Ready to sell your art! My top 3 reference books!

    Commission of the Blue moon on the St. Lawrence River.  You can purchase prints at lynne-reichhart.pixels.com!

I thought I would share my 3 favorite art marketing books in this post.  I own these books and they are well written and chock full of information.  I am just like you, I would rather be in the studio which leads me to my first pick.

I'd Rather Be In the Studio by Alyson B. Stanfield.  This book provides practical advice from an art business coach.  I would also recommend  Alyson's blog  for frequently updated posts with free tips and great information.

Art Marketing 101, 3rd Edition by Constance Smith.  This is the definitive book for all aspects of  marketing your art.  I would liken it to what the Joy of Cooking is for cookbooks.

Last but not least is Death to the Starving Artist by Nikolas Allen.  This is a modern take on the subject with humor and tough love.  Nikolas is a young artist with a unique way of looking at things.

When is it Done?? How to know when your painting is resolved!

When is it done???

Something that artists struggle with is how to know when the painting is finished.  You don’t want to overwork a piece, yet you want it to be the best it can be.  I actually prefer the word resolved rather than done.  So how can you tell if it is resolved?  There are some tricks to help you see things that need fixing.

Trick #1 – Hold the painting up to a mirror and study the reflection.  You would be surprised what that will reveal. 

Trick #2 – Snap a photo of the painting and study it on a computer monitor.   This helps you look at it with fresh eyes.

Trick #3 – Just let the piece hang around on your easel for a few days and look at it periodically.

Trick #4 – It always helps to have a second opinion.  Have an artist friend take a look at it if you can.

All of these tricks can help you see something that needs tweaking.    I use them often and they help me see an area that is drawing my eye away from the focal point of the painting.    They also help identify perspective problems as well as other issues.

I used the mirror trick to identify what was bothering me about this painting.  I saw that the background was a bit too bright and tried to come forward and fight with the foreground.  Since the background has a goldish orange hue, I glazed it with a blue compliment to dull it a bit.  Voila, now the painting was resolved!! 

Life is a Carnival Glass, acrylic on paper 10 x 13

Choosing when to stop altering a piece is a personal choice.  You, the artist, need to be happy with it and that is what matters.

Please share any tricks you use to get it done!!!

Locks of Luck to you! European locks on fences - new Watercolor and Free Giveaway!

My latest painting is from a photo I took in Florence, Italy.  I love how people attach locks to iron railings and fences for good luck!  It is so colorful and interesting that I had to paint it.  This piece is done on 140 lb. Watercolor paper in professional watercolors.  Use the button above to purchase from Daily Paintworks using Paypal.

I decide it would be fun to create prints digitally modifying the center lock to customize the piece.  I have the print for sale on my Etsy site and a facebook giveaway going on right now until 3/24/15.  Check out Facebook for all the details.  In a nutshell, I will digitally customize the center lock for you with any text you like. Since the lock is small there are limits though. Up to 4 lines, 8 characters each max. Any text like Happy Birthday, Lynne or The Smiths or Good Luck, John. I am showing one with hubby's and my name.  This would make a great gift or keep it for yourself!  Enter here!

The painting is complete! Life is a Carnival Glass!!!

My last post was a Work in Progress for this piece.  I still had lots to do and I saved the tough stuff for last as I always do :)  I am so please with how this piece turned out.  I have found that reflections are not as hard as they may seem.  What I do is under paint what is behind the reflection first and then dry brush the reflection over the top.  Works well for me!

I was first thinking to call it 'Top Shelf China', but that didn't really do it for me.  Then I thought of the song by the Band - Life is a Carnival, so why not 'Life is a Carnival Glass'.  That worked!!!

I had a frame all ready for this and have it hanging next to my china cabinet so you can see the still life and the painting together.  Typically, everything I do is for sale.  My mentor thinks I should keep this one for myself.  I do have it for sale right now though on Daily Paintworks.  Thank so much for looking!  Prints are also available on Fine Art America here:  Buy Print!

