Collect Original Art, Please and ThankYou

48x60  Restless no.1   ... SOLD! (ThankYou)

I am happy to report that despite the current economic storm, there are still collectors who are buying original art.  I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart.  I buy original art anytime my budget will allow.  My collection is rather small, compared to some, but it is filled with little gems of works that bring me great joy.  What I won't buy are pictures of art; otherwise known as a Giclée. 

✻The following is taken from the Wikipedia entry for Giclée:   Giclée (from French), commonly pronounced "zhee-clay," is an invented term for the process of making fine art prints from a digitial source using ink-jet printing. 

Think Thomas Kinkade-"painter of light" - or as I call him "Thomas Kinkade: snake oil peddler".  He has successfully been passing off pictures of his paintings as collectibles for years and sticks a hefty price tag on them to prove it.    I am constantly approached by giclee printers touting their reproduction abilities and low, low prices.  "Simply upload, select a quantity and add to cart".  Let me just say: NOT interested.  I feel like reproducing a painting would go against everything I put into it during the art making process.  My heart and soul is in every piece.   When I buy original art, I also feel like that is what I'm getting...a small piece of the artist. I also know when I buy original, that I just helped that artist keep the lights on in the studio that month!  When I buy original, I am also supporting the gallerist who represents that artist and helping them to keep thier open sign on!

 I do know artists who sell giclees of their work and I have seen good reproductions. I feel like it's a personal choice, so I don't judge these artists. The problem is, I don't know that consumers, in general, are aware of what they are buying.  If you see a "painting" at a TJ Maxx, chances are you are fully aware that it's a reproduction.  But in a gallery setting, I think it's a little deceitful.   That being said,  I do think that consumers and collectors are two different beings.  True collectors are more than likely aware of the difference.  And to all of those collectors who are truly dedicated to the arts and the artists who create...again, from my heart,  I THANK YOU!

Can you see the angst? Nope...didn't think so!

Continuum 36x36 2008

My art mentor/coach always teases that even my "angry" or "angst filled" paintings end up looking "lovely". I am always drawn to the abstract expressionists that fill their work with lots of tension and emotion....but for me -( and I guess I do this in real life )- I feel the need to edit it out and "make-nice". My coach and I have had many lengthy discussions about this tendency with my work. Discussing this with him is much more fun (and way cheaper) than therapy- but it disturbs me. And the truth of the matter is that I have in fact worked through some serious emotions with my painting in the last several years.

So ...present day: I have had a really anxiety filled summer -but I've also been painting and painting and painting - I have done a lot of work! And yet what I see when I look at all of this new work is the same thing I always see. Everything is soft, subtle, not at all angry looking or angst riddled. No...they are peaceful, non-tension filled lovely little paintings. Even though I really, truly use painting as my therapy. Trust me, the anxiety is IN THERE. I guess no one can see it but me.... and if they really looked "pissed-off" or "tragic" or "angst-filled" would I even like them? So I often wonder ...How authentic is this work? Deep...right?

(Can't you see it? LOL )