7 4 U and MARCH HAPPENINGS AT PAM

I didn't start out as a flower painter. I've always loved landscape and have several from other Artists in my personal collection, so when I took up Acrylics I wanted to paint landscapes. However, when I wanted to exhibit in a particular show, the organizers told me that preference was given to flower Artists. I had never considered painting flowers, but I'm not one to balk at a challenge, so the next day I went to the library and took out every book I could find on painting flowers.

7 4 U 
ACEO OOAK 3.5" x 2.5"
To view my Gallery or purchase this painting, visit Daily Paintworks. Ask about larger originals or prints. For immediate shipping "Buy Now" available on auctions where bidding is not underway.

Now, I have to admit that I paint a lot of flowers. I love the bright colours and variety of leaves and petals. I get completely engrossed in the task, like a moving meditation. When I have completed a particular variety of flower, I can't say I now know how to do it, because the next time will be completely different. Flowers change according to the light, humidity and time of day, so even if you are painting the same variety and colour, it is a whole new experience.

So I'm going to give it a rest. This is one of my last floral paintings for a while (sigh of relief from the non-flower contingent). With February and Valentines behind us, I'm going to paint some different genre and take a break for a month. During March my Gallery at Daily Paintworks will show a collection of portrait, pal portraits, figure and still life paintings. I'm really looking forward to exploring different genre.

I'm also going to change my Blog frequency. I will still complete at least one painting each day, but I will post them on Daily Paintworks. You won't miss anything because every few days I will Blog a small collection of my recent paintings with links to DPW. My blog will still include a wide variety of topics - free art lessons, interesting tips and tricks, quotations and my musings. I also hope to include more on the history of Art and Artists and the occasional guest blog from someone else in the Art world.

Finally, the DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE CHALLENGE closes on March 8th and I will be making an announcement on March 9th after I have reviewed submissions. Any questions, don't hesitate to contact me before that date.

As always I would love to hear your views or answer any questions. Leave a comment below or email if you're shy. :o)

Cat # 13044 -"7 4 U"

ROCK POOLS ACEO

ROCK POOLS
ORIGINAL ART ACEO 2.5" x 3.5"

To view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks. 

This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and Art cards.

It is difficult to see in this small painting, but rocks often cause a disturbance to wave patterns. At slack tide, the water moving this way and that entices you out on the rocks to stand at the very edge. Along the way you peer into rock pools at Mr. Crab and Ms. Oyster going about their daily business. All is well in your world.

I constantly strive for simplicity, but at the same time to create enough interest to warrant a second look. This is particularly difficult when you mainly exhibit on the internet and the window of opportunity is less than a second and via a small thumbnail photo of the original work. 

When I chat to Art lovers at exhibitions they often remark that such a painting "needs something in the foreground". In my opinion foregrounds take away the mystery and spoil the opportunity to look beyond the surface. When you leave the bottom of the painting simple, it gives the viewer an opportunity to walk into the view and enjoy a richer experience. Admittedly this takes a little extra effort, but it's what makes the difference when the painting is hanging on your wall for many years. Every day you have the opportunity for a different route to the edge of the ocean.

On critique and criticism: "Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know" Lao Tzu (4th Century BCE) 

Not every composition works in every size and sometimes when I paint a miniature I really wish someone would order it in a larger size. This is one of those paintings that I think would translate beautifully into a very large room sized painting and I would love the opportunity to make it a reality.

Cat # 13047 Rock Pools

SUNSHINE II ACEO

SUNSHINE II
ORIGINAL ACEO OOAK 
3.5" x 2.5"

To view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks.

This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and Art cards.


"In this changing world, nothing is permanent. We are here only temporarily. We are responsible to make this short life significant".- quote from a fellow member of the DPW community and wonderful Artist, Qi Huang - find his blog here.

This painting is so bright and happy with it's blue sky and sunshine painted in a decorative style. Yellow flowers always give such a boost to your spirits and these are no exception. 

THE POWER OF YELLOW

Even people who have difficulty with their vision find yellow the easiest colour to see. That is one of the reasons that the colour of emergency vehicles shifted from red, which is essentially a dark colour, to lemon yellow.

