Three Sales and a Lost Friend

Jaq has said to me before, there is a balance in this life. For every negative, a positive and vice versa. As this weekend's events were driven forward, they hugged the curves of that philosophy closely.

Over the past few days, we have sold three paintings, which so happened to be my top three favourites.

The first was to a young couple. They borrowed Filomena II to test in their home a few weeks ago and have paid the £2,000 now, deciding they would keep the large oil on canvas. This was a favourite of many of Jaq's admirers and gallery visitors, so it will be a shame not to see it hanging in there, but it's great to know it will decorate another wall and make other people happy.


Two of my other favourites went to a woman, a French teacher. She bought the oil on Fabriano paper, Girl with Lotus, for £2,000. This is the one that we planned to print on the back of our new catalogue that is being designed at this very moment, so now it is my job to pick a new painting to take its place.

The other one this woman purchased was a very small, yet powerful oil on canvas called Girl with Pink Obi for £350.

So, it was a profitable weekend at the gallery. A vase was also sold as well, which caused some issues with a credit card, but it's being sorted out now by the right people.

It is interesting that all of the paintings sold were figurative when the newest paintings are all abstract landscapes. It's all a matter of taste and I am now marketing these newer paintings to interior designers as they will make a relaxing addition to interiors in our crazed workaholic society.

The balance to this positive news is that Jaq lost her beloved dog, Bijou, this weekend. She is devastated, as you can imagine if you have ever lost a pet.

Bijou began eating different food a few weeks ago, and Jaq is suspicious that this is to blame as her other male dog would not eat it and is not ill. She did some research and found that, in America, there is an uproar by pet parents because many animals are dying due to chemicals found in a type of dog food imported from China. She said the case has gone to government courts and, though there is probably a similar situation in the UK, no action seems to have been taken.

Jaq asked me, if I have spare time while I'm working, to write a letter of awareness to an investigative journalist who has the time to look into the situation in this country. It is complex and will take research. Jaq is certainly the type of person who takes action when action must be taken.

Elysian Fields

After spending the last few weeks so frustrated that I even destroyed my work at one point with black paint, I have finally finished the three massive canvasses I've been painting.

Measuring 72” x 54”, they proved a challenge. When canvasses are so big, you can't fill every little gap with “information” or it becomes overwhelming. You need to leave space with just a hint of colour or a bit of texture.

Because of their daunting size, I didn't feel like just applying a brush to the canvas was enough for these paintings, so I used three techniques:

*Brush
*Palette Knife
*Drips

I was particularly drawn to the dripping of paint as it is a technique that allows the whole body to become involved in the piece in a sort of vehement emotional enthusiasm. I thought about abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock who are famous for employing physical movement in the creation of paintings. Emotional energy inevitably shines through the end result.

As a whole, these paintings appear calming at first glance, but there is something disruptive in them, something slightly menacing. It comes out especially in the black streaks of the second painting in the triptage. These streaks fly sideways across the sky in this landscape. They soar like a fleeting moment of pain across the pale background, like dark scars in the canvas.

I found myself thinking of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and how the pretty garden was a bit foreboding.

Another painting is darker on one side than the other, representing the yin and the yang, the good and the bad, disruption and nirvana, because that's what life is all about. I don't believe you ever get something for nothing. There are always consequences. For every beautiful and bountiful thing, there is a price.

My own personal experience is a prime example. I have been a horrible picture of health lately and I feel the pain in my body when I paint. But I will never stop because it is my passion. I suffer through the torment to taste the beauty that I can experience as an artist. These are not just pretty pictures; they are saturated with the drama of life.

I was thinking about all of these things as I worked. There was a sense of walking through a place, a meadow perhaps, and at the end, there was something very... fine. It was a utopia of sorts, a welcoming place full of light. It was Elysian.

So, I've decided to name this series “Elysian Fields.”

And one thing is for sure: even if you don't like the paintings, there is no way you can ignore them.

(All of these photos were taken on my mobile phone just as examples while I wait to have them professionally photographed for out catalogue.)

Destruction of Creativity = More Creativity

Every artist destroys their own work at some point, whether it be an accident or an outburst of frustration.

It's a good thing creativity knows no bounds.

One of the three massive pale paintings I wrote about the other day is now pitch black. It bears no resemblance to what it once was, or the other two that were intended to match. After spending an entire day yesterday wrestling the paint onto the canvas in such a way that was aesthetically pleasing, I was still not satisfied with the results. It's like I suddenly forgot how to paint altogether.

And when my husband's response to these paintings was simply, “I like them,” I knew right then that they were no good.

I woke up early this morning and covered over an entire painting with black paint. It is now setting out to dry. I have not destroyed my own work in a very long time, but my guess is that this has something to do with the size of these canvasses.

Negativity accomplishes nothing, and so I looked at this mess as a catharsis, a chance to think outside the box and delve into a new realm of creativity. I could have scraped the canvasses off completely and began anew, but I have another idea in mind.

Don't laugh.

I took a trip to a very good interior design store this morning and picked up some deep red glossy oil paint. It was very expensive paint, but I can't be bothered to keep painting these canvasses with the oil paint in the tubes.

