"Sudden December" oil on linen, 24x20 SOLD

I received a beautiful roses, which I wanted to paint right away. The color was so gorgeous and festive.
So  I set up a large still life with complimentary colors and Christmas atributes as pomegranates and oranges . I m very happy with the result and ....with the very prompt sale of this piece  ...Was sold to a happy presenter :-)

"A Little Bit Of "Country" oil on canvas, 12x16

I'm painting on 12x16 canvases now, just to utilize the big batch of "Fredric's/Blue labels. To say it's not my favorite , to say the least !!! Even after applying a coat of gesso, it's  just not the same  as my favorite linen . Technically speaking , the surface is as important as oil paint quality and the brushes quality. In order to avoid lot's of frustration and grief stick with something you are familiar and what is work best for your own painting style . Here is another piece for my upcoming show on Vashon.
I started this still life while teaching the class. My talented student Rachel was up to a great start. I have to admit I liked her composition better. We'll see how she applied all the knowledge from my classes to finish this still life from the reference photo .

" A Little Bit Of "Country" oil on canvas , 12x16

It's for sale $ 300.00

" Sunday Morning " 12x16 oil on canvas

And another painting I finished at one session dyring my allnighters . I was trying depict a lazy and relaxed ride on Sunday Morning :-) "Sunday Morning" will be a part of my exhibit on Vashon Island called " Provincial Delights" - it's for sale - $ 300.00

"WINTER CHERRIES" 10x10 oil on linen

I didn't blog for 2 weeks . But  "Holidays fever" is here again and life taking on crazy, rapid, happy turns .
I'm wondering why it spins faster and faster every year , why time seems like flying with a double speed compare to our Youth , when we were so innocent and unaware of social networking, Ipads/pones/tunes  or what ever I-else. We had no idea about joy of wasting time on Facebook, Tweeter, LinkedIn and streaming any movie right at the  convenience of your cosy PJ.
Anyway - that's why I've never noticed those 2 weeks flu as a wild mosquito right by my nose.
 I wasn't creatively procrastinating , I was creatively discovering a beauty of painting all night . I was very productive because of that discovery , and its aslo reflected on the amount of sales.
So I'll try to catch up and will post all the paintings from my all-nighters ..Here we go!

this piece is for sale of course . $ 300.00 and free shipping 

"Gypsy" - Portret of Elena , 24x20 oil on linen

I'm posting an image of my third portret from the group on Bainbridge Island . I'm taking a ferry every week to go to see my dear friends and paint with incredible artists! Yes, it's time and money but it's sooo worth it!  How lucky I'm .
So, here some conclusions on the process, regarding the portret painting :
1 Format . Of course we all different and have own preferences - I found that the large size of canvas liberate my strokes and motions .
2. More paint! I will never grow tired of repeating this  simple truth - Paint with large amount of paint - massive blabs of paint. As soon as  I rub the pain into a canvas my feel of happiness and meditation from creative process dissolving. Returning back to a happy oily dancing brush reenter my state of ecstatic happiness
3. Deliberate strokes - For canvas size 24x20 you must use brush 10 for 80% of the painting time - then slow down , and get smaller size of the brushes
4. There is no pure white anywhere , so use your sensible and subtle mixes

"Gypsy" portret of Elena , 24x20 , oil on linen 

This portret is not for sale at the moment as I will show it at my 2 upcoming exhibits  .

So in case you really want it - $ 3000.00

Inspiration for the day - How to establish yourself ?

This question lot's of my fellow artists and students would ask . I found a great insight on this subject by marketing guru Maria Brophy, wich perfectly reflects my own feeling about that

“How can I establish myself to become well known and recognized for what I do?”

There are many different paths you can take to become well known and established.

Just like anything else in the world of being a creative entrepreneur, one-size does not fit all!

But, the quickest route to being recognized, no matter what you do for a living, is to:

• Find a niche
• Focus on that niche; and
• Do excellent work for a long period of time within that niche.

HOW TO FIND YOUR NICHE

The best niche to focus on is one that you feel passionate about.

If you love what you’re doing, you’ll stay dedicated long enough to see success.  You’ll also do your best work.

