Expressing Your Art Aesthetic

Expressing Your Art Aesthetic
by Beth Cole

One of the things that was the most frustrating to me when I first started painting was knowing how I wanted something to look and being unable to make it so with my paintbrush. Ugh.

It makes sense though, really, if you think of it. You have had your whole life to develop an art aesthetic. Think of the thousands of millions of images, sight, sounds, designs, artworks, etc your brain has processed throughout your years of living. Through that process of seeing you have culled and developed your art sense, a sense of what you like and don’t like. Everyone does. Sometimes you can’t put into words why you like or dislike something, it is just that way. Unspoken.

So when you start painting, you bring to the studio this highly refined and developed aesthetic of what you like. And you know what. It doesn’t come out on the canvas right away, believe me.

Don’t give up. Nothing beats practice. And reading. And asking questions. Find mentors who paint to your aesthetic, then sit yourself down in front of them and soak it all in. There are so many great ways to learn and practice. We are so fortunate to live in the age of the interwebs where the world is at your fingertips. Seriously.

Here are some of the mentors and teachers I have loved the most.

• Jeanne Oliver
• Marla Baggatta
• Karen Margulis
• Kim Casebeer (currently mentoring with her - fabulous)

If you are like me, it might take awhile to narrow down your choices, find a style and a voice that works for you. In fact, I am still in that process. Maybe I always will be.

But, anyway. Just wanted to say, don’t get discouraged if your painting doesn’t look like you imagined it would. It will come. Please keep going. The world needs art and you can do so much good to others with it. Hang in there.

Have You Always Wanted to Paint?

West Table Sunset © Beth Cole Oil on Canvas - 18 x 24

Have You Always Wanted to Paint?
by Beth Cole

My husband will tell you I said “when I get older, I want to paint” all the time. I do remember saying it but more often thinking it because I was always distracted by the sights/sounds/colors around me. Just fascinated, actually. I always wondered what it would be like to try and recreate what I saw with paint.

Anyway. This is not about me, this is about you.

I have some questions for you.

• Is painting something you would like to try?
• Is your nest empty and you are looking for a way to explore something new?
• Did you go to art school but haven’t picked up a paintbrush since then?
• Are you an art teacher but so busy in your classroom that you don’t have time to create yourself?
• Do you just love to create?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, I have one more question for you.

What are you waiting for?

I have many regrets in my life, but one of the biggest is not starting to paint sooner. Gah. It breaks my heart because now that I’ve started I see the waterfall of grace the Lord was just waiting to pour into my life. He is faithful and trustworthy and has never left me on my painting journey and I know He never will. He has given me the deepest love for Himself and for painting, He has used in my life it to do good to others over and over. He can do the same for you.

So. Are YOU ready to get started?

I’m thinking about teaching a class for people are yearning to paint but haven’t taken the time or don’t know where to start. Is that you? If so, please raise your hand! I would love to help you get started on YOUR painting journey.

When It's Rainy or Snowy, We Go Out

We’ve had lots of rain here in the Nebraska hinterlands, welcome and much needed. Hubby said let’s grab our cameras and go down to the river road and see what we can see. It was rainy and foggy and drizzly, some places had gotten up to five inches of rain. I knew the river road was not paved. All manner of “what if’s” popped like popcorn in my little brain. Sigh. I said “ok.”

Yes. We have a jeep. Yes. Hubby loves driving it. Yes. He is a good driver. Yes. We slid sideways down a (really) steep muddy road. Yes. We almost went in the ditch and/or rolled. Yes. We almost got stuck.

But.

The land was fresh and damp and colorful and foggy and just perfect. The air was crisp and clean. The sky was full of atmosphere and promise. There is something about rain (and snow) that just changes the landscape to something magical.

Custer County ©Beth Cole

So we shot a few photos. We made memories (for him that muddy thrill, for me negative bonding). We chased beauty. We didn’t get stuck. We did something besides sit on the couch. High five, eh?

I hope the rain and snow invites you to go out, too, there’s beauty to behold - pursue it my friend. Then you can say…. when it’s rainy or snowy – we go out.

Tips For Your Summer Art Shows

I was asked recently by a friend for some advice about doing a summer art show. I am certainly not the most experienced at this, but I am happy to share what I have learned so far.

Art Show Setup

I have a 10 x 10 white tent (no sidewalls) and three gridded snap together walls that I use for the booth. My husband always helps me set it up. I usually have a fabric backdrop behind the grid so it has a softer look.

I try to take about 20 pieces of original art of various sizes. I have several pretty big pieces ( i.e. 40 x 40 or 24 x 36), then I fill in the rest of the space with smaller pieces. A seasoned artist told me once that I needed to have some of all price ranges and sizes of art - small, medium and large so that the customer can see the value range and have choices. I have found this to be true.

