Believe in yourself, and stay motivated as an artist

Thoughts:

Do you think it's possible to do what you love, make money from it, and stay motivated continuously?

Hummm, I have ways to keep me going to think outside the box so staying motivated  not so mush of a problem.

Make money , gee whiz that would be really great. But that harder for me then staying motivated.

Love what I do? It doesn't get any better for me I love this life.

Did you answer yes to all of those questions?

If not here are a few ways to get the juice going.

You must believe in your work and your product. If you don’t, you won’t have the enthusiasm to create; to share, and to sell with gusto.

We’re all at different points on our own, unique line. This is why we need to see ourselves as a work in progress.

Start with, "What do you love doing?" "Where does your heart lie?" "Which of these is calling to you?"

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2018

Unfinished Work

100 Candles

9x12

watercolor

Click here to buy

About this painting: If you are an artist, you most likely have a pile of unfinished pieces of art in your studio. If you are lucky it is only one pile.Sometimes you get sidetracked into something and just forget to return to the work or maybe the muse just leaves you and you wait putting it aside thinking the spark will return.  I started this painting a few years ago. I had a family member who had a Halloween birthday and was turning 90 at the time and it got me thinking of candles and pumpkins and lots of fun things. So I finally finished the painting and it is a fun one.

If you are like me and have some unfinished work in your studio take a look with a fresh eye and finish one today. Send me a link and I will post it.

Thanks
Delilah

All Work ©2006-2018 Art by Delilah
" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2018

Action in art is the key to success

Pablo Picasso, who became incredibly wealthy and successful, said it best: "ACTION is the foundation key to all SUCCESS."

I have been working on a painting for ArtPrize for the last few months. It has gone through many "mulligans" This year for some reason I am having a hard time finding a venue to display my work,but I have not given up.


What separates the successful artists from everybody else is simple: the successful get up and do something, while most people just sit around dreaming. I'm not sure if I will find a venue this year, it goes without saying that every painting is not a success. I can see that whimsical farm animal were not what Grand Rapids was looking for this year, but it's what I felt like painting. I chose what to paint and I  keep moving forward, sometimes I connect and sometimes I don't but each time I learn a little.


Here is the work as it stands today I plan on one more time of painting add texture and finish detail.

The sketch

I started to add some base color.

More base Color. It takes awhile to fill a 30x40 canvas.

I just keep painting each day adding more as I go. Here you can see I down sized the cat on the sheep's back from the original drawing. This cat will became a real thorn for me.

I have started to work on the foreground, painting the chickens.

If you look close you can see that the cat has been changed again to look forward. As I add more base color I will need to change some of the back ground colors. Every color changes the way we see the color beside it.

Here I have started to put some character into the farm animals.

I thought I should add a duck,after all what is a farm without a duck.

While the foreground was drying for a few days I went back to the background and took a real look at it. I putting some clouds in the sky and adding more interest to the treeline. I also put some cows in the pasture. I didn't like the second silo and thought about putting a wind mill in it's place but decided I wanted more focus on my farm animals so i painted it out and I just added trees.

Now I have added my favorite little bees. I will add some more texture when this has dried. I want to wait just in case I don't like the look and it will be easy to remove when the under painting is completely dry.

Down on the Farm

30x40

oil painting

I will post the final painting in a few days with an up date about the venue if I find one. It goes without saying you have to have thick skin when you decide on an art career , so paint on my friends.

Hugs Delilah

 " POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2018

Show up everyday painting,Believe in yourself

• Others will believe in you because you believe in yourself, by showing up often or every day. That is what daily painting is all about showing up.
True art has passion and contains insight. It shows us a new way of looking at our world. As Matisse would say, it helps us to see with the fresh eyes of a child. 

Art is the great re newer of life. Impatience is the only threat to this prescription. It is all in the mileage invested. As Robert Henri says, do lots of starts and the finishes will take care of themselves.
I hope this is true because I have been working on a painting for weeks for Art prize, changing it,reworking areas,two steps ahead one back. Today I am working on it all day. I hope to be almost finished by the end of the day.

“Don't worry about your originality. You couldn't get rid of it even if you wanted to. It will stick with you and show up for better or worse in spite of all you or anyone else can do.”

The Start
 
• 
  

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

The Artist

The artist entrepreneurial life is one where you fail more often than you succeed.

