Joanne Shellan Fine Art

Artists and the Art of Making Money

2012-01-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

Artists and the Art of Making Money

Sissy is an artist whose partner’s income isn’t quite enough to cover the bills so she is constantly under pressure to make up the difference. She came up with an on-line gallery in which artists pay a fee to join. It fills the income gap and challenges her geeky, well-developed skills. For Cathy, it was either get a day job outside the arts industry or figure out how to bring in the art income she had before the recent recession hit. She decided to go into teaching art to adults leaving her time outside of teaching for continuing to create her own art. Mo, a lifetime artist who needed only to pay for his own supplies and $300 a month for his shared art studio sells art, art calendars, and cards every month at the studio’s artwalk.

There are as many ways and needs for income for artists as there are artists. Artists often have to scramble to make ends meet when they’re artists by doing many arts related jobs. If you’re trying to make it as an artist, you better consider yourself half entrepreneur and half artist. There is no getting away from running your own business though many artists wish they could!

Lucky artists who have another income and don’t need to make money at their art are often still driven by income. We’re a capitalist nation. We take in income from what we sell. Galleries want to represent artists whose work sells, not artists who give their art away to relatives. I’m lucky in that I don’t need the income from my art to support my family but I do run my art as a business and I want my business to be successful for many reasons.

One big reason is that I give 25% of my profits to a local charity so the more I make, the more I give to neighbors who need the extra help. I don’t know of a single artist who isn’t as philanthropic as me. It seems universal that artists give a percentage of their work to auctions. I think last year I gave at least $5000 in paintings to auctions. Did you know that artists can only claim the cost of the materials when they donate art? That means they get to claim $106 for the canvas and materials when the work retails for $900 and they spent 30 hours of work on the piece.

Word to the wise; learn how to run a business and be a marketing major along with learning the skills of becoming an artist. Be generous. Be as creative approaching your business as when you create art. Help others along the way.

Happy New Year everyone! And let’s hope this recession is behind us!

Painting, "Harbinger", Original 12x16" Oil on board by Joanne Shellan

Self-discipline

2011-11-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about discipline lately. I put myself on a gluten-free diet to see if it was the cause of tummy disruptions (it was not) and though I still am the owner of a noisy digestive system, I left the diet with a feeling of well being. I can now say I'm going to be self-disciplined and not eat gluten products for a set amount of time and I can follow through with that action. I've stumbled through life without making any New Year's resolutions and things have gone fine so far. But I see the reasons oh-so-clearly now why even a little self-discipline goes a long way.

Once you follow through with some little self-discipline you've set for yourself, you get this wonderful boost of confidence. It's like a little gateway has been opened to larger, bigger things you would like to do. It doesn't have to be a big thing to start you off either. I could tell myself that I'm not going to snack between lunch and dinner. And what a great feeling when I accomplish this little thing. That could lead to saying I'm not going to eat anything after dinner for a week. We're talking bigger resolutions here. No more ice cream at eight! I mean, this could actually help get rid of those pesky muffin tops. Major good stuff could happen.

Things I really like to do like paint and power-walk are easy to do. I think the couple in my painting like walking every day too though not at a power-walk pace. It's the stuff we don't want to do or that we're afraid to do that cause most of us such grief. Just one little step first is my suggestion. Got a closet full of old clothes to go through? Make a tiny step and resolve to get rid of one item before next Sunday. Keep it doable and then do it. Good luck and may your gateway open up!

Self-discipline; noun

Discipline and training of oneself, usually for improvement: Acquiring the habit of promptness requires self-discipline.

My show at Kaewyn Gallery closes on November 23rd. If you get a chance, please stop by. I also have paintings at the Kirkland Arts Center store at Parkplace mall in Kirkland and Gallery by the Bay in downtown Stanwood. The miniature show opens next at Kaewyn where I'll have half a dozen miniatures. And I'm starting with a new gallery down in Hood River called The Pines at the end of this month where the winery and the gallery mix it up.

Thanks,

Joanne

Five Best Outings in Seattle

2011-10-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Seattle Center Fountain- #1 of Five Best Outings in Seattle
8x10" Original Oil Painting by Joanne Shellan

1. The fountain at the Seattle Center is my top pick when it comes to naming the heart of Seattle. It's where people are drawn to gather in times of mourning and to celebrate when the sun comes out. You can't beat a fountain that is programed to perfom to music and where there are no signs telling you to keep out.

