HEATHER HAYMART Fine Art

Original Vs. Print: What's the Difference?

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Tue, 03 May 2016 19:24:00 +0000

As I have listened to people talk about art over the years, I have realized that there is much confusion surrounding the differences between originals, prints, reproductions, giclees and hand-embellished reproductions. This article is intended to be a quick and dirty description of each to help clear up a few of the common misconceptions surrounding two-dimensional art.

An original work of art is the easy one; it is the original painting, drawing, watercolor, computer-generated image etc. that was first produced by the artist. It is created from the mind and brought into being at the hands of the artist.

A print is created during the printmaking process where an artist creates an original image on a stone, plate, screen, or block and then hand pulls or supervises the hand pulling of a print from this surface. It too, is derived at the hands of the artist or artist assistant. Editions i.e. more prints can be pulled from these blocks, but at some point the surface will deteriorate (or be destroyed) and the image will no longer be able to be printed. This is what makes a true print more valuable than a reproduction. Each print has some element of change and possible imperfection in each subsequent image, making them each one of a kind.

A reproduction of art is an exact replication of an original image. An artist creates an original image through various media i.e. paint, ink, watercolor, pastel etc. A photograph or scan records this image in digital form and then it is printed out onto a surface in the form of a paper, canvas print and various other types of surfaces. The type of printer, ink and paper is at the full discretion of the person/company creating these reproductions.

A giclee (pronounced soft zhee klay or gee klay) is a reproduction, but is known for being a higher quality reproduction created by an inkjet printer with high quality ink on high quality paper or canvas. Giclee is the term used to describe the shooting of color ink into the surface to create a high quality reproduction of an original art image.

Something else you may have seen is what is called a hand embellished reproduction. That means that the original image has been photographed, reproduced on a surface, and then hand embellished with something to give the piece texture or an element of something that makes it look hand made or more original. This is most often seen in department and home decor stores. A real artist probably created the first image, but what we buy from the chain store is not the original and cannot be called a painting. It is a reproduction.

You might ask yourself, “How do I know the difference when I am looking at art?” The best way is to look very closely. One very simple indication is if you can see the hand of the artist in the piece. This means you can see a brush stroke, or a directional line drawn with graphite. If you look closely, you can see the medium applied to the surface. The price is another indicator. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Original art takes time to create and it is one of a kind, so the price should reflect that in most circumstances. Reproductions are a wonderful way to be able to appreciate an original work of art while staying within a budget. The important thing is to know the difference when you are spending your money. When all else fails, ask the person selling the art!

As far as my art goes, I wait until a painting sells before I make a reproduction of it. Right now, the only reproductions I sell are greeting cards that I have printed up by Vista Print and then I pay my kids to package them nicely to be sold during the art fairs. One day, I would like to have reproductions on my web site. I am also interested in getting high quality prints made in the future, but in truth, I would rather spend my time creating original paintings!

Handy Dandy Checklist Before Going Out to Buy New Art

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 04:42:00 +0000

There are many places to find wonderful original art to buy these days. Art Fairs are a great resource for finding many quality artists in one place. Another options is to visit Art Galleries in your area and you can, of course always buy directly from an artist online. Many artists offer their unique creations through their web sites and offer very reasonable shipping.

No matter what avenue you decide to pursue, there are a few things to make sure you remember in order to make your search for the perfect piece of art productive and successful.

1. Visit Art Fair/Gallery/Artist Web Site

This is a great opportunity to shop with your feet up! Look through the art fair or gallery web site and then peruse the artists' web sites to get a feeling for what they have to offer. This gives you a chance to preview the art before you see it in person and it gives you a chance to weed out the art you are not interested in. If you are worried the perfect piece might be scooped up before you get there, buy it off the web site directly!

2. Take a Photo of Your Space

Grab your smart phone and snap a few shots of your spaces you are feeling like need a little artistic TLC. Make sure to include the surrounding areas, so you can remember scale while you are out shopping.

3. Jot Down Measurements

Grab your tape measure and measure the space you are intending to fill. Check out my last blogpost for learning how to tape off a space for measurements HERE. It's the worst to get to an art fair, see the perfect piece, but not know if it will fit. You decide to come back the next day only to find it has sold!