I have not taken canvas wrapped prints or matted prints, I have just concentrated on selling originals. That may change in the future, but for now I just try to keep it simple. The only other things I have taken to sell are some handmade perfume lockets and some notecards with prints of my originals. 

Other things I have learned......I have a small white table that raises to a taller height. I use that at the front of the booth as a "cashier" stand and display table. I cover it with fabric so it looks softer. This is where I have displayed the perfume lockets, notecards, a signup sheet for my email list, etc. 

I take a chair to sit in when I am tired of standing, but I don't put the chair in the booth, I always place it across from the booth or outside somewhere. I have found that if I am sitting at the front of the booth, people are hesitant to walk in, but when I am not visible, more people will stop in and browse. I only approach people if they are showing interest or have been looking at the paintings with interest for longer than usual. This may not be a very good sales tactic, but it has worked for me. I just try to give people space. If they love something, they will definitely be back. God knows! I trust Him.

As far as taking payments, I use Square and my iPhone and it works beautifully. I love the system very much and have never had any issues with it.

I really love art shows because it gives me a chance to see how people connect and respond to my pieces. I have had some shows that are really good and others not as much. It is all a learning process. I always have business cards and as a result of shows I have gotten later sales, i.e. commissions and invitations to other events. 

What have you learned about doing art festivals and shows?

Sometimes It Takes Awhile To Say "I'm An Artist"

Still Waters Run Deep © Beth Cole 

You know those people who know what they want to do when they are 10 years old? Or have decided their career path when they graduate high school, and then follow it, like really stick to it, and do that thing for the rest of their lives? Like teachers, for example. My sister is one of the best, and she has been doing it since she graduated college. I admire her so much. Or my other friend who is an attorney and has been doing that for her whole life.

I am not that person. It has been a quiet realization, an important one.

I have started and quit so many things in my life. I taught piano lessons, taught aerobics, sold makeup, did social work, tried banking, helped with community organizing and nonprofit fundraising, worked to help small businesses….ugh….I am so tired just thinking of everything. The only thing I didn’t start and quit is raising our children, pouring my heart into them. I’m not saying I was super mom, I made a lot of mistakes (a lot), but at least I didn’t quit.

I am not proud of this tangled ball of yarn that is my life. It makes me feel a little sad and ashamed that I couldn’t find one thing and stick with it. Like my sister.

But you know what? Every experience I have had up until now has led me to see that I am an artist and God placed me in every circumstance at every season of every moment of my life to bring me to this place of contentment and rest. I am finally at peace with what I am doing, how I am spending the time He has so graciously given me. That is how I know it is the place God has prepared for me. I am delighting in His perfect timing and wisdom. He knew all along. It just took me a while to get there.

Is Your Heart In It?

Enfolded © Beth Cole

I am an emotional person. My little heart gets banged and bruised easily. For a long time, I have had to put armor around it so it’s protected. But I found that armor keeps the hurts from coming in, but it also keeps the loves from going out. Not good.

I think painting helps my heart heal so I don’t have to wear that silly armor. Painting is a language that helps me understand my emotions because they seem to come out on the canvas whether I want them to or not.

I can paint pieces that are shallow if you will, nice and easy on the eyes, but not really showing my heart. I have decided I don’t want to do that very much anymore.

I want my heart to show in every piece I paint.

I want my art to move the heart from the inside outward.

I want my art to show how a heart can fill up and spill over.

It’s the work I see my Father doing in me every day. To Him be the glory.

Why I Love Underpainting

Pastel Underpainting 

I took a fantastic pastel class from Karen Margulis a few months ago, and since then I have been hooked on under painting and hope you, if you are not already, maybe you will also become a fan.

There are many beauties and benefits to under painting, some of which are….

• It gives you a roadmap for your painting.
  The first part of mapping a painting is to do a thumbnail sketch with 3 or 4 values. Once you are satisfied with this, you can easily do your under painting following the map of the thumbnail.
• It helps you work out the value relationships.
  Your thumbnail is just a rough sketch. The under painting can be refined a bit further, helping you to adjust the value relationships if necessary. If the composition doesn’t look good in the thumbnail, chances are it won’t work itself out in the under painting, so it’s always best to start with a thumbnail that works.
• You can establish a foundation that will help your painting glow.
  If I want my painting to have a warm feel, I will often start with a cool under painting to help the warm colors come to life. I like using four values of the same color to do the under painting, i.e. four blues or four purples, but there are many ways to do it.
• It helps you fix problems before you start.
  I have finished an under painting and been able to spot areas that are just not working, too close in value or not enough contrast. The under painting helped me to see the problem before I started on the top layers.
• You can simplify your painting more easily.
  I like to paint big shapes in the under painting because I know I can go back and refine things as the painting progresses. It helps me to stay looser and gives a painterly feel from the beginning. I like not having to chase perfection, it takes away the fear of just starting.

So, do you love under painting, too?