You can purchase it with or without a frame, but it is currently for sale on Daily Painworks framed and matted. Just contact me if you want to mount it yourself and save on shipping.

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EDOUARD MANETS FLOWER PAINTINGS

MANETS ROSE by Sea Dean

This sweet painting is a careful study of Manets style from one of his last paintings. I tried to do justice to his energetic strokes and translucent colour. The painting is available at Daily Paintworks.

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MANETS ROSE
4" x 4" Canvas Panel
$40 plus shipping

COLOUR WHEEL ENVY - Mixed Feelings

MIXED FEELINGS ACEO by Sea Dean

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COLOUR WHEEL ENVY

There is a wonderful pastel artist called Karen Margulis that keeps recommending her favourite tool, the Hal Reed Analogous Colour Wheel. I have colour wheel envy and last time I checked the only way to get it to Canada it was going to cost $60 CDN, probably now it's $80 CDN with our scary exchange.

Today I found another blog, Summer Secrets: 6 New Art Tools for Under $20 gushing over a similar but not so cool wheel called the Colour Harmony Wheel. Check Etsy here for the tool. This is only $30 CDN.

These things can easily be popped into an envelope and mailed and I have a gripe about how much is being charged for shipping to Canada. Plus they usually send with either prepay duty or via courier where there is a minimum charge on top of duty. I've checked many Canadian suppliers that don't ding you for shipping and no-one seems to stock these wheels. Grrrr!

So in my frustration I turned to my favourite art tool ..... GOOGLE. Instead of typing searches for purchasing a wheel, I typed ANALOGOUS COLOUR WHEEL ONLINE. Bingo!!!

I discovered this wonderful free online tool. Check this out! I'm doing the dance of joy. Of course first up I had to check out my favourite colour and it's various harmonies. And I came up with this yummy colour combination which I can't wait to try out.

FAMOUS ARTIST BIRTHDAY - EDWARD HOPPER - City Lights

NIGHTHAWKS by Edward Hopper

EDWARD HOPPER

Edward Hopper was born July 22, 1882. He was a prominent American Realist. While he was most popular for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient in watercolor and printmaking. 

He specialized in sparse but fascinating glimpses of urban and rural American life. It's hard not to like his work. There is something haunting and mesmerizing about the simple lines and warm colours. Ordinary people going about their ordinary lives without romance or horror. People just like you and I.

Hopper had a long and productive life, passing away May 15, 1967

CITY LIGHTS

As much as I would love to paint like him, I don't think there is anything similar to Hoppers in my work. This Cityscape at least shows contemporary American Life in warm afternoon light. I like this painting a lot. It is painted in watery acrylics and ink on Canson Arches board. Available at Daily Paintworks.

CITY LIGHTS by Sea Dean

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THE FACEBOOK POKE - Glimmer on the Lake

GLIMMER ON THE LAKE by Sea Dean

I've been working on this painting for some time. The challenge was the angle and the sense of distance. I've had some requests for local scenes and so I'm working on painting a few to exhibit in some upcoming shows. This depicts our new bridge which has made such a difference to the area west of the lake. I will take a better photo in the light tomorrow. It's late and the colour balance is a bit off in places, but you get the jist. Available on Daily Paintworks.

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THE FACEBOOK POKE

I was poked today. I've had pokes before and never really knew why and so I ignored them. They seem to come out of the blue and not connected to anything I've said or done. Today I thought I had better investigate. This is what a Google gave me.

Following are the correct meanings of poking at facebook. 
1. A “poke” is basically someone trying to get your attention. 
2. If you poke someone not in your network and they poke back, you can view their profile even if your not their friend!

As I suspected, meaningless and vaguely dangerous.

Have you ever used a poke and why? Did you know about #2? Leave a comment.

OFFLINE EXHIBITING - IS IT A THING OF THE PAST? - 2014/15 Exhibitions

ABOVE THE LAKE by Sea Dean - SOLD

In answer to the title question, I think not.

I exhibit about 14 times a year, I have to say that in spite of all the work and on site lack of sales, it does wonders for getting your name and style out there in the community. This year I've cut back on shows and focused on creating a workable studio/gallery in my home, but the well chosen shows and exhibitions I have showed in were very beneficial. In fact my most recent sale was because of a show, because I made an agreement with the owner of the winery venue to leave a few pieces on display and the painting above sold there last week. I'm currently working on a slightly larger one to replace it. SUMMER BREEZE below is still on show at the winery, but can be purchased by contacting me. It is 24" x 36" $540 plus shipping based on your post or zip code.

