Category: Art

A Successful Art Event

The Greek Artists Guild Art Show/Sale was a success, for me at least. It’s been helpful to break the ice, so to speak, getting my work in front of people. I get a chance to talk to people about my process, get feedback, socialize a little with people I don’t know, and become more experienced at showing my artwork.

Here I am!
Here I am!

Participating in these low-key events is great. There’s no pressure, everyone is relaxed, the artists get a chance to met each other and discuss our work.

Another great thing is that it’s sponsored by the Federation of Hellenic Societies, a community organization in Astoria, New York, so there is no fee to show.

My table at the event with art and jewelry
My table at the event with art and jewelry

I brought plenty of work, too. Whenever I attend these events I never know what to bring as everyone has different tastes. One person may like landscape, another is drawn to still life work. So I bring everything!

Some work I matted, others I left flat. Nothing is framed. If I did that I wouldn’t be able to carry much with me. Like this I manage to fit it all in my portfolio case. Nice and easy.

It’s even more fun if a browser becomes a collector! I’m proud to say I sold a couple of works to some lovely shoppers.

Next post I’ll show you the works I sold and the stories behind them. A lot of fun for sure!

Loved Art is Happy Art

The little postcard sized watercolor painting I worked on for my twitter friend arrived safe and sound at it’s destination. How fun!

Here it is as photographed by the happy (thankfully) recipient:

Beach Shells, 6x4 Watercolor, Arches 140lb cold press paper
Beach Shells, 6×4 Watercolor, Arches 140lb cold press paper

Doesn’t it look sweet in this photo? I’m so glad it was so warmly received. I can’t wait to see how it looks when the new owner gives it a frame and a place of honor in their home.

A loved work of art is a happy work of art.

Painting Swap

After I entered the wonderful Twitter Art Exhibit in Orlando, Florida I enjoyed tweeting back and forth with some lovely fellow artists. So far I don’t think my postcard sized watercolor painting sold, but then again I haven’t been on the tumblr site to take a peek either.

The artists I virtually met on twitter are amazingly talented and ingenious. One in particular, Crystal Hover, was painting her business cards in her abstract style. Really striking work on such a small scale. Amazingly, she offered to send me one of her cards!

photo
Crystal Hover’s painted business card

How fun was that? One minute we’re yapping on twitter, and the next couple days I get this small painting in the mail. Crystal added a magnet on the back so it could sit on a fridge.

I decided I was going to swap with her, like some other artists were doing since Crystal was offering to send them mini works, too. I painted a postcard sized watercolor painting like we sent to the twitter exhibit.

Postcard size 6x4 Watercolor still life painting
Postcard size 6×4 Watercolor still life painting

It will be fun to hear how Crystal likes this painting. I hope she likes seashells.

New Painting for Monday

Monday is my favorite day of the week. The open-endedness of the weekend is too much for me. It seems I need structure. Or maybe I like peacefulness, something I can’t enough no matter when.

On Monday, if I’ve been good, I get to show you the latest work from my easel.

Using a photograph as my starting point, I sketched a scene from our Greece visit in watercolor paint on a small size paper pad. Just enough space to work quickly and get something down.

A quick watercolor sketch of boats at Amorogos, Greece
A quick watercolor sketch of boats at Amorogos, Greece

Again, I was using the Marabu watercolor paints I resurrected. Now that I know they’re “vintage” paints, I would like to preserve them for times I feel like using something special.

At least I got some work done. Now if I could figure out this website business, I can get back to work on a regular schedule. Otherwise, I’ll have no hair left on my head.

Working Past Resistance and Something to Show for the Effort

The amazing thing about studying getting past Resistance is how it really works.

Yes, I will raise my hand here, I have been slacking on my work. I was on a roll, and now I’m at the point where something has to happen or I am so firing myself. This is no way to run a business.

Subscribing to Steven Pressfield’s newsletters have been a great resource as well as his books. The other day I picked up Do The Work and read a passage that smacked me across the face, hard. It said to read some statements about what we want to do our art, and if we chose one of the lame statements we should just stop right then and throw his book in the garbage.

Wow. But you know what? That’s the thing that made me paint something. Anything. Just do the lousy work already! Process, something great can come of  just the process.

Working with watercolors with Marabu pan paints
Working with watercolors with Marabu pan paints

At my desk looking at an old set of pan watercolors in a tin box my Pop gave me years ago, I thought I’d just try them out. Just a small Arches pad of paper would be enough for a sketch in paint, I figured. I never thought I’d love these old Marabu watercolor paints, but the colors were surprisingly vibrant. By the time I decided I’d done enough I ended up loving my “job.” The paint just flowed on the Arches paper, nice mixtures of colors mingled together within pleasing shapes. All in all, a nice, satisfying effort for the day’s work. Yeah, well, let’s say a half hour’s worth. Sometimes, if I’m in it, that’s all I need.

 

RedPeppers
Red Peppers ©2014 Dora Sislian Themelis 7×10 Watercolor, Arches paper

Could it be that reading the butt kicking work about dodging Resistance helped? I think so.

Now, get to work!

A Visit to the Art Studio Space

While hanging out on twitter recently, another artist posted a view of her basement art studio set up. Well, I have the same view as she does and I took a couple of photos of my art space to show how similar it is.

Take a look at one side of my space:

The side of the studio with a window, my desk, and bookshelves
The side of the studio with a window, my desk, and bookshelves, and my “mushie”

On the opposite side of the room is the table where I work on my jewelry designs:

Jewelry workspace, paintings, easel
Jewelry workspace, paintings, easel

The Princess loves my studio space. I’ve set up my sons’ chalkboard/easel for her to use and she has a great time on that. She likes to say “Welcome to my art studio. Have a seat!” She cracks me up. I like how she paints, too.

She works like there’s no tomorrow, present, persistent, motivated, blocking out me and any distractions.

I wish I was like her.

The basement studio isn’t perfect. It’s far from ideal as far as natural light, ventilation and storage is a small problem. But it’s my space and I am glad to have it.

Mr. Resistance loves my little studio space too. He’s always there when I want to get things done. Wouldn’t you know?

In the Studio to Think, Maybe Paint

Unable to move forward lately, I decided to just sit at my desk and easel and think.

How hard could it be to beat Resistance, I thought to myself as I sat in the studio.

It’s been very difficult. Life is going to happen, no matter what. Other people go to a job every day. My job is to paint, so why don’t I do it, everyday like working people? If I was my boss, I’d have fired me by now.

Conte crayon sketch of the Elgin Marbles bas relief
Conte crayon sketch of the Elgin Marbles bas relief

Meanwhile, I was sitting at the desk looking at my brushes, paints, and papers strewn about. I thought about all the things I haven’t been doing, and then I went over all the work I have already finished, trying to turn negative into positive.

The quiet in the space was very satisfying. I looked at my stuff and daydreamed a little. The last painting I was working on sat on the easel unfinished nearby and I just noticed it there.

Sunny Sunflower ©2014Dora Sislian Themelis, 18x24 Watercolor, Arches paper
Sunny Sunflower ©2014Dora Sislian Themelis, 18×24 Watercolor, Arches paper

Then I leafed through a pastel pad I’ve used and found a couple of drawings in conte crayon in it.

Nice drawings, I thought.

A few moments passed when I found myself filling a small cup with water and adding color to the watercolor painting I haven’t touched for a couple of months. Before I could really grasp what I was doing, I finished the work and signed it.

Done!

Maybe that’s how work has to happen for the time being?