Post: PWAS Members Q&A

PWAS Members Q&A

Occasionally I ask the Prince William Art Society members various art questions or requests and create blog posts from whomever answers. The members were recently presented some questions about art online, their art process and more. In blue are their answers to the below questions. They also show some samples of their works.

1. How important is it to have an online presence as an artist?
2. Do you follow a specific routine when working on your art?
3. How do you know when a piece is finished?
4. Are your pieces that you create more for yourself or your audience? 

PWAS Member Eric Ndofor

1. How important is it to have an online presence as an artist?

It is extremely important as an online presence provides wider visibility far beyond my community and displays professionalism and credibility. It helps me connect frequently with folks who love my works as well as collectors/vendors. It also provides a powerful networking and marketing platform with diversification- online presence helps with multiple income streams such as paintings, commissions, teaching, etc. Finally, I can learn and share with other artists- important for my growth and evolution.

 

2. Do you follow a specific routine when working on your art?

I don’t follow a routine due to other responsibilities. However, increasingly, I find that following a routine is beneficial because for a person who is still busy with work and family life, routines condition my brain and mind to paint something no matter how small each week. This translates to painting regularly which builds experience and skill and reduces procrastination. But by routines, I don’t mean following a rigid schedule.

 

3. How do you know when a piece is finished?

Three things: when my intuition says “stop”, when additional changes don’t improve the painting and if it feels right after looking at it with fresh eyes (say a few days after). Usually, when I am at this point, most often than not, I find that the painting looks like what I wanted, the colors feel right and composition feels balanced.

 

4. Are your pieces that you create more for yourself or your audience?

My paintings are generally about a story based on my global experience including where I have lived, worked, and traveled to. For shows where the organizer provides a theme, my paintings reflect my personal experiences around that theme as well as emotions and behaviors by other people/cultures. 

PWAS Member Betty Sperty

1. How important is it to have an online presence as an artist? 

I feel some sort of online presence is good because someone may ask if you have art online for them to see. I have an Instagram site, a Facebook site and a website. I did have an Etsy shop at one time, too.

 

Considering them for sales? Personally I have generated no sales from the website, Instagram or Facebook and sold only a few pottery pieces through Etsy. That was years ago and it took a few years to sell those 4 pieces. It’s all about promoting yourself, which I really have not done. 

 

That being said - I do have a friend who does a booming business on Etsy! In fact, she was in the top 200 sellers at one time- because she promotes herself. It takes work. 

2. Do you follow a specific routine when working on your art? 

I like to paint at home but don’t get to it often. What I have discovered is that committing to a weekly workshop or class makes me take the time to paint. And I get to hang out and be inspired by other artists.

3. How do you know when a piece is finished?  

For me it’s that feeling of “yes. it’s done.” Feeling satisfied with the piece.

4. Are your pieces that you create more for yourself or your audience?  

Mostly for me. I have to like what I’m doing. Some of the pieces I do are done with selling in mind, but I still have to enjoy them. After all, they may be hanging in my house for a long time. 

This is an example of a piece I did that has been in several shows and never sold. But it’s Ok because I really love it myself. I enjoy the colors, the water, I feel it’s peaceful and I’m happy to hang it on my walls. (My daughters rowed on crew in high school, which is what inspired me to paint this years later.)

PWAS Member Isabelle Baulois

(From a previous batch of Q&A...) See this batch Part 1 here and Part 2 here

1. How many 'sellable' artworks have you created so far in your lifetime, best guess?

 Around 50 pieces

 

2. Do you find it better to focus on one medium or experiment with many? (Your favorite?)

I wanted to experience as many as possible but have been using acrylic the most. My favorite is oil painting from far.

 

3. What advice would you give your younger self when starting out? (Lessons learned!) 

I would tell my younger self to be more confident in the natural gifts I had as a child. I didn't truly begin my painting journey until I was 45, and since then, I’ve had to learn how to trust the process of discovering the artist within me, exactly as I am.

 

4. Do you keep a sketchbook or inspiration journal? (An idea book!) 

I have all my notes in a folder on my phone. I’ve never really sketched before creating—I usually just describe my vision in words. However, your question inspires me to start sketching now. I already have the sketchbook ready!

5.      What artwork have you completed that you are most proud of? (Did it sell?)

Love’s Second Breath: I am very attached to this painting, as it was the first in a long series of spiritually inspired paintings. My family loves it so much that they ‘forbid’ me to sell it! While I have a tendency to give away my paintings, I’ve started allowing myself to sell them as of this past September.

 

Divine Intuition: I love this painting because it is the realization of a vision, created by going with the flow of inspiration and using oils (one of the few oil paintings I’ve done so far). Not sold but, liked a lot. 

