THINKING OF TRAVEL? - Summer Solstice by Sea Dean

SUMMER SOLSTICE by Sea Dean - 12" x 6" Gallery Wrap

Can be purchased on Artfinder

This was an interesting painting to work on because it didn't come together until very close to the end. There is a great deal of variation in the brushwork, from staccato Monet like dashes in the water to dry brushing and palette knife in the sky. That bank of greenish cloud drifting across in front of the sunset was the WOW in this painting.

You may have noticed that I am not creating as many paintings lately because I've stepped back from finishing one each day. However, I think I'm producing some of my best work. All the studying is starting to pay off and I have so many ideas for new series, but I'm forcing myself to go back over works which have troubled me in the past and use new techniques and understanding to make them pop.

I am finally creating paintings which it is very hard to sell. I wish I could keep them all.

VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

TRAVEL TO THE TOP 25 DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD

PONDEROSA

PONDEROSA
by Sea Dean
24" x 12" Canvas Wrap
Available on Artfinder

VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER

View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS

Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here

Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

Ponderosa Pines dot the Okanagan Valley. They stand out against the golden grassland, azure sky and shiny lakes. I love their large bushy needles and pine cones which provide welcome shade when hiking. When you stand under one in the summer they exude a sort of dusty evergreen smell that is unmistakeably "PONDEROSA".

I'm always amazed at what a tree can endure: In our area it can go from -20 Celsius to +40 Celsius, hot and dry to freezing and knee deep snow, and yet these trees thrive.

This painting is one that I spent a great deal of time with last year and then set aside. I wasn't sure it was finished until I took it out for a show. I liked the sunny oranges and ochers and the atmosphere, but it needed something.

I was inspired to add branches from another tree across the top and that was missing factor, it was too uniform before. Now I think more work would rob the fresh country feeling it exudes.

SIMPLE LARGE EASEL IDEA - Another painting on the move

Here is another painting moving to Artfinder. It is having a wonderful response so far.

PARADISE BEACH
by Sea Dean
6" x 12" Canvas Wrap

VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here


SIMPLE LARGE EASEL IDEA

Because we artists are usually tight for space, we are always looking for ways to simplify our studio. Today as I was reading about the work of Karen Hale on ARTSY SHARK FEED (see the article here), I was struck by her simple and practical easel. I'm working on room in my studio to paint larger pieces and this is a great way to save space because there are no tripod legs in the way. It looks to me as if it is a basic flat leg easel, but not using the back leg and leaning it against slats of wood at practical heights.

I also love wall easels, but they are quite expensive and if you live in rented accommodation, or don't want holes in your wall, they are not the best idea. My usual technique with large paintings is to push the dining room table up against the wall, cover wall and table in thin plastic table cloths attached with push pins and lean the painting against the wall. I especially chose a narrow dining room table with adjustable legs so that it wasn't too far to reach across or too high. It's not a practical solution for long periods of time though.

PHILIP GUSTON - FAMOUS ARTIST BIRTHDAY - ROSE SORBET

PHILIP GUSTON

PHILIP GUSTON
(June 27, 1913 — June 7, 1980) Artist

"I believe it was John Cage who once told me, ‘When you start working, everybody is in your studio—the past, your friends, enemies, the art world, and above all, your own ideas—all are there. But as you continue painting, they start leaving, one by one, and you are left completely alone. Then, if you’re lucky, even you leave.’ " 

JOHN MILTON CAGE Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992)
A composer, music theorist, writer, and artist.

Click here for more on Philip Guston
Click here for more on John Cage

I have to admit I'd never heard of either of these artists before I read this quote, but it so resonated with me, that I had to investigate. I like Philip Gustons early, non representational art, but I can't say his later work is my favourite. I really like John Cage though and I can see why the quote spoke to me.

JOHN CAGE

I think it's important to embrace all kinds of art when you're an emerging artist because it helps you understand trends and study technique. These two artists were contemporaries and probably socialized together.

Being an artist is largely a solitary life and we all go through periods of self doubt, but I make a point of going to as many openings as I can, to stay in the loop. For me at least, what I see at the latest exhibitions confirms that "Art" encompasses a wide variety of ideas and my more radical work has a place in the scheme of things.

The traditional definition of "Fine Art" has been challenged like never before in the last 100 years. Although juries are starting to be more flexible, there are many that still consider "painting" means oil paint and only paint. The flexibility of the acrylic medium has done wonders for opening up artists to try new materials and who knows what other new media are lurking in the shadows.

