Encounter: Painter, Teacher and Author Sean Dye

Sean Dye at work

Last week, I had a treat.  I spent a few days painting with painter, teacher and author Sean Dye, who had come from Vermont to take a workshop with me.  Sean is an accomplished painter, so for me, it was indeed an honor to have him as a student.  (This is his third time studying with me.)  Sean founded the Vermont Pastel Society, has written the popular book Painting with Water-Soluble Oils and appears in three videos and teaches regularly. We had a great time painting from Sedona to Jerome and points in between.  Recently, he moved his studio to Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes, Vermont.

Here are some of the paintings I did during the week:

High Desert Juniper II, 16x20 oil

Wake of the Flood, 9x12 oil

Morning Shadow 11x14 oil

High Desert Juniper I, 11x14 oil

Cuban Queen of Jerome 9x12 oil

Jerome Foundation Wall 9x12 oil
(This one is very different for me, and I wonder who I was channeling?)

Suggestions for Plein Air Painting Festival Organizers

At the Opening Reception for the 2014 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art

To go along with my post on Etiquette for Artists at Plein Air Painting Festivals, which was directed at the artists, I thought it only fair to offer suggestions to the organizers of these events, too.  This is a more difficult task, considering that every event is different with its own agenda and goals.  However, I have some general suggestions that might be helpful.  Some of you already do these things; but if you don't, please consider them.  Much of it boils down to giving buyers long and plentiful opportunities to purchase paintings for a successful event.

• First, if you haven't learned to delegate, learn.  This will avoid burn-out during the event.  Some organizers take on too much.
• Limit the number of participating artists.  More artists means more paintings for sale, which, in a limited market, means fewer sales per artist, and that means unhappy artists.   Thirty may be too many for even a national event; try going with no more than twenty-five.
• Don't wait to publicize your artists.  As soon as you have your roster, advertise it.  The earlier you can get their names out there, the better.
• Offer free housing for artists.  For many festivals, artists dig into their own pockets for travel expenses and meals.  Free housing, especially in tourist areas at high season when rates are up and availability, down, will be most welcome.  Also, the interaction between artists and hosts can lead to new collectors.
• Display artwork in your show space for the entire event, not just during the reception and sale.  This will lengthen the opportunity for sales.  Artists can bring artwork created earlier, and paintings made during the week can add to it or replace it.  This gives a changing and continuous display to create interest during the event.
• Schedule artist demonstrations during the event to promote it and to educate the public.  They are a great way to build awareness and interest in the event.
• Have an auction event.  You can really ratchet up prices this way and generate a sense of urgency.  Starting bids should be reasonable, however.  But don't try playing auctioneer yourself; get a professional.  Make sure he is prepared to read a short, written bio of the artist.  Don't let him do it from memory, unless you like the surprises a faulty memory can create.
• For the exhibit, evaluate the display floor carefully.  If there is any clearly inferior area,  don't display art there.   This will avoid limiting some poor artist's sales opportunity.  As much as possible, artists should have equal access, lighting and display space.  Beware of corners, structural posts that could become barriers, etc.

• Let artists hang their own work, but with rules and under supervision.  (You may want work hung only so high, or only so many pieces per artist.)  This will eliminate complaints from artists about how paintings are hung.  It will also make it easier on the volunteers, who are always very busy toward the end of the festival.
• Keep the buffet table and bar far away from the display area to give maximum access to artwork.  You don't want twenty people crowded around the bar, blocking an artist's work.
• Have plenty of sales people on the floor.  I don't like having to hunt down a sales person because my buyer might change his mind while I'm gone.  Nor do I like having to drag the buyer along with me on the hunt; I want to be available at my paintings for the next buyer.
• Announce awards at the beginning of the opening reception, not at the end.  This will give people a chance to see the winning paintings and to make purchase decisions early on. 
• Make sure you have purchase awards to guarantee sales.  I personally would prefer this to having a ribbon to hang next to the unsold painting in my studio.
• Finally, when it's all over, select and advertise dates for the next event immediately.  Build on the interest you've generated before it fades.

Etiquette for Artists at Plein Air Painting Festivals

2014 Sedona Plein Air Festival

I've participated in many plein air painting festivals over the years.  Now with the plein air painting season nearly upon us, I have some thoughts on these festivals and how artists should behave.  Some of the participants, especially some of the newer ones, might improve their manners.  Please don't think of me as a "Miss Manners," but manners have their place in the world.  Good manners make it a happier and better place for everyone.  And for plein air festivals, good manners may also help sales.  So, with that in mind, here are notes on etiquette for artists at plein air painting festivals.

