Art and Life by Jessica Torrant

Torch Song

2012-02-03T01:07:00.000-05:00

Torch Song - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas

This painting was inspired by listening to an unknown (to me) jazz singer's torch song on the radio and wanting to give her vocal pain a visual voice. I may not be in "torch song status" in my life right now, but I can certainly draw from other times in my life when I was.

What is a torch song? Wikipedia says "A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship."

I was raised to a soundtrack of jazz, so there are a ton of ballads/standards/torch songs that move me but there are modern torch songs such as Adele's Someone Like You that take this genre from the past to the present, and I love that. For me, Liz Phair, Jeff Buckley, and Fionna Apple have been the ones in my generation to continue the light the flame, but I'm sure there are more modern performers I'm just not aware of that carry the torch today.

If I were to name just one singer to define the ultimate torch song singer, it would be hands down Billie Holiday but of course there is Ella and Sarah and and and... Do you have a favorite torch song or singer? What is it or who are they, and if I might pry even further, why?

Good News from Good News

2012-01-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

Pure Intentions - Acrylic on 12" x 24" canvas, 2011

My exhibit at the Good News Cafe is officially over today and my paintings are back home again - minus three! I had not heard anything since opening day and assumed that best case scenario, I met some new great people and artists, exposed my work to a new audience, and challenged myself to create a cohesive collection. A sale - let alone three - was a delightful surprise to say the least! If you are curious to know what pieces sold, they were Alive Again, Afterglow and Jazz.

Now that I've got my babies back home, I'll be listing them on my new website www.jessicatorrant.com. The first to be added is this long abstract, Pure Intentions.

I'd like to once again thank the whole crew at Good News Cafe for providing artists with the space and opportunity to showcase their artwork. It was such a great experience and one that I was proud to share with my family and friends!

My New Gallery - Looking Ahead

2012-01-21T19:05:00.001-05:00

I am thrilled to announce the grand opening of my new Fine Art online gallery complete with a shopping cart, social media links, and brand new artwork created this month! Visit www.jessicatorrant.com to see the bones of the site which will be steadily growing with new work added regularly.

I have been selling my art on Etsy for some time now and I feel it is time for me to make a break on my own. I am so thankful for all of the friends I have made in that community and for the many collectors I had the honor to work with. I do hope that fans of my work will stick with me as I make this transition to my own website.

If you are wondering what site I am now using, it is a very new web hosting service called SupaDupa. I got in when they were recruiting users with a special free membership program, saving my spot "just in case". Upon further inspection of the site, I immediately liked the clean and simple designs, the ability to include a link to one's blog, and all of those share-happy-social-media buttons that will help spread the word under every listing. I like that I get to choose my own design and layout and there are no "ads" for other artists luring my buyers to a new link (like Etsy). I know that it is going to require a lot of effort to promote - but at this point, it doesn't seem like any more work than it took to promote my Etsy shop. Just a different approach. I wish I had realized how much I would love this site when I casually signed up after seeing a forum thread about it, I would have eagerly shared this promotion with all of you. I know they are having another promotion now for 50% off membership deals, if you are interested, here is the link.

Meanwhile, I completed two of the six 18" x 24" canvases I've been working on the last couple of weeks...

Blizzard - Acrylic on 18" x 24" gallery wrapped canvas, 2012

Four Seasons - Acrylic on 18" x 24" gallery wrapped canvas, 2012

Cheers to a new year and new opportunities in 2012!

First paintings of 2012

2012-01-08T03:18:00.000-05:00

Midnight - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas panel, 2012

Painter's Play - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas panel, 2012

Reverb - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas panel, 2012

Softly Spoken - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas panel, 2012

Fresh Impressions - Color Studies 2012

2012-01-04T03:00:00.001-05:00

Fresh Impressions 1 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 2 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 3 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 4 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 5 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 6 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 7 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 8 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 9 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 10 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 11 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 12 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 13 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 14 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 15 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 16 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Edited to add January 8:

Fresh Impressions 17 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 18 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions 19 - Acrylic on 9" x 12" paper, 2012

Fresh Impressions - Art Opening

2011-12-13T01:24:00.000-05:00

Torch Song - left, Reckless Abandon - right

Sunday, December 4th was the opening for my exhibit Fresh Impressions at the Good News Cafe in Woodbury, Connecticut.