4. Jot Down Your Colors and Theme

This may seem like a no brainer, but the idea is to take a moment to look around your space and try to see it with new eyes. You may see potential accent colors you have never thought of tying into a piece of art. You may notice colors from a wall in another room that would be nice to coordinate with. Maybe a motif will stand out to you that you didn't realize you were leaning towards lately. The most important thing to keep in mind is to choose what you love. You can't mess up when choosing things that you love.

5. Set Your Budget, But Don't Haggle

Everyone should set a spending limit. It doesn't matter if it is $50, $5000 or $50,000. There is something for everyone out there at every price point. Some people think haggling is alright with artists, but it really isn't. We get desperate and do it sometimes, but in truth, most of us hate it. It is insulting, stressful and makes us feel like the haggler thinks our heartfelt, handmade items are worth the same as a garage sale find. The bottom line is, we want you to stick to your limit, but we want you to choose something that is priced right for you.

6. Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Choosing art for your home should be fun, not stressful. Make sure you know the hours of the fair, or gallery and give yourself plenty of time to shop around, and think about your options. When you are rushed, you may end up regretting your choice and that's not any fun at all!

If you have made it to the end of this blog entry, I just want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for caring about original art enough to consider spending your hard earned money on your next acquisition. You are well on your way to helping make the world a better place, in my opinion!

Art = Love = Making the World a Better Place

9 Steps to Tape Off Your Wall for the Perfect Piece of Art

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 04:06:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about using tape to help decide if a certain piece of art will fit in the space you have in mind? It's super easy! Just grab some masking tape and a tape measure and follow these simple steps.

1. Place masking tape on the wall in a plus sign taking up as much space as you can. (you can measure for the center spot if you want to, or you can eyeball it.)

2. Now, look at this plus sign and imagine borders.
3. Start taping the top, right, bottom and left. Don't worry if it is perfect.

4. Step back and decide, do you like the way this tape fills your space?
5. If not, pull up the outer tapes and move them in gradually until you see the tape in a space that feels right to you.

6. Once it looks like it makes visual sense, grab your tape measure and measure the width, and height and WRITE IT DOWN. I promise, you will forget. If you have extra space in either direction write down the range that a piece could fit into.

7. Take a picture of the space and surrounding area.
8. Remove the tape within 24 hours, otherwise it may stick and mark your walls.
9. Now you have your measurements for next time you fall in love with the perfect piece of art!

New Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 18:31:00 +0000

New Inspiration 16"x24"

This is the painting that reminded me that I do not need to fear losing inspiration. It is always there when I need it. I just have to remember to relax and and let it in. The fear is what chases it away! I am really looking forward to exhibiting this new work. It has been so nice finishing a couple paintings a week instead of waiting until a whole bunch are finished before I share them.

Head in the Clouds 16"x24"

I like to keep my feet on the ground and my "Head in the Clouds". It's a great way to navigate this world. I can't wait until spring and summer when I can be outside enjoying both on a regular basis.

Many 8"x8" boards under construction!

Ben has been busy making my boards for me and this is a stack of future paintings that are calling my name!!!

Working on eight new 8"x8" paintings this week in my sunny kitchen instead of my chilly studio.

And they're done! I still have to varnish etc. and take good photos, but it feels great to get a few of these finished. Next week I will be working on a bigger painting inspired by our trip to Shaw Nature Reserve.

Finding Inspiration in Nature

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 23:46:00 +0000

This week is Spring Break for our kids, so I have not been painting, but it doesn't stop me from being inspired. One of our favorite things to do as a family is to explore new parks in our area. I love being in nature whenever possible. It provides me with a fresh eye and a sense of renewal. Luckily, in Missouri we don't have to travel far to be with nature.

If you know me, you know how much I love trees. You can bet this will be a painting in the future!

They were burning off the land at Shaw Nature Reserve and this was the coolest image to me. It was so awesome how the right side of the road was burnt and the left side of the road was still tall and lush with tall grass.

This was texture that I am guessing that bugs created in the wood of a look out structure they had. It reminds me of my squiggly texture I use, only much more interesting.

I don't know what kind of flowers these were, but I love them all dried up and swaying in the wind.

I took all of these photos and more at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO. I really hope we can make it back with the flowers start to bloom. It is an amazing place to spend time. I am so grateful for the inspiration nature provides.

The Year of Joy

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 23:05:00 +0000

The Year of Joy 32"x24"

You may remember I shared small details of my newest paintings in my post last week. This one is called "The Year of Joy". I chose this title because it expresses my intention of spreading joy with my art this year. It has these small mica flakes at the tops of the textured lines that remind me of small champagne bubbles popping up in celebration of this amazing year ahead of us. I'm so excited!