2. Pike Place Market is a close second. It's as honest as the day is long. Real people working long hours down there, no corporations allowed. Farmers, flowers growers, fish mongers and fish throwers, all together in one big happy. It always makes me happy to be down there.

3. The Arboretum is one of my favorite parks in Seattle. Views there just cannot be beat. You can look out on vast Lake Washington or in on lily-padded nooks and trails for canoes. It's a park that beats all others for sizable trees, calm vistas and long walks.

4. Our friends and relations who come to visit Seattle always get a visit with the troll under the bridge in Freemont. It's too quirky to not show off. I mean, where else in the world does such a creature exist except in a back lot at Disney?

5. Archie McFees is my final destination for our Seattle Tour. Maybe we just have nutty friends but we always have a lot of fun showing off the place and feel quite satisfied about how our nickel and dimes were spent. A faux leather bacon belt and rubber chicken can't be found at any old store. I do miss the old location on Stone Way though.

Email me your favorites. Surly two heads are better than one and a new and improved list can be made!

Your best outing in Bothell is Kaewyn Gallery where my show is currently up and thriving. November 5, Saturday from 1-4pm is Meet the Artist Day! Join me for nibbles, hot cider and art talk. The show is up through Nov. 23. And three of five best places are featured in paintings in the show!

The Most Impotnat Thing Every Artist Needs to Do

2011-10-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

The most important thing a creative person does is choose what to express. It matters less what style the writer uses or what color of paint the artist chooses. It matters less if the clay is sculpted in a rough or highly polished manner. The poet can use a pen or a computer. The playwright can be funny or serious. But before an artist makes any of those other decisions, the number one thing to consider is what they want to express. It may sound simple. Just say it, as Nike would have us do. But say what? Where do you look to decide what you want to say? Do we climb a mountain and look for it there? Do we study meditation to find it? These things can help but it's really about self-awareness. You need to start by knowing yourself and then looking inside to where you keep your deepest convictions and your dearest values and that's where you'll find something meaningful to convey.

My upcoming show at Kaewyn Gallery will feature paintings of places that vibrate within me. I have positive, loving feelings and real connections with these places and have painted them in a very Joanne sort of way. That is how I walk my walk. If I am true to myself and my art, those feelings should come right off the end of my paint brush and be pulled deep into each painting I create.

Nike may say it but we artists try really hard to just do it.

Tell the World

2011-09-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

pIf you could tell the world about your job and clear up some of their misperceptions, what would you say? I recently read an *article about this very subject. Fascinating. A librarian said you really do need a Masters degree to do her work. It's WAY beyond shelving books. I would tell the world that artists never get "there", they're always "going there". For me, that means that I'll never stop at a certain style of painting and stay with it forever. My work from two years ago may look the same to you as this week's painting of Pike Place Market but to me, it's very different. I see stronger, cleaner colors and more focus on design. Artists Evolve. They get better as they work at their craft. They're always on the road, never at the end of the road. Tell me...what do you want to tell the world about your job that no one seems to understand?

Come see my show next month, "Kernel of Truth" at Kaewyn Gallery in Bothell, Washington which opens October 14 and ends November 24. It's a look at the theme of perceptions. My views of Washington State will be different than your views. I want to explore that idea.

Go to my website to add your name to my mailing list if you would like to receive emails or postcards about my upcoming shows. Thanks!

*Lastly, I looked all over to find the link to the article and I cannot find it. It was under READ on the app Flipboard which I love to puruse on my iPad. Let me know if you run across it.

Three Reasons Why You Should Pay $4 on a Cup of Joe

2011-08-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Three Reasons Why You Should Pay $4 for a Cup of Joe

I know several people who can talk loudly for hours about how stupid it is to pay $4 for a cup of coffee. I listen. I mean, hey, people like to talk and they need an audience. But I also disagree with them and here are my reasons why.

1. Connection- people are social beings. The more connections they make in a day, the better the day is. Meeting a friend for coffee where you get to sit outside over a cup of hot, lovely aroma filled drink with the luxury of face to face interaction with a friend is about as good as gets. Add some sun at a sidewalk café and you are sitting on a gold mine!