PHILIP GUSTON from Google Search

JOHN CAGE Artwork from Google Search

VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

ROSE SORBET by Sea Dean - Miniature Masterpiece Series

 My ROSE SORBET is now available at Artfinder.

PLEIN AIR WITH ACRYLIC PAINTS - BIG SKY IN SUNLIGHT

BIG SKY IN SUNLIGHT by Sea Dean - 12" x 9" Panel

PLEIN AIR CLOUDSCAPE

I've been promising myself and others to follow up on my John Constable clouds blog. I urged fellow artists to get out of the studio and paint plein air for a week, observing the clouds and creating as accurate a portrayal as possible. Today I found the time to follow my own advice.

Observing nature first hand is an entirely different experience to painting in the studio. The difference between painting Plein Air and painting from an image of the scene is radical. Cameras are wonderful things, but they are not very accurate, the lens can distort the image and digital colour is only an approximation, usually making the darks darker and the lights lighter. This is all complicated by different camera settings and computer settings and that is eliminated when you observe directly.

Funnily enough acrylic paints have the same problem with the darks drying darker and the lights drying lighter. Therefore if you paint with acrylics from an image your darks will be much too dark and your lights much too light. If you are marketing your work on the internet, the image of the painting will have the same problem if you don't compensate with photo shop.

In this painting I was focused on the sky and the different cloud formations. First it was important to observe the angle of the sun and the intensity of the shadow. In the hours it took me to complete the work the clouds were continually moving and turning colour as afternoon turned to evening and the sun sank lower on the horizon. Just before I finished the high clouds started to show a mackerel effect and hints of sunset and I couldn't resist adding it.

I started painting at the top, which is almost looking straight up in the sky. Those clouds are closer and therefore larger. As I moved down the painting I was adding clouds further away, so the colour greys and the edges become less distinct. The clouds also stack in front of each other as they come forward. Looking at the base of the clouds the perspective stacks the edges closer together until at the horizon the bases are too close and too indistinct to separate. So there are many things to consider with each brushstroke.

One of the most important things I learned was paying attention to the edges. Although they appear quite distinct, that is mainly because of the colour difference rather than making a hard edge. In fact I blended most sections quite a lot.

Another thing I learned is that clouds are not white fluffy things. Actually there is only a tiny bit of Titanium white blended into the horizon, and the bulk of the values are #5 or darker. The tips of the clouds were picking up the sunlight, but the rest were quite heavy with moisture and therefore quite dense and greyed.

There are a couple of areas that I will go in and retouch when the paint is dry. The hillside in shadow has darkened too much as it dried and there is a clone at the base of the right hand clouds which is also too dark and too central. Apart from those two things, I'm quite happy with this cloudscape.

Remember I will be posting your cloud paintings at the end of the month and I'm looking forward to hearing what you learned while painting them.

VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions here ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

ACCEPTANCE and CRIMSON CIRCLE on the move

CRIMSON CIRCLE by Sea Dean 30" x15" Deep Gallery Wrap

I've been studying my work and the art market for a while now. I've checked out many POD (print on demand) sites, auction websites and gallery platforms. I've even posted work with many platforms to check the results. I have participated in many discussion with members of my Facebook group GET YOUR ART OUT THERE around what works and what doesn't in the world of internet promotion. This is the hottest topic in the group outside of pricing.

My main platform for internet sales is DAILY PAINTWORKS (DPW). The platform certainly has it's place both in the market and in my art business. I like the company because it is family run and therefore quick to respond. I've made many suggestions over the years which are now being used.

DPW is certainly a good place for emerging artists to show their work. It is especially good for small works up to 100 sq in and for hobby artists that have other means of support. Some of the systems and links are handy, like connecting to Ebay, your own website, your email, Facebook, Pinterest etc. However, in my opinion, the downside is that DPW was founded as an auction platform, which attracts bargain hunters, not necessarily prime investors. I will continue to use DPW for my smaller, more traditional work, especially ACEO, Mini and Miniature Masterpieces, however, my exhibition work and large pieces need a new platform.

With over 200 recent sales under my belt, a growing business in commissions and several regular patrons, I'm feeling a need to stretch my wings. I've been looking for an online venue to rub shoulders with professional artists that will inspire me to greater things.