"Harmonious Bliss" 16"x24"

This is my second painting of the year called "Harmonious Bliss". The turquoise blue makes me feel calm, but the deep red and other warm colors makes me feel such intense joy. I love how they work harmoniously together.

Adding the finishing touches!

Each week, I am in a state of beginning, working on and finishing new work and I love this process. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment. It also helps keep things fresh. If I am not feeling a painting, I can always start a new one. If I don't know where to begin a new painting, I can always varnish and paint frames black. It is how I keep things moving all the time without feeling trapped by the process.

Detail of the painting I finished last week.

Small detail of another finished painting from last week.

First Paintings This Year!

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 15:07:00 +0000

I am so excited to say I have two brand new paintings signed varnished and frames painted black. I am back to painting daily now and I am so happy. I have been trying to balance office time with paint time and so far I am doing alright if I limit my distractions. The goal is to have plenty of paintings to bring joy into people's homes when art fair season starts for me.

Detail of Painting #1 of 2014 (Title TBD)

Detail of Painting #2 of 2014 (Title TBD)

On Monday, I started eight new 8x8 paintings. As you may have seen on my FB page, my goal is to fill this old letter sorter with finished paintings. That would really help be towards getting stocked up. These 8"x8" paintings are so nice because they are versatile and people love to mix and match them for their homes.

My drying rack for 8x8 paintings.

Lynn from Grafica Fine Art in Webster Groves, MO came to pick this painting up this week after I took a little of the blue out of the top portion of the painting. Fingers crossed the client is happy!

"Luscious Blankets" all packed up!

My New Web Site

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 22:22:00 +0000

I am SO excited to share my new web site with you. I have spent the first two months of 2014 not in the studio, but at the computer doing lots of not so fun stuff. I really enjoyed building my new web site using Weebly.com though. They make it really easy. So please go visit it and tell me what you think? I would LOVE to hear from you! Here is the link: http://www.heatherhaymart.com/

Screen shot of my new web site.

Also this week I am thrilled to say that I am back in the studio. I prepped lots of boards and have begun working on four new paintings. I am re-inspired and so excited to create a new group of work to share this year.

Prepping new boards.

Digging in to some creative fun!

I hope you are easing into 2014 and getting re-inspired too!

Joy Infusion - Commissioned Piece Finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 19:31:00 +0000

Joy Infusion 30"x60"
Commissioned Painting - Corporate Collection

This week I have been working feverishly on my commissioned painting. I got the job from Arch Framing who was hired to find art for a health care client. This is my second job I have done for them and I hope to be doing more. It makes me feel like a grown-up to create and invoice! Just kidding, I feel honored that my art is going to fill a room where sick children need all the joy they can get. It makes me feel that in some small way, maybe I can give someone a moment of peace when they look over at my painting during what could be the most difficult time of their lives.

Detail of Joy Infusion

This whole experience makes me feel very fortunate that my kids are healthy and I am being paid to do what I love. Life is good.

We Have a Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 16:24:00 +0000

Actually, we have two winners! Today I am happy to share that Mary Nasser has shared the winner of her amazing map stencils on the Stencil Girl Blog Hop. Congratulations to Vicki Wright! Remember, if you didn't win, you can always buy Mary Nasser's beautiful stencils here! I am also happy to share that Anne O is the lucky winner of my little painting I made for the blog hop. I will be contacting you privately to get your address Anne O!

Getting ready to pack them up!

Ready to send to Anne!

Mary Nasser's Map Stencil Blog Hop!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Today's blogpost is dedicated to Mary Nasser's Blog Hop! Mary Nasser designed some new Map Stencils for Stencil Girl Products aka (Mary Beth Shaw) and she asked me join her blog hop with some other pretty amazing creatives. This blog hop is kind of a group creative party through these here internets where we are celebrating the birth of Mary's awesome Map Stencils that SHE designed. How awesome is that?! The best part is that if you make a comment, you get a chance to win a set of her stencils and one of the paintings I made with her stencil.

For this blog hop, I decided to make a simple abstracted landscape painting using Mary's map stencil, Wood Icing texture paste and Golden Acrylics on 3/4" medium density fiberboard.

Prepping the boards with gesso.

Applying first thing layer of Wood Icing texture paste.

