Patti Gibbons Art

My framing blogs will continue when I’m back in the studio next week. In the mean time, I am enjoying adventures on the Cape. Again I opted to not bring oils as the place I am staying is not conducive to oil painting, so I bought watercolors and my acrylics, although I have not used the acrylics yet. I have a small messenger type bag, that I can put in a few palettes of my Kramer watercolors, several water brushes, a few paper towels, a 6x6 watercolor pad, and a watercolor postcards. This time I bought watercolor greeting cards to paint on too. I can wear this light bag across my body, and hike for miles, plopping myself down on a bench, rock, or table, and paint the scene at hand in an instant. I got to experience the tail end of hurricane Dorian too, the roiling ocean and wind captured on camera and paper, etched in my dna now. I will be bringing home new ideas, new small pieces, hundreds of photographs, ready to settle in for a fall of painting and design work for m...

When I was primarily showing fine art collages, and framing antique prints, I collected a wide variety of frames for my work- rarely were two frames were ever the same. But over the years, I have whittled down that collection, as I find myself  using either white (for abstract work) or black floater frames for my paintings. It is more professional to have a "even" look in framing one's work, especially if you are showing several works, or having a solo show. On occasion you can find frames in places like Ikea, or the Christmas Tree Shop, or other such venues. If I find good ones, I will buy them up and keep them for future work. But most of the times I either buy them at Michael's , or American Frame .  On occasion if I am flush, or need a specialty frame, or it needs special care, I will gladly go to the local art supply or framing store. But I usually don't have the money to do that...so I order and frame myself. Michael's has their sales and 40%...

You are a passionate artist and all you want to do is make art. As you start your career you quickly  learn that your time is not all about making art- you have to put 30%  of your art time into online promotion, web work, applications for shows and then some. I think the percentage is much higher when you weigh in all the aspects of the business of art that I have not even mentioned here! Ordering art supplies is the fun part of the business, but the rest of it- not always so much. You sigh as you write another artists statement and bio. Then the big day comes- you have a show! All the hours of creating the body of work, the self promotion, applications, walking the streets,  has paid off. You are ecstatic. When the warm glow wears off, you realize that the 24 (or so) pieces of art need to be framed and your precious messy pastel drawings need special mats, frames, spacers, backing boards, glass and hard wear.   You head to the nearest frame ...

One of my favorite things to do on Cape Cod is to go to estate sales and to the local swap shop. This trip netted me fabulous finds for paint as well as other things for my home and eBay side business. The first photo is my 5.50 purchase from an artist’s estate in a well maintained sprawling home overlooking the back of a farmers fields. I could live there. Many people showed up but few were interested in the oils which I found odd. The second photo are paints that were dropped off at the swap shop. My friend saw them come in and snagged them for me. I really like the concept of a swap shop- every city and town should have one as it helps keep things out of the landfill. I picked up $200.00+ of paint for 5.50 and was so grateful. Art supplies cost a lot of money, so finding good paint at a bargain price is always fabulous. Stay tuned.........because as one writer said in a review: “I’m unstoppable!”

Yesterday was our last day of vacation. We had 8 full days bookended by travel days. I made art 7 out of 8 days and spent a few days going to estate sales, netting me great deals in art and home goods. Many are unique vintage and antique items that I will sell on eBay- mid century modern and Victoriana.  That’s how I help keep my studio running. Plus- it’s fun to see when I can turn a few bucks into a bit of a profit. If I were to structure a perfect life- it would be like this vacation- a combo of adventure, work, play, and friends. I am grateful for the reset.  Rock Harbor, Orleans. Watercolor 

Funny little watercolor in my memory sketchbook. We went to Nauset Beach- one of the “sharkier” beaches. Few people there, even fewer in the water. We went in but soon after we splashed around near the shore, several seals swam 20’ from shore. Hmmm... no more swim. I caught this funny little scene - replantings of sea grass on the dunes.

Countless technological issues need to be worked out to blog smoothly when I’m on the road.  First the wireless keyboard ceased to work. Then my iPad won’t get onto the internet.  I’m typing on my phone which I hate to do and blogger is not really set up for phone blogging. But here I am - with a guarantee that it will be short. This is a piece for my portal series. The Marconi Beach Portal. This concept has been quite interesting as I now see portals in everything. The ocean is a portal- a place where you enter a very different world...... Watercolor - in my Moleskine watercolor journal.

