The Art Of Jonathan Frank

Saturated colors, bold, dramatic landscapes and well defined edges are what set Frank’s watercolors apart. His paintings are defined by the strong play of light and shadow and his signature lies in rendering all the hundreds of minute shapes that lie in the painting with India Ink. Every little detail is attended to and stressed upon making the landscapes appear high definition. It almost has the ability to transfer the viewer into the landscape.

Getting to know the artist better, one comes to know of all the hard work and perseverance gone into developing such a powerful and award winning style. He sheds light on his art, the process involved and his journey so far in the interview…

Into The Vast

@How did you happen to begin painting?
I had always drawn, or dabbled in paint, but it wasn’t until 1989 that I fell in love with watercolor. All of my learning has come through reading art books, and magazines, and a whole lot of trial and error. It would be another six years until I decided that I wanted to become a serious artist, and make it my life’s work.

@Where do you draw inspiration from?
My primary visual interest has always been with rocks…mountain-size rocks, and the coolest rocks I’ve ever seen are in the desert of Southeastern Utah. The colors range from soft pinks to fiery red-orange and the shapes are strangely rounded and smooth. Finally, in 2005, I moved to Moab, which sits in the middle of this desert, right between Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Ninety percent of my work is inspired by this area.

@What are the things which have been instrumental to your growth as an
artist?
The main thing is just hard work and dedication. When I first started painting seriously, I would wake up at 3:00 in the morning, so that I could paint for four hours before having to go to my regular job. I do my best work when I am still half-asleep, and can’t think too much. I did this every day for over three years. I still paint an average of six hours every day.

Soaring High

@Tell us a little about how your current style of painting came into being?
I did some experimenting with watercolor way back in high school. I had a sheet of paper with a bunch of random marks on it, and just out of teenage boredom decided to outline all the marks with a ballpoint pen. I was so impressed with how cleanly defined these marks were, that the outline became part of my artistic thinking from that day forth.

@What is your typical method of working

I start by making a full size drawing on news print paper, where I define basic elements of shape and composition. Next I transfer the drawing to the painting surface using graphite paper. If any  masking is required, I’ll do it at this time. Since the finished painting has all the elements outlined, it’s important to paint every facet of the piece with hard edges, starting with the largest shapes first and working inwards. When I’m finished painting, I pick up my rapidograph pen and outline every shape. The outline unifies the painting and makes it clean and creates the effect of looking at it in high definition.

Open

@Most interesting thing about the way you work…

Ninety percent of my color mixing is done by layering and glazing. I paint a shape with clear water and then float a color into sections of it. I’ll do this several times using various colors until I have achieved the richness that I want.

@How difficult was it to find commercial success and how did you go about it?
I have not found commercial success…haven’t really looked for it. When I chose fine art as a career, I knew not to expect a regular paycheck. That being said, I still do OK, and each year seems to get a little better, but mainly in terms of recognition. I’ve spent the past few years entering a bunch of national shows…even got into a few. One of the bigger profile shows I was in was looked at by one of the art magazines, who took an interest in my work and wrote an article on me. This was followed by other appearances in their magazine, as well as other magazines. I also believe in advertising when possible.

From The Beginning

@A lot of your works have won awards…..tell us a little about that….
When I received my first award in 2000, I had confirmation that friends and family weren’t the only ones who liked my art, and that I should keep trying. Since then I’ve received many more, several of them with particularly special meaning. The last one I received was my first “Best of Show” in a national exhibition. It’s always nice to be recognized for ones accomplishments.

@Where can we view more of your works online?
www.jonathanfrankstudio.com

@Could you share a few useful and practical painting tips with us….?
My favorite tip to share is when applying liquid masking fluid to
watercolor paper, instead of using (and possibly ruining) a brush, use a Colour Shaper. A Colour Shaper is a brush-like tool with a silicone tip instead of bristles, therefore the dried masking peels right off.

@And lastly….any marketing tips….online and otherwise?
Get your art noticed anywhere possible, particularly places that apply to art. Have a website. Enter competitions, and don’t be afraid to aim high. Also, don’t let rejection stop you, it will happen, but it won’t kill you. You just keep trying, and always enter your best work. Art festivals can be lucrative too.

That was the artist getting candid about his art....

He was kind enough to show me a reference photo he used for a painting....here it is with the painting followed below...

Time On Earth

Jonathan shares a few notes….

"By the time I reached this vantage point, the sun had set, so all the light you see in the painting was done from memory, or invented, Except for the hills on the horizon which were done from another photo. Also, all the foreground elements were invented."

It’s amazing to see how the artist has transformed an otherwise dull photo into a dramatic painting.

Hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did writing it…..remember to leave comments…they’re highly valued.

Happy Painting!!

The Art of Carol Carter

I came across Carol’s art online when I happened to chance on one of the paintings from her Everglade series and was really captivated by the strong use of colors and the fluidity in it. As I surfed through her other paintings, I found that, the beautiful vibrant hues and the intensity of her art really stood out. The subjects of her paintings are simple things rendered extraordinary by her bold choice of colors and strong use of contrasts compelling the viewer to move away from reality. The huge scale of her paintings also offers a contradiction to the humble choice of subject.

I had the opportunity to do an interview with her and here it is….

An e-interview with Carol Carter

@How did you stumble into arts?

