I find that most of my plein air works could have been greatly improved in compositional choices. This is one of many reasons my plein air work serves mostly as studies and not as finished paintings. If I do a very large canvas, I wouldn’t want to consider it a mere study. I would want a finished painting. But with all the visual stimuli out there and quickly changing light, most compositions aren’t as well thought out as they could be. [...]

The brushstrokes we leave on the lives of others never fade, but I didn’t know that was literal as well as figurative. It is time to put my fears aside and move forward with understanding and faltering confidence. It is not too late to follow a 30-year-old dream and to paint like there is no tomorrow until all my tomorrows are gone. [...]

My plein air work is about responding emotionally to the moment. But, I have realized that my studio work enables me to explore other ideas, push compositional choices, or push color to create a mood. [...]

A word about unsuccessful paintings - yes they do happen, more times then I would like to admit. Artists do not allow themselves to practice. Every time we stand in front of our easels, we feel we must complete a masterpiece. If only we could. I take all those paintings of mine that just did not work, for whatever the reason, and I do not look at them as failures but just as practice, a learning experience. Artists are human and not perfect, so why do we expect our work to be perfect? [...]

A certain amount of self-doubt is healthy. It keeps us humble and motivates us to strive to learn, practice, and improve our art. But an overabundance can be harmful or even crippling. [...]

This is the way I view it: The artwork used on an album cover will no doubt help to brand the band. Furthermore, the artwork may end up used on merchandise. Think of some notable bands – for example, Pink Floyd... I'm willing to bet that some of you instantly 'pictured' some of the artwork and designs associated with the band in your mind (specifically those created by Storm Thorgerson). The artist behind the artwork -- behind that aspect of the 'band image', if you will -- deserves a 'cut' of the profit if the band is unable to pay adequately from the get-go. Never forget: What you do is just as important as what they do... don't allow yourself to be treated poorly. [...]

This ruling won't serve the majority of artists. After all, most artists don't rely heavily on direct appropriation in the first place. In other words, I would argue that the majority of artists don't work from images they find online or elsewhere. This ruling serves a small percentage of artists... in some cases supporting their market while hampering YOUR market. I will go as far as to suggest that court rulings like this are a direct attack on self-representing artists. Pointblank, this decision is a major defeat for the majority of artists working today. [...]

Someone recently asked me for guidance on how to develop a personal style. The short answer is not to worry about it too much. It will come naturally with time. The caveat, though, is that you need to let it develop. This leads me to the long answer. [...]

Since that day, I realized that so often we drum the creative spirit out of children and out of adults. When folks come into my booth at art fairs and tell me that they are not creative, I always disagree. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are creative. They simply have not found their medium nor have they been encouraged to try different mediums until one resonates with them. The bottom line is that we are all artistic. We are all creative. None of us are "those people." We need teachers, mentors and friends who care enough about us to not categorize us, to not put us in the "those people" category. [...]

I didn’t (and still don’t) want a fish, I wanted to learn how to fish. For me, specific techniques, methods, materials, etc. are fishes. On the other hand, learning how to fish is a combination of learning the basic foundation (the fundamentals) coupled with learning how to see and respond emotionally to your subject. [...]

The Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) and Die Brücke (The Bridge) were both known for handing out make-shift booklets about their artwork -- including detailed information about their philosophy as artists. They used the booklets to promote themselves, their art movement, and other causes. This early form of artist self-publishing can still be useful today. Furthermore, it can be accomplished with little expense involved depending on how it is done. [...]

Call it artistic style or creative repetition... either way it helps an artist to gain renown for what he or she is doing. Developing an artistic style can help to set an artist apart from others... while also leaving room for overall artistic growth (it is not as if a style is developed over night!). [...]

How close you stay to (perceived) reality and how much you deviate and create something entirely new is completely up to you. But don’t be so tied to a literal depiction that you fail to see the possibilities of improving upon the design you see in nature. [...]

I know the experts will say you should find a niche, a technique, a subject, a look, and then you can be a success. Galleries often only want in your painting what you had brought them before. I know it may make good business sense, maybe, but does it make good artistic sense? I guess each artist will have to make that judgment for themselves. [...]

Drawing is a powerful tool for the artist, but photography and direct painting have reduced drawing’s role in the lives of many artists today. This is a shame since there is much to learn by utilizing this most direct form of artistic expression. [...]

Unless you're one of those elephants or chimpanzees trained to do artwork, you're human, and erring is part of all that. Give yourself a break when you make a mistake, give others a break when they make a mistake, and move on. [...]

Three simple tips for your art business. [...]

When you’re working for a grade in a course, there is specific motivation to do what sometimes may seem to be mundane exercises. The truth is, though, to improve painting skills, anyone can create exercises that focus on specific areas where improvement may be needed. Singers do vocal exercises and drills to keep their voices in shape. Musicians practice difficult passages piecemeal and also in context in order to solve challenges with fingering or interpretation or timing. Painters, too, can work on specific techniques or skills through a wide range of activity that may not always result in a finished painting. The question is, what isn’t working? Next, how can that be improved? Certainly there are many options for moving forward. [...]

I usually make a lot of my income from one major show. I set aside money for next year’s show expenses, then restock my inventory of supplies. When I realized my cost of goods sold was about to go through the roof, I decided to take a closer look at the materials I already had on hand. I found ways to repurpose a lot of my “out-dated” inventory. I kept my restocks to a minimum, while enriching my design vocabulary with items I’d reworked, reformed or simply turned in for cash. It forced me to think “thrifty” instead of “let’s try this and this and this and oooh look at these, let’s get some!” [...]