PWAS Member Donna Liguria

1. How important is it to have an online presence as an artist?

I think its imperative to have an online presence as an artist, in as many ways as a body has time, know-how, and potentially budget to explore the many options available. There are plenty of free online options including Facebook and Instagram - its more a question of posting consistently and having good content. It is important to learn at least a few of the options if you don't know what to do or how to begin.

 

The entire world is your stage for your art. 

But...The movie Field of Dreams quote, "You build it and they will come" does not work for artists, online or offline. Just having a website or a Facebook profile and posting your art doesn't get you found online without a strategy for having people know where to find you. Even if you paint like Van Gogh, no one will ever see what you create in your studio if you never show it off to friends or submit it to art shows.

If a PWAS member does not have a personal website, I suggest the Artist Showcase on the Prince William Art Society website. It is an affordable way to at least begin a web presence and have a place to point to your art. 

2. Do you follow a specific routine when working on your art?

It is not often I just sit down and paint without having done some specific planning on what I want to paint. I am currently working in acrylics so here are some of the steps I take:

• Mind's Eye Painting - I often wake up with an image in my head of what I want to paint that day...and I go that route with my subject.
• Art Idea List - although periodically I do search for ideas of what to paint, I do have a good long list of art subject ideas that I would like to paint. 
• Occasionally I have prepped several canvases at the same time so that I can paint a couple of versions of the subject at the same time too. That takes advantage of the color palette already in use too.
• Reference Photos and Research - I want to understand the angles and light on and around the subject. And with the light, know where the light source is coming from.
• Sketching the Subject -  sketching the subject in a sketch pad does help with the layout of the artwork (although I don't always sketch it out).
• Select Canvas Size - I want to select the most appropriate size canvas for what will be featured on it.
• Canvas Prep - a couple of layers of gesso, sanding between layers as needed.
• Under-painting - a monochrome "watered-down" thin layer of acrylic paint applied to the canvas that gives a base layer on the dried gesso. I do the under-painting in 2-3 parts: 
• An all over thin coat applied including the sides.
• I may sketch in the outline of the painting subject with an acrylic pen or a colored pencil after the initial under-painting has completely dried. 
• Block in basic shapes with more acrylic paint or the monochrome color which establishes the foundational values. 
• Let the Games Begin - and that means Layer. Dry. Layer. Dry. Layer...Begin the layering of the colors, especially the deeper colors first, leaving the highlight and lighter details for late in the work.
• Then comes in Question 3, knowing when to stop, so read that one below.
• Sign it - front and back
• Painting Protection - apply a varnish 
• Commissions - If its a commission, I already have my reference photos from the client but the work follows much the same path except that the client selects the size of the artwork and subject.

3. How do you know when a piece is finished?

It is more a feeling. Sometimes I know exactly when. More often I need to set it on another easel and look at it for a day or two, different angles, different lighting. There's also a case for turning it upside down and seeing how the balance, lights and shadows, positioning all feel. There's an interior question of, "Am I satisfied? Am I happy? Is the mission accomplished with this piece?" 

If not satisfied and I spot an area that screams for more attention, have at it. Depending on your medium and varnish, you may be able to touch up final details and reapply varnish...but the point is stay at it until you feel it is right. 

4. Are your pieces that you create more for yourself or your audience?

I am on the fence between "what will my audience like to see", what's on my todo list of things to paint, what might sell, and the occasional wake up in the morning with a picture in my head. If its a commission, like Budryk below, that is obviously the clients selection of artwork.

 

"Budryk" by Donna Liguria 

  

"Spring at Merrimac" Farm by Donna Liguria

 

"Starry Night Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh" by Donna Liguria 

PWAS members and other artists: how would you answer these questions? Drop a note in the comments below. (Remember that comments don't appear immediately.)

Thank you to all the artists that participated in this batch of Q&A. Follow, comment and Share below.

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Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art. 

Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 585: PWAS Members Answer Some Artist Questions Part 2

PWAS Members Answer Some Artist Questions Part 2

Occasionally I ask the art group, the Prince William Art Society members questions and create blog posts from whomever answers. The members were recently presented some questions about their art. In blue are their answers to the below questions. They also show some of their favorite artworks they have created thus far.

1. How many 'sellable' artworks have you created so far in your lifetime, best guess? 

2. Do you find it better to focus on one medium or experiment with many? (Your favorite?)

3. What advice would you give your younger self when starting out? (Lessons learned!)

4. Do you keep a sketchbook or inspiration journal? (An idea book!)

5. What artwork have you completed that you are most proud of? (Did it sell?)

 

Let's take a look at what their answers are... You can click on a photo to enlarge it.

From PWAS Member Lizzy Javier

Question # 1

I have not been painting that long but it's probably less than 10.

