Thursday, December 29, 2016

Travel Thursdays

The last two years have been hard to keep all the balls in the air at once...illness (my own and others), working (day job PLUS the art job) and an anniversary show for my art group Arts Northeast all played a factor in my blogging not being so regular. But we are about to change this for 2017!

I'll be sharing my stories (and photos of course) of my travels over the past 10 years or so. We've been fortunate enough to do either large driving trips and/or cruises the last several years, so I have a lot to share!

We've managed to cover 42 of the US States (including Hawaii and Alaska, but NOT Florida yet...I know, a Newfoundlander that does travel that hasn't been to Florida!). We've also been off the continent and covered 15 European countries and 1 African country! And we have big plans for the 2017 trip...stay tuned for more info on that as it develops!

So as part of #ThrowbackThursday (#TBT), I'll be doing #TravelThursday starting next week!

Below is a small teaser of some photos I've previously shared of my travels....just a flavour of what's to come!

Gondola in Venice Italy

Hee Haw set at Country Hall of Fame, Nashville TN

Colosseum in Rome Italy 

Austrian Alps

International Buddist Temple in Richmond BC

Root Cellars in Elliston NL


Sunday, May 29, 2016

Participating in Art Shows - What Art Buyers Expect

As an artist, I've participated in many group exhibitions and sales of art, and have organized and curated several as well. They are great ways to show your art and speak with potential buyers. Essentially, it can be the same as displaying your artwork in an Art Gallery. But what do the buyers expect of the artwork in an art show?

Original Art
Most buyers who go to an art show and sale are expecting original artwork - no reproductions. Most Art Galleries only show original artwork, so many art shows and sales are the same.

If you are participating in a community show or event that is not specifically billed as an art show/sale, buyers would perhaps expect that reproductions of all sorts (canvas, paper, gift items) may also be available. A mixture of original and reproductions would be acceptable in these cases.

Artist-Quality Supplies Used in Production
The supplies used in the production are of artist-quality. For example, when using acrylic paints, the artist would be expected to use artist-quality paints; therefore, craft paints in bottles from dollar stores or crafting shops are not acceptable. Neither are the lower priced student-grade paints. Most art supply stores clearly mark which paints are artist-quality. If they do not, you can certainly search the brands they sell online to determine if they are the student- or artist-quality versions.

An Art Gallery may ask you as the artist to certify you have used only artist-quality paints in the production of your artwork. The same should be applicable to an art show. buyers would expect your original artwork would be produced with high quality supplies. Art is an investment after all, and the value is expected to increase over time, not decrease as it would when inferior supplies are used (which can fade quickly or even crack).

Copyright of Artwork
Copyright of the final image of your original artwork is retained fully by the artist, unless express written consent is given. This means the buyer does not have the right to produce any sort of reproductions (for sale or give-aways) of your artwork.

Some buyers may also expect that the original artwork will not be available as reproductions. Although it is always nice to let purchasers know up front if you are currently selling reproductions of that image, or have intentions to do so in the future, you are not required to disclose this to the buyer.

So, if you are transitioning to selling your artwork and are participating in art shows and sales, you may want to keep the above points in mind before submitting any of your artwork in an art show.

Monday, February 1, 2016

"In Love With Art" SALE!

"In Love With Art" SALE!

My new online event "In Love With Art" is debuting today!

I have hand picked 20 of some of my favourite small original artworks, designer canvases and framed art reproductions and am offering them at a SPECIAL PRICE with up to 60% OFF Regular pricing.

There is, as always, free delivery or pick-up in the Northeast Avalon Region and shipping is available (at an extra minimal cost) for those not in the pick-up/delivery area. AND NO TAX!

The sale is only until FEBRUARY 14th.....so take a look at my website under the Gallery section, or click HERE.

This is an affordable way to start your own art collection, or add to your existing collection. It is also a great opportunity to purchase a gift for that special someone who may have a life event coming in the near future.

Feel free to share this Special Event with anyone you feel may be interested.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Online Studio Sale

My annual studio sale is going ONLINE this year!
Sale ends Nov 30th at 11:00pm, 2015. Shop early for best selection. Delivery before Christmas!
All purchases are TAX FREE. Sale pricing up to 60% OFF. All Original Paintings.
Free delivery or pick-up in the St. John's/Northeast Avalon region. Contact me for shipping costs.
Contact me directly to purchase.

CATTAILS. 6" x 12" Framed Original Acrylic painting. Monochromatic painting of cattails. REGULAR PRICE $225. NOW ONLY $175 NO TAX. 

BLACK AND WHITE. 12" x 12" Framed Original Acrylic painting. Zebras! REGULAR PRICE $300. NOW ONLY $195 NO TAX.

