What are you working on??????????

[#1]

This morning I did a quick draw exercise. Gave myself 1 hour or less. I used acrylic and painted a portrait of a pig......I'm working on loosening up. I tend to get tight quickly.
Well this pig is loose and a bit interesting.
Have a painting floating around in my head that I hope to work on later. Will be gone for a while today. I'll use oil for the new one. I mostly paint alla prima.
So what are you working on????????

[MorganRalstonArt]

Still. Lovely stuff! With some work your shop looks as though it will be a great success!

Morgan

[SKColeArt]

Thanks Morgan, I hope so!

Susan

[SallyTCrispCreations]

Hi Susan--really loved your salad painting! I am working on a still life of things I collected on a walk in the woods--acorns, mushrooms, sticks, leaves etc. It reminds me very much of a toss salad!! I just scattered the items around on my painting surface and developed the painting from there. Hope to post it when completed.
Congrats on your first sale! Relatives count!

[Former_Member]

This is what I have been working on for the past two days. I guess i just tend to want to change things sometimes. In the end I loved the finished result.
Title: Stormy weather

https://www.etsy.com/listing/109531187/stormy-weather

[Former_Member]

well I'm working on Knitting since I'll be in the car
then Monday I will start a painting of a woman.....acrylic and bright
I'm off for the weekend
will check back in Sunday night or Monday morning
have a great weekend everyone

[sherischart]

Donna Rose, thanks for the discussion on present artworks in progress. It's refreshing to hear other's viewpoints and all.
Working on a large seascape locally.
Off to see other's postings. Thanks.

[SKColeArt]

Thanks Sally. That pic is actually a sample book illustration for a book by Nora Ephron called "Crazy Salad." I did it for my illustration porftolio years ago.

That's a really nice painting Charles, but if you don't mind my asking, why do you put such modest prices on your work? It seems to me that you would hardly make the cost of your materials, let alone your time.

When my new set of oil pastels arrives I think will try doing one of those "house portraits." I'll post the final here if it turns out any good.

[Former_Member]

The reason for that Sk Cole is because, due to the economy , and the fact I have yet to sale anything. I wanted to provide I would say more affordable pieces. Not that I want to short change my self, and the cost of supplies your right. I just thought it might be a little easier to sell some of my work for a lower cost. Right now I am working on another landscape, yet I am not sure where I am heading with this piece yet but that's all the more fun.

[JBeaudetStudios]

I agree having affordable prices is a good way to start and your pieces aren't that large but do make sure you pay yourself your time. I always have a hard time with this. Pricing is one of the most difficult things about this business. That and when people trash your work. It's very personal and I don't understand how people can be so rude. I had this other artist convo me about a year ago saying the meanest things about my art. I just replied that she must be going through a difficult time, and that I love what I do and I was sorry she didn't feel the same way about her art. I didn't hear from her again but it hurt. I got over it but still. There's constructive criticism and then there's hate.
Anyway, today I'm working on a painting that I don't think is going to make it on here. I can usually pull a painting together but this one is just not happening.

[MorganRalstonArt]

Sometimes I pay myself 1 penny for my time... some of my paintings take a really long time.

It might be unreasonable to charge $1,385 for a matted 5"x7" floral in acrylic. ;)

[Former_Member]

Well my shop sale has ended back to normal pricing with the added feature free shipping. Right now I am working on a landscape of the fall season. Hoping it turns out well will my try at a new technique.

[BingArt]

Oh man, I know I'm guilty of undercharging... I just can't help myself. I'm afraid I won't make any sales if I keep the prices where they should be. I just don't have the confidence to price higher. My smallest pieces (5x7 canvas panels) I sell for 12.95 right now. I was thinking of keeping my prices where they are for a year or till 75 sales... but I'm all over the place about it!

As for current work: I'm getting ready to list some abstract impressionist pieces this coming week and have yet to start the birch piece. I also need to work on SEO more (always). My little 10 month old has been sick so not a ton accomplished lately!