Applying second layer of Wood Icing using Mary's Map Stencil. Isn't her stencil just lovely?

Pulling stencil away.

I added a little thread of texture with the Wood Icing and a small pallet knife. I also added two layers with Mary's Stencil, just to see what would happen.

I added a thread of Wood Icing with a small pallet knife and I added some extra free form texture in the top half of the painting.

Time for color!

And we are finished!

I made two so I could give one to one lucky commenter and so I could give one to Mary.

Yep, that's what I said. If you make a comment here on my blog, I'll have my own drawing by Mary's same deadline and the lucky winner gets one of these 6"x6" paintings. The other painting is for you dear sweet Mary Nasser. Thank you for asking me to participate in this super awesome blog hop!

Mary Nasser will be giving away a set of her four new map stencils to one lucky winner! ALL of the readers who comment on each blog hop participants' posts will be eligible for the drawing. The only thing you have to do is leave a comment by 11:59PM Central Time on October 4th. The more blogs you comment on in the blog hop, the more chances you have of winning!

Here is the complete list and links of all of the participants.

Happy clicking for inspiration and prizes!

StencilGirl Talk

Mary C. Nasser
Mary Beth Shaw

Jessica Sporn

Janet Joehlin
Heather Haymart -you are here

Judy Shea

Pam Carriker

Nancy Wethington

Corrine Gilman

Rose Wilde

Nancy Curry

Kristen Powers

Carolyn Dube

Maria McGuire

Eight New Paintings!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 20:50:00 +0000

This is very exciting for me. I finished these paintings in time to varnish and paint the frames tomorrow so I can take them to Shaw this weekend. Now lets hope for good weather! I also finished my blog entry for Mary Nasser's blog hop tomorrow! You'll have to check back in to see what all the hub bub is about.

Detail of the 24"x48 Cityscape I've been working on. It is amazing to me how simply taking a break from a painting can lead you in the right direction when you come back to it.

Juggling Projects and Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 19:24:00 +0000

My theme for studio time today seems to be juggling. Juggling projects and juggling thoughts. I brought the 24"x48" cityscape from earlier this week up to my living room to live with if for a while. This is my most useful way to truly see my paintings when I am unsure about them. Next, I started a project for my friend Mary Nasser's blog hop she is hosting next week. Sorry, no pics 'til next week! I made progress on two more works in progress. Normally I would have loved the pace, but today my mind was also juggling things unrelated. Such is life, right? Thankfully my work ended on a really great note. I found a place of concentration long enough to really enjoy working on my "grown up confetti" painting I started earlier this week. I was even lucky enough to get a goose bump moment. That's a moment when the colors come together just right in a way that my heart actually jumps and I just KNOW that my choice was correct. It makes me squeal a little.

48"x12" WIP Added more color today.

Filled my pallet with super pretty colors.

Close up of the 48"x12" WIP (grown up confetti) I added more fun colors today.

The fruits of my labor from today on the easel. Still more work to do, but I like them so far.

Okay, I can't help it, here is a little sneak peek from the work I did for Mary's blog hop next week...I can't help myself. It was so much fun and I haven't even started painting yet!

Prepping my boards for my project using Mary Nasser's map stencil she designed. Tune back in on October 2nd for the Blog Hop. There will be give aways!

Inching My Way to Finished

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 21:03:00 +0000

This morning I had my kids' things on my mind and it was kind of taking up a lot of my day, but I did manage to get some studio time in. I worked a little more brown into the background of this painting, added gold, and did a few other things. I am finally pretty happy with it, but I need to visit it again on Friday to decide if I think it is finished. That is all the painting I will be getting in today though. The three other paintings are taunting me, but they must wait.

I meant to mention yesterday that I listened to Elizabeth Gilbert's Ted Talk yesterday while I was painting. She is the lady who wrote "Eat Pray Love" (which I still haven't finished). The talk was so good, she talked about the creative genius within us. You should give it a listen. I think I will listen to it again.

Blogging after each day in the studio is fun and difficult. It is hard to keep up with, but I am loving the feeling of marking my progress publicly. Thank you Bren, Kathryn, Karin, Mary, Karen Jo and Sandy! Your comments are really helping me.

Peat and Repeat

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 20:35:00 +0000

Today was a rough day in the studio. All I did was paint, wipe away and re-paint. The lesson I learned was, listen to the painting. From the very beginning it told me that the darker background was the way to go, but I had it in my head that I wanted to make a painting with off-white in it. It wasn't pretty. So, lesson learned and moving on...