Question # 2

I usually paint with acrylics. But sometimes switch to watercolor, pencil, or pen. Also, every month I get together with other artists friends and teach each other a new project (glass, resin, mixed media). It is nice to have a new challenge.

Question #3

I will tell my younger self: Not to stop painting while I go to the University, get married and work as Physical Therapist.

Question #4

I do not keep a sketchbook. I keep a photo book. I usually paint from photos I have taken.

Question #5

I am most proud of an acrylic painting of a group of Maasai women in Africa. I sold it a year ago. Also, I am proud of a watercolor painting of a Lion.

From PWAS Member Eric Ndofor

1. How many 'sellable' artworks have you created so far in your lifetime, best guess? ~1000 if limited to paintings and portraits. If you include commercial art, it will be to many to estimate. 

2. Do you find it better to focus on one medium or experiment with many? (Your favorite?), I like to experiment with many but my favorite is acrylic. 

3. What advice would you give your younger self when starting out? (Lessons learned!)- Networking with the right people, dream big and take calculated risks, and branding 

4. Do you keep a sketchbook or inspiration journal? (An idea book!) - Yes (however not a journal per say but just a folder where I store things that inspire me and to an small extend what would appeal to viewers. 

5. What artwork have you completed that you are most proud of? (Did it sell?) - There are a couple, but mostly those with a story that resonates with the buyer. That is, they bought it because it reflects the story in their lives or gives the opportunity to think peace, love, and happiness or reminds them of their roots/home. 

Any other PWAS Members have answers to questions?

Be sure and see Part 1 at PWAS Members Answer Some Questions

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Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art. 

Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 582: PWAS Members Answer Some Artist Questions Part 1

PWAS Members Answer Some Artist Questions Part 1

The Prince William Art Society members were presented some questions about their art. In blue are their answers to the below questions. They also show some of their favorite artworks they have created thus far.

1. How many 'sellable' artworks have you created so far in your lifetime, best guess? 

2. Do you find it better to focus on one medium or experiment with many? (Your favorite?)

3. What advice would you give your younger self when starting out? (Lessons learned!)

4. Do you keep a sketchbook or inspiration journal? (An idea book!)

5. What artwork have you completed that you are most proud of? (Did it sell?)

 

Let's take a look at what their answers are... You can click on a photo to enlarge it.

From PWAS Member Bruce Fasick

1. How many 'sellable' artworks have you created so far in your lifetime, best guess? 

    Too many…

2. Do you find it better to focus on one medium or experiment with many? (Your favorite?) 

    I prefer sculpting in various mediums…and I enjoy work in watercolors …any medium I can try

3. What advice would you give your younger self when starting out? (Lessons learned!) 

    Perhaps attending a different University that focused on my interests and abilities

4. Do you keep a sketchbook or inspiration journal? (An idea book!)

    Yes, I do

5. What artwork have you completed that you are most proud of? (Did it sell?) 

 

“Gates of Hell” Sculpture and "Against the Ropes” both are as I envisioned. Both I have not offered to sell.

 

Also the pointillism “A. Young  AC/DC” 1981, also have not offered for sale. 

From PWAS Member Bettie Sperty

1. How many 'sellable' artworks have you created so far in your lifetime, best guess? 

    I consider most of my creations “sellable”. Now, if anyone actually buys them is a totally different matter. I’ve done pieces that I’m just sure are going to sell right away! And they don't. I’ve learned that any piece of art has to wait for the right person to see it, have it call to them, for it to sell.

2. Do you find it better to focus on one medium or experiment with many? (Your favorite?)

    I think every artist tries different things, which is good.  It’s all part of the growing and learning process. And many times we will concentrate on a particular medium for a while (a week, a month, a year or more), then move on to another. 

 

As for myself, right now I work mostly in oils or acrylic.  When I have time, I also enjoy pottery/clay - especially hand building. 
3. What advice would you give your younger self when starting out? (Lessons learned!)

    1.Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s ok that everything you make is not perfect. 

    2.Look everywhere for inspiration and things you can learn - from other artists, classes and workshops, visiting art shows to see the work of others and just observing life around you. 

    3.Try everything, all kinds of mediums. You’ll find what fits.

4. Do you keep a sketchbook or inspiration journal? (An idea book!)

    I rarely sketch, but I do have a few notebooks of sketches. I also keep a folder of things that I find inspirational. They are from magazines, cards I’ve received, all kinds of things. I sort them out on occasion and toss out things that don’t “hit me” anymore. 

5. What artwork have you completed that you are most proud of? (Did it sell?)

    This one really had me thinking. I store a lot of my art on my walls because I don’t have much storage space, but my favorites are also on my walls (or on the walls of my family members). I won’t sell my true favorites because I want to enjoy them myself. So I took a serious look around my house. 