2. Caffeine- I think I read once that the industrial age began when people stopped drinking beer & grog all day and started drinking coffee. There is proof of health benefits and problems with caffeine depending on what you read and which way the wind is blowing that particular day. Personally, I love caffeine and use it regularly to clear the dense fog from my brain and jump start new ideas.

3. Continuity- People need structure in their days- some more, some less. Each of us takes on certain tasks or habits that we enjoy doing on a regular basis. Collectors have a purpose when meandering through second hand shops. Their search offers them some reason to be out and looking. We coffee drinkers have a reason to go into town. We’re looking for a coffee shop with the right ambience and a friend.

If you're unswayed, no problem. I'm no debate club leader. Just a painter who dearly loves having coffee with her friends. Join me!

18 24" oil on board by Joanne Shellan, "Cafe Au Lait"

Save the Date! October 14, 2022- opening for Joanne Shellan at Kaewyn Gallery, Bothell, WA

Meandering Thoughts on Herding Cats

2011-06-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

I’ve heard the phrase "herding cats" said with great exasperation when describing dealing with artists. I’m not sure we deserve the huge sighs of frustration any more than anyone else but one of things they might be upset about is that artists never stay on one path for long. Did you know that? They are constantly changing and trying new things. Okay, a few are stuck on autopilot and keep repeating what works but most artists are on a continual search for the best way to express themselves or an idea. They might switch mediums, like changing from watercolor to oils and once there, they might try abstracts and line drawings and adding pastels into the mix. And oh lookie what happens when I add a layer of wax to this! I wonder what it will look like if I carve away some of that paint with this razor…and so on. Its curiosity, it a penchant for looking for what hasn’t been done before, it’s letting go of fear and stepping into the unknown. If we are to be fearless with our art, we can then be fearless in our lives as human beings. No growth and maturation without stepping out onto some limbs!

It’s easier to feel comfortable in our world if we can compartmentalize some of the confusion around us. Fitting people and ideas into neat boxes helps keep things in order. But those darn artists keep wriggling out of their boxes and making their art into new shapes that don’t always fit! It can leads to sighs of exasperation but also new ideas and exciting visuals that titillate our brains.

Next time your local artist shows you yet another new experimental piece, keep your sigh under wraps and look carefully- you may be looking at the cutting edge of the next great art discovery.

"Meandering Thoughts", 33 x 24" oil painting on hardboard by Joanne Shellan

Tips for Keeping Creative Doors Open

2011-05-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

After giving the security guard my ID to check, I was let into the grand, brick house of the Washington State Governor, Christine Gregoire and her husband Mike, right in the heart of our Capitol in Olympia, Washington . It was an annual event where the Governor’s Mansion Foundation’s welcomes an artist who will be showing his/her work for an entire year. They have a dozen paintings right in a small gallery right in the heart of the mansion on the main floor where the Gregorire’s entertain and the visiting public in allowed on Wednesdays for tours.

The artist this year is ZZ Wei and he and his wife, Lin, who does all his interpreting for him, spent an hour entertaining about 150 of us with stories about his youth and telling tid-bits that help us see into the workings of a great artist’s mind. His show is absolutely stunning. His mostly large works in oil are full of strong shapes in colors that glow and compositions so good, they simply pull you into their world.

I tried hard to stay as present as possible during the talk but knowing that I’m going to be up at that podium next year was turning my stomach all flip-floppy. My head was filled on the long drive home thinking about all would be expected of me in the next year as I prepare for my show next year at the Governor’s Mansion. I’m going down the list; the paintings need to be great, they should be large too, I need stay focused on paintings of local scenes, I’ll need to get some press, maybe try to get a magazine article about it and I really want to use the weight of this show to get into better galleries….WAIT A MINUTE! The longer the list gets, the more pressure I feel and the more pressure I feel, the tighter the door clamps shut on my creative juices. The creative juices about how to market the show do fine under pressure- but it must be a completely different section of my brain that decide what and how to paint. It’s the “heart” or intuitive brain section that absolutely cannot deal with this kind of pressure.

So how to keep the painting part of the brain open to the world? For me, it means NOT thinking about it too much, shutting off logic and turning on tuning-in, keeping it playful, looking deep inside at what I want to paint—not what I should be painting and staying in touch with my emotional side. Making each painting a personal message about my emotional reaction to a scene is what I do best and I need to keep that first and foremost in my mind.

To keep painter’s block far, far away, use the heart more and the brain less.

