Froshay Fine Art Blog

Skydiving, Wine and Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 21:28:00 +0000

Wine and Paint Party

Lets Party!

The other day a student asked me what I thought of Wine and Painting parties. He figured they were big competition with my studio and wondered if I'd ever considered hosting them myself.

If I wanted to experience skydiving but not invest in lessons and equipment, I'd sign up for a tandem skydiving session. You know, the kind where you jump strapped to an experienced diver, they pull the cord, guide your landing and film you screaming all the way down? Totally a fun experience yes? I would think so :-)

The wine and painting party offers are much the same concept. People who want the experience of being creative but don't have that inner craving to really explore the arts or even make it a hobby, get together and play. Gotta love it!

The parties buy in bulk, use very cheap acrylics, brushes and paper plate palettes because it's uber easy for them to clean up. And when brushes get trashed (which using acrylics tend to do to a brush), it's less expensive to toss them than to pay employees to clean and condition them after each session.

Plus if you've no experience painting, you have no idea that you are trying to work with a bad brush (you think it's your fault you can't paint – it's not btw – it's the brush, not you).


Liz with her Completed Laborado Painting

They offer super simple, very basic paintings to copy so that it's easy for anyone. They want their clients to feel successful just as I do - a good business practice yes?

And of course the wine helps make the artwork look way better. At least that is what my student told me when he enrolled in my classes last month. He said it was fun. There was a lot of laughter, food and wine. He was so joyful about it that I wanted to see their painting. That's when he told me that he and his wife left their paintings at the place because they didn't "turn out so good."

But hey... because they'd had so much fun, they wanted to continue learning. They also wanted to make art that they felt proud enough of to bring home and hang on the wall.

I've been approached by several companies to provide the same. I walked my mind through starting up a new business because yes, doing wine and painting parties would be a totally new direction (and a major investment of time, money and my weekends), and I decided that it was not my cuppa coffee.

I so much prefer to lovingly guide my students to find their creative spark and fan it into a beautiful, bright flame of happiness.

And you know what? I will probably attend one of those parties just for the fun of it. I won't let on who I am because I won't be the one teaching (it's a respect thing). Most likely I'll be in the far corner happily creating my own painting, not following any of the rules and of course, I'll sneak in my own brushes.

Happy painting everyone!

Easy and Fun Watercolor Project

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 22:16:00 +0000

Stuck for Something Creative?
Bring out all your paints, papers, brushes and water and get ready to loosen up with this fun idea that will super charge your creativity!

Crush a sheet of acid free paper into a tight crumple (try different weights).

Smooth it out and then crumple it again. Repeat one more time and then do a final smoothing.

Dilute some watercolor(s) and add it to the surface.
• Try washing the whole sheet with color -or-
• Try letting it run and drip (or do both!)

You will see that the folds and crumples take the color differently and create a wonderful texture that is awesome for collage, card making or creating a background for a finished painting or drawing.

Glue your collages and cards together using rice glue.

Or... Mount this crumpled watercolor onto acid free heavier card stock using the rice glue. Place a flat, heavy object on top and allow it to dry. Then play! Add more paint or draw with chalks, inks, graphite, color pencils etc, and create your own unique masterpiece.

Note: Rice Glue is excellent for paper conservation work. It's a type of paste prepared by boiling rice starch in water, is white in color and dries to a film that's almost transparent.

~ You can buy rice glue - you don't have to make your own ~

Tips To Add Dimension to Your Drawings

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 18:52:00 +0000

Flat-lining
Using a flat, solid line, especially around the outside of a shape, tends to flatten the shape.

Create line variation by adding thicker or darker line 'segments' to your lightly worked drawing.

Using this technique will help to suggest volume and creates more dimension and interest to your work.

Thin and broken lines will give an illusion of light striking your subject. Use this on the top edges of your subject (where light would normally be landing on it).

Thicker and darker lines will give the feeling of weight and shadow. Use this on the undersides and bottom edges to anchor your subject to the ground. You can also use this technique where one area overlaps another - this will give the illusion of a cast shadow and adds a 3-dimensional quality to your work.

Pear Exercise
Do a drawing of a simple subject, say a pear. Then erase small spots on some of the upper lines (where the light would hit it). Your goal is to make the line work look broken. Even one or two breaks will accomplish this.

Next, thicken up the bottom line work of the pear (where it sits upon a table or counter). This does not have to be one solid thick line. Try going from thin to thick to broken and then back to thick and finish with the line thinning.

Practice adding this to some areas of your work where you are sure it would go (where the light strikes the subject and where the subject sits upon a surface).

Observe other Artwork (especially animation, cartooning and caricature work - these styles often demonstrate this technique with great mastery).

7 Keys to Achieve Aerial Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:06:00 +0000

Bac Son Valley, Vietnam

What is Aerial Perspective?
As far as an Artist is concerned, Aerial Perspective is the illusion of depth and atmosphere created by the Artist in their painting or drawing.