Still life painting work in progress vintage glass and more glass!!

I love to see works in progress.  In the top photo you can see the reference I am working from.  This one is challenging!  The view is the top shelf of my china cabinet.  I have lots of glass from my grandparents so it is all near and dear to my heart.

As you can see in the top photo, I toned the painting for light and shadow with blue and raw sienna.  This gives me a road map and also gets rid of the white paper underneath  if I miss getting color on a small spot it will not be glaring white.  I  worked on the background and the blue and white creamer in the front.

The 2nd photo show a close-up of the carnival glass in the lower left corner.  All the color changes and reflections took me many hours to accomplish.  I have made some more progress, but still have more to to.  I will post the completed piece when I am done.  Please check back to see it!  Thanks for reading :)

I call this piece 'Autumn Ivy'  It is a piece I did for the 2015 Twitter Art Exhibit in Moss, Norway.  It is on its journey to Norway right now.  If you haven't heard of the Twitter Art Exhibit - it is a great concept and really fun show.  It is open to artists and amateurs alike - no jury process.  All art is donated and all proceeds go to a selected charity which changes each year as does the location.  If you are interested in participating, please visit The call for artists page.  Deadline for submissions is  March 1, 2015.

Old Canoe is an award winning painting with 2 Ribbons!

Here I am with my painting 'Old Canoe' at the Regional Art show at the Rome Art and Community Center (Rome , NY that is :))  I was surprised to see that I won two awards since I did not get a call.  I was at the center and took a sneak peek at the show and was thrilled!  Of course, I went to the opening that night to get my certificates.  I'll get the ribbons at the end of the show!

I got a Place award and a special award from the Jervis Library.  These special awards are the best, because, to the person choosing them, this piece was the 'Best of Show'!  Thanks so much to the judges!

Old Fashioned Christmas - vintage decorations are the best!

Here is a little 5 x7 that I did in acrylic on Ampersand gessobord.  I love to decorate for Christmas and these are two pieces near and dear to my heart.  The Santa Post office is a bank that I had when I was a kid.  I recently found it in the attic at my Mom's house.  Now it is part of my way to big collection of decorations.  The tree was given to me and my husband by his Aunt Helen shortly after we were married.  She fired ceramics in her basement and loved making pieces for the family.  These lighted trees were popular in the 70's and I am lucky to have this one plus a white one with all blue lights that Helen also made for us.

I took this photo as I was taking down my decorations  last Christmas and wanted to paint it before I lost the image which happens too often, but that is another story.  I think this will be my Christmas card this year :)

This piece is available on Daily Paintworks:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/lynne-reichhart/old-fashioned-christmas/238222

Do you have any favorite holiday decoratios??

'Oktoberfest' painting finished! 'Hacker Pschorr' brewery.

After many hours, this painting is finally done!  I posted an 'in progress' photo 2 entries down in case you missed it.  Check it out!

Flora and more flora!  It was a challenge painting all the floral garland, but I like the cast shadows they create.  I was always looking forward to the next item to paint.  I love the blue on the wheels and that was one of the last thing I painted.  I did this one on smooth Ampersand gessobord and it proved to be difficult to blend even with my favorite blending too - my fingers!   I am really happy with how this came out though.

Please share it with your beer loving friends!    Hacker Pschorr  is a Munich brewery.  This is their float in an Oktoberfest parade.  My husband was lucky enough to be in Germany at the time.  I am kind of curious to try one of their brews now.  The first Hacker brewery is mentioned in 1417, located at the corner of Sendlinger and Hackstraße in Munich so they must be pretty good.

Featuring 'Montmartre circa 1977' Paris France painting

This is one of my favorite paintings!  I snapped this scene on a high school junior French club trip to Paris.  I was so in awe of all the wonderful artists painting and selling on Montmartre.  It was like painting little paintings within the larger piece.  They were such fun to do since they were looser than my style and I probably wouldn't paint a clown :)  I did this piece on Ampersand Gessobord which helped loosen me up a little because of the smooth surface.