Maybe I should get that tattooed on my forehead or something!

The painting featured in this blogspot was inspired by a walk last week through Mercer Slough in downtown Bellevue. What a gem of a park! It’s 16x20” oil on board, unnamed yet, and will retail for $550. www.joanneshellan.com for more of my work, resume, bio, list of gallery representatiion and show schedule

Be Vulnerable

2011-04-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

I’m jazzed and bursting at the seams! Just came back from a three day workshop called Artfest. It’s held at Fort Warden in pretty Port Townsend. About 500 plus artists who practice all mediums come to take cool, edgy art classes from a talented bunch of teachers. Imagine if you gave yourself permission to go back to your childhood where you had no fears of how good or bad you were at anything. You simply tried all that came your way. You sang with unashamed joy as loud as you could because it felt good. You attacked kicking a ball and scribbled on paper with brash strokes of color. Well, we had a chance to experience our childhood this weekend and it was oh-so-joyful. I believe that everyone is hugely creative. As we age, we know what we’re better at and we stick to those things leaving behind the things we’re not so good at. Everyone gets uber specialized by their middle years. “I don’t do Spanish wines.” or “I’m too old to learn a musical instrument”. If you’re not singing when you’re 50, you’re sure as hell not likely to start now!

Now I didn’t step too far out of my comfort range because it was still in the arts, however, I did stretch. I am a realistic painter, a “fine” artist. So naturally, I took a class called Silly Drawing where you had to draw blind, draw with your left hand, create a 3-d bird out of wire, cover it with strips of material, then draw it again. Half the class had a fear of drawing and their drawings were the most interesting! In another class, we finger painted! Indeed, with our whole hands! We doodled on it with pencil and pastels and what we created had to come from inside ourselves. Whoa. That’s scary. What if there’s nothing in there to pull from?

The experience left me reeling. I see clearly now that it’s imperative for growth to push yourself into trying things beyond what you know. Try something outside your field of expertise. It’s a brain shake but in a good way. Become vulnerable and see what it gets you.
That's the key.

First Avenue

2011-03-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Some Thoughts on Commitment

How committed should we be to a commitment? At what point can a commitment be broken? Is it sometimes necessary to make changes when the wind changes course? These are all questions we have to contend with everyday. If I told someone I will commit to go to their event and then another, even better event comes up, do I need to keep my commitment to that first person? You do. Have I broken that rule before? I have. What if we made plans several months ago to take my son on a college visit. When his team’s game schedule recently came out, we noticed that his team is playing a game that night. Should he stay with his college visit, his original plan? His coach decided for him; drop the college visit or don’t plan on playing in the game. In this painting, we see a couple moseying down the street together. If they are married, they are committed for life. Can you really commit to something or someone for life? Statistics tell us that half don’t stay the course.

Sometimes, it becomes irrational to “stay the course” though. Things change all the time and we need to be able to bend with these changes. It drives me nuts when the talking heads say, “the president said he’d do this and now he has not”. Well, look at the big picture. Why did he change his course? Did circumstances change? On the other hand, when someone says they’ll go to a concert with you, the tickets are bought, you’re waiting for them outside the door and they call to tell you they can’t make it….that’s enough to make you crazy…and you’ll probably keep your distance from this person when it comes to planning another event.

Think of three people who always do what they say they’re going to do. These are the people you can count on and you hold them dear to your heart. If they say they’ll be by at 3pm with the book, they will be there. Now think of three people who often let you down, the ones who are like water running through your hands. You just can’t nail them down! Now think of three people who are as rigid as boards. They said X and X always stands…no matter what. Yuck. Who wants to hang around someone like that? No discussion, it’s always X. That’s no fun at all either.

Where are you on the commitment scale?

First Avenue, Oil on board, 24x36”, Original by Joanne Shellan

Looking in all the Right Places

2011-02-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

People spend a lot of time looking. We spend a lot of time looking for the right school for our kid, the best heater for our house, the right medicine for our cold. All day long, we’re looking hard and making decisions that impact us. But I sometimes wonder if our heads are spent looking down too much, intent on getting where we’re going. What might we see if we stopped and looked up, opened up to the world and what it might bring? I have a friend who is an inspiration to me in this regard. She is open. You can see it on her face and in her relaxed manner. When you talk to her, she really listens. She has time to relax with you without looking at her watch. And because she is so open to the world, the world opens up to her. She is always meeting the most interesting people and having these incredible experiences through the people and experiences she creates. They seemingly fall into her lap but I know that it’s due to her way of taking time looking in all the right places.