Although the symbolism of colour shifts according to the era or country you live in, in general it is the colour of inspiration, creativity, intellect, wisdom, mental clarity, joy and happiness. Intellectual and analytical people are attracted to yellow, but some find it too energetic. It is interesting that it was a common colour in the sixties at the time of the sexual revolution.

Primary yellow is the best colour to spring clean the mind and helps you to focus on the task at hand. I have found that it seems to eliminate procrastination. I once painted my office/exercise room in primrose yellow and never had any difficulty with sticking to my regime or accomplishing tasks.

If yellow is your favourite colour you have a deep need for logical order in your everyday life and the ability to express your individuality by using your logical mind to inspire and create. As far as colour goes it is near the bottom of the list of favourites for both men and women, although conversely, it is a successful colour to use in advertising.  I hope you have a brilliant sun filled day.

Cat # 13015B Sunshine II

SUMMER WAVES, VIOLET SEA and THE IMPORTANCE OF STATISTICS

I rarely use a pastel colour palette so this is a special treat for those who love delicate tones.

SUMMER WAVES
ACEO ORIGINAL 3.5" x 2.5"
To purchase this painting or view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks. Larger originals in this series or prints may be available. For immediate shipping "Buy Now" price available if bidding is not underway.


Reposting Blogs from my Artslant website (continued)

THE IMPORTANCE OF STATISTICS 

Without statistics a business manager is working in the dark and make no mistake, Art is a business. I've always known feedback was important, but friends, relatives and face to face conversations only offer what people think you want to hear. No one is going to come up to you and say they hate what you're doing, or at least not in my circles. The ultimate feedback of course, is someone loving your work enough to purchase it and hang it on their wall. However, I've been searching for a happy medium since I became a professional Artist and I reckon I've found it.

Part of the commitment to my Art business is that I've been painting, posting and auctioning a new work each day on a website called Daily Paintworks. I pay a small fee for membership which allows me to exhibit my work and access various tools.

One tool I love, is the "traffic statistics" which shows the number of views for each painting. When visitiors to the website click on a painting it adds to the count and you can view the totals for each work. As the person is looking through hundreds of paintings and only clicking on some, this seems like pretty honest feedback. Each click helps create an analysis. Do the visitors like your work? Are they thinking of buying? Do they want to view your personal gallery? Or are they interested in what you have to say in your blog? It is valid feedback whether they intend to buy or just peruse the market and it is fascinating. Some paintings get 100 or more clicks in short succession, and some barely get a hit. Some have bids as soon as they are posted and others get a hundred "pop up" views but don't sell.  

For example, I do custom pet portraits which I call PALS. Late one night I posted a painting of Chai, a dog which belongs to one of my patrons. I loaded the photo and then fiddled around for 10 minutes adding tags, description etc. As I live in the west and tend to be a night owl, it was very late for most of North America. When finished, I clicked into the stats to make sure everything was working and I nearly fell over because there were already 10 views and 10 buy clicks. I rarely get a click till after 4am when the daily email goes out so I was pleasantly surprised. If you are interested in honest feedback I would certainly recommend a site with statistical feedback. 

Of course on a host site like DPW which is full of Artists trying to sell their work, most clicks are from other Artists admiring or analyzing your work, but Artists do buy from other Artists, so I consider this a good thing. Judging by the red dots, DPW has many Art buyers visiting the site and I think they are doing a great job in a tough market.

Pictured here, "Summer Waves" and two of my most popular paintings at DPW, "Violet Sea" 5" x 7" and "Naptime" 8" x 8". The original of "Summer Waves" and "Violet Sea" are still available. Naptime can be purchased as a print.

Reposted by Sea Dean from Artslant 7/9/12

Cat # 13054 "Summer Waves" 

THE GUARDIANS ACEO

Red rocks and green velvet headland shelter the bay. Soft waves kiss the beach in gentle rhythm. The warm air ruffles my hair and blows lazy veils past a milky sun. Twin conifers stand watch: How long have they been in this place? How long will they stay? For one brief moment time stands still.


THE GUARDIANS
ORIGINAL ACEO OOAK 3.5" x 2.5"

To purchase this painting please visit Daily Paintworks.

This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and Art cards.


