Cheap and Cheerful or Big and Nasty?

I decided to paint a series of smaller, more affordable oils - still focussing on the representational work I prefer - but aiming for a broader market. Not that my price bracket is outrageous, but often people have less hesitation with a smaller purchase.  If I price per square inch, it earns me roughly the same profit as a big painting anyway.
Big and nasty? No, you don't need to purchase one large piece and have a nasty Visa bill at the end of the month. Make it a joy to collect several small works and put them together in a grouping. The artists you support will definitely be cheerful and you'll have had the fun of hunting for just the right piece.
www.sherrymccourt.com.au

Bakehouse Gallery - Patonga

I love heading down to Patonga on a Sunday arvo to catch up with Jocelyn and Robin. There's always something in the gallery that I can learn from and today is no exception. I've been thinking I should do some smaller ones, ie 6" square, in oils. Jocelyn Maughn has some that are terrific examples of how a small work can look so much bigger. She can fit in several small figures or local scenes and they just shine with light and clarity. I wish I was as clever :) The gallery has also produced 2013 calendars of Jocelyn's work, second printing now available but selling out fast. I got one (I am not supposed to know it) for Christmas.
http://www.sherrymccourt.com.au

Next time I say I am going to paint boats, hold me back

I thought that next year I should try and do something a bit different for the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Since I had never entered the Maritime section, and since we live near some pretty interesting fishing villages, it made sense to try and capture the early morning return of the fisherman. It's a fairly big piece (30" x 40") and besides the boat, and the fishing guy, there are 9 pelicans and one lonely seagull all trying to take advantage of the fish cleaning chore. I am calling it "Flash Mob". It's one of those ideas that sounds good until you try and produce it. Do you know how many fiddly lines and ropes are on a boat??? It's a lot of effort to make it right and I am thinking I should stick to people or trees.

Rethink How You Organise Your Exhibitions - Part 1

Meeting with a dozen other artists today to organise our annual Easter art show. Last year we ran it more as a cooperative opportunity rather than the typical you-drop-it-off-and-pick-it-up idea. It worked a treat. Instead of letting sold work hang until the end of the show, we offered the purchaser the work immediately and let the artist hang another work in it's place. That is a change that's been long overdue. Why should the artist lose a selling opportunity? Major retailers don't let space lie idle, so why should we?

It's really  hard to concentrate on doing commissions when your heart is aiming for some other project on the go. I started a 12" x 48" canvas using pen and ink, coloured pencil, watercolour etc of a local cottage. It's such a gorgeous historical home - small, with two old rusty watertanks, an outdoor clothes line and an outside toilet. I've been walking past it for years, taking the odd photo at different times of day, trying to work out how best to paint it. I KNEW there was a painting in there somewhere, but just couldn't see it. One day, I used the panorama shot with my camera and - yep - there it was. Now, if I were a plein air painter, I don't think I would have figured it out. I needed a 180 degree view, plus a bit of geometrical goofing around to make a better balance.
www.sherrymccourt.com.au
www.facebook.com/SherryMcCourtFineArt

Repainting a sold piece - Version 2

Commissions come in waves, sometimes you don't get any requests and then suddenly you have three. Currently I am redoing one called "Beach Buddies" which you can see on my website. I don't often like to redo work, because it can be a bit tedious, - plus it's not new creativity. These ones do, however, pay bills too and are often faster to do the second time.
I've been asked if it is appropriate to redo my own original. Is it to the detriment of the owner of the first original who now has an original with a twin? I believe that since the artist retains ownership of the image, of course the work can be redone. Plus artists often reproduce popular pieces in the forms of prints, etc.



For other work, please go to http://www.sherrymccourt.com.au