And in the true spirit of thinking differently, not caring so much what the result is because it can't be worse than what it was, I decided I will give myself a sort of release from this taxing work and throw the red paint at the black canvas once it dries.

If nothing else, it will be an experiment.

Experiments in Marketing

Marketing artwork can be tricky. Once you know your target audience, the avenues of possibility spiral and cross in so many directions, it's impossible to predict the outcome of every one. While some of them are tempting to explore, it is important to keep from selling out and maintain a classy image, if, of course, that's what you're going for.

We tried email marketing, which meant buying a list of names from a data company and sending out a message offering a complimentary print. This did not get a particularly great response, probably because the multitude of spammers saturating inboxes everywhere have discouraged people from opening emails from addresses that are unfamiliar, but is is definitely worth pursuing with a few tweaks.

The same tactic was tried in The Guardian some time ago and it commanded an exponentially better response. But email is the cheapest, quickest and most modern way of communicating. Surely there must be a way to stand out among the junk mail when your offer is truly genuine?
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So we've devised a new plan: a carefully constructed series of email letters.

Whether people will take the time to read them, who knows, but we're going to give it a shot. The first is an introduction to Jaq and her work. The second, an invitation to view her blog, her MySpace page, and a few new works, and the third, an offer of a free print and the opportunity to purchase the prints presented in the second email. They will be sent out one a week for three weeks.

It is, more or less, an experiment with modern technology over print media.

The complimentary print will be Oriental Still Life, which usually sells for £60. Because we can not afford to give them away and pay for them to be sent, we are still requesting the small charge of £7.95 for postage and packaging, which I don't think is by any means unreasonable.

Oriental Still Life: 19" x 27"

There are other projects under way as well:

• Glossy catalogue with paintings from about six or seven collections of Jaq's work.
  
• Postcards
  
• Marketing specifically to interior designers
  
• Marketing to fashion houses and designers whose style matches Jaq's work
  
• An open night at the gallery with invitations sent out to a guest list
  
• Attempting to get work into various art fairs
  
• Article and advertisement placed in Graffiti Magazine
  
• Artist's name and gallery address in Galleries Magazine
  
• MySpace, MyArtSpace, this blog, the jiqjaq website and other Internet projects
  
• Research into various other avenues of possibility

If anyone has discovered any interesting marketing possibilities, feel free to leave comments and start a discussion.

The art world is a tricky one to penetrate as is it one of great competition. What makes one artist stand apart from the crowd? As an artist, how do you market your art? What marketing tactics catch your eye as a customer?

Everyone's opinion, no matter how informed, is valuable, because purchasing art is a very personal experience.

The Frustrations of a Painter

Oh, life as a full time painter must be grand, you think. But even the most exciting career paths have their frustrations. I can promise you that.

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I've started on three massive canvasses, measuring 72 inches in height and 54 in width. I can reach only so high and then must place them on the floor to finish the top sections.

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The problem with large works is time. By saying time, I mean never having enough of it.

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It means that one day I will be controlled by a certain mood. That mood will take hold of my actions and, as if the paintings were painting themselves, the mood will display itself in the work. The next day, when I reflect on my progress, my mood has most likely changed and I am unhappy with the last day's results.

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Today, once again, the canvasses have changed. Perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worst. I can't say for sure just yet.

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I scraped back number one, and have now over-painted it in a beige colour as I felt it was becoming too pink. Tomorrow I must sand down the surface and re-draw.

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As a rule, I generally do not draw on canvasses, just go straight to the painting, but that is a dangerous move on such large canvasses. It would be easy to lose my way in the structure of the painting without a guide.

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It is in my nature to let a work reveal itself, so to speak, rather than start with a pre-conceived idea. This, however, is not quite happening with such large works and it means I have to introduce some discipline into my approach. I will have to commit early on to an idea.

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There are always other frustrations, of course, namely countless phone calls. I really need to be able to fully focus on these works to complete them as they will be featured on the front page of our new catalogue, which is in progress as I write.

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I have delivered my painting Girl with Pink Obi to a woman who has many very good works in her home. It looks wonderful. She is testing it out before she commits to purchasing as many buyers understandably like to do.

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I may sell her my oil on paper, Girl with Pink Lotus, which she is also interested in. My plan was originally to make prints of it first, but as they are a bother to do and would take ages to produce, it doesn't seem sensible to hold it back. It made me realise that some other oils on paper may be better just to frame and sell now as well. I have held back on selling them in the past, but there is no point in letting them sit in a drawer.

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It is good to hear from Olivia that Sunday was a very busy day in the gallery and some good prospective customers dropped in. I'd like to welcome you to stop by as well, even if it is just for a browse. Jiq Jaq at 112 Heath Street in Hampstead is where my work is on display, and as the weather turns to Spring, it is in a perfect location to continue on a stroll up to Hampstead Heath.

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I have also just found out that Graffiti Magazine is now available to download at http://www.graffitimagazine.co.uk/forthcoming.htm. There is a short article on me inside as well as an advertisement for our gallery.