Saturday, July 15, 2023

Post 372: Art Tips 5 - Reference Links

Art Tips, Tricks, and More...5

You never know when you might hear an art tip about something that is just the suggestion that will solve an issue for you or help you and your work in some way. This will hopefully be an ongoing series of tips and I would LOVE to have your suggestions as well!

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

Art Tips, Advice, Suggestions

This batch of art tips come from other sources as referenced.

Create interesting titles for your art. Mastering the Art of Naming: Strategies for Creating Clever and Compelling Art Titles by Gavin Coates
Learn the fundamental painting techniques, especially for your medium of choice. 7 Essential Painting Techniques for Artists by Dave Kendall
PWAS member Leah Boynton wrote an article on Tips for Photographing Your Art for Jury Submissions - its important to take great photos of your work before submitting to a call for art.
Keep an inventory of all of your artwork. Art Inventory and Tips by PWAS member Donna Liguria
Cropping a Photo Made Easy by Donna Liguria, which is how to edit your photos in the most simplest of ways, especially when submitting for a Call for Art.
DO NOT take "art rejection" personal. You just cannot do that. It happens all the time to everyone because there are so many factors that go into what gets into a gallery, a show, an opportunity (that are out of our control) so that means not everyone will get in. Period. Art Rejection by Donna Liguria
The Drawing Advice that Changed My Life - Struthless Video
Applying To Juried Art Gallery Shows My Thoughts - Tips For Artists - Rafi Was Here Video
10 of the Best Sales Tips for Artists by Renee Phillips - I really liked these tips, check it!
When You Feel Robbed By An Art Event or Gallery - Artist Tips Podcast - Rafi Was Here
How to Write Your Artist's Statement by Renee Phillips
Now - give back! YOU give ME a favorite art tip of yours or the best art advice you know! Are you finding these art tips useful? Drop me a comment below.

Art Tips is a series of blog posts with 12 tips per post. See the rest of the Art Tips Series on this page for more tidbits of advice: https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/p/art.html

Send me YOUR art tips too or drop them in the comments below. AND let me know if you find an art tip here that you LOVE!

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA and Artistry Spin Blog Admin, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, Donna's Etsy site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Friday, July 14, 2023

Post 371: Art Group Meeting and Agenda, Prince William Art Society July 24, 2023

Art Group Meeting and Agenda, Prince William Art Society July 24, 2023

On July 24 at 7:30 pm the Prince William Art Society will meet at the Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA 22192. We will begin the meeting with a program by Robert Friedenberg, who will present his work and discuss his technical and artistic process. He says "Drawing has been my lifelong hobby and passion since I was pursuing my PhD in theoretical nuclear physics. I graduated in 1976 and worked as a physicist, engineer, software developer, consultant, and executive in various fields and industries for nearly 50 years, before turning my attention to art full-time in 2023."

"As an artist, I create very detailed black and white pen and ink drawings using a .25mm Rapidograph, a technical pen that allows me to produce intricate and precise lines and shapes. My work incorporates a wide range of themes, from natural scenery to mechanical devices to science fiction and fantasy. I also embed pictures, words, symbols, equations, and other elements into my drawings to add depth, texture, and interest, and to engage the viewer on a long-term basis. Some of my drawings even feature the equations from my PhD dissertation, reflecting my fascination with physics and mathematics. My mission is to capture and manipulate my mind's wanderings and to keep you looking and always finding something new." Bob's work can be viewed in person at the Artists' Undertaking in Occoquan, or online at https://www.notwolfproductions.com/.

Programs are free and open to the public, who are welcome to attend. Following programs there is a brief change over with refreshments available, then there is a business meeting which the public may attend if desired.

Take a look at some of Bob's work...click on them for a larger view! WOW!

See you on Monday, July 24, 2023 at 7:30pm!

Author: Emily Hawes

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA and Artistry Spin Blog Admin, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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 and our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm.

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!

