Something about the process

I've posted almost nothing but my art on ATS, and I figured I would pay it back with a bit about how I create (since times seem dark and hopeless to many).

I am almost entirely self taught and primarily use oil on canvas, but wood panels are also a great surface. I consider myself an abstractionist with heavy expressionist tendencies. So I allow myself to loosen up if I'm not already inspired, which means 2 beers later I am behind the easel. I use a pencil held close to my fingers and very rapidly and fluidly start laying down lines and curves to create a balanced composition. This usually only takes 2-8 minutes. I then refine the lines I like best and start to "wire" the lines together to make overall shapes. This takes about 15-30 minutes. When I am close I get out my thick liner brush and some thin black acrylic paint and start committing to some of the best shapes. The line process is one of the most fun and important processes to me, because things become figurative and change quickly, and it's where the real expression starts to take shape.

When I finally get some shapes that speak to me I let the acrylic dry (15 minutes) then switch to oils and start adding heavy colors to the shapes that speak the loudest first. Mostly just a think wash to lay down the basic color. I come back later and add darker tones to edges and tons of texturework, which is a heavy part of my abstract style. But mostly I focus on what colors go where. Similar to music, with colorful art it is sometimes about what color you DON'T use that matters. Some of my best pieces that sold immediately are selective palette works. Browns with golds and orange are sellers, so are gold and yellows together. But my gallery mate said this to me and it makes sense, "my best work all uses EVERY color, its just tricky to sneak them all in subtle like so you cant tell". I'm not as subtle, so I actively omit several colors typically.

Here is a montage I created of a piece I just finished from black lines all the way to textured final piece.

Even after I had black lines down and was creating colors, the work keeps telling me to change and add/remove elements to make a happily balanced piece that oozes with life. It's ALL about creating an artistic lifeform on canvas for me. I will sometimes go back over every inch of the canvas focusing on 3" squares and making sure that small area is tight, colorful and alive. I am recently getting much better at titling my work thanks to my father who is a prolific and established poet. Without this essential step many artists just have nice work with no 'hook', no subliminal suggestion to process what they see. It should be clever, but more than clever it needs to be engaging and pertinent to the piece itself, it should add substance to what you already know is good. Like a menu at a 4 star restaurant, it coaxes your mouth into understanding the flavors that exist in something you havent even tasted yet.

Here is the final work (or at least I consider it 98% complete) and will be in my show next month.

"Filling the goblet" - 2016, oil on canvas - 16" x 20"

I have every intention of framing this piece as well, since framing done right makes great work irresistible. Also frame stores tend to have tons of affordable frames in 11x14, 16x20, and 18x24 and it's always in your best interest to learn how to do it yourself, also its FUN!

The body of work I've created over the past 20+ years is finally paying off, I'm getting shows in small venues constantly, and establishing myself at light speed. The next work is polishing the tech end (QR codes, instagram tagging/promoting, web design) and shopping for better paying gallery venues.

I hope you all enjoy your artistic journeys in what ever form they take, and don't ever give up if it feels right.
Thanks for reading and taking a look!

J:

a reply to: Aliquandro

This is fantastic! I love how it kind of merges the surreal with the Gnostic church windows effect, so tripPy I love it so many times, OMG OMG OMG

a reply to: Fahrenheit

Thank you very much!

I studied a ton of art history and loved the patterns of gothic structures along with the color of stained glass, I am so blessed you see them both in this. That is a wonderful compliment.

I attempt at times to just create something purely abstract, but fail wonderfully... and end up creating a hybrid that uses elements that are subconscious, but end up working.

a reply to: Aliquandro

Thanks for the thread invite for your process, I was concidering sharing one I made for a friend on realism once I get it in one spot the image and text have become separated in my files.

a reply to: Aliquandro

Kinda funny for me to see you working with black first, but it does make sense as you compose your pieces around those lines. Guess I learned something new today, thanks for that!

All the best for you, it's a great advice to never give up. Persistence is vital in this business.

Frigging beautiful. You inspire me to paint again. Thanks for sharing. I didn't read most of what you wrote as its time to get kids ready for school but will read later. I always having trouble deciding what price to put on my art works when doing a show , not that I have had a show for years. Anyways your work is beautiful thanks again for sharing.

Frigging beautiful. You inspire me to paint again. Thanks for sharing. I didn't read most of what you wrote as its time to get kids ready for school but will read later. I always having trouble deciding what price to put on my art works when doing a show , not that I have had a show for years. Anyways your work is beautiful thanks again for sharing.

Sorry double post

a reply to: BigBrotherDarkness


Creating realistic art is much more demanding, and is really cool to watch tutorials on. Im so hyper that my style evolved from my energy levels and ability to create really bold images. My hats off to you for even trying realism.

I'd love to figure out how to do a stop motion vid of one of my newer pieces being created. I think posting that in the right social media outlet might be what an art career needs.