When you start a painting ,looking at the,blank canvas can be so overpower it is easy to stop before you start. I have found it is best to dive in make changes and move forward. This painting is taking longer then I had hoped for so today I will work on it for 8 hours.

My goal is to have it completed by the end of the month and be able to secure a venue at ArtPrize.






" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Imagination and the creative mind

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." (Albert Einstein)

Life sometimes gets in the way. You have all these ideas on what will come next in your art, then there is a knock at the door,the washing machine breaks, the weeds are knee deep in the flower beds and you put your art on hold why get stuff done. It has been dark for hours now you want head to the studio but gee whiz the energy is gone and you need a hot bath.

That was me this week as I wanted to needed to dive in with brash and paint on my latest project. It is beet just to keep working and stop worrying it will come I tell myself.

This is where I left off last week the slow start but a beginning. 

Last night I painted a base color for the sky it has a long way to go before it is complete. I want to add clouds and give it more character. 

.I need to get background in before I can paint my animals. Once I have the color around the animals completed I can better judge what values I will need when painting them. I will do more tonight. I know there is a painting hiding in that canvas.I want to see as soon as possible.

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2018

Inspire an emotional reaction in people with your art

Today I am starting a new large work 30x40. That is large for me because I now sell mostly on the internet and I like to keep work small for easy shipping.Also I find small work takes very little storage space. That is something to consider when you paint. Now if you are one of those very lucky artist who sells everything you paint,I bow to you.

I stared at this blank canvas for a month,this is not like me I usually have all kings of ideas,not this time ! I did sketch after sketch and then I finally thought I had it. I did a quick watercolor to get a feel for it. It was a good idea and an interesting painting salable but not what I was looking for. So I kept on this is the really hard part for me.I want to paint something that draws you in makes you stop and look and has that WOW factor .

Finally bush to canvas,an idea is taking seed.

Getting things sketched in. This can be changed as I work on it, but something on canvas at last.

I will be post daily as I work on this painting.


POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Farm animals Painting Demo

Goat and Chicken

10x8

oil painting

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2018

Lemons on a Plate Demo

Click here to bid

Lemons on a Plate

About This Painting:

Lemons on a plate

Media: oil painting

Size: 10 in X 10 in (25.4 cm X 25.4 cm)

How to Purchase:

click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

"post your opinion in the comments" Or, send me an email

Thank You:
Art by Delilah, with a Passion for PaintingAll Images © 2006-2018

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Studio Tip

Keeping your studio safe and clean is very important so this handy little cleaning item really helps.
If you have ideas please share.

Thanks Delilah

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Painting an aceo in oils

When painting these very small oil paintings I have found that putting a cloths pin above and below seems to hold them in place while I paint. In the past I have put tape on the back but I like using the cloths pins best. I can keep the painting at eye level and work from my palette. If you paint aceos in oils let me know how you work with them I would love to hear from you.


Poppy No.4

About This Painting:

Poppy No4
2.5 x 3.5 inch
oil painting

Media: oil painting

Size: 3.5 in X 2.5 in (8.9 cm X 6.4 cm)

Price: $20 USD

How to Purchase:

click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

"post your opinion in the comments" Or, send me an email
Thank You:
Art by Delilah, with a Passion for PaintingAll Images © 2006-2017

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Honey Bee Painting Demo

Dreams help to motivate me. Picasso said, Everything you can imagine is real.I didn't sit in front of a bee hive and watch the bees go in and out but I did imagine it.

Honey Bee

8x10

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Sailboat Demo

Sailboats on the Lake

About This Painting:

Sailboats on the Lake
8x10
oil painting

Media: oil painting

Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)

How to Purchase:

click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

"post your opinion in the comments" Or, send me an email
Thank You:
Art by Delilah, with a Passion for PaintingAll Images © 2006-2017

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Goldfish demo in oils

Gold Fish No.3

About This Painting:

Goldfish No. 3
8x10
oil painting

Media: oil painting

Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)

How to Purchase:

click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

  "post your opinion in the comments" Or, send me an email
Thank You:
Art by Delilah, with a Passion for PaintingAll Images © 2006-2017

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Just Paint More

Red Pear Still Life

About This Painting: I've always found red difficult to work with. If you wanted a lighter area you cant add white it will just make pink. Now that might work sometimes but more often its just not where you wanted the image to go. I have found that orange work wells. Now for the shadow it just depends on the subject and the light. In the above still life I used Transparent Red Oxide in some areas and in the very darkest areas of the pear I used purple.

