Having one of my 'marking time' days; I hate it when I find myself mentally ticking off a day in order to move on to days with more perceived potential; I know I should be making the most of the day I am in, living in the 'now'. Started a painting last night that I have been really looking forward to doing; started off fantastically well with new colour palette I have been toying with in my mind but not yet put into practise. Noticed how much subtle differences in colour combinations make such a huge difference; mixing phalocyanine blue with white in the last picture I did gave a great, really strong true blue; half way through I mixed it with unbleached titanium instead- a kind of creamy beige - and lo and behold a lovely subtle turquoisey blue/green was found. The picture ended up looking so much better for the use of it as it ceased to be about variations on the theme of blue dilutions and became about the blue - green contrast; the different areas of the sea described by the different colour mixes. I would love to do something similar with an even more muted palette and lots of greys as I adore grey, but I am kind of keeping the focus on works that can also work as published pieces (cards, prints etc.) and the subtler colours can get lost on that.
Another funny conversation I had yesterday with a painter who was producing and selling prints brought back into mind something that keeps making itself obvious; that there are as many wisdoms and opinions on the state of and the approach to the art market as there are commentators. This gentleman was of the opinion that prints sell and originals don't; that galleries are all about ripping off the artist and it is better to go it alone and self produce. Last week I was hearing that originals are selling, not prints and it is best to find oneself a reputable gallery to act on your behalf in the tangled forest of art sales. At the end of the day I think it can only about doing what feels comfortable and natural to yourself and staying true to your aims, whatever they are. If you are after a fast buck and maximum profit you are in the wrong game anyway I would imagine, so gallery commission is a necessary evil unless you plan to squat the art markets constantly and use the internet, but I wouldn't imagine this would produce much in the way of sales by the experience I have. I am following my nose, but I like to think that my nose is a finely tuned instrument with which to smell out a bad 'un; the only times I have ignored it and gone with galleries or publications that I was unsure of it turns out I was right to be unsure. Trust yer nose.
Tonight I am off to play with potatoes again; the one I am working on has the ochre sky I have been dreaming about, but I want to add some kind of 'filigree potato clouds' over the top; intending to 'up' the oriental/Russian folk art vibe. Having loved and wrestled with painting swallows for years I have finally hit on a 'fat swallow' that I am so happy with- I was being far too 'streamlined' in my drawing and for some reason this chubbier chap is just what I have been trying to find; he is turquoise at the moment, I shall have to try not to overpaint him as it works so much better when the drawing is relaxed. 'Fat Swallow' is an excellent potential trade name as well; you never know when you may need one.
Just dawned on my that my 'down days' in which I am frustrated by perceived lack of momentum are a direct creation of the daily blogging process. Oh, if only I had a bona fide piece of positivity to report each and every calendar day, but my baby steps are not timed to the 24 hour mark, so I should get used to the phenomena. Probably lucky to get to day ninety-something before I noticed that it was happening.
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