paulbaileyartblog

Thoughts

Its usual for an artist to conjure-up some blurb for an exhibition, or some other event. I find the third-person type ones a little irksome (its not like I’m famous, or anything… I just do what I enjoy doing), so I wrote this on the, proverbial, hoof…

“Welcome…

…to my latest exhibition. I’m a local artist who has been painting for five, or so, years now. This exhibition features paintings that have been produced within the last year, and they represent a period of transition from a watercolour (transparent) method to a more acrylic style of painting. This move towards the more opaque, and fuller medium, has been prompted by my continuing desire to experiment and to find a way to depict the ‘flat’ landscapes of this part of the county (as illustrated in ‘Reclamation’, ‘Summer haze’ and ‘The outfall’). These recent pictures utilise pigmented acrylic inks alongside watercolour paint.

If you’re interested in seeing some of my earlier work, including some pieces that have recently sold, please visit my website: http://www.paulbaileyart.co.uk

Thanks,

Paul”

The reason why I’m sharing this? Well, I thought the above text summed the current artistic situation quite perfectly… without being too vomit inducing.

Expansive…

My artistic style undergoing a little metamorphosis at the moment. I’ve been set a challenge to fill a massive window at this year’s Burnham art trail. The venue is opposite the railway station, so its a fantastic opportunity for my work to be seen by a wide audience. The problem is, my usual smallish, detailed, painting style would have not taken advantage of such a good situation… so, I require a solution. Its the catalyst I’ve been looking for, and its already paying dividends.

Even though these initial, explorative, paintings have been reasonably small in size, I’ve been painting with far less detail and precision, and concentrating on capturing the mood with expansive brush strokes and subtle tonal changes. Its been a huge sea-change to step a couple of paces back, as to assess the progress of the work. Most of these paintings have been executed with a wide one-and-a-half inch brush, with smaller brushes employed to render the occasional flecks of light. More importantly, I’ve been using acrylic inks, tinted with watercolour, to create some fully opaque areas and a whole new feel to my works… and, although it hasn’t been easy, it feels so good right now!

Lino…

I’m planning my first lino-cut tonight… actually I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I’ve always felt my work lacked clear, precise, draughtsmanship… but then again, that’s me, and I guess my art will reflect my impulsive temperament! So, it occurred to me that I needed to work in a medium in which I wouldn’t have as much latitude to ‘go-with-the-flow’ as I do with my paintings. However, I wanted some feedback from one process into another, thus I decided my first lino-cut efforts would be based on an element, or elements, present within one of my paintings. So I was really pleased when I, with a liberal dose of serendipity, produced this a couple of nights ago:

Its the roofline, and the slightly awkward conjunction, of the cottages that caught my attention, and, I believe, these dynamics could be the ‘hook’ on which the whole composition hangs. Of course… it will probably all go horribly wrong… wish me luck!

Small achievements

I’m just sitting here, on the sofa, in peaceful silence, looking at some of my recent works, with the smug satisfaction that the odious task of the yearly tax return has been concluded for another year. My thoughts are focussed in the direction of my small, but budding, art business, and my strategies over the forthcoming few months. I believe the business of building a career in the field of art, as my want, is somewhat analogous to the process of painting. At first, you’re presented with a blank sheet of paper. You have already decided the order of progression… the first, bold, washes of colour are applied with ease. Next the mid-tones are applied, then darker areas of tone, and some loose details are added… but is it progressing out as you planned? It doesn’t look right now, but will be OK at the end? Of course, you can never foresee the final result. You must trust your knowledge and instincts… but, sometimes, that’s not enough. OK, you can throw away a painting, or you may be lucky enough to make some corrections, but can you do that with your career? My point is, its important not to concentrate on the here and now, and deeply consider your actions, as your poor decisions could have negative implications in the future. I’m hoping that I can look back, in a few years time, with the satisfaction that my judgments were, on the most part, correct and true – I’m trying my best to ensure that is the case!

2012: Looking forward

2011 has been a year of tremendous change for me artistically, and for my art business. Things have moved at such a pace, it has been difficult to keep up. But for all the positive developments there still remains one paradox… I have trouble balancing: my art and the business of promoting and selling my work.

Now that my work is in a couple of galleries, and I will be looking to find another outlet in the new year, I have had to raise my prices on-line so that they’re consistent with those in the ‘real-world’. I was apprehensive of course, but I feel I have developed, substantially, over the last twelve months. So much so, I, for the first time, have the confidence in my art and the direction it is going. A few sales, at the said higher prices, has further bolstered my confidence.

Artistically, I have started the process of slowing down… introducing greater thought and concept into my works. Still experimenting… still trying to express my love of the landscape through my work. I have no major exhibitions planned for this year, although I have booked a small-scale solo exhibition locally. I also intend to participate in three local ‘art trails’ in the forthcoming year, as last year’s provided a major boon in terms of promotion and sales. Thus, there will be no pressure to produce. I can take my time and concentrate my efforts.

But this relative success brings its own problems. When I started to sell work on-line, just over a year ago, it was at a price point were new patrons would be tempted to buy my paintings. Now, at the inflated prices, I believe it will be difficult to sell artwork to the buyer unfamiliar with my work. How do I provide an entry point, price-wise, without devaluing my original pieces? This is an area where I have done some serious soul-searching over the past couple of months. I think I have cracked it. Yes, part of the answer is providing digital prints, but I still like the concept of producing something properly hand-crafted… watch this space. 

Also, in 2012, I aim to improve my draftsmanship… an area where I believe I’m a little deficient… but I know I’m on the right-tracks, and a fully intend to improve further. However, the ‘here-and-now’ isn’t important… its the getting where you want to be… and that will take time… and I have time.