My one and only attempt at painting this year so far has not been particularly successful !

I am extremely distracted and wrongly assumed that I would be able to rush into the studio and create in between the chaos of celebrating matric results , the anxiety of waiting to hear from universities and the incredible turmoil of trying to organize a child leaving home to study in a different province.

The resulting painting is a mess but it can be painted over and I will begin again ! Which brings me to the point of using colour with confidence !

Because I was so unfocussed on my work, I was not painting spontaneously when I put brush to canvas. I was concentrating too hard on trying to “make it work”. I was not using the colours instinctively but trying to structure the painting with colours that by society “norms “should look good together.

Some artist may get it right, however, I never do. If I don’t paint from a deeper inner inspiration using the colours that make me feel good at the time, the work is not exhibitable.

I love colour, I thrive on it, and to me, living with colour happens instinctively. There are times though, especially when I feel stressed or when I have too much else on the go , that I let reasoning take precedent over instinct and that’s when the social “norms “of using colour come into play and mess up my work.

It has long been a trend to use “neutral “colours in our homes and for our dress codes because “neutrals” are safe !

According to Kelly Berg interior designer, colour consultant and writer, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’ve been trained to think that being neutral is a good thing. The word “neutral” has a mostly positive connotation in our society. If we’re neutral, we’re not hostile. We are not out to offend anyone. We are calm and under control. We go along with everything and are considerate of others. We don’t take risks, we don’t make statements, and we don’t express our true feelings. We do and think as we’re supposed to and in doing so we live in a safe and uncomplicated world.

For those of us who have been brought up with this belief , even we creative’s, it can be hard to feel brave about using colour whether we are dressing , painting our homes or creating a work of art.

Consider gazing over a beautiful green meadow sprinkled with wild flowers and commenting, “I love this landscape, but it’s just not neutral enough for me. I really would have gone with Tawny Taupe for the grass colour. It would be much more relaxing”?

Nature doesn’t care about being “neutral”, and neither should we. “Neutrals” were created out of fear. Fear of offending. Fear of committing. Fear of making the wrong choice. Fear of standing out and being different. But who wants to live in an environment built on fear? It’s time for us to
all say no to “neutrals” and happily embrace the hues that nature intended.

So to those of you who feel the desire to express yourselves in colour – BE BOLD ! Let go of what “should” look good or feel good and play with the colours that lift your spirit without giving thought to whether they work or not . My bet is that once you put the colours you love together, the look will work – simply because it’s no longer trying to be a “look”.

A question I am frequently asked is “how long does it take you to do a painting”.

To answer that, firstly, it depends on a number of factors. The subject matter, the size of the canvas and to what degree I am inspired to paint whatever it is I am painting.

Truthfully, it takes years. By this I mean it has taken years to reach the point in which I can execute a painting in a relatively short space of time.

It has taken years of effort to quieten my soul, keep my intentions clear and respect each brushstroke of each painting.

After a great deal of practice I no longer need to think about all the necessary movements I must make, they have become part of my existence.

A blacksmith working steel looks to the untrained eye as if he is merely repeating the same hammer blow, but anyone trained in an art will know that every time the blacksmith lifts the hammer and brings it down, the intensity of the blow is different. The hand repeats the same gesture but as it approaches the metal it understands that it must touch it with more or less force..

The moment comes when you no longer need to think about what you are doing. You become the brush, the paint, the canvas, the art.

I am very undecided as whether to keep with one theme for the book , or whether to submit a different subject matters for the book !

My paintings are very diverse and although the nude studies are my best seller and have become my “trademark “I love working with vibrant colour .

Here are a few photos , some input would be greatly appreciated !

I have finally taken the plunge and enrolled to study again. I have yet to discover where I am going to find the time amongst running a home , working and trying to civilize three teenagers , but as with most things in life , if we aspire to something badly enough , we will find a way to achieve it .

As far back as I can remember I seem to have been instinctively lead by colour. This extends to the decor items I choose, the colours I paint the walls in my home and the clothes that I wear. I have never been able to pick out an item of clothing to wear a day before I wear it. What I chose in my wardrobe in the morning largely depends on the mood I am in when I wake up. I cannot randomly select something off the hanger, I look at the colours and make a decision based on which colour makes me feel best.