I think each time I use red a get just a little bit better so as I always say the only way to become a better artist is jut to paint more.

So put the brushes to work.

Red Pear Still Life
8x10
oil painting

Media: oil painting

Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)

How to Purchase:

click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

"post your opinion in the comments" Or, send me an email
Thank You:
Art by Delilah, with a Passion for PaintingAll Images © 2006-2017

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

TA A Challenge, Selling Art on Line

The first day of the TAA Challenge is here!

We are going to make it as easy as possible for you to participate in this challenge, to show you the absolute minimum that must be done in order to start selling art art online. Today's step? Simply publicly commit to the challenge. That's it.

Okay as you know,I already sell on line so why do this little eight day challenge? Because there might be something I could do better. Isn't there always something we can do better?

Right now I know that I may be with out computer access the last three days of the challenge but maybe I can fins a hot spot somewhere along my way. I hope they have ice cream okay I'm way ahead of myself, but ice cream works well into the challenge. I am really up for this if I get to blog where there is ice cream.

Biker Bees with Balloons

About This Painting:

Biker Bees with Balloons
8x8x1.5
oil painting

Media: oil painting

Size: 8 in X 8 in (20.3 cm X 20.3 cm)

Price: $125 USD

How to Purchase:

click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

"post your opinion in the comments" Or, send me an email
Thank You:
Art by Delilah, with a Passion for PaintingAll Images © 2006-2017

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Demo Copper and Limes

DEMO:






Copper and Limes

About This Painting:

Copper and Limes
10x8
oil painting

Media: oil painting

Size: 8 in X 10 in (20.3 cm X 25.4 cm)

Price: $200 USD

How to Purchase:

click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

"post your opinion in the comments" Or, send me an email
Thank You:
Art by Delilah, with a Passion for PaintingAll Images © 2006-2017

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Something to check on Everyday

Daily Painters has a great Facebook page and they are ask a question each day of artist. It is the Question of the day.

Daily Painters Gallery

Yesterday at 12:09pm · 

Question of the day: What books have helped you the most as an artist? Hop on over and see the comments.

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Stand out in a crowd as an Artist

How to find your own style,my advice is just paint. Paint everyday,paint a variety of things and you will find what you really love. Learn to mix colors,find the palette that you like to work with, experiment but just paint.

In a blog post video titled, "How to Make Your Work Stand Out On-line," Cory Huff of TheAbundantArtist.com notes: "True artists spend a great deal of their time creating for the sake of creating, thinking of what matters to them personally and formulating their own perspective of their world. What is then extracted is what can be identified as their unique artist identity. It is that intangible that makes you different from anyone else, because ultimately, you are."

 Similarly, in a post from djtechtools.com titled, "Stand Out From The Crowd-How To Build A Unique Artist Identity," the following was written: "Remember, the greatest of artists in history carved niches that represented the unique expression of their combination of talents, values and beliefs. They weren't trying to be versions of someone else, they were only themselves."

I paint everyday, Lots of small little paintings. Then I tackle the big stuff. I am still just laying down base color on my" Chick Bar ". I hope to have it done by the end of the month so I have to put in several hours on it each day.

I still have a lot of brush miles to go on this one so break time is over back to the easel.




" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014

Ways to look at your comosition

There are a lot of ways to look at your composition.

Mirror The mirror is a good tool to affirm a composition choice and will also come in very handy later, when the painting is in progress.

Looking at the subject upside-down in the mirror or viewing the painting and the subject together in the mirror will miraculously show the painter where weaknesses are.I have never been a fan of the upside down thing but if it works for you great.

 View your painting through dark red glass .
If you’ve never heard this particular term before, having “clean values” is simply artspeak for a work of art with convincing colors and strong, visually meaningful values.

Take photo and change it to gray values.

I am still working on the composition of the Chick Bar Painting. As I started the back ground color I realized that I would to have more going on in the foreground. I had originally planned on painting the area under the bar dark. I changes my mind and added legs and bar stools. As I work on this painting it will have many changes.

I am currently just laying down the local color of objects to fill in the real estate.

" POST YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS" or email me at delilah@artbydelilah.com All work © 2006-2014