First or second (can't remember which) layer of off-white.

Layer of off-white with gold (thinking that I could convince the painting I was right)

Final stopping point for the day. We will see where it goes tomorrow.

On a much much lighter note, yesterday I was hired to do a 30"x60" painting for some part of BJC again. So excited!

Excited About Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 19:56:00 +0000

This morning I was so excited to get to the studio and start painting. It's because I love to paint, of course, but also because of this new thing I am trying. I am excited to see how this painting and then blogging right after will go. I hope I can stick with it for a while. What would be neat is when someone sees a painting being created; they see it being born and all then all grown up and ready to move away and then they decide that painting is meant to live with them. That would be really amazing for me. It would mean that the future collector could connect with their piece and with my creative process as it is happening!

First thing today, I sat down in my chair and stared at my works in progress. I decided I wanted to start a new painting which always begins with a scoop of Wood Icing. I love the word yes on my scraper tool. It has a good side and a bad side to it, so I labeled it YES and NO on either side, so I would remember the good side. Plus I love as I am spreading paste around my board I get to read the word YES. It's so positive and affirming. Like YES! I am creating!

This is the piece I started. I had a dream last night that I should use chromium green and copper in a painting. I might end up doing that with this painting, but I don't know yet. I used my rake tool for some of the texture and I incorporated some gold flakes into the texture. It is 48"x12".

I added gray to the top half of this 32"x24" piece that I used silver flakes in last Friday. Then I added some blue gray to the bottom half. I need to let it dry today before I touch it again. I still have my color plan, but the green gold keeps peeking out at me, urging me to change the plan a little. We will see...

This is my 24"x48" Chicago inspired city skyline from last week. I added some cream or off white to the top and worked on the turquoise and brown a little more.

These paintings in progress are very hard for me to share with you. I am realizing that it is very safe for me to show my paintings all finished and ready for public viewing, but these guys are in their awkward phase right now. It makes me feel very vulnerable to let you see them this way. I learned recently in Brene Brown's Ted Talk, that allowing ourselves to be vulnerable can be powerful. So right now, I am trying to have the "courage to be imperfect" and let you see it. I feel a little more sweaty than courageous right now, but what the heck, here we go....

Trying Something New

noreply@blogger.com (heatherhaymart) — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 19:34:00 +0000

I'm Back! This summer I gave my blog time up so I could spend more time focusing on my family and painting. I am glad I did, but I have missed it too. It is great to be back at it again. So as usual, I have decided to try something new. That's what happens when you take a break, new ideas come up.

I am going to try and post every day that I work in the studio and maybe some of the days that I don't. Not sure about that part though. This may sound weird, but I want to experiment with the idea of sharing my "real time" creating on my blog. In the past I have been sharing past, present and future; depending on what I feel like blogging about, but right now, I am feeling the urge to blog about RIGHT NOW. I don't know if I can keep it up, or if it will even be interesting to follow, but I am going to try it. We will see. If anything, it will be a great exercise in living in the NOW.

This is the first 24"x48" painting I worked on this morning. I laid down Wood Icing texture paste on Wednesday and let it dry, then today I began more color work. I think the top half is going to be off white or cream, but I began with an undercoat of raw sienna to give it some warmth and depth. This is a city scape in the making, probably influenced by my recent trip to Chicago. Looking at the city lights as we drove away on Sunday night took my breath away.

Chilly the helper...looking for a drink.

My second piece I am working on is a 12"x48" painting that I also started on Wednesday earlier this week. I challenged myself to make a painting without a horizon line and this is what I came up with. I love horizon lines, they are very grounding. They make me feel comfortable and balanced. So this was a little scary for me. I like it though. It's kind of like grown up confetti without the mess. We'll see where it goes.

Here is the third and last piece of the day. I began with texture and color and some awesome silver flakes on a 32"x24" board. I do know where it is going, but I don't want to say yet, in case I change my mind. Or in case the painting changes my mind for me. Sometimes when I come back to a painting, it has a way of telling me "your plans mean NOTHING and now you must do THIS" and I listen.