Fresh Impressions 2011

In my latest collection of paintings, Fresh Impressions, I'm exploring an abstract direction inspired by Impressionist techniques, brush strokes, and color chemistry. Rather than conveying an impression of a landscape or still life, they are internal landscapes of emotion and states of being. My intention is to create works of art that resonate various energies and lead the eye into deeper dimensions. I hope viewers will respond to each piece uniquely, engaging in a quiet, personal conversation through visual meditation.

Works 1 and 2

1. Bubbling Over - Acrylic on 24" x 24" canvas, 2011

2. Nature's Symphony - Acrylic on 24" x 36" canvas, 2011

Works, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

3. After Noon - Acrylic on 24" x 36" canvas, 2011

4. Torch Song - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2011

5. Reckless Abandon - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2011

6. Levity - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2011

Works 4, 5, 6, 7

7. Lost in Love - Acrylic on 20" x 30" canvas, 2011

Works 8, 9, 10

8. Heart Beats - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2011

9. Morning Meditation - Acrylic on 24" x 36" canvas, 2011

10. Mystic Journey - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2011

Work 11

11. Pure Intentions - Acrylic on 12" x 24" canvas, 2011

Works 12, 13, 14

12. "Softly She Whispered..." - Acrylic on 24" x 36" canvas, 2011

13. Sweet Surrender - Acrylic on 18" x 24" canvas, 2011

14. Afterglow - Acrylic on 18" x 24" canvas, 2011

Works 15, 16, 17, 18

15. Alive Again - Acrylic on 18" x 24" canvas, 2011

16. Untitled - Acrylic on 24" x 36" canvas, 2011

17. Child's Play - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2011

18. Wildfire - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2011

We arrived early to hang two extra paintings in a nook I wasn't aware of in the bar when we had originally come to hang the show. The nook was the perfect excuse to hang one of my paintings I really wanted to show, but was on the fence about.

Autonomous Connections

This painting, Autonomous Connections, is a piece I can credit for leading me on the path towards this current series. The only question was what ELSE to hang in that space...

Jazz (diptych)

I chose Jazz because if Autonomous Connections was one of the original steps in the direction that would eventually lead me to this current series, then Jazz was the step before that.

Funny enough, it was this piece Jazz that brought about a most interesting conversation with one of the visitors of the opening. A very engaging and thoughtful woman whom I shared lengthy conversations with about art, travel, and music. She saw instruments in this piece and felt music before she knew what the title was. I liked that a lot.

The following pictures are of Marlow Shami's exhibit, showing in the other dining room. Her digital collages are mesmerizing and you can learn more about Marlow and her work at www.marlowshami.com

The bar in between both rooms was a great way to tie everyone together as people mingled throughout the restaurant. Having our own rooms, Marlow and I were able to establish our own shows as distinct presentations. Meanwhile, it felt like our shows were playing "telephone" with each other with the bar as the connecting line. It was so great seeing some friends I haven't seen in a while. I only wish I had taken more pictures!

Marlow, Chuck (curator), and I

Exhibit runs through January 31, 2012 at the Good News Cafe, Woodbury, CT.