Perhaps many people experience this; however I was not consciously aware of it until I attended an introductory course on colour therapy a few years back.

The curiosity to discover more on the influence colour has in our lives , the psychological and emotional effects of colour and the way in which it can enhance our living and working environments has finally overwhelmed me. Although the internet is a great source of information, what is revealed about this fascinating topic is limited. Hence the need to study the subject in detail.

Colour surrounds us; it feeds and nourishes our senses. We see it, feel it and absorb it.

Our bodies are stimulated and energised by some colours, or calmed and relaxed by others. Mentally and emotionally colours work on a deep level, changing our mood and our sense of well being, as well as others’ perception of us.

Right from the wearing of black and white to represent death, birth and renewal, the world over, the beliefs that colours symbolize are communicated with an extraordinary immediacy which words can never match.

There is one question with regards my work that I am asked more frequently than any other. “Do you use a model?”

Now, if this question were to be asked by a person genuinely interested in how I arrive at the completed work, I would be delighted to repeatedly explain the process, but sadly it is usually a prelude to or an attempt at a far more sinister topic of conversation and I am getting a little sick of it.

Only once have I ever been asked this question by someone who wanted a sincere answer, and that was because the lady asking the question had herself been a model for an artist.

Invariably the question is put to me by men who will often, on my reply, allude to a sexual fantasy they may have or make a sexually suggestive remark about the possibilities of what could transpire in my studio.

So, after the same question was put to me again yesterday, with the same follow through scenario I decided it time to burst the sexual fantasy bubble that seems to have attached itself to my art.

I do not use a model. Initially, when I began painting nudes, I used a model who I photographed (partially clothed, please note) and thereafter worked from the photographic material. Having now drawn the naked body for more than 10 years, I am very familiar with its structure, curves and any positions that the body could possibly achieve. I am familiar with skeletal and muscle systems as well as body language and if ever in any doubt, I am fortunate enough to have a body of my own to which I can refer, although this little piece of information has never previously been divulged for fear of inspiring further fantasy on the part of the person asking the question.

Perhaps the scenario of naked model and passionate artist is a recipe for endless fantasy and wild imagination and I have little doubt that erotic stories and pornography have encouraged the idea, however the reality of my work is very far removed from anything that could have a sexual connotation.

Firstly, finding someone to pose naked is difficult. Secondly, it is very seldom that I have a chance to work with no interruption; the need to see to a child or perform a household chore. Thirdly, my studio is a large room with direct access from the garage on one side, and from my 18yr old son’s room on the other which sees an endless stream of teenage boys filtering through to chat, admire art or grab a cup of coffee from the little kitchen area. There is no chaise longue, thick carpet and soft draping and the lighting is harsh daylight that pours in from the windows surrounding the room that both the neighbour and people in the street can see into.

Similarly, I have often had men propose their services, who are not only willing to pose naked for me, but incredibly enthusiastic about the idea. Once again, the emphasis on what it possibly could lead to being more of interest than any resulting painting. To again burst the bubble; male nudes do not sell to the extent that female nudes do and although there is a small market for them , it certainly does not warrant the employment of a male model.

Although art is indeed deeply personal and I do not live without fantasy, creating a painting requires the artist to concentrate fully on the work at hand. Dabbling in a little clandestine activity whilst trying to work would result in unsellable paintings, for me anyway .Of course I am aware that a little paint and a few soft brushes could do wonders for foreplay but if that were my choice of activity for the day I would not be disguising it under the pretext of work and certainly not with someone I barley know……..

The theory is that colours have healing energies and evoke certain emotions…

Colour conventions differ from one society to another. In Western cultures, red is supposed to be a fiery colour, green is said to be soothing. Another well-known example is with the two achromatic colours, black and white. Black is accepted as the symbolism of mourning in some countries, however it symbolizes wedding in some others . Many attempts have been made to identify the impact of various hues, but it cannot be ascertained whether these reactions are innate or cultural.

In working towards my next exhibition , in which the emotional value of colour is explored , I am experimenting with contemporary paintings in deep hues of various colours.

