Artists often face the challenge of feeling that their work goes unappreciated or misunderstood, which can be discouraging, especially in an industry that’s highly subjective. However, several strategies can help transform these feelings into positive momentum. Here’s how to handle underappreciation while maintaining a focus on growth and fulfillment.
As a muralist, balancing your artistic vision with client expectations can be a challenge. Whether you’re working on a public art commission or a private project, it’s crucial to maintain creative control while delivering a result that satisfies everyone involved. Here are some practical strategies to help you safeguard your artistic integrity without compromising on professionalism.
Gaining recognition in the art community is a goal for many artists, but it requires more than just producing excellent work. Building respect among peers, collectors, and critics involves consistent effort in self-promotion, networking, and personal development. Here are key strategies that can help you achieve acknowledgment and respect as an artist.
In the vibrant artistic community of Austin, TX, painters thrive on a diverse array of commission projects that fuel their creativity and sustain their livelihoods. From murals adorning city walls to personalized portraits capturing cherished memories, artists in Austin use various strategies to secure commission work and establish meaningful connections with clients.
Networking. Start locally. Connections within the local art scene is important in establishing your mark in the industry. Austin boasts a rich cultural landscape teeming with galleries, art festivals, and community events, providing ample opportunities for artists to showcase their work and forge connections with potential clients.
By actively participating in exhibitions and engaging with fellow artists and art enthusiasts, painters can expand their professional networks and attract the attention of individuals seeking commissioned artwork.
Networking is also a great way to discuss about canvas suppliers, paint brands, and painting tips and techniques.
Social media. Everybody uses social media for personal and professional needs. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok plays an essential role in connecting Austin’s painters with commission projects.
With social media, Austin artists share their portfolios, behind-the-scenes glimpses of their work in progress, and promote their services to a wide audience. Through strategic use of hashtags, targeted outreach, and engaging content, painters can cultivate an online presence that resonates with potential clients and generates inquiries for commission work.
Collaboration. Artists in Austin often collaborate with local businesses, organizations, and homeowners to bring their artistic visions to life through commissioned paintings and installations.
From coffee shops and restaurants to schools and community centers, establishments across Austin embrace the transformative power of art to enhance their spaces and engage with their patrons.
By proactively reaching out to businesses and pitching their ideas for custom artwork, painters can secure commission projects that not only showcase their talents but also contribute to the cultural fabric of the city.
Referrals. Satisfied clients serve as valuable source of commission projects for painters in Austin. They are often eager to recommend the artist to friends, family, and colleagues seeking similar services.
In addition to providing beautiful canvas art, artists maintain positive relationships with clients and provide good customer service since a sale of an artwork doesn’t end at the installation of the painting.
These are just a few ways how artists in Austin get commission work. In this thriving artistic hub, commission projects serve not only as opportunities for painters to showcase their talents but also as a tool for enriching the cultural tapestry of Austin.
Finger painting is an art activity usually associated with children. Kids love to play with paint, mix different colors, and put them on paper. You’ll get messy art, filled with an assortment of colors, which ends up on the refrigerator door. It may seem a childish endeavor but there is an artist who is creating a buzz in the art world for her beautiful finger paintings.
Iris Scott is an American professional painter who, by chance, realized the wonders of using fingers in applying paint on canvas. In 2009, after college, Iris decided to have a sabbatical to paint without distractions, without any worries. She rented a small studio apartment in Taiwan with a great view of the ocean. Taiwan, being a tropical country, experiences hot, humid weather. The communal sink of the building was located in an area where there was no air conditioning. She had to go out of her air conditioned room to be able to clean her paint brushes. It was such an inconvenience, having to leave her work in a cool place just to wash her brushes under the heat. Then, a serendipitous moment happened. Iris thought she could just use her fingertips to apply paints, without needing her brushes. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Iris admits that washing paint brushes has never been her strong point, so finger painting definitely is perfect for her. She uses surgical gloves when painting, achieving the correct color quickly. Instead of going out of her room to wash her brushes, she just wipes her gloved hands with paper towels and she can use another paint color in an instant. Once she starts painting, her fingers flawlessly dance across the canvas, like a pianist’s hands.