About a year ago I discovered ARTFINDER, a UK based gallery platform and I've been watching it develop with interest. They have excellent marketing and customer service and seem to understand the needs of both the artist and the patron. The site is user friendly, attractive and the independent artist members are producing and selling amazing work with an acceptable price range.

Unlike DPW, setting up a gallery with Artfinder involves an application process which keeps the standard high. Partly because of the selection criteria, Artfinder permits their artists to sell limited editions of up to 250, alongside their originals. Unlimited prints are not allowed, which again keeps the standard high. DPW prohibits prints or editions, which I believe has limited my income substantially. Even the fastest artist finds it challenging to create more than 250 original works a year and when they are being sold at minimal prices, it barely pays for supplies. What I object to most, is being channeled into producing small art in order to earn a living. Along with my many proficient peers, I have essentially been selling original work at print prices but without the advantage of machinery.

With sales of original art soft, due to the economy, the opportunity to sell limited editions of my most popular works, should give a more consistent income. I'm also guessing that the ability to offer prints at lower prices, will increase interest among young collectors that may purchase originals given time.


Soooooooo ..... here is the much awaited announcement. Fanfare please! I applied for and was accepted into the Artfinder membership and I'm excited about this new venture.

I'm taking it slowly. After spending most of the day familiarizing myself with the website, I now have some items loaded and my shop set up. As always. it could probably do with some tweaks, so don't hesitate to let me know if something doesn't seem right. I would also appreciate some encouragement if you would go to the website and click on the FOLLOW button, or FAVOURITE some of my paintings.

To view my shop click here, or the black button. At the top, you can FOLLOW my posts so that when you're on the site my latest work will appear with your other favourites. By clicking on ARTWORKS, you can view everything I have loaded and FAVOURITE certain pieces by clicking on the HEART symbol on the description.

In the future, if you're looking for my larger works over 100 sq in, my collages, abstracts or limited editions, they can be found in my Artfinder shop.

REVIEW - Vistaprint Pro Advantage - PAYING IT FORWARD

VISTAPRINT PRO ADVANTAGE SAMPLE PACK

VISTAPRINT PRO ADVANTAGE

I don't do a lot of printing, but when I need business cards, banners or handouts, I use Vistaprint online. You have to hand it to this organization, which seems to be all over the world and is very consistent. I have been quite impressed by both their service and their product. I also like that I have control over the layout and design using their program, or I can upload something I have created on my system and it's ready to go.

I think partly because their head office is in the Netherlands, my only complaint is that some of their sizing is different from the North American standard. However, they are getting better at that, because you can now order 6" x 4" postcards, rather than their rather odd sized "standard".

Recently I was on their site and discovered that they have a service called Pro-Advantage which is free to join and offers various perks for your business. One of the perks is something I've been needing for a while, a sample pack. I have spent hours trying to decide between different finishes, so this is an opportunity to get a small cross section of what is on offer without involving minimum amounts.

I received my pack the other day, nicely packaged in a plastic envelope and slotted into a rather naff heavy duty folder. This easily fits into a file drawer or stands between art books on the shelf and is a handy reference for future orders. Inside the pack was an "extra" one time 10% discount which can be used on top of regular sales. Yay!

I would certainly recommend checking out the perks of Pro-Advantage which include special deals and extras. Sign up and order your free samples now, because Vistaprint do have an annoying habit of changing freebies quite quickly.

STANDARD Vista Postcard - 4.2" x 5.5" - GAIA ENERGY by Sea Dean

 SEA DEAN POSTCARDS AND PRINTS

If you love my work and/or my blog, but don't have the budget to order an original, I have an easy to purchase selection of limited ACEO prints, postcards, art cards, fridge magnets etc. on my website.

As art is my sole income, website sales help me set aside time for free blog mini lessons, volunteering and moderating my open FB group GET YOUR ART OUT THERE. Therefore even the smallest purchase is appreciated by many. Paying it forward.

SMALL Vista Postcard - 4" x 6" - DESIGNER NEST by Sea Dean

View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

LITTLE NAUTI

LITTLE NAUTI
by Sea Dean
12" x 6" on Wrap Canvas

View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

When I finished this painting the name didn't come to me immediately. My ACEO of this image is called "Little Red Boat" so I couldn't call it that. Neither could I call it "Big Red Boat", because although the painting is much larger, the boat is only a day tripper.

