Artist Career and Studio practices,
the things we do as artist's.

You'll find some great artist career practices of the professional artist within this section of the site.  Things that are done in the studio besides washes brushes, and kicking the dog when things don't work out on the canvas!  

I talk about time management for the artist, photography, and things I do that are related to my art, but can't be categorized elsewhere on the site.

The main article below centers on something that hits all of us at some time during our artist career, is below.  It can really crush you and your enthusiasm!  Learn how to avoid the blank canvas within your artist career.

If you're interested in promoting your work, I have a complete section devoted to Art Marketing here at How to sell art online, Art Marketing 101 page  and learn about these steps to jump start your artist career.

Here are some great articles on business practices for artists.

My latest article on: Creativity, this really is one of your strongest assets!

You must do this to each painting you create

The ultimate guide in "How to title your painting"

This article shows you 7 steps that will garner the best title for your artwork every time!

Photograph your art and eliminate glare!

Yep, you can completely eliminate glare from glass or glossy oil paintings when you photograph it for your portfolio or for prints.  I've tried lots of methods, and even paid a professional to photo my art, and even he didn't get these results!  Check out the article here.

Have you ever gotten stuck on what to paint next.  I've got 6 great ideas here to help get your creative juices flowing! And if they don't work for you, come back here and read the article at the bottom of this page.  It's a blank canvas buster!

Still Life art, beyond flower and fruit!

Here another article on choosing a digital camera.  It is such a powerful tool in helping you to obtain reference material and in promoting your art work.  Click below to see these articles.

Choosing a digital camera isn't that difficult! Part 1

Which digital camera features are needed as an artist. Part 2

And while we're on camera's, I've got a great photography lesson on how to shoot your own art work!  There are some very specific things that must be done if you're gonna shoot your own oil paintings.  See these 2 lessons on how I perform this task.

Photography Lesson in shooting your own work.

and

Squaring up your Fine Art Photo

Have you ever wondered how you were going to organize that wedding? Or plan your vacation to get the most out it? Or maybe, how to best promote your career as an artist? 

I've got a simple but very powerful tool that seems to have been designed just for artists and our special needs!  Check out this new find and some free software to boot!

The Mind Map, and simple yet powerful tool for brainstorming!

And to go along with this same subject, how do you best schedule your time as an artist.  Check out these 2 very powerful tools that I use within my artist career:

Time Management Techniques, and scheduling your art time!

Now, for a quick small story!</b>

How to Handle the Blank Canvas.

One of the greatest challenges I face as an artist is....

The Blank Canvas!

but not for the reason you may think!

Remember when you were about 11 years old, and your Grandma would give you a quarter, (no that my Dad's generation) would give you a dollar and a quarter, (now I'm telling my age) so in today's money it's more like $10.25!  Anyway, you're at the candy counter trying your best to figure out how to wisely spend your money?

So much goodness in front of you, and so small a tummy to eat it all!

Yes, it's not for lack of an idea, but rather, which of a hundred ideas to do next.  That's the passion I wish all could have.  Hopefully, within the pages of this website, I can help you develop your passion for this most enjoyable thing we call Oil Painting.

I guess it's because I'm a person that views the glass half full rather than half empty.  Actually, I see it running over! 

Try this.

Find a subject that pulls at your heart strings. Think about family, hobbies, home.  Find something that you love, that gets you excited and makes your heart thump when you dwell on the subject.

Then incorporate this subject into your paintings!

Along with this  however, try to remember to find that something that will never run out of reference material.  It can be people, animals, nature, mountains, lakes, fishing, old buildings. 

All of these have a special place in my heart but flowers seem to be the thing that give me joy!  Once you have found that special something, become an expert at it.  You will then have a lifetime of idea's that will fuel your passion to paint!

Imagine never running out of idea's to paint.  Within an artist career, this solves 50% of most artists' dilemma, the white canvas.  The other 50% of this problem will be solved in using a decision process to narrow your idea to the best of the best!  Here's what I do:

I will usually always have 4 to 6 ideas floating around my head at any given time!  As I complete one work, I begin reviewing my latest "idea" folder and lay out all my photo's, sketches, etc.  Then, as I review them, I pull away one by one by doing a comparison check. 

I look at an idea thats been in my head awhile and compare it to just one other idea.  The Best stays, the other is put away till next time.  I'll do this to all the reference photo's until I'm left with only three. 

I'll print these out on my ink-jet and usually after an overnight wait, one will speak to me above the others.  If not, I just begin the painting process on all 3 at the same time.  WOOHOO!

As one layer is drying on the first, I begin work on the 2nd then the 3rd.  My gallery owner loves this 'cause when I give her several pieces, her customers love having choices!

More tidbits and business advice is on the way, I just gotta find  my "ideas" folder.

till then,...



Stay tuned for more articles on the artist career and how to improve yours, or click here to reread this article on artist career and studio practices.