Stunning day on Cape. We typically go to the beach from 3-5. Less people, less sun. Today we drove to Marconi Beach where it was surprisingly quiet. It was low tide, with a fab sandbar and between the beach and sandbar was a nice swimming area safe from the jaws of the sharks - about 4 feet deep. The water temp was 60 though I swear it was much warmer. Maybe I’m just a tough old bird used to mountain streams. I swam. And painted some postcards and small watercolor cards. I travel simply and  just bought my basic Kremer set. My friend from Barcelona is in the states, so I await her and another friend for a few days of  playtime. Larry will have to deal though somehow I suspect he enjoys being surrounded by women. Oh what a lucky man he is.

Coast Guard Beach later afternoon. Painted in my Moleskine watercolor notebook which documents my travels.  This book started in 2015- flipping through it brings back memories-Redondo Beach, various beaches on the Cape,  Whitinsville Reservoir, Mohonk Mountain House, Lake George.... I may finish the book this week. Stay tuned..... (Kremer Pigment watercolors, black ink pen)

Day 2:  another lovely day.... the first piece I painted was a flop. I screwed up the boat and ended up just making some weird mystical thing in the water. I enjoyed the process and may use pieces of this in something else, or not. (I am writing on my iPad, in poor photography light, and my wireless keyboard seems to have bit the dust!) The second painting I did while waiting for the workmen to finish their work in the yard. I sat in the screened in porch painting my view. Not quite finished. A good exercise. I will repost when done. I work in layers...and need to put more detail etc in.  After my 3 o’clock float on the reservoir I had to pack up and head to destination 2- Cape Cod. I found the traffic to be very light leaving late from the camp in Douglas. Totally psyched to go to our yearly rental and see my dear friends. The second piece

First full day of vacation. The first painting was my memory of dawn as seen through slatted eyes before I drifted back off to sleep. With the image seared in my pre-coffee brain, I painted in a trance-like state.  Watercolor on 6x6 Strathmore Artist Watercolor Tiles 400 series. I love a square and though I work in various size formats, square is my all time favorite magical shape.  The next was a composite sketch that I did while walking to the reservoir causeway and in the state forest preserve. I would walk a bit, then sketch a few components in the area I randomly stopped at. I used a Windsor Newton black watercolor marker with a water brush to make washes, then added color/ iridescent watercolor to the ink sketch when I returned to the cabin.  I found that I could not get a dense rich black with the brush- I may go back in a few places with a more permanent ink... time to try my Montblanc Magic Black! Of course there was floating, and snacking, and conversation.....

On the Road (Again) Packing Have not written as I have been busy as I had my grandson for a few weeks, and put all but the most pressing jobs and projects aside for quality time for him. If there is one thing I have lived in this colorful life I have had, is people you love come first.  A month or two ago I wrote a blog about my art bags. Faced with a road trip and minimal time to get ready, I had to make a hard decision as to what supplies I was bringing. I decided to take ONLY what fit in my new red office/computer bag, a 5.00 bargain in a second hand shop in Warrensburg, NY. It was new with tags no less!  I have used this bag a few times to transport small pieces to galleries. Though it does not fit more than 2-6 pieces, I can stack a smaller bag on top, and easily wheel them to the gallery.  Life has been complicated, and my current mantra is simplicity. I decided upon watercolors, as they are easy to hike with, dry quickly, and I can stack my art for...

I was feeling blocked last week. I could not come up with any work that excited me or felt strong, I had a difficult time even getting into the studio.  Life happens, and then some. I shrugged my shoulders, accepted that I was in a low spot- and didn't give it any more energy than a passing thought. Over the years of highs and lows of art inspiration and production, I have come to realize that being stuck is often a sign of being overloaded, overworked, and overcome. We need to take a break from our work and muse, and when one is “blocked” that is the best time to do it. As artists, whether we compose music, paint, write, or dance, we need to live life in between our work; time to take an adventure to a museum, go see a play, or a concert, work in the garden, or make those butter cookies you've been dying to try. Make some dates with friends, and kick up your heels a bit. Go swimming, hiking, take some photos. In the end, taking time to live is inspiration in itself that feed...

