Yikes, Yikes and Triple Yikes!  The time is approaching for my trip to Scottsdale Artist School.  Am I ready?  Am I prepared?  No!  Will I ever be?  Doubtfully I will never be, but I plan to cinch myself up, load the hatchback and go when the time comes.

When I confessed to Yoda I was nervous and afraid of embarrassing myself out there he replied, "Sister, you should be nervous.  I would be nervous if I was going there!"  Not the reassuring words I was hoping for from my instructor, but brutal honesty and I guess that's okay.

This trip to Scottsdale is to focus on still life paintings and portraits of models with some of the best artist in the nation.  Each day I paint, because the old adage is very true, practice does make perfect.  Well certainly not perfect in my case, but it makes me better.  Since I don't have a model in my studio posing for me on a regular basis, I have been trying to get there thru photos.  Below is a portrait I did of my grandson.  The first portrait is from a photo taken by Shannon Walton Photography at ShannonWalton.net who graciously allowed me to publish it here on my blog.  The others are from black and white snapshots.

Weston

Carnival Boy

Bunny

Long way to go, but better than I was.  Now, if these dang dogs would just pose for me!

Wordless Wednesday?

Recently I was told about "Wordless Wednesday" for bloggers.  On Wednesday you can apparently post just a photo or two with nothing to say.  I learned about this last Thursday and have been looking forward to it ever since.  Now that it is here, the photos I want to post seem to me to need a few words. So, I will try to make this "Not So Wordy Wednesday" instead.

Found this photo of a boy carnival worker from the 1930s and fell in love with it.  Just knew he needed to be painted, so today I did an Alla Prima session.  Alla Prima is Italian for all in one session, loosely translated.  Painted him this afternoon.

 The photo has a very large snake coiled around his neck and did not paint that even though, I think the snake makes him cool.  Not sure, but I may go back and add his pet at a later date.  He is still so wet, he was hard to photograph without a shiny glare.

So what do you think?  Snake or no Snake?  I am taking a poll.....Help me out.

They Call it ArtWork for a Reason....It's a Challenge!

Me...I love a good competition and art challenges offer that with little to no cost.  Recently I joined DailyPaintWorks.com as a venue to sell my work.  They offer many other fun things for artist besides just the gallery aspect.  One thing is a weekly painting challenge.  This week's challenge posted a photo of leaves and the instructions said you could use it to inspire you to paint the photo or some other fall painting.  I loved the photo so much, I wanted to try to create my version of it in paint and here are the results.

The Daily Paint Works Challenge Photo

My Version Submitted for the Challenge.

The fun thing is that there are lots of challenges out there for artist to enter and get a little feedback.  They inspire you to paint more on a daily basis and produce work that you then can compare to your peers as they paint the same subject.  Try to find a challenge that works for you and if you are not an artist, take a little time to view the works of art submitted in the challenge and maybe even take a moment to comment on one you like.  You might find you enjoy it and artist really appreciate all input!

Here are a few of the many challenges out there.  Now go create!!

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/challenges

http://artchallengegallery.com

http://www.verdeartistchallenge.org

http://weeklyartchallenges.tumblr.com

Why Is Art So Expensive?

People, including myself have wondered from time to time what makes art so costly?  Is the artist making all that profit or is it the gallery?  How does the price break down.

So many times I am asked to donate art to charities and other events and I always want to donate to them all.  If it were possible, I would give it all away, and for years I have done just that to family and friends, plus lots of organizations and even my church.  I also want to win the lottery and grow a money tree in my backyard!  

One of my instructors told me that the best birth control in college was telling his date he was an artist.  No one wants to be involved with them because everyone knows they are starving and it is so true.

There are plenty of people who will buy art, plenty of venues to sell the art, and plenty of interested patrons if you are good enough.  One reason we struggle with money is the cost of supplies and instructions that are required to become "good enough."  You are only as good as your materials and that is the case no matter what.  A golfer can only be as good as his clubs, a carpenter needs good tools to create professional furniture, and a seamstress needs a sharp needle and strong thread.

To break down the cost of an average painting is simple...

Canvas or Board     Average price       $20  (If you use linen you can double that cost.)