This was a trip of a lifetime and one I will never forget.  There were 3 total from my school that went and they were both friends.  We slept 3 in a bed and faced the morning wake-up calls together!  The chaperons were quite lenient.  There was an older guy from our school going to the Sorbonne and we were supposed to meet up with him.  The three of us took off to tackle the Metro at night!  Such fun memories.

Thanks for reminiscing with me.

Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest painting Work in Progress - a sneak peek!

I found this great photo of a float during Oktoberfest in Munich a number of years ago.  My husband took the photo when he was on a business trip and I was psyched when I saw it.  He is not known for he photo prowess, but he got lots a great pics this trip. 

I have been slowly working on the wood areas and took a break to do the sign which was a challenge.  After taking a couple hours to do it, I had to look up what I was painting.  I found out that 'Hacker Pschorr' is a Munich brewery.  In the late 18th century, Joseph Pschorr bought the Hacker brewery from his father-in-law; he subsequently founded a separate brewery under his own name.  His two sons divided his estate by each taking control of one of the two separate breweries. In 1972, Hacker and Pschorr merged to form Hacker-Pschorr, but the beers were sold as separate brands well after 1975.  It is incredible that the original brewery was founded in 1417.  I guess the stuff must be pretty good!

I have made some more progress since taking this photo.  I have to get everything else done before working on the flowers since they are 'on top' of the barrels.  I hope I can do it justice!

Thanks for looking and feel free to leave me a comment to say Hi!

Finished WIP "Old Canoe' Fall painting

 'Old Canoe'  14 x 11" on Ampersand Gessobord

 

Photo of the finished piece.  It is at the scanners so I will have a better pic for making prints.  I am not a very good photographer so I get them scanned so customers can order large prints that will be crisp and clear.  The colors in the original piece are brighter - especially the canoe. 

 

I love fall and painting fall scenes.  This reference photo was courtesy of Wet Canvas, a great tool for artists with no strings attached.  People have told me that I like bright colors.  I guess I do if that is what the piece calls for.  I can just as easily use more subdued colors for the right painting.  Check out 'Pont Vecchio Landscape' below.  This painting is from a photo taken on a dark day in the morning.  Visit  http://lynne-reichhart.artistwebsites.com/ to purchase prints of this piece.  Prints of 'Old Canoe' will be available shortly once I get the scanned image back.

 

 Thanks for visiting and come back next week for a new installment~



Fall camp scene sneak peak work in progress!

 

Work in Progress!



I found the reference for this piece on Wet Canvas in their reference library for artists.  It is a great place to find reference photos that members have graciously allowed anyone to use, no strings attached. I typically use my own photos, but I really liked this one.  I loved that the canoe was all scuffed up and that the old building had a bright fresh coat of paint.   What you don't see is all the fall leaves and long grass that are still to come.  I am plugging away at it though.  I was happy to get the canoe done since that is really the focal point.  My picture doesn't do it justice - it really pops!

Here is a look at the reference so you can see what is to come.  I did change the red of the building a bit so that the canoe would stand out more.  Also, it was the same color as some of the leaves.  I suspect there were some photoshop changes involved to pump up the color.

 

I'll post the final version when I am finished.  Thanks for looking and feel free to comment with what you think.

 

 

Featured art - Caffe Gilli Acrylic painting award winner!

I will be featuring a piece of my artwork from time to time and giving some background on it.  This week I am featuring my painting titled 'Gillis'. Caffe Gilli is a wonderful Patisserie in Florence, Italy.  I just added the original for sale on Daily Paintworks  and Etsy so I wanted to showcase it.

This painting is near and dear to my heart since it won me a Best in Show ribbon at a juried show I entered.  I was floored and so grateful.  This is what the judge had to say about the painting:  "Composition strong with elements of storytelling.  Color transition carries your eye through the piece.  This painting successfully tells a story complete with a get-a-way car :)"  I thank her for the kind words and the recognition. 

