gallery

On New Years Resolutions and Goals

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I am not much for New Year’s resolutions. Usually they fall by the wayside before spring ever appears. However, last year I set for myself a goal to establish a relationship and start showing in two new galleries. I could have set a goal for more, but I wanted to ensure a moderate progression so that I can create and show my best work without stretching my limits.

I did reach my goal fairly early in the year, in somewhat unexpected ways. I don’t want to discourage gallery seeking artists, but it seems when I approach a new gallery with the usual portfolio, slides, materials, etc. it rarely works.

My first gallery encounter was a close call. At the beginning of the year, I usually send out refrigerator calendar magnets with one of my paintings on it. Last year I sent out magnets with a painting I did of Mt Hood, shown below.

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I decided to send a few to some galleries in Portland Oregon (close to Mt Hood) I found just by surfing the internet, just to see what might happen. One gallery in Portland Oregon, probably one of the better of the lot, received one of my calendar magnets & loved my work. They wanted to see some small originals. Usually when I get to this point, it is a shoe-in. Alas, when they got the originals, they liked them, but said they were ‘too close’ to what another artist in the gallery did, so no go. There is a case that several similar artists can create a synergy and boost sales, but I didn’t argue the point.

The first gallery I actually got in called me! It was a new gallery at South Shore Lake Tahoe, and they had seen my work at James Harold Galleries in North Shore Lake Tahoe. Since the galleries were fairly close, I checked with Hal at James Harold Galleries, and he said he had no problem with the proximity, and in fact might increase sales. At any rate, my work can now be seen at Tahoe Village Art Gallery. Below is a painting currently showing there.

Cave rock lake tahow

The second gallery came along unexpectedly, also. Carmel by the Sea is a little over an hours drive from my home and is one of the art meccas in the United States. There are upwards of 90 galleries in that small town. I never made a real effort to approach galleries there, but had been trying to develop some friendly relationships with some gallery owners over the past several years.

I made a visit to Carmel in early May as a precursor to the Carmel Art Festival I would be participating in. The town was fairly quiet as it was mid-week. I walked into one gallery, started talking with the owner, and before I knew it, he asked if I wanted to show there, pending his artist wife’s approval. Things worked out, and I brought a number of works down the following week. The gallery is Sandy-by-the-Sea, and according to them, I am probably their top seller. Below is a painting currently showing there.

Pescadero coastline

Well, after all this, I am setting a goal of at least one more gallery for 2008. I doubt they will ‘plop in my lap’ like the last two, but you never know.

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Carmel and Big Sur

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Sandy-by-the-Sea Gallery in Carmel wanted a few more of my miniatures, so I took a day trip to Carmel to drop off paintings and do a little plein air work. Nick White, one of my good plein air painting buddies came along. I decided I wanted to paint along the Big Sur coast in the afternoon rather than my usual morning stints, so we left around mid morning.

We arrived in Carmel around 11:00 and stopped by the gallery to drop off 5 small paintings, including one I just did at Elkhorn Slough, shown below.

Elkhorn Slough

Misty Elkhorn * 8×16 * Oil on board

After lunch, we headed down the coast to scout out a place to paint. What a wonderful day!! A large northwestern storm had sent huge swells down the coast and the entire Big Sur area looked like a sea of churning whipped cream. This same storm system was pounding Washington and Oregon with floods, even closing Interstate Highway 5.  I remarked to Nick that what looked like fog was actually mist kicked up from the churning water. The waves were probably 15 to 20 feet high and the ocean churn probably went over a quarter mile out.

We were at the southernmost tip of this storm system, so the sun was peeking in and out of the cloud cover. The painting mood today was definitely misty, gray, churning coastline! What a great time to paint!  Below is a shot from where we painted.

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I had been doing a number of 8×16 paintings lately and really enjoyed the change from some of the more standard plein air sizes. With the grand panoramas before me, today was a good day to paint in that horizontally elongated size again. I set up fairly close to my car with a nice camping chair to occasionally rest and spare my back, so we painted for a couple hours.
Below is a shot of my easel with Nick painting down the hill a bit.

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Here is me beside my easel and painting.

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This is a quick snapshot of the painting sitting on my easel, the snapshot a poor representation of the painting, definitely a keeper, but maybe needs a little further touch-up.  I’ll try to get a better image in the next couple days.

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We finished around 2:30 and then drove further down the coast for some picture taking and general sight seeing. We went as far as Bixby Creek Bridge, shown below. Notice what looks like fog in the background is actually mist kicked up by the surf.

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All too soon, it was time to head home. What a great day trip!!

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Demo

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I had forgotten to post a picture of the demo painting I did several weeks ago at Sandy-by-the-Sea Gallery in Carmel, California. I was reminded of it when I got a check in today’s mail, as they sold the painting a week or so after the demonstration. Anyway, the gallery took a photo of it and emailed to me awhile back…so here it is.

Big Sur, california

Big Sur Afternoon * 8×10 * Oil on board

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Off to Seasons of Martis

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I am off tomorrow to participate in the Seasons of Martis plein air event. Information about the event is in the previous blog and on my website. Looks like we will get a little snow Thursday and Friday, so it should make the painting interesting. I have never painted a snowstorm before, but it might be fun trying. It is supposed to be sunny Saturday, so may have to do most of my serious painting then. I might try to post to the weblog as we go along as my motel has high speed internet support.

I am also dropping the new Cave Rock painting mentioned in prior blogs at the Village Art Gallery in South Lake Tahoe, plus a number of new miniatures at James Harold Galleries in Tahoe City. It turned out quite well–

The Red Boat, Cave Rock, Lake Tahoe

“The Red Boat” * 48×36 * Oil on Canvas

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“Meet the Artist” at Sandy-by-the-Sea Gallery Follow-up

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I mentioned in my last post that Sandy-by-the-Sea Gallery in Carmel is hosting a “Meet the Artist” each Saturday evening in September. I did my event last night.