The power of the niche is the old “big fish in a little pond” theory.  It’s more likely that you’ll become well known for something when you focus in one small area.

For example, If you love horses, and you focus on painting horses, and you mingle within groups of people who live the equestrian lifestyle, consistently, you will eventually become known as THE artist to go to if you want a painting of horses.

CAN YOU BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE?

Never have I heard anyone say “Oh that’s Bob Green; he’s well known for doing everything!”

I know of artists who paint in many different styles and mediums and subject matters; they try to be all things to everyone.  But then they get lost in the shuffle, because they are a little fish in a huge pond.

It’s okay to not have a niche, but if you want to become known for something, you have to focus in one area.

Listed below are a few different areas in which you can find your niche:

BECOME KNOWN FOR YOUR STYLE

Some artists have a style that is unmistakable.

You don’t have to see their name on the work to know they did it; artists like Salvador Dali and Picasso.  (Whatever you do, don’t become known as the guy who knocks off other artists!)

If you have a distinctive style, you eventually become known for it. 

BECOME KNOWN AS A LOCAL (GEOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING)

Focus your art or services in one local area.

Become known as “the artist of your town” or the “glass blower of Charleston” and over time, you will be the first person that comes to mind for local projects.

BECOME KNOWN FOR A LIFESTYLE

Take what you love; a hobby, a passion, a charity; and marry that with your talent to create a niche.

Returning to Fremont :-) My new show is up and running

Finally I can post again, it's been weeks  of busy preparation for 2 exhibits, painting and teaching.  Running between Seattle, Pouslbo and Port Townsend is getting little bit out of hands :-) but all in a good sense , lot's of new work, creativity , more students, more sales, new interesting  people entering my life, lot's of knowledge on the propose and what is the most importan aspect of art and life.
 All that gives me such deep and  rich daily experiences.
Day by day, moon by moon life is unfolding , and I sip my tea, meditate, paint, play with my cat, witnes my son's soul growth and realize that this is the best time of my life!!!
Anyway, I had two shows in Seattle up and running right now - in Ballard and Fremont .
In Fremont " Fremont Jewelry Design" open 5 days a week - 10 -6 , 3510 Fremont Place North  Seattle, WA 98103

Kimono, 11x14 oil on canvas 

"Lunch Date" oil on linen 11x 14  SOLD!!

"Openhearted" oil on linen, 20x20

I really enjoyed the article by Clint Watson , with a catchy title:

Art Marketing: Are You Giving Others the Power to Kill Your Business? So here he is clearly and loudly stating : Don't put all the control of your art marketing channels into the hands of others. If you're relying on galleries to sell your art, do you know who is buying it and how to reach them?  If that gallery goes out of business, it could kill your business. Are you relying on SEO?  What if Google decides to change their rankings and pushes you down anyway?  Or worse, what if Google moves "the #1" organic spot to the 11th listing on the page? Getting tons of business from Facebook or Twitter?  Do you have a way to reach your fans if those networks go down?  Or worse, change their terms of service in a way that impacts your ability to do business? Do you rely on a free service like Google Blogger for your blog?  What if they ban access to your blog?  Who do you call, the tech support line (oh wait, there isn't one)?  Don't think that would ever happen?  Ask artist Marsha Robinett. My point is, control your marketing channels.  They are your lifeline to your customers.  That's one reason that we continually beat the drum of utilizing an email newsletter as your primary marketing channel. [1]  That's something you control and can use to connect directly with your customers.  Nobody has the power to take that away from you...except you. Now, go change the world, Clint Watson" And here is my new piece. I'm moving towards larger scale  and want to have a flexible inventory for venues of different sizes. So here it is" Openhearted" - it's for sale at $ 500.00

"Evening in Port Townsend " - last day of Wooden Boats Festival

Color is not constant thing. The color of a subject will change its appearance when the colors surrounded it changes . Also the color will change its appearance when the light shining upon it changes the spite how much our brains would like to think otherwise ! After all the Color is just an illusion because it's changes all the time and it's affected by Light Source, surrounded color and atmosphere.
Here is my new painting , from the photo I took in Port Townsend Boat festival from my series   " Fair Sees and Following Winds"  - Evening in Port Townsend . I took about 500 hundred photos  and have great material to paint . This piece is for sale -$ 350.00 with the frame - $ 250.00 no frame