We look through our earth's atmosphere all the time. When we look straight up, we are looking through less atmosphere than when we look towards the horizon. The more dust and water in the air, the more 'atmosphere' we are looking through. The 'thicker' the atmosphere is, the more the following 7 Keys of Aerial Perspective apply (especially 3 through 7).

7 Keys to Achieve Aerial Perspective
1 - Make sure that objects closer to the viewer overlap those that are farther away.

2 - As objects move farther back into space, they are placed higher on the paper/canvas.

3 - Keep your colors warmer and purer in objects that are closer to the viewer.

4 - Make sure that your colors are cooler and more neutral in objects that are farther away from the viewer - the farther back an object is, the more cool and neutral the color should become.

5 - Keep in mind that as things recede into the distance, they become grayer and smaller.

6 - The closer an object is, the more detail you (and your viewer) will see.

7 - The farther an object is, the less detail you will see. Place less and less detail into objects as they recede farther back into space.

The next time you take a walk, look into the distance and you will see that the above keys come from keen observation of our world.

Are you a Artist of Photorealism?
Does aerial perspective apply to or belong in photorealism? Please share your view.

Free Painting!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 23:22:00 +0000

Will Paint for Free!!

An Atlanta-based photographer posted a humorous Craigslist ad highlighting the fact that people often assume that photographers will be happy to do work for free.

I'm sure you will agree that this ad could easily have been posted by an artist!

     "I am a photographer and since people are always looking for free shoots I assume that they must also do their job, or provide their services, for free.

     I am looking to hire all types of people to do all sorts of jobs for me, as long as I do not have to pay anything.

     Just think, you will gain more experience, and I will put the word out for you and let everyone know what wonderful work you do. This opportunity will bring you a ton of unpaid work, but everyone will love you.

    So if you have a job or service you provide, and will do it for free, please let me know, because I am sure I have work for you and will hire you in a second.

     Feel free to email me with the service you can provide, when you can start, and please include references.

     I look forward to your free service."

Thanks,

How to Improve Your Drawing Skills in 5 Easy Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 18:36:00 +0000

1. Keep it Light & Loose
When you begin a drawing, always keep your initial line work light and the lines relatively thin (so that it is easier to make adjustments later). This way you don't have to keep erasing. When you spend time erasing, you aren't spending time seeing and drawing.

2. Guidelines
By keeping your line work light and leaving the "incorrect" ones it in place, you give yourself guidelines for where your correct lines should be placed. (Later, you can darken the correct lines and the lighter lines will seem to disappear to the viewer - trust me on this!)

Study your subject and decide where each element will be placed. Begin by lightly laying down general contour lines.

3. DO NOT ERASE!
Adjust the lines lightly by adding other lines next to them. This will make the contours more pleasing to the eye.

4. Think in Layers
The first layer of your drawing should be light and loose. Cover "each area" of your subject but, (now this is important) LEAVE OUT THE DETAILS - for now.

With the second layer, begin to focus on those lines you wish to emphasize (still drawing lightly, go over the lines you like and ignore the ones you don't).

On the third layer, continue to adjust and "tighten-up" your drawing to more accurately reflect the image. You will find yourself naturally darkening the lines you wish to keep (this is why the lines you don't wish to emphasize seem to disappear).

5. To the Details
Yipee! Now you finally get to start adding those delicious details! Waiting to add details until you get all of the basic structure of your drawing down, allows you to add all this lusciousness in the correct places!

FEAR FACTOR
There isn't so much a fear factor here as there is the urgent desire to get right to the details. Oh how we LOVE those details! However.....

SOLUTION
As stated above, waiting until you have your structure in place will allow you a GREAT FEELING of FREEDOM when you do get to those details. It is really painful to have spent an hour creating wonderful details and then realize that all that work was placed in the wrong area or is crooked! (Who can relate to this? Raise your hands - hey! Mine is up!)

AIM FOR
Working the entire drawing within each layer before moving to the next layer. By keeping your lines light, you will eliminate the need to erase which will save you time and give the drawing a more 3-dimensional look.

You can do this, and when you do - it's FUN!

ENJOY!

How to Price Your Artwork to Make More Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 22:13:00 +0000

Original article re-posted with permission from from OC Designer Source Blog

Written by Michele Preston and Tien Frogget

When it comes to your art, figuring out a price that works for each market can sometimes feel like walking a tightrope. You don't want to sell your work for peanuts, but at the same time you don't want to price yourself out of a sale. How much should you charge and how much is acceptable when someone offers to sell your work for you and give you a commission?

