Art Donations

Work in Progress, “Jaxon”

2011 Copyright, Valerie Jones

I recently ran across an article on Empty Easel, titled Getting Requests for Artwork Donations?  The article is about what to do if you are asked to donate your artwork. 

I occasionally get requests to donate a piece of artwork to a good cause.  If I believe in the cause, I will donate a small piece.  Art takes time to produce and time is valuable. 

The article goes on to explain that blogging takes time too.  If you have noticed, I haven’t been blogging the last several months.  I will not make excuses but will state the facts.  I had been working on a commissioned piece.  When I work on commission, blogs from me will cease to exist.   I also have a young family that is important to me.  Their needs will be met before blogging can occur.  I would like to be able to blog three days a week, but right now that is not possible with my life schedule.  I also work so most of my artistic energy goes there.

My goal for this summer is to post once or twice a month.   If time allows, I will post more frequently.  I enjoy hearing from each and everyone of you!

Everything’s Coming Up Roses

Study of a Rose

by Valerie Jones (2011)

My goodness, it has been quite a while since I posted anything.  While my readers have been busily writing and keeping the world up to date with their lives, I have been playing nursemaid, mother, wife, and the many other hats I wear.

I did this painting today at work for a group of painters.  I showed them what a painting will do when you add just a little more darks and lights to the mid-tones.  And I showed them what a painting looks like when you mix your own darks and not use black.  For some reason, they love black.  I do not use black.  I mixed red and green with a little blue to get the darks on the rose.  I added a little more blue to the dark color to get the darks on the green background.

This painting will be donated to our local United Way chapter for their awards ceremony in May.  I work for Elder Care and the art department has been asked to paint 25 paintings to be put on plaques for the award ceremony.  We did this last year and it was a success!

Jones’ Pump Jack

Jones’ Pump Jack

Copyright 2011 Valerie Jones

This piece was done with Prismacolor Colored Pencils and Derwent Watercolour Pencils.  The pump jack was completed first using the Prismacolor Colored Pencils.  I completed the pump jack first as an experiment.  The colored pencils acted as a crayon resist to the watercolor,  just as I’d hoped it would.  No masking needed.

I completed the background using the Derwent Watercolour Pencils.  This was achieved using a wash on the background first.  To create the textures, I dipped the watercolour pencils in water to soften.  This is a great way to create texture.

Have a wonderful day living creatively!

Negative Beliefs About Art – Thoughtful Thursday

Copyright 2010 Valerie Jones

In the book, The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron states, “Much fear of our own creativity is the fear of the unknown.” I have tested this theory and find she is absolutely right! If I am fearful of a technique or medium, I have trouble starting new artwork.

The author lists some commonly held negative beliefs:

“I can’t be a successful, creative artist because:

1.   Everyone will hate me.

2.   I will hurt my friends and family.

3.   I will go crazy.

4.   I will abandon my friends and family.

5.   I can’t spell.

6.   I don’t have good enough ideas.

7.   It will upset my mother and/or father.

8.   I will have to be alone.

9.   I will do bad work and not know it and look like a fool.

10.   I will feel too angry.

11.   I will never have any real money.

12.   I will feel bad because I don’t deserve to be successful.

13.   I will have only one good piece of work in me.

14.   It’s too late. If I haven’t become a fully functioning artist yet, I never will.”

When we have these negative thoughts, they are just negative thoughts. There is rarely any truth to them.

Keep thinking about the negatives and you will become scared. You will start believing these negative thoughts and become too scared to create.

Julia also says, “Most blocked creatives carry unacknowledged either/or reasoning that stands between them and their work. ‘I can either be financially successful or an artist.’” She was writing this for me! I was taught through society that you can’t make a living as an artist.

Next time on Thoughtful Thursday, we will explore ways to turn these negative thoughts around.

Jones Jack – Work In Progress

Jones Jack – Work in Progress

Copyright 2010 Valerie Jones

My current work in progress is an antique pump jack.  Since we have the family name of Jones, my brother-in-law requested I draw this for him.  My husband and my brother-in-law do part- time work in the oil field, so this is fitting for them.

I am drawing this on Arches 140 lb watercolor board.  The pump jack is done with Prismacolor colored pencils and the background will be done with watercolor pencils.

Ann Kullberg’s Portrait Tool Kit became a valuable tool for this rusty old jack.  I used the portrait tool kit to get the values of the metal correct.  Some of the shadows in our skin are the same as rusty old metal!  Truly amazing!

Cross Stitched Christmas Stocking

Copyright 2010 Valerie Jones

 

As promised, here is the finished cross stitched Christmas stocking I made for my daughter.

The next unfinished cross stitch project that I need to complete is an afghan.   It has cute kitty pictures on it.

Happy stitching!

Shadow Artists

 

Copyright 2010 Valerie Jones

During my absence this past month, I have been refueling my inner well.  After finishing a piece of artwork that drained me of energy, I took a break.  During this break, I have kept my creative juices flowing by cross-stitching.   I’ll show you the cross-stitch piece after it is complete.

Now to this week’s Thoughtful Thursday -

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce

Are you one of those people who likes art and artists but are too fearful to start being creative?

I used to be one of those people.  Then one day I decided to stop admiring the work of others and try it for myself.  I am so thankful that I didn’t let fear get in the way of those first attempts.

In those first attempts, I wanted everyone to like my paintings.  One person in particular did not like my paintings.  All it takes is one person to put the fear of disapproval.  Even though that person didn’t like my paintings, I had enough support from others that kept me creating.  Don’t put your paintings under the bed  and stop creating if someone disapproves.   We aren’t here to please everyone.  We are all uniquely different.  What one person don’t like a lot of others will like.

Some shadow artists live their creative life through others.  They might marry an artist or become friends with an artist.

Another reason someone might not create is that all their lives they have been led to believe that art is a hobby.   We hear words like, “Making art won’t pay the bills.”  So, we find jobs that pay the bills but end up hating the work.

All it takes to create is a baby step toward that first piece of artwork.  Take an online drawing course, get a book on how to draw, or take a drawing class in your local area.  You will be the same age in 5 years if you take that first step or not.  Why not take that first step?  I took that first step 24 years ago.