On a side note, have you ever watched "tim's vermeer"? Seriously interesting watch.

a reply to: PublicOpinion

I was a cartoonist in my early years and got hooked on india ink and beautiful crisp lines. Then tried oil painting class and one of the 'rules' was no black paint, just use dark colors. But I realized black paint was cheaper and more effective for a serious dark line.

I love learning new tricks, but mostly its just fun to paint. Lots cheaper than therapy too. But eventually we all polish our skills no matter what our beginning level is, its just time spent, but you get brilliant if you spend that lifetime doing something you love.

a reply to: Cloudbuster
Thank you for that! Inspiring others is a wonderful feeling, and I can only hope it helps get you creating what you enjoy. Please share if you feel like it, this place could use more art in ugly times.

I price my stuff based on a few factors. 1) How long have i been painting, and am i any good? 2) How long did it take me to create 3) How big is it? is it polished work with varnish and a frame ready to hang? 4) where is it hanging? Finally how many people own my work?

I typically charge at least $1 a square inch no matter the size. If its small (less than 8x10) i double that. If its my quick and sloppy "fun" stuff i have flexibility to go down in price since its a cheaper crowd. If i add a normal store bought frame i will at least double the frame cost and add it. i always use bumpons and good hanging wire and varnish all of it and use printed tags along with a bio with card holder and QR codes for my website info etc. I also have been painting for over 20 yrs and have dozens of patrons who own my work here now, and after 100's of paintings Ive gotten decent enough to get 450 for a simple framed 16" x 20" of my best abstract work. The above piece is that size and will be framed and lightly glazed for my show next month and I may ask 650 since I hardly want to let go of it, and I will probably invest 80-100 in a gorgeous frame.

Framing my abstracts is one of the funnest things I do, it's like taking something gorgeous and making it gorgeous AND sexy! Frame stores carry lots of sizes of premade frames, just drag your work in and play

a reply to: Aliquandro

Thanks for your reply. I always put a higher price on my favourite paintings in my collection but that does not mean that particular painting is someone else's favourite. I paint in oils too, i cant do acrilyic very well as i like to blend and acrilics dry to fast. Oh and i mostly paint in blue with sometimes a splash of red . One question, why do you glaze or varnish oil paintings. ?

Not sure if this has worked but here are 2 of my paintings from about 15 years ago.

Yay it worked. Not the best photos, bad lighting and all.

a reply to: Cloudbuster


I glaze oils if I have to get them out the door faster, i prefer to varnish just because it looks better. Especially if its framed, and ornate gold frames beg for varnished work.

See the difference varnish makes after you do it, it makes it look wet again, blacks are blacker, colors are richer.

The colors on acrylics to me just look duller than oils, and they mix horribly... so my best work is almost always oil.

Those are some nice pieces, I really like the surreal mountain landscape. The shapes are awesome and intriguing. I do a lot of mayan inspired textures in some of my work, it usually just happens without thinking. Like this piece:

a reply to: Aliquandro

It is a lot of zooming in and out and blending of light and shadow in various colors percieved but pretty much the same focus as any art once the process is known and easily understood. Of course not having the object or texture in front of one as a reference one has to use the mind to recall what they are which means being very observant of the world around us other than the commotion but I suppose that sort of art as an object is what makes movies.

Well, I mainly work in digital format and treat the other parts of my life as art... so its a piece for life as it always seems perfect as is yet always changing by so many brushes on this canvas of life.

If you get a tripod and camera, you can adjust it to snap a frame to a certain amount of time... you could even do a very long time lapse and that would be art making art.

Once again thanks for sharing. Youre of course welcome to add a piece whenever to the thread I made on Paredolia art whenever, even though abstract in nature so is our view of it sometimes so hey art is art and each person views every piece of it differently even though its the same piece of work.

a reply to: BigBrotherDarkness

Just found an app on my android that does stop motion and handles the animation tasks too. I will be trying it out very soon on a new work.

Gorgeous work Ali! So well balanced and an intriguing mix of colors that keeps the eye going from delicious color to delicious shape. I am a HUGE fan of your work and am so gratified to see you succeeding in both your personal artistic vision and in the art business such as it is.

Should you need fresh inspiration take a magnifying glass and begin studying insects, especially beetles and things like dragonfly wings. Macro to micro will always give new insights, or as my art teacher once told me "vary your vision, don't focus on one thing or one area too long". It becomes rather easy to settle in to comfortable patterns which may produce excellent works but will eventually cage the artist in mentally. Sure, if it's selling keep doing it but never forget to look for new challenges to keep your vision fresh and your mind and eyes open to new ways of expressing yourself.

Before you sell Filling the Goblet could you pm me and let me know what price you're asking?

Thanks for sharing and excellent work!!

a reply to: Aliquandro

Nice

Ill be doing something soon for a gallery show, they didn't give a theme so I am going to make sure I make something they cannot unsee lol it is going to make the high class snobs feel uncomfortable =D