“If you don’t shoot for the stars, you will never even reach the moon” is a saying that I said over and over again to my students. What’s the worst that can happen if I fail in my attempt to make a great painting when trying something new? Nothing... I just throw the painting away. But before I do, I need to evaluate it to figure out what is wrong. Do I figure that out right away? No! Some of these failures stay with me quite a while until I can finally figure out what is wrong. Have I wasted time when I created paintings that I consider a failure? No, not if I have tried to learn from them. [...]

The desire to be original is universal. We are unique individuals with unique personalities, likes, dislikes, etc. We want our art to reflect that individuality. But some are looking for individuality and originality in the wrong places. [...]

In our society, we are taught from a young age to learn from others -- it all starts with coloring within the lines at preschool -- and while the master/student paradigm is an ancient and working model, it is incomplete until we take it to its fruition, namely, the student reaching mastery himself, and using what he has learned to draw individual, and maybe divergent-from-the-accepted-norm, conclusions. For artists -- who never really do learn to color within the lines -- this is especially important. The beauty of this questioning process is that it starts inside, where no one else can see and thereby critique us, and we can do it indefinitely, quietly, before anybody notices and takes us to task. [...]

The problem is, if you only rely on the refilling that naturally occurs without your conscious effort, it may not always be enough to sustain you. Droughts will come. But they will be less severe and less frequent if you 1) realize that your well does needs refilling, 2) consciously do something to ensure it is getting refilled, and 3) do it regularly to stave off the dry spells. [...]

A few months ago, in a previous post, I briefly mentioned the idea of developing a routine in the studio to help you get into the zone. Think of a basketball player at the free throw line. His routine is exactly the same every time. It is specifically designed to get him into the zone. You can do something similar in the studio. Music is one of many things you could add to your routine (some other ideas about developing a routine may be the topic of another post). [...]

Since my painting time was too chunky for a more serious work, I thought, it would be perfect to play a little bit with the smaller, unfinished plein air pieces. There is nothing to lose anyway! With this attitude, I had a great time and painted into life several paintings from my unfinished project pile. [...]

I make a mess when painting because I love the process of creating, designing and painting. Everyone that sees my work can vicariously experience the process by which it was created. This keeps the work alive and animated even when complete and fosters a connection between the viewer, the artist, and the work. [...]

Put on your thinking cap, I'm sure you can think of something more interesting than "check out my art". Your bottom line will thank you for it. [...]

Make time for your family, but also make a business plan, and if you need to, write it out. Make reasonable goals and figure out what you need to do to achieve them. Make a checklist if it will help you stay on track. Hold yourself to high standards. You can’t reach the stars if you don’t shoot for the moon! [...]

Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers and never succeeding. [...]

It is crucial that you discover the artist within you, and do everything you can to marry your skills and abilities with your spirit and individual being. If you need a workshop, or a book, or a DVD to propel you forward on this journey, than by all means indulge, but be aware that, unless you are struggling and moving and painting/sculpting and working through a considerable amount of frustration already – and unless you plan to take what you’ve learned and do the aforementioned after the event – then none of these resources will do you much good. [...]

Will we paint better if we imagine ourselves as great? [...]

According to him, it is critical to develop a personal style, but it is equally critical that it isn’t forced. Experimentation and exploration of a variety of styles, media, motifs, etc. are important. In the process, a personal style will eventually emerge. Let it emerge, don’t resist it. [...]

In order to make a living as an artist you must learn to be creative on demand. In other words, you cannot afford to wait for inspiration to hit or wait for a creative mood. [...]

I am a "speedy" type. It is an ideal day for me in the studio if I fill the entire canvas with paint, judge it to be close to my goals, with finishing touches applied the next day - adding maybe a dot or two several days later when I have a fresh eye. Other people make spectacular decisions (and paintings) by taking the time to ponder and consider and "edge into" their decisions and their creations. Neither methodology is right or wrong - just different. [...]

Neither musicians nor athletes perform without a lot of practice. In most cases more time is spent practicing than performing. Yet, many visual artists think that once they reach the professional level, they no longer need practice. Many have the false idea that they can perform each time they enter their studio to create. [...]

If you are an artist, you know what I'm talking about. If you're not but can identify, you also have a gift...the gift of seeing, feeling. I believe that the gifts we receive should also be dispersed to others in every way we can. That's how we can tell the story and honor the blessing of the "one thing". [...]

My advice to you today? Find your own distinct balance point of gazing inward, and outward. Recognize the signs that you’ve explored far enough. Know just how much internet surfing you can handle, and set your personal limits. Afraid of being copied? Step outside of that little spiritual prison. [...]

For a long time, I have had a theory that highly creative people – such as artists – have a strong connection between both hemispheres. The ability to communicate between hemispheres and use both sides of the brain enables greater creativity. [...]

Artists look with new eyes. They frequently see interesting relationships in the most ordinary, everyday experiences. Colors, shapes, textures, effects of light, and sometimes the objects within which these characteristics are observed, can be the stimulus for artistic expression. Whereas the viewer might have overlooked the ordinary things, he or she will see through the artist’s eyes those very things that were unseen before. The “aha” moment is often a powerful one. [...]

Protect your painting the next time you need to frame it wet. [...]