Office Decorating Experience

Office Decorating Experience

I am writing this 'artist experience' in the hopes of helping other artists in their awareness of what I deem to be unfair practices.

Approximately 5 months ago I was contacted through my website to provide artwork to decorate the walls of a suite of offices. Having never done this before I was unsure how to negotiate. The value of all of the paintings was $4700.00 and I proposed a small rental fee of 3% per month  ( $140.00 per month ) and a commission on sales of 10% back to the office owners on paintings sold. This offer was refused and I decided to hang my artwork anyway for a period of up to 6 months on a trial basis.

Recently,  I went in to the offices to collect my artwork.  I received a 'thank you' from the receptionist. Neither of the two professionals  whose office space had been decorated for free for a total of 142 days bothered to venture away from their desks to acknowledge my presence and offer a 'thank you'. I find this inconsiderate and very rude.

I am sure this same office space is being cleaned on a regular basis of at least once per week.  I have my house cleaned on a regular basis (2500 sq. ft.) for $60 which would be $240/month.

When comparing these two services the art rental cost comes out to 58% less than the cleaning cost.

What makes some people  undervalue original artwork?  Why was my experience, education, time and finished 'goods' deemed to be of no value other than free decoration?

Artists are constantly asked to donate artwork for fund-raising auctions and other events of a similar nature. I am wondering why the services of  Doctors, Dentists, Accountants, Engineers, Plumbers, Carpenters  and many other 'professionals' are not usually on these fund-raising lists of items and services to be auctioned off for  good causes? What makes original artwork the 'go to' item to be donated or given away for 'free'???

I have learned from this venture  and will be careful  from now on to only  put my artwork out with either  a consignment contract,  rental contract or bill of sale.

Art and Life: Pain and Sorrow

Art and Life: Pain and Sorrow

Pain and Sorrow

The last 4 months have been rough ones full of 24/7 pain and sorrow. Constant nagging pain has me in a weakened state and extremely emotional. The loss of my little Duffy, the best Westie ever, is very hard to deal with in my present state. One day at a time.

This painting was done for an exhibition with a colour limitation of reds, blues and white with black being allowed only for mixing.  This is what evolved.  It was done totally intuitively and I see a reflection of my consciousness.  I see my spaced out emotions and the jagged edges of pain, both emotional and physical, spinning slowly, going on and on.

Interesting what happens on the canvas when you don't think and just let it happen.

Life is Change

The past 6 months or so I have been very busy working away trying to find a way to create that cohesive 'body of work' that has always been so elusive for me. So many techniques are calling to me and I find it hard to stay on track for more than 4 or 5 paintings in a row.

In the midst of re-working paintings that I was not happy with I have stumbled on some works that I am liking very much and that say what I want to say.

I have always been interested in life's cycles and how a 'new'  discovery is something 'old' that has been uncovered or found. I truly believe that our planet has been through every possible change many, many times before and will continue forever in a state of change as well as the entire universe and whatever else is out there.

These thoughts are coming out in my latest works with  circles, grids, layering and scraping away to reveal a hint of what has gone before.  I am excited to stay on track and get many more pieces of work done in this theme!

My favourite quote:  "Life is Change, and to have Lived is to have Changed Often" (Goethe).

A New Direction

I have been working away for many months on combining collage pieces that I am creating with random marks and lines with even more intuitive painting done with scrapers, pouring, spraying and finger painting.

The resulting works are, to me, very expressive and loose.  These are done from the heart and both fun and scary at the same time.

Exhibiting them will be a whole other thing too as they are quite different from my creations of the last few years.

I am happiest when learning new things and stretching myself in new directions and that is the main reason why I paint in the first place.

It's the putting them out there in the open for other people to judge that is the part of this art-making that I am not particularly fond of.

I know most artists share this feeling - that's just the way the cookie crumbles!

Alone Together

Because I work alone at home in a rural setting, it can get lonely and uninspiring, especially during an exceptionally long and cold winter. 

I recently joined a Thursday morning group of 6 people and this is what I produced on the first day.  I am very happy with the results of combining collage and paint in a very loose and gestural manner.  I've even got some great blues and blue-greens that come close to a robin's egg blue, one of my favourite colours!

The square one is 12" x 12" x 1.5" and I think a black float frame will jazz it up. The series of 4 will be framed in black frames with a white mat.

 After a winter of being frustrated and non-productive it is wonderful to be creating again!!

New Work

Finally!  Some new work!! I have been sick with Bronchitis for such a long time!  Today I actually felt like trying to make some new artwork and like what evolved!

This has been such a dreary winter - cold, lots of snow, but sunny!  Everyone is counting the weeks now!
I think the time has finally come for me to plant some heritage tomato seeds that I have saved.  It will be fun watching the tiny seedlings grow and the snow melt back!

I have started a 20" x 20" canvas and that will also be fun to see how it turns out :)