Expect Inspiration in the Most Unexpected Places

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:47:00 +0000

Today I was hoping to think of something interesting to share on my blog. Low and behold, I found inspiration in the bottom of my water bucket. Yesterday I began work on a new commissioned piece, and I had left one of my tools in the bottom of the water bucket after cleaning up. This morning when I grabbed my water bucket, I pulled out the tool and found this amazing design on it. I immediately took a picture of it with my phone so I could remember the design and details. I don't know if you can see how interesting it is. It looks a little like a painting I made years ago, but different too. I can't wait until I can create it, but with more color!

The moral of the story; expected inspiration in the most unexpected places! Where do you get inspiration? Please tell me, I would love to know!

"The Sound of Snow" Found a Home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:08:00 +0000

"The Sound of Snow" 42'x72" in it's new home

I was showing to pictures to my mom on my phone and realized that I forgot to blog about this! This is the largest sale I made in KC at the Brookside Art Annual. It was such a treat meeting K.M. who was actually from Lees Summit. She and her friend came into my booth towards the end of the fair and fell in love with this painting. I can see why they thought it would be such a great fit. We offered to deliver the painting to their house after the fair on Sunday, so that meant I got to see it hanging in it's new home. I love that! This painting was going to go in my bedroom if it didn't sell. I guess I need to get back to work because my bedroom really needs a painting!

Tough Decisions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:12:00 +0000

8"x8" Tree Paintings just in time for the fair this weekend.

Last week I had to make a tough decision; accept being called from the wait list for Brookside Art Fair in Kansas City, or stay home for my son's 8th grade dance. I was really looking forward to him going to this dance (probably more than he is), but I have also been rejected from Brookside twice before. It is in the top 25 fairs in the nation and I was excited to even be wait listed, plus it is a chance to generate some much needed income. If I were his dad, I would just go to the last minute business meeting in Kansas City or whatever and not give it a second thought, but I am the mom. I supposed to choose the kid every time, right? I talked with him and he said he doesn't care if I go, and my mom is going to oversee the getting dressed/dropping off for me. If not me, then the next best thing is my mom, right? I do believe he is actually OK with it. We are shopping for nice clothes for him tonight and that is making me question my decision even more. I just don't want him to tell his therapist in 15 years how his mom abandoned him for one of his big life moments. Ouch!

Guilt Serves No Purpose 6"x6" reproduction

So in an attempt to live by my wishful painting "Guilt Serves No Purpose" I am going to try and let it go. The booth and hotel are paid for, the commitment has been made. I can only move forward with the best intention and try my hardest to let go of this painful feeling of guilt.

Wide Open Field

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Wide Open Field 42"x72" by Heather Haymart $3150

Wide Open Field is one of my four large paintings I made for the William Woods Exhibit. It is almost four feet tall and six feet wide. I call them the gigantors. The large paintings are the hardest to get a good photo of, but this is pretty close. The textures are much more extensive in person. I made the layers of land with Wood Icing and dragged a tool through the thick threads to create a grassy looking effect. Then I dragged long lines through to the tops of the flowers that I made by dragging a rake tool in a circular motion. The flowers (dandelions) were such a pain, because I had to paint each little section with white so they would stand out more. I am glad I did though, because it would make me sad if you couldn't see them from a distance. The coral sky is my favorite part. I just love that color. The green field actually has a hint of light blue in it, among other colors.

This painting is a manifestation of my vision of springtime. I love this time of year when the weather is warming here in the Midwest. We actually sat on the deck and let the sun fall on us yesterday. The grass is that perfect shade of green and the flowers are thinking about coming in. It is a time of infinite possibilities and the world is wide open.

It's Raining ART at Wood Icing!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

This Friday, April 19 we are having an art reception from 6-8pm. Most of the artists who exhibit at Wood Icing will be there showing off new work and enjoying catching up with our collectors and each other. We will be having arty giveaways and a raffle for Art Bucks valued at $200. In addition to that we will have live painting and free art demos. This is always a lot of work for my mom and I, but our hopes are that it will result in some art sales for the artists at Wood Icing. Maybe I will even sell something! It is at Wood Icing at the Chesterfield Mall in Missouri. Would love to see you, if you are local!

What is fun is that it gave me an excuse to play with my Christmas presents; pan pastels and Dr. PH Martin Inks. So fun! First I dripped and washed in some shades of blue inks, then I ran some pan pastels over that for some more arty fun. I collaged gessoed book pages with stamped ART into them. I outlined the raindrops black and then penciled in the rest of the text to be outlined with black Pitt Pens. Quincy (my 5th grader gave me the idea of putting a little splash under the raindrop. I know it is simple and most people could create something like this with a computer, but I just wanted to feel the media in my hands and the computer doesn't do that for me. Maybe next time I will try a computer one with my tablet.