I headed for Google. I decided to look for boat names ... bad mistake! I love boats, and while running my eye over some beautiful ships I've noticed the odd cliched name, but that was nothing compared to what I saw today. Boats are generally assumed to be female, and from the over abundance of sexual innuendo I assume that most boats are purchased and named by the Y chromosome community. I saw "She got the House" and wondered what a female captain would name her ship? "He got the lawn"?

I like the name "Little Nauti" but it doesn't describe this painting well. Can you come up with something better? Leave a comment below.

SHOW ME THE MONET

I have a guilty secret. Well not so guilty because I learn a lot, but I am addicted to a show called SHOW ME THE MONET from the UK. In my neck of the woods it can be seen on OUT TV which may be offensive to some, but I fast forward through the raunchy ads.


Show me the Monet is based on an exhibition at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London, UK. Thousands of artists, professional and otherwise have gone through a selection process and now during the show is their last opportunity to have their work hung in the exhibition. First they have to be vetted by the HANGING COMMITTEE (aptly named)

I watch the show because I'm a professional artist and no doubt, if I was in the UK I wouldn't be able to resist giving it a go. It gives an artist the opportunity to see how a selection committee works. It also shows just how subjective their opinions are and how influenced by their "stuff" no matter how well versed they are in the art world. Not the least is an opportunity to hear about recommended pricing in the UK. Way WAY above the circles I move in.

The show was produced in 2011 and 2013 by the BBC in the UK, but none of their links work. If you want to watch the show and it's not available on TV in your area, you could try a search on Google for some clips. Here is one I found

https://youtu.be/nW-IXtnQk2U

As far as I can tell there were only two series produced with 25 shows in total. If you know of any more please let me know. Also I would like to know what you think in comments.

COMMISSION of NEW LIFE by Sea Dean

NEW LIFE by Sea Dean- 15" x 10"

COZY PENTHOUSE by Sea Dean - 6" x 4"

NEW LIFE
by Sea Dean
15" x 10" on Canvas
Linen, Bronze and Gold Frame
COMMISSION

View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

This painting sold to a favourite patron who saw an OSWOA (original small work of art) in a show and wanted a larger version. She had just discovered a Robin's nest in a bush near her home and the birds were hatched, so having missed the egg stage, an empty nest was perfect for her.

It seems like it should be easy to copy your own painting, but there are always challenges with commissions. You never really know which part of the painting inspired the patron, or exactly what they like, so duplication must be quite accurate in colour and composition.

First I went back to my original inspiration photo, which prompted me to add more lower structure to the nest. I then studied the original painting so I could feel the mood observe the changes I had introduced to add interest. In this painting, the juxtabposition of complimentary colours was very important, and the dark limbs of the tree created the structure, all pointing towards the nest as center of focus.

The substrate made quite a difference to the texture of the painting because the original was on Strathmore Windpower, a thick, smooth, water colour paper and the commission was on gessoed canvas. The former gives a softer effect and the latter, greater texture.

The original painting, COZY PENTHOUSE, (smaller image) was matted and framed, so I gave the client the option of either choice. I had a rather nice bronze and linen frame on hand and she quite rightly selected it. Somehow a professional frame adds presence to a natural painting like this and honours the ingenuity and focus of the little bird that built it.

COMMISSIONS
It's easy to commission a painting, but I do like to ask for at least a month lead time if it is for a special occasion, so I don't feel I have to rush. I paint from your own images or, if you prefer, I schedule a session and work from my photos.

I like natural subjects ... your favourite ocean or landscape view, a portrait of your pet or a new graduate, but I'm also available for home owners and designers to create large and unique works of art to co-ordinate with the decor. Commissions range from 60 cents to 90 cents per square inch depending on size and out of pocket expense.

The best way to contact me is through the Daily Paintworks email link. All you have to do is click.

FAMOUS ARTISTS BIRTHDAY - EDGAR DEGAS - PASTEL IMPRESSIONIST

EDGAR DEGAS

Edgar Hilaire Germain Degas was born in Paris, 19 June 1834. He came from a wealthy banking family, that could afford to send him to the best schools, so in 1855 he enrolled at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He had access to and was influenced by all the great masters of the Louvre, particularly Ingres.