When she has inspiration to paint, she quickly sketches it out and paints immediately. Wearing her purple latex gloves, Iris applies paint directly from the tube. She keeps the paints thick and raw, preferring to use several shades and colors instead of mixing paints together.
Iris’ oeuvre is categorized as Post-Impressionist, with life as the main theme. She says that her paintings are similar to those of Edvard Munch, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet.
For new artists, Iris advises that they should save enough money to take a year or two just painting everyday. Like her, leaving your comfort zone and living out of the country to focus on painting is best. Improve your skills and techniques, targeting to paint on a daily basis. This year-off is not for sight-seeing and pleasure only.
Image source: www.irisscottprints.com
W.M. Flinders Petrie, a British archaeologist has discovered the Fayum in the years between 1887 and 1889. Fayum is a sprawling oasis region 150 miles south of Alexandria wherein he excavated a vast cemetery from the first and second centuries A.D., when imperial Rome ruled Egypt, he found scores of exquisite portraits executed on wood panels by anonymous artists, each one associated with a mummified body. Petrie eventually uncovered 150.
Mummy portraits have been found across Egypt, but are most common in the Faiyum Basin, particularly from Hawara and Antinoopolis, hence the common name. “Faiyum Portraits” is generally thought of as a stylistic, rather than a geographic, description. While painted Cartonnage mummy cases date back to pharaonic times, the Faiyum mummy portraits were an innovation dating to the Coptic period on time of the Roman occupation of Egypt.
Most of the preserved mummy portraits were painted on boards or panels, made from different imported hardwoods, including oak, lime, sycamore, cedar, cypress, fig, and citrus. The wood was made smooth and cut into thin rectangular panels. The finished panels were set into layers of wrapping that enclosed the body, and were surrounded by bands of cloth giving the effect of a window-like opening through which the face of the deceased could be seen. Portraits were sometimes painted directly onto the canvas or rags of the mummy wrapping (cartonnage painting).
By now, nearly 1,000 Fayum paintings exist in collections in Egypt and at the Louvre, the British and Petrie museums in London, the Metropolitan and Brooklyn museums, the Getty in California and elsewhere.
For decades, the portraits lingered in a sort of classification limbo, considered Egyptian by Greco-Roman scholars and Greco-Roman by Egyptians. But scholars increasingly appreciate the startlingly penetrating works, and are even studying them with noninvasive high-tech tools.
At the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum in Copenhagen, scientists recently used luminescence digital imaging to analyze one portrait of a woman. They documented extensive use of Egyptian blue, a copper-containing synthetic pigment, around the eyes, nose and mouth, perhaps to create shading, and mixed with red elsewhere on the skin, perhaps to enhance the illusion of flesh.
Stephen Quirke, an Egyptologist at the Petrie museum and a contributor to the museum’s 2007 catalog Living Images, says the Fayum paintings may be equated with those of an old master—only they’re about 1,500 years older.
Doxiadis has a similar view, saying the works’ artistic merit suggests that “the greats of the Renaissance and post-Renaissance, such as Titian and Rembrandt, had great predecessors in the ancient world.”
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org
Artists can get inspiration from everywhere. But, if you want to see magnificent artworks from celebrated artists to inspire you in your next art on canvas, here is a list of art destinations that you can include in your bucket list.
Goreme Open Air Museum, Turkey. The Goreme Open Air Museum can be compared to a compound of monasteries. Visitors will be amazed at the chapels and churches carved into the rock formations with beautiful wall paintings (frescoes). Since 1984, the Goreme Open Air Museum has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the “Met,” is the largest museum in the United States. Established in 1870 in New York City, the Met houses over 2 million objects, and only tens of thousands are available for public viewing. Its permanent collection includes artworks from Ancient Egypt; pieces from almost all of the European masters such as Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, and Johannes Vermeer; and collections from American artists.
Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid. Museo Reina Sofia is Spain’s national museum dedicated to 20th century art. The museum houses an immense collection of artworks from Spain’s greatest masters, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. The most famous masterpiece in the museum is Picasso’s “Guernica,” a painting created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village, in 1937.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum which exhibits art works from The Netherlands. Its collections consist of 1 million objects, 8,000 of which are displayed for the public. Visitors can see paintings done during the Dutch Golden Age, from famous painters which include Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer, and Rembrandt.
Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. Santa Maria delle Grazie is a church and a Dominacan convent that also houses priceless masterpieces, including Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” During World War II, aerial attacks hit the church which destroyed almost all of the walls containing precious artworks. Fortunately, The Last Supper was spared and protected.
The Louvre, Paris. The Louvre is home to Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” It is one of the world’s largest museums, occupying an area of more than 60,000 sq.m. It exhibits an extensive collection of about 35,000 artifact and artworks from prehistory until the 21st century. More than 8 million people visit the Louvre each year, making it the world’s most visited museum.
Vatican Museums, Vatican City. The Vatican Museums showcase art pieces from the extensive collection of the Roman Catholic Church. Most of its artworks are from the Renaissance period, including Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling, Leonardo da Vinci’s “St. Jerome in the Wilderness,” and Raphael’s “The School of Athens.”
To get the whole list of these art destinations, you can read here.
Image source: www.travelchannel.com
Framing a watercolor painting is different from framing an oil painting on canvas. Know the purpose why you‘re framing your artwork and that is to display it in the best way and to protect it with a frame, mat and glass. Here are some easy steps and tips on how you can frame your own watercolor painting.
Materials
Aside from glass, you need to protect the painting with a mat and backing (usually foam core), which should be acid free and archival, to prevent your painting from turning yellow overtime. Use a double mat because it looks better. You also need some acid-free cloth tape to attach the painting to the mat. The mat keeps the painting from touching the glass, which is very important. If you opt not to use a mat, then you need to put a spacer between the glass and the painting so they don’t touch.
Sizing
You have three options for acquiring mats and frames. The cheapest way is to buy a pre-cut mat and pre-made frame. Alternatively, you can purchase the equipment to cut your own mats, and even buy parts to assemble your own frames. Eventually you can save money by cutting your own mats, if you do enough of them, although I’ve found the mat material to be expensive unless bought in bulk. Finally, you can simply order what you need from a framer.
Frame
Finally, you need a frame. In general, the larger the painting, the wider the frame molding can be, but it’s all a matter of taste. Do, however, consider how the end result will look when you’re selecting molding. You don’t want to either overwhelm or underwhelm the artwork.
Assembly
Now that you have everything you need to frame your painting, you can now start assembling. Here’s how.
1. Wipe glass and make sure not to leave finger prints before placing in the frame.
2. Prepare you pre-cut mat and you can stack them inside the frame since they are thin. You can triple or double the matting with different colors if you want.
3. Surface could be plain paper, linen, silk, even leather, rice paper, can be textured and patterned.
4. Most mats are only available with a white core (the tiny part that shows when a bevel opening is cut). But a handful of mats do come with black core, green, red and yellow.
5. A common form of decoration on non cloth mats is the “French Line” or “French Panel”. These are lines drawn in ink or paint forming a rectangle around the opening. Could have several lines.
6. It is best to buy Acid Free mats. An acidic mat will fade and leak into the art work, causing “mat burn”, light brown marks.
7. So you have the matt, now attach picture with non acid tape to the mat. Place on glass.
8. Put the foam board, hold in place with framing points (look like small metal arrows).
9. Turn over, look at art work before inserting point in frame and across top of the foam board.
10. Lay the paper back attached to back of frame covering top to bottom, side to side (called dust cover).
11. Drive in fastners into back of frame, about 1/3rd down from top. String wire between fastners.
Image source: www.mimenta.com
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Founded 1698, Vienna’s Academy of Fine Arts is divided into the Institute of Fine Arts (including the departments of abstract painting, art and digital media, art and photography, arts and research, conceptual art, contextual painting, expanded pictorial space, figurative painting, graphic arts and printmaking techniques, object sculpture, performative art-sculpture, video and video installation and textual sculpture), Institute for Art Theory and Cultural Studies, Institution for Conservation and Restoration, Institute for Natural Sciences and Technologies in Art, Institute for Secondary School Teaching Degrees (in craft, design and textiles) and the Institute for Art and Architecture.
