What Adjectives to use to Describe Your Art

Words can paint pictures in your mind as strong as the visual images I can produce with my paintbrush and I just love how writer Whitney Huggins describes my art work here in this blog interview she did a few months ago.  Sometimes it is really difficult to describe your own style and find the write creative words to promote yourself.  Whitney nailed it here.  I love this quote: "Her pieces are nostalgia-inducing and poetic. They embody the secret, inner worlds of childhood".

Here is the link if you want to read the short blog post about me.
https://arthouselv.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/artist-profile-julie-townsend/


So March was a busy month and proved to be my most profitable month ever as an artist. I plan on blogging in more detail about the specifics of that in this next week when I finish up my financials Today is April 11th and I have to consider how I can keep that momentum going now that my show “I Dare You Not to Smile” has been boxed up and stacked in the corner of my studio.  It is a dilemma that many artist face.  How to generate excitement and keep the sales rolling in?  I think the secret is to keep yourself in the public eye and try to keep growing your fan base.  How do you do that you ask? 

I’ve already decided that I will bring my solo exhibition to the Art House Gallery in Las Vegas for the month of May.














I’m going to be at the Galleria Mall on the weekend of April 14th and 15th with a booth set up in center court along with other artists from the Las Vegas Artists Guild.

I also have the Helldorado Art Show and Auction on  Friday evening, April 27th from 5 pm- 8 pm I will be at the Elks Lodge at 4100 W. Charleston Blvd.  I have entered 4 pieces of art in the show and am excited to be a part. 

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The Clark County Fair coming up very soon.  It isn't what I would call a strong art event, but it is a Townsend family tradition to drive the 50 miles out to Logandale and spend the day at the fair.  Having my own art in the exhibit hall makes the trip more enjoyable for me and this year I have on several occasions ran into people who recognized my art from out there so I think that there are thousands of people who look at it over the 4 day period and so that is worth it to me to make a couple extra trips.




This is definitely coming up to a very busy time so I have to buckle down and try not to retreat to my "Secret, Inner Worlds of Childhood".

It's Red Dots and Red Ribbons For Me

I think this is about the 4th or 5th year that I have been involved in the Helldorado Art Show and Auction.  It is really one of my favorite local shows at this point.  The art is amazing and so winning a ribbon there is really special.

I entered 4 pieces total and won a second place ribbon in the acrylic category on my painting, "Rise and Shine".  That piece also happened to be bid on and so I only brought home 3 pieces and this ribbon.  This piece was nearly the last painting I have completed.  I really wanted to enter it in my solo library show but didn't quite make the deadline.

The whole time I was painting this piece I struggled with it.  I had initially tired to paint a mottled background in blue but I struggled with that and especially with the foreground. It just didn't seem to work out the way I had it in my mind.   I loved how the rooster was progressing,  but I felt as if he was floating in the middle of the canvas and I didn't know what to do with his feet.  I was pretty sure I wanted a fence post with morning glories but things just didn't seem to be lining up right.  

The current and final background was actually my 3rd attempt of painting it over.  I'm so pleased that I just kept at it even though I felt that I might just scrape the whole piece.  I love the bright colors and the combination of detail and pop art together.  This will not be the last time I combine these two styles I am sure.  

In April I had taken this piece and entered it into the Clark County Fair and Rodeo in Logandale and I received a very positive response with it.  I actually won 2nd place in the show with it.  Of course the competition wasn't as stiff as it is with Helldorado.

  

Ribbons are wonderful, but art sales are the true compliment paid to an artist.  Well unless you win BEST OF SHOW ribbon.  I'm guess that ranks up there pretty high.  I will miss this piece, but I am happy he found a new home where someone appreciates him enough to pay their hard earned money for the privilege of hanging him on their walls.

Now even though I have sold the original painting, there is still prints and merchandise available that can be ordered with this image.  I personally turn most of my artwork into small prints (4 x 6, 5 x 7 or 8 x 10), 4 x 6 art magnets or stickers.  These are all available on my Etsy store.

Julie Townsend Studio on Etsy

I've included just a couple of images that shows just how great this image would look on products such as prints, book bags, sweatshirts, mugs, shower curtains or phone cases.  You can click this link and it will take you right to this image to place your order.  What a great gift for any "Rooster" lover on your list.

Julie Townsend Studio on Fine Art America

Blogging about Beautiful Bovines

Fence Post Curiosity

Well my "Down Country Roads" show has been hung at the gallery and it looks GREAT!  The Boulder City Art Gallery is such a beautiful gallery to begin with and Regina Marvin, the gallery director helped me so much with getting my artwork up and ready for display.  