11x14, oil on linen, free shipping

"Flowers Study" oil on linen 11x 14

Jasper Johns 8 principals of creativity :
1 . Creativity occurs in auction  -
2. Creativity begins with a simple ideas
3. Creativity lives in the Present
4. Creativity increases with practice
5.Creativity increases as Judgment and Criticism decrease.
6. Creativity likes Constraints and Specifics
7.Creativity emerges in experimentation ans exploration
8.Creativity is about having a plan and willingness to depart from it !
 So just START ! Take a first step  and don't wait for a great ideas - JUST DO IT!!!

Flowers study - oil on linen - $ 300.00

New Art Class in Seattle

 Tomorrow I'm starting a new series of classes for teens "Creating  an art portfolio"

We'll work on the portfolio ,which will  distinctly represent you to a college as a potential student and young artist. 

We’ll prepare 12 finished pieces from categories :observational art, personal art .

The final portfolio will show your knowledge and skills  in drawing, painting and composition. Give me a call if you want to be on the list for the next session 

"Fort Casey" oil on linen , 9x12

Just a little note about giving your painting a real boost and increase the interest
by having one or more secondary focal points or areas as well as a primary  focal point or area.
Just make it more interesting and intriguing for the viewer .

Fort Casey - oil on linen , 9x12 - for sale @ 250.00












"Morning  in Coupeville" - Here is example of how NOT to design and compose your painting.
I actually will use this painting as a poster for the very common artistic mistakes.
Number 1. This building is dividing the painting right in half .
Number 2. To many focal points and there is no comprehensive idea , why did I choose this composition in a first place. Basically TMI - too much information . And that is the main reason I won't sell this plein air sketch to demonstrate to my students - that  we are all humans and make mistakes :-)
Happy Painting Everyone

"PRELUDE DE VIOLIN " oil on linen 11 x14

This painting I started from  the vinette set up by my very good friend, painting buddy and great artist Irina Milton in her studio . I finish it from the photograph and really like the cold, northern light.

I have lots of interesting insights today , but have to be in a hurry to  hang my show up. 

Well, all words of wisdom will need to wait to be said :-) Till evening ..

 For sale - 650.00 - free shipping as always

Plein Air Paintings

In October I'm starting a new Class. Even though we still  left  out some color mixing topics , including painting water, trees, rocks , but I decided to incorporate those subjects in my new block of studies.

So the whole new segment will  be dedicated to detailed study of Composition.

Sergey Bongart once said , "Value and Design set the painting. All else builds from them"   That's why composition is a second  most important part of successful painting.

We will study :

1. Space devision 

2. Focal Point

3. Eye movement

4. Variety

5. Line

 I think it will be a perfect opportunity to include those left out color subjects , as water, trees, rocks into the "Composition" class  

My highly recommended  list of books:

 "Color Choices "by Stephen Quiller 

"Blue and Yellow don'r make green" by Michael Wilcox

"Color and Light" by James Gurney

And here are a new group of plein air sketches made at the Bloedel Reserve this weekend .

"SNOHOMISH MORNING" 12X16 OIL ON LINEN

From my experience of being an instructor, attending countless workshops, open studios , painting sessions, I came to understanding , that  most  artists struggling  with 3 major aspects : Seeing correct values, seeing and choosing good composition and seeing   big shapes. There is a small magic you can use to improve all of those three aspects in your painting.  Just knowing and using this little magic for at  least a month, will safe you so much grief( embracement on the workshops)  and money  ( buying those workshops )
So, if you are committed to being a better artist , and serious about to achieve certain level of painting  technic, you need to start seeing in values !
Make yourself a rule TO START your creative day with a small monocrome study.
Just use  4 values (white and black included) to portray your subject. It's really better to paint from life. So set up a tiny vignette . It will force you to make decisions about where values must be pushed darker or lighter to stay within the limited range. This exercises will help you to see values, patterns, and organization of a simple shapes  Result: strong design all of sudden knocking in the back door while you're busy thinking about reducing values. That's your  magic!
If you are a proud  owner of a Ipad - you can download an incredibly helpful aplications for artists:
http://appadvice.com/applists/show/apps-for-artists

You can go enven further with monochromes - But this will be subject of another post !


