Ten Suggested New Year's Resolutions for Art Students

I've not started back teaching yet, but thought I would give readers or art students ten suggestions for New Year's Resolutions. 
It's only January 5th so it's not too late. After Jan 10th, resolutions are called "goals". My rule. But goals are just as good as resolutions!

1.  Paint looser. (This one is for me. I'm a lifelong student too!)
2. Paint standing up if you can so that you can walk away and look at your painting every few minutes. Do this to know when you "have it right".  As I was painting this week I realize that I walk continuously. This is the thing that my students need to do more. If I could get them to do that they would know when to stop painting the life out of much of their work. It needs to be seen a few feet away to judge how it really looks. 
3. Paint more AND use more paint.
4. Draw more.  
5. Do more value studies in paint and pencil or marker to understand perspective and form and mass. 
6. Find an art book that you like and just study the paintings in good light. Study closely and then squint and study them to see the values. Get a magnifying glass to look at smaller paintings as well as glance at them to see the first impression. That is the thumbnail and actually what a buyer sees as they glance at a wall of paintings as they come into a gallery. 
7. Read an art book and underline important things. Then read it again. Examples of good art books are both of Kevin McPherson's books and Tom Browning's books. Also Edgar Payne's book on compositions. 
8. Find a class or painting group to join.
9. Invest in the best brushes and canvas you can afford. If oils I like Robert Simmons signet brushes and Trekell brushes. Always use professional artist's grade paints too.
10. Visit large art museums and study the master paintings closely. Read good art blogs. Know good art. It will make you more critical of your own art and educate you about the amount of pant you need to use on your paintings.

Last year one of my goals was to start bright- and tone it down later. So here is one of my 2011 paintings that I really enjoyed doing. It was 48x36 and sold at Caron|Prince Gallery in Tupelo:

What are your own goals this year? Set some.

What helped you this year? Let me know!

Happy Painting and Happy New Year!

Paint Like You Don't Have a Motive

Ever heard this quote? 

Dance like nobody's watching;

Love like you've never been hurt.

Sing like nobody's listening;

Live like it's heaven on earth.

I want to add:

Paint like you don't have a motive.

This should be the first "rule" of how artists work. To do this we must be uninhibited and passionate!


Inhibitions dry up creative juices.


Here is a list of distractors:

• Wondering if it will "sell"
• Over analyzing 
• Overly concerned the "rules"/ technical aspects of painting
• Ambitious / competitive
• Behind in the job demands
• Losing the inspiration behind the work
• Comparing yourself to artists with more popular works 

Paintings are the words to the music of our lives.
Don't want to sound like a soap opera, but we can lose sight of the fact that all we are really doing is just showing the world our view. That's all original art is. To paint like you don't have a motive, leave inhibitions and materialistic motives behind and "adorn your painting with feeling". SHOW what that feeling is...  It may not be a prize winner, look like other art that is popular right now -or even sell. But it will be something you have done for yourself that feels good like singing in the shower and tending roses. It will make ALL your work have more soul and it will be a deep expression of who you are as a painter. You will always take pride in it. And you will know what connecting with a painting feels like.

Don't you think that people will pick up on that feeling when they see your work and connect with you? I do... I think that is what collectors are looking to do anyway. So put yourself out there.

Heart and soul works of art.
Here are some of my deepest most passionate "soul" paintings that I have mused over, prayed over, felt homesick and touched by, and adorned with paint and loved while I painted them. That takes a special kind of work. That means "putting yourself into your paintings." So I put my heart and soul into these works. There are many that will ALWAYS mean something to me and will always be some of my favorites. Here are just a few of those special works most that I have in my own collection:

 - An old barn near where I was born -©Dot Courson .

©Dot Courson- A road near Amish farms in our county 

Man on a mission - ©Dot Courson  (from a photo from a friend's mission trip)

©Dot Courson -Woods up the hill this past January's snow

©Dot Courson - An old place that reminded me of where I was born

©Dot Courson -A triptych of the Natchez Trace near where I've lived for a quarter century.

©Dot Courson -A painting I did right after meeting Andrew Wyeth and Helga in Maine

©Dot Courson  -Corner of the field near Corinth

Art Scammers Listed Online

We artists paint and need to sell our work. The selling of my work is usually left up to my galleries and I'm not in possession of much since I send it out to galleries.   I pay galleries (or should I say they require?) 50% commission to sell and promote my work.  I am grateful for their representation. 