Happy Sunday to all and looking forward to checking in to see what everyone has for the week :)

[SKColeArt]

Thanks for your input everyone on pricing--yes, I agree, the pricing situation is a struggle. I think it's a good strategy to go with offering smaller works for lower prices. My smaller works don't take that much time--maybe I should do more of them. Also I need to look into have giclee prints on canvas like other people are doing, but I'm a little afraid of the start-up costs. How much do they run to have them made--does anyone know?

[SKColeArt]

Jennifer, I can't believe that story you wrote about the other artist who trashed your work-how bizarre! I can't imagine the mindset of anyone who would do that--it's just too weird.

I have to say that I'm pretty much immune to people trashing my work at this point. My four years in illustration school were incredibly brutal. They wanted to make sure you could turn out a slick product so that you could find work from publishers and ad agencies, but boy, were the critiques horrible.

It actually took me years to recover my confidence in my work after graduating.

[Former_Member]

Well some artist are like that if your work is good enough to be trashed you obviously achieved something the other artist couldn't do. Most often people do that so there is less competeing with one another for sales and work. But in my personal opinion art is art in any shape and form.

On the other now. I got delayed working on my new fall piece. Although, I will be starting it this morning hoping to have it complete by noon and posted on here for your viewing pleasure. Hopefully get two paintings done today.

[Former_Member]

going to change the bed, finish unpacking and dust.
that is what I'm working on
so uninteresting but when its finished into the studio I go

[SKColeArt]

Donnarose, I have a lot of housework to do today also. But it's nice that I have the flexibility to throw a load of laundry in and then start working on a piece.

When I worked a regular 9-to-five-job I couldn't do that.

[SKColeArt]

For a change of pace I just posted this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%27Natura_Morta%27,_oil_on_canvas_painting_by_Giorgio_Morandi,_195...

[SKColeArt]

Whoops, wrong link, here it is:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/109744054/original-fantasy-watercolor-painting?ref=pr_shop

[Former_Member]

Great painting SKcole.
Right now Instead of starting off with my water color painting today. I pulled on of my hand made canvas cloths out in order to stretch it on to the frame. I have secured it already. Just waiting for some for some of the material to dry further. I want to do a water color painting on it, yet acrylic sounds great too. Lets see how this one turns out. Have a great day everyone.

[Former_Member]

I worked on a painting that an etsy artist friend and I were doing.....Well I did mine and now that canvas is painted black.....like I told her.....I have to paint what the mood dictates. Challenges just don't seem to work for me but I guess it is good now and then to step out of the box but..............................oh my with this painting I stepped way out of the box and it did not work from the first brush stroke on.

[BingArt]

Donnarose, I hate when that happens! The other day I wiped a canvas completely off after fighting for 2 hours over a silly painting. I then reworked it into something I thought was nice, but DROPPED it! Flat on the floor! It was a mess, but is also now imprinted on the carpet! Ach! I LOVE the way your deer piece turned out, btw. Just stunning!

Charles, I love how your beachscape "Stormy Weather" turned out! Looks great :)

As for me, I just finished an impasto forest piece... a very abstract birch tree forest... will post once dried. Night all!

[SKColeArt]

Thanks Charles.

Rachel and Donnarose,

Sometimes I have a problem with not letting go of a painting that doesn't work too. I struggle and struggle and waste a lot of time and effort. Sometimes I'm able to "fix" them after putti them away for a while though.

This may sound kooky, but this year I finished a painting that was 30 years old. It was not good enough for prime time, but was "too good" to throw away, so I held onto it.

Well, this year I finally figured out what was wrong with it and "fixed" it and now I'm resaonably happy with it.

[Former_Member]

This is what I have been working on for the past three days. The paint is now dry. About to start on another beachscape along with a landscape.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/109932725/calming-waters-free-shipping

[SKColeArt]

Very nice Charles. Love the composition--looks kind of Chinese-y.