Long Time No Post!

Where has the time gone?

The Wildebeast, Acrylic on Canvas, 8" x 10" SOLD

So it has been a little while since my last post and it was not intentional for that to happen but as with all things - life gets in the way. With the New Year comes new resolutions which include blogging daily. The art of daily sketching has not stopped for me however and in fact my portfolio has grown significantly since then. The past summer of 2010 has been one of our most successful summers ever! We have sold over 40 paintings and lived off of our artwork for the duration of the summer! You cannot ask for a better summer!

As far as subject matter goes in my work, I am still doing a lot of horses but more into the whole wildlife scene. I have done paintings of Rams, Rhinos (lots of Rhinos), Giraffes, Elephants, Zebras and so many types.

Ram Study, Acrylic on Canvas, 8" x 10" Sold

One of the things I decided to do a lot more of - painting studies - because they help me to understand my color schemes and my market. Painting Studies have been done for years, dating back to the old masters, and for me my studies helped me to get more exposure.

Meal Time, Acrylic on Canvas, 8" x 10", SOLD

In the past I would do a study and toss it out or throw it aside where it would take up space or be added to one of our already over ran garbage dumps. So instead of doing that I opted to make the small studies "complete" so that I could take them to the local restaurant - in this case it was "Heritage Cafe" (www.heritagecafecateringandart.com) which is now located in Princeton, WV - where they would sell each week!

Setting Sun, Acrylic on Canvas, 8" x 10", $995.00

By doing this, I was able to reach new clients and sell work to people who I would never have been able to reach. I sold these paintings for only $35.00 for an 8"x10" which made them affordable to everyone. In fact I sold 3 paintings of giraffes to one client! She fell in love with the first one and asked for two more!

The Rhino, Acrylic on Canvas, 8" x 10" SOLD

SO if anything, this summer has taught me to be a business owner, not just an artist. More work to come!