Cat # 13046 The Guardians

ORANGE

Painted in response to a challenge on A Nos Pinceaux, to paint a still life of one or many oranges. Artist and Blogger Evhe usually provides a photo to paint from, but this month we are free to compose our own Orange painting. I chose to paint a Navel Orange in it's natural environment.

ORANGE
Original OOAK ACEO
3.5" x 2.5" 

To view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks.

This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and Art cards.

The word "Orange" comes from "naranga" which is an ancient Sanskrit word. The colour is often used to attract attention to an area in painting. The colour is used by buddhist preists to represent spirt and in North America, first nations use it to represent kinship.

Bright orange and in particular, Cadmium Orange, is one of the most powerful colours in the paint box and should be used with care. While intense orange can be confronting, gentler tones of peach, coral and tangerine add a touch of warmth and comfort to any painting. In portraits the moderate use of warm orange flesh tones can be very pleasing to the eye.

If you like orange and would like to include it in your decor visit Houzz and view Julia Pockett's "Take a Slice From Psychology to Use Orange Better".
  

Cat # 13053 "Orange" Posted as # 6 on Leslie Saeta's Feb 23 Blog

THE VOYAGE

THE VOYAGE
ORIGINAL ACEO OOAK 2.5" x 3.5"

To purchase this painting or view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks. As always, larger originals in the same series or prints may be available. "Buy Now" price available on any auction where bidding is not yet underway.


This photo has been waiting to become a painting for some time. I love it's simplicity. A bright sunlit day, a calm sea and a merchant ship starting it's voyage. Another ship can just be seen in the distance heading out into open ocean. A perfect memento for anyone who loves the ocean and an unusual addition to any ACEO collection. For those who love the ocean and bright sunny days, I present "The Voyage" collectible miniature.

Cat # 13048

JACK and THE POSE, Duchess of Cambridge Challenge

JACK
by Sea Dean
OOAK ACEO 3.5" x 2.5" 
To view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks.

This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and Art cards.

This little bird was painted for the DPW  "Amalgum" Challenge. The criteria was to choose another member of the DPW community and incorporate their style into one of your paintings. "Jack" is in homage to Angela Mouton and her lovely little birds.

FREE LESSON - THE POSE

This is targeted towards preparation for submission to THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE PORTRAIT challenge. However, the information applies to any portrait. Below is a selection of portraits by famous Artists. Each painting gives a different impression of the sitter and is an amalgam of choices made by the artist, sitter and patron

There are many choices involved in deciding on a pose. Most importantly the patron needs to happy with the finished work or they won't take possession, so ask lots of questions. Do they have any major likes or dislikes? Ask where the painting will hang and if it needs to match a certain decor? Is there a particular image they would like to convey, a special item of clothing, a colour or a preference for light, dark, warm or cool colours? And the list goes on! You will get more out of the patron if this is a casual conversations rather than a question and answer session.

The first sitting is used to determine the personality of the sitter, make notes, take photographs and make sketches. Decide on the lighting by turning the sitter this way and that and study various effects. Does the sitter have any unique features? Should you show only the shoulder, move further away to include the upper body, or back off  for a full length view. Should they face right, left, up, down, forward or turn and look over their shoulder? Which is most flattering?

In the case the initial commission for their portrait, the National Gallery was probably expecting something befitting a future Queen of England. The painting would be viewed in a somewhat formal setting. It appears as if the Artist and the Duchess had free reign, but I expect that the famous Gallery was hoping for impact, especially as it was the first official portrait.

The Duchess of Cambridge requested that it be "natural". She is young, attractive and sporty, so I think she was trying to steer them away from painting her in a tiara and glamorous gown. If you look at my link to 118 photos of Catherine, you will see she is fairly conservative.  She is not one to wear much jewellery or embellishment but does have a strong sense of style. For the initial sitting she chose a plain navy high necked blouse with a navy bow, a pretty severe choice for a lovely young lady. Paul Emsley mentioned that he altered the colour of Catherine's eyes to match the blouse; personally I think matching her eyes would have been a better choice. What do you think?