My husband travelled to Florence for work and I eagerly tagged along.  It was a wonderful trip and I came away with many reference photos for future paintings.  This one really had me eager to paint it.  Reflections and food - what's not to like??  I have to admit that I had a real craving for biscotti the whole time I was working on it.

Thanks for reading!  Please leave a comment if you get a chance.

The Twitter Art Exhibit is art for a good cause!

 

I am so excited to be a part of the #TwitterArtExhibit this year.  Artists are engaged through social media and enlisted to create postcard sized works of original art.  This year the physical exhibit is at the CityArts Factory, Magic Gallery | Orlando, Florida, USA and benefits The Center for Contemporary Dance, Special Needs Classes.  Show runs March 20 - April 11, 2014

 

You can still get in on the fun!  Art must be received by  2/21/14.  Check out the Call for Artists.

 

This is the piece I created using acrylic on 6x4" watercolor paper.  I call it Rusty Bucket.

 

 

The #TwitterArtExhibit was founded by David Sandum (pictured below)  "Through art we can change the world."

 

 

This is a worldwide phenomenon!  Artists from around the world are encouraged to participate.

Last year the exhibit attracted 502 artists from 35 countries who sent 726 entries and raised $7,000 for Art Division, a nonprofit organization that mentors underprivileged young adults.

 

You can also get more information at http://twitterartexhibit.org/

Making your artwork look professional

Just to share - here is my latest painting titled 'Harper's Arch'.  Reference image is a view I photographed in Harper's Ferry, WV.  11 x 14 on Gallery wrapped canvas - sides painted. Prints of all kinds of this piece are available on Fine Art America.

Now on the main event.  We, as artists, need to present our work in a professional manor and buyers should look for work that is professionally displayed and handled.

Here are some tips for keeping it presentable.

1.   Buy the best products you can afford.  I highly recommend Arches watercolor paper for watercolors.  I am currently in a quandary about canvas brands.  I typically purchased Fredrix, but have recently gotten too many that are not stretched properly.  Make sure your canvas is tight and there are no buckles.  You should not see the outline of the braces against the canvas.  Golden heavy body acrylics is my acrylic paint of choice.  They use no fillers in their paint - just pigment and binder.

2.   Works on paper should be matted and framed under glass or plexi for protection.  I have seen work framed without the mat so that the paper touches the glass.  This is not good for the work.  I have been told that matting should be at least 3" all around.  This, of course, is a matter of taste, but it does seem to look better that way.  Also, make sure the art is the star of the show not the frame.  Keeping it simple ensures that folks are looking at your artwork not the frame.

3.  Work on the wall should lay flat.  Use the flat brackets for attaching your wire.  Also attach them about 2/3 of the way down your frame and ensure that the wire does not extend above the top of the frame. 

4.  Canvas pieces should be framed or the sides should be painted.  You can continue the image around the edges or paint the sides a solid complimentary color.  The deep (1.5") sides are particularly meant for painting and to be hung without a frame. 

Pixley park in Winter and work ethic!

I thought I would start this post with my latest painting.  I titled this one "Pixley in Winter'.  It is acrylic on 12 x 16 Ampersand board.  I love the smooth surface of these boards.  They do get me to loosen up just a little :).  I was itching to do a winter scene since I had months of inspiration outside my window this winter.  The reference photo for this piece was taken at a park just a few miles from my home.  It is also a great  place to cross country ski though I haven't done that for a couple years now.  I must admit that I am not the fan of winter that I used to be, but I love painting snow!  I also needed a new winter scene for my annual calendar that I do at Zazzle! 

The other reason for this post is to inquire about others work habits.  It seems that being a creative sort, I am always working.  I am either painting, promoting, working on my online shops or learning!  I feel guilty taking time for myself.  When I worked at my corporate job I had no problem using the weekends to 'play' - now I spend at least a portion of the weekend working.  Lately, I have thought about actually making a cup of tea and reading for an hour or so, but alas I am doing this post instead.   I do take my evenings off pretty much when hubby is home from work though.    How do others balance work and me time?  I really would like to know.

