Tag Archives: Fine Art Process

2013 – 05 The Artists Journal

2013 – 05 The Artists Journal

One of the journals i kept.

One of the journals i kept.

Setting the scene… I’ll begin with the journal.

“I met a little man today, who told me not to worry. He said that things will slowly change… except for those in a hurry.”

This was my first journal, at least the first one I actually filled with thoughts. I had one that was filled with sketches that was the 8×10 size as well.

I found I would write thoughts, observations, questions, poems, etc.  all the time on napkins, old envelopes, parking stubs…

Continue reading →

Red Dot: no name yet but looking good 36 x 24

I’m putting together another show for October… and painting and drawing my trees and what shows up… but a bunch of Follow The Red Dot paitings… I’m thinking they are going to make it to the show too.

For this one I took an older painting I wasn’t happy with and started fresh with the layers from the previous one showing through giving the texture I like to add in layering. I’m imagining trees on this somewhere so it’s trees and red dot… will post new image once finished.

Here’s one of the medium sized ones at 36 x 24

Red Dot: untitled 36×24; oil acrylic on canvas

Benefit Four: Responsibiltiy and Committment to the Co-Op Gallery Experience.

“The more you give the more comes your way.”

A series by Artist Karrie Ross

Responsibility and Commitment: without these two qualities, where are you? Not to far along in following your dreams I would suspect. Remember, You make it happen. When you are a part of a co-op gallery or group you accept the responsibility to participate, to help it grow and expand. From the moment your name is posted, you supply a bio, images of your art, your email, you start getting notices and you respond … this action grows over time and as you respond more there becomes more to respond to… but without your commitment and feeling of being responsible to respond… nothing happens… you are just a blob. Being a member, a part of a greater community… brings into your life the quality of having and giving from another perspective.

Here are thoughts for being responsible and committed:

  • Stepping up to the challenge: Think positive thoughts. Start slowly if you have to, get a feeling for the general membership and group and figure out where you fit, where the skills Continue reading →

Letting Go… an important part of painting and the Fine Art and Life Process…

What do we do with the unwanted…

Here is photo of a stuffed toy that was left as trash in the alley near the dumpsters… just it’s poise tells of letting go the love so implied.

Letting go is certainly a process in life and can be found as well as in art and process…

QUESTION: Without the action of letting go of oneself into the painting, does the art become stagnant, does it still have the question that originated the art in the first place… the Why?

For me letting go is an on-going process of life and I move that into my are with purpose. I want to let go of the thought, positive or negative, I want it to be out in the universe ethers.

As an example, I know from experience that the more I talk about my art the more interest comes to me…might be internal or external interest but it comes.

Are you letting to or from? Tell me of your experience… Let’s talk!

That’s it for now and don’t forget to sign up to receive my Art Notes by email in the upper left corner side column.
Karrie Ross, Los Angeles Artist
California

Benefit Three: Gallery Artists need to know how to be Business People too!

“It’s not just the art that keeps the gallery going.”

A series by Artist Karrie Ross

Learning how to Run A Business: Being a part of a Co-op Gallery we all get to learn about the back-end of running the business.  This involves organizing the member participation, making sure the gallery is occupied during business hours, scheduling the solo, group, juried and special monthly shows; general business and bookkeeping and artist payments; organizing call-for-entries submissions; advertising, publicity, promotion… and a lot more. After awhile, everyone just seems to find their place and step-up into what needs to be done. Being part of a community, helping it move along, helps create a positive energy that supports its efforts.

Here are some parts that help make it run smoothly:

  • The Galley Book: There is a three-ring binder presented to each new member and includes the members contact list, how to write up a sale, what to do when sitting the gallery, how to secure a Continue reading →

What do you think happens when you paint over older paintings?

Ever look at all the paintings you’ve painted… and not sold or not totally happy with… or your style has changed and well, they just don’t represent you the way you want to be seen anymore?

I have… and I took action to change the pile of “just sitting there” work into work I love and it lives. Of course these were watercolor on paper not work on canvas, that’s a different story I mention later on.

These two paintings from the “Mystical Druids Series” are an example of those paintings I’ve overpainted and although you can see the under painting, it still looks like it was meant to be, and that’s the trick. Now, yes,  I’m an abstract artist and this concept might not work for someone who paints landscapes or still life or people. Although, try it and see what happens, what the depth becomes and does it add to your work?

As an abstract artist my style changes over time, the imagery differs as does the energy shared. I woke up one night and jumped out of bed just to try this new addition to my style and it worked… I believe I was up all night painting over paintings that I did so many I had them all over my house to the point I could barely walk so I had to stop… until they dried.

“Can you do this with canvas?” you might be wondering. Yes, but of course with canvas you can totally cover the under painting, as I’ve done many times with success. Sometimes the bottom texture shows through and adds to the new work or it’s totally gone.