This original oil painting is titled “Cannon Beach Beachcombers”, 11 ½ x 16”
http://www.joanneshellan.com/

Can you have it both ways?

2011-01-13T21:51:00.000-08:00

Some days you feel overwhelmed with life. Your list of necessary tasks looks as big as an elephant. You hurry, you spill, the computer gives you problems, miscommunications happen, upsets follow and at the end of the day, you want to hide under the covers and never come out. Other days flow seamlessly like the tide over the sand. The mail brings good news, the deal goes through and the bread rises just right. But the two days need each other like water needs thirst. Where would light be without the darkness? I had to rub my sleeve in orange oil paint and drag it all over the house in order to appreciate that I have loving friends. The hard disk dying on my laptop gives me the opportunity to enjoy hot, homemade soup on a cold day. They seem unrelated but they are.

Twenty one more days until my show opens at Scott Milo Gallery in Anacortes. My task list keeps me focused and working with intention. My show, called Celebrations is about finding those sweet spots in life and remembering why life is good, even in the midst of the overwhelming bad stuff. Sitting on a bench in the sunshine in the winter and getting to wear red cowboy boots is one of those moments.

"Benchmark", 11x14" Oil on board

Celebrations, Joanne Shellan's show, opens at Scott Milo Gallery on February 4, Friday night, 6-9pm. Share some wine, appetizers and see me do a demonstration.
The show remains open until the end of February.
Joanne Shellan Fine Art

What is it about Lighthouses, Anyway?

2010-12-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Lighthouses are popular. They’re iconic. They’re collectable. There are lighthouse calendars, lighthouse statues that have real lights inside, lighthouse salt and pepper shakers, and lighthouse designs on socks. Why? What is it about these flashlight-like buildings? They’re not even being used much anymore now that ships have more technical gadgets than a Best Buy Sunday newspaper ad.

Some old things are never reminisced over. You don’t see little ceramic salt and pepper shakers that replicate old black and white tv’s much. Nor do you find pictures of butter churns on socks. And those were both as useful as lighthouses.
Lighthouses are symbolic for lots of folks. People think security and safety when they see lighthouses so insurance companies and the like might choose it for their logo. Lighthouse International is an organization for the blind that chose the lighthouse as their symbol. Wikipedia informed me that lighthouses are “often interpreted in dreams as beacons of truth or as male fertility and influence.” It always comes back to sex, doesn’t it?
I can’t even tell you exactly why I chose to paint the lighthouse near Port Townsend except that I simply wanted it and that windswept tree rising above the horizon. Perhaps all or none of the above reasons are why. It’s been framed and up for a year and just recently, I’ve been illuminated as to what wasn’t quite right in the painting. My original sky and sand were too dark. Here you see the brightened up version- a little light shed on my painting.
Enjoy it in person while it’s up at Kirkland Fine Art Gallery, 122 Central Way, Kirkland, WA 98033. The gallery is open every day Dec. 4- Dec. 24.

Composition and the Crossword Puzzler

2010-11-23T17:21:00.000-08:00

Composing a group of figures is to painting like a crossword puzzle is to a puzzle-maker. It's a matter of fitting all the pieces together in a pleasing manner that makes logical sense with a bit of fun added in. It has to feel right as well as lead the eye around the painting. Some crossword puzzles have pretty simple layouts like a single person portrait; a head somewhat centered on a canvas. Then there are the New York Times Sunday Crossword puzzles which are the hardest of the whole week--that would be like composing a whole army on a battlefield!

I really like painting small groups of people which must be like the Wednesday crossword puzzle; challenging but do-able. I like feeling the relationship between the people and then trying to portray that in paint. I remember when my own sons were young. When they entered a new group of kids, there was an initial period of "circling around" the group, watching for an "in". I felt like this tentative boy in the lilac shorts is looking for his in-road. Aren’t we all?