Fresh Impressions Preview: After Noon

2011-12-03T03:49:00.001-05:00

After Noon - Acrylic on 24" x 36" canvas, 2011

I think this is my favorite of the new series. It is a now-not-so-secret nod to Lee Krasner's painting Noon that has firmly planted itself in my mental slideshow of paintings that have rocked my world for life. I think that Noon was the original subconscious inspiration to create this series, now that I have had the opportunity to take a step back and take it all in. Monet's water lilies were also part of that mental slideshow - the abstract moments of color and mark are spectacular when you see the giant canvases in person (which I was fortunate to do years ago at the MoMA). Of course, at the end of the day, these paintings are mine. Sometime late last year I got into circles. The circles began to deconstruct. The marks became looser. Everything became more freeing. The process is what has driven this new series but that's me talking as the artist. In time, I think I will see these paintings more clearly from the perspective of the observer and I will then understand them more completely.

This painting is one of twenty that will be exhibited at the Good News Cafe through January 31. See previous post for more information.

Fresh Impressions - Paintings by Jessica Torrant at the Good News Cafe

2011-11-29T22:05:00.001-05:00

Alive Again, Acrylic on canvas, 18" x 24"

FRESH IMPRESSIONS by Jessica Torrant

In her latest collection of paintings, Fresh Impressions, Jessica Torrant explores an abstract direction inspired by Impressionist techniques, brush strokes, and color chemistry. Rather than conveying an impression of a landscape or still life, Jessica is exploring a more internal landscape of emotion and states of being. Her intention is to create works of art that resonate various energies and lead the eye into deeper dimensions. Jessica hopes viewers will respond to each piece uniquely, engaging in a quiet, personal conversation through visual meditation.

Please join me at the Good News Cafe for the opening reception of my latest exhibit, Sunday, December 4th from 3-5 pm. There will be refreshments and I will be there, as well as the other exhibiting artist Marlow Shami, to meet and chat with visitors. If you can't make it Sunday, the exhibit will be hanging through January 31, 2012 so be sure to treat yourself to an exquisite meal by one of Connecticut's most esteemed chefs, surrounded by original art!

"Carole Peck's Good News Cafe is a 170-seat full-service restaurant, winning top awards year after year from Zagat's Guide, Connecticut Magazine and The New York Times, to name a few. Zagat called Carole Peck's Good News Cafe one of the, "Top Restaurants in the U.S."

Sneak Peek - Hanging the Show

2011-11-29T17:20:00.001-05:00

Today my husband and I took my new collection of paintings to the Good News Cafe in Woodbury, CT to hang my show, Fresh Impressions. Here is a sneak peak of the work hanging in the main dining room.

Preparing for this exhibit was a thrill - sure, there were moments of doubt or anxiety, but that's par for the course for me. Knowing I had the entire main dining room to myself gave me an opportunity to have a real, cohesive, solo exhibit and I think, now that I've seen them all hanging together, that I accomplished my goal.

Another artist, Marlow Shami, is exhibiting her amazing digital artwork in the other dining room (the bar/lounge divides the space between us). I think our work really compliments one another and I see a lot of common themes visually, even though our work is very different both in medium and design. Still, we share the commonality of abstractly weaving a pattern, the parts making up the whole, and I hope visitors will find an interesting dialogue between the two different bodies of work.

There will be an opening this Sunday and now that I've got the work hanging and I've met Marlo, who is lovely, I feel so relieved and very excited for the opening! Here are some pictures of us setting up and the finished walls. I hope to have lots more pictures to share after the opening as well.

EXHIBIT RUNS THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2011.
See my other post about the show for more details.

New Paintings

2011-08-04T13:04:00.006-05:00

It has been beautiful here and I've had the pleasure of doing a lot of painting the last couple of weeks in the screened in area of my studio. Whenever it gets to be August I get this anxious energy of "oh no! Summer is running out!" as if there's anything you can really do about the passage of time. It's been a great summer, and there will be plenty more fun times to come, I just wish it would streeeetttcchhh...

These are a couple of little texture paintings I'm working on. There are a handful more in the studio ready to go.

Pieces 1 - Acrylic on 6" x 6" box canvas

Pieces 2 - Acrylic on 6" x 6" box canvas

Midsummer Glow - Acrylic on 6" x 6" box canvas

Come to Life - Acrylic on 6" x 6" box canvas

I also have been working on two 22" x 28" canvases, and one is a work in progress that I don't have a picture of yet, and I finally finished this one yesterday.