First, you need to remember that every kind of sale is unique in its profit structure. A fine art sale has more than one way that it is priced depending on where you are marketing it. For instance, if you are selling it yourself at a show vs. selling it through a gallery, it will be structured differently in your profit margin. This is also the same with licensing which you can spend the money and time out of your creative process or you can work with a professional who does this on your behalf and keeps you creating.

Let's start with setting your own prices. For an original, the first thing to think about is how much it costs you for the materials needed to create the piece and the amount of time you spend on it. For a reproduction, you'll need to take into consideration how much it costs for the paper or canvas and the printer to do the work. Then you figure out how much is a reasonable markup, usually around 25% if you are selling to another party or having an agent market it for you. This will set a price that you know you cannot sell below when it is a direct sale to end user. You know you can't sell it for less than that, otherwise you'll only be losing money. If you are selling it yourself and are establishing a base of clientele the margin can be anything from cost plus 25% to 50% depending on what your market would see as a value. Sometimes for followers of your work, it would be a good idea to have a survey on what they think of your prices vs. value. Do not be afraid to ask your audience. Other businesses do it all the time to help them understand their market. You should as well.

Remember what your goals are when you are selling your art. Are you the affordable artist that makes a profit because you sell a large number of pieces to different people, or are you the in-demand artist who makes a profit when you sell one expensive piece every so often? It is normal to be the latter artist, but being practical in your evaluation of your market and clients is important for this assessment of value to price. This depends on the kind of name that you want to make for yourself and this takes a lot of time and relationship building. The real key to success in the industry is diversity. It keeps you in your creating. That is the key to success as an artist.

There can be a benefit to setting your prices really high at the right time, but if you are not a known artist this can be a very hard hill to climb. Saying that your work is worth the large price tag and making yourself only available to a certain clientele can give collectors a sense of exclusivity but if this potential clientele does not see the value it can mean failure. Setting your prices high right off the bat when no one knows who you are yet can make it difficult to get your career going for a while, if ever. You'll want to set your prices based on your buyers and work from there to your goals.

On the other hand, being affordable makes your work more accessible especially when starting or promoting a new look or entering different types of sales like licensing. If you find that people frequently ooh and ahh over your art and then shrink away from your prices, you might want to consider bringing your prices down or offering special promotions to move pieces. You are already creative, so use your same creative skills in marketing yourself as well. Maybe you have a buy one get the next one for 50% off. Think about it this way: would you rather have originals and reproductions laying around collecting dust because you don't want to sell them for less, or would you rather sell them at prices that people can afford, still make a profit, and have happy collectors that see your piece every day and love to share it with others? The value is still high, but you give more people the chance to enjoy your work which showcases your art to others and creates a larger following.

So what do you do when you have an agent who is selling your work for you? Or a company contacts you and wants to license your work? When it comes to making these kinds of deals, it can feel really disappointing when you realize that you won't be making nearly as large of a profit on every licensing deal. In fact, when it comes to reproductions and licensing, it isn't uncommon for an artist to make as little as $5-$150 per piece, depending on what is being sold and if the job is a volume deal. The more volume the less the offer per image, but lucrative if your image is a contract for 100-1000’s. Getting your work seen is still a goal every time you sell the right. The more you are seen the better your increase in audience.

In some instances you may be working with someone to promote your work. This is also a process of events that takes time and is of benefit to you in creating diversity. The agent has used their time, money and effort promoting you, therefore to engage a price that is less than expected is understandable for certain instances. Remember, it is a sale in which your providing an image only to make it happen. The agent does not always make a commission on these sales. They sometimes are fitting a number into a job that fits the budget for a client to make you a sale. Finishing a job within budget for the customer, which in turn brings repeat business and spreads the word of your work to their colleagues for future sales.

When it comes to these situations, you have the ultimate say. You can decide that the profit is too small and you don't like making those kinds of deals. Or you can realize that these entities of value and work hard for you -- they are using their connections and knowledge to sell your work and simply paying you for your talent. Sure, it might not be as big of a profit as you wanted to make, but what's better: making a sale or not? Especially when you didn't have to do any of the foot work, and it leaves you with more time to create in the studio. Not to mention that the sale might lead to more sales depending on where it was placed. – For instance, a piece hanging in a doctor's office or real estate office sees hundreds of potential audience a month. Someone might see it and fall in love with your work.

When it comes to pricing and selling your art, you should do what keeps you painting and creating. Along the way, it's good to be flexible and willing to try different ideas and price points for different situations. After all, being a successful artist doesn't just mean making sales – it is also creating beauty that makes others' lives more enjoyable. It's about sharing what is in your heart with those who appreciate it.

Original article re-posted with permission from from OC Designer Source Blog

Best 3 Artist Magazines to Subscribe To And Why

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 19:32:00 +0000

I frequently get asked by students, "what art magazines should I be subscribing to that will keep me up-to-date on things happening in the art world and give great inspiration and tips that will help me create better art at the same time?"