I had a show last night from 4:30-9:30, at a lovely golf club outside of Kingston, NY. It was a fundraiser for Raising HOPE, an organization that helps women realize goals in their life, whether it be getting a car, or going to college.  I went into the show knowing that people were not going to a craft fair- they were going to a dinner which they had paid for, and shopping was probably the last thing on their minds. I try not to get myself too worked up about what I have to sell, as I have never learned how to predict what people are buying on any particular day. I bring what I have, and let the rest go. To ease set up, I always rule out the space and set up in my house, take a photograph for reference; it makes set-up super easy and fast. The event was delightful. I had a great space, next to the bar, (a popular place), and a beautiful view of the Catskill Mountains at sunset. I did sell a small piece of art, a very cool architectural steam punk piece, and a ...

I am on the road at least once a week with art supplies and and not every bag is suitable for every situation. After years of making art and being an art teacher, I have whittled it down to four different bags that I use when I travel/teach. My goal is to get the most that I can fit in my bag, and have ease of  transporting it. Starting from the top; a black cross-body bag, that I got for free from AARP.   I am saving my money for a bigger and better bag, but for now, this nylon freebie works just fine. It is my watercolor bag. In this small 9" x 6" x 3" bag I can pack the following:  3-4 of my Kremer  pan sets, fold-able cup (purchased in a camping store)  folded paper paper towels, waterproof and a non waterproof black ink pen a pencil or two an eraser brushes and water-brushes.  a pad of watercolor postcards, and a 6 x 9 or so watercolor book/pad. The red bag I purchased in a second hand shop in the Adirondacks a few weeks ago for 5.00, a...

I often work in watercolors. Though they can be difficult, and I have made a lot of rather awful paintings using them, they are an integral part of my art life. I have used many different brands over the years, ranging from school grade to the top of the line. I have done good and bad paintings with both. The main difference is the amount of pigment vs. fillers - the more expensive watercolors have a denser and richer color.  Think of it in terms of a mostly meat meatball vs one that is a mostly breadcrumbs meatball. I prefer pan watercolors because I like the ease of traveling with them. When I hike/travel, I have a small cross body bag that fits a 9 x 6" watercolor pad, 3-4 full sets of watercolor, brushes, paper towel, and collapsable cup. If I don't want to carry water on me, I bring my water brushes, although carrying water with you is always a good thing.  I discovered Kremer Pigments which is in located in Chelsea in NYC . My abstract drawing teacher/men...

Spring. A time for growth- new beginnings. It was another rough winter, and I desperately needed something to motivate me, bring people together in sharing and discussion. What better way than to do a 100-days-of-art challenge, both on my Facebook business page ( Patti Gibbons Art ) and on a group I manage- Art Thirteen . (click on links) We just finished the first 20 days...with the theme of spring! Any medium fair game, open to interpretation. The  next 20-30 days will be a serious of prompts. My business page is mostly fine art, though 2 days a week you can get a "photo pass" as there ARE days that the hands on work is nearly impossible to do. The Art Thirteen page is mainly photography, but any medium is welcomed. Most days I can carve out the time to spend what might be an hour or two on a piece. Some days I am squeezing in a photograph and spending 15 minutes making it into something other than a snapshot.   Not every piece is a winner. Some will be re-worked, ...

It has been two years since I have written a blog here. In fact, it has been so long that I have forgotten how to work blogger!  Since then I have helped my mother out of this world, am currently a caregiver,  have discovered how precious time and life is. I am deeply entrenched into the artist life now. I used to think I did not have it in me, and doubted my ability and dedication. But I have come to realize that being an artist does not mean that I have to slave away in my studio at the mercy of my muses. I have put in the 10,000 hours and have found my voice in the art world.  So that I don't get lazy, I keep myself on track by working with coaches, changing direction when I need to, mentoring art challenges, and showing up to the job every day. Lately I feel rumblings in the universe telling me that big changes are coming. I don't know what they are, but being a positive woman, I believe them to be good. And starting to blog again is the start of a new directio...