Now I am so excited for the reception next Sunday, April 10th.  I will be making my much requested cheese ball and their will be an assortment of lovely snacks provided by other gallery artists in attendance.

I've worked really hard to make lots of art greeting cards and art magnets available so that there will be plenty of fun smaller items available for purchase. Let's not forget all those cowbells I painted up special for this show.  

I was thrilled when I sold 7 art cards before I even had all the art work hung up on Friday.  I just received a call on Sunday that my featured piece, "Fence Post Curiosity" has already been sold on day 2 of the artwork on display. I am beyond thrilled!  

With all that done, I'm turning my attention now to painting my entries into the Helldorado Rodeo Art Show that is at the end of this month.  I have committed to having 3 pieces finished to enter and I'm going to give it my best try to have another large 24 x 36 inch piece ready.  This time my idea is of a horse being fed at the fence line a carrot by a child.  That will be a challenge for sure.  I'm sure as I begin the painting process I will share my progress here so checking back in the next few weeks.

Heading Home

The first piece that I have completed is a 12 x 24 acrylic painting that I am calling "Heading Home".  This piece was inspired by a photo taken by a high school classmate that obviously loves riding horses. They appear to take vacations with them and the reference photo I used for this piece is just such a time.  A photo between the ears is such a great perspective that I couldn't resist trying to capture that experience.  In my mind I could feel the emotion of both the rider and his beloved horse as they come into sight of home.  To add interest to the composition I had to add a curious Holstein looking up from her grazing in the tall pasture grass as they pass by.  

Who Needs a Tissue

Often as I am working on a piece I will using sketching as a way to practice and work out specific areas of my composition.  This adorable pen and ink sketch called "Who needs a Tissue" is a perfect example.  In my piece, "Fence Post Curiosity" I wanted the Jersey cow to be licking her nose.  Kind of a disgusting practice but one that cows do often.  Here I have tried to make this yucky nose licking activity cute and adorable.  Sometimes these drawings actually work out to become artwork of their own and get matted and framed.  The original of this particular piece is still available along with prints, art greeting cards and art magnets.  Check them out on my Country Store on my website .

I can say it has been a season of bovines in my studio.  Besides these last two paintings outlined above I decided to add a piece using pen and ink and colored pencil into the Helldorado Art Show. This is a medium that doesn't seem to be utilized by most artists.  The oil and acrylic entries are numerous but a sketches are few in number.  This 8 x 10 matted to 11 x 14 piece is called "Resting Before the Rodeo" and features a powerful Brahma bull taking a rest in the hours before the nights events.  

I grew up loving the rodeo.  Mainly because my father had been a professional bull and bare back rider in his MUCH younger days.  He loved watching the rodeo and we would travel every summer to Coffeyville, Kansas to attend the rodeo and visit with my Uncle Richard.  I was so proud because my Uncle Richard Diveley had a great singing voice and was always given the task each year of singing the National Anthem at the opening night of the Rodeo.  Such great childhood memories that are connected to the rodeo.  The rodeo is such a thrilling sport and like most spectators, I loved the bull riding event the most and because it brings the greatest level of excitement.  Those beautiful creatures and pure power, muscle and meanness.  

I loved sitting right next to the fence in hopes that the angry charging bull would run past me with inches and a small wire fence separating me from imminent danger.  Sometimes, if I was lucky they would fling the arena dirt all over me as they thundered past and I couldn't help but scream a little.  The rescue riders and the brave rodeo clowns making every effort to draw the bull away from the cowboy and to the exit gate.  Some bulls would comply quickly but others would make them work for it.  Making several passes around the arena to the delight and cheers of the crowd.  

I hope you enjoyed seeing my bovine line-up as much as I've enjoyed creating them.  Please check out my website to see more of my work.

Resting Before the Rodeo

YOU GOT TO LOVE A BLUE RIBBON

This is me and my EXCITED face!  I was thrilled to find that my piece called "Edge of the Herd" took first place in the acrylic category at the Helldorado Art Show this past weekend.  This is a really nice western themed show that I have participated in for the past several years.  I just didn't think this small piece would receive any type of singling out or I would have done something with my hair!   

"Edge of the Herd" 1st place winner in the Acrylic category

To even add to my surprise, my entry called "Stories Around the Fire" also took second place.  I'm just tickled pink here.

"Stories Around the Fire" awarded 2nd place in the Acrylic category

STUDIO NEWS- MARCH 2015

If you like my work I would love to hear from you.  Also please check out my online gallery at my website at Julie Townsend Studio

My "Nevada in Shades of Silver and Gold" was hung yesterday, March 1st at the Laughlin, Nevada library gallery.  The artwork will be hung until April 25th so I'm hoping to drive the 100 + miles to go check it out.  Let me know if you happen to be in Laughlin and decide to check it out.  I would love to see pictures!