Monday, July 10, 2023

Post 370: See Some Art, Meet the Artists at Open Space Arts

See Some Art, Meet the Artists at Open Space Arts

At Open Space Arts, the artists showing at the gallery volunteer their time to have the gallery open and greet the guests. The gallery is found at 15000 #140 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - just up from Wegmans. It is located right next to Ulta, with The Loft on the other side with DSW right across the street. The gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday 12 to 7pm and Sunday 12 to 5pm. Many Fridays and Saturdays, visitors may find the gallery open until 9pm.

An Art Gallery in Woodbridge, VA

Often, an artist brings their art supplies with them - which could be a canvas and some paints, a sketch pad and pencils, their watercolors or their laptop or iPad for digital art. By all means, visitors are very welcome into the gallery, it is absolutely free to view the art on display - and talk to the artists that are creating their next masterpieces.

Photo by Otis Stanley

Photo by Otis Stanley, Friday, July 7, 2023 - Tom Payne, Kyran McCann, Leah Boynton, and Evelyn Chatters

Photo by Donna Liguria, May 2022 - Kelly Haneklau

Photo by Donna Liguria, June 2022 "Emerging Artists" show - Stephanie McGhee

Photo by Donna Liguria, June 2022 Emerging Artists show

Photo by Donna Liguria, January "After the Masters" show

The artists will tell you about the current show, they can share with you when the next show is and any upcoming events. Many visitors ask how they can show their art at the gallery. The answer to that is 2 fold...because all of the art is juried in. This means that art is selected to appear when a call for art goes out (and it is FREE to submit your art). All artists are welcome to apply, that are 18 or older AND:

1. Live in Prince William County OR

2. OR, They are a member of a Prince William County art group or photography group

The gallery is to promote the art and artists of PWC, but if you are a part of a PWC art group, you are eligible as well. Now, you must be on our email list to get the call for art. You can do that through the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) website at Calls for Art page https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/call-for-art

Also available on the PWAS website are the upcoming art shows at Open Space Arts https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/news-events and there is a list found on the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog (web view) on the right side navigation at https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/

Available on https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/osa-calendar is the Open Space Arts Calendar.

The Prince William Art Society manages the gallery (fine art) portion of Open Space Arts (OSA), and if you are interested in joining our art group, please see https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

The only exception to the "must be 18 or older" rule to show your art is for the annual "Emerging Artists" art shows held in April 2024. The OSA committee typically work with the schools and art teachers to prepare for this show, and there is a lot the student artists need to learn and do to prepare.

One of the best times to come to the gallery is the opening receptions. They are usually held on the Friday evening of the week that a show opening starts. There are often a lot of the artists at the opening reception - and some food nibbles too. We've had some really awesome art receptions!

So come by Open Space Arts and meet the artists, enjoy the show on display and you can usually vote for your favorite art piece. If you're an artist too, well, you can get involved as well! See you there!

Photography/Video Credits:

Otis Stanley and Donna Liguria

Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 #140 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5
The Prince William Art Society is a 52-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia.

Want to know how to get involved at OSA? If you are an artist (18 or older) living in Prince William County, or a are a member of a PWC art group, you are welcome to get on our next art show's emailing list. Send it to us, OR come by the gallery to find out more.