I have painted all my life.  When I entered college-- all I wanted to study was art.  When I decided to go into the professional world -- I decided to be an artist.  That was the late 70's.

@What inspires you to paint and keep motivated?

Beauty, light and color generally inspire me to paint.

@Did your current style of painting develop gradually, or have you always painted like this?

My style of painting has evolved over the years.  I began my current "style" of painting shortly after I graduated from getting my MFA.  My work has been in development along those lines since then.

@Could you tell us some more about your work?

Having grown up in Florida, my strongest visual impression of an environment for human activity is water.  In much of my work, water, either literal or suggested, provides the setting for anonymous figures. The paintings contain duality: clarity and ambiguity; sanctuary and threat; pleasure and pain.  The use of vibrant, saturated colors--beautiful, but confrontational in their intensity--contributes to the tension between these extremes. 

For me, painting should have an intimacy, mysteriousness, sensuality.  At its best, my work also has an edge; something in it that takes a moment, a second look, an effort to comprehend.

@What are the things that were instrumental to your growth as and artist?

Security, stability, peace, and continuity.  If these are evident in my life-- I am generally secure enough to paint!  However, it is rare that all these qualities converge at the same time.... so I have learned to paint on and through most of life's dilemmas.  The rockier the road is of life...the more important painting becomes.

@How do you go about planning a series?

I look for an idea, a place, a time of day, or a human drama that sparks my visual curiosity.  After completing one painting--  it typically calls for another painting to carry through the idea.  Pretty soon-- one painting leads to another .. and so on.  Then... you have a sequential series developing.

@What is the current series you are working on and how did that come into being?

My next show is about the EVERGLADES in Florida. It is a National Park including the River Of Grass ecosystem. I was the Visiting Artist of the Everglades National Park in May of last year—and I will be producing a show built on the investigation of that Park.

@What about the commercial aspect of art? How do you go about promoting yourself?

I use the internet a lot.   I have two Facebook pages, two blogs, and one website to keep my work visible online.  I promote my work with postal mailings quarterly.  I use Mail Chimp for email blasts to 500 email addresses.  I also use Blurb.com to publish books.

I also work with a marketing expert to develop marketing campaigns strategic to each project I'm involved in.

I like using the internet.

@What are your thoughts about the online art market?

I like it a lot.  It has leveled the playing field for artists.  It also has brought the international community of artist closer together... so there is a whole online network of artists available to work with and exchange ideas with.

@And lastly, where can we view more of your works online

www.watercolorcarol.blogspot.com

www.watercolor300.blogspot.com

So that was the talented artist talking about her journey into this colorful world so far…..

Do leave your comments…..its nice to get some feedback!

Happy Painting!!!

The Art of Janis Zroback

I’ve decided to start a new segment on my blog today, where I will be introducing to my readers; the works of an artist greatly admired by me. Needless to say, I am totally excited about doing this, not just because it brings me close to the art of people I’ve looked up to, but it also gives me a chance to do an interview with them and ask all the questions that I’ve always been dying to ask.

So it gives me great pleasure in introducing to you all, the art of one of my most admired artists, Janis Zroback. Her paintings are always overflowing with colors and the enthusiasm and passion she feels for her art is evident in her works. She experiments with different styles and subject matters, each of which she presents as a series. Her series on food  looks so delicious that it makes your mouth water and the poppy journals, which is my personal favorite, is simply ingenious. Janis's artworks have been featured in many magazines and she has appeared in many popular decorating television shows. Janis has also taught art at various colleges and privately in her studio. 

In spite of being a self taught artist, her dedication towards painting is commendable. She paints for the sake of art, because she doesn’t know how to live otherwise, and not for the commercial benefits. This reckless abandon is what appealed so much to me simply because it showed me how to look at the process of creating art. I got the chance to interview this Canadian artist and would like to share it with you....

An e-interview with Janis Zroback

What inspires you to paint and keep motivated?

I need no inspiration or motivation…I paint every day regardless of how I feel…it is as if I have to paint to live..


What are the things that were instrumental to your growth as and artist?


The unconditional support of my family





Artists are known to be moody..How do you make art when you feel blocked?


I am never moody and never experienced being blocked…even if I don’t have a plan, I paint any way and some of those unplanned moments have elicited some of my best work..


How difficult was it for you as a self taught artist to find your footing in the art world?


I simply established a niche for myself…being motivated from inside myself helps, as it would not matter to me if I never sold a thing…it’s the journey that’s important..


Any tips for upcoming self taught artists?


Read, look at art as much as you can, study the masters, visit museums and art galleries, experiment

How do you handle the business aspect of art?


I spend as much time or more on the business of art, than I do on creating art…it’s the only way..


How good is the online art market and how does one start selling online?


The online market is the growing way to sell art, and in the future will probably dominate the art market…artists are more and more taking the marketing of their work into their own hands and many galleries are moving over to an online setting..


Where can we view more of your works online?


I have my own website Janispainteseveryday.com and I am also listed on numerous other sites, but RedBubble is my main online selling point…I also sell creative works shoe, bags, business, cards, etc. on Zazzle under painteveryday

With that we come to the end of this weeks feature. It was great for me to be able to gain insight into the art of Janis Zroback. Her art continues to inspire me. I hope you enjoyed it as well. I would love to get your feedback on it so please leave comments.

That’s it for now…….Happy Painting!!!