So, after a lot of thought and careful comparison, I have narrowed it down to my three favorite artist magazines that I personally subscribe to and what I like about them. All are full of inspiration, instructional guidance, excellent art, quality publications, good images, great articles, cover all mediums and subject matter.

1. Southwest Art Magazine

Subscribe on Amazon -->

Southwest Art Magazine began as a western art magazine but has become much more and offers a wider variety of art. I love this since so many other magazines don't offer the quality of both art and articles anymore. Too many magazines focus on just one art style; this one has so much more to offer and is available in both digital and print format!

You'll want to keep every issue for their excellent variety of articles on different paint styles including oil, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, acrylics, etc. as well as their how-to articles on painting, drawing, collecting, and art techniques and trends. They also visit studios and interview the artists on their work, studio set up, and creation process. The featured artists are usually high caliber, accomplished artists with excellent technique and good advice. Regardless of your level of skill, this magazine is an excellent learning and reference tool.

Art styles you will see in this magazine: wildlife, figurative, landscape, cityscapes, florals, seascapes, still life, sculpture, contemporary, Native American, abstract, etc.

2. The Artist's Magazine (USA)

Subscribe on Amazon -->

Artist's Magazine offers excellent how-to articles on a broad spectrum of media, including graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, watercolor, oils, acrylics and more. They have exhibition information, workshop listings, yearly competitions, and more! This magazine is a great learning and reference tool, regardless of whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced.

Art styles you will see in this magazine: portraiture, wildlife, figurative, landscape, still life, floral, abstract, etc.

3. International Artist Magazine

Subscribe on Amazon -->

International Artist is unique in that they continually showcase practicing artists around the world on a diverse number of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, abstract and more. They have a lot of step-by-step demonstrations in which the artists describe their working process so that you can gain inspiration and learn from them.

This magazine offers bi-monthly issues but because is large, it's more like a book than a magazine. Each issue features a self-study painting lesson, more articles that most magazines, and each issue showcases a themed competition. Regardless of your skill level, it is an excellent reference tool and offers something for every artist.

Some of the competitions featured in this magazine: wildlife, people and figures, landscape, still life, florals and gardens, abstract / experimental art, etc.

Photos Lie - Yes They Do!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 16:00:00 +0000

Globe In Pitcher © Tien Frogget

During my last Drawing Workshop, we were discussing how photos lie. Newbies to the art world often use photos as research believing that they show the truth.

Photographers know that if you expose a scene for a long period of time, people can walk in and out of the camera shot - yet the final photo won't show anyone - yet they were there.

We use wide angle lenses, filters, special effects and Photoshop. Portrait photographers employ so many light sources that a portrait will show no shadows, lines, creases - AND DEPTH! Yet we will still insist that what we 'see' is true.

This actually isn't the case. I often paint from photographs that don't capture the truth of a subject. In this way, it makes it much more important to understand to paint more than just what you see. This is especially true when painting people or animals -- understanding the bone and muscle systems in the body will help you to accurately reproduce it on paper and canvas. Working from photographs will always help improve your art -- but in the end, the knowledge needs to be there, too.

Which Piece Do You Want to See on eBay?

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 03:00:00 +0000

"Metal Magic" ©Froshay

"Journey" ©Froshay

"Fire" ©Froshay

What is a Gesture Drawing?

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Use Gesture Drawing to Break out of a Rut

Are you in a rut? Want to loosen up and get your creative juices flowing? Practice gesture drawing with this fun, easy method. Use your television! You can capture gestures of figures, animals, scenery or still life settings whenever you need a creative boost.

Speeds You Up
You'll have to move fast and creating gestures from TV will push you to be quick. All drawing will come from the flash of a partial memory. Sketch while the program is running and move from one gesture to another.

Hint
Draw small and draw fast. Spend no more than 30 seconds per each sketch. In fact, it's even better if you allow yourself to spend only 10-20 seconds on each gesture for the first 20 sketches.

Keep in mind that these are just practice and most of them will not look like anything in particular. This is totally okay!

The Whole Point of this Exercise
You are Training Your Eyes to See and Your Mind to Hold an Image long enough to capture it in just a few seconds. You are not (I repeat NOT) trying to create a pretty picture so let go of that illusion from the start.

Variation
Once you have warmed up by creating 30 or so small, quick gestures (all while all the images on the TV are in motion) then (and only then), try this variation: Use your DVD or VCR to freeze an image for a closer study. Stop an image and take 45 to 60 seconds to create a gesture, then move on.

Freezing the image from the start and trying to create perfection will be the first inclination for a beginner because of the fear of not getting things 'right'. The analytical (left) brain will try to remain in control and wants to be perfect - but remember - your left brain can't draw.

Creativity is Allowing Yourself to Make Mistakes.
Giving yourself permission to create mistakes relieves you of the burden to be perfect and opens all kinds of doors to Seeing, Growing and most of all, ENJOYING!!