 I was painting plein air all last weekend , with two different group. It was so much fun!
Here is the painting from that session . It
s for sale @ 500.00

"Provence Ruelle" from the series "Suitcase of Pastorales"

It's a foggy, gray day here in Seattle,  and  all of sudden you realise that, yes, it's a Fall after all. The problem with Indian Summers is, it's  usually sweet ..but short.
I hope the weather will  improve for my paint out session on Bainbridge Island tomorrow. I'm taking off to Pulsbor now, and wanted to give some scoop om my latest discoveries, art  tips and helpful little tricks.
1. If you accidentally drop a good chunk of oil paint on the carpet, dress, furniture, your new couch, so on , the best solution is immediately dry it out with the paper towel and spray with the cheapest possible hair spray.
 The cheaper the spray the better It work . Guaranteed !
2. To clean your brushes and keep its chapes , simply rub in castile soap. Don't wash it with the water!
3.To keep a large piles of oil on you palette fresh and oily for longer, before  putting it away in the refrigerator, drop tiny little drops of clove oil in every pile ( I use lot's of oil, so it's literally   "piles") the then put it in the refrigerator . That strong clove odor will keep the paint fresh .
That will be it for todays words of wisdom :-)

And here is painting # 3 from the workshop. It's belong now to my series " Suitcase of Pastorales" - Provence Ruelle" . It's for sale - $ 500.00

My Fall's Art Shows schedule

"Zion's Walls" oil on linen, 12x16

Today, during Yoga class my gorgeous instructor MJ said something resonated with me deeply.
She said " Transformation of the body, spirit and talent happens on the edge. Only if you push yourself our of comfort zone you can reach the level of changes  you desire . Don't be afraid to fail, even if you felt on your butt, just get yourself  up, do it again  and push  little stronger . It's also applies to art  and painting. If you just will paint familiar "territories" you will never grow . Make a small resolution for the next week - to go and try to paint, draw something completely out of habit. Go for a figure drawing,  plein air painting, or just paint with a extremely limited palette . Do something different! Find your edge!
So here is another painting from the series "Suitcase of pastorales" called "Zion's Walls"

I painted it on my latest workshop with the zero help from the instructor , so it will be painting @ 2 from the workshop  

Some of my latest paintings in Russian Cultural Center in Seattle

If you are in Seattle , you have a chance to see interesting show of 3 artists in Russian Cultural Center i. I also have a small display of my latest paintings. Please visit us at 704 19th Avenue East  Seattle, WA 98112. The gallery will be open for 2 weeks . Hours of operation is from 2-6 on week days, and 11-6 on weekends

"RIVER SONG" 9x12 oil on linen

Of, course - there is always a reason for any bad or good outcomes of events. I know exactly what the reason was for taking a pretty poorly structured workshop I attended  last week. Some, even the most genius, artists are just not cut for teaching. And this was the case, I don't want to mention any names though.
But the great reason for all the troubles was meeting new wonderful artists, seeing old, good friends, painting together and sharing so many exciting tips and info. Here is one of the 6 new paintings.
                         

                                            I called it "River's Song". You can buy it here

http://frankanddunya.com/products/rivers-song/

"Morning Stroll" from the series "Suitcase of Pastorales"

Taking off to Whidbey Island for the workshop with Kathryn Stats. Much anticipated and well deserved brake  from teaching, organizing, communicating, connecting, dancing and stressing.
Here is the fresh from the easel little piece called "Morning Stroll - Coupeville  WA"

It's for sale! Price is $200.00

"A Big Brother" oil on canvas board, 14x18

Another Gorgeous morning on the beautiful PCF Northwest - it's been officially 44 days without the rain, in the notoriously rainy Seattle, and I've been productive like no tomorrow :-) I have 3 shows lined up , and want to create totally new collection ( in fact 3 )
I just want to share the thoughts on being fiercely creative versus fiercely blocked. The blocks on the way to our creativity are nothing but fears! Fears of rejections , fears of failure , fears of unknown.
We are holding on to what we know and comfortable with, but in order to find a real happiness, real love, real passion ( and the creativity is all of the above ) we need to let go...It's not easy..it's scary ..it's unknown territory. But trust me ...The unknown is the biggest gift of all! So give it  to yourself!
 GIVE YOURSELF A GIFT OF UNKNOWN!
That's where is the pick of creativity  lies .
You can read more on the removing creative blocks in the fantastic book, which helped me, my friends and thousands of artists " The Artist Way" by Julia Cameron .