Personality may to some extent help with the setting. If the sitter loves horses, fashion, playing piano, bright colours etc. then obviously that would be included in the portrait. In the case of the Duchess she is a keen follower of fashion, and has an aptitude for sports. Apart from that we don't know much about her. I don't know if she has any pets but I do know she's allergic to horses. More clues may be gained from her patronages which lean towards children and the forces.

As for unique features, I would say her hair is the most striking feature followed by her eyes and her elegant tall slim body. She also has beautiful even, white teeth. Her lips, nose and legs are not her best features.I hope this has helped.

Cat # 13050

SUNNY and TO PRINT OR NOT TO PRINT

The proof of a true miniature is that you cannot tell the size. If this work didn't have a seemingly rather large signature I think you would find it hard to guess from this photograph. It could easily be a large palette knife painting.

SUNNY 
ORIGINAL ACEO OOAK 2.5" x 3.5"
To purchase this painting or view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks. As always, larger originals in the same series or prints may be available. "Buy Now" price available on any auction where bidding hasn't started. 

I know enough about internet marketing, to say you can't just post your work online and hope it will sell, you always have to add enormous effort, at least until you become well known. It's important how you choose to spend that time which you've allotted for marketing. Chatting with friends on Facebook or Twitter is not the most beneficial use of your time.

For my Art business I have one website, Artslant, one sales site, Daily Paintworks, one FB page (Blue Sky Red Earth Virtual Gallery) and one FB Group (GET YOUR ART OUT THERE). That is as much as I can handle because I do actually have to spend time creating as well. I split my time roughly 50/50 between the studio and the computer.

I know many successful Artists who use Fine Art America to fulfill print orders to avoid the hassles and time it takes to print, frame, pack, ship etc. I must admit that my total experience with FAA is posting one of my best paintings and checking stats every now and then. I haven't sold anything in over a year at FAA, not even an Art card. However, I believe with the right marketing effort it would be beneficial. I would really like to hear from anyone who is having success with FAA or another fulfillment site and if so what are you doing to achieve sales, or is it just correct pricing that works?

FAA Promo Video

There are many other sites where you can market prints such as Ebay, Etsy, Red Bubble, Ruby Lane etc. but on those you do all the printing, matting, framing, packing, shipping etc. which will really cut down the amount of time you can dedicate to creating new work. Every task which takes you away from the studio is removing you from the creativity which attracted you to the profession, so unless you're making enough to pay for an assistant, you have to decide "print or not to print".

I would really love to hear your thoughts on this. Also, if you are a purchaser, how do you feel about owing originals or prints? Are you happy to pay less for a limited print or very little for an Art print or are you willing to pay a premium for the original?

Cat # 13042 "Sunny"

RECEIVE and EVERY PAINTING SHOULD HAVE A HINT OF RED

“Painters use red like spice.” Derek Jarman

RECEIVE
by Sea Dean
OOAK ACEO 3.5" x 2.5" 
To view my Gallery or purchase this painting please visit Daily Paintworks. For immediate shipping, if there is no current bid inquire about the "Buy Now" price. Larger originals, prints or Art Cards in this series may be available.

Red is a favourite with many people; it is a stimulant, which excites the hormones, encouraging enthusiasm and confidence. McDonalds uses red because it encourages more purchases. Red is the colour of love and in some countries is signifies good luck. With all of that good press, no wonder an experienced Artist once told me that every painting should have at least a little red.  

Red isn't the most flattering colour for natural blondes so it took me a long time to try it in my work, but now I use it in most of my paintings to some degree.

There are many choices of red in Acrylic, some warm, some cool, some opaque and some translucent. These are ones I've tried so far. There are a few which are trying to replace the Cadmiums because of toxicity, but you really can't beat it for luminosity.

Cadmium Red Light is vibrant, warm and almost orange
Cadmium Red Medium is close to a true primary red
Pyrole Red is rich and translucent and really adds glow
Pyrole Crimson is darker but still beautiful
Alizarin Crimson is quite cool and deep but still reddish
Permanent Rose is opaque and a bit too weighty for my taste but sometimes useful
Then we have Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber which are rich reddish browns. 
Red Oxide is one of my new favourites, giving a natural earthy hint to a landscape or nature study.

