Experimental “Fossils” on 300lb. Rough Paper

I went to Meininger’s “Garage Sale” a few weeks ago and (with much restraint) walked out with less than 10 items… one of which was a pack of 300lb. rough watercolor paper.  After having used very smooth, hotpress watercolor papers for several years, and after my fun experimenting on black paper, I thought this would be a good paper for shaking things up some more.

So, I started with some small “fossils” and was somewhat pleased with this result.  More are in progress!

Mini Fossils on rough watercolor paper, about 6 x 6 inches.

 

When a Bad Gallery Owner Happens to a Good Artist…

The good news is that three of my original “tall tree” paintings have been sold!  The bad news is that the local gallery owner is refusing to pay me what we had agreed for the sale of these paintings.

I’d love to hear folk’s thoughts and advice on how to proceed!  Here’s the story:

My agreement with the gallery owner is a standard 50/50 split of the retail price of sold original art (and does not cover any discounts).  Without my knowledge or agreement, he sold these three paintings to his client at a 20% discount.  And, he subtracted half of that discount (10% of the total sale… over $500) from the payment he has sent me.  In effect, forcing me to participate in the discount he gave.  This gallery has sold one other painting and, per our agreement, I was paid 50% of the retail price.

We discussed this discount after the sale was completed twice: once I even offered to participate in this discount at a lower rate and was refused; the second time I was told I would get no more money and that I could continue our discussion through litigation if I wanted to.  Ouch!

As you might imagine, this issue both surprised and angered me (this gallery owner is a good friend of a family member – I mistakenly assumed a level of honesty and trust).  My relationship with this gallery has ended after this sale, so I have no vested interest in maintaining it.  I worked very hard to create these large paintings and would just like the full, agreed-upon payment.

What’s the right thing to do?  Pursue this more?  Walk away and deposit the check he gave me? Warn the other artists that he represents? Name names here on my blog?

 

“Autumn No. 3″ is Going to the International Watermedia XVI Exhibit!

Today I received my acceptance letter from the Pikes Peak Watercolor Society that Juror Tom Owens has selected my “Autumn No. 3″ painting for the International Watermedia XVI Exhibit!  I’m thrilled!  But, also in my mailbox was a rejection for the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition (I’m sad).

I have rather mixed feelings about “Autumn No. 3″… I’m actually a bit intimidated by it.  The precision of my elemental shapes and the razor-thin lines I achieved is truly amazing (if I say so myself).  I have it hanging high on one of my studio walls partly so that I don’t inspect too closely… because when I do, I instantly have a feeling that I couldn’t paint with that precision again.

Perhaps getting it down for this exhibit will inspire some precision elementals painting – we’ll see!

Autumn No. 3, watercolor on paper, 22 x 30 inches.

 

First Friday… and Getting Things Back In Order

After several days off from my studio last week, I’m getting things back in order in my studio.  And, I’ll be painting in my studio for First Friday today from 5-8pm, so come on by!

Stacks of my 12x12" paintings awaiting re-hanging in my studio.

 

Thanks to Everyone Visiting Me at the Downtown Denver Arts Festival!

Thank you to everyone that came by to visit me and my artwork this past weekend at the Downtown Denver Arts Festival.  Despite the sometimes-soggy conditions, the hightlight of all of the hard work and energy it takes me to do this festival is getting to meet and visit with folks and talk about my art, inspirations and process.  So, again, thank you, especially to those that went home with new artwork and to my new Collectors who took a new one-of-a-kind, original painting home!

If you are interested in a followup visit to my studio to look at more of my artwork, to purchase a particular piece that you saw or would like to discuss a commission project, please send me an email, give me a call or use my “Buy Some Art” inquiry feature on my website and we’ll get an appointment set up at your convenience.

Me at the 2009 Downtown Denver Arts Festival.

Soggy conditions on Saturday evening...

 

Downtown Denver Arts Festival – Memorial Day Weekend!

You are invited to visit me at the 2009 Downtown Denver Arts Festival this Memorial Day weekend at the Denver Pavilions.  I’ll be in my usual spot on Glenarm between 15^th and 16^th (Booth #16).  This is one of the best fine art festivals in Colorado and it is ALL Colorado artists!

I was selected for the Best in Show Award last year, so you won’t want to miss the new art I’ll have at this year’s Festival (including several of my “impossible” watercolors on black paper).  I’ll also have several sizes of my new fine art print “Four Seasons of Trees” (check out one below).

