Selling art work can be rewarding, exhilarating and kinda sad.  I paint for myself. Something strikes me as being better said in color and texture and I spend some time on it until my hand gives out. Mostly I work on a series of ideas and then stop for an extended period of time until there is another project that “needs doin’”.

I’ve been painting  for 20 years now. I sell anywhere from 6-12 works in a given year and give away half as many for silent auctions in the same time line. It always surprises me what people end up buying.  More often than not, people will skip right over what I think are my best work for something else. Something happened in the last week, two works that I feel are heart stopping good have found homes. I painted them both within a week of each other in 2004.  They have been in art galleries in 3 states and group and solo shows for five years. The last 8 months they have been spending what I now know were parting moments with me at home.  And this week, of all weeks, they are claimed.

One work will be used as the cover of a new book of poetry  titled A Walk in Victoria’s Secret by Vanderbilt professor Kate Daniels – it will be released in November of 2010 from LSU Press.

Envy by Nancy VanReece (c) 2004 Contemporary Expression, a div. of Carpe Diem Copyright Management. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.

Another spoke to a women as a way to, as she put it:   Serve as a reminder for this last year of “humbleness” They both are the only remaining parts of a series titled  “The Tao of St. Gregory”.

This work, “Envy” was significant to me because I learned that the act is not the same as jealousy.  Jealousy is the feeling you get when someone threatens what is yours. Envy resents the good others receive, or even might receive.

The hands in this painting are mine.  After my injury my right hand was jealous of my left.

I am so happy that these works have found a purpose. Both tell their story well.

I’ve worked on a couple of new projects in a fresh series but have been trying too hard. I had forgotten to just paint for myself. It’s time to paint.

Next Art Show: Crema Nashville, TN June 26- August 28, 2010

What stories are you telling?

The watercolor doodle project is finished. Each day a new doodle  was presented to get us through the winter. All 89 days.

We started on December 22, 2009 and ended on March 20, 2010.  The doodles were  presented each evening  on Facebook and through Twitter on TwitPic.  They were done during the day and posted in the evening, no edits, just doodles.  Here are the top five doodles from each venue that you choose by an evaluation of thumbs up, visits and comments during the season.

On Facebook – we gathered 106 comments on the doodles and  the most popular were from January 3, January 7, February 10,March 9 and March 10

On TwitPic -  the views totaled 4,687 for the entire run and the most popular were from February 6, February 8, February 9, February 11 and March 12

FaceBook: January 3

FaceBook: January 7

FaceBook: February 10

FaceBook: March 9

FaceBook: March 10

Twitter: February 8 -162 views

Twitter: February 11 - 131 views

Twitter: February 9 - 117 views

Twitter: March 12 - 145 views

Twitter: February 6 - 464 views THE MOST POPULAR DOODLE

change can hurt ( day 56 of the project )

The Watercolor Doodle of The Day Project Continues until March 21.

Follow on Twitter For TwitPic Announcements

Room To Think - Sketch 2008

I have been working on a new painting for a corporate client and believe I may have it finished by the end of the week. When I work on a new project I start by sketching and doodling out memories and ideas and then take them to ink sketch and watercolor and then finally to canvas.

Room To Think - Watercolor 2008

I’m not sure when I started this pattern. I didn’t always paint this way.  When I first started expressing and creating through color, I simply started. There was nothing in between the color the arm and the canvas.  This rendered great things and all of them have long since sold and hopefully continue to bring spontaneity to their owners.

Room To Think - Acrylic on Canvas 2008

In the last few years I’ve become more contemplative about my contemporary expressions. The spontaneity is in the work but the thoughtful way in which I play with the color has brought a maturity to my process and I am happy about it.

As I have been searching for employment I have found the same personality in my process.  I’m carefully considering options based on memory and sketching out the possibilities before moving to canvas.

I received last week a note from a potential new life that simply said; “Thank you!” (exclamation point included) Honestly, it made my day.

I received a form letter for another local nonprofit gig that said; “if one of the top 10 candidates, you will be notified in 4-6 wks to schedule an interview.” Here is the thing, two months from now when you contact those top 10 candidates, they will be in other jobs.  - At least I hope so!

So what have I learned to start the new year? Memory, time, and spontaneity can serve you well when mixed together.

 www.nancyvanreece.com

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