FREE SPIRIT
by Sea Dean
OOAK 5" x 7" Canvas Panel

To view my Gallery or purchase this painting please visit Daily Paintworks. For immediate shipping, if there is no current bid inquire about the "Buy Now" price. Larger originals, prints or Art Cards in this series may be available.

"Free Spirit" is a very red painting using quantities of Pyrole Red and Crimson. Here it looks quite dark, but it is vibrant in real life.

Surprisingly Red is a very difficult colour to work with because although it gives the impression of being bright, it actually has quite a dark value. Red is the first colour to lose it's intensity at twilight, because it has the longest wavelength of any colour. For the same reason it is notoriously difficult to photograph and depict accurately on the internet. 

Depending on what you place Red next to it can look bright or dark. Pair Cadmium Red Light and Brilliant Blue and you will have a lively look. Pair Alizarin Crimson with Ultramarine and you have an essence of mystery. Red is a difficult colour to master, but it is exciting to try all the different choices available. I encourage you to buy a different red each time you need some so you can experiment and find what  you like most. 

Sea Dean is an author, blogger, artist and art instructor. Her work hangs in galleries and collections around the world. She is a professional daily painter who auctions and exhibits work on the internet at Daily Paintworks as well as several traditional Galleries.

Cat # 13043 "Receive" and Cat # 12046 "Free Spirit"

First Posted on Artslant by Sea Dean on 7/14/12 

SEA PUPPY and DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE SUBMISSIONS

SEA PUPPY
ORIGINAL ACEO OOAK 3.5" x 2.5"

To view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks.

This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and Art cards.


I promised to show flowers, hearts and ocean scenes in my DPW Gallery this month and until now I've been focused on the first two genre for Valentines. However, If you take a look at my Gallery on DPW there are many ocean scenes on show from ACEO 2.5" x 3.5" miniatures, to full scale 24" x 36" Deep Gallery Wrap Canvases, and all at very reasonable prices. I will also be adding a few more in the next couple of weeks, starting with this one.

I took this photograph on a wild day when the sea foam was being whipped high into the air: I've heard this called Sea Horses or Mares Tales and I've always loved the effect. When I chose to paint this today and studied it closely, I realized that in this instance it definitely had the look of a lively little puppy running across the rocks. Do you see his little curly tail and fluffy coat? Hence the title "Sea Puppy". I think he's just precious and it can be our little secret.

"Sea Puppy" is another painting that I think would look fabulous in any size. I can picture it 5 feet by 7 feet in a large room or office and what a wonderful way to bring a sense of energy to your environment. I would love to paint it for you.

DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE SUBMISSIONS

I'm quietly practicing my portrait skills and trying all the techniques I have shared on previous blogs.  I will be unveiling my portrait and preparatory sketches in March. How are you doing? I would love to hear how it's going for you and if you have any questions. 

Being an experienced curator, I know it's traditional for a big rush right before deadline, but I would like a rough count. Please email me if you are working on a portrait for the Duchess challenge. My goal is 100 portraits. I'm hoping the Duchess will select some for her own collection and the rest will be auctioned to support her favourite charity. So I need to get a count to start putting things in place for the submission. Please email me via any of my internet sites to give me a heads up. Thank you.

I'm excited!

Cat # 13046 Sea Puppy

NIGHTFALL and OOAK

NIGHTFALL
ORIGINAL ACEO OOAK 3.5" x 2.5"

To  view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks.

This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and Art cards.



ORIGINAL ART AND ART PRINTS
Since the advent of cell phone texting there seems to be a short form for anything. OXO is no longer a type of food flavouring, it means hugs and kisses and TTYL means talk to you later. The Art world is not immune to these sometime annoying short forms, ACEO, which I have covered in an earlier post, means Art Card Edition or Original and OOAK stands for "One of a kind"! To a discerning buyer this is an important tag for an art work.

"Original art (and why it costs so much). Original work includes any art that is one of a kind: original paintings, drawings, sculptures and more. Why the high price? To draw a parallel to the literary world, imagine if J.K. Rowling could sell only one copy of the Harry Potter series — how much do you think that would be worth?