My website is not to sell work, it's for people to see the kind of work that I do and for them to know something about me in case they saw my work, Googled my name, or wanted to see other paintings or read my bio. 

And yes, sometimes I gladly enter into contracts with those who want me to do a private commissioned painting. These are often regional clients who have seen my work in ads or magazines in the South. I enjoy doing these commissions. And I have sold work to my longstanding Facebook friends from all over the world. However, for someone to just "stumble upon" my work online -and buy it is not realistic in my opinion.

Someone (now a sweet friend) with southern roots once called me from Jackson Hole Wyoming to commission me to do a painting.  Since she also had a vacation home nearby, I suggested that I include the painting in a show I was having  near one of her homes and invited her to come to that show to look at the painting before purchasing it. That way,  if she didn't want it- no pressure- someone else would probably want it. Also she could see my other works. She loved it though- and bought it, and so I gave the gallery it's commission. 

A REAL collector!

I say this to let you know that I'm as honest  as I can be, and will bend over backwards to make buyers happy with a purchase. I try to be fair to collectors, galleries and everyone involved.  I want 100% happiness all the way around. 

But these days I'm getting wary due to so many scammers who contact me. So unless I know them I will check out those who email me because I receive so many emails in broken English with stories of how someone really really loves and wants my work, etc ...and more often than not its just a scam. 

I've never been "taken" but have heard from some who have lost their work. One artist's bank actually took a check and then two weeks after mailing the painting, was told that the check was no good!

My latest was the most authentic sounding email I've ever gotten because it didn't have the usual convoluted story about how he and his wife were moving and needed it in a hurry. etc, etc,.... and it was from the UK - a country which I've never had any scam attempts before. Here are the actual emails:

----- Original Message -----

From: Rupert Smallwood

To: artist@dotcourson.com

Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 9:54 AM

Subject: Fall Lake Oil on Linen 11 x 14

Hello there,

My name is Rupert. Was going through your works and love this piece. am really interested I would like to make the purchase if it is still available.

Thanks and i await your response.

Rupert.

----- Original Message -----

From: Jack and Dot Courson

To: Rupert Smallwood

Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 1:50 PM

Subject: Re: Fall Lake Oil on Linen 11 x 14

Hi Rupert,

This painting is available, and in my gallery- Southern Breeze Gallery. You can see it here at http://www.southernbreeze.net/tour156.htm

I see that it is listed as a 9x12 ...and priced accordingly.... but if my memory serves me right it was actually an 11x14. They will check and let you know if you contact them through the gallery.

Thank you for your interest in my work and let me know if I can help you with anything.

Dot

From this you can see the problem and time it takes with each of these scams. After writing him, I decided to search for a "data bank" to check out scammers and Googled this name & email:

 Rupert Smallwood and his Email: rupertsmall@yahoo.co.uk 

I found out there was such a site online.  Artquest has a list with probable art scammers and my old buddy Rupert was among them! I'm not surprised, just wish I'd checked before involving my gallery. I have no idea how accurate this site is and do not know whether this person is actually a scammer, but I'm not risking my artwork to find out......So now I am backtracking and sent my gallery the following email.

 Hi -

 Sorry- just checked and found that this is probably a SCAM. Do not respond to this email.  Googled his email address right after I wrote him that you had the painting, and got a long list of suspected art scammers. His email and name matched exactly. You may want to save this link:

http://www.artquest.com/artquest/scammer-names.htm

Dot

Just wanted you artists who read my blog know about this list on Artquest's site !

But it's all good. I escaped unscathed and hope that you do so as well. Keep the brushes flying and I wish you many sales. 

Collectors let me encourage you to buy original authentic work. Original representational works have soul and it means something! I am writing next about "Chinese art factories" where so called "original" art is produced in assembly lines. So during the upcoming holidays BUY AMERICAN- or if you are not American- buy LOCAL!


Update: This added to the blog after it was posted originally:
His latest email:

----- Original Message -----

From: Rupert Smallwood

To: Jack and Dot Courson

Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 3:28 PM

Subject: Hello

Hello,
How are you doing? Thanks for your prompt reply. Well, I'm quite satisfied but would also like to inquire about a minimum price...

Unfortunately, I'm on my way to France and few other countries on an official trip (I'm a marketing Executive) and wont be back for another couple of weeks, If you'd like to know, I'm relocating to the UK this month and I'm trying to gather some good furniture for my new abode. I'm buying yours piece amongst others, quickly! before someone else grabs it.:)
Glad if you could let me have me your phone no. so I give you a call.
Best Regards,
Rupert.

