Note: This section contains archived articles.
Many of the EMAIL ADDRESSES and/or LINKS in these pages are old and DO NOT WORK.
But we hope you enjoy the articles. Much of the art-related information will never grow old.
The Watercooler - Dec. 1998
Art Voices is interested in stories about your experiences at art shows, good, bad, funny, whatever. These stories are the kind of thing discussed around the water cooler at work, so when we get them, this is where they go. Those artists who haven't done the show circuit yet can learn something from your experiences, so please share them with us!
Story sent in by painter Leslie M. Ficcaglia:
"It's a pleasant show, indoors with racks already provided for those who want to use them, and Avalon is an upscale community with an appreciation for the arts. Unfortunately, the person responsible for publicity got my résume and photos in a timely fashion but apparently sent them to someone at the large regional paper who didn't follow through, so no notice of the event appeared in anything but the two very local papers. I was upset because I was counting on some nice publicity as a reward for doing the demo. Although the show committee also paid $125 for the service, what I really wanted was the exposure, of course!
"The demo seemed to go well; I had prepared a canvas with what I call the purple stage of a painting, in which I wash the canvas with thinned purple oils and then set up the composition and some values by drawing with thicker purple paint and a smaller brush. That's the point at which I also develop the likeness, since I do portraits. For that particular painting it took four hours to get to that stage. For the demo I proposed to begin adding color, in the half-hour usually allotted, and I worked on the face because I thought it would be most interesting. I also happened to have another painting which I'd just begun, and had spent one day adding color past the purple stage, so people could see what the next phase would be. And of course I had a lot of finished portraits, both copies and originals, so it would be apparent what the completed work would resemble. There weren't a lot of people who wanted to watch, and those who did were mostly some of the other artists, which I guess makes sense. One woman mentioned that when she did a similar demo only four people came to see what she was doing.
"As far as potential commissions, a number of people took cards, and I gave sheets describing how I work to a few who seemed fairly serious. Last year, though, the same thing happened and no one followed up. If I get no commissions from this year's effort I probably won't enter that show again. Doing the demo recouped my expenses and then some, so this year worked well, and it's always neat to talk to the other artists and to see people appreciating your work, but it does take time to set up and take down again!"
Leslie
AFAP's International Art Days What were you doing on September 15-16?
In the first issue of ARTVoices, we announced the "AFAP International Art Days." We'd like you to share what you did on September 15 and 16 to pursue your art and expose it to the public. Send them to artvoices and we'll report them in the next issue!
Here are some of the Art Days activities we've heard about:
Susan Holland nursed a toothache on the 15th and painted one gouache and one oil at Lake Kachess, just east of the crest of the Cascades in Washington state. The 16th she spent having a root canal. The oil is on the easel being brought to a more mature state. Susan adds: "It was a good thing to make myself go out and do it, even thought I was barmy with pain pills."
Jeanne Wolf prepped her video Jeanne Wolf Presents: Art for Children. This video contains rainy day art projects for kids 5-11.
Mercedes Herndon spent the time with a high temperature and feeling ill, but still managed to get a new card front designed and get the AFAP post cards printed.
Lynda Sappington took a bronze 500 miles to show a client the approximate size of her horse's finished portrait in bronze; photographed and measured the client's horse for the abovementioned bronze; shot a photo portrait session of a horse for another client in that barn; and sold a necklace and a sculpture to the client who commissioned the bronze.