Downtown Denver Arts Festival (DDAF website for more info)

• Friday, May 22  |  4pm – 8pm
• Saturday, May 23  |  11am – 8pm
• Sunday, May 24  |  11am – 5pm
• Monday, May 25  |  11am – 4pm

One of my framed, large-sized fine art reproductions (40 x 51", hand-embellished with metallic watercolors, $750)

 

New Paintings Await the Downtown Denver Arts Festival

I’m just finishing up a few of my 12×12″ originals for this weekend’s Downtown Denver Arts Festival!

A few new 12x12" paintings drying on my studio table this morning.

 

New Alex Grant Music!

Alex sent me an email last week that he now has new music on his film-scoring site here.  I listen to Alex Grant’s music in my studio ALL THE TIME.  Here’s what he said about his latest music:

“When Elephants Dream” was composed for a British documentary about elephants.  For part of the inspiration for this piece, I was thinking about the description of “Rosie” from the book “Water For Elephants”.  She apparently would smile when doing something mischievous!

Alex Grant

 

Recent Travels: South Florida… Footprints and Clouds

Just some recent pictures from our trip to South Florida last week to visit Steve’s Mom in Boca.  I swear the clouds we saw from the plane look painted on the sky!

Clouds over South Florida.

 

Steve and my footprints on the beach.

 

Colorado Watercolor Society State Exhibition Opens Friday, 4/24!

The Colorado Watercolor Society’s State Exhibition opens this Friday at the Colorado History Museum in Denver (opening reception is Friday, 4/24 from 5-8pm and the exhibit runs through May 3rd).  My “Tall Spring Trees” painting was accepted into this exhibition by juror Mark Mehaffey.  And, acceptance into this exhibit now makes me a Signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society!

I saw most of the paintings in the exhibit this morning when I dropped my painting off – if you’re in Colorado and like watercolor art, you don’t want to miss this one!

Tall Spring Trees, watercolor, 56 x 24 inches.The Colorado History Museum at 13th/Broadway in Denver.

 

Postpainting Depression…

I finished a new tall spring trees painting today… and immediately slumped into a postpainting depression.  This actually happens to me often after I finish a large painting or one that I’ve been working on for awhile.  In this case, both apply since I’ve been working on this painting for over a month now… on the bright side, it will be framed and delivered to Rue 32 Gallery in northwest Denver next week!

Does this happen to other artists out there??

Since summer has arrived here in Denver, perhaps I’ll go sit outside and soak up some sunshine while I eat lunch to perk me up.

"More Spring Trees", watercolor, 46 x 15 inches.

 

Denver Public Library Adds My Painting “Denver Art Museum, Sky, Library” to Their Permanent Collection

I’m excited to announce that the Denver Public Library has acquired my painting “Denver Art Museum, Sky, Library” for their permanent Western History collection!

You may remember that I created this painting in 2007 for the first High Plein Air Arts painting event in Denver’s Golden Triangle Museum District.  At the time, my painting was juried into the exhibit at the Central Library where DPL staff first expressed interest in acquiring it.

So, they’ve now added it to their permament collection and, after cataloging, will use it for special exhibits at the Central Library at 13th/Broadway in Denver.  I had a great time working with Jim Kroll, Manager of DPL’s Western History/Genealogy Department, and here’s what he had to say:

“David’s watercolor joins several other images of the Central Library included in the Western History collection.  As a regional artist, the Library is pleased to add his creation to a collection that consists of over fourteen hundred original paintings and three-dimensional depictions of the West.  Several framed pieces and sculpture can be seen on the fifth level of the Central Library.” — Jim Kroll, Manager of Western History/Genealogy Department at Denver Public Library

 

"Denver Art Museum, Sky, Library", watercolor on paper (canvas-mounted), 24 x 26 inches.Delivering my painting to Jim Kroll, DPL's Manager of Western History/Genealogy Department.

Delivering my painting to Jim Kroll, DPL's Manager of Western History/Genealogy Department

 

Colorado Art Open Events at Foothills Art Center

As a followup to my post about Do Artists Need More Transparency With Juried Results?, I wanted to share a few events that the Foothills Art Center (Golden, Colorado) is hosting during the Colorado Art Open Exhibit.

Note in particular that one of the curators, Michael Chavez, will be having a session on “entering juried exhibitions”.  I think it’s always interesting to hear other art professional’s thoughts on this topic!  Check FAC’s website for the complete list of additional events including a Family Free Day and Gallery Talks with some of the exhibiting artists.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward by Michael Chavez at Foothills Art Center.

