Some randoms, feedback appreciated!

Originally posted by denybedoomed
reply to post by Aliquandro

 

Thanks for the kind words! I understand about getting attention, we live in a small town where the majority if artists paint landscapes of the surrounding area, don't get me wrong, I love landscapes, but I see the mountains and rivers here every day! My fiancé and I had a small art shop that didn't do well. Subject matter was a little too wacky I'm afraid. However all of our pieces placed at the fair, and she even won best of show!

I suggest starting an etsy. Have you tried talking to local printshops about rates for prints and such? I'm usually willing to part with the originals and have sold a few.

I will definitely check out your stuff. Is your avatar a creation of yours? Cause I really dig it!

You can find our etsy here and follow our blog here

Thanks so much for the feedback!

-dbd

edit on 15-7-2013 by denybedoomed because: Eta

My painting instructor for a while tried to get me to do portraits and landscapes, that didn't go well or last very long. He also told me never to use black paint, sorry but I have the soul of a cartoonist under all that. I stuck to weird cartoony byzantine and switched over to some female forms and strange verbal stories that I visually interpreted (this is a secret trick I'm sure other artists use for cool compositions).

Your Etsy account is very nice! A very professional format/feel I bet is key to getting customers. If you don't mind me asking is the financial payback worth the labor invested? Are you having to upkeep it alot and there's hardly any sales? Times are so hard right now so I have to ask... and as a lower income grunt in this world I know the only people with money are the rich and they buy their art in galleries. I wouldn't mind if a few rich folks thought my stuff was cool, right?

I currently have an awesome local cheap print source, but I'm unsure I want to go the print route on all my work. My more contemporary stuff I may do prints since they all tell a story that fits together. But my newer abstract and surreal I want to try to go straight to the best 5 galleries in this city and work my way down til I got a show (then suck it up and possibly get rejected by all of them, im ready for the harshness). I have a few struggling but managing local artists in varied mediums that are a good support group for ideas, some eventually may pan out into shows.

The avatar is a painting I gave to a dear friend when i first started, your the first to notice

I value your suggestions dbd, I never know what I'm going to need so there are no bad ideas, just ones I haven't used yet

reply to post by Aliquandro


Really, we work very cheaply on our art. We stopped buying canvas a long time ago, no it's strictly second hand framed artwork from thrift stores. Much cheaper to paint over a boring still life that already has a sweet frame. The most expensive part of it is buying the paints and shipping the pieces. But if we can sell a big one for 250 bucks that's like an 85% profit. I highly suggest this method, I mean, they don't call it a starving arist for nothing!

I know art is totally suggestive, but I th k you've got more talent than I do. I've never had real formal training since high school, and I butted heads with my instructors frequently. And ,out pieces are not really well planned. They usually start with me slopping paint on and letting it take me where it wants. I like to make a mess and not over think the process. Keep it fluid and easy.


Check back often and I'll do the same. D you have a photobucket account?

Is that a don Quixote reference?

-dbd

Originally posted by denybedoomed
reply to post by Aliquandro

 

Really, we work very cheaply on our art. We stopped buying canvas a long time ago, no it's strictly second hand framed artwork from thrift stores. Much cheaper to paint over a boring still life that already has a sweet frame. The most expensive part of it is buying the paints and shipping the pieces. But if we can sell a big one for 250 bucks that's like an 85% profit. I highly suggest this method, I mean, they don't call it a starving arist for nothing!

I know art is totally suggestive, but I th k you've got more talent than I do. I've never had real formal training since high school, and I butted heads with my instructors frequently. And ,out pieces are not really well planned. They usually start with me slopping paint on and letting it take me where it wants. I like to make a mess and not over think the process. Keep it fluid and easy.


Check back often and I'll do the same. D you have a photobucket account?

Is that a don Quixote reference?

-dbd

Ok so the profit is worth it, and cutting back on costs is key I'll agree 100%. This will remain an option for me and I'm glad we talked about it!

I'm really happy you mentioned painting over preframed existing art. Well lately I'll paint over my own work if it's flat, emotionless or mundane. This is what helped me develop a much stronger style possibly. Then I tried painting over another artist's work. It was this giant flat acrylic rooster on a sparse quickly rendered landscape of cacti, he had a hole and was easily 48" x 60". I patched it up, then turned it sideways, and like you, just "went to town" and created a new piece. It was so big this process took a few days but I slowly added huge heavy lines adding potential shapes, then committed to a few and was lazy about blocking out the background. The sideways rooster tail inspired the last element of what turned out to be a crazy surreal/abstract landscape.

My point is I agree that working over other framed work is amazing and saves some bank, but it might also help create new ideas that help you create an insane masterpiece!

My formal training was brief and much went in one ear and out the other. We are both technically outsider artists so it means we have to try that much harder, so you always have my support friend!

reply to post by Aliquandro


I noticed you work mostly in oils. I should probably give it another go. I just lack the patience for it I think. I painted an elephant on a 5x5 cardboard piece and it took two days to dry, I was like, eff this. I've started dabbling in watercolor and pastels. I'm not much of a drawer so I'm trying to hone that in. Have you tried getting your art up in local galleries? We have a coffee shop here that allows local artists to hang, but it's pretty pretentious (I'm not a climber and I don't have dreads)

The local art shop has the same option, but they want $100 per month for wall space!! Are you kidding me? Definitely not quitting my day job!

Thanks for the correspondence! I'll keep you posted on new pieces.

-dbd