We headed down to Carmel mid-afternoon. I wanted to stop on the way at Pebble Beach to visit Brian Blood and his wife and painting partner, Laurie Kersey. They were having an open house as part of the Monterey County Artists Studio Tours. Brian and Laurie just moved to a home in Pebble Beach, and their place looked wonderful. We only spent about 15 minutes and had to head to the gallery to get set up.

I was going to be painting in the gallery, so set up my easel and paints. I had started an 8×10 seascape in the morning, working maybe 20 minutes or so to block in the general shapes, etc. It’s a good thing, because I forgot to bring the photo reference, so had to complete the painting from memory! If there was enough interest, we would auction off the painting I completed that evening, or another painting, so I also brought along a Lake Tahoe scene painted just Thursday.

Carmel turned out to be pretty ‘dead’. The summer tourist season had pretty much ended, and not many were around. Probably throughout the evening a dozen or so wandered in and out of the gallery while I was painting.

I finished the 8×10 seascape with an hour to spare. It turned out quite well…one of my better small seascapes. Maybe I should paint from memory more often! I brought a spare canvas, so Sandy, the gallery owner asked me to start another seascape. Again, I painted mainly from memory, but using some of my other works in the gallery as guides. I got about half done with that one before it was time to pack up.

Below are a few shots towards the end of the evening.

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Working on the second painting. Notice the first painting just below my arm sitting on the easel.

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The paintings to the far right are some of my works hanging in the gallery.

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Working on the second seascape.

After we packed up, my son wanted to drive to Moss Landing and eat at Phil’s Fish Market and Eatery…one of the better seafood places on the coast. It was a great dinner but we were so full brought about half of it home!

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“Meet the Artist” at Sandy-by-the-Sea Gallery

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Its a little bit last minute, but the Sandy-by-the-Sea Gallery in Carmel is hosting a “Meet the Artist” each Saturday evening in September. I’ll be there on Saturday, September 8 between 6 and 8. They will have a reception along with refreshments. I plan on doing a painting demonstration, and we will probably auction it off when complete.

Coincidentally, the Monterey County Artists Studio Tours is that weekend also.

Below is a painting I have showing at the gallery.

“Pescadero Cove” (plein air) * 12×16 * Oil on canvas board

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Village Art Gallery Grand Opening

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For those who read my blog, last week I moved my art to a new gallery at South Lake Tahoe. Things had been moving pretty fast, and I just found out they are having their official ‘Grand Opening’ tomorrow, Friday. Below is a card announcing the event. I am not mentioned on the card, but they have featured my work prominently in the gallery. They have already sold two paintings in the short time I have been there. Anyway, if you are spending the weekend at Lake Tahoe (or any other time for that matter) be sure to visit the gallery.

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Switching Galleries

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I just returned from a quick trip to Lake Tahoe. Some of you remember last April I started showing in a new gallery (named Galerie Noir at the time) in the Montblue Resort. Soon after I started showing there, the partners had a ‘falling out’, the gallery was renamed “Galerie Blu’u. To make a very long story short, one of the partners opened a new gallery in a much better location at South Lake Tahoe. It is right in the Marriott Grand Residence Village. The new gallery, “Village Art Gallery” has probably ten times the foot traffic, so it was somewhat of a “no brainer” to switch. I spent most of the trip moving paintings, taking some for re-framing, etc.

Below are a few paintings showing in the new gallery:

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A Fine Day in Carmel

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I had been wanting to take a day trip to Carmel for some time, as the gallery I show there, Sandy by the Sea, had been selling a number of paintings, and needed more. Also, a little plein air painting was in order. Originally, I planned to ride the Harley, but at the last minute, the gallery emailed wanting some larger paintings which I could not carry on my bike, so had to take the car. I emailed my good friend and fellow plein air painter, Nick White the night before, and he jumped at the chance to come along.

We left around 7:30 and made a beeline to Garrapata State Park, one of my favorite places. We settled on a spot, and commenced painting. The weather was beautiful, but quite windy! Below are a few shots from the spot.

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A beautiful scene, some paints, and a blank canvas…what else could you want!!

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My painting on the easel.

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Nick painting.

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When I went back to my easel after photographing Nick, I found the wind had blown my palette face down in the dirt! Luckily, only the edge had gotten dirty, and most my paints were still intact.

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My painting…probably a keeper, but needs more work.

We headed back to Carmel for lunch at Cafe Stravaganza, one of my favorite lunch places. After lunch, we decided to head to Point Lobos State Reserve. We wanted to find a more sheltered place out of the wind to do one more painting.

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Nick Painting.

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The view of China Cove.

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My second painting.

It was mid afternoon, and time to head to the gallery to drop off some paintings. As we were heading back into Carmel, Rick Mauck, owner of the gallery called, and asked when I would get there, as a collector was just in the process of purchasing one of my works. Well, we arrived in short order, and I met the collector. After visiting with the collector, Rick, and a little gallery hopping, it was time to head home.

So, for the day, I did two paintings of the California coast, experienced beautiful weather, visited a number of art galleries, and sold a painting!!

A fine day in Carmel, indeed!

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Sandy-by-the-Sea

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I had failed to mention something in my prior post today. When I came down to Carmel for the art festival, I also brought 8 paintings down, which are now being displayed at the Carmel art gallery, Sandy-by-the-Sea. I had spoken with them the week before, and they seemed anxious to show my work, however a little short on gallery space. So, most of the works are smaller. About half are plein air and the rest studio. Below is one of the works on display there.

“Pescadero Cove” (plein air) * 12×16 * Oil on canvas board

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