PS: In the mean time, you could forward me your full name and contact address so I can mail out the certified check to you ASAP.

So ah-ha! He IS moving!!! lol

Painting- FUN!! ...Washing Brushes - Not too bad!!!

What can be more fun than painting?

Especially in the fall! This is a photo from the side back of our yard looking back toward the house.


Below is a photo of me that Jackie, my husband took without my permission today. I'm painting the trees right behind our house and studio. My studio is upstairs and overlooks the woods. but I had to be outside to feel the light and be eye level with the trees. I have been working outside on this daily at 4PM - but today it was 3 as time changed last night:...

It was a pretty day today!  Here is Scaredy- my cat today - she always keeps me company!

Okay brush washing!
Awhile back a friend asked how I washed my brushes and suggested that I blog about it.
When I'm outside painting en plein air, I rinse my brushes in the portable brush washer and take it inside to my studio to re-rinse in a large vat of Gamisol that I have or wash them with my cleaner on the road. Sometimes I  just use white soap away from home to wash them daily.

...

The product at home that I use to wash my brushes I heard about from a workshop with David Leffel who let us use his Really Works. It is hard to find but I buy it from a friend  from Jackson and she is the only Mississippi distributor I think. Leave a note below or email me  if you'd like her email. address.

Clean brushes inspire me!!

These are my favorite Trekell brushes! I love them!
This whole set is only $39.20!!! 

 At home, I wash my brushes after several uses. I just rinse them after use in Gamisol in a vat and dip them in brush oil daily when I am finished painting.Weekly I wash them in  Really Works.
Currently in studio I am happy with the setup I have. Because I hate to wash brushes I was delighted that
Robert Harper told me about two products that I now use and love.
The first is an Army ammo box that you can get at Army surplus stores or E bay. I fill it about half way with Gamsol solvent.

Jackie (my wonderful husband and "hand model" here to the left) made me a wire mesh screen to fit the bottom so brushes can swipe across it without getting into the settled sludge.

The vat is perfect to wash out all the paint from brushes daily making sure all the paint is removed and they are almost clean bushes :

Kafka brush Oil  & Preservative  

Rubber seal on the ammo box closes tight to prevent evaporation & for travel!

• The other product that Bob Harper suggested was  Kafka Brush Oil and Preservative. Mine came from Dick Blick.  

Make sure the paint thoroughly removed by washing them by sloshing them back and forth  the Gamsol (which is purer and safer than turpentine or store brand odorless mineral spirits) or Turpenoid which comes from art supply stores. Then jjust dip (as pictured above) and wipe the excess oil off the bristles gently with a paper towel.

Once a week or so I clean the brushes as the above rinse and oil soak really does not remove all the paint form the ferrel of the brush. I dip the rinsed brushes into the Really Works....and wash them.

Washing brushes:

How to wash brushes: 

• Dip the brush into cleanser or liquid.
• Gently message the bristles from the ferrule working out toward the end of the brush. 
• Repeat rinsing between with warm or cool water until the suds are completely clean and 
• Also wash the handle at this time. 
• Do not splay brushes out when washing as it will dislodge, loosen, or break bristles.
• Do not use hot water - it may damage or loosen bristles. 
• Gently reshape the bristles and pat dry with a paper towel. NOTE: I lay them flat to dry so water doesn't flow back into the ferrule of the brush 

(BTW- a ferrule is the metal part that holds the bristles on the end of the brush.)

 I hear that Pine sol works well too, but I've not tried it. Really Works smells like pine Sol. I also use white soap occasionally. But Really Works will soak out old dried paint if you have a really messed up brush. I just wrap it up inplastic and leave it a couple of days and then wash it .It's saved a many a brush for me!

New brushes and an unfinished 20x24 plein air landscape I started lately in the woods near our home. 

That's it!  Happy brush washing and happy painting!

News from the studio...

It's November! Somehow doesn't feel Novemberish to me. Maybe it will once the time changes.I'm a night owl and am enjoying the light at the end of the day. That's about to change! Remember-time changes this coming weekend.