In a meanwhile, here is my new painting form the series " Fair Sees and Following Winds" called "A Big Brother" , the size is 14x18, oil on canvas board . And it's for sale - 550$, and free shipping!

"Teanaway Valley" oil on linen, 8x10

First I wanted to share some important information on toxic mediums . I just learned the liquin is  highly toxic and you can't  use it for a long period of time , specially if your ventilation is not too good, as in my case . There are great non toxic replacement for almost all oil mediums, brush cleaners and so on.
One of the wonderful, non toxic  alternatives for liquin or other mediums is M' Graham walnut alkyd medium. Also for cleaning the brush as you paint , please buy SoySolv ( Daniel Smith has on sale) and the the deep cleaning use BrushFlush (Amazon.com)
Finally, here is my latest little painting , a demo for my "Atmospheric Perspective" class .
It't called "Teanaway Valley". It's been "Daily Paintworks" FaceBook pic of the day- a second this month - Woo Hoo !!!

It's for sale on FrankandDunya.com

"Light Breeze" SOLD

From Mari-Lyn Harris: 

Are you a Reporter or a Poet? And... why do you need to know? The simple definition is: A reporter states the facts A poet shares her feelings ABOUT the facts And - most important - the "why" of why you need to know the difference, and why you need to know what you "are" most of the time is because:_____________fill the blank  So while you thinking about this very important questions:-) take a look at my new painting.  I'm starting formatting my painting by the themes. One of 'em I called  ”Fair seas and following winds” So here is painting from this series "Light Breeze" , oil on linen, 8x 10  SOLD ! Thank you Matt:-) It's for sale here :  http://frankanddunya.com/products/light-breeze-from-the-series-fair-seas-and-following-winds/

"Sherman Road " oil on linen , 8x10

Here is a second of my 3 paintings from Plein Air Open 2012 on Whidbey Island. It was an incredible trip, not just because the weather was exquisitely perfect, I meet so many fantastic artists with 2 of them I developed a deep connection and  feel like they are my "Art" sisters . Thank you Jeanne Edwards and Vallerie Collymore - my sweet friends forever !
This piece is for sale :
http://frankanddunya.com/products/sherman-road/

Thank you for reading my blog!

" Dancing Shadows" 12"x12" oil on linen board SOLD

That is one of the pieces I painted on Plein Air Open 2012 on Whidbey Island.
It's already SOLD! WooHoo

"Plein Air Painters" U.S open 2012

Tomorrow leaving for “PLEIN AIR PAINTERS’ U.S. OPEN 2012″
2012 Plein Air Painters’ Collectors’ Show, Private BBQ August 18
Pacific Northwest Art School, Whidbey Island, WA 
Wish me luck ! And see you in a week!
Friday's class is on as scheduled:-)

Show in Russian Cultural Center

It was, so to say "interesting experience" as a show attendance was so low due to great weather , we had literally 2 and half visitors , each of them bough my painting . So I sold 2 pieces .The show runs only three days - Today is a last chance to see my new pieces. If you in Seattle , please stop by to say  "hi"
Russian Cultural Center - 704 19th Avenue East  Seattle, WA 98112

"COLORFUL RIDE" 15'x15' oil on board

And so...A New , beautiful day brought a new painting which I'm very happy with. I knew  that doubts are only normal for creative soul and hard working artist :-)

I'm ready to share more insights on color mixing Russian way. I think it's a  great title for a workshop :-)

There is not secret that for the last 2 years I probably took at least 20 workshops with the best living  Talents . Some of them are simply outstanding modern  American Artists and National Treasures ,  but not good teachers, in fact many of them just have been silently painting, while we all were watching them , trying to comprehend the process and made sense of how to apply all this visual information to own creative needs. But one individual basically turned my whole artistic soul into direction so natural and native for me! A Russian/Armenian artist which name I won't mention as he is extremely private.

