Keep in mind this is a much smaller version of the full file size.  Just enough to show you what I am working with. 

I don’t usually name works before I finish them, but this one is called "Layers of Abstraction"

Post from: Artist Hideout

The reason it’s difficult isn’t so much that as an artist you are untalented or unoriginal, it’s the fact that you know you have something unique to offer, but you haven’t quite developed it yet.

Everything we try and do leads somewhere unique.  We are inspired, and take different things into our ultimate product.  In this we find our voice.

I’ve been looking at the art of Willie Cole lately.  Willie takes everyday objects and transforms them into sculpture and works based off of those objects attributes.  I don’t know what inspired him to take an everyday household iron and elaborate in such a way as he has done, but it’s obvious that there is a voice at work in Cole’s work. 

Willie Cole (American, born 1955) will have his first New York exhibition since 1994. Cole will exhibit recent sculptures which continue several of his intersets and themes. Some of these works are based on the form of an iron -- an image which he began investigating in 1989. Cole was first attracted to the iron for both its form and for its perceived embodiment of the spirit of the person who used the iron. The earliest versions, which he referred to as Household Gods and Domestic Demons, dealt with these ideas by utilizing found objects. More recently, Cole has been constructing enlarged versions (i.e. an iron 600 times actual size) made from diverse materials both found (banisters, pullies) and constructed or carved (two egg 'beaters' that resemble African sculpture and which were carved out of two large sections of porch post)

source

After viewing Cole’s work, it’s hard to look at a household iron the same way again.

Sometimes as an artist, you may already have a voice, but you are having trouble recognizing it for yourself too.

To find and recognize your own unique voice, lets ask these two questions.

What would you have your legacy be? 

How will your art reflect that from here on out?

Post from: Artist Hideout

Art is one of those things that requires a certain amount of money to make money in.  I, of all people, wish canvases were given away for free down on the street corner.  Actually, I think they should be, along with a set of paints and brushes. 

I think we might live in a happier world if they were.  There is such a trend toward expression in our culture, we are seeing more and more ways that people are being creative, but we are still seeing many people withdraw from some of the …um, finer arts because they just cost too much in order to be successful (according to culture).

Let me elaborate. 

We don’t have a money problem we have a "definition of success" problem.

If I never sold another painting, I would still paint. 

If I never made any money off of writing again, I would still write.

Because what drives me isn’t the money.  It’s the love of the thing itself.

This is how I must define success.  If I begin to dread painting, I am doing something wrong or focusing on the wrong thing.

Post from: Artist Hideout

Now I am not down on abstract art in any way.  Most of mine is abstract too.  I just think that as any kind of artist, we must come to the realization that not everyone is going to understand our work, in fact… count on it.

Post from: Artist Hideout

I have come to the conclusion that art doesn’t necessarily have to be good (as per my opinion) to be worthwhile or to make the artist famous.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti (See link) creates work that I would classify as being on the level of a three-year-old given paint and tarps to work with.  They are crude, arrogant paintings that have little or no aesthetic value (once again "in my opinion").

An office building in San Francisco apparently has some issues with Ferlinghetti’s work as well. 

(The building managers had met) months ago to talk about the artworks that would be right for the space and "thought they had an understanding as to what was being installed. But it turned out to be things that were not appropriate for the space. Several major tenants expressed their concern that nudity was not appropriate for a business setting. So we asked them to remove the art and replace with other pieces by Mr. Ferlinghetti."

But it remains that Ferlinghetti’s work is valued by some and hated by others.  This is of course understandable.  But how can anyone become so known for such a work.

Planning, Perseverance and mainly lots of ambition can take an artist (even the worst artist) from nothing to fame.

So, lesson learned.  Your work.  Even your worst works are valuable.  Just insist that they are "worthy", get a gallery to represent you and go for it.  More than anything try new things, go wild and create.  Find a style that works for you and continually refine it, adding to it as you go.

(please bear in mind that some of this is sarcasm, albeit with an element of truth)

Post from: Artist Hideout

Artist Cy Twombly’s work was on display in Avignon in southern France when Rindy Sam was overcome with emotion and decided to express herself on this white canvas.

Being that it’s absolutely white must be a form of abstract expressionism where the artist appeals to the incoherence caused by laziness of actually doing art or actually lifting a paintbrush.

Blank canvases belong on easels, not in galleries. 

Even as an abstract expressionist myself, there is a certain lack of expression here that questions the form.

In the article mentioned above, the work is described as

" a pristine white canvas"

How the heck is that worth the $2 million that Ms. Rindy Sam is being sued.

I’ll buy you another canvas.  Or better yet. 

I think someone should sue Cy Twombly for copyright infringement.  I’d love to see that go to trial.

image source

Post from: Artist Hideout

Also, I’ve been thinking about putting together a series of "color schemes" for web and digital work.

I know there are a lot of those out there already, but still, it might be beneficial to a few people too to have many in one place.  Something akin to this Daily Color Scheme site that never really went anywhere but looked promising at one time.

Post from: Artist Hideout

Post from: Artist Hideout

Let’s suffice to say that they are great, but someday my kids will look at me and wonder why I played such a boring game….lol  

I’ll look at them, smile, and say something to the effect that "Back then those graphics were top-of-the-line.  Now, you can’t go do your homework till you play another round with me!". 

So for today, I’m going to resist the urge to do a review of the game art. 

I’m just going to ask the simple question:

If Master Chief were an artist, what do you think he’d paint?

Post from: Artist Hideout

I recently read an article that references blogs as a great way to maximize the exposure of your artwork.  While this is true, there are several very different ideologies about art blogs that must be considered before you embark on your own little foray into the art blogging world.

Artist Blog – This type of blog is the most prevalent.  This is artists who blog about their own artwork, show it on their blog and rarely talk about anything else.  These are great blogs and there are a lot of really amazing Artist Blogs out there.  The income from a blog like this is usually derived mainly from the sales of artwork.  Ads usually are not run on a site like this because they compete for the attention of the viewer.

Blogger Artist – This type of blog primarily talks about art, it’s influences, and general art mumbo jumbo.  The blogger only needs to be a fair artist to really make a blog like this work because they can get away with just talking about art most of the time.  Occasionally they are called on to actually show some skill and create something.  Blogs like this usually are not out to sell anything in particular, but rather inform and teach rather than show and sell.  Because of this, ads are usually run for the sake of having the blog "earn it’s keep" so to speak.

There’s nothing particularly bad about either of these on their own.  But either can be strengthened with some takeaways from the other. 

An Artist Blog would benefit greatly from occasionally sharing more that just their own stuff and a Blogger Artist blog would benefit from actually showing that they are actually proficient enough to pick up a paint brush and paint something from time to time.

What is your blog? 

If I’m not linking to you already, share your link and I’ll get you added to the blogroll too.

Post from: Artist Hideout