An artist friend of mine once told me “buying art is a lot like creating art, both take courage”. At the time, I didn’t know what he meant but the more I thought about it the more I saw he was right. For both, it takes courage to trust your own instincts. It takes courage to stick with your own convictions. And it takes courage to proceed down a path that has no external validation but your own beliefs.
This last part is one of the biggest obstacles that I observe people have when buying fine art. Most often there is no validation that one is making the right decision. There is no Kelly’s Blue Book to reference. There is no Consumer’s Digest to which to refer. You can easily get the opinion of an Art Dealer or Gallery Owner but these people have a vested financial interest in pushing the work of artist’s they are show casing. There is only your own taste and judgment to rely on. And that, for most people is a scary thing.
People often come back to an art show that I am doing with friends or relatives looking for confirmation that they are making the right decision. Checking with these friends and relatives will only confirm their taste in art and not yours. More often than not, these people prefer another painting I have or worse yet for me, they prefer another artist’s work. People do not seem to want to have the courage and rely on the convictions of their own taste.
So my suggestion to you the next time you see a piece of art that takes your breath away, go for it. You will be surprised at how accurate your instincts can be. If the piece catches your attention immediately, it will continue to do so for years to come. You will be happy that you purchased the piece.
Remember we are attracted to art on an emotional level. It is what feeds our spirit. But we justify to ourselves the purchase of art on a logical level. Don’t let your logical side deprive your spirit of what it needs. Be gutsy and take the chance!!!!!!!
Ronald Pratt
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I have been teaching watercolor painting for nearly 20 years and I have long noticed the similarities between ones palette and the finished painting. If someone has what I call a whimpy palette (small amounts of pigment with lots of water) their painting will usually be similar with watery colors and a poor value range. A dirty palette usually results in muddied colors or more neutral (grayish brown) colors. A palette with a narrow range of colors will usually result in a painting with a narrow range of colors. For example a palette for a painting of a forest scene with one or two greens will result in a painting with a limited range of greeens – not the many varied greens one sees in nature. As I walk around my painting classes I usually can predict what a persons painting will be like by looking first at their palette. It is uncanny how your palette predicts your painting.
To help your chances to achieve a better painting follow this advice:
1. Always mix up your color palette before you start painting. You then have one less thing to think about during the painting process – what colors you are going to use.
2. Use ample amounts of pigment with just enough water to liquidize the paste. You can always add more water for a lighter hue later but it is impossible to get a good rich color from a watery puddle if you use too much water to mix your colors from the start.
3. Mix at least 3 values (light, medium and dark) for every color you plan to use in the painting. You then have the value range you need to create interest, variety and depth in your work.
4. I always start a new painting with a clean palette and squeeze fresh paint straight from the tubes onto the palette. You are starting with clean paint this way and you will have purer color on your paper.
5. I don’t use the wells at the side of the palette because the paint in these wells quickly becomes contaminated with other paints, dust, dirt, insects and what not. When it dries it becomes like “cake” paints and I find it hard to mix good rich puddles of color from cake paints.
Try this and see how you like it. I think you will be surprised by the results and will see an immediate difference in your watercolor paintings.
Happy painting!
Ronald Pratt
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As we quickly approach the holiday season, two things inevitably happen. One, with joy we look forward to the holidays as a time of sharing with friends and family and the gathering of these friends and families for sumptuous feasts. Two, we start to stress out over getting the holiday gift shopping done, preparing meals, juggling schedules to include everyone and the dread of opening our credit card bills when it comes time to pay for all this largess. I have a magic elixir to calm our stress and fears during this time. Pull out your watercolors and paint!
Even though adding one more item to an already overcrowded schedule may sound absurd, taking a bit of time to paint will calm the soul, settle the nerves and put everything into perspective. It is through the act of creating and sharing that creation that we artists get our greatest joy. Paint something and then find a deserving person to whom to give that painting. That simple act will put the rest of the holiday rituals into perspective. No money has been spent. Nothing is expected in return. You don’t even have to know the person to whom you are giving the painting. Try it! It is more healing than any anti-anxiety drug. It is far cheaper than therapy. And it will calm the soul like nothing else.
You will find that after the holidays, you will have a renewed burst of enthusiasm and energy for your normal painting. It will get your creative juices flowing. And you will not suffer as much from the post holiday blues wondering was it all worth it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Happy Holidays
Ronald Pratt
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