It's always a good idea to keep a running list of places you have exhibited over the last year or so. In submissions they almost always ask about recent shows and it saves time to have a list ready. Here is mine. Quite frankly I haven't updated my list for a while and I was surprised that I have been so active. It is hard work painting, cataloging, framing etc for a show, but that is nothing compared to all the work of the organizers and volunteers who make it possible. Without them half my sales wouldn't happen.

My exhibits over the last year

2014 Blue Heron Residence - Lake Country BC
2014 Lake Country Library - Lake Country BC
2014 Art Walk - Lake Country BC
2014 A Step Forward - Lake Country BC
2014 Art Bazaar - Lake Country BC
2014 Culture Crawl - Kelowna BC
2014 A Night of One Thousand Lights - Kelowna BC
2014 Rouge - Kelowna BC
2014 U100 Lake Country Art Gallery - Lake Country BC
2015 Make it Happen - Kelowna BC
2015 Lake Country Art Gallery Members Show - Lake Country BC
2015 URBA Art in Empty Spaces - Kelowna BC
2015 Inter-generational Exhibition - Lake Country BC
2015 Frayed and Feathered Studio Tour - Ellison BC

SUMMER BREEZE by Sea Dean

Whether it's in a gallery, open studio, pop-up space, museum, public space, retail store, festival, a solo exhbition or your local hair salon, the point is that you are getting your work in front of potential buyers. I've found that there is a definite ratio between the number of eyes that see my work and the number of paintings that sell. There are other factors of course, such as price point, colour palette, trends etc. but even if you have everything else right and don't show your work, sales will be few and far between.

In our area at least, there is no easily accessible list for ALL exhibit possibilities. Make sure you are on the list of all the movers and shakers of the art world in your town. If you don't know who they are, visit your local public gallery, federation of artists or art group and take notes.

Future Plans

Paint a Masterpiece Studio/Gallery - Kelowna BC
Ritchcraft Art Gallery - Kelowna BC
Art House Gift Shop - Lake Country BC
Ancient Hills Winery - Ellison BC

12 September 2015 - Art Bazaar - Lake Country BC
November/December 2015 - U100 - Lake Country BC
November 2015 - Red Barn Artizan Show - Kelowna BC
December 2015 - Frayed and Feathered Christmas Show - Ellison BC

There are others which are in the submission process and I will announce when I have been accepted.

HOW TO HANG A PAINTING by Xanadu Gallery

BLUE DOLL by Sea Dean

I volunteer on the hanging crew at the local gallery and it helps when faced with hanging a self curated solo exhibition. At Lake Country Art Gallery the most complex show of the year is the U100 with over 700 paintings to display in a relatively small space. Volunteers are always welcome to hang shows or act as docents, especially weekends in the summer. If you would like to be part of the crew, contact gallery manager Petrina through at http://www.lakecountryartgallery.ca


I'm linking this article on hanging paintings, because it is useful to both artists and patrons. Bookmark it is at hand when needed. The article is a great reminder dos and donts when hanging paintings.

HOW TO HANG A PAINTING

The painting above BLUE DOLL is shown hanging at the Art Walk exhibition in the fall. I opened up the back of the booth onto a lovely Mountain Ash tree and used this as backing for the display. I think this painting looked particularly lovely in that setting. It is on sale at Daily Paintworks.

The painting below is semi abstract is from a series of abstract roses. It is called Violet Rose and now lives in New York. I'm always happy to paint more in this series with your colour and  size preferences. I am currently available for commissions.

VIOLET ROSE by Sea Dean SOLD

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OCEAN PAINTING - Walking the dog

SPACE
By Sea Dean
5" x 7" Canvas Panel

Back to the ocean. This was painted for a Daily Paintworks challenge to choose a word and illustrate it. I chose space, and I think this makes a good rendition of the feeling of space you get when walking a tidal beach. One of the beaches we used to visit when I was a child was like this, when the tide was out you had to walk what seemed like miles to my little legs to get to the water. Beaches like this are great places to walk, which is exactly what the tiny figure is doing. 

I tried to photograph the image to show some of the irridescent paint which highlights places around the canvas. This catches the room lights and represents the bright sunlight hitting tidal pools, just like it does on one of those glorious summer walks.

