ARTING AROUND and Art club week 2

Week 2 of my art club endeavor has come and gone.  After meeting the one student who signed up for this 8 week session and accessing her skills, having a conversation with the parents to learn their expectations,  I decided that we needed to scrap all those cute Pinterest art projects I have saved and instead cover basics and techniques.

 I pulled out the drawing pencils (from Darrel Tanks 5 pencil method of drawing) and watched the hour long video twice where he demonstrates his amazing pencil technique in shading a simple sphere.  Actually, there is nothing simple about shading a sphere and I was challenged by the exercise. The patience and control of stroke that it takes to smoothly blend the graphite to give the appearance of roundness and dimension.  Not using blender sticks or tortillons; not even a little smudge with a finger tip allowed.  Just layers of small tapered strokes working around the circle.  Transition from the 4H to the 2H and then back to the 4H. Repeating the whole process with the HB, 2B and finally adding just the smallest area of 4B pencil to the darkest part of the crescent shape that is furthest from the light source.

That's right I spent several hours shading spheres, cones and cylinders so that I could then demonstrate with more confidence and draw along with my students.  It takes patience and discipline to slow down and not jump into the dark areas too soon.

I was told by a very accomplished artist friend of mine that I would learn so much more about my art by teaching others than I would every learn on my own.  That is so very true.  What a joy it is for me to be in a place in my life that I can now start to give and hopefully inspire others to create art.

So this morning as I sit here, drinking my 2nd cup of coffee and contemplating my week almost ended, I realize just how much art has become a major focus of my time.  I had the Boulder City event last weekend that was  so exciting and equally exhausting.  First Friday event last night that I put so much energy into.  A week of sketching as I worked on some Christmas designs and then preparing and teaching this young lady some techniques that hopefully will help her achieve her goal of acceptance into the art academy.

Yes, I'm feeling tired from my First Friday late night arting (Did I just create a new word? As tired as I feel today it surely has to be a verb!) but oh so blessed!

Just Paper and a Pencil

Well....there might be some ink involved and of course it's not just one pencil but rather a set of colored pencils but you get the idea.  I do love the freedom that colored pencils and a sketchbook affords me as an artist.  With very little effort you can enjoy creating a beautiful piece of art without hauling a suitcase full of supplies, easel and canvas around with you.  It affords you the ability to be discrete and yet at the same time i you can draw plenty of attention to yourself as an artist if you so choose.

I thought I would share a few of my most recent sketches that I have done in an effort to begin building a portfolio of such with the future goal of perhaps getting some illustration work or to have some of them perhaps licensed.  I know it is a stretch but you have to start somewhere and the research I have done so far says to take 3 to 6 months to build a portfolio of ideas before you start sending them out to potential clients.

These particular pieces are going to get framed this week and be on display for the First Friday event next week at City of the World Gallery in Downtown Las Vegas. I love the energy of First Friday and I'm really looking forward to seeing the response I receive from the public regarding my little drawings. You can be assured that I will be sharing in future blogs about that exact thing in the near future.

If you are in Las Vegas this next week, please consider stopping by and checking out the art.  City of the World is an amazing gallery full of many art styles and genre.  You are sure to find something to love.

Think Big

You Stole My Heart

Enjoy a Good Book

Trying Something New

The past few weeks I have been creating something a little different in my studio.  I finished a commission piece for a friend and ever since then I have just had a real urge to break away from painting on a canvas and have been turning my attention to using a combination of watercolor, pen and ink and colored pencils.  I love the richness that the colored pencils give some of the areas when I go over it using the watercolor as a base. The end result is a  combination of looseness and yet rich details that neither the watercolor or the pencil has on its own.

I am also stuck on the look of outlining in pen all of the randomness of color and designs that are created by using watercolors for my backgrounds or on the fur.  It creates an abstract effect that I like in the background.  I have no idea if anyone else will actually like this technique, but I'm having a BLAST!

All these pieces will be hanging by Preview Thursday (October 1, 2015) at City of the World Gallery.

Watercolor pieces getting matted and framed

Fun piece to paint of a lions eye

Almost finished with the details on this Red Eyed Tree Frog

A Whirlwind of a Week!

It has been the week of my very first show "Jan and Julie-Showing Their True Colors" and what a week it has been.  It started with the "First Friday" event on October 4th that sees as many as 800-1000 visitors to the gallery and ended with the reception this past Saturday where I celebrated with my friends and family.  There is something about seeing so many of my pieces displayed together on two walls that gave me a real sense of satisfaction.  It's like all my kids are home for a visit at the same time.  It might have been my first show but I certainly hope it's not my last.  I am already on the hunt for more venues. 

My friend and artist Jan Arduini and I standing in front of my display- We're ready for the First Friday crowd

A dear friend checking out my art

One of the pieces I sold this past week.  I look pretty happy here!

A view of my whole display on First Friday

"Shrinking Violets Should Apply Elsewhere"

"Hi!  I'm Julie Townsend and I am the artist.  If you have any questions about my work just let me know."  I had a few opportunities to say that last night at the First Friday event down at the gallery in the Las Vegas Art District where I hang my art.  I rent a small wall there for the past year that I can maybe squeeze 15 paintings on and have been to a number of these First Friday events.  The difference with last night was that I shared the main gallery room with my artist friend, Jan Arduini and we were the featured October Artists.  Needless to say, this week has been a busy one for me. 