KITE FLYING. 8" x 10" Framed Original Oil painting. Memories of summer.....kite flying! REGULAR PRICE $230. NOW ONLY $110 NO TAX

CAVENDISH SHEDS. 6" x 12" Framed Original Acrylic painting. These colourful sheds are located on a shoal at the head of Cavendish Bay, Trinity Bay, NL. The placement and order of these sheds changes yearly. REGULAR PRICE $225. NOW ONLY $115 NO TAX.

SEA OF RED. 6" x 16" Framed Original Acrylic painting. A common sight around the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador are fishing stages. Traditionally, they are painted with a red paint, though colours other than red are sometimes seen. REGULAR PRICE $250. NOW ONLY $125 NO TAX. 

FERRYLAND LIGHTHOUSE. 9" x 12" Framed Original Acrylic painting. The Ferryland lighthouse can be found on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, just east of the village of Ferryland. It is situated at the end of a long peninsula that juts into the sea. The lighthouse was built in 1871. REGULAR PRICE $250. NOW ONLY $100 NO TAX.

GRAND BANK LIGHTHOUSE. 9" x 12" Framed Original Acrylic painting. Town of Grand Bank is situated on the western side of the Burin Peninsula where the most recently built version (1922) of the lighthouse stands on the end of the eastern pier. REGULAR PRICE $250. NOW ONLY $100 NO TAX.

SURF 'N TURF. 9" x 12" Framed Original Acrylic painting. Icebergs and lobster pots are a common sights in the spring and early summer along the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. REGULAR PRICE $250. NOW ONLY $125 NO TAX. 

SEASIDE VISITOR. 9" x 12" Framed Original Acrylic painting. Icebergs are a common sight in the spring and early summer along the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. REGULAR PRICE $250. NOW ONLY $125 NO TAX.

SPLASH. 8" x 10" Framed Original Acrylic painting. The most common glimpse of a humpback is its tail, also known as its fluke. This whale is descending in front of a large iceberg. REGULAR PRICE $220. NOW ONLY $100 NO TAX.

FLEXIBLE FLYER III. 11" x 14" Framed Original Acrylic painting. The Flexible Flyer III was one of the most popular and fast sleds made. This one is ready to take on another hill. REGULAR PRICE $280. NOW ONLY $185 NO TAX. 

HOLLOWAY STREET. 8" x 10" framed Original Watercolour painting. Iconic view of Holloway Street, one of the most photographed streets in St. John's. REGULAR PRICE $200. 50% OFF - NOW ONLY $100. NO TAX. 

Friday, October 23, 2015

Media Releases & Upcoming Events

MEDIA

Tuesday this week was a busy day for me...I had a blog article that featured a workshop that for Howard House staff as part of their professional development program and I was part of a video for the Town of Torbay that was released.

It was a very exciting day for me, and I wanted to share it with you.

You can read the Blog Article HERE.

And you can view the beautiful video HERE. I'm at 00:40 mins in and also later in the background of the pumpkin carving that I lead each year in Torbay.


EVENTS

Please note:
** - I will be present for a portion of the event
** - I will be present for entire event AND painting LIVE at the event

Friday through Sunday, October 23-25
Art Association of NL Fall Exhibition & Sale
Arts & Culture Centre
95 Allandale Road, St. John's
Friday Opening Reception 6-9pm *
Open Sat & Sun 11am-5pm each day

Saturday, October 31
Torbay Community Market
Jack Byrne Arena
7 Kennedy's Brook Drive, Torbay
10am-4pm **


Saturday, November 6-30
38th Annual Garden & Nature Art Exhibition

MUN Botanical Garden
306 Mt. Scio Road, St. John's
10am-3pm daily


Sunday, November 15
Deck the Halls
Holiday Inn
180 Portugal Cove Road, St. John's
10am-5pm **

Hope to see you at an event soon!

Monday, August 31, 2015

Oh no...my canvas has a dent!!! HELPFUL TIP

It will happen to most of us at some time, and sometimes it will happen to our clients....You've stored a canvas or painting and no matter how carefully you did that, a dent appears in the canvas. Luckily, it is quite easy to fix!

Turn the painting over, and if there is a paper backing on a framed canvas, remove the paper backing.

Take a mist spray bottle and fill it with warm water. Spray the back of the canvas (never spray the painted side) lightly with water and use your fingers or a sponge to lightly massage the water into the canvas. You do NOT want to spray too much water that it completely saturates the canvas and goes through to the painted side.

Place the canvas somewhere warm to dry, but not in direct sunlight or near a heat source as it may dry too quickly and cause further damage.

The process of the water drying will tighten the fibres of the canvas and the dent will disappear. If the dent is particularly stubborn, you may need to repeat the process more than once.