Interwoven - Acrylic on 22" x 28" canvas

I don't know which way I like this hanging - they both work for me. What do you think?

Interview with Sarah Scholl Bowie - Art Ambassadress

2011-07-21T16:05:00.007-05:00

The lovely Sarah Scholl Bowie is truly a work of art herself. She has filled her home with an abundant (and growing) collection of original art that is absolutely staggering, as you soon will discover as you look through these photographs of her collection (which, I'm sure, is just the tip of the iceberg). It's always fun to do an interview with an artist, but I have never done one with a collector - this will be my first and I'm thrilled that Sarah agreed.

When did you start collecting art and what inspired you to begin your collection?

When I left my parents' house I "liberated" a few of my uncle's paintings - before he became the musical composer Harvey Schmidt, he was a commercial artist. I also had 2 paintings by a friend of Harvey's and then 5 years ago I made friends with the artist Leisa Shannon Corbett and realized I could afford art from someone OUTSIDE the family! An impulse purchase from a gallery in Golden 2 years ago led me to Carol Nelson's work and Daily Painters - the collection mushroomed from there.

What do you think your collection says about you?

It certainly shows my love for color and pattern, but there are also strong subject themes - women are probably the most prevalent theme (I'm a motherless daughter), minimalist landscapes, art-within-art. I love hanging paintings in color or theme groups, and that shows one of the quirks of my brain - a relentless search for patterns in everything.

What is your art buying experience like - do you go into it with something in mind or do you discover new art/artists organically?

It's a combination of both, and the internet makes that so easy. Yes, I have been known to search on Etsy for something like "orange sun" or "green nude."

What are your turn-offs when shopping for art - aka, what would make you not buy when you otherwise would?

I am so spoiled by Pay Pal buttons that now I hesitate to purchase any other way - although I did mail a check for a beagle watercolor earlier this year!

Do you look for art that is ready to hang or are you open to art that will need framing to be hung? When it comes to canvases, do you prefer the sides of the canvas to be painted?

I definitely prefer ready-to-hang art because that frees up more money to buy more paintings! I prefer the canvas sides to be painted although I do have many hanging in my house with the edges still white and I've gotten used to that look.

When it comes to shipping, do you have a certain expectation about the package you will receive or does the packaging not matter to you (as long as it gets there safely, that is)?

I am always impressed by the care that artists take when shipping their work. But when they use so much tape that cutting into the box feels like I'm doing a C-section, I get frustrated. A lot of my purchases are shipped to my office and my manager has complained the cutting and ripping of boxes is too noisy in our open cube environment. (So now I drag the boxes into a meeting room to unpack them, LOL.)

You purchased one of my paintings on Etsy. Is Etsy the only place you buy art online or are there other sites you frequent?

Etsy has become my primary site because of the great range of prices, but I have bought many paintings from Daily Painters. I've also bought from Daily Painter Originals, artist websites and eBay.

Is there something we, as artists, could do/say/show to make our art more appealing to buyers?

I think you and hundreds of other artists I follow are doing a fantastic job. I can hardly resist you on any given day. I can't imagine how you could make yourselves MORE appealing!

Finally, what are your hopes for the future as a collector?

I hope I can slow down my rate of collecting so that it doesn't feel so compulsive. I would also love it if my collecting inspires other people to buy original art - that's part of why I show so many paintings on Facebook. I also hope my collection stays safe for many years - there's a burned-out house in our neighborhood and every time I drive by it, I shudder!

Many thanks to Sarah for a wonderful interview and peak into her art-filled home! Visit Sarah's blog at http://sarahbowie.blogspot.com/.