My boys are big now and I've found myself circling around the subject of youth, painting kids more often than I intend! Competently fitting together parts of a painting and creating crossword puzzles can give us in-roads to our psyches and great satisfaction when we master a skill.

http://www.joanneshellan.com/, www.facebook.com/JoanneShellanFineArt, http://www.kirklandfineartgallery.com/

Commissions; Pleased to be Working, Working to Please

2010-10-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Artists have a love/hate relationship with commissions. Truly, we artists are thrilled to be working and it's lovely to know you'll be paid for your efforts but sometimes things can go wrong in commissions. Here are a few ideas that might help your commission work go smoothly.

• Decide ahead of time the size/ price/ framing/ expected delivery date/ who will do the delivery/ etc. In other words, decide every detail ahead of time and make sure it's all written down. Emails work fine as written back up. The more expensive the piece, the more details you want to write down.

• Be a good observer and a good listener. Look where the piece will be placed, look at the other colors nearby, talk to the client and listen carefully to what they say. Learn to re-state what the client says back to them. It's a great skill to accomplish and helps people feel they've been really heard.

• Don't bite off more than you can chew. Make sure you can do the work you're asked to do & make sure you can fit it into your schedule. Sounds simple but lots of people either procrastinate or don't have good grasp of how long things take. Things always take longer than you think they're going to! That's my motto.

• Figure out the best way your customer likes to communicate. If they don't answer emails, try texting or phoning. People seem to have a preference. Figure out which one is your customer's and use it.

• Say yes. Always find ways to answer yes and be positive. No one likes a negative, complicated answer. If you need to, sandwich what you can't do in-between two sentences telling what you can do!

Above is a 30x40" oil on hardboard of a recent commission. My clients had been on a trip and held dear memories of this little beach bar. They wanted spots of greens and oranges to match their living room and gave me photos of the beach bar and from around the area. I noticed how tickled they were with the handmade furniture and knew they would have a place in the panting. I went to their house armed with tape measure and comers to see exactly where the painting would hang, what kind of light it would have on it, and what frame would match their furniture.

There is nothing more gratifying than delivering a commission to a satisfied customer. Sometimes you even get tears which is really, really cool. The customer of the beach scene sent me an email a week after delivery that said, "We absolutely love it! I see something different each time I look at it and when the lights are out and the moonlight shines in, I feel like I am there at night. Thank you for all the effort (and talent) you put into the picture."

Check out my webpage or http://www.joanneshellan.com/
Join me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/JoanneShellanFineArt

Talk about Trying New Things

2010-10-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

We love to snuggle into a routine where we know what is expected of us, what the time frame is, and when dinner will be served on a regular basis. We love to drive the same old drives because we’ve already figured out the most efficient route. So what happens when we’re in a new place and the food comes at unexpected times and we don’t even know how to get from point A to point B…we’re all shook up! Things that were settled become unstuck and mixed around. And, oh my gosh, we’re forced to look at things in new ways.

It’s hard to step into the new but it’s the way to find different answers and creative ideas. What happens when I do this? Does this new thing work? Let’s try it!

I’m answering an itch to move beyond representational painting. What happens when I mix real and abstract? This is the first painting from this new mix. I pre-painted four abstract paintings in acrylic using four basic composition structures. It’s not too hard painting real and painting abstract; it’s super hard making them work together as one unit. Out of the box, beyond the routine, trying new things! It’s open season in the studio now!

Now on Face Book and the Web

Do you buy art or crafts?

2010-09-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Free
Handpainted
Bookmark!!!

Do you buy art or crafts? What were your reasons for choosing those certain pieces? If you never buy art, what is up on the walls of your house? Are there family pictures or posters? Perhaps inherited art?

I am so curious to hear your responses. You, yes you. You in particular. People have been putting art up on walls since our relatives, the cave man starting painting on cave walls over 32,000 years ago. What's your art story?

Free hand-painted bookmark to all who respond and send me their email address (and mailing address so I can send you your gift! I'm looking forward to reading your ideas and I would like to add your email address to my mailing list)

About this painting; it's still wet- just finished it this afternoon. I painted this scene of the mountains in the Methow Valley, Washington State, from the porch at Dave's lovely home. When I was there visiting last summer, there were fires over in Eastern Washington that saturated the air with a smoky haze. The colors were all muted and the distant mountains were hardly visible. The painting I did while there looked awful, of course, muted and hazy~! Today, I took artistic liberty and painted over that haze with rich, intense colors.

http://www.joanneshellan.com/- WEBSITE
www.facebook.com/JoanneShellanFineArt- FACE BOOK