Unlike many might believe, being an artist isn't just about sitting in a well lit studio creating amazing artwork but rather there are many hats that must be worn along with that paint stained apron.  You are the CEO, CFO, Marketing Director, Accountant, Shipping, Inventory Manager, Sales....well actually, you're the whole enchiladas!  It all falls on your shoulders, unless you are so well known that you have a manager or your own gallery complete with paid staff.  Reality is that you will have to spend time dealing with these details if you want to be successful.

It was a week ago, that I said to myself, "NO MORE PAINTING" and I turned to getting all my pieces ready for the show.  That means varnishing, framing, adding hanging wires, completing the paperwork, writing a few creative and witty paragraphs about each piece, uploading images to blogs and websites and then finally packing up the whole chute load into the truck and then hanging it at the gallery.  Thankfully, this show is hung for a month but when I take it down at the end of October it will be just in time to start showing to perspective Christmas shopper crowds at the weekend Farmers Market. 

I was very happy to find this helpful blog title:

Selling Your Art – The Golden Rules of Art Sales Hand-to-Hand Combat

I loved how Mr. Wilder compared selling art to a battlefield.  His words, "Shrinking violets should apply elsewhere" really hit home.  Even last night, I tired to balance the "Let people look" to "Should I engage" question over and over.  A couple hours into the show, I noticed a couple that had fixed their attention onto one of my pieces.  I was trying to appear as if I wasn't ease dropping on their conversation, but certainly could hear them discussing details about where they would hang it and things like that.  It was obvious to me that they really liked my painting.  I was getting pretty excited inside but still I hesitated to go over and talk to them and then to my utter dismay, they walked out of the gallery and without my painting.

I was pretty upset with myself for not having gone over there and tried to talk to them.  Fortunately, for me about an hour later they came back and were overjoyed to talk to me about their decision to buy my painting.  It was definitely the highlight of the evening for me. They are happy with my work and I am happy to have created something someone unrelated to me likes enough to spend their hard earned money to procure.  That is what this business is all about.


What did I learn?  That the only VIOLETS in the room should be ones I have painted on a canvas!

Jan and I posing with our friend Jeff Oldham in front of some of our work

My main display as you walk in the gallery front door

I'M STRESSING!

THE CRUNCH IS ON!  This is my final week to get ready for my show called "Showing Their True Colors".  My artist friend Jan Aduini and I are having a joint show starting on October 3rd for Preview Thursday and October 4th is the really big event that is called "First Friday".  The little gallery that I belong to can have maybe as many as 1000 people walking through and this will be my chance to shine.  I've got some new pieces to show and I even painted a piece just specific for this show.

Every artist I talk to tells me that you don't want to show images of your work before a show because people will not come out to see it.  I guess there is logic to that statement, but boy is it hard.  I really like sharing my newest pieces on the social media hub.  Like a proud grandma showing photos of the new grand baby, I love talking about what I am working on.  Well, I have tried to practice restraint this past month and all I am going to say is there will be value in seeing all my works in person.

I did paint a piece just special for the show that I call "Showing Your True Colors" and I have used the image so far for any promotions I have done.  So I will include this piece in my blog today.

24 x 36 Oil "Show Your True Colors"

                                                           
I know that I'm going to learn a lot in the next week but this is all part of my journey to become an artist. Next hurdle- The lament of most artists that I know-"Sell"

Gallery Space

Well, today was the day that Brad and I hung my own little gallery wall space at City of the World Gallery located at 1229 S. Casino Center Blvd, Las Vegas, NV  89104.    I think it might measure a whopping 4' x 8' but I was able to squeeze 8 of my best pieces there along with my bio and business cards.  It might not seem like much but for me it represents a beginning and I am blessed to have the opportunity to share with others something that brings me satisfaction and joy.  Tomorrow is the "First Friday" in 2013 and I plan on being down there at the gallery, hoping to have a chance to talk to anyone that wants to listen about the gallery and my art in specific.  Come on down and join the First Friday festivities.

Look at the Birdies in the Window

Yesterday, it was my extreme JOY to pick up my painting from the correctly named "JOY" art show at City of the World Gallery located at 1229 S. Casino Center in Las Vegas.  When I arrived I found my painting prominently displayed in the front window.  I was reminded of the feeling I had some 35 years ago when I was chosen from among the students of Mr. Easton's art class at Eldon High School to have my art displayed in the front window of the library located on Main Street of my hometown of Eldon, Missouri.  I wish I had captured the moment with a photograph, but none was taken. To make my showcase week even more special, I was given the exciting news that a local doctor had fallen in love with one of my watercolors and wanted to buy it for $20.00.  That was a large sum of money to me.  At that moment, I felt like a REAL artist.  Back then, to create something that someone else actually was willing to pay money for was what I viewed as the criteria of a genuine artist.

Now fast forward through a lifetime of raising six kids, college classes, along with years of reconciling bank statements, preparing taxes and financial reports to December 29, 2012.  It was as if I was 16 again and my dream of being a REAL artist was rekindled.  You can rest assured that yesterday a photo was taken to capture my excitement.  When entering the gallery, I was greeted by the owner, Roz Knight and after a few comments about how wonderful my work is, the question was asked of me, "Are you showing in a gallery somewhere?"  A little more conversation, then me signing a contract and one of my 2013 goals was realized- My art hanging in a gallery!

So this week will be a scramble to get my work all ready to hang on my wall space in preparation for January's First Friday event on January 4, 2013 .  If you are in the Las Vegas area this week and have some time on your hands come down to The City of the World Gallery for the Thursday Preview or if you are brave the First Friday event and you will find me at the gallery, making my dream come true.