Painting as a Language & Journey

Posted by on Apr 6, 2012 in Art, Blog, Ideas & Inspiration | 3 comments It’s been a while since I painted last. I am not a mass produce artist and I rather paint when ideas come and I feel like it, than forcing myself and ending up with meaningless stuff (well, meaningless to me). Or let’s say: when I don’t have a question, problem, task, or am under pressure I can’t paint. My mind needs to be busy in order to paint. Painting is my way of...
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Northern Texas Tornadoes & Its Inspiration on Canvas

Posted by on Apr 4, 2012 in Art, Blog | 1 comment I am sure everyone has seen the tornado destruction here in Northern Texas, if not in person, at least on TV or online. Wow! My sister, my parents and many of my friends in Germany got in touch with me even before it hit us in McKinney. They heard that the DFW airport was shut down and people led to tornado rooms. Luckily, we didn’t get any tornadoes but we had some pretty rough storms. I...
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How to Save Money on Art Equipment

Posted by on Mar 28, 2012 in Blog, Everything Green, Upcycling & DIY | 2 comments Some of you know that all my artwork is painted on all kinds of recycled materials and I am proving that it is not necessary to buy all this expensive equipment to make high quality art. Who says that you have to use artist linen from the art store? Who says that frames have to be built professionally and how does that look like? I paint with oil and I paint on anything I find. All I need to know...
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Silly Things People Say at a Fair

Posted by on Feb 20, 2012 in Art, Blog | 19 comments I had another long weekend at the Third Monday Trade Days in McKinney (an antique and craft fair) with my upcycled home decor, some of my artwork and other handmade things. It’s once a month for an entire weekend before the third Monday. I love going there because of the interaction, I meet a lot of interesting and very nice people and I get to sell my items! But sometimes, there are people...
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Did you Know Monet Won the Lottery?

Posted by on Feb 15, 2012 in Art, Blog | 0 comments I am sure some of you knew this already. But for those who didn’t: yes, Claude Monet won the lottery, quit his job and painted full-time. Thank you lottery! In 1891, he won 100,000 French Francs which he used to travel France and paint, sometimes he had several studies going and worked on up to 10 pantings at the same time. There are quite a lot of interesting stories about Monet and...
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Selling Your Art Prints Online

Posted by on Feb 12, 2012 in Art, Art Marketing, Blog | 7 comments Just recently I was asked by one of my twitter friends if I could write something about art prints and what my recommendations are. Personally, I use Fine Art America for orders within the US and MyGall for my German friends. All you have to do is take photos of your beautiful artwork, upload them (for example on Fine Art America), add the commission you would like to make on each piece and they...
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Where Do You Buy Your Gifts?

Posted by on Jan 23, 2012 in Art, Art Marketing, Blog | 6 comments We all do it. I am no exception, I do it, too. We all buy gifts. There’s only a few people on this planet who do not make gifts to others. Some gifts are free (like a smile), some are hand- or home-made but most of us actually buy them. Not all gifts are useful, pretty or thoughtful. I got gifts in my life that actually made me more mad than anything. Yes, gifts can do that, too. Especially...
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What to Do When There is No Market for Your Product Part I

Posted by on Dec 14, 2011 in Art Marketing, Blog, Ideas & Inspiration | 6 comments “It’s all about passion…” (source of quote: myself) As some of you may know, I used to be an Executive Chef working for celebrities and the upper class for many years before I got married and settled. In 2008, I moved to an area that doesn’t offer much culturally (read one of my earlier posts). Contemporary museums, grand operas and world theaters are not exactly...
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Ron Mueck: Introducing an Artist

Posted by on Dec 6, 2011 in Art, Blog | 3 comments Ron Mueck, born in 1958, Australia, a former photographer (advertising industry) works as a sculptor in Great Britain. He also worked as a puppeteer for movies i.e. “The Labyrinth” and TV in his previous career. Using his talents, he decided to turn his back on both to model oversize (and some undersize) humans. He is using fiberglass resin instead of latex to be able to work more...
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Why Non-Functional Art is Better Than Functional

Posted by on Nov 21, 2011 in Art, Blog | 10 comments So, now I confused you, ha! I hope I got your attention with this For all those who don’t know what the difference between non-functional and functional art is, here a short summary (which I found at WikiAnswers): Functional art is art that serves a purpose. A potter who creates tea sets is making functional art. Non-functional art refers to paintings and such pieces of art that are...
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Shock Art -Controversial or Ahead of Time?

Posted by on Nov 17, 2011 in Art, Blog | 26 comments Definition according to Wikipedia (I know, I know, not the most reliable source of information but I thought it was well described): SHOCK ART… “…is contemporary art that incorporates disturbing imagery, sound or scents to create a shocking experience. While the art form’s proponents argue that it is “embedded with social commentary” and most critics dismiss it...
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Why Buy Art?

Posted by on Sep 26, 2011 in Art, Blog | 3 comments Good question, I thought. I decided to think about why I buy, collect and put up art. I found a lot of reasons why others should put artwork onto their walls (“Why Art Is A Great Investment”) but I never really thought about myself. And so I looked at our walls: 1) Connection, Meaning: There is my great-uncle’s (my grandfather’s younger brother) artwork. He was an...
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LIFELINE

Posted by on Sep 10, 2011 in Abstract | 0 comments LIFELINE – LEBENSLINIE Oil on Primed Fabric 20 x 50 x 1½ (inches) September 2011 $ 590 (Original) The painting is ready to hang, the sides are painted (the colors continue on the sides; it does not require framing). Reproduction: Photograph (high resolution, Nikon D70) 11½ x 7½ x ½ (inches) $ 28 Glued on wood, sides painted white, hanger attached to the back & signed, ready to...
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What Is Art?