 

Unusual Sighting in Our Denver Backyard: Wild Turkeys

Quite a surprising sighting in our own backyard when I got home from my studio yesterday: 3 wild turkeys!  While we don’t live in downtown Denver, we do live a block from Cheesman Park and the Denver Botanic Gardens, which is a pretty densely populated neighborhood about 1.5 miles from downtown.  I’ve never seen  a wild turkey in Colorado, much less in Denver, but there they were.  After flying from our carriage house into our neighbor’s backyard, I last saw them running up the sidewalk towards the Botanic Gardens.

I guess it pays to keep my eyes open, because I never would have believed this!

One of the three turkeys perched on the corner of our carriage house in Denver.

 

Last Spring Special: “Impossible” Watercolor on Black Paper

Finally, here is one of my brand-new, “impossible” watercolor paintings on black fine art paper.  Of course I was clever and used my favorite Daniel Smith iridescent and metallic watercolor paints, so they really POP on the black paper!

Not-Yet-Titled watercolor on black fine art paper, mounted on extra-deep stretched canvas. 12 x 12 inches, special Spring price of $225 (regularly, $300).

 

Trio of Spring Paintings + Special Prices!

Continuing my parade of Spring-colored new paintings, here are three – a perfect trio!  Email me to purchase, or come by to see them in person tonight at my First Friday Open Studio (5 -8pm).

Trio of Spring paintings, watercolors mounted on canvas, each is 12 x 12 inches. Special Spring price of $225 each (regularly $300 each).

 

New Spring Art + Special Price: “Tulip Stand”

I’ve been inspired by Spring lately and have created several new paintings with bright, Spring colors.  This is the first of 5 paintings which will have special prices through the last day of Spring.  Look for me to post the remaining 4 Spring paintings in the next few days right here on my blog!

A note about the title of this painting, “Tulip Stand”… I had to actually look up “stand” to see if it can be used for a group of growing tulips as well as trees (as in “a stand of aspen trees”).  According to dictionary.com, it can’t.  But, I’m calling it “Tulip Stand” anyway.

"Tulip Stand", watercolor mounted on canvas, diptych - overall size is 12 x 24 inches (each panel is 12 x 12"). Special price = $450 (regularly $600).

"Tulip Stand", mounted on extra-deep, 2.5" stretched canvas. The tulips are a vivid pink and the grass includes some great metallic highlights.

 

Snow Day + Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

View out our back door this morning... we got about 14"!

After yesterday’s “blizzard”, today seemed a perfect day for paperwork in my home office and some good old-fashioned, snow-day goofing off.  The goofing off part included making some wonderful peanut butter cookies that are flourless and gluten free… I mix in chocolate chips for 1/2 of the dough.

Recipe below – enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Gluten free peanut butter cookies.

GLUTEN FREE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup super chunky peanut butter
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Mix in chocolate chips. Using moistened hands, form generous 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie into ball. Arrange on 2 ungreased baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies until puffed, golden on bottom and still soft to touch in center, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to racks; cool completely.

 

And “They” Said it Couldn’t Be Done… Watercolor on Black Paper

It’s not a secret that I love making up my own rules for my watercolor paintings and that I’m often operating far from tradition.  I’ve been thinking about the metallic and iridescent watercolor paints that I love so much (I almost exclusively use Daniel Smith watercolors), and how I could get some of them to pop.  Like electrically pop.

I decided that black watercolor paper would do it… too bad no one seems to make black watercolor paper (at least that I could find online).  So, I went to my local art store (Meininger) and asked for help:  “Doesn’t exist”, “Can’t be done”, “Paint with watercolor on black paper?  You won’t see the paint!”.  Good thing I wouldn’t take no for an answer (although after having explained that metallic and some opaque watercolors would certainly be visible on black, I had to accept a blank stare for an answer).

I finally decided to try some black Somerset printmaking paper – it felt too lightweight and wasn’t nearly as smooth as my usual hot-press Fabriano watercolor paper, but couldn’t find any other fine art paper to try.

What do you think of this mini that I created today?

Untitled, watercolor on black printmaking paper, 6 x 6 inches framed, $95

 

Create Denver Expo – Saturday, March 21

Create Denver Expo is back for its fourth year… looks like some really great workshops!  Register online and head downtown on Saturday, March 21.  Highlights include a welcome by Denver Mayor Hickenlooper and a workshop session on social media by a friend of mine, Lisa Call (she mentions it on her blog here).