Product Review - Matisse Acrylic Paints

2011-07-15T00:15:00.014-05:00

Here is the write-up about the Matisse brand of acrylic paint via Jerry's Artarama: "Now you can try brilliant Matisse Flow low-viscosity artists' acrylics with these fantastic sets! Well-balanced color selections and included mediums make for virtually limitless application choices, and are excellent for learning color mixing or for taking on the road! Matisse Flow Acrylics are a superb choice for any number of techniques, from folk art and detail work to glazing and even watercolor-like washes, and their high lightfast rating and pigment content mean your art is sure to stand the test of time. Try Australia's premier fluid acrylics with these terrific sets from Down Under!"

Paramount canvases 6" x 12"

There is nothing, NOTHING, like getting a fresh batch of supplies. I am a one stop shopper when it comes to supplies - either going in person to the West Hartford, CT branch of Jerry's Artarama to check things out in person, or just buying from them online. You cannot beat the prices and their customer service is second to none. I used to frequent some big name art supply stores in Boston and New York when I was in college - they were cool in their own way, but Jerry's gives you all of the knowledgeable staff, all of the quality materials as the others, PLUS a positive personal experience that sticks with you (and crazy good prices) - it creates a sense of well earned loyalty - and in this business, that is something that I greatly admire and appreciate.

Matisse Primary Set of Acrylic Paint

The Mattise set comes with a good selection of colors - your basics "plus", if you will. Titanium White, Phthalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Brilliant Alizarin (Alizarin Crimson with bells on), Mattise Red Light (Cad Red as far as I'm concerned), Yellow Deep (this is the yellow I've been waiting for all my life, btw), Yellow Light Hansa (I've never been one for the Hansa Yellow, but that's just me - I think in time I'll grow into its mellow yellowness), and a solid Mars Black. Mixers know you don't need any secondary colors in there - multitudes of mixable purples, oranges and greens are there for the taking if you know your color wheel. ;) (Do you? Should I do a blog post about mixing colors? Let me know - no judgment!).

I began my painting session with a light wash of color (with no water or mixers by the way) to lay down an underpainting. The first thing I noticed was the thinness of the paint in the best way possible. It's smooth as silk without being too translucent. It isn't as thick as some paints I'm used to but it packs a punch nonetheless. I admire that in paint - I've dealt with cheaper acrylics that require you to layer and layer to gain the opacity you are looking for all the while being quite a thick paint to work with so it's not an easy process. This paint makes it easy...

Here's the first painting I made using the Matisse brand about half or 75% finished. I will say this... I like it... I like it a lot. My one warning would be to be careful squeezing it out - it comes out fast and a little goes a long way. You'd be surprised.

Amorous - Acrylic on 6" x 12" canvas, 2011 - SOLD

Here's the finished piece I called Amorous because, well, it reminds me of love (insert "aww" here).

Tranquility - Acrylic on 6" x 12" canvas, 2011

And here is another piece I made with these paints. All in all, I will definitely be using these paints in the future. I am also eager to try them on paper. Have you tried any new products lately? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

A Web Design Public Service Announcement

2011-05-30T20:49:00.005-05:00

Now that you are back to the norm of black text on a white background, how are you feeling? Are you seeing ghost images of the previous text box against this white space? Is it hard to adjust? Do you feel a little dizzy? If not, you're lucky! For many of us, (often also prone to vertigo and motion sickness), the effects of reading white text on black is so troublesome, we'll simply click away no matter how interesting the content is. If I absolutely MUST read something, I might copy and paste the text into Word so I can read it, but that is only if I know I want to read it beforehand.

So - if you are one of my fellow artist peeps and you've got white on black websites, PLEASE reconsider! If it doesn't bother you, you might think I'm crazy, but I'm not alone - just search "white text black background" on Google - you'll see! The choice is yours design wise, but I'm pretty sure that you want as many visitors as possible with nothing standing in your readers' way, right? Right.