• Be a team player.  Go to all the events on the schedule, especially if the attendance of artists is requested.   Sure, we want to spend the whole week painting, but it's important to show face and to support the organizers and other artists.  It may also help sales, since the folks attending the event may get to know you enough to want to buy your paintings.
• Respect your fellow artists.  If you think someone else's paintings could have been made by a third-grader, keep it to yourself.  They have probably worked just as hard as you to get into the festival, even if they can't paint.
• If you stay with hosts, be a good guest.  No impromptu parties,  no rudeness, no making life difficult for them.  If your guests invite you to dinner, go.  Yes, we all want to paint a lot, but take the time to know your hosts.   It's just courteous.  I've made some good friends this way.
• When you go out to paint, if another artist has set up where you'd planned to be, don't just automatically set up an arm's length away.  Ask the artist if it's okay to paint there.  Or, better yet, just go find a new spot.  You should have gotten there earlier.
• If you don't like the way things are being run, wait until after the event to grouse.  Complaining at the opening reception or sales event is especially rude and hurtful in many ways.  The organizers will, of course, appreciate a well-thought critique after the event.
• Dress appropriately for the event.  Wear your painting rags in the field, but don't wear them to the opening reception.   Ask the organizers what the guests will be wearing at the reception if you don't know.  Dressing like a professional shows that you're, well, a professional.
• At the reception, don't grab a plate from the buffet and stand (or worse, sit) in front of someone else's paintings.   Have the courtesy at least to go munch in front of your own paintings.  This actually happened to me.  An artist pulled up a chair and sat down to eat in front of my display, preventing people from seeing my work and me from talking to them about it.  (Yes, the artist did move when I asked.)
• Don't complain about the lack of sales during the sales event.  And if you are selling well, don't boast.  Complaining looks bad and changes the mood of what should be a very positive event.  Boasting has a similar effect.  Put on your best salesman mask.
• Don't complain if you didn't get an award.  If you've got any experience with painting competitions, you will understand that awards are highly subjective.  I've seen terrible paintings win awards.  I've also seen great paintings that deserved awards get nothing.  Just keep smiling, and congratulate the winners.
• Finally, be courteous and helpful in every way.  Our society has gotten increasingly rude, and it's so refreshing to find politeness anywhere you go.

Wake of the Flood

Wake of the Flood, 9x12 oil plein air
by Michael Chesley Johnson

Above is a painting I made yesterday after three days of late winter rains caused Oak Creek to flood. The sun came out, the water receded, and the birds began to sing again.  The air was filled with the good smell of cottonwoods starting to bud.  It doesn't get better than that!

On another note, we just learned that, due to a family emergency, we have lost our tenant for the summer.  Consequently, our Arizona house is available for rent starting in mid-April until mid-October.

This is a great house for one person or a couple (there's just one bedroom), and it comes furnished with utilities, including high-speed internet.  It's a very quiet, gated neighborhood, and folks respect your privacy.  There's even a community swimming pool, sport court and clubhouse.

We love living here because we are at the confluence of Oak and Spring Creeks where we have many trails along the water (I painted the piece above here.)  Also, we're only 10 minutes from Sedona and 2 hours from the Phoenix airport; and there's tons of scenic areas within a half-day's drive.  You can't beat being only two hours from the Grand Canyon!

You can get all the details here:

http://postlets.com/r/e-oak-creek-valley-dr-cornville-az-86325/12996476

Below are a few photos of the trails along the creeks:

Post-Workshop: Studio-Only, Pastel-Only, Color Intensive Painting Workshop

Earlier this week, I announced that I had scheduled a studio-only, pastel-only, color intensive painting workshop.  I've always wanted to teach such a workshop, since color really is the impetus for my painting.  As Dylan Thomas wrote:

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower /
Drives my green age

and for me, that "force" is color.

I won't go into all the material we covered, but the captions for the photos should give you a clue.

We had four fun-filled days exploring color concepts in pastel, and all agreed the week was a success.  I am looking forward to offering this workshop again next winter here in Sedona.  So, if plein air painting isn't your thing, and you'd prefer not to have to paint with messy oil painters, maybe you'll consider this indoor pastel workshop when I announce the next one.

Extreme Limited Pastel Palette Demonstration - Only 14 Sticks!

Setup for Above with Photo Reference

Demonstration - Using a Pre-determined Palette (Split-Complementary)

Setup for Above with Photo Reference

Notes!

Perceived Color is Dependent on Surrounding Color

Demonstration:  Creating a Sunny Day on Warm-Toned Paper

Setup for Above with Photo Reference

Demonstration:  Creating an Overcast Day on Cool-Toned Paper

Setup for Above with Photo Reference

Demonstration:  Complementary Color Block-In

Demonstration:  Finished Painting with Complementary Block-In