Updates from Terri on Her Art Journey
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One of my business goals for the third quarter of 2021 was to start selling some of my “creations” on my Fine Art America (FAA) store by the end of September. So, I’m happy to report that another goal has been reached!
Just last week, someone bought a tote bag featuring my “Blue Hummingbird Painting” from FAA. She bought the biggest size bag (18” x 18”) and she paid $18 (plus $10 for shipping). Never mind that my first customer happens to be my little sister. And never mind that my profit is a measly $2. The point is I met my goal by making my first online sale before the end of 3QFY21. At some point, I hope to be able to sell some of my ORIGINAL artwork on eBay. But for now, I’m selling my creations as REPRODUCTIONS through FAA at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/7-terri-thompson You can also access my art store on FAA by going to the SHOP page here on my website at https://www.territhompsonart.com/terri_thompson_art_store.html and hit the SHOP NOW button. My main reason for selecting Fine Art America as my online marketplace is that they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if a buyer is not happy with a purchase. But the quality of FAA’s print-on-demand technology is superb, so if you’re not satisfied with one of their reproductions, it’s probably not because they’ve done a bad job. (You can’t blame them for bad art; that’s my fault!) The other important reason I’ve chosen FAA to reproduce my artwork is because of the huge variety of products they are able to make using my original creations. From wall art (including framed prints, canvas prints and posters) to home décor (such as throw pillows, duvet covers, shower curtains, coffee mugs) and lifestyle items (tote bags, jigsaw puzzles, face masks, stationery, etc.), they take care of the printing, framing (in case of wall art), manufacturing, packaging and shipping. And they let me choose how much I want to charge. Because I’m just starting out, I’m making the prices extremely reasonable (that’s why I’m only making two bucks on my first sale!). For example, small prints (8” x 6”) and posters (10” x 8”) start at just $17 (plus shipping). Throw pillows and iPhone cases are $24 each. Of course, if you’re a big spender, you could pay a couple hundred dollars or more for a large (30” x 30”) framed-ready-to-hang print. As I mentioned, I’ve already got three dozen creations ready for reproduction. Would you do me a favor and take a look at my current inventory? Whether you’re in the market to buy art or not, I’d appreciate your feedback. Now it’s time to set some goals for 4QFY21!
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This week my art journey took a bit of a detour. I got off the “reality” track and did something a little more abstract. It was part of Nicholas Wilton’s “Creative Breadcrumbs Challenge” where I threw out the window everything I’ve ever learned about composition and color combinations. (If you want to learn more about Nick’s process, check out his website at www.art2life.com ) By freeing myself of all the rules and regulations of traditional art, I explored new (to me) bold colors and just went wild. To be sure, it’s quite a departure for me. And, in fact, I’m calling this stage of my journey “depARTure.” After all, ART is in the middle of that word, right? At the top of this blog post are my first three abstracts which I’m calling “The Angry Man” series because my sister says they remind her of an angry man. Do you see an angry man there? The next four (found here) are part of my “Shapes” series. They were inspired by my husband who simply suggested I paint triangles. And then there's this odd little thing I'm calling "Something Different." So what do you think of this style of painting? It's abstract, for sure. But is it art? If I get enough positive responses from my friends and family, perhaps I'll add some of these to my portfolio.
My final watercolor assignments for Jenna Rainey’s 30-day course were these jungle scenes. In case you can’t tell what they are, the top is a wide landscape of a misty jungle; the bottom is a close-up of a colorful parrot peering at you from a tropical rainforest.
These two pieces incorporate just about everything I learned this past month. It’s been a fun, challenging and rewarding experience and I recommend the course (found in Jenna Rainey’s book, “Everyday Watercolor”) to anyone who wants a basic understanding of the techniques used in watercolor painting. As a bicoastal journalist-turned-painter, I’m blessed to be able to split my time between Nevada and New England. If you’ve been following me on my art journey, you know that I’ve spent the past month mostly in Connecticut working on my watercolor skills.
My last couple of assignments for Jenna Rainey have been landscapes. And, lo and behold, they’re desert scenes (above), making me homesick for Las Vegas. Why don’t I paint like this when I’m actually IN the desert?!? (Oh yeah, because watercolors dry too fast in the desert!) Using pretty much everything I’ve learned so far about watercolor, including Wet-on-Dry (WOD) and Wet-on-Wet (WOW) techniques, aerial and atmospheric perspective for depth of field, color balance and harmonies, and painting in multiple layers, I took my time with these projects. With watercolor, especially the WOD method, you must let layers dry before painting over them, so I let these paintings sit overnight before completing them. Plus, as my instructor notes, “Taking a break from such a detailed painting is good to help rejuvenate those creative senses.” Alas, I have just one more assignment to complete this course. God willing, I’ll share that with you next week. As I continued my “Everyday Watercolor” lessons with Jenna Rainey this past week, I learned how to paint more complex subjects by practicing alternating portions of each painting with Wet-On-Wet and Wet-On-Dry techniques. We also studied important concepts such as value, volume and depth. An important lesson I’ve been learning about watercolor painting: YOU GOTTA HAVE PATIENCE.
This week had a lot of bird projects. The chickens and hummingbird were particularly fun to paint. By combining “S” and “C” curves, I was able to create gesture and movement in the figures. By breaking it down into basic shapes and using curves, I followed form and painted the toucan in sections. We also started to get into a bit of landscape painting. For the desert scene, I used Wet-On-Dry technique to practice depth of field and atmospheric perspective. Placement of the horizon line, I learned, is an important part of any landscape drawing. Rather than putting a horizon line in the middle of the painting, it’s best to place it at either the top two-thirds or bottom two-thirds. A horizon line placed in the upper two-thirds of the composition highlights the foreground, placing those subjects in focus and accentuating the depth of field. A horizon line placed on the lower two-thirds of the paper gives it a more expansive look, with the big sky covering most of the piece and evoking the loneliness and emptiness of the landscape. My favorite project for the week was the most challenging. In case you can’t tell what it is, it’s supposed to be an overgrown jungle with towering trees. Because the trees extend beyond the top and bottom of the painting, it forces you (the viewer) to use your imagination to create in your own mind the expansive scene beyond what’s on the paper. For me, it’s beginning to feel more like art precisely because it involves the viewer’s interpretation. What do you think? |
AuthorTerri Thompson is a journalist-turned-visual artist, who is on an "art journey" and exploring how to tell her stories through her watercolor and acrylic paintings and photographs. Categories |