How to Loosen a Stuck Paint Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Paint Cap Stuck on Tight?
There are several ways of loosening the cap from a tube of paint, whether it's oil, watercolor or acrylic.

I'm sure you've already had the experience of trying to twist the cap only to have the tube twist and split instead. What can you do?

Well, if you haven't broken the tube, try one of these techniques:

First, try getting a better grip on the cap with a rubber gripper (like they sell in the kitchen ware department)
Of course you can give it a go with pliers or a nutcracker (handy tools for your paint box)

A gentler method might be to invert the tube in water (cool for watercolors - hot water for oils or acrylics), soak for a few minutes and then use the rubber gripper or pliers

An old method is to heat the metal threading area using a flame (and I don't recommend this unless you are adult and know what you are doing). You also have to be very careful not to melt the cap...

By Far the Best Method
This is the easiest and less troublesome way to handle the situation. Squeeze all the paint up to the top of the tube and roll the tube up snuggly. You can use a Tube Wringer, or run a pencil or brush handle to squeeze the paint towards the lid. Grasp the whole tube with one hand and try unscrewing the cap with that rubber grip, pliers, paint rag, whatever. Having the paint tightly at the top helps to prevent the tube from twisting and breaking.

Once you have the cap off, clean the dried paint from the threads and from the cap. Rub the threads with petroleum jelly to keep the paint from adhering in the future.

Still Stuck?
If all else fails, make sure you've pushed all the paint to the top of the tube, then cut the bottom end off of the tube. Use what you need and then close the tube, cover with plastic wrap and secure the bottom with a bulldog clip.

And finally, save a few of your good caps from empty tubes - just in case you've split (or melted) a cap.

How to Donate Art for Charity

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Last week I posted Donate Your Art and Get Great Exposure! I've had questions from readers who really want to donate their art to a great cause and asked how to go about it...

Is This a Good Thing for my Career?"
There is one thing you want to keep in mind when donating your Art for charity..... you don't have to just give it all to them. Let them know that you need a certain dollar amount for the work, so you aren't working at a loss - unless you are willing to donate your work as well as the proceeds.

It's okay to ask for, at minimum, the cost of your supplies. They can start the bidding or auction at your cost, plus a beginning donation from the bidder.

"Fire" ©Wendy Froshay

Pricing
The last time I was asked to donate a giclee (not an original) for a silent auction, my out of pocket expense was $500. That was for printing, color proofing, stretching, framing and delivery costs. I wasn't prepared to donate $500 out of pocket to the charity, however, I was prepared to donate everything over my costs.

Keep in mind that too high a price can scare bidders away. People often come to auctions looking for a bargain.

So set the minimum acceptable opening bid and selling price as low as possible. If you need $400, have them start the bid at $250. Let them know that it should only sell when it reaches $400. If it doesn't sell, at least you will have bids. It's totally embarrassing (and looks bad) to have no one bidding on your item.

Research the Organization
Do research on what kinds of items the organization normally auctions and how much they usually get for those items. If your costs are higher than what they can get, or what you have to offer is of little interest to bidders, then bids on your item will be low or non-existent.

If however, what you donate aligns with the organization and it's bidders tastes, you'll have a better chance of it being bought AND, of bidders becoming collectors.

OUCH!

I attended an art auction recently featuring some excellent and well known artists. Most starting bids began between $300 and $500 - however one was set at $2,700. This $2,700 piece got no bids.

The artist was from out of town and had flown across the country with high hopes for the auction. This artist did not do his research. Many other pieces went for much higher than $2,700 - but that piece went home with the Artist.

Attend a few auctions before donating. It will give you a better understanding of what to donate, what sizes sell better and how the process works.

Sometimes pieces are raffled off rather than auctioned. Here too you should research the charity - attend some of their functions. Get a feel for the crowd and for the organization.

Finally - remember to get a receipt for your taxes!

Two 10 x 10 Metallic Horse Prints For Auction on Ebay w/ Free Shipping!

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 18:40:00 +0000

Before Thanksgiving, I offered one of my horse prints on eBay and it was a huge success with lots of bids! I had several people who were interested in bidding on other pieces of mine that they love, so I picked a couple and have put two more up! Depending on this this goes, I might do a few more... or these might be the LAST TWO I ever sell like this. So if you're interested ... place a bid!

10 x 10 Metallic Equine Prints

Hand Signed on the Back

Bidding starts at just $0.99!

FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the U.S.!

Running Free:

Racing The Wind:

The Hard Truth About Getting Exposure As An Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 18:53:00 +0000

Winsor ©Wendy Froshay

I regularly received requests to donate to one "worthy" cause or another. The pitch? Participating in their charitable event will be "good exposure" for me as an artist.

Someone once told me that "you can die of exposure."

