Marketing Art

February 22, 2016

Three years ago I took my first marketing class online with Leslie Saeta.  I just checked and the challenge is still available.  Here is the link:   30 Marketing Ideas.  My own experiences are listed on old blog posts.  (There is a search button in right hand column of this blog which might have been one of the assignment of the 30 day challenge).

It really made a difference for  me in a lot of ways.  I use a lot of the ideas that Leslie suggested and it made me fearless about social media.  The best tip was to find a local retail place and ask if they would show your art.   Thank you, Heather Boutique, for showing and selling my art.   My latest discovery is INSTAGRAM.  Although it was a mystery to me at first I've been exploring it and trying to figure out how to use it. 

This article explains how it can help artists.  Article about how to sell art on Instagram

It said to use it to tell a narrative about your art.  I'm still trying to figure out what that means, but will  discover that as I go.  My plan is to put a couple of photos on each day and see what happens.

I hope these links and ideas are helpful to you.  Please share your ideas about marketing in the comments. 


One more link to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caroljosefiakfineart/
or https://www.instagram.com/caroljosefiakfineart/

(Leslie said to link everything)

Always link to where you are selling your art: Daily Paintworks

How I start most of my paintings....

February 16, 2016

I start my paintings several different ways, sometimes even with a white canvas, but mostly doing a value study with burnt sienna or transparent red oxide.  I do a very loose drawing except for architecture or the center of interest.  Once the three value work is finished I go back and emphasize darks using a mix of Ultramarine blue and burnt sienna, my accent dark.  Plus I wipe out the lights with a paper towel and oms.

Step I

Step 2

Premix the colors used in the painting and try to follow my rule of having darks across the top of palette  (accent dark in top right corner), tints on the very bottom and middle values in the middle of the palette.  There is also attention to warms and cools.  I use these colors as a starting point and continue to mix for variety as I go.  That is why the palette looks so messy, but organized if that is possible. 

Step 3

Apply blocks of color all over.

 Step 4 - Finish color and refine shapes, check for edges,

Posted on Daily Paintworks.  8x10 - Snow Day  in Fredericksburg

Developing your own style

February 8, 2016

When I painted these tulips today I was thinking about how there are little pieces of things I have learned from taking workshops, looking at DVD's,  and studying online blogs. 

These are things I was thinking about today and yesterday doing these two paintings: 

Robert Johnson - put a brush stroke down once and leave it alone  (scrape it off if it looks wrong and start again rather than messing around with it on the canvas.

Qiang Huang - just watched his new DVD which is terrific.  I like the brushes he uses, too.  Qualita from Jerry's Artarama.  Awhile ago I bought the 1-inch angular one that is very versatile.  I recommend his DVD.  Great info about value and basics of oil painting!

Nancy Franke - starts on a white canvas but retains her darks so well.  Use big brushes.

Dreama Tolle Perry - having a transparent dark underneath to help retain the darks.  Use color like confetti.

Every teacher I have ever had emphasizes darks and artists I have studied online also do this.

Carolyn Anderson - don't paint up to the lines (from original drawing), but over the line and inside the line.  She is a great person to study regarding edges.  Think of shapes, not lines. 

Somewhere I read that using red, yellow and blue in the background gives it luminosity.  There is also a lot written about pulling colors of the painting into the background.  Color is in the air.

Display Your Paintings in a Room Setting

February 6, 2016

Leslie Saeta displays her paintings so well in room settings and gave some ideas of how to do this on her blog.  Here is the link:  http://lesliesaetafineart.weebly.com/blog


I started doing this on facebook by just taking a photo of one hanging in my dining room.  As a result of this post,  I received some great ideas from facebook friends.  Thank you

Although I just blundered through this first one and it might have worked by accident, I will try to figure it out.  Below is the link to the APP.  I think you can even pull in your own room photos.  This is a good start. 

Display your paintings in a room setting  (link to APP)

My example shows a painting which is really an 8x8 painting, but it in the room setting it looks gigantic. 

I need to start painting bigger or find a way to display my small paintings in groups. 

Painting Loosely

February 4, 2016


Patti Frasier at Daily Paintworks

Patti Frasier, an artist in Fredericksburg, Virginia, taught our class this past weekend.  She is such a talented artist who paints with loose and bold brushwork, while maintaining strong color and great lights and darks. 

She generously demonstrated her techniques for painting loosely and provided us with notes and tips about painting which summarized everything you need to know about painting. 

Here is the work of two students that shows so well  strong color, luscious paint and beautiful brushwork. 

Patti shows her work on Daily Paintworks, a website for artists.  Here is a link to her vibrant work where she sell her paintings.

Patti Frasier at Daily Paintworks


Thank you, Patti, for being our teacher this week.  You are an awesome teacher.