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

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Saturday, July 8, 2023

Post 369: Art Tips 4

Art Tips, Tricks, and More...4

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

Art Tips, Advice, Suggestions

Join an art group in your area! Many will welcome you to visit "to check them out", so find one you like and what they have to offer. Benefits
Get seriously involved in your local art group! Sometimes if you need something to change, if you think things can be improved and you have the skill sets - put your knowledge and enthusiasm to work! PWAS Art Group As a former PWAS President told me once, the best way to make a change is to get involved where YOU can help implement that change.
Save ALL of your artwork. Your growth and improvements are compared within your own works - not in comparison with another person's work.
Here's one I haven't tried YET - in a plastic container or jar with a lid, push folded up damp paper towels and add acrylic paint onto the towels for this make-do storage palette.
Make your own labels or use a label maker to LABEL all of your art supplies in your art space to help organize what is where. It should help to stay organized as long as you (or anyone using your space) put things back in the right place. Put like things together as well.
Wire rack shelving can be used in great ways to dry your artwork whether placed ON the shelf or hanging UNDER the shelf and using binder clips or clothes pins. Sometimes organization space is easier to go up than around the room or taking up your flat surface work spaces.
Finished a painting and loved how things turned out and wondered how you could re-create it later? I used this on a sea turtle I drew and painted one time. Once the original is completely dry, use a piece of transparency paper and copy your own work. Copy it and create your own stencil shape on hard paper or cardboard and go from there.
Hit the clearance racks of your favorite art or paint stores for your lucky finds, embellishments or inspirational ideas.
On that note, Michaels has a 70% off canvas sale about 3 times a year so be on the lookout and stock up ASAP when those sales are announced. Your favorite sizes will disappear quick.
If you are thinking of an Etsy shop for your artwork, consider the sizes of what all you want to offer and their shipping container sizes and stay within those perimeters of canvas sizes.
Makeup brushes are great as blending brushes.
Hair conditioner on your brushes? Makes sense doesn't it especially if they are made of natural hair. Periodically use hair conditioner on your brushes to keep them from separating.

What art tips, art advice or suggestions do you have to add? Money saving tips, new art tools, art "hacks" - using every day objects in usual ways - what ideas have you used?

See the Art Tips Series on this page for more tidbits of advice: https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/p/art.html

Send me YOUR art tips too or drop them in the comments below. AND let me know if you find an art tip here that you LOVE!

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA and Artistry Spin Blog Admin, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Local Art: Visit us at any of our local art shows and our monthly meetings.
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.

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

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Post 368: Fellow Artists, No Fear

Fellow Artists, No Fear

The other day on the news I was watching a robot that the programmers told to draw a cat. I know there is a lot of discussion on digital art, NFT and AI (Artificial Intelligence) generated art in comparison to traditional handmade art.

Drawing a Cat

The robot drew a cat alright. And signed it. See it here:

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/humanoid-robot-ameca-draws-cat

After seeing the results from the robot drawing, I'm thinking at least for now, most artists have nothing to fear about being replaced by a robot.

Is Digital Art the Real Deal?

Nonetheless, there are hot discussions going on in many an art circle, gallery and art group. Occasionally even within our own art group and fellow artists, I've heard discussions. The Prince William Art Society has plenty of artists that use digital art, with great results too. And discussion continue, perhaps many with the "fear" of eventually replacing traditional art with AI or digital art.

What about you and what is your opinion? Do you think this is the art future?

Hot Debate: Is Digital Art Real Art?

Photo by Vadim Bogulov on Unsplash

Reminder, blog comments have to be approved to prevent spammers, but legit comments will be approved. Let's get a discussion going!

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!

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Post 367: Art Tips 3

Art Tips, Tricks, and More...3

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

Art Tips, Advice, Suggestions

On with our batch of 12 art tips...

Need speckles, splatters, splotches or spots? Use an old toothbrush and flick paint onto the canvas
Paint leftover on the palette? Start the background or a base layer of another painting with it.
Get outside for inspiration! Take pictures of interesting things and play with the images on your computer to zoom in and find the interesting angles or highlight a section of the photo to get onto your canvas.
Take your photos BEFORE using the isolation coat or varnishing to avoid the light reflections that are harder to deal with. Gloss and semi gloss finishes will affect the later photos.
Protect your artwork! I have seen artists pile up their canvases one on top of another and seen very pricey works with their edges beat all to heck. Wrap your work in towels, pillowcases, felt "sleeves" - find what works for you and your budget. Still other artists have more professional wrapping and boxing transportation setups.
Tired of ruining your good clothes when you paint? Go to the thrift store and buy big shirts or something cheap for your "Paint Clothes". I have a couple of very large men's shirts to wear, just roll up the sleeves.
Baby wipes are great to use for hands for easy, quick cleanup.
Follow great art blogs like this PWAS Artistry Spin blog or the others listed in our side navigation where you can find TONS of info, see the section "Blogs to Follow: Most Recent Update" in the lower right navigation.
You can use hair spray to "fix" your charcoal or acrylic drawings - perhaps NOT on your fine art pieces, as they could yellow over time but on test or journal pieces - if you are out of a good quality fixative.
Cornstarch can be used to thicken runny acrylic paint or to add texture to watercolor paintings.
Use your freezer to store your oil paint palette after covering it with parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap to prevent any drying.
Collect small jars (with lids) and wash well to use for pouring Liquin, linseed oil, mixing paint, etc.