We had a wonderful group of artists here in Pontotoc coming to paint with Roger Dale Brown, at our third workshop this year. Roger is a great friend and had just returned from doing the Laguna Beach Invitational Plein Air show in California. It was perfect plein air weather here and we enjoyed some wonderful days painting with Roger and Beverly. Jackie and I always enjoy seeing artist friends and meeting new ones. This workshop, as usual- brought in students from three states: MS TN and AL to paint rural farms and fields in Pontotoc.  

Jackie hosted the workshop opening since I was at Southern Breeze Gallery who had a wonderful reception for my show on October 20th, If you have not been - I hope you get to go see my new work up close and personal.  I sent everyone who gets my NEWSLETTER images of my new works that were in the show - over 20 new paintings... Let me invite you to click on the Newsletter link above and sign up and view the archived newsletter. I don't send them out very often.

Several of my works were sold prior to the opening.....including this one:

Hot Hot Sunflowers 20x20 Oil. ©2011 Dot Courson

I have completed a couple of new paintings since the show! 

This one is at Caron Prince Gallery in Tupelo I named it Happy Ever After since it looked like I was riding off into the sunset as I painted it:

Happy Ever After 24 x 36 Oil ©2011 Dot Courson

Dru Jolly- a friend who's also in my class I teach in Tupelo. brought me some pomegranates (on the vine) from her daughter's home and also some fresh pears on limbs. I finished painting them last week:

Pomegranates and Pear 20x24 Oil ©2011 Dot Courson

I have this at home and it is my favorite painting since I painted Happy Ever After. There's a joke among artists that our favorite painting is usually the last one we did.....  : ) 

Until next time.... Dot

Thoughts on Painting Cotton...

 ‎"...the oldness of it all. That is something I always try to capture in my paintings- the oldness of a place...." - Roger Dale Brown (quote form American Art Collector July, 2011)

To be a good landscape painter you have to be able to paint what you see... To be a GREAT landscape painter you have to paint the scene in a way that is "minds eye" beautiful , tasteful, and artistically rendered. Here are photos of a "southern scene" - a delta cotton field scene and church that I'm painting right now:

Combined with:

Actually to be honest, I had neither photos in the studio while painting. If you've seen one of these delta churches and cotton fields you've about seen them all. I just love them - and have about memorized them. I just found these photo references for the blog for you to see in case you've never seen southern cotton fields and churches.  
Here's my small study (11x14):

A Southern Scene 11x14 Oil. ©Dot Courson

The larger one being painted from that first small painting: 

Larger version of A Southern Scene ©Dot Courson 2011

Teaching notes: Do it small first and see if it would make a good painting if done larger. 
That's what I did. Now I'm using it as a good reference for the larger version. Perspective has to be worked out on this type thing...so knowing how to draw helps. I made a decision about the direction of the light and started loosely massing in the "volume" of the cotton field and am adding the reds that show the cotton leaves' color more like they really look like when they're dying from being sprayed by defoliation spray and about to begin losing  their leaves. You don't have to paint every cotton bowl out there when you paint cotton. It's better to paint a few really well ....and then let the viewer will fill in the rest with their mind. I left the land across the road flat like the delta.





By the way...
It helps you paint a cotton patch like this from memory if you were born poor, (maybe in Mississippi and maybe in the delta) and probably lived in the 60's and at some time had a canvas cotton sack around your shoulders and know what it feels like to step between the rows and have felt the sting and residual soreness of the sharp husk of the bowls on your finger tips ...OR at least had a nap on your parents cotton sack as it's pulled through the shade of cotton stalks and drank iced water out of a mason jar that is insulated by a brown paper sack and actually be able to recall the SMELL of the brown paper sack and defoliating cotton as you paint. 


It's just not worth it for everyone... 

Life as an Artist

Being an artist is one of those jobs that requires flexibility. It almost helps if you are a little A.D.D. That way you are adjusted to jumping from one thing to the next without any problems. It's just the way your life works!

For instance: Today I plan to spend the day in the studio! But other things will come up. Truly as I write this I just remembered that I need to follow up with a friend /collector by making an appointment to visit her home.  She needs a painting, and wants me to see the space. But that is a good thing!

Yesterday I spent a good while in the studio painting a delta scene that I am considering for a larger piece. It is loosely based on High Cotton - a painting that I did a few years ago.  I'm in the process of getting ready for a solo show at Southern Breeze Gallery in October and trying to get about 20 paintings ready between now and then. The opening is on October 20 - (SAVE THE DATE!) - and it's the same day and time that we are hosting Roger Dale Brown's evening lecture at the opening here for his workshop. So I will go down and come back same night of the show to be here the first full day of Roger's workshop. He's been here so much he's like family and can do it himself anyway- besides Jackie will be here and he is used to running the workshops and is a great host and can handle anything! 