Minimalist texture landscapes

2011-05-30T20:01:00.003-05:00

Horizon 9

Blue Sky, Golden Meadow

Both of these textured abstract landscapes were almost finished for months and months. For some reason, I felt the urge yesterday to give them that final push to "finished". I've got another painting that was waiting to be finished that came to completion today but the pictures came out sub par. Hopefully tomorrow I should have some good shots of it. Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Painting as Meditation

2011-05-29T23:10:00.012-05:00

The View That Day

Letters to Heaven

The Change

Essence of Being

New works on paper.

Bubbling Over

2011-05-10T16:45:00.002-05:00

Bubbling Over - Acrylic on 24" x 24" box canvas

I am actually quite literally bubbling over with joy anticipating getting together with two wonderful girlfriends tomorrow for a birthday get together and gab fest! Painting will be put on hold for the festivities which will no doubt include going out to eat, consuming copious amounts of wine, and sharing all of our stories from San Diego, Boston and small town Ellington (clearly, they'll have a lot more to share than me in cow-town USA - "So my friend at the post office made the most beautiful silk flower arrangements for his friend's wedding! He showed me on his phone!" "Oh and the most adorable cardinal has been watching over a nest in that bush, isn't that great!?" true story). Anyway, even though it seems like I've already partaken in said wine, I'm actually just drunk on pure excitement. It's been much too long since I've seen these gals and I'm going to will the clocks to slow down so I can savor every moment!

Documenting "Layers of Life"

2011-05-09T19:13:00.009-05:00

Layers of Life - Acrylic on 16" x 20" gallery wrapped canvas

Here are some shots of this painting as it evolved...

I began working on this painting this weekend and found that I was getting too tight and too literal with my "circle" theme.

Today I went in with bright colors to open up the space and get a lot more action happening.

I was really feeling the turquoise/orange/yellow combo...

And then I started to get into the feeling of lots and lots of layers in various levels of translucency...

The finished product has this wild, frenzied action all over the surface with a gradual lightening as it works towards the top. I am feeling inspired by Lee Krasner's Noon - a piece that has moved me for years - as well as the abstract qualities of the great impressionists. I still have farther to push this series but I'm really liking where I'm headed right now.

On second thought...

2011-05-07T23:23:00.002-05:00

When facebook first came out with their download option for pictures, fueled by fellow artist friends posting their outrage by what this would mean for visual artists (aka free art downloads), I joined in the "fight" by deleting all of my images from my fan page. This protest was big time stuff, I'm surprised CNN never covered it. I mean, along with the hundreds of images I had online already that could be easily right clicked and saved online, now there was a handy dandy "download" button which made it that much easier or at least more obvious to those who didn't know the right click trick. This meant that the numbers of people (surely in the billions) maniacally saving and reprinting my right clicked photos for their own fortune would be doubled and that was obviously a huge problem. (If you can't tell that I'm speaking sarcastically already, then get with the program my friend).

Ok. Scratch that. Back to reality.

A. Are people printing out my art on their home printers really a threat to my business? No.

B. What can anyone really do with photographs of artwork that are intended to be a visual example of the much-better-in-person-real-thing art I am trying to sell? Not much. Any sound business wants super high res pictures and that's not what you're going to get on my facebook fan page or anywhere else.

C. When people download my art and print it out or save it as a screensaver are they disrespecting me as an artist? No! They are showing their appreciation for what I do and want to see my creations in their day to day. Is that an insult? Heck no! It's a great compliment!

I guess it all comes down to the big picture really. I got weird for a second about being super protective about my images and who uses them and whatnot. I found someone on twitter that had one of my paintings as their avatar and I was thinking "who are you!?" knowing it wasn't a buyer or anyone I was familiar with. But really, what does it matter? It's kind of like, in the big picture of things, shouldn't it be a compliment? That's what I've come to. If I see someone blatantly profiting from my art, that would be one thing, but for someone to see and appreciate my work all on its own and to use it as an avatar or a screensaver or to even print it out on cheap printer paper and frame it - who cares? It's spreading the word!

