Catching Up

I have managed to make it to my painting group for a few weeks in a row again. These are my last two efforts. Both are cut down because they are too big to fit in the scanner. The first is pretty self-explanatory. The second is, too, I guess. It's a tropical storm coming to the Carolina coast. I did this one first and got two identical comments from people who know what they're doing. They liked the picture, but they said the bird shouldn't be centered in the picture. While I know this is true according to art guidelines, I painted this from a photo in which the bird was exactly in the center of the picture. I chose not to try to paint over it and do it again for fear I would really mess it up. But next time I'll know. The seascape is a better effort, and the focal point is not in the center of the picture. I guess my untrained eye doesn't notice these things very much, but being around people who make money at their art and listening to their comments is helpful to me.

It looks like maybe next month I will have a chance to display my paintings on a wall of the new library where we do our weekly painting. I could have done so this month, but I would have shared the space with another woman, and her paintings are far superior to mine. She paints in a very realistic style, and her pictures are almost like photos. While I paint from photos, my work is rougher and more impressionistic. Her work looks just as good close up as from a distance. Most of my paintings look better from a distance, which is part of what impressionism is all about. At any rate, I didn't think it would be such a good idea to have two such different styles side-by-side, so I will wait for another chance, probably next month. Meanwhile, that means I must frame some of my work, notably the pictures that are on canvas board instead of stretched canvas. With that in mind, I made a trip to Hobby Lobby this morning and bought frames at half price, but they still set me back about $80. Add to that the price of the canvases and paints that I just had to have, and the bill came to almost $140! This is an expensive hobby. When I display my pictures, I have been encouraged to put a price on them as the other ladies do, but I have no idea what to ask. They are asking $200-$300 for their work, but they aren't selling any, either. I don't think my work is worth nearly that, but it would be nice to recoup the cost of materials and frames. Maybe I'll put up prices in the $50 range. Makes more sense to me.

Meanwhile, I have entered two paintings that I did from Alissa's photos in the local festival art contest. The winner gets a ribbon, so it sure isn't for the money. I just like the idea of having something I painted on display somewhere besides my kids' homes, although I'm glad they like them enough to frame them and hang them up!

I have found a hobby that I really enjoy, and I am getting some time to pursue it. Life is good!