Most days for me are not just spent "behind the easel."  

I also have business correspondence an other projects that I'm working on and I rotate these projects. I thought it would be interesting to talk about the "real" artists life: things that I have worked on in the past several days. 

Last Friday 

I signed a contract with a new gallery! (more on this later) ...
That evening, I attended a show for the Mississippi Painter's Society at the Oren Dunn Museum in Tupelo.
I won first place! While there I spoke with Bob and Robbie Boyd about Bob's company doing a video to use for my workshop participants. That will be a future project, but thinking that it would be good to have one to give to my workshop participants to cover the main topics I try to cover in my workshop- or better yet: Things I do not have time to cover in the workshop!

Chores Come First- ©Dot Courson 2010 - Winner First Place - Mississippi Painters Society 2011

Over the weekend 

I painted some, but there was a frame sale and I ordered some small frames  and bought some photography books from Amazon to use for photographing with a digital camera. The book set was one recommended on the MS Artists Page on Facebook: Scott Kelby's Digital Photography. It was well recommended so I ordered it as I take a lot of pix and don't know what I'm doing. You honestly would be surprised to see the awful photos I use to paint from! I'm insulted if someone says that my painting looks like a picture. 

Monday

Taught my class that I teach 3 Mondays a month in Tupelo. That always is a fun time. They are really good students and I love my class! I helped them all work on their various paintings and covered some terminology with them from a book.Then I went to Office Max for supplies and to Hobby Lobby and picked up some artificial (but good looking!)  sunflowers to paint while they were 50% off. In the meantime, Jackie prepared some new panel surfaces for me and got them all prepped ready to paint! He's good!!! 

Tuesday

Painted and also cleaned my studio and washed brushes. Normally when I finish a paint session, I wash my brushes thoroughly in a Mineral Spirits bath that is in a resealable air tight ammo box that is Army green (Army Surplus store) that I saw Bob Harper use when he was here. I then soak them in Brush Oil and use them before I wash them weekly in a soap called "Really Works"  that David Leffel let me use once at his workshop. Yes, it really works! Jackie spray varnished a couple of paintings that I had ready to frame. (Did I tell you he's great?)

Finally finished a painting of the Grand Canyon for and continued to work on my little scene from the delta with a church in a cotton field last night and before I went to bed I updated my website that is on FASO and used one of their templates to re-design it. Check it out! I also added a few recent paintings. I would have uploaded more newer paintings I have not uploaded, but it took too long. Here's why: we are on a satellite internet as ATT does not have internet available where we live and none of the cable folks either so  we do not have any internet unless we use dial up or the Hughesnet satellite - which is what we use. It is still slow. I truly think that it's inferior to my smart phone's internet connection! 

Wednesday (yesterday)  

Signed Yellowstone Falls (see below) and Grand Canyon - two paintings that are going to a show next week in the Gumtree Museum in Tupelo and worked on the delta cotton/ church painting some more. These two are ready for retouch varnishings this week. I also picked out frames for them and received a frame order from UPS that came in and updated bills on my Excel spredsheet.

The Grand Canyon  Oil.  ©Dot Courson 2011

Since it was on my mind every night when I go to bed... I also started making notes about my contribution to an art book that will be published next year... because I don't know the deadline yet and want to be prepared! I have to admit it's a huge honor - but truly kind of daunting to be a part of a book! That's permanent. It needs some thought!  

Yesterday I also sent emails out about the Women Painter's of the Southeast where I am Secretary and on the Board and am helping plan our first juried show next year to be held at the Corse Gallery in Jacksonville, Fl., and I also called the new President of the Delta Art Association to declined a lunch there next week to plan the DAA show. She understood since I live over 3 hours from them. Then I mailed them money to use for food/ wine for the show and penciled it into my calendar and updated my calendar and realized I'd missed a meeting in Jackson with the Mississippi Art Commission that I was registered to attend last week! That jarred my brain and I also looked up a show in Memphis that I want to be in with the Memphis Germantown Arts League this fall ( and BTW - now I'm wondering if I put it into my iPhone calendar so that I won't forget that deadline! )

Finally, I spent some time on Facebook and replied to some messages from some dear artist friends...because....

 A girl has gotta have fun!!!