I haven't had an auction on Daily Paintworks for a while, so this one is on auction for one week. You can bid by following the link to my Daily Paintworks gallery below. It starts at only $10

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MOONLIGHT ON WATER

MOONLIGHT ON WATER by Sea Dean

MOONLIGHT ON WATER
By Sea Dean
6" x 6" Wrap Canvas
Miniature Masterpiece
Ready to hang

When I painted "Moonlight" earlier this month, I remembered I had used a similar palette at the beginning of the year in "Moonlight on Water". The painting will be moving the Artfinder soon, so I am reminding Daily Paintworks customers of it's lavish brushwork before it leaves.

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FAMOUS ARTISTS BIRTHDAY - JEAN-BAPTISTE CAMILLE COROT

JEAN-BAPTISTE CAMILLE COROT

Born in Paris 16 July 1796 to enterprising parents that eventually owned the most fashionable hat shop in Paris. Corot was apprenticed to a draper, but hated it and circa 1821 he persuaded his father to allow him to become an artist. His sister died a year later leaving him a yearly allowance which enabled him to set up a studio at Quay Voltaire alongside the Seine in the heart of Paris.

Corot was a highly prolific painter, completing over 350 paintings and drawings between 1825 and 1828. He was primarily a landscape painter influenced by both Neo-Classicism and the English landscape tradition of Constable and Turner. He traveled extensively through Italy and France, painting landscapes as he went and using his sketches in the studio back in Paris. However, in his early years he was determined to impress the critics at the Salon, so he produced many neo-classical ruins, allegories and biblical scenes. His drawings and sketches are less staid and charming.

Corot's second love was portraiture and he painted many portraits of his family and studio models. Although popular at the time, his nudes came later. In 1837 he painted his earliest surviving nude, The Nymph of the Seine. At the time, he advised his students ...

"The study of the nude, is the best lesson that a landscape painter can have. If someone knows how, without any tricks, to get down a figure, he is able to make a landscape; otherwise he can never do it."

By the mid 1800s he was highly sought after as a painting instructor. After his parents death, he ran a busy teaching studio that was always bustling with students, models, patrons and others. His style became increasingly impressionistic, leading him to become a major influence on Boudin, Pissarro, Sisley, Berthe Morisot and many other emerging artists. By that time, his paintings sold for up to 4,000 francs. He was generous with his success, using his connections to help young artists achieve commissions and donating large sums to struggling artists, their families and the poor of Paris.

In spite of being largely ignored by the system and only completing one major commission, in 1848, he was grudgingly admitted to the Salon jury and was made an officer 1867. He was not given the formal recognition he deserved, which in 19th century Paris meant the gold medal of honour, so, knowing this, shortly before his death a group of admirers presented him with a gold medal they designed for him.

In conclusion I have to say that I think Corot was a great painter, somewhat stifled by the Salon system and his desire for recognition. He was prolific, enthusiastic and active till late in life and loved to encourage artists. If he had been born 50 years later, free from the structure of the Salon, perhaps he would have been one of the leading Impressionists. He is certainly an artist which deserves more than a casual glance the next time you visit a museum where he is represented.

Corot died 22 February 1875 in Paris, shortly after the first impressionist exhibition, and just as many of his pupils were founding the impressionist movement. Without his encouragement the movement might have fizzled and died. He is buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

SHEEP IN PASTURE

I thought "Sheep in Pasture" was a good companion to Corots pastoral scenes. This is a tiny miniature ACEO painting which comes with it's own curved brushed silver frame. It stands on its edge, or you can tip it slightly and use the picture stand. It would make a lovely gift for someone missing the meadows of their childhood. It is available at Daily Paintworks.

SHEEP IN PASTURE
by Sea Dean
2.5" x 3.5" on Canvas Card
Framed in brushed silver curved frame as shown

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THE BEGINNINGS OF IMPRESSIONISM - FOUR FRIENDS

RENOIR, PISSARRO, BAZILLE, MONET

The early beginnings of the impressionist movement can be traced to four friends that were painting around Paris in the mid 1800s, Renoir, Pissarro, Bazille and Monet. The four paintings above show the type of work that they were creating before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war. This was before they were THE IMPRESSIONISTS, before the first exhibition and before any of them had perfected the styles they became famous for.

Little known facts ...

Pierre-August Renoir trained as a porcelain painter, which shows in his tiny brush strokes. Just think your granny may own a plate painted by him.

La Grenouillère, by Auguste Renoir 1869

Monet started life as a cartoonist and earned enough to buy his parents a house. He was 86 when he passed away which was a grand old age for the time and outlived them all. Seeing these two paintings together you can see the genius of Monet working with light and shadow. Those yellow trees silhouetting the people on the little island and the turquoise ripples are mesmerizing.