He didn't really talk to much, but his vision and painting style was a pure magic! Since applying his principals to my creative process  I became more happy with my art. I wish I could go and study with him for the whole year. And may be I will one day, but now I'm on the mission to completely submerged  to and  teach those principals to my students. His work is soul and heart of REAL Russian Impressionism.  Just a few of his principals are :

Initially blocking  in  colors using a strong primary or secondary hue which is two steps darker than what we would ultimately want to end up with.  From my understanding from the beginning we are not really worry about  establishing value relationships . We simply applying   high chroma  thin washes with a limited value range without using a white. Please note,  if you must to indicate a large light  passage, say, clouds in the sky, or a white table cloth in a still life, his approach was to first substitute ochre for that white, knowing he would return to the passage in question during the finish and lay a cool or warm white on top. He painting all his values darker using  grays for the darks , and then raising them up, made all the color rich and beautiful.
 Hold back  lightest  lights and white of a  ground until the last minute . And using a thin wash to tint it a specific hue early on if it becomes necessary. This isn't all that different from the idea of laying in an ochre,  just reserv the white area for a later finish. Leave the lighter areas untainted by white paint as we work out  mid- to lower value relationships so we don't have to contend with errant white getting into those darker passages. And when the darker values are established then he  mixes in white as necessary, working up from the mid-values towards highlights, which usually become the thickest of all. This was a common approach used back in the 19th century. Perhaps not so much now, but certainly back then. So, the painting will have transparent darks, semi-opaque mid-values, and opaque lights. it's better do in one setting " alla prima", for the most part. All of the above is consistent with " Compressed Values" term! That was my Lesson 5 subject!  Here you can see the step by step process I just described . Note - No Pure White Applied to this particular painting !!!

and.. the  final result : it's for sale : $ 500.00 and free shipping as always :-)

l

"Lavender Farm" oil on canvas, 12x12

An interesting phenomenon, the more I paint the less satisfied I'm with my art. I hope it's temporary.

And even if not, I won't give up! No! I know any negative thoughts or sensations will pass, and peacefulness will set . It's just between two classes, the show, new exciting project and personal matters juggling, things got little complicated.  

Anyway this week is going to be extremely busy, as the preparation for the show starting tomorrow.

I don't think I will be able to paint much, as I need to do lot's of framing . It's 3 o'clock in the morning , and tomorrow is another busy day. Happy Painting everyone!  

"Lavender Farm" 12x12 oil on canvas - : $ 300.00

Every stroke counts...

One of 3 simples steps on the road of improving your paintings are:
1.Using lot's of paint . I meant it. Lots . This not only will make your painting look more mature, but it will make YOU happier.Trust me ! So give me a favor and buy large tubes of paint.
2. Making every brush stroke count - literally. Imagine you are laying  bricks - Brick is your stroke.
Lay a brick after brick , stroke after stroke - leave every stroke alone - leave an integrity of every stroke visible .
3. Making assertive, deliberate and bold strokes with brush full of paint
All three tricks will take time and discipline to develop - but it worth it!

Here is the painting wich illustrates this statement. I liked this piece , and it was sold immediately after hanging it on the gallery wall

5 DEGREES OF A STILL LIFE ...

So finally I decided to take photos of creative stages while painting still life. First I set up a very cute still life  with two pieces of Talavera ceramic and sunflowers .
Then I prepared my canvas according to the recipe of one of the greatest colorists in this country. I wont mention his name in this post as he is an extremely private person - That mix is very smelly and toxic so be careful if you'll decide to use it. It does create a very great base for  thick brush strokes applications. 1part Damar & 2.5 - 3 parts Turpentine with a few drops of linseed oil. Tone the canvas with very light wash of  phtalo  blue and black. After the mix is dried , draw your composition.
Mine is here:

The second stage is very important as it's actually require  a special treatment of whole canvas before starting to paint  and apply a very thick  applications of paint. You start with rubbing in very transparent washes of pure pigment almost like watercolor with paint running off your canvas .Please note, the colors of washes  can be absolutely randome. See my stage 2 photo.Of course I, kinda, created  color of washes close to the basic hue of the whole setting .