Yale School of Art
Yale School of Art is rated the best in the United States for its Master of Fine Arts program as of 2013. Established in 1869, the Yale School of Art is one of the 12 constituent schools of Yale University. It grants a Masters of Fine Arts degree to those who have completed their studies in graphic design, painting or printmaking, photography or sculpture. Yale offers courses in all of these four interrelated fields.
Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, Italy
Located in Florence, Tuscany, the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (“Academy of Fine Arts of Florence”) was founded by Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Michelangelo and Giorgio Vasari in 1563. Originally, the Academy’s members were the eminent artistic personalities of Cosimo Medici’s court, supervising artistic production in the area. In 1784, all the schools of drawing in Florence were combined into one single institution, known as the Accademia di Belle Arti from then onwards. Since 1783, the Accademia Gallery has housed the original David by Michelangelo.
Royal Academy Schools, England
The Royal Academy Schools form the oldest art school in Britain and the only institution to offer a three-year post-graduate art course. They offer an unparalleled opportunity for students to develop their work over a three year postgraduate programme. The Academy provides free tuition to its students, contributed by Members of the Royal Academy. Disciplines such as painting, sculpture, print, installation, time-based media and digital media are taught.
École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, France
Founded in 1648 by Charles Le Brun, The École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts is is the distinguished National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France. Studies at the school include painting, installation, graphic arts, photography, sculpture, digital media and video. Additional theoretical courses are supported by technical training and access to technical facilitiesThe collection of the school includes around 450,000 items, containing artwork and historical books.
Athens School of Fine Arts, Greece
Established in 1837, The Athens School of Fine Arts is Greece’s premier art school whose main objective is to develop the artistic talents of its students. As of 1840, the program for fine arts included painting, sculpture, architecture, lithography, woodcut, geometry and cartography. In 1910, the faculty was made independent of the National Technical University. This was also the year in which women were first allowed to study at the School of Fine Arts.
Image source: www. wikipedia.com
Abstract paintings are in its purest form and have no identifiable object. It is a visual language that awakens emotions, imagination that feeds the soul. Many famous abstract artists expressed themselves through abstract paintings which paved their way to fame. Through the years, they have different painting techniques and styles that created a whole new world for fine arts. Here are some of the most famous paintings that changed the whole perception of abstract art.
“Composition VIII” (1923) –Composition VIII by Wassily Kandinsky is small oil on canvas painting dating from 1923. This geometric composition communicates to the world through the use of shapes, colors, and lines. It is currently in the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
“Black Square” (1915) – “Black Square” is the first “suprematist” work of Malevich. Black Square against white background became the symbol, the basic element in the system of the art of suprematism, the step into the new art. The painting is the ultimate picture of pure abstraction. The artist himself created several variants of the Black Square. All four are different not only the sequence and year of creation, but also the color, design and texture.
“Number 1” (1948) – Jackson shows how much paint can be “unrestricted, unexpected, uncontrolled” as we see it poured onto a canvas making lines that are assertive, and we also see a complexity of shapes, globs, pools of paint layered one on top of another. Paintings like this are unique because the artist’s actions, strengths, and energy could be reflected in the art.
“Dantrolene” (1994)– This painting is one of the most famous contemporary abstract paintings that could surpass a lot of present art available for sale. Painted by Damien Hirst, the viewers are amazed by the pigments portrayed in the painting. They will search for deeper images that their minds are forced to create. In the end, endless emotions and assumptions will be extrapolated from this painting.
“Les Demoiselles D’Avignon” (1907) – The painting made by Pablo Picasso depicts four women in a brothel that are not fully abstracted. Each figure is depicted in a disconcerting confrontational manner and none are conventionally feminine. This lack of abstraction does not reason the paintings’ exclusion from the list of the most famous abstract paintings.
“Woman I” (1950) – De Kooning described the figurative motif of this painting not as a representation but as a thing slapped on the canvas, liberating him from formal anxieties. The main attraction of the work is the painful and angry image of an abstracted woman, hence the title of the painting. This “woman” is exaggeratedly, absurdly physical and at the same time not there at all, a spewed monster of fantasy, a crude graffito that took two anguished years to paint.