La Grenouillère by Claude Monet 1869

Camille Pissarro was a Jew. He was born on the Island of St Thomas, which at the time was Danish, but is now part of the US Virgin Islands.

The Road to Versailles by Camille Pissarro 1869

Frederik Bazille was from a wealthy family. He was nearly 7 ft tall. He fought in the Franco Prussian War and died during the conflict.

Summer Scene by Frederik Bazille 1869

During the Franco Prussian war 1870 - 1872, Monet and Pissarro, took their families to London, England. There they continued to paint and toured the galleries, studying the art which had been created outside the French "Salon" system. Art in England was governed by "The Royal Society", but it wasn't as limiting as the French equivalent. On these gallery trips, they must have seen the light filled, emotive paintings of Turner and the grand Landscapes of painters like Constable.

On his return to France, Pissarro discovered that his home had been requisitioned as a stable during the war and all his early paintings were scattered around the muddy yard to keep the horses feet dry. Disillusioned Pissarro moved to Pontoise, to start again.

Prior to the war, the now deceased Bazille, had proposed forming a group of artists working outside the Salon system. Pissarro thought now was the perfect time to form the group. During the winter of 1873/4, Pissarro working with Renoir and Monet gathering a group of 15 like minded artists and founded the "Société Anonyme des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs, etc.".

The first event of the society was an exhibition that spring. The space was donated by photographer Nadar on the busy Boulevard des Capucines in Paris. The core members invited their friends to exhibit as well and the first exhibition opened 15th April 1874. Thirty artists participated and 165 paintings were on show. No photos survive of the event, but we know that the walls were the fashionable crimson and Renoir, democratically arranged the paintings in two rows, large ones above and smaller ones below. This was quite different from the rigid structure of placement in the Salon exhibition.

I will be researching all the paintings and talking about them in a series of blogs to follow.

SAILING WITH MONET
by Sea Dean
8" x 10" Gallery Wrap Canvas
Currently available at Daily Paintworks

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FAMOUS ARTISTS BIRTHDAY - GUSTAV KLIMT - SYMBOLIST - SUN GAZER ACEO

Adele Bloch-Bauer I, which sold for a record $135 million in 2006, Neue Galerie, New York

Gustav Klimt  was born July 14, 1862 in Baumgarten near Vienna, Austria. Ernst Klimt, his father, was a gold engraver formerly from Bohemia. Klimt was a symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement.

Klimt took his father's love of gold into the painting world. Any painter that has tried to emulate Klimt, knows how difficult it is to include iridescent paint and gold leaf in a painting; it either looks too garish or cartoon like. Although I'm still experimenting, I am also a jeweler, turned fine artist, and I long to include shiny texture in my work. I think the trick is to apply texture to the canvas before the gold.

I don't actually remember seeing a Klimt in a gallery, although I'm sure I must have, possibly before I became a fine artist. Looking at this painting I can see a lot of texture and I would be extremely interested in how he achieved the effect. A bit quirky, but here is a YouTube video which attempts to explain.

The painting above has also been aptly named "The Woman in Gold". It has been described as the final and most representative work of Klimts gold phase and if I had $135 million I would buy it too. See more here. 

I'm always interested in the chemical properties of the paints and additives I'm using and I investigated gilding size which is the glue used to adhere the leaf. I found this information with Google and you will be as surprised as I was to learn it is made from gelatin. Gelatin is manufactured from animal bones and other parts processed to extract the hydrolyzed collagen, therefore non-vegetarian and non kosher.

Klimt died February 6, 1918 at only 56 years of age.


SUN GAZER ACEO

This ACEO was an experiment to duplicate the look of Verre Eglomise which is a golden effect on glass. The horse is after the style of Franz Marc, my favourite painter. The ACEO is sold unframed at Daily Paintworks, but contact me if you would like it matted and framed as well.

SUN GAZER by Sea Dean - Example Framed

SUN GAZER by Sea Dean

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SUNSET OVER THE LAKE - Using Atelier Interactive Acrylic in a hot climate

SUNSET OVER THE LAKE by Sea Dean

As promised here is the second installment of testing Atelier Interactive Acrylics in a hot climate.

My studio is so hot that unless I paint in the morning, ordinary acrylic paint dries as soon as it comes out of the tube. I needed an alternative, hence the testing of Atelier Interactive. Interactive also dries fast, but it has the added benefit that you can reactivate it up to several days afterwards with a light mist and rework it.

