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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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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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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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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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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Name a Painting Contest

Posted by on Jun 6, 2011 in Blog, Ideas & Inspiration | 45 comments Welcome to my painting contest! I painted this piece of abstract impressionist artwork and I decided to ask my friends if they would like to come up with a name. The response has been so great and I can’t decide which name to choose, so I would love for you to vote for the best name! Just pick three of your favorites (with 1 you like the most, 2 as second and 3 the third option) and leave...
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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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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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My Latest Paintings Made From Pigments

Posted by on Apr 11, 2011 in Art, Blog | 4 comments So I started experimenting with color pigments and making my own oil paint. Here are two paintings from my newly mixed colors (pigments and linseed oil) and I am quite satisfied with the results. I was able to make some thick paint but also make it runny -notice the splashes. The colors are easy to use and mix. What I discovered though is that you should not keep the paint longer than 5 days....
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How To Make Oil Paint From Pigments

Posted by on Apr 3, 2011 in Blog, Everything Green, Upcycling & DIY | 2 comments I use natural pigments from EarthPigments. Their variety is really nice and all pigments are non-toxic. On their website, they offer a lot of recipes for making artists’ paint, colored cement and any other paint for your home projects. For making oil paint you’ll need: 1. linseed oil 2. pigments 1. To start with, use very little of the pigment powder and make a well...
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How & Why To Use Pigments For Any Paint Project

Posted by on Mar 28, 2011 in Art, Blog, Everything Green, Upcycling & DIY | 2 comments Today, I did my oil paint inventory and decided to order my color online. While I always love to support my local art store here in the Dallas area, I decided to study a little more about pigments which my store does not carry. You don’t have to be an artist to use paint, every one of us has used paint for inside and out house projects, walls, furniture, etc. But do you know the...
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How To Custom-Build Your Own Frames

Posted by on Feb 27, 2011 in Blog, Everything Green, Upcycling & DIY | 0 comments Have you ever thought of building your own frames and stretch your own canvas? There are several reasons why I think custom-build frames are better and more convenient than the store-bought ones (or if you have someone who builds them for you even better!). Here is why: - you can decide the size of the frame, large/small/very large - you can build frames that you won’t get at the store:...
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One New Project Per Day

Posted by on Feb 3, 2011 in Art, Blog, Ideas & Inspiration | 2 comments After a week of building frames, stretching fabric and applying gesso, I see myself really making progress in my paintings. A while ago, I decided to paint one 8×8 (inch) painting per day and it has been very good so far. On most days, I get my little project done but on some days ideas don’t turn into reality the way I pictured them. But that’s fine. The 8×8 project is...
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