Looks pretty wild , isn't it? Don't panic :-) it's an initial wash which will be completely covered . But the tone will still obscure through further layers of paint .

This is number 3 stage , and believe you or not , it's always my favorite stage in any painting process - I just love that raw, unfinished look. Spontaneity of it, and usually the right tonality from the start . But lot's of work on the details ahead , so let go straight to stage 4 to see how we progressing  with building layers of thick paint up.

As you can see both of Talavera pieces are acquired believable shapes and color, but we starting to mix lot's of grays . Yes , hard to believe? Take my word for it. That;s how powerful grays tones are : you can't really see them , surrounding colors starting to sing.

And here is final result . I titled it "Girasol" just to give the hint of Mexican flavor. Because Talavera is a beautiful Mexican pottery. This piece is for sale by the way:-)

Go to http://frankanddunya.com/products/girasol/

HAPPY PAINTING EVERYONE!

Change is in the air....

I think this one is big, really - I just realized something very important! I decided completely change the format of this blog and instead of simply uploading my daily paintings, I will share and give some insights on  all the "bolts and nuts" of Art creating and  creating successful Art business.
I'll share  my own knowledge and what I learned from greatest Masters around about technicality of oil painting. I'll share here all creative subjects and  my students questions  about  how to start and finish harmonies painting.  How to find own "voice" and most importantly how to find your own audience, art lovers, followers who will buy your art.

I'll start by giving you a good food for the mind and soul.
Look into this  17 habits of people who changed the world. Try to adopt at least some of those habits and see what happend to your creative impulse.

1. Try new things. Constantly experiment with new people, jobs, projects and experiences. See what sticks. Without experiments we’ll never learn anything. Without learning, we’ll get nowhere. Consider your life a series of experiments - big and small. Always be testing. Live outside your comfort zone and don’t underestimate the importance of being a beginner.

2. Measure against your own standards, not others. All of us have different definitions of success and goals that likely have nothing to do with those around us. So stop comparing to others. It’s almost surely apples to oranges and you’ll either feel overly confident or overly disappointed. Either way it’s less than useful. You are your own comparison. Define your success and own it.

3. Know who you are. The better you know yourself the more likely you are to do work that matters. Simple as that. Study your strengths, know your weaknesses, identify your values, define your success, learn the things that excite and those that terrify you. Take all the tests and evaluations you can find. Begin to live a life congruent with your values, strengths and purpose and you’ll never look back. But do things for the wrong reasons and there will be nothing but disappointment. Kind of like how business school killed the entrepreneur. No sleepwalking allowed!

4. Learn from those around you. Every interaction is a chance to either learn what fires you up or what makes you want to put a wet finger in a light socket. Knowing one is just as crucial as knowing the other. Embrace your surroundings. Observe closely.

5. Realize you’re already free. Freedom doesn’t come from huge financial achievement or the ability to live in some little hut over a Tahitian lagoon. Go out and survey the average guy rolling in cash and I bet you’ll find them to feel a lot less free than you think. Freedom in it’s purest form is the ability to choose the way we interpret what happens to us. We can either see life’s occurrences, good or bad, as reasons to pursue what matters or excuses to sit on our ass. The choice is yours. All the freedom you’ll ever need is already here. Start acting like it.

6. Assume there’s another way. Don’t take things for granted just because everyone else does. That’s usually the best reason to stop listening. None of you are here for average. If you do what everyone else does, that’s all you’ll get. Constantly ask how else could things be done. Ask why.

7. Believe in what you do. If you don’t have a deep emotional reason for doing the work you do, you’ll likely never do what matters. Know your beliefs. Why do you care so much about the things you do? Nothing big happens without the right reasons. Does what you’re doing actually matter? If you can’t put your heart into it, then get yourself out of it.

8. Constantly seek adventure and explore. Nothing adds more clarity to most of life’s confusions than seeing new things. Get out and explore foreign worlds. Spending too much time in one environment makes us feel like that’s the only way. I assure you it’s not. Notice how different cultures do things differently.