An artist can profit only once from the sale of an original work, such as a painting on canvas; then it's gone. Even if the work grows in value over time, it is the collector who profits. If you understand that, it makes sense for original pieces to have a higher price than prints." Excerpt from Houzz article - See complete article here

As a published author I find it somewhat shocking that once you have sold your Orignal Art work there is no ongoing royalty from further sales of that piece. Imagine if you were a struggling Artist who couldn't afford to eat and you sold a painting to someone for a pittance because you were desperate. The buyer turned out to be an Art dealer who took your painting to client and sold it for $50,000. You, the Artist would have absolutely no recourse and probably wouldn't even get a thank you. Sad isn't it?

There is a belief amongst Artists, that making prints or licensing online use of their work devalues their name, but I disagree. You only have to look at highly successful, largely self taught, Artist Jack Vettriano to refute that belief. Vettriano's "The Singing Butler" is currently on exhibit in Scotland side by side with works by Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh. Mr Vettriano became famous and made a fortune with prints of this one painting alone, which is one of the most popular prints of all time. He has produced many more paintings, also widely popular, but nothing can compare to "The Singing Butler" which keeps clocking up sales. I remember the first time I saw the painting, I was awestruck and saved for months to buy a small copy. I proudly displayed the print for many years in my home, so I wasn't immune to it's charms.

Most Artists undergo daily struggles with their Art. Although a rewarding career in many ways, it is also very challenging. Sales of original works are unlikely to bring in a large income especially when you are first starting out, so you need to find more ways to profit from your talent. One way is to sell prints. When you sell an original piece of art, the copyright stays with you and this is one way you can continue to earn income from your original effort. After all, the buyer would have no qualms selling the original for a massive profit if the opportunity arose, would they?.

More on this subject in later posts. Follow my Blog and receive interesting articles like this delivered to your inbox. 

Cat # 13041

TEA AND HYDRANGEAS

TEA and HYDRANGEAS

ORIGINAL ACEO OOAK  
3.5" x 2.5" 
To view my Gallery or purchase this painting please visit Daily Paintworks. For immediate shipping inquire about the "Buy Now" price available if there is no current bid. Ask about larger originals in the same series or prints.
 

Hydrangeas always remind me of my Nana. At her house, when you came out of the kitchen, there was a cold outside loo directly across from you. A few steps down past the laundry copper was what today we would call a patio, but to her was the back yard. In front of you was the shed where all the action took place, mangling the clothes, fixing things, storing the boys precious motor bikes etc. And on the right was a tiny garden, with a concrete edge, in which brightly coloured pansies and Nana's huge blue and pink Hydrangeas were always in bloom.

The kettle was always on the hob in Nanas kitchen and strong tea was served up to all and sundry with heaps of white sugar and creamy milk. If you were lucky it was laundry day and there was spotted dick or treacle pudding steamed in the laundry copper. Or perhaps there was baked rice pudding or homemade jam on a crusty white bread. Ah those were the days!

Now Nana had a secret! There was no such thing as tea bags back then, so there was the challenge of what to do with the tea leaves. Never one to waste anything, Nana would pop out to the garden patch, swish around the spent leaves with a bit of water from the tap and empty them at the base of her Hydrangeas. This completely confounded me, why put black tea waste on such a beautiful display of colour? But one day Nana told me her secret, that tea was what gave the Hydrangeas their colour and made them grow big and beautiful! Needless to say whenever I see a Hydrangea I think of my Nana.

Now every time you see a Hydrangea you will think of my Nana too and perhaps one day you will pass on her secret to your granddaughter.

Cat # 13040 Tea and Hydrangeas

PROMISE and PAINTING HAIR - DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE CHALLENGE

PROMISE
3.5" x 2.5"  
Original Art OOAK ACEO
To view my Gallery or purchase this painting please visit Daily Paintworks. If there is no current bid you may purchase at the "Buy Now" price by contacting me. Ask about larger Originals in this series or Prints of this ACEO.

In the last few moments of Valentines Day here is a rose of promise. A symbol for the promise of a year filled with love. Buttery impasto semi- translucent paint gives this rose a soft yet powerful image. This is another painting which, contrary to the way it looks, took a long time and a lot of effort to paint.