Oh! I almost forgot, I will be exhibiting around 5 new paintings from my William Woods exhibit. Can't wait to break them out. My biggest one will be in the window at Wood icing. It is called Wide Open Field - perfect for a Spring exhibit. I will be writing about that in my next blog entry.

Art Fair Hangover

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:57:00 +0000

My Booth at Queeny Art Fair Spring 2013

Art Fair Hangover - that's what I call the Monday after an art fair weekend. On Monday when I wake up, I feel like I have been run over by a truck. I have great memories of fun times and I am still high from all the positive feedback, but my body hurts from the mysterious bumps and bruises that I don't remember getting.

It's not all bad though, one of the things that I find so refreshing is the camaraderie that happens among artists at art fairs. Yes, you do occasionally meet a grumpy art fair artist who has lost the ability to stay positive and be kind, but MOST time, the strangers you met during set up on Friday, become your good friends that you hug goodbye on Sunday.

Where else can you find competitors (for lack of a better word) rooting for each other in such a way, other than at an art fair? I had this lovely couple come into my booth for the second time considering one of my larger pieces I was giving them space so they could talk and I would go visit my neighbors in nervous anticipation. Not knowing that I knew this couple was in my booth, each one of my neighbors would warn me that I had some people who looked serious in my booth. They didn't want me to miss this opportunity. As I finished up the sale, they each stopped by for an update, hoping it came through for me. THAT is a great feeling. I had the same feeling when I watched my neighbors getting to sell their work too. It gives me faith that people really do value hand made, original art. It also makes me feel happy that we all get to keep doing this crazy "job" because people appreciate what we do. Gives me warm fuzzies, I tell ya!

By the way, I updated my web site with all of my new work as of today! http://heatherhaymart.com/

Always a Work in Progress...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:49:00 +0000

Studio Time April 2013

I decided to make some new 8"x8" tree paintings for the Queeny Art Fair in Ballwin, MO. It is this weekend and it is in my very own back yard. I don't know if I will finish these paintings in time, but I am trying. I just worked on a few and decided to take a break to write a blog entry. If not, I have no worries, because I have tons of new work to share. I just miss painting because I was on vacation and I have been so busy with other things, that painting was taking the back seat.

This week has been good so far. I have gotten to paint, I moved a new jeweler name Julie James into Wood Icing, I fit in attending a girl scout meeting and I am working with some other mom's on the 5th grade celebration for my daughter and the other 5th graders who are soon to go to Middle School. So next year, I will have a middle schooler and a high schooler. I find that this makes me really think about when they were babies and I miss those times, but I have to say, I am really enjoying them now. They are so smart and funny. I love to be around them and soak up their energy. They think I am a hippie flower child, which they think is uncool, but I take it as a compliment.

Tomorrow I work at Wood Icing for the day and it will be crazy but good. We are having Artsy People Club from 1-3, I am interviewing a possible new photographer, and I am moving in someone who makes amazingly re-purposed chairs using vintage fabric. Have to be honest, I usually come home from Wood Icing and have a beer. It is always a good day, but takes all of my energy, but in a good way. I always feel like I really accomplished a lot.

This Friday is the Queeny set up and I am very excited to see how it will go. Many of my artist friends will be there, so it will be like a little reunion and the best part is I get to sleep in my own bed at night! Come see me if you are local and want to see my new paintings!

Let Light

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Let Light 24" x 32" for sale on Etsy HERE

Let Light is another painting I made in the fall colors series of the William Woods exhibit. The top gold/yellow portion is filled with a mixture of glass bead gel medium and wood icing. I also poked holes into the texture to further push this gem filled grainy texture and then painted it gold-ish for even more light. The rest of the painting is filled with brown that fades into rust/copper - another color I am obsessing over. The raised textured line is accented with a mixture of copper and gold. I called this painting Let Light because as I created this and many of my paintings, while I listened to Hay House Radio (online radio show) and the shows I listened to reminded me how important it is to let light in. We can so often close that gap with anger, resentment, sorrow, stress and so on. This painting is my reminder to open the gap and allow for all that is light and good to pour in. Only positive things can come from this, I truly believe.