Oil Paint                 Average tube       $10  (If you use cad yellow or red, be prepared to triple that cost)

Brushes                  Average cost        $10-$20  (You can expect to replace one brush per project.)

Workshops             Average cost        $250 for two days, thousands if it is a big named star instructor.)

Lessons                  Average               $20 per hour

Miscellaneous         Average               $10 for turpentine, brush cleaner, varnish, maroger, sealers, etc)

This does not include the cost for booth rentals, entry fees and so many more hidden cost.

We discuss this many times in different art groups and of course the value lies in the eye of the beholder, as they say. We also secretly wonder what makes some Picasso types sell instead of those long suffering Michlangelos.  Just plan to understand that most artist have about $50 minimum invested in their art piece.  Even that is a very low estimate and probably a small piece of work.  

So next time you see an artist selling their wares, considering being a supporter or even just an encourager of their work and time.  Because the truth is, most will sell for peanuts just to be able to continue.

A Little Cheery Chair in a Big Cherry Orchard

This chair just caught our eye last year on a trip to Michigan.

 All my adult life I have loved the movie, "Somewhere in Time,"  so when we got the chance to visit Mackinac Island last year, the countryside was just a bonus.  Cherry Orchards where all along the shores of Lake Michigan and each one was more charming than the next.  This chair sat near a roadside stand selling cherries and we could not resist snapping a photo of it.

It is my first auction item over at DailyPaintWorks.com and has as a opening bid of $50.  The auction closes soon.  If you love this little painting and want a chance to own it at a great price, visit the auction and consider placing a bid.  It is cheerful and bright and needs a good home to land in.  Click the link below to view it.

DailyPaintWorks - Linda Dunbar

Class is What You Are Made of, Not Where You Go...

This week was wonderful with two days spent painting with new and old friends and 'Yoda,' my instructor. His name is not Yoda, of course, but it is fun to refer to him as such.  It is so worth all the money to just have the time with such a fun group and getting instruction is the icing on the top. Not everyone there is in it as a profession, most are not. Not everyone who comes has the same degree of talent.  There are those that are novices and Yoda makes sure they stay on track and complete a painting.  Then there are true super stars Yoda calls his "Master Painters,"but we are all treated alike no matter what level you are. All ages are there and each person is so encouraging and helpful. We get out of our cars happy to be there and anxious to spend time together. For that I feel blessed and thank God for the opportunity to do something I love so much. To be able to use the talent He gave me in a way that potentially pleases others is just enough to make you feel joy in and of itself.  The people there are genius talented and create fantastic works.

Good grief this is beginning to sound like I am describing the show, "Big Bang Theory for Artist?!"  I must have swallowed some happy pill.  

The truth is that even though it may not be the most perfect setting and certainly not the best of locations, it is what it is and that my friends is good enough for me.

Take a Deep Breath and Hold on to Your Brushes...It's Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride!

If you want to be anything other than a hobby artist, you are going to need a way to sell your work. It is simply a matter of logic that over a period of time canvases are going to accumulate and expenses are going to mount. Art is no cheap business and they don't call it "Artwork," emphasis on the "work," for nothing! You can only give away so many to family and friends before they are thinking, hmmm not so sure I have room for another one of your masterpieces. Let me just say I have given away a lot, including some charity donations, but at this point in our life, if we intend to ever be able to retire, I have to out number the freebies with sold signs.

As of 48 hours ago, Linda Dunbar Fine Art is now sporting a Facebook Page, an Etsy Shop and a Gallery Page at DailyPaintworks.com thanks to my darling daughter.

Click here to see the gallery at:    Daily Paintworks

Tonight we were contacted by a restaurant in downtown Tulsa that is interested in displaying my work!  I have to give my husband props for that one.  He has been promoting for me to show there and went to the trouble to meet with the proper people to make that happen.

Not that long ago I was happy to have created a website and a blog, but now thanks to those who believe in me, I have had over two thousand people view my paintings on Facebook.  Who knows how many on the gallery and now I am just waiting to see what is next.


Technically speaking, that would be Jay Leno on The Tonight Show.  After that?  We will see what tomorrow brings.  What was it Scarlet O'Hara said about tomorrow?  Oh yeah, "I will think about that tomorrow!"