The idea came to me after one of my clients remarked that the colours in an abstract seascape I had painted “made him feel nice”.

Although the works may take the shape of a landscape or floral arrangement , it is the colour and the impact of it on the viewer , in which my interest lies.

I have deliberately not named these painiting , nor have I expressed my own interpretation of them .

Each individual viewing the work should have his or her own interpretation as to the emotions or feelings that the colours in the works invoke.

This allows each painting to become a personal experience to anybody who views them,whether the effect is calming, unsettling or inspires feelings of energy or contentment.

Most people have a favourite colour but seldom is it asked why or what feelings are evoked when the colour is viewed. Seldom does anybody really examine why the preference for one colour over another exists for them.

Colour psychology , or rather the psychological or emotional value thereof , is an extensive and interesting topic . I hope that this post might inspire the readers to consider their colour preferences and perhaps give me a little feedback on how their chosen colour makes them feel, what has influenced the choice of their favourite colour or what thought of feelings are brought to the fore when they see it.

I will expand on this topic in a future blog post !

After a recent comment on my last blog, I decided to dabble with “digital art “for a couple of hours today.

The reason behind this is that apparently digital artists are often “made to feel inferior by their painting peers.” Initially when I read this, I was somewhat taken aback, but I should not have been. This sort of artistic arrogance has been around forever.   Michelangelo of High Renaissance fame, regarded sculpture as the most technically challenging and intellectual artistic practice whereas Leonardo is said to have mentioned that sculptors were akin to bakers, being dirty and covered in dust.

Impressionism, recognized as a major frontier in art history and the threshold of the modern art movement, was initially a label given to these masters of the new movement, in insult!

Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas are now perhaps the most recognized names in art, yet they were ridiculed and insulted when they first began. Critics described their work as highly unsuitable for the public…the result of mental derangement.

Cubism received its name from the harsh insults art critics lashed out with against the style upon its first exhibition in Paris about 1910, one of the founders of the movement being Picasso.

Even today artists who use oils as a medium frown upon those who chose acrylic or watercolours and traditionally oil paintings are priced at a higher price than any other medium, which cannot really be justified in material costs because good quality acrylics will set you back financially as much as oils paints will and believe me, you will fall on your back at the price of 1^st class pastels.

Digital art is like any other art. It just is created using different tools than the more traditional arts. Art is not about the tools used to create it. It is about the vision, message, or emotion of the artist. Photography is a medium through which artist’s may create art. Likewise, a computer is just a medium or tool through which an artist can express his/her vision of line, form, colour, composition and rhythm. ( I hope my limited knowlege here does not let me down)

Digital Photography The artist uses a digital or conventional camera. The photographs are digitized and translated to the computer environment where the artist uses image editing and special effects software to perform darkroom type manipulations.

Photopainting This combines the disciplines of photography and painting. The artist uses image editing and paint software to go beyond dark room techniques to add further expression to the image.

Digital Collage This is a technique of combining many images from varying sources into one image. This is most commonly achieved by the use of layering techniques in image editing and paint software. The artist may also use images from x-rays or radar to produce images that the eye does not normally see, which expands the realm of human perception.

Integrated Digital Art This is the “mixed media” of the digital art world. Artists combine any number of the techniques to achieve unique results. The digital environment is much less restricted than conventional mediums in this type of integration and manipulation.

Digital Painting 2D: The artist creates 2D images totally in the computer virtual environment with the use of painting tools that emulate natural media styles. Sometimes referred to as “Natural Media”.

3D: The artist uses 3D modelling and rendering software to essentially sculpt in virtual space. This method also makes use of all of the other methods.

Vector Drawing- The artist uses vector drawing software and creates the image totally in the virtual environment. This makes use of shapes which are outlined and can be filled with various colours and patterns. This tends to produce a harder edged or graphic look.

Algorithmic/Fractals This is art produced exclusively by mathematical manipulations. This is the so-called “computer generated” art. The art here lies in the invention of the mathematical formulas themselves and the way the programs are written to take advantage of the display capabilities of the hardware. The art also lies in the creative intentions and subsequent selections of the artist/mathematician.

