Artist and Craftsman Supply graciously put together a show not long ago called Full Spectrum.  In the midst of focusing my energy on answering calls to artist and prepping for an introductory acrylic paint class I put together a few paintings and answered the call.  The two paintings were a simple test from the start.  Can I pull something together presentable? In a short time?  The answer was yes! 

What I learned from this, and other similar experiences, is these are as a "stretch" exercise these two pieces did work.  The time and

materials requirements were met.  A new electronic template for artist tags was created.  This creation actually saved me time creating a file from scratch on a subsequent and much larger solo show a month later.  The "telling" was deeper for me.  With the technical goals met, the unmet goals of ​showing the work to a purchasing audience and moving pieces permanently out of my studio left me wanting.  It was never really built into this venue.  My 'emerging' artist was showing through, I should have taken into consideration when answering the call.  Caught up in the 'participation' and 'potential' my business sense flew the coupe instead of the art.  With that being said, the lesson will likely be repeated a few more times.  Finding the right markets, turning shows into sales, is trial and error for me at this point. 

Since then I have taken some  advice and seen it's truth in action.  It was simple when explained, "because of the size and price, both decision makers need to be present for the purchase" and "SHOWING isn't the same as having someone SELLING" my work.  Both these truths were so glaringly obvious at my last solo show, I am still in awe.  It was a show which I was certain was going to be another waste of my time but still wanted to meet a goal of 'showing' monthly (set six months ago), so on I went.  Doubts in tow as I hadn't sold a large painting in a while.  Internally I was beginning to wonder if there is a market for my work.  Then it happened, a couple who walked in talking about my paintings, when their friend asks which one they are going to buy...a few minutes later the painting was sold!  If that wasn't enough for this truth to be driven home, the person who shared the advice entered the venue!  Running through the progression of the sale along with a few other examples of how her advice helped me, I was able to impart that her time and guidance were well spent.  

From one show to the next, one experience to the next and one lesson to the next I am grateful for the people and opportunities I have been privileged to encounter.  Looking back, it has been a fruitful adventure, looking forward I am filled excited anticipation.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me! 

Date and time: April 20th, May 4th 9am -1 pm
Where:  Village Gallery of Arts (503) 644-8001
Cost:  $100 members /$110 Non-members,
Materials:  $10
Are you ready to explore acrylic painting, want a refresher or simply interested working on an acrylic painting in a friendly group setting?  In this introduction we will delve into acrylic painting while we create landscape, floral, abstract and a macro perspective painting.  Each artist will select their own pallet and element based on their experience, preferences and   ​

comfort level.  Everyone will walk away with their own unique creations.  Find answers to these questions and more…

• Why acrylics?
• What are the basic techniques of painting with acrylic paints?
• How do I pick the right paint, brushes and sub straight?
• How do I care for and clean my equipment?
• Where do I start?
• How do I fix mistakes?
• How do I get that color?     

​If you have favorite acrylic paints or brushes, feel free to bring yours.  

All acrylic paints are not created equal.  Golden Fluid Acrylic paints have been my go to since 2015 through a little accident that I didn't feel the shop owner should have pay for.  Yep, I opened a bottle of paint and gave it a little squeeze. 'Blurped'  it all over the lid, now who would want to buy 

​2 oz of used paint for $7.  So I paid for my new paint, took it home and applied it to my Gelli Plate.  Talk about serendipity, this paint spread ultra thin, was translucent making absolutely glorious mono-prints (check out the Mono Print Birds).  ​​Fast forward to 2019 and I'm preparing to teach an introductory acrylic painting class.  By now I have painted hundreds of paintings using my beloved paints but what paint should I use for an introductory class and how do these relatively expensive paints compare to other brands and types of acrylic paints? 

​In another article Play Time I noted a two dimensional portion of a face done in needle felting.  A friend had invited me to attend a needle felting workshop for beginners.  Having completed several landscapes and a few three dimensional projects over the past several years I don't exactly 

in my drawing practice,  As I embarked I wasn't sure I would be able to pull it off successfully.  Everyone around me was working on landscapes, birds, fish and flowers.  Sink or swim, I dove in and wasn't disappointed. ​fall into the beginners category so I fell to thinking of how I was going to challenge myself.  The thought came to mind of a sphere painting practice in a video the day before and an eye ball has always been a ​challenge, and joy,  ​​The first challenge I encountered was skin tone, learning how to add very fine layers with a limited pallet (four shades from flesh to brown) with a bit of white.  

As artists we need to practice our craft to have regular growth.  Over time I've seen patterns in my growth and reoccurring themes across mediums.  On this blog thread I would to share some of my practice pieces and a little bit about them.  Feel free to comment and share yours.  Be sure to check out my Still Life page for a gallery of free images if you would like to play along.