The Letter

Dear Artist:

Each year, our Non-Profit Organization hosts “The Week of the Help-Us-Out”. This week-long campaign features our annual Conference on Helping-Us-Out and the Holiday Brunch (information is attached.)

Would you consider donating art for our Holiday Brunch Silent Auction. In return, The Non-Profit Project will honor your support at the event and on our website (see Holiday Brunch Invitation for details.) Please see the attached information.

On behalf of The Non-Profit Organization Board of Directors, I would like to thank you in advance for your consideration.

Kind regards,

Fill in Name

Executive Director

Koi Tranquility ©Wendy Froshay

A Better Way to Donate

Dear Executive Director of Non-Profit Organization asking for another Donation,

I am honored by your request and am frequently contacted for donations.

Yes, I will consider donating art for your silent auction as long as you offer a starting bid at my suggested market price with 50% of the full market price going to me. Everything above that can go to your cause.

Past experience has shown me that artistic donations which sell for low amounts tend to develop unrealistically low expectations on the true value of the art for those who attend and those who win the auction.

My current patrons then become unhappy because their purchases have been devalued... and I lose my buyers.

FYI - When an artist donates art, the IRS only allows them to deduct the actual cost of supplies to create that piece of art and none of the time, experience, education or overhead - that's nada for services rendered.

Artists cannot deduct wholesale prices, let alone retail (and trying to figure out exactly how much paint was used per square inch and how much wear on 3 brushes is kind of ridiculous), but such is our tax system. Many organizations who ask for donations from artists do not realize this.

It is much better for the artist to make an actual cash donation that can be fully deducted rather than to freely donate their art.

Note to the Artist:
It's interesting to know that these groups will pay their auctioneers, their staff and workers, printers, and for banquet rooms, plus pretty much everyone else involved - but those who donate are expected to give for free.

How do you feel about donating your art?

The Easy Way to Draw Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Drawing Hair
is Easier than You Think
Drawing hair can be confusing because we believe that we have to draw each individual hair. At least, that is the way the analytical mind thinks.

Instead, if we use the Creative part of our mind, and look for patterns and
shapes, then drawing hair
becomes simple, easy and fun.

Simplify what you see by looking
for segments and drawing those
segments as shapes.

Look for highlights and draw the shape of the highlights.

Squint your eyes to see the shadows shapes and then draw them.

Taming Curly Hair
Simplify curly hair by combining several shadow shapes into one segment, several curls into one larger curl shape and of course, several highlight segments, into one larger highlight shape.

By the way..... This same technique applies when painting hair. In the beginning, simplify and paint just shapes. Only at the end of your painting or drawing should you add the detail of a few individual hairs. The viewer's mind will delight in filling in the details.

What's the Best Lighting to Use In An Art Studio?

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Lighting to Create Artwork By
Natural lighting is of course, the best lighting to work in when you are creating any art. However, there is no simple or correct answer for lighting your completed artworks. Understanding theses differences should help you to decide.

Oil, canvas, pigment and papers are sensitive materials and will deteriorate when exposed to UV light. Infrared isn’t as damaging, but does produce heat which will dry out canvas and crack the paint.

Natural Sunlight

Natural light contains ultraviolet and infrared rays, which can damage works of art. Works on paper (watercolors, prints, photographs, etc) and fabrics are especially vulnerable and can fade rather quickly - especially in direct sunlight. Sunlight’s ability to render color is unmatched because of it’s perfect blend of all natural colors of the spectrum, but for lighting art, it's out of the question.

Fluorescent Light

How many of you work under fluorescent lighting all day? Fluorescent lights give off high amounts of ultra violet rays. Not as high as sunlight, true, but high enough to be harmful. They also don't emit light across the entire color spectrum. Have you ever noticed how fluorescent office lighting adds a greyish cast to your complexion? – Well it does the same for the artwork!

Incandescent Light

Incandescent lighting enhances warm colors in artwork and washes out the cool colors. If effectively flattens the look of compositions that are predominantly blue, green, purple, etc. While incandescent is less harmful than fluorescent or natural lighting, it's still a poor solution for showing off your artwork. However.... WE look MUCH better under incandescent lighting (and even better under candlelight....)!

Halogen Light

Halogen light emits a strong, white light that renders color at levels near that of sunlight. When used in lighting paintings, a low watt halogen based bulb needs to be filtered, adjustable, dim-able and kept indirect. Indirect lighting is less harmful and hot spots are EXTREMELY bad.

Solution?

The best solution may be a combination of indirect, low watt, filtered halogen and incandescent lighting. Whatever you do, keep your work out of direct sunlight and watch for that 'bouncing' sunlight.

5 Tips for Better Use of Photo Reference In Your Art

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 16:00:00 +0000

What's Not Good about Using Photos to Create Your Art?
We tend to believe that photos don't lie, yet photographs show things very differently than the way the eye sees and the mind perceives.