It has been a busy a week in the studio and I am pretty excited how some of my pieces have turned out.  I keep selling cowbells, which make me happy and a 4th retail location has added them to their inventory.  YEAH!!!

There is a very nice art show event that is coming up here in Las Vegas and entries must be finished in May so I've turned my brushes and pens to more of a western flare.  The Annual Elks Club Helldorado Parade and Rodeo has a fantastic art show and I want to have 3-4 entries ready to go so that has been my focus this past week.

New Western Piece-Not Titled Yet

I'm still working on a name for this 12x12 acrylic piece but "Six Shooter" probably will part of the name.   I have made some slight additions to the final piece that are not reflected here.  I have added a small explosion at the end of each barrell so the rider isn't just showing the guns but is actually firing the pistols.  I'm pretty excited about how this has turned out.

Ink Sketch of my Dad

This is a pen and ink sketch I did of my dad as a young rodeo cowboy.  The reference photo is one of 3 newspaper clippings we have that show him in action.  I have painted this photo last year but this year I wanted to enter a sketch in the show.

Touching up older pieces this week

These are two pieces I painted at the end of 2014 but wasn't completely happy with how they turned out.  Sometimes it takes a while to actually finish a piece because there are changes that are decided on down the road. This week I have pulled both of them out of the closet and started repainting them.   The beach scene was flat and lacked a story.  Adding an old fence, a sandy path and a sign that reads "Beach" gives me want to check it out.  

The snow scene was first painted with a deer in the foreground but it never seemed like a good fit to me.  I decided to paint that out and put a heavy snow ladden pine tree in the front andI think the composition is much better.  I added more blue to the snow and just added a sparkles of white to give that glisten you see when the sun shines on it.  

NEW COWBELLS PAINTED THIS WEEK:

Kokopelli cowbell-SOLD

Lighthouse cowbell-SOLD

Sunflower cowbell- SOON TO BE SOLD

Helldorado- Call For Art and a History Lesson Too!

 Every year the Elks Club sponsors a rodeo and fair here in Las Vegas and along with those two events is a western themed art show and auction that has become a showcase for some really nice artwork.  This will be my 2nd year of entering and I am excited to get together with my fellow artists and enjoy the artwork.  Maybe I will even sell something!  I've included a link to the festivities if you’re interested and in the area. Helldorado 2014

This event has a long and interesting history including ties to an old local outlaw Indian named Queho. One thing I know...I love learning about Nevada history ALMOST as much as I like painting it. I encourage you to take a minute to read about this bit of Southern Nevada History.  

On a personal side note....I have on a number of occasions visited the area that was once called Cathedral Canyon located on the "Hidden Valley Ranch" off the Tecopa Highway.  This is the final resting place of the infamous Queho.  I even had the pleasure of sitting at the ranch one afternoon and having a short visit with the elderly Mr. Roland Wiley.  Cathedral Canyon was his personal project and it was amazing place to see.  He had converted a ravine on his property into a place where you could sit, meditate and think about things.  It was complete with running water and 2 working restrooms.  There was even a suspension bridge hung overhead that spanned the canyon and it is near that bridge that the marker for Queho's grave can be found.  Sadly, when Mr. Wiley passed away the desert quickly reclaimed the canyon and vandals have done their share to speed up that process.  Queho-Renegade Indian

The artwork is due April 23^rd, so I've been working on these two pieces for the past few months.  I apologize that I am breaking a very important blogging rule by posting less than perfect photos of my artwork but in reality I am more interested in just taking a minute to talk about each of these pieces and their obvious western flare.

"Best Friends"- 16x20 Oil

This first piece I’m calling “Best Friends” and my inspiration for this came from an old public domain photo of a little girl from the Navajo Nation taken in the early 1900’s.  Her smile just grabbed me nearly as tightly as she has grabbed on to her puppy.  This piece is painted in oil and is on a 16x20 canvas.

"Riding the Buckskin"- 18x24 Oil

The second piece is very personal as I painted it from an old photo of my dad, Gerry Diveley as a young rodeo cowboy.  Usually he would ride bulls and I even have a photo of him riding a buffalo but here he is riding in a bare back bronco category.  I don’t know if he made it the whole 8 seconds but I loved the action I’ve attempted to capture here and painting it was therapy for my soul.  Miss you Dad!  I’m leaning towards calling this piece “Riding the Buckskin” but like naming your children, sometimes you have to really think about the best name that fits the piece.