Lucy's Interview  

February, 2006

Questions from Andy at www.learntodo.co.uk :

You have several quite different styles, but is there a common way in which you set about a painting, or is each one different?

I really enjoy using different styles in my artwork. You can see that some pieces are extremely realistic (Found Treasures), and others are completely abstract. Then there are the in between ones, like the butterfly collage pastel paintings in the Wing series. (Wings of California, Tropical Wings, Wings of Utopia, Wings of N. America.) I also enjoy experimenting with handmade papers, mixed media, and actual found natural objects in the artwork. (Dragon Dream, for example.) Lately, I’ve found myself working in a more surrealistic mode. (Beauty in the Beasts, Winged Metamorphosis.) 

Perhaps this is because I’ve always had to juggle different creative outlets, and just never could stick to only one mode of expression. I’ve been a singer for as long as I’ve been an artist, and I still perform several concerts each year. Making beaded jewelry is always a way for me to be productive and happy between painting projects, too.

The one thing that all my forms of art have in common is color. I love it. When all my art supplies were packed away after moving from NY back to CA, I thought I might go nuts. Then I spotted the glorious colors of glass beads in a beading supply shop, and I went right to work teaching myself how to create with this new media. It was the color that grabbed me.

Since I do work in so many styles, there is no one set way that I begin a piece. My abstract paintings are the most challenging for me, as the entire image has to come from inside with no external references. The more realistic ones are inspired by nature. When I’m outdoors, it’s the tiny bits and pieces that I notice. There may be a glorious mountain view right in front of me, but a tiny wildflower, fallen leaf, feather, or mushroom is more likely to capture my attention. Whenever possible, I work from life. Tropical fish, flowers, and butterflies provide amazing color, and I love to paint them. If these things aren’t available to put on my work table, I’ll collect tons of reference photos to work with.

You paint in both watercolour and mixed media. Could you explain what is in your mixed media paintings and why you add other media to a watercolour painting?

The mixed media abstract paintings I do are created in many layers. Each layer is allowed to dry before going on to the next, and something of every previous layer always shows

through. This creates an illusion of great depth and complexity, which is what I try to preserve. To be precise, these pieces are actually mixed watermedia creations, as I am only using watercolor and water-based acrylic inks. The acrylic inks can be mixed with water to achieve different degrees of transparency. Some are also pearlescent, which leaves an opaque shimmer on the paper. The addition of the acrylic inks allows me to control the layering more than just watercolor could, as I can cover underlayers as much or as little as I desire. The pearlescent inks also disperse on wet paper very differently than watercolor, so I can achieve a great variety of effects.

Your resume lists a great many exhibitions you have held, and awards and honors that you have received for your work. What do you put your success down to?

Years ago, I, like many artists, dreamed of having someone “discover” me and devote themselves to marketing my artwork. I wouldn’t have to worry about anything except creating art. This pipedream dissipated over the years as experience and reality set in. Eventually, I figured out that I needed to learn about a great many aspects of art marketing if I was going to do more than just paint for my own enjoyment. I joined art groups, which is a good first step. Some local art co-ops and non-profit art groups have educational elements that can be very helpful to emerging artists. Before I knew it, I was comfortable writing and updating resumes, art statements, bios, etc. I put together a portfolio to record my awards and exhibition history. Much to my own surprise, I began to take on leadership roles in these organizations. I discovered that I had abilities (such as public speaking, organizational skills, and writing) I’d never realized before. Over the past 10 years, I’ve chaired many shows, juried many shows, and been on an Artist Advisory Board, and been Chairperson of several committees. I really enjoy mentoring other artists, and ended up formulating guidelines for training other artists in various aspects of marketing and exhibiting, as well as working together to organize and run juried (even national) exhibitions in a cooperative-style gallery. By becoming involved in training others, of course I learned how to do more for myself.

            Creating my website was another big step in making my artwork more visible. It is a terrific tool for connecting with the world. It is like having all your work available on a business card! I must admit, I do spend more time each day online than I really want to. However, it is important to sift through my email to weed out all the scams and find the real contacts that I want to follow up with. This has led to many online listings as well as sales and licensing contracts. Also, I love hearing from all the students in other countries who somehow find my art and end up contacting me for more information in order to do their own projects.

What advice would you give someone who is just learning to paint in watercolour?

Experiment! Don’t be intimidated when you hear other people say that watercolor is the most difficult medium to master. It can be used in so many different ways. Take classes, workshops, or just get some watercolor instructional books from the library and start doing the different exercises. There is not just one correct way to use watercolor. After trying out lots of different methods, you will find the ones you are most comfortable with. Many different techniques can even be used in a single painting. Remember, though, that watercolor is all about the element of water. Don’t be afraid to use it. And be sure to let your paper dry completely between layers, if that’s what you are doing. When you apply your brush to the paper, the color will tend to flow wherever the water is. If you wet a specific area first, then touch it with colors, those will flow into that wet shape. I use this particular technique (wet in wet) often.

Do you have any specific advice about flower painting?

When painting a flower, just as in any other subject, you have to keep in mind the various principals of art. Value is a very important one. You would be surprised at how far you can push the differences in value just within a flower. If you keep the values too similar, the image will lack depth and power. In Rose, for example, the values go from very light (pale yellow) to almost black (dark reddish purple). The original is even more extreme than the image appears on my website. Whenever possible, work from real flowers. You can take digital photos to help when the actual blossoms have faded or the light has changed.

How did you begin to sell your paintings when you first turned professional?

I always have my art hanging throughout my own home, so friends and relatives were the first to buy my work. After that, I exhibited and sold in galleries and other venues. I enter lots of local juried shows. I began making cards with my art images on them, too. These make great gifts, and can sell at less cost than paintings. I figured I wouldn’t make much money on them, but it was a way for more people to have some of my art. Sometimes your work just needs to be out there on view in the community for awhile before people start purchasing it. Now it also sells online, although there are a great many scam buyers to beware of.

Two final things: 

Paint because you love it. That’s the main reason I make art. It keeps me sane and happy, and somehow nourishes my soul. All the other stuff about selling art is secondary. It’s very nice to make money doing what you love, but do what you love even if you don’t make money for it.

Second, remember that you improve at any skill through practice. Luckily, if you enjoy making art, your practice feels like the best possible play rather than work. It’s OK to make mistakes. Not everything you create has to be a masterpiece. If you keep drawing, painting, sculpting, or whatever, you will end up with plenty of wonderful pieces of art. If you aren’t inspired, or don’t know what to do, take an art class or workshop. You can learn from each different teacher, and then you will incorporate just what suits you.

© Lucy Arnold  All rights reserved