How photos can lie about what you see:
Photographs tend to pick up more details and show them much sharper than does the human eye.

Photography also flattens the three-dimensionality and distorts (yes photography distorts) your subject. Objects coming toward you look larger while subjects moving away from you appear smaller than normal.

I often see the tale-tell signs in student work that clearly shows they copied directly from photographic reference. When I comment on it, they usually say, "But that's how it looks in the picture!"

I then suggest taking 'Artistic License' and changing what the photo shows.

Here are some hints on how to know what to adjust when using photographic reference:

1 - When working from a photograph, downplay the sharpness of value changes.

2 - Leave out and soften some of the detail.

3 - As the subject recedes leave out more and more detail. For example, distant hills or mountains in a landscape should have very little detail.

4 - Spend time observing your subject in real life. Draw or paint from real life. This may be more difficult to begin with, but if you keep working this way I guarantee you will:

Start seeing how values work correctly
Begin understanding how even the smallest distance from the viewer will soften details
Become aware of color changes (and just how many variations of colors can exist in one subject)
Understand how light and shadow affects your subject matter
Understand how your subject matter affects light and shadow
See three-dimensionally so you can recreate three-dimensionally

5 - Use the photographs ONLY as reference and study notes.

If all you have to work from are photos, then keep this knowledge in mind and make the above adjustments in your work.

Video: A Love Letter to You

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Today I offer you another path for you to also get out of your own way, whether you are an artist or not.

Feel free to share this short video with anyone and everyone you care about.
Watch, enjoy, FEEL BETTER.
Pay it forward.

~ Peace ~

See more photography at Tien Frogget.com

Questions? Comments? tf@tienfrogget.com

13 Ways to Find Creative Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Seeking Inspiration for Art?
Create your own library of research by collecting through these 12 Inexpensive and Fun avenues. When you have your own library, you have inspiration at your fingertips.

Many artists use the internet for research (and so do I), but I'd like to share with you other ways I enjoy gathering photos, pictures, images of paintings and everyday treasures to draw and paint.

1 - Go through Old Photos. Especially those black and white images from the past! They are excellent for value studies.

2 - Browse Thrift Stores and seek out old magazines, books and prints. This is great for your wallet, great for the economy and super terrific for the environment!

3 - Junk Mail. Believe it or not - go through your junk mail! Lots of eye catching images are sent for just that reason - to catch your eye. So clip them out and save them.

4 - Visit Yard Sales. You'll find children's books, unique magazines, prints in frames and lots of interesting knick-knacks (by the way, yard sales are fantastic way to get a deal on frames!)

5 - Got bored kids? Send them on a Scavenger Hunt for magazines and save the pictures that interest you. It'll keep them busy for an hour or so and you'll have lots of fodder when they're through. Have them help you go through and cut out images and place them into categories.

What's a Scavenger Hunt?
Yikes! If you don't know what a scavenger hunt is, email me - I'll give you the guidelines (I think I just gave away my age.....)

6 - No kids? Ask for “toss-aways” from professionals who have waiting rooms (hair salons, physicians, dentists, optometrists, dermatologists - you get the idea). They often have tons of magazines they get for free, and are happy to have someone tote them away when they are done with them (another great way to recycle!)

TIP
It's rare that they'll call you when they are ready to throw a stack away, so you'll need to call every once in awhile and be willing to come right away for pick up.

7 - Wander your home and look for Lost Treasures. Old vases, candles, hats, bowls of fruit, dried flowers, shoes & socks, garden gloves, piles of dishes - you name it! There's loads of things around your home.

8 - Use your digital camera or smartphone for any excursion. If you are out early in the mornings or late in the evenings then make sure to take your camera with you and collect images of lighting and composition.

9 - Go for a Walk and gather interesting objects. On my walks I've collected seed pods, pine cones, feathers, dried leaves, and even broken toys.

10 - Go through your Kids Toys and borrow the fun things. When my kids were toddlers, I use to pull their toys out for my students to use for drawing practice. Toys for young children are simplified into big and chunky shapes and can be easier to work from.

11 - Pets. Practice doing quick sketches of your pets while they are snoozing. Do closer studies by working from photos of them. Keep using your pet as a subject and you'll greatly improve your observation skills. (By the way, meet Bartholomew - Barthy for short).

12 - Visit the Library Sales. Libraries often sell older, more tattered books when they gain new ones. You can get some fantastic buys for a fraction of the cost. I've collected shelves of wonderful children's books, many of which are no longer available in print (now that's what I call treasure!)

13 - Lay on your back in the grass and let your mind Play in the Clouds. Drawing with your eyes or grab your sketch pad and take notes. Don't tell anyone, but I once created a dragon drawing from a cloud I saw through the sun roof of my car. I scribbled as fast as I could at a couple of stop lights before it transformed.