Whether it’s seeing a town across the world or across your state, adventure has to be a priority. Your mind will never be the same.

9. Be authentic. The world is run off personal connections. No one wants to connect with someone who’s fake. Know who you are and aren’t and be open with those around you. People’s B.S. meters are much too high for anything else. Make genuine connections. Be vulnerable and begin creating rapport with anyone.

10. Be a constant learner. Commit to going to bed each day at least slightly wiser than when you woke up. The results will add up. Learn like crazy. Read books, take courses, work with experts, do it all. Do nothing but this and I guarantee you’ll do work that lights you on fire.

11. Pick your surroundings wisely. This is the holy grail. The people around you create who you are. If they inspire you, you’ll be inspired. If they depress you, you’ll be depressed. Those around you absolutely must dream as big or bigger and have as much passion or more than you do. There’s no time for those who don’t support doing the things that matter to you and the world. Get rid of the doubters and don’t let the empowering ones leave your sight. Rule #1: Surround yourself with passionate people. Nothing is more powerful. 

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”– Jim Rohn

12. Focus on the process, not the outcome. Stop worrying about getting there. You never will anyway. All the fun is along the trail next to you. It’s impossible to enjoy it if you’re dazed by the blurry horizon that never actually gets any closer. Embrace persistence. Learn to love the process and everything becomes epic.

13. Welcome change. How else are you going to get to where you want to be? Change is going to happen no matter what, so you might as well get used to it. Adopt these beliefs and you can be sure the change to come is for the better.

14. Model excellence. For just about every goal someone has, there is likely at least a handful of people who’ve already done it. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to. Find the people who live the life you want to live. The one’s who’ve experienced the dreams you’ve always had. Find models for everything. Take note of the good and the bad. Adopt the former and drop the latter. With the right model’s you can do anything.

15. Test what’s possible. We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Most things are not as impossible as we think. The only way to find out is to try. This is as important physically as it is with business. When we start to do things we didn’t used to think were possible, the new found confidence transfers to all kind of other parts of life. If you just pushed yourself over the finish line of your first marathon (or 5k for that matter) then why couldn’t you also find a way to double your business’s sales next year? If something seems impossible to you, find those who have done it, learn from them and try it. You’ll start to impress yourself. Then watch out. Go on and do something impossible.

16. Take notes. Life is not meant to be passive. Keep a file, notebook, journal or blog of all you learn and experience along the way. The things that fire you up, the things that scare you, the lessons, the people, the huge dreams you have, all of it. The more we can get things out of our head the more likely we can make them reality. Have a weekly or daily routine. Record all you can. 

17. Act on what you learn. None of the above matters if you don’t get out and actually do something with it. It’s not just about finishing a book, reading a blog post or having a chat with a wild new person. The magic doesn’t happen in the learning. It happens in the action you take as a result. Learning is an important step, but it’s still just the first one. Everything we do at Live Your Legend comes back to this. When in doubt, do something. Anything. You have to start. 

Habits define outcomes. These are the habits that separate the legends from the rest of the world. Practice these daily. Make them routine. They are the foundation of what’s to come.

Get them right and the outcomes will start to blow your mind.

Scott Dinsmore

More opportunities to sell and buy Art !!!

Now you can buy my work among hundreds of other beautiful pieces of Art and Craft on this tastefully created site.
http://frankanddunya.com/

"Sunset Aromas" 8x10 oil on linen board

I'm starting to pack for my paint out trip to Lopes Island, so much to do and to consider, but without dipping my brushes into fresh juicy oils I would really feel out of sort .
As I've been sad today I decided to paint something soothing, beautiful and uplifting .Here it is - "Sunset Aromas" . It's for sale too
you can buy it here:

http://frankanddunya.com/products/sunset-aromas/

"Evening Sunflowers" 12x16 oil on linen

Overhall I'm pleased with this work, but I'd like to ad some details, unfortunately I didn't take a photo and the flowers are gone . Oh well.. I might paint another version.
This piece is for sale
$ 250.00 and a free shipping

Please buy on :
http://frankanddunya.com/products/evening-sunflowers/