See the Art Tips Series on this page for more tidbits of advice: https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/p/art.html

Send me YOUR art tips too or drop them in the comments below. AND let me know if you find an art tip here that you LOVE!

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Post 366: Songwerx, a Call for Art, and Threads at Open Space Arts

Songwerx, a Call for Art, and Threads at Open Space Arts

Open Space Arts is ALL about the arts in Prince William County. All kinds of art, not just a gallery. Music has a new Singer and Songwriter Circle and for those that do art with "threads", you will need to see below for more info on that fiber arts October 2023 art show. And finally, there is a Call for Art out RIGHT now - June 26, 2023 - July 11, 2023 for the For Those Who Serve Art Show at Open Space Arts which will run between July 26 and August 20, 2023

See the 2023 - 2025 Art Show full schedule

Songwerx Hosted by Tom Payne

Tom Payne is not only a very talented artist at Open Space Arts, but a musician as well. You may recognize some of his artwork if you've been by the gallery before.

Call for ART NOW! For Those That Serve Art Show

This show's focus is on creative ideas developed by veterans, active duty, and retired military and first responders and their families. We invite others to join us by submitting work that are not part of these communities. Entries are open to interpretation by the artist of the title or topic. Please submit quality work that has not been juried or displayed during the past three shows at Open Space Arts Gallery.

Contact shawonesent@gmail.com for more information

Threads Art Show in Oct 2023

At Open Space Arts, all artwork is juried in. You must be a resident of PWC and 18 and up....OR you need to be 18 and up and be a member of a PWC art group or photography group. AND if you don't already have some "artwrorks", you'll need to get started on the art pieces for this show!!

Open Space Arts is at 15000 #140 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - at the Stonebridge Shopping Center - just up from Wegmans.

Author: Penny Shaw

Photography/Video Credits:
PWAS

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

PWAS Artistry Spin

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Saturday, July 15, 2023

Post 372: Art Tips 5 - Reference Links

Art Tips, Tricks, and More...5

Art Tips, Advice, Suggestions

Friday, July 14, 2023

Post 371: Art Group Meeting and Agenda, Prince William Art Society July 24, 2023

Art Group Meeting and Agenda, Prince William Art Society July 24, 2023

Monday, July 10, 2023

Post 370: See Some Art, Meet the Artists at Open Space Arts

See Some Art, Meet the Artists at Open Space Arts

An Art Gallery in Woodbridge, VA

Saturday, July 8, 2023

Post 369: Art Tips 4

Art Tips, Tricks, and More...4

Art Tips, Advice, Suggestions

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Post 368: Fellow Artists, No Fear

Fellow Artists, No Fear

Drawing a Cat

Is Digital Art the Real Deal?

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Post 367: Art Tips 3

Art Tips, Tricks, and More...3

Art Tips, Advice, Suggestions

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Post 366: Songwerx, a Call for Art, and Threads at Open Space Arts

Songwerx, a Call for Art, and Threads at Open Space Arts

Songwerx Hosted by Tom Payne

Call for ART NOW! For Those That Serve Art Show

Threads Art Show in Oct 2023

PWAS is Social

Need an Etsy Shop? Use this link!

Blick Art Materials

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