Posted by on Aug 30, 2011 in Art, Blog | 9 comments On Sunday, I got interviewed by a friend’s grandson who had to do some research about artists for his boy scouts book. I was very honored that I got chosen for his project. It wasn’t too easy to answer all his questions, by the same time to make it simple, fun and understandable for his age. After the interview, I felt more understood than by an adult asking the same questions. Not...
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Finding Answers About Ourselves In Artwork

Posted by on Jul 31, 2011 in Blog, Ideas & Inspiration | 12 comments One of my favorite motifs is the ocean. I have just started to play around more with color and create more abstract paintings but for some reason I keep on coming back to water, skies and the color blue. In my studio, it is the most used color (also in my closet). Water has such a calming effect on me and it is my safe subject to paint. Water is life and I guess its symbolism keeps to suck me in...
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How To Stretch Artists’ Canvas

Posted by on Jul 3, 2011 in Art, Blog, Everything Green, Upcycling & DIY | 4 comments Before you start stretching canvas on a frame, you have to have a frame of course! Here’s a link to how I build my own frames. I usually use recycled wood from construction sites or other places (wherever I find leftovers..). The fabric I use is also recycled, any fabric I can find. The art supply industry makes us believe that only their expensive canvas should be used for oil paintings....
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How to Choose the Title for your Artwork

Posted by on Jun 9, 2011 in Art, Blog | 10 comments A few days ago, I decided to have you -my friends- decide for a name for my painting. After two days of suggesting names, I closed the proposals and the voting began giving three days to vote on my blog. Here are the names that you suggested: Majestic Horizon Beneath the Sea Air and Water Elements in Motion Where Colourful Waters Flow Rainbow of Water Caribbean Calm Ocean Glow Over and...
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The Secret Story of “Birch Trees”

Posted by on May 20, 2011 in Art, Blog | 2 comments The colors of “Birch Trees” reminded me of the times when I lived in Northern Germany at the Baltic Coast in 2003. You’ll find beautiful forests everywhere along the coastline. This region is well known for its unpopulated stretch of land with beautiful, long, white and sandy beaches, Before you get to the beautiful beaches, windy paths lead you through light forests. There is a mix of...
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“Fall Storm”: What You Can Learn From a Painting

Posted by on May 17, 2011 in Art, Blog | 2 comments “Fall Storm” was created on a cold and windy winter day. Most of my paintings are created by memory; this piece of art was directly inspired by the storm around my house in McKinney, Texas. Before I begin a painting, I have a color combination in mind or an idea, then I start, not knowing what it will be. As soon as the painting takes shape, the end product is determined. The fall season is...
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Why Every Piece of Art Deserves A Story

Posted by on May 11, 2011 in Art, Blog | 0 comments All of my paintings have a story. Duh! Everything has a story, right? So why not telling it? I love to share mine. Here is the one about Autumn Colours: Most of my paintings start with an idea or a color combination. Then my imagination guides me to the end product. While I paint, I get carried away to images seen before. The color combinations may be random but they always take me to a place I...
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Why Art Is A Great Investment

Posted by on Apr 28, 2011 in Art, Blog | 11 comments There are countless reasons why people buy art. To name a few: - to make profit - as a family investment to pass it to the next generation - to beautify your home - to take a trip down memory lane, sentimental reasons - to make a statement (banks, offices, public buildings) - as a status symbol and reflection of your own personality - because some people just like colors, sculptures or...
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How I Make An Oil Painting – Abstract Art

Posted by on Apr 25, 2011 in Art, Blog | 9 comments This is one of the paintings I made today. The paint I use is made from pigments and linseed oil. It is painted on primed (home-made gesso from chalk, pigments and skin rabbit glue) fabric that I stretched on recycled wooden frames which I build myself, too. Have a look how I make my frames and mix the colors: - How To Custom-Build Your Own Frames - How To Make Oil Paint From...
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Introduction to Abstract Painting “Almond Blossom”

Posted by on Apr 20, 2011 in Art, Blog | 11 comments One of my friends who follows my blog just recently asked if one of the paintings I started two months ago and blogged about was ready. Yes it is and I would love to share the story about it with you. My abstract paintings are usually painted from my memory and not from live objects. I store many of the motifs as images in my “brain library” and when I start to paint, I usually have a color...
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The Stories Behind My Abstract Paintings

Posted by on Apr 18, 2011 in Art, Blog | 2 comments When I am planning a new painting, I usually have a plan. Either I have a color combination in my mind or I think of the object. My preferred topic is nature; it could be a landscape, trees, the ocean, lakes, ponds or an impression of a daytime. The way my paintings turn out, is not up to me. Some artists have the end painting already laid out, they know exactly how it will look like....
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Is It Ok To Paint The Same Theme All Over And Over Again?

Posted by on Feb 11, 2011 in Art, Blog | 2 comments If you think you have to come up with something new and an extraordinarily creative masterpiece every single day, you might be wrong. Do you think that the masters did? Let’s have a look at Claude Monet (1840-1926) and his Série des Cathédrales de Rouen. He painted 33 versions of the Rouen Cathedral between 1892-94. He was trying to capture the light during different daytimes and...
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