I would love to paint this rose in a much larger size, 12" x 16" x 1.5" Gallery Wrap Canvas would be wonderful. What a pretty addition to a home or office. Is anyone out there game to request it for themselves or to give as a gift? It would make a wonderful Wedding, Birthday, Mother's Day, New Home, New Business or any other type gift. Three similar paintings would be amazing in a spa, or even above a sofa in a home. I'm happy to lay away a painting and set up a payment schedule.

Now to continue my free lessons on painting portraits, here are some videos on painting hair. This is to help those preparing for the "Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge" Challenge. Submissions close in 3 weeks time on March 8th.

Helpful Hair Painting Videos

Painting Hair by Thomas Baker

Digital Painting Tutorial 07 : How to draw realistic hair (amazing to watch and nice music)

How to draw realistic hair - Darrel Tank

118 photos of the Duchess to see her various looks

Cat # 13038, posted as #8 on Leslie Saeta's weekend Blog on Feb 16th

MY ROSE and Words of Love

WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL VALENTINE'S DAY

This is the one day that we can celebrate love in all it's many forms. Valentine's Day is the time for love, so love your lover, love your family, love your friends, love your neighbour, love a stranger but most of all love yourself.

MY ROSE
by Sea Dean
6" x 8" GALLERY WRAP CANVAS

Professional Acrylic with UV protection
On Auction at Daily Paintworks. Art Cards available by contacting me - $5 plus postage

There are so many words for love. Below I have chosen four languages but feel free to share other languages with us and add the translation and context in English. Sorry, adult content is inappropriate here.

English words for love
 
Love
Passion
Affection
Adoration
Infatuation

Spanish words for love
 
amar (the strongest way to express love)
querer (strong and the most common)
adorar (strong but in a religious way)
enamorar (strong)
gustar (it means ''like'' and is used when someone is atracted to other)
exaltar (strong but its more religious)
apreciar (friendship)
apegar (friendship)
afectar (Its more for the love to an object not a person but in some cases used to a person)
estimar (friendship but its used to express respect) 

French words for love

I like you     Je t'aime bien
I adore you     Je t'adore
I love you (care for you)     Je t'apprécie vraiment
I love you (more serious)     Je t'aime
I (female) am in love     Je suis amoureuse
I (male) am in love     Je suis amoureux
You are beautiful (male)     Tu es beau
You are beautiful (female)     Tu es belle.
You are handsome (male)     Tu es élégant
You are handsome (female)     Tu es élégante
I am passionate about you     Tu me fascines
You make me happy (male)     Tu me rends heureux
You make me happy (female)     Te me rends heureuse
You are the love of my life.     Tu es l'amour de ma vie.
Would you like to be my boyfriend?     Veux-tu être mon petit-ami?
Would you like to be my girlfriend?     Veux-tu être ma petite-amie?
I want to be with you forever.     Je veux être avec toi pour toujours
I always think about you     Je pense toujours à toi
 
Greek words for love
 
Eros (polytonic|ἔρως "érōs") is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek "erotas" means "(romantic) love". However, "eros" does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros can be interpreted as a love for someone whom you love more than the love of friendship. It can also apply to dating relationships and marriage.
Philia (polytonic|φιλία "philía"), which means friendship in modern Greek, a dispassionate virtuous love, was a concept developed by Aristotle. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity.
Agapē (polytonic|ἀγάπη "agápē") means "love" in modern day Greek, such as "s'agapo" (Σ'αγαπώ), which means"I love you". In Ancient Greek it often refers to a general affection rather than the attraction suggested by "eros".
Storge (polytonic|στοργή "storgē") means "affection" in modern Greek; it is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring.
Thelema (polytonic|θέλημα "thélēma") means "desire" in modern Greek; it is the desire to do something, to be occupied, to be in prominence.

Cat # 12011 "My Rose" - Posted as # 17 on Leslie Saeta Weekend Post Feb 2nd 2013

TAHITIAN HIBISCUS and A FASCINATION FOR MINIATURES - ATC, ACEO, OOAK etc.

TAHITIAN HIBISCUS

3.5" x 2.5" OOAK Original ACEO
by Sea Dean
This painting doesn't like to be photographed, it's much nicer in real life. The bronze accents really make it pop.

 
To view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks.

This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and Art cards.