Digital artists are repeatedly told “anyone can churn out that crap”. I challenge that statement. Anyone can paint and “churn out crap” but a distinction will be clearly visible between those who understand their tools, who have imagination, who work inspired, and those who don’t!

Give credit where due, no matter what genre the art. Show some respect for the vision, message, or emotion of the artist.

This evening I was forwarded a letter, which was written in response to an news letter to which I subscribe on the market and marketing, which pertained to art.

The writer of the letter holds the belief that artists who do not sell their art well only have themselves to blame !

He calls the syndrome we are purported to suffer from the “airconditioner syndrome”, which in essence is similar to low self esteem and lack of self worth.

Basically he explains this syndrome as such: An air conditioner is set to keep a room’s temperature at a comfortable level. When the temperature in the room goes above or below that level, the air conditioner kicks in and, by pouring forth hot or cold air, brings the temperature of the room to comfort level again.

Subconsciously, the ‘air conditioner’ settings in that person’s mind sabotages the will power to change, and he blames circumstances and other people for the failure. However, deep in his subconscious mind, he is comfortable because, remaining unattractive to the opposite sex, there will be no rejection. We all suffer from the air conditioner syndrome in one form or another, but artists seem to do it a lot.

The author of the letter then goes on to relate the following story

Walking through Hyde Park shopping centre a while ago, I found an exhibition of miniature paintings.

Most were beautiful, delicate, even sensitive. Some had little gold, red or blue bows on the side to indicate that they were competition winners. The prices for these pieces varied from R300 to R1800. Hyde Park shopping centre accommodates some of the most expensive shops in South Africa. The people who regularly shop there are seriously wealthy. They want, deserve and can afford the best. These miniatures were in that category. I asked the lady in charge of the collection if she had any idea how long it took an artist to produce such an exquisite piece. “About 4 hours” was her reply. Ignoring the cost of the materials and frame, (which is a stupid thing to do) that works out to R450 per hour? My garage mechanic, with standard 8 education, who changes the spark plugs and oil, charges more than that! The artist, who asked R300 for his painting, is obviously happy to earn less than a… (You work it out)

Most of those paintings remained unsold. Why? Because they were too CHEAP. No millionaire wants to put cheap paintings in his house or office. They don’t relate to cheap. I bet the artists believed that the paintings were unsold because they were too expensive.

Our intrepid writer  has an easy solution for us !

He recommends we go cold calling on companies and businesses as he believes the largest market for art purchases lies in the corporate world. Every office or reception area needs art , right? If as an artist , you have an adversity to cold calling , simply get a gallery to represent you and market your work for you . If however , you do not have the business acumen to charge a good profit for your time and creativity , you are not entitled to call yourself an artist. According to this knowledgeable gentleman, you are merely what is known as an amdab. (Amateur dabbler) but don’t feel alone dear folk, you are in good company ! Van Gogh, was a complete failure as an artist, (He, probably like you, was a gifted amdab)

The final tip for truly successful sales, is to substantially increase the prices you ask for your art ! Now, please put your prices up, (A lot!) because you are ruining the market for yourself. You are competing with the cheap stuff churned out of Chinese art factories daily by the million. True artists start marketing and selling their own works. If you are proud of your paintings you will charge good prices. If you are ashamed of yourself as an artist, you will charge low prices. Your art does not reflect your self worth, the price you charge for it does.

An interesting topic for discussion no doubt , but I personally feel that people who have no knowledge of or no insight into the art market , should reserve such comment.

None of the artists I know have a lack of belief in themselves and all of  them go to great efforts to market both themselves and their work. Furthermore, it has been my experience that the people with “big money”, are the people who part with it least readily and those that do part with  their money for art will only do so if the work is an investment or by a well known artist that has a reputation for producing work of good quality.

I also feel it is totally unrealistic to price art according to the hours the piece took to paint. From a personal aspect, often my best works are painted in the least time and I certainly would never be bold enough to disclose the length of time it took me to create the work, lest the client figured out that I was charging three times as much per hour as any advocate in the Shabir Shaik trial !
Of course one also has to consider the experience of the artist, the length of time they have been painting, previous exhibitions or accolades etc etc , all taken into account during the valuation or appraisal of art.