 

One of my very favorites is a painting of my husband playing guitar.  It’s only 10”x10x1.5", is acrylic and oil on wood panel. I’m proud of the work on the guitar but I’m really proud of how I captured his hand. It looks so much like his real hand! I love hearing him just fooling around on his guitar, in his own zen, as I do other stuff around the house so this one means a lot to me.  

 

And these are my favorite pottery pieces: 

 

From PWAS Member Zee Berrios

1. How many 'sellable' artworks have you created so far in your lifetime, best guess? 

     About 30 originals, (and couple hundred printed or canvas copies of originals). (I've been painting for over 50 years). This does not include Murals paid for in advance.

2. Do you find it better to focus on one medium or experiment with many? (Your favorite?)

   I find it better NOW to focus on one medium. During the "forming years" many works were produced and experimented with, but there was no coherent "style"... something that would be a trademark, where anyone who had seen the work before would say "I can identify its author".

3. What advice would you give your younger self when starting out? (Lessons learned!)

   Try as many mediums, styles, methods and materials as possible, don't stick with a medium, method or style that doesn't feel natural or comfortable. Learn from, but don't imitate others.  

    Search for your own signature.

4. Do you keep a sketchbook or inspiration journal? (An idea book!)

    Unfortunately, I don't. Anything I can grab that is around me ends up being the sketch note ... even a leaf.

5. What artwork have you completed that you are most proud of? (Did it sell?)

   The completed artwork most proud of (that was not sold, and never will be for sale), was a painting of the last time our entire family was together. Here is the painting. It is 48" X 60".

   This painting captured the essence of the spirit of the subjects ...

From PWAS Member Otis Stanley

Artist Answers to the above Q's.

1. 100 plus

2. I focus on one medium, but experiment on several. My favorite medium is acrylic.

3. Join an art society early in one's artistic career. Visit art galleries, locally and nationally sponsored and speak with curators and fellow creative minds.

4. I do keep an informal sketch idea folder

5.My painting entitled " Walking Blues" I'm most proud of. It showed in numerous venues and art exhibitions, was made into an banner as part of the Winchester, Va. ArtScape Banner Project and was sold this year in Arlington, Va.

 

1. Walking Blues speaks to the origins of this American music genre to lead to Jazz, Rock and Roll, R&B and country music. 

 

2. Better Must Come speaks to the struggle of Black people in the USA and the pride and dignity which is maintained throughout. In this painting I show a cotton harvester, she works the cotton fields to earn money to clothe and feed her family. This was the first painting that I sold as a member of PWAS.

From PWAS Member Donna Liguria

1. How many 'sellable' artworks have you created so far in your lifetime, best guess? 

    675, and that is pretty close to accurate!

2. Do you find it better to focus on one medium or experiment with many? (Your favorite?)

    Acrylic has been my favorite and the one I am most comfortable with. Experimentation is what artists can and should be trying at any given time, in my opinion. I like the idea of trying new things for our own growth, yet to move into oils would be space needed for the artworks to cure. Watercolors would mean that storage for the works along with matting and framing would be needed. Space is the 'killer' for me.

3. What advice would you give your younger self when starting out? (Lessons learned!)

     Be bolder, experiment more. promote more, learn more, join an art group earlier, keep art in your life and don't wait until you retire. Keep your paint brushes in a perpetual drying state as much as you can no matter what else is going on in life.

4. Do you keep a sketchbook or inspiration journal? (An idea book!)

    I keep a Note on my phone that when an idea comes to me, I jot it down, although I LOVE the idea of an inspiration journal. Perhaps I should carry a larger purse to keep a journal/sketchbook handy!

5. What artwork have you completed that you are most proud of? (Did it sell?) 

    I think I have to say "Sunrise at Historic Manassas Train Station" which won the P-Art-ners Paint Manassas First Place award in 2022. The original hasn't sold as yet but I have been selling prints of it. 

 

There are some pet portraits I have done that I love, and I love them because they are each such a treasure for their owners to remember their beloved furry friends. Sometimes the tears shed...just gets me.

 

"Sunrise at Historic Manassas Train Station" and it captures that beautiful day with that pop of sun shining across the tracks.  

 

"Lewes, Delaware" I painted after MANY years of not painting at all and I wanted to see if I "still had it". Perhaps being creative is sort of like riding a bike - you can pick it back up again. I gave this one as a gift.

 

This series of paintings was a challenge I set for myself to paint some of Virginia's most historic homes. There is also a commissioned series of the four seasons in Washington DC with various monuments and historic sites each set in a different season. 

Want to see more? See a continuation of these questions asked in Part 2 - PWAS Members Answer Some Artist Questions...

 Drop a comment below too! 

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Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art. 

Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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