This hammer image was my first attempt at close up realism in Acrylic Paint on canvas.  It was fun, challenging and took far longer than I anticipated.  When I set out the goal was to render a close up, almost abstract, image with details.  The final painting was a little less abstract than what was in my minds eye as the perspective was not as close-up.  This exercise required me to figure out how to render wood grain with acrylic paint and how to mix a multitude of rusty and metal colors from the for primary colors yellow, red, blue and white while keeping differences in value and texture.  At one point, while blocking in the image, the thought crossed my mind to stop painting as the abstract image appealed to me so greatly.  

​Let that inner child run free with all the art supplies.  Try something new every day, make a mess, and answer the question of "Can I do that?" with a resounding "Yes!".  Try something new, learn and "fail forward".  ​Variety is the spice of life it has been said, and I tend to live it in my art endeavors.  In the past month my interest have taken me into...

• Bullet Journaling, hand made journal and each page layout is an original composition 
• Creating a calendar that required a bit of photography, poetry and a lot of patience with technology and the printer,
• The question of which acrylic paint best suited my needs lead to a comparison of 6 brands.  Creating a color wheel, swatches, tinting chart and a detailed analysis. 
• The former question also lead to a series of paintings to see how many canvas' can be covered with 16 oz of paint...I'm still working on that one. 
• An invitation lead to a day of needle felting, friends and food at the coast and ended in an ambitious partial face.  
• Re-work a print lead to designing an entertaining alphabet
• A new painting "Blue Girl Rising" lead to cutting a stencil and the concept for another book that will require 8 more paintings.  Currently I'm just shy of being a third of the way completed with the paintings.  
• A fellow artist interest in learning the basics of painting with acrylics lead to the development of an Introduction to Acrylic Paining class.  Which lead to the need for new paintings, answers to questions like what paint is the best and why, which brushes would I suggest, etc. which lead to some of the aforementioned fun.
• Trying out new ideas, styles and techniques lead to more of the same in many paintings.  Macro, micro, abstract, realism, traditional painting, pallet knife, 
• When I needed something with visual interest I came up with a hammer with character.  From this I thought what a fun idea to do still life with tools and capture their character for future projects.  Check out the Still Life Gallery

It does appear that my inner child when on an art rampage this last month.

Shortly after embarking on the Americana series, a large 48" x 48" canvas is only partially completed.  I began working on smaller pieces ranging from 12" x 12" to 20" x 24" and exploring the symbolism and the reoccurring themes.  It turns out, for me, Unity is at the core.  This comes at a time when America has become more polarized politically and socially than I ever recall.  Maybe it is the unfiltered wilds of social and mainstream media where we receive a barrage of messages condemning and ostracizing any group.  Everyone asserting 

their point of view is the truth, one religious sect, race, creed, orientation, age group against the other, or so it feels.  The more I considered each new piece the more I wanted to impart a sense of unity.  A sense of unity is why we or our fore fathers & mothers came to the United States of America and never left.  We unite in our dreams of freedom, in opportunities and out of oppression.      

How do we build unity and come together?  How do we begin meeting in the middle, embracing our differences, respectfully disagreeing and caring for one another?  Queue the eye rolling and groans,,.if only the deed were as easy as the words...but they are.  Each of us can infuse our world with more compassion and understanding for others and ourselves.  We can make a choice to not have a temper tantrum and yell or honk, we can choose our words to be lifting without putting others down, we can find the joy in a mundane task, we can make eye contact and a head nod or smile and let others know we see them, we are together, we are united.

​Recently the idea of wall art in the theme of "Americana" came up.  As I mulled over the possibilities, poked around the internet and considered the current cultural and political climate my questions grew.  Couple this with a lens provided through on the job training with my employer, who is deeply committed to serving a diverse group of people in need, along with the barrage of media images and stories it occurred to me, Americana as a theme would make for an exciting series. 

Exploring the concept further I wondered about the origination of Americana.  The questions kept coming.  What Americana might look like to people relatively new to this country, say less than three generations vs. those who can trace their lineage in this country further?  How the imagery would be affected by the combining of newer cultures and the current dominant culture.  Would the blending of the traditional Americana concepts with the waves of new people from diverse backgrounds or cultures that have traditionally been suppressed be palatable?  What would the imagery be?  How would I personally discern the pop culture iconography from what each culture holds dear as they jump into the melting pot that is the United States of America? Is it possible for me to depict, in a semi-abstract context, the pride in both America and the strong cultural ties that are not associated with the dominant culture?  Can the two concepts be embraced and combined?  Can we remain the land of opportunity with open arms for the tired huddled masses? These questions will fuel my upcoming series "Americana Revisited".

With a sense of inclusion and embracing our shared humanity my curiosity begs that I ask you, the reader: "What makes you personally proud to be an American?  Do you have strong personal ties to a non-dominant culture?  What imagery or concepts resonate with you, swelling your heart with pride, when considering the blending of these two cultures? and "Are you willing to share your thoughts with me and the internet in an uplifting way?".

Update:  Images here:  www.virginiasumnerart.com/americana.html

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Virginia