In 1865 Degas met Edouard Manet and was introduced to the Cafe Guerbois group, which evolved to become the Impressionists. Under the influence of his peers he started to paint studies of the ordinary people of Paris, particularly dancers, servants and artist's models.

In 1870 Degas exhibited with Monet, Pissarro and Sisley in London, England. A few years later he was part of the "Salon des Refusee, the first Impressionist Exhibition of 1874. He showed in all subsequent Impressionist exhibitions, except 1882.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” 
Edgar Degas

As he grew older, his eye sight became poor, but he continued to paint, mainly in his chosen media of pastel. He had a long and productive life, passing away 27 September 1917.

For a chronological study of over 600 of his works, click here.

Degas had a very strong sense of composition. He loved to build on a diagonal structure and often the bulk of the subject matter drifted off to one corner of the painting, with large areas painted in rapid blocked form. There are several themes he revisited often over many years and they almost always included women except for the racing theme.

1. Women Ironing 
2. Women bathing
3. Women arranging their hair
4. Ballet dancers in rehearsal and performance
5. Horses preparing for a race


What fascinated him most was the flexibility of the human form and he often chose an unusual angle or an unusual pose, which is evident in his most famous series depicting a Prima Ballerina, seen from high above and to one side, obviously from a well positioned private box. 

Degas is also famous for his sculpture of an adolescent dancer, produced in many versions. He painted portraits of dignitaries and his friends, sometimes in oil, but mostly in the bright colours and rapid action of pastel. Possibly because you cannot mix pastel like oil paint, he was continually experimenting with daring colour combinations. He also tended to outline with deftly drawn dark edges, which give a hint of illustration and journalism to his style.

FAMOUS ARTIST BIRTHDAY - CORNELIUS KRIEGHOFF

CORNELIUS DAVID KRIEGHOFF (June 19, 1815 – April 8, 1872)

A 19th Century painter, Krieghoff is most known for painting Canadian landscapes and outdoor scenes. His work was as popular in his own time as it is today. Many paintings show first nation peoples and settlers in their every day lives. He was particularly noted for wintery scenes which were made into popular prints.

Krieghoff was born in Amsterdam, Holland. The young Cornelius received his first art lessons from his father and when he showed aptitude he enrolled into the German Academy of Fine Arts in about 1830.

Krieghoff traveled extensively: In 1836  he moved to New York and served in the United States Army. Then he moved to Paris in 1844, where he copied masterpieces at the Louvre under the direction of Michel Martin Drolling. 1846 found him living in Montreal, Canada and in 1847 he was invited to show in the Toronto Society of Arts first exhibition. By 1853 he had moved to Quebec City, then on to Italy and Germany and back to Canada in 1855. He lived in Europe again from 1863 to 1868, finally settling in Chicago, where he died on March 8, 1872 at the young age of 56.

Many of Krieghoffs sketches, passed to John S. Budden, who lived with the artist for thirteen years, but sadly, on June 8, 1881, they were destroyed in the Great Quebec Fire.

Luckily most of his oil paintings survived and offer a poignant view of life in that era. The romanticized vignettes of Canadian life in the mid 19th Century have largely fallen out of favour since the advent of the pop culture. It is easy to dismiss his work on first glance, but that is a shame, because he was a masterful landscape painter. There is a lot to be learned from studying his use of colour and composition. His skies were particularly beautiful with soft gradations and luminous cloudscapes. Take a second look and you'll be amazed.

PARIS IN MAGENTA

PARIS IN MAGENTA
by Sea Dean
7" x 5" on Canvas Panel

View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

There is nothing as romantic as the Eiffel Tower; even if you've never been to Paris, the image brings forth memories of love scenes in movies and dreams of walking by the Seine. This painting liberally flaunts the colours of love with a little bit of bling here and there.

Paris in Magenta is also available as a limited edition ACEO on my website here.

TO FRAME OR NOT TO FRAME - MAGICAL C

 

MAGICAL C
by Sea Dean
6 x 6" on Strathmore Windpower

View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

This impressionist style painting is available in the Framed and Matted section of my online gallery. Ornate frames are not to everyone's taste, and they don't suit every painting, but when I popped this into the golden frame while preparing for a show, I loved it. This kind of ostentation looks wonderful in a stylish powder room or entrance area. However, I'm also happy to sell the painting with a plain black frame, or unframed if you prefer.