Do Well and Repeat

2010-09-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

The story of Monet painting the lilypads on his pond a zillion times is a great big, fabulous example of why we should all repeat doing things over and over. Usually by about the eight millionth repeat, we finally get it. Athletes talk about their muscles having “ memory”. If they repeat a motion enough times, the muscles will automatically remember how to do something, usually pretty darn well too. If I’m so smart that I know I should repeat things over and over to move towards getting them right, then why am I always looking for new subjects for my paintings? Shouldn’t I be re-painting the same subjects another hundred times? By 99, I’ll be pretty good at it, won’t I? The problem is, it’s boring to re-do stuff over and over. People seem to like and need change. We choose new routes to drive to the same old places just to keep ourselves amused, alive and alert. Not even a dog must like getting the same dang dinner every night. We like variety.

This is the second time I’ve painted this subject. It’s standing at the top of Dave’s driveway looking across the valley at the hills above Winthrop, Washington. It’s so incredibly pretty there. It was not boring to paint this a second time and I actually think it’s better than the first piece. So tell me, why don’t I do this every time?

5 Reasons Why You Should Always Have Your Customer's Back

2010-09-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

Much has been written on the subject of backs. There is back-stabbing, backward thinking folks and back-by-demand shows. Backs can be strong or weak, slouching, upright, and sometimes stiff. The phrase, “I’ve got your back” is new to this decade and refers to standing by someone through thick and thin. They will be there for you no matter what. “Hey bro, I’ve got your back” means you can count on me.
Well, customers need to know that too. We all have customers, of course, even if you don’t work. The appliance store treats me as a customer. The machinist must treat his boss as a customer. Just about everyone is a customer or serves customers. It means customizing yourself to make sure someone else’s needs are going to be met. Why bother to adjust yourself? Why should you make any effort at all to adapt to someone else? Here are five reasons why you should consider this approach in dealing with all the customers and people in your life;

1. Adjusting yourself to someone else means you’re watching and listening to them carefully. That’s the way to really begin to hear their needs. Everyone talks and so few listen. Be the person who listens better. Be the person who leaves a gap in the conversation and lets someone else fill it in.

2. When you’re in a good listening and hearing mode, that’s when you let your compassion come forward. Usually it likes to hide a few layers back. Let your compassion come forward and be the first part of you that your customers and friends meet.

3. Adjusting yourself to fit to someone else means you’re the one who is more flexible now. You’ve in adjust-mode already. You’re able to shape yourself to fit your customer thus catch their nuances better than the next guy who wants to also sell them something.

4. When your compassion is the first part of you someone meets, when you’ve truly heard the other person’s needs, when you’ve softened yourself into a shape that fits theirs, then it’s time to follow through on their needs.

5. Write everything down so both parties have a copy. Then do more than is expected of you.

Customers and friends will then say, “That painter/realtor/friend/teacher/whatever you are—that guy really has my back”!

“Karen’s Back”, oil painting on panel by Joanne Shellan, by commission, copyright 2010
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Jessica's portrait

2010-08-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

I’ve been having terrible insomnia lately and complain bitterly to all who will listen but there is an upside; you get time to think that is unplugged, focused, and reflective. Last night I tried to decide what I would put in a letter to my own kids, nephews, nieces and all those who are of an age where they’re trying to decide what to do with their lives. My big epiphany was that self-knowledge is primary. The more you know yourself, the more you can decipher what you really like to do more than anything else (I love skateboarding, I love drumming, I love math). The more you know yourself, the more you understand your temperament (I hate being told what to do, I love managing others, I want to include being creative in my career). And lastly, I would tell those kids to know that if you have a passionate interest, what you don’t know, you can learn. You love movies now and may not have a clue how the film industry works but you can learn it.

When I came out of college, my minor in art taught me nothing about the industry I wanted to go into nor did it teach me many drawing skills. I felt I couldn’t be a graphic artist because I couldn’t draw very well. Now I know different. You can learn it.

Jessica’s Portrait was painted Sunday on the last day of a four day portrait workshop. I know it’s not great but I also know that with lots of practice, I’ll get much better. Be aggressive about learning and you will be amazed at where you’ll go.