Everything gets in the way of painting!

The title says it all!  Life, social media, money, online shops - these things get in the way of making art!  Let's Start with social media.  I am sure you have heard of  Facewook, Twitter, Google+,  Pinterest, Blogger and that is just the core group, I am sure.  How in the heck am I suppposed to keep up with all of this?    My Google+ account has been ignored since March and my blog (that I am going to revive starting now) has been  too long as well.  I tweet a couple times a week and Pin when I finish something new.  I do visit Facebook daily though.  I am so in awe of the artists that tweet daily all day long and still manage to get someting accomplished!    Facebook sucks too much of my time as it is :)!  If anyone has any suggestions to this dilema, I would love to hear it!  How do you balance social media and doing art??

My latest completed painting~  titled Gilli's.  Yummy window I photographed in Florence.  Prints available on Fine Art America.
               
Money is another thing that gets in the way of creating art.  Canvas, classes, memberships, entry fees, paint and other supplies all cost mucho dinero!!   What is a girl to do?  When I retired to pursue my art I really wanted to be able to fund myself.  I started garage and estate sale shopping, scouring for collectibles to sell on Ebay.  This has worked quite well, but I lost all control of the clutter in my house and can no longer take it!  One bedroom was completely dedicated to all my finds and packing material.  This quickly spilled out into other rooms to the point that if we had any guests, I had to find a place to stash so much stuff so they had a place to sleep.  I finally had to stop the madness and cut way back on my Ebay selling and be so much more selective.  This hopefullly will allow me some more time for art and my on-line shops!

 

That brings up the on-line shops!  I have a shop on Etsy, Cafepress, Zazzle, Fine Art America and other places I can no longer keep track of.   My plan was to cut back on Ebay and spend more time on my shops.  This is supposed to replace the Ebay income if I can get my shops making more money.  I know this will take a lot of work and I need to start focusing on this goal!


But none of this matters if I don't have new paintings to show, put on new products, sell.  I would love to hear how other artists, atisans, crafters balance all this with creating! 


Thanks for reading!

Zazzle is killing me!

How is Zazzle killing me you might ask.  Well,  they are working my fingers to the bone with new products being added all the time.  Just when I get finished updating one batch of products, they have already added more!  I haven't been able to add any new designs because I am always playing catch-up with more products.

Here is one that is fun to make.  Zazzle has added teapots, pitchers and candy jars.  This is a holiday designed candy jar that I added.

  Remember the Saturday Night Live sketch with Christopher Walken - More Cowbell.  Zazzle has added new gel mousepads.  They are really comfortable and stylish!

I have always loved the tiles and tile boxes on Cafepress.   Now Zazzle has added some beauties!  This is my Purple Iris tile box.

Zazzle has also been adding new canvas prints and other prints - but this is pretty cool.  This is free standing plaque - no framing required!  This one features my Spanish Courtyard painting. 

I have also added necklaces, plates, laptop covers and so much more, but there is so much more to do!  Zazzle now has pillow cases, towels, messenger bags......  Now you can see why Zazzle is killing me~

My new painting is done! Hot off the easel!

I finally finished this painting.  I am calling it 'My Favorite Spot'.  It was a challenge in many ways.  The foliage was very intricate and really a big part of the painting so I was more detailed than usual.  The chair is the main event though along with the shadows and light on the deck and railing.

As I mentioned in previous posts - this is at my camp in northern NY.  We added this new deck on the side of the cabin and it is so private tucked in among the trees.  I love to take a beverage and a book out there to relax.  If  you missed my previous posts then, by all means scroll down to see this piece in various stages of completion.   If you are a painter then you know that there are some points in the paining process that are just down right ugly!  You have to persevere past that stage to get to the good stuff!