TO FRAME OR NOT TO FRAME

A while ago I conducted a survey on my GET YOUR ART OUT THERE Facebook Group. I gave about 20 choices with different styles and colours of frames, mats or unframed presentation. It was of no surprise that the deep gallery wrap canvas with the painting continuing around the edge, was the most popular. What was surprising, is that it was overwhelmingly the choice of both artists and buyers.

Certainly, I find that deep gallery wrap paintings are the best choice for my studio/gallery, exhibitions and local shows. However, at least 50% of my sales occur online. The challenge with online sales is that patrons don't like to pay much for the art or the shipping. Mailing within the same country is challenging enough, but sending a gallery wrap canvas internationally through Canada Post, quadruples the cost, purely because the depth doesn't fit into the "letter" category. Therefore, the package becomes an expensive parcel regardless of weight and takes longer to ship because it receives closer scrutiny at the border.

I think a good option for internet artists, is to work on a light surface, like quality watercolour paper, yupo or unmounted canvas and then mat it, ready to pop into a standard frame. By all means, offer the choice of mounting onto a wood cradle or gallery wrap canvas, but I think most buyers would prefer self-framing to keep shipping costs low. This also works for display at markets and shows with a clear bag or shrink wrap. An 8" x 10" double mat can cost $10 in Canada which is also prohibitive, so, I recently purchased a mat cutter to keep my costs low.

Online purchases need to impress twice; first at the point of sale, but also when the package arrives at its destination. A matted painting gives that all important feeling of pleasure when the buyer holds it in their hands for the first time.

What do you think? Comments are always welcome below.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD LEAF

JAPAN by Sea Dean

It will come as no surprise to those that know me, that I love to shop. No, not spend money, but shop. Shopping to me is the art of comparing and analyzing what is on offer. It's not something that should be rushed. Once you have collected all the information on quality and prices, you can make an informed choice and spend your money wisely. This does take time, but can be a very enjoyable process.

In our city we have limited choice for art supplies and I'm always looking for ways to widen my options. In a recent class, one of my students brought along a product purchased in a scrapbooking supply shop. Hmmmm! I didn't jump into that craze, so those shops remained a mystery to me and now with internet shops they have almost died out. However, we do have one in town and I decided to explore.

EVER AFTER Scrapbooking and Paper Supplies inhabits a pleasant and handy location near Walmart and Michaels. Sadly the only fabric store in town used to be just around the corner, but has moved across the lake. The owner of Ever After is very knowledgeable, helpful and happy to order  product. She is also starting to add more crossover art supplies. The store is jam packed with paper, cut outs, stencils, blingy bits etc. and I purchased some of the fascinating jelly glitter product I was looking for and some interesting stencil words.

While browsing I saw some leafing products and decided to compare prices. I noticed that it said "Composition Metal Leaf", ingredients 86% copper and 14% zinc, not a scrap of precious metal! The next time I was in the professional art supply shop, I checked my regualr brand and although the details are less easy to find, it says the same thing. As the material is extremely expensive and real gold leaf is extremely thin, I was under the impression that I was using real 24 karat gold in my work. My apologies, I have been describing my blingy bits as "Gold Leaf" or "Silver Leaf" and now I have to change that to "Metal Leaf" to be PC (politically correct).

I love a bit of shine, especially when it has a golden glow and if you check the BLING section in my Daily Paintworks shop here, you will find a big selection of pieces that contain bronze, copper, silver, gold and crystal. Sadly, one of the downsides of bling is that it doesn't photograph well for the internet.

Above is my favourite signature piece, JAPAN, waiting for a very special patron. Is it you? Click on the name to see details and contact me to purchase.

FAMOUS ARTIST BIRTHDAY - HAROLD TOWN - THREE CLICKS

MUSIC BEHIND by Harold Town 1958-59

HAROLD TOWN OC (June 13, 1924 – December 27, 1990)
More about Harold Town can be accessed by clicking on his name above 

A Canadian abstract painter, best known as a member of "Painters Eleven", a group of abstract artists working in Toronto from 1954-1960. The group took it's name from the number of artists at the first meeting. Town also free lanced as an illustrator for magazines like Maclean's and Mayfair.

Even over 50 years after it's creation, the painting above seems fresh and very current. Although the painting is abstract in nature, it displays a carefully arranged geometric composition and palette of mainly primary colours on a warm pastel background. The difference between this and much of the experiential abstract expressionist work produced today is quite clear. Here there are echoes of early computer technology, transistors and plastic coloured wiring which was all cutting edge in the 50s.