See my paintings now on Face Book at Face Book Joanne Shellan Fine Art and on my website Joanne Shellan Fine Art

Kirkland Arts Center

2010-08-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

There are times in life we are given something so important that we need to continually pay homage to the source of that knowledge. I believe in honoring those origins. Although I've done art all my life, I first learned to paint at the Kirkland Arts Center. My first class was with a terrific teacher, Carol Stretcher Jones, who taught watercolor in a way that made you feel you could probably do it. What a feeling! Falling in love with painting was as easy as falling off a log. Painting is now the core and passion of my life. So now the Kirkland Arts Center is a place that I like to support. I give with money and I give with art. This painting will be auctioned off at their auction called Redux which takes place in October. The theme this year is architecture so it made sense to me to honor the cool old building that now houses our own local arts center. Stay connected to what powers your life.

http://www.joanneshellan.com/
www.facebook.com/JoanneShellanFineArt

The Road Less Taken

2010-08-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

We were sitting on top of the world--at least that's what it felt like. When Dave lent us his house in Winthrop, Washington for a painting weekend, we had no idea what an incredible house we would be staying at and what a view we would be spend all our waking hours savoring. We just got home last night so today as I stood before my easel, I still carried with me the wonderful feelings of unhurried solitude, dry, warm air, and the vastness of uncluttered spaces. This painting, still wet as I write, is going to be auctioned off a local art store (www.bellevueartandframe.com) and the proceeds will benefit local schools. Feelings that artists carry inside them come out in their work and if they’re lucky and produce good work, those feelings translate to the viewer. That is always my intent.

Find me on Face Book now too at Joanne Shellan Fine Ar
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanne-Shellan-Fine-Art/138562789499178?ref=ts

or my website http://www.joanneshellan.com/

Making Tracks at the Train Yard

2010-07-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

These handsome fellows were found loafing around at the Snoqualmie Train Depot. It's a historic spot so I suppose they've earned their retirement. I do appreciate a model that holds still. I tried very hard to keep my colors brighter than normal since I lean towards paintings that are a tad too grayed out. Here is a trick for keeping paintings bright; don't use very much white. White cools down anything it's added to and drains your painting of vibrancy. Making sure the perspective was correct was another challenge. Here's a trick that can help though; using your brush as a straight edge, hold it up "next to" the angle you're trying to get. I say "next to" because you could be standing twenty feet away. Keep holding that angle and bring your arm slowly down to your painting and put the straight edge on the canvas. That's the same angle you need to paint now! Make tracks to share the tricks of your trade. Everyone benefits.

Find my work at http://www.joanneshellan.com/ and now on Face Book http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanne-Shellan-Fine-Art/138562789499178?ref=ts

Beaver Lake and the Story of Light

2010-07-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

Outside, sunshine, birds chirping...for some painters, there is nothing better than being outdoors with brush and canvas. Or is there? What about the ever changing light? Artists are always fussing about light- which direction it’s from, is it warm or cool, what kind of shadows come from this kind of light? Herein lays many potential problems; if you haven't analyzed the light, your picture can look pretty weird! You should know where the sun is and where it's heading, shadows are darkest and clearest nearest its source, and that morning sun is cooler than late afternoon sun. But it gets way more interesting than that. Honestly, there are whole, detailed books written on the subject of light and how to paint it! Fortunately most people don’t need to know any of this but you do need to know it if you're a representational painter. Enjoy the summer, get outside and paint knowing the light.

To the new galleries I have added to my blog, please know that you were added because I adore your gallery and would like to introduce you to my art. If you prefer not to get my blog, just send me an email.

Website; http://www.joanneshellan.com/
Facebook; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanne-Shellan-Fine-Art/138562789499178?ref=ts

Art in the Garden

2010-07-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Art in the Garden; many gardeners describe laying out plants in a garden like an artist placing colors on a palette.

To others, Art in the Garden means finding interesting outdoor art like ceramic garden flowers, sculptures or tinkling wind chimes that add another layer of interest to the foliage and color.

My version of Art in the Garden means going to a fabulous place like Bassetti's Crooked Arbor Gardens in Woodinville Washington, setting up my paintbox and spending the day with other artists trying to capture the cacophony of colors into a cohesive composition. I hardly know a daisy from a Daphne but that doesn’t stop me creating my own garden out of creamy oil paints and brushes- a garden to last the ages. Summer may fly by at an unbearable speed but painters aim to stop time for a moment, to imprint their impressions onto canvas and to place that impression in your midst through all the seasons.