I wrote this mostly for the watercolor as it’s on paper and we might be stuck thinking that paper can’t be re-used…

Tell me about an experience you’ve had…

That’s it for now and don’t forget to sign up to receive my Art Notes by email in the upper left corner side column.
Karrie Ross, Los Angeles Artist
California

Benefit Two: Community and The Art Group, Co-Op Galley Experience.

“Having someone in the same boat helps get you there faster.”

A series by Artist Karrie Ross

Community: a group of people joining together and having the same interests, work etc. in common.  Artists with similar goals and commitment for making something happen and sharing with the group. Where all members put their time and expertise into benefiting the groups success. A co-op has committees assigned for the variety of tasks necessary to run a successful gallery. From member selection, monthly shows, annual tours to organizing all the events for the year… this cannot be done without community participation.

  • Artist Members: it’s always great inspiration to talk with other artists about what they are doing, how they do it – their process, where they go – other galleries or Continue reading →

Benefit One: The Gallery Space

“If art is not seen, how will the artist get known?”

A series by Artist Karrie Ross

The Gallery Space: the public space where an artist can have artwork shown each month and have the opportunity for solo and group shows each year.

This is the most obvious reason for an artist to want to join a co-op artist community gallery. So I’ll talk about it first, but it might not be the most important reason.

  • Exposure on a continuous basis for both the artist and their work.
  • Solo Show: the opportunity to have a solo show as the gallery calendar allows. This adds to the artists exhibitions listing and gives credit to their artwork.
  • Theme shows: Group Shows: usually taking up the Continue reading →

What happens when your style changes… can you paint it again down the road?

Change happens.

I met a famous (from the 1980s) painter who showed me a painting he’d been struggling with for months, it was only 16 x 20 and he couldn’t find the “time” to finish it, he was getting paid $30,000 to paint it. This event started me thinking, asking… “Could I paint in a style that was not my current style even if paid to do it?”

For the past 10 years I’ve painted a bi-yearly line of images for a company who shows and sells my work to the gift and decorative industry at HiPoint, I can paint images I created from years ago… so for me, I know it is possible, to channel of energy to a previous style. Certainly some aspect of it will have changed but the art will not suffer because of this… it will turn out with the same quality as when first painted. This has become an enjoyable exercise for me and an experience I wouldn’t have changed for the world. The painting of images over and over for sale… selling art brings more art creation and more sales. Promoting the energy of change, which I love to encourage.

This energy has transferred into my newest series and pushes it along through the 34 paintings I have so far… and they in turn keep pushing me to the next. Would not even think of living without it.

Art Lighting… not what you are thinking… this is interactive and amazing!

I had the pleasure to experience this installation of LED lighting by Eric Gradman of Virsix at the 2010 LA Brewery ArtWalk this April.

The Brewery is a colony of buildings filled with artist lofts ranging from condo like with outside spaces to surrounding an atrium area to 8″wide hallways shooting off from left to right into apartment-like spaces. If you’ve never taken the time to explore this event, I encourage you to make the time. It occurs twice a year in April and September.

Eric’s space was off one of the hallways…you walk in through a narrow hall and pow there it is… this expanse of LED lights that respond to your touch. I was mesmerized and had to play.  Thank goodness for iphones or this photo would not have been taken as I forgot my regular camera… as taking photos of others work is usually not permitted.

Eric was in his element sitting silently in a chair next to a computer watching all the action his creation was getting. We spoke a little about his piece and a little about “GLOW“,  an installation show put on by the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Department… an all night event and all about lights and interaction in art… Check it out this September 25th… 7pm to 7am… yep that’s all night.

Tell me about an experience you’ve had…or your thoughts….

That’s it for now and don’t forget to sign up to receive my Art Notes by email in the upper left corner side column.
Karrie Ross, Los Angeles Artist
California

What Part Does a “First” Painting Play in Creating a Series? No. 1

Over the years I’ve had lots of “series”, even though I feel that all my work is one big series, the “Series of Karrie Ross’ Life and Loves”, but that’s another story for another time… back to what part a first painting plays for me in creating a series.

First paintings. What about them makes me want to paint more?

I never know when a ‘first painting’ will show up and ask to be a series… it just happens, it’s not planned. I sketch all the time and nothing happens with them, then there is one that sticks in my mind and I can’t get enough of it’s message. Then I paint it to see if it has a compelling enough question that needs to be answered that will give it continuing power and if it does, I paint another one, and continue until the questions no longer need answers. Of course the paintings still talk to me, but we’re balanced. A question left unanswered will cause an off balance and then need another painting to be created to answer it… therefore creating a series.

This is what a first painting means to my series. What does yours mean?

Tell me about an experience you’ve had…

That’s it for now and don’t forget to sign up to receive my Art Notes by email in the upper left corner side column.
Karrie Ross, Los Angeles Artist
California