Catalog Your Images
Keep pictures, photos and clippings that you've collected in some kind of easy to find storage system. I started with file folders that had my images broken down into large categories. As my 'library' grew, I broke the bigger files into smaller, more specific genres.

I also have a tall stack of plastic storage drawers with good research for my students to use during classes. They are labeled generally as People, Landscapes, Florals, Animals, Black & White Studies, Portraiture, Still Life, Drawing Styles, etc.

Whatever you choose to draw or paint, the more interested you are in your subject matter, the better art you'll create. Take the time to really study your subject from all angles. The more often you do this, the better you'll become at the subjects you love.

Moving Past Creative Blocks In Your Art

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Breaking Through Creative Blocks
As Artists, we tend to be hyper-critical of ourselves and our work. Sadly, I often see how this stunts the growth of many wanna-be artists. One of my greatest joys in life is nurturing my students to overcome this creative block.

Throughout my many years of teaching, I've watched as student after student blossoms into the delight of allowing their creativity to expand.

And last night I experienced the EUPHORIA that art instructors thrive upon. We were in the final evening of a course and all my students had improved powerfully over the past several weeks. It felt good to be watching them discover their own talents. Each and every one of them had grown so much!

Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Heart
One student stood out... Her first drawing of the evening was awkward, stiff and unsure. I sat with her and gently offered her the idea of relaxing with the process, loosening her 'grip' on "how it should look" and walked her through the simple steps I'd been introducing to her throughout the course.

The next time I passed her I got chill bumps! Her work had moved from inhibited to masterful!

She'd quantum leaped - and not just once, but time after time she repeated creating the beauty she was allowing. She'd not only opened her eyes, she'd open her heart.

Sweet!

Art Info: Light Influences Color

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Local Color Changes with the Light

The main light source is a major influence on the local color of your subject. Is the sun the main light source? What time of day is it? What's the weather like?

Is the main light source a lamp? What kind of lighting does it provide? Cool, warm or natural?

An easy observation is the 'color' of a body of water on a sunny day verses on a cloudy day. What differences do you see?

The key to really knowing how different lighting affects color is through constant observation.

Think about this:
The sky is Blue... the trees are Green... the sun is Yellow. What color is water in a glass? Yeah? Then why is the ocean blue? ...or is it?

Can You Improve Your Art By Squinting?

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Squint to Simplify

Squinting allows you to view your subject with less detail thus increases your sensitivity to value changes and color variations. It simplifies shapes, values and color by reducing distraction details.

By including a few squints, you can concentrate on large, basic, overall shapes. Squinting reduces colors to values and simplifies them into highlights and shadow masses because it eliminates much of the middle values.

This simplification of your shapes and values will help to unify your art and will compel you to focus on your composition rather than on the details.

TIP: If you wear glasses, take them off to blur your focus.

Improve Your Art By Avoiding Screaming Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:00:00 +0000

"When Everyone is Shouting, No ONE is Heard"

I learned this from one of my college art instructors and I pass it forward to all of my students. Truer words were never spoken!

If all of your colors are intense and bright (screaming), then no one AREA stands out. You have no focal point and your viewer doesn't know where to look. If all you have is chaos, your viewers eye will run away screaming.

Offer Resting Areas
Kind of like a roller coaster, if you don't have some slower, resting areas, there is no thrill for the BEST part. Bright color stands out best against grayed colors. Grayed colors are your resting areas.

So save the intensity for your focal point.

'Nuff said.

Art Tips: How to Keep Your Acrylic Paint Moist

noreply@blogger.com (Wendy Froshay) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 23:45:00 +0000

Here is an inexpensive Tip for keeping your Acrylic Paints soft for days.
from JAQUI MILES

You will need:

A plastic box with a tightly closing lid
Thick paper towels - use several layers
Freezer Paper

Cut your thick, moisture holding paper (Paper Towels) and several sheets of freezer paper to a size that will fit in the base of your plastic box.

Lay the Paper Towel in the base of your plastic box. Thoroughly soak the paper towel with water and then drain off the excess.

Add 1 (one) sheet of Freezer Paper on top of the wet Paper Towel. Save the other sheets of Freezer Paper for when you are ready for a clean palette.

The layer of thick wet paper underneath adds enough moisture to keep the paints from drying quickly while you paint AND will keep your acrylics wet for days (sometimes even a week) if the box is closed well.

The Freezer Paper has a waxie finish and is heavier so it will hold up to under use.

Tip: Don't try this with wax paper - It's too flimsy and falls apart!

Thanks Jaqui!
Jaqui is a Graphic Designer/Graphic Artist/Painter/Jewelry Designer

Which art piece do you want to see offered next on eBay?
	"Metalic Magic" Original mixed-media painting
	"Journey" on metallic paper
	"Fire" on metallic paper

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