Many people find it difficult to appreciate abstract work or justify it's price, but I think it's an acquired taste like modern jazz or fine wine. I love abstract work and some of my favourite contemporary artists are Carol Nelson, Kim Rempel and Elizabeth Chapman. However, their work is more experiential in nature and shows how modern at has moved on from the Jetson era. I think I would prefer painting with the kind of structure that Harold Town uses in his work.

Possibly the closest I have come to Harold Town in my own work is THREE CLICKS as shown and available at Daily Paintworks here. This painting is as current as Towns were in 1959 because it refers to the simplification of websites and online shops ... a customer should never have to make more than three keyboard clicks to purchase an item online. Spending most of my day online and using many varied websites, I have to say, that the majority of artists are a long way from achieving that marketing goal.

JOHN CONSTABLE SKIES - THE IMPORTANCE OF CLOUDS TO A LANDSCAPE

I have heard it said that if you want to be a landscape painter you must become proficient at painting clouds. Clouds consist of colourless tiny drops of water which work like little mirrors to reflect the landscape and light around them. They also create prismatic effects when sunlight filters through them. Therefore, although the beginner my think painting a cloud is a matter of placing a few strategic splodges of white in a blue sky, it is far more complicated than that. A cloud can actually be any colour and any shape, which is why so many artists have a hard time painting them.

John Constable is renowned as one of the foremost landscape painters of the UK. He lived at a time when wandering the countryside to appreciate vistas, was extremely fashionable. He was born amid the flat land of East Anglia, a place of outstanding beauty, where sky dominates the wide open spaces. Like the early Dutch painters it was not surprising therefore that John Constable was a great observer and painter of clouds.

If you want to improve your landscape painting, get out in the local park or the countryside with a sketch pad and your favourite paint and sketch clouds every day for a week at least. Do a little research on the internet and discover how to read the different cloud formations. Observe and make careful notes on your sketches about the colour that accompanies each type of cloud. Stormy clouds are quite dark, breezy Cirrus are almost transparent and Cumulous are tipped with sunlight and opaque luscious off whites.

I would be happy to publish your cloud paintings on my blog, so send them with any insights you have about the process to my email address. Towards the end of June I will show the results of all that healthy fresh air painting.

FAMOUS ARTISTS BIRTHDAY - MINI MASTER SERIES - JOHN CONSTABLE - PLEIN AIR PAINTER

JOHN CONSTABLE
I was so involved in studying Constable that I almost missed his birthday. He was born in my neck of the woods East Bergholt, Suffolk, England on 11th June, 1776. And you can't grow up in the UK without hearing his name and seeing his work in print everywhere you go. For that very reason, I think the modern world tends to skip over his achievements. 

When you compare the work of John Constable to his contemporaries it's not wonder that it became so famous. He pioneered the technique of using broken colour to express light 100 years before the Impressionists and it's thought that he was a major influence on Monet and Pissarro. 

Originally painted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London, his most famous work, THE HAYWAIN, was shown at the Salon in Paris in 1824 where it received top prize awarded by Charles V. In the UK it has been voted the second most popular painting of all time with Turner's FIGHTING TEMERAIRE, painted only 15 years later, taking top honours.

At the time Constable lived there was a great burgeoning of style as England emerged from the constriction of the civil war era and the later Stuart reigns. Everything from food, to clothing, leisure pursuits, to building, to commerce was turned over and reinvented. Wealth was pouring into England from plantations in the far east and the new world, plus exports from the mines and mills of the north and the wealthy of the day weren't afraid to spend it. Fine Art was one of the beneficiaries, with huge stately homes requiring paintings to fill the walls. And what better choice than Constables idyllic country scenes and seascapes.

Below I have chosen some of Constables more unusual works, these are his less controlled sketches which show a looser, less considered style, more in tune with contemporary taste. They look as fresh today as they would have been shocking in his day.

John Constable died at Hampstead, London, England on 1 April 1837, nearly 200 years ago.

FAMOUS ARTISTS BIRTHDAY - GUSTAV COURBET - REALIST

GUSTAV COURBET

Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet (10 June 1819–31 December 1877) was a pre impressionist French painter. He was the leader of the 19th-century French Realist movement. Courbet is noted for two reasons: Firstly, he tried new ideas and ways of painting and secondly, his paintings made social comment - he wasn't afraid to depict "real life" with all it's flaws.