As a collector of art, I would never pay thousands  for a work by an unknown artist. That’s just the way it works whether I am shopping in Hyde Park or not. We all have to walk before we run and lower prices to begin with certainly have very little or nothing to do with being ashamed of one’s work !

I have a poster ( by Fred Babb) in my studio on which is written “Good art won’t match your sofa”, which I use as a daily reminder not to be lured into the trap of mass producing ( yes I have been guilty of it ) work that I have little desire or no inspiration to produce.

There’s commodity (decorative) and there’s art. Art does things that are unexpected, and goes places that are sometimes uncomfortable. And you will seldom find these art pieces blending into the decor. Decorative art generally becomes part of the room. Real art makes a statement. It will stand out and demand attention and whether it simply keeps drawing the eye to it or creates a topic for discussion, a truly inspired work painted passionately, will very rarely be passed over without at least a second glance.

I recently read a comment in which a woman who worked in a framing and print shop was frequently requested to find something that “matched”. On an occasion someone required a piece for the bottom of their stairs. At the end of the hall at the top of the stairs there was a room, and if you were at the top of the stairs and the door was open, you could see that the drapes were green, therefore the art had to match the drapes in the room on a different floor all the way on the other side of the house.

A number of times I have been requested to reproduce a painting using different colours. Blue nudes for instance, because the bedroom was blue and the neutral colours I used would not blend.

Worse still were the clients who would find pictures they liked in print catalogues and request a reproduction, possibly introducing the colours that were on their curtain fabric or walls.

Of course conventions and classic inferences would be an easy set of tools to use to create our work and produce crap very easily. They allow us to paint without thinking, without feeling and without putting anything of ourselves into the crap. When we do that, we are making a product, a commodity – it’s not art!

People use these tools as a way to avoid work, to avoid thinking, to avoid having to find those uncomfortable places where things don’t match the sofa.

Many people would rather safely purchase matching commodities than a work of art which forces them explore what’s within themselves.

A truly valued audience would be the one looking for artists who will do the work necessary to find unexplored passageways.which will look into their own souls and dredge up things that they themself are afraid to look at ,who will tell the truth no matter how painful.

Not just string a bunch of ready-made riffs together, top it off with a few really fast scales, and call it a solo.

I have often found myself considering the variety of subject matter that I paint and the vast differences between my almost monochrome nude studies and colour saturated florals and landscape paintings, and indeed , wondering if these differences in styles would be to my advantage or to my detriment in the commercial art world.

The bottom line is , I have never been , nor ever will be a follower of fashion. As in my dress, my hobbies , my likes and dislikes I prefer to remain an individual and I dress and paint as I feel inspired. I cannot therefore be labeled with a specific “style”.

A sad trend seems to exist amongst many artists in that they find a successful recipe and stick with it year after year , seldom producing anything new or exciting or for that matter extending themselves beyond that with which they are comfortable painting .

Of course this is very taboo to mention in many galleries or amongst the dealers punting the art and the trend is exacerbated by a largely uneducated public who are swayed into believing that in purchasing these tired and unoriginal works of art,they are making a sound financial investment.

Pathetically , the galleries, whether directly or indirectly , encourage artists to persevere in this rape and pillage of other artists original ideas.

Some years ago, as an emerging artist, I was approached by an art dealer , who enquired as to my ability to copy or paint similar pieces to one of the then top selling artists. He was well aware of the demand for her work and aside from being able to acquire similar paintings at a reduced price from a relatively new artist , he knew that they were popular amongst the public and he would make quick money from the art.

Believe me , the offer was tempting considering the financial gain but prostitution has never been my ambition. I noticed however , that others are more accommodating to art pimps and the landscape paintings to which I refer have been reproduced by many more than just one artist.

Another very unfortunate trend is “fashionable art”, where a painting is seldom representation of an artists own experience , but a rehash of something that sells well and has been found popular by the masses .

Endless renditions of naive little rural scenes, poplar trees and district six, not to mention , more recently the Nguni cow , surely must be enough to bore the crap out of anybody who is a regular visitor to art galleries ?