On the right is the image of the finished Golden Grasses, oil on canvas, 30"x30". More about this below. But first, I want to clarify my reporting of the Austin Statesman article last month about AUSTIN MUSEUM OF ART- LAGUNA GLORA. JUDITH SIMS at LAGUNA GLORIA and interim AMOA administrator JACK NOKES both sent emails, some of which I want to pass on. According to Judith, the Board of AMOA is still wide open and exploring multiple ideas with enthusiasm and excitement. They are financially responsible and addressing the planning by prioritizing the needs. Examples of the priorities are: closing 823 Congress and selecting a new central location, finding a new director, completing and perhaps improving the master plan for Laguna Gloria. Jack summarized the AMOA plan as follows: "1) to stabilize our budget and operations, 2) to hire the best possible Executive Director, 3) to find an affordable space in which to continue exhibitions and programs in Central Austin, 4) to make the highest and best use of Laguna Gloria while taking good care of it, and 5) to use the $21 million from the sale of the downtown lot as a future fund to ensure that AMOA will be a sustainable organization for years to come." Thanks to you both and to the Board of Directors at AMOA-LG. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The finished painting I call GOLDEN GRASSES is much the same as last month's image. I added a few additonal brush strokes and eliminated some of the brighter yellows in the bottom half. I chose to be very cautions about NOT overworking the piece so the difference is very subtle. The image on my computer screen of Golden Grasses is very true to the actual painting. But what I want to discuss are the "pit falls" of buying and selling a work on line. If at all possible, arrange to actually see the work of art. I have sold and shipped paintings to places as far as Chicago, but with the agreement that it can be returned within a reasonable time. A number of weeks ago I had an inquiry about the painting that was featured in the February blog. (For those of you who are subscribers and are emailed only the current month's blog, please go to
www.carolesikes.blogspot.com to see past monthly posts and the February painting under discussion). Because this prospective buyer lives in Austin, I delivered the painting to him to hang on his wall for a few days and to return it if it was not what he and his wife had hoped. It was not and he returned it. All computer screens display differences in color and in value (lights and darks). On my screen, the photographic image was not a match for my painting. Even with color adjustments, I was not able to replicate the richer and darker blue in my painting. When I made adjustments for the blue, the gold grasses became too bright. For this and other reasons a painting needs to be viewed and studied in the light in which it will hang. For example some houses are dark, others flooded with light. When a work of art is purchased it should provide a sustaining interest. All the better if you don't know for sure what draws you to it. You may be compelled to keep studying it and discovering things about it as well as things about yourself in regard to collecting art. As you collect, your tastes may change. But after a considerable amount of time this is not a reason to expect the artist to exchange it. If you bought well you can sell the piece through a gallery. Preferably the gallery representing the artist. Or you can make it a gift to someone who would enjoy it. Happy collecting, and HAPPY EASTER.
On the right is the image of the finished Golden Grasses, oil on canvas, 30"x30". More about this below. But first, I want to clarify my reporting of the Austin Statesman article last month about AUSTIN MUSEUM OF ART- LAGUNA GLORA. JUDITH SIMS at LAGUNA GLORIA and interim AMOA administrator JACK NOKES both sent emails, some of which I want to pass on. According to Judith, the Board of AMOA is still wide open and exploring multiple ideas with enthusiasm and excitement. They are financially responsible and addressing the planning by prioritizing the needs. Examples of the priorities are: closing 823 Congress and selecting a new central location, finding a new director, completing and perhaps improving the master plan for Laguna Gloria. Jack summarized the AMOA plan as follows: "1) to stabilize our budget and operations, 2) to hire the best possible Executive Director, 3) to find an affordable space in which to continue exhibitions and programs in Central Austin, 4) to make the highest and best use of Laguna Gloria while taking good care of it, and 5) to use the $21 million from the sale of the downtown lot as a future fund to ensure that AMOA will be a sustainable organization for years to come." Thanks to you both and to the Board of Directors at AMOA-LG. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The finished painting I call GOLDEN GRASSES is much the same as last month's image. I added a few additonal brush strokes and eliminated some of the brighter yellows in the bottom half. I chose to be very cautions about NOT overworking the piece so the difference is very subtle. The image on my computer screen of Golden Grasses is very true to the actual painting. But what I want to discuss are the "pit falls" of buying and selling a work on line. If at all possible, arrange to actually see the work of art. I have sold and shipped paintings to places as far as Chicago, but with the agreement that it can be returned within a reasonable time. A number of weeks ago I had an inquiry about the painting that was featured in the February blog. (For those of you who are subscribers and are emailed only the current month's blog, please go to www.carolesikes.blogspot.com to see past monthly posts and the February painting under discussion). Because this prospective buyer lives in Austin, I delivered the painting to him to hang on his wall for a few days and to return it if it was not what he and his wife had hoped. It was not and he returned it. All computer screens display differences in color and in value (lights and darks). On my screen, the photographic image was not a match for my painting. Even with color adjustments, I was not able to replicate the richer and darker blue in my painting. When I made adjustments for the blue, the gold grasses became too bright. For this and other reasons a painting needs to be viewed and studied in the light in which it will hang. For example some houses are dark, others flooded with light. When a work of art is purchased it should provide a sustaining interest. All the better if you don't know for sure what draws you to it. You may be compelled to keep studying it and discovering things about it as well as things about yourself in regard to collecting art. As you collect, your tastes may change. But after a considerable amount of time this is not a reason to expect the artist to exchange it. If you bought well you can sell the piece through a gallery. Preferably the gallery representing the artist. Or you can make it a gift to someone who would enjoy it. Happy collecting, and HAPPY EASTER.
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