Courbets paintings were an inspiration to many painters, particularly the French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec were all inspired by Gustave Courbets portraits. His landscape paintings inspired Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Paul Cezanne and many more. - Wikipedia

I've seen work by Gustav Courbet, but I had no idea he was such a radical. Of course, I should have known when I saw ORIGIN OF THE WORLD (click on the link - warning graphic nudity) in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris. There is also his famous self-portrait THE DESPERATE MAN (pictured) which fascinates people to this day and seems quite modern in approach. Even the signature seems radical.


1819, 10 June born in Ornans, France
1840s Studied Law in Paris where he was influenced by Masterpieces in The Louvre
1855 Rebellious one man exhibition in Paris
1871 Imprisoned for destruction of the Vendome column
1873 Fled to Switzerland
31 December 1877 died aged 58 at La-Tour-de-Peilz and buried in Ornans.

TAMMY TAMARIN ACEO - OBSERVING MINIATURES

TAMMY TAMARIN ACEO by Sea Dean

TAMMY TAMARIN ACEO
by Sea Dean
2.5" x 3.5" on Canvas Card

View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

I've been wanting to rework Tammy for a while and today was the day. I much prefer the dark background.

Larger paintings should be created with a long handle brush which allows the artist to step back further and view the work from the same distance it will be seen at in a home or gallery. Miniatures are usually designed to be enjoyed in an album or placed somewhere where detail can be observed closeup and so are often created at a desk with a short handled brush.

I've been experimenting with miniatures that have distant impact and draw you in. This can be observed better on my Daily Paintworks site by looking at the image thumbnail. This painting of a Tamarin has impact which far exceeds its diminutive size and should be seen from a distance.

15057 Tammy Tamarin

RANDY - HIKING IN THE OKANAGAN - PLEIN AIR AIDS FOR SALE

RANDY THE RACCOON ACEO by Sea Dean

RANDY THE RACOON ACEO
by Sea Dean
2.5" x 3.5" on Canvas Card

View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

I found this video clip and thought you'd enjoy seeing some views near where I live.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

https://youtu.be/zXOuZL1G43c

I'm going to head out and discover a few of these.

I currently have two brand new Alpenstock hiking sticks for sale. These are an amazing aid for the beginner to advanced hiker. Good for adventurous plein air types too. Here http://classifieds.castanet.net/details/brand_new_20_-_110_alpenstock_type_hiking_pole/2308683/ is the link for more information.

For the even more adventurous I also have an inflatable canoe/kayak still in plastic and never used here http://classifieds.castanet.net/details/brand_new_inflatable_canoe_with_paddle/2320251/

CUSTOM WORK, COMMISSIONS AND BESPOKE PAINTINGS

SPRING REFLECTIONS by Sea Dean - Commission for G Parker

COMMISSIONS

Custom Commissions or Bespoke Paintings are always exciting and highly challenging. Many artists don't accept commissions because they take many times longer than a regular painting and can be very stressful, especially if they involve a human or pet portraits.

On the other hand, I enjoy commissions. I usually paint from a client's photo, so I can communicate over the internet and then ship anywhere in the world. If local and the client doesn't have a suitable photo, I conduct a photo session. I've never painted a portrait from life, but I would love to now I have a comfortable studio. My commissions are available in any size from postcard 6" x 4" to giant. I can ship anywhere prepaid.

Below are some of my recent requests. I'm currently painting a commissioned larger version of a one of my nest paintings, which I will blog when finished.

It seems like a long way off, but if you are considering a commission for "off to college" or the holidays, I would suggest contacting me now so I can schedule you in. Commissions take focused and dedicated time; they can't be rushed. I hate to disappoint clients because they leave it to the last minute.

SUNSET AT MEPAL by Sea Dean - Commission for B Jones

MILES by Sea Dean - Commission for M Manderioli

PAWS by Sea Dean - Commission for Mr and Mrs J Vanden Bos

STANLEY by Sea Dean - Commission for P Carlson and Family

MISTY WALK ON LONG BEACH by Sea Dean - Commission for C H Dean

FAT CAT by Sea Dean - Commission for M Thwaites

NAPTIME by Sea Dean - Commission for S and T O'Rielly