Whip Those Cute Little Paintings Out and Sell, Sell, Sell

At one time I thought if I could paint a bunch of cute little paintings, I could sell them fast and make money!. I found a small stuffed horse and scrunched it up in a blanket and tried to paint it........I couldn't.......It didn't have any meaning for me.  I had no special connection to the horse or blanket.  I never did complete the piece and I'll never forget that learning exercise.

adult student

adult student

I find I need to relate somehow to the subject or it will be unsuccessful. Now, if the toy was one that you'll see in my baby picture and the blanket was a quilt my mother made, THAT'S a different story!
If the mountain landscape is where my siblings and I have experienced hiking, biking or being  snowed in at the family cabin....that's what you paint.  If you notice the gorgeous shades of reds and greens in a lovely shaped pear.....that's what you paint.  The subject you choose should have meaning to you.  Now I know after much practice you may be able to paint or draw almost anything but there will be little emotion radiating from these pieces.  They won't be a part of you and the viewer will notice.

student age 11

teen student

older adult student

When you choose a subject for your next project, pick something with meaning, something you can relate to and you'll find you'll be more successful.

Try Something New With Your Art

Are you in a rut? Try something new.  It doesn't have to be a big change, just something different to keep the art flow going.  Is your art all the same size?  What would it be like to experiment with a larger size.  Go smaller.......smaller yet.  Take that challenge to think how to get a composition down in the new space you now have.

Try painting in a different place.  If you paint inside, try painting outside.  Prepare for outside and include a camera in case you don't get a chance to finish.  Paint in a nearby park, at a dog park, where children play, where the shadows are interesting when they hit a house or other buildings. Take a lunch and make a day of it.

Have you every tried abstract work?  Pick some of your favorite colors and experiment.  Maybe put a pile of objects down and just paint shapes, not the objects.  Cut magazine pages out, cut into different shapes and patterns, lay them down in such a way that is pleasing to you.  Now go!

Sometimes it just takes making a change with get the excitement of art going again. Give it  

Try something different and have fun!

 

"One of a Kind" (on Pastelbord) by Julie Fisher

What's Your Art Word For The New Year?

I have never done well with a list of New Year Resolutions. What I have found is that by picking a word or small phrase that can be applied not only to my art, but to everything I do, works great for me!

One year I picked PERSISTENCE.  For example; persist with having a clean house, persist in keeping the gas in the car above 1/4 of a tank.......you get the idea.  One other year I was more specific, I chose the word MARKETING because I really needed to get informed on more than one way to market my artwork.

This year my life has gone many, many directions and I've gotten overwhelmed.  I've decided to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Sooooooo  KEEP MOVING is my phrase for the year 2015.

Storm Chasers  watercolor    J.Fisher

What is your word for 2015?

Drawing, Painting Challenge

Set up a challenge for yourself to accomplish!This not only moves you forward in your ability, but keeps your art interesting!  Where can you get ideas?  Look at other art work in books and magazines.  You can even look in an interior design magazine and see their photos and look for objects you know you can get better at drawing or painting.  I knew I wanted to get better at glass.  I wanted to capture the transparency and the reflectiveness it can have.  I looked around the house and found these marbles that belonged to my father and thought the idea wasn't too overwhelming.  You don't want to locate the hardest thing you can find. Start Simple and then move up!  Good luck and have fun!

                                                          Ringer by Julie Fisher (marbles)

                                                        Vintage Pepper by Julie Fisher

           

The Gift

I just completed the finishing touches on this piece. It's a mixed media painting with colored pencil on top of watercolor. Making the ribbon flow and adding the box design really added a zing to this piece. It's 7"x7" (image and white matt). I saw 3 nesting boxes in an antique shop and could just picture several set-ups I could do. Fun!

Getting a Jump on the New Year!

"Blossoming Pear" is the first painting of the new year! It's 8"x8"(image and white matt). I've been painting in the light and shadow technique....the background basically in shadow. The goal for this painting was to paint with analogous colors hence the yellows, oranges, reds in the pear and the fabric in the background. This brought up another "issue"..... how to not let the pear blend into the background. I had to decide which edges to sharpen and which edges to "lose". I'm happy with the results.

Look for more of the daily painting on:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/juliefisher3

The Art Show at the AUM Gallery

The art show exhibited at the AUM Gallery was a great success! The opening reception was well attended including other well known local artists giving the show high praise. The show continued to have high attendance during the entire exhibition. I would like to thank all of you who got a chance to view these works of art!

AUM Gallery Exhibit

I have 3 pieces showing in this exhibit put on by AUM Gallery.

Location: 2227 East Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80206

Opening Reception: Friday, November 13, 2009, 6:00 - 9:00pm

Exhibit runs through January 16, 2010

There are 14 participating artists with special guest, Terry Ludwig.

About the Artist

"That's my grandmother's pitcher!"...."I've been there."....."I can feel the mosquitos already!"...

Familiarity of subject matter is implied in works created by Julie Fisher. The viewer often recognizes or can relate something personal in Julie's portraits, still life and landscapes. Her studies in classical realism is also reflected in her accomplishments.

Julie began her formal art instruction at Arapahoe Community College where she developed varied approaches to her art. However, time spent training with Valorie Snyder strongly influenced Julie's realistic style. Valorie trained at Atelier Richards in Amarillo, Texas under the direction of Kirk Richards. This training is devoted to teaching classical realist techniques. Studying with Cindy Haase strengthened her knowledge in color and painting with Jane Angelheart enhanced the applications of color in her portraits. Julie is continuing to make advancements in work depicting light and shadow and tonal painting with Deborah Bays.