I have been painting miniatures and specifically ACEO for the last couple of months and several times a week I am asked " What is an ACEO?", so I am reprinting my blog from Artslant, July 2012 which fully answers the question.

A FASCINATION FOR MINIATURES - ATC, ACEO, OOAK etc.

For centuries people have been fascinated by miniatures. An ancient Asian tradition is to paint microscopic pictures and texts on very small items such as a grain of rice. Early Christians also carried miniature icons of Jesus, the virgin or various saints with them for worship and protection. Wealthy patrons took beautiful miniature portraits of their loved ones with them to war or on pilgrimage and these were popular well into the Victorian age when photographs replaced them.

Miniatures have recently experienced a revival. The birth of the modern miniature art card can be traced to the late 20th century when Artists who wanted something memorable to use as a business card embellished inexpensive white business cards with abstract brushwork or a simple scene. The idea was that customers would be more likely to be impressed by and hold onto a piece of Art than a mass produced business card. Later more detailed originals appeared on the back of business cards. 

Another origin of the modern miniature is via ATC or Art Trading Cards which are similar to sport trading cards. Because of the huge STC industry, display and storage options are readily available making the shift from Sport to Art an easy one. STC's are mass produced and the value is in the rarity of the card. The value of ATCs is in the name of the Artist and the quality of the work. ATCs can be prints, photographs, limited edition prints, or originals but the defining factor is that they are traded not purchased. 

ACEOs are a popular way to purchase and collect Art. So exactly what is an ACEO? I asked myself the same question last year because I kept hearing about them and only had a hazy idea what they were. As a professional Artist, I was interested in who purchases ACEOs and what they are looking for. An ACEO or "Art Card Edition Original" is simply an Art Card with a price tag. They must be exactly 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", no more, no less. If your work is not those exact dimensions it may be a miniature but it is not an ACEO. To put that size into perspective, a business card is 2" x 3 1/2" and a credit card is 2 1/8" x 3 3/8" so an ACEO is slightly larger. To get the exact size divide a 5" x 7" standard photo down the center, turn it 90 degrees and divided it in half again and you will have four ACEO size rectangles. 

ACEOs can be photographs, prints, limited editions or originals but they are usually created and sold by the Artist themselves and often by auction. I've seen ACEO prints start at 1 cent but they can reach triple figures. There is no set price for an ACEO, generally unlimited prints are inexpensive, limited prints a little more and originals can go for hundreds of dollars. If you are relatively unknown it would be wise to start at a low price and build a following. There is a theory that if you start at $1 or less it may start a bidding war, but it is risky becuase it depends who is online. 

A easy way to start selling ACEO prints is to reduce the size of one of your most popular works, and sell them in limited editions. Once you have fans you can create original works and increase the starting price.

TEENY TINY STARS
ACEO OOAK Original
2.5" x 3.5" 
Canvas Panel
by the author

This ACEO painting is on Canvas Panel giving it a different texture and look to my regular Canvas Card.

ACEOs are a great way to start an Art collection. Prints or photographs are the least expensive, then come limited prints, all the way up to OOAK "One Of A Kind" original miniatures. Part of the fun of collecting is that you are in charge. You can specialize in a certain genre e.g. Animals, one medium, like Acrylics, or a certain Artist. An original work by an unknown Artist can be relatively inexpensive, but in time your purchase could grow in value. In the meantime you have the satisfaction of supporting a struggling Artist. There are also many display options and ready made mats can be purchased online to fit standard 5" x 7" or 8" x 10" frames.

If you are a photographer it's easy to reduce your photos to ACEO size, print them on good quality paper and create ACEOs. Backing them with acid free card makes them more presentable. An Artist can scan or photograph their own work, reduce, crop, print on card or place in a mat. 

Original ACEOs are more challenging. It takes practice to paint so small. The proof of a quality miniatures is when seen in a thumbnail it should fool you into thinking it's a full size work of Art. To achieve this the tools, brushstrokes and technique need to be miniaturized. A paint brush used for miniatures needs to be very fine and pencils must be shaved to a very fine point.
Whether you are a collector, an Artist, or both you will find it a lot of fun to explore ACEOs.


Sea Dean is an Artist, Art Instructor, Blogger, Curator and Author

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Cat # 13035 and 12048