SUNSET LAKE by Sea Dean

With the second painting, SUNSET LAKE, I went back and adjusted a few things after 24 hours. I found that you could lift out areas with a damp brush like working with water colour. You could also go over passages that had dried with too hard a line, and soften it. I easily changed the line of the mountains against the sky because it hadn't created a hard ridge like normal acrylics. It accepted the change readily and covered in only a couple of coats rather than scraping with a blade and applying multiple coats to the area. On analysis I may go back and lighten the distant mountains, because it looks much nicer on the canvas painting.

As you can see, the Canson Arches I used for the second painting, seems to intensify the colour. It is also very absorbent and when you go in with a damp brush to touch up, it creates a strange spongey wicking effect where it temporarily changes the colour of the paint all around the spot. This does go away quickly but it is quite scary.

I also reactivated my dried out palette from the previous session by spraying lightly with water and allowing it to sit for a minute. I found too much weakens the paint, so it's best to mist several times to get into the thicker areas. Being frugal, I was impressed at this aspect of the paint because with ordinary acrylics they just get thrown away or for frugal me, used for texture in abstracts.

Just like ordinary acrylics, Atelier Interactive does dry a different colour, lights lighten, darks darken, intense brights intensify and dull colours go muddy. That didn't bother me, because as an acrylic painter I'm used to it.

Comparing the two paintings, I found it easier to paint on canvas than Arches, perhaps because the ambient temperature was over 90 degrees. I do find that Atelier Interactive seem to have a softer look than ordinary acrylics which can take some getting used to. It's more challenging to achieve very dark and very light areas. I think this is just a matter of changing technique slightly. All in all I like the result of the SUNSET OVER THE LAKE more than that of SUNSET LAKE, but I do like the extra texture in the latter.

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FAMOUS ARTISTS BIRTHDAY - MINI MASTER SERIES - EUGENE-LOUIS BOUDIN - IMPRESSIONIST

OCEAN SPRAY AFTER BOUDIN by Sea Dean

Eugene-Louis Boudin was born 12 July 1824. His father was a ship captain and he was raised inthe French port of Le Harvre. He was lucky enough to study in Paris, 1851 - 1853 and while there he was influenced by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot. He soon made friends with Monet and worked plein air with him circa 1858. He was invited to be part of the first impressionist exhibition in 1874.

Boudin painted in Normandy, Belgium, Holland, Bordeaux, Venice and the Cote d'Azure, but he is most famous for his seascapes.

8 August 1898 passed away at Deauville, France

• Eugène Boudin

OCEAN SPRAY AFTER BOUDIN
by Sea Dean
7" x 5" Canvas Panel
Available at Daily Paintworks

The ocean is a fascinating thing especially when a storm is brewing. I remember standing like this figure many times watching the waves. As soon as I saw Boudins painting I knew I had to make a study in paint. I primed the canvas with molding paste for texture.

Sorry, the image isn't the best because it was quite dark when I finished and I was using raked light to show the texture. I will try again in daylight.

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FAMOUS ARTISTS BIRTHDAY - MINI MASTER SERIES - JAMES ABBOT MCNEILL WHISTLER

Artist: James McNeill Whistler

Completion Date: 1865

Dimensions: 72.4 x 59.1 cm

JAMES MCNEILL WHISTLER

11 July 1834 born Lowell, Massachusetts, USA.

When Whistler failed to qualify for West Point in 1851, he turned his attention to art. He moved to Paris and studied under Gleyre, the same school Claude Monet  and Camille Pissarro attended later, in the 1860's. Like Edouard Manet, Whistler was initially influenced by Gustav Courbet. Being slightly older than most early Impressionists, by the time they gained momentum in Paris, Whistler had already established a studio in London. Nevertheless, he exhibited at the Salon des Refuses (the first Impressionist exhibition) in 1874. 

Whistler's work is often compared to William Turner, an English painter from 50 years earlier, but Turner specialized in texture and colour: Whistlers areas of interest were value and composition, which shine  in the painting I have selected. An artist studying how to turn a good painting, into great painting, would benefit by analyzing these two aspects of his work. 

Being a studio painter he relied on sketches and his memory. In that Whistler differs from his contemporary Impressionists who were great believers in "Plein Air" painting from life. 

Whistler passed on, 17 July 1903 in London, England

I love this. Only Whistler would be brave enough to paint a face in his moon on a fine art painting