SO... I want to know other artists perspectives. How do you feel about people having access to your art online? How do you feel about the whole right click, download, easy peasy world of sharing images? Is it a compliment to you when someone could print and frame your image for free (save for the framing, I worked in that industry for many years and it's definitely not free!). The ultimate question is this - are you okay with people taking advantage of the free aspects of sharing your art online? Share your thoughts in the comments. Oh, and while you're at it, "like" my art page on facebook where I will be sharing my art again available for downloading and all that jazz here - https://www.facebook.com/JessicaTorrant.

As Deep as the Ocean...

2011-05-06T14:17:00.003-05:00

As Deep as the Ocean, as High as the Sky

paint splattered flip flops ;)

This new painting is not for sale as it is a wedding gift for my friends Nicole and Matt that got married late last year. I was lucky enough to be there for the wedding and in fact in the wedding as a bride's maid - a position that made me extremely uncomfortable given that I'm entirely too emotional at weddings, let alone the wedding of a friend I've known for 20+ years (yikes!). We all had such a blast celebrating the big day and when it came for the wedding itself, well, I was a mess. It was as if my emotions being so restrained acted out in random ways - I swear I was about to lose it either sobbing or giggling like a maniac. Poor Nicole, what was she thinking? But, I kept it together enough to not hog the spot light making every guest question, "WHAT is UP with that girl?" and the after party was one to go down in history.

This painting not only represents their deep love for one another, but it also is inspired by the ocean - something that plays a major role in their Floridian lives. Matt is a boat man and a master fisherman and Nicole is now his first mate. :)

Alive Again

2011-04-29T14:57:00.002-05:00

Alive Again - Acrylic on 18" x 24" gallery wrapped canvas

As I look around at the bursts of green popping out everywhere, there's no question that spring is fully marching ahead and I can't help but feel like I feel alive again. Connecting to the earth, the flora and fauna - the energy feels like everything surrounding me is exuding a feeling of joy and a celebration of life. Happy spring everyone and have a great weekend!

Spring in the Studio

2011-04-26T20:51:00.012-05:00

Today was absolutely GORGEOUS here in northern Connecticut. After weeks of rain and waiting for that perfect sunny, warm day to mark the start of painting in my outdoor studio, it finally arrived and I took full advantage! Rather than tackle the interior of my studio (which is a dreadful mess - sorry, no pictures! ha ha) I focused on the screened in porch and cleaned it top to bottom. With my music playing from the laptop, the sweet breeze blowing through, and busily gathering my supplies, all felt right with the world again...

And of course, having it all cleaned wasn't enough - I had to actually paint! To start off the season right, I began with my favorite color, my besty, Phthalo Blue.

The following are some work in progress shots of the painting I worked on today. I worked over a drip painting that I was only kind of happy with on it's own. If I'm not feeling it 100% - it's getting a makeover! Starting with some blue circles to get the ball rolling...

I just had FUN today - which is, at least for me, what it's all about. No expectations, just pure play. I'm not sure where this painting will go from here, but I feel great about where it's at right now. A little more tweaking and layers, a few more pops of color, and it will be there. Woo hoo! We're back in business baby!

It's getting closer...

2011-03-13T16:41:00.015-05:00

Positivity - Acrylic on 30" x 30" canvas, 2011 SOLD

Wild Garden - Acrylic on 20" x 20" canvas, 2011
CLICK HERE FOR PURCHASING INFORMATION

Unbelievably, the snow that came up to my mid thigh (and I'm a tall gal) has melted almost all the way. I didn't think I'd see the ground till May with the winter we've had, but alas spring is coming on strong and I couldn't be happier about it! I've even seen some shoots of hyacinth and iris peeking out, and the chrysanthemum has buds. In no time it will be warm enough to get out in the studio for spring cleaning and preparation. Spring has always been my most productive time of year to paint, so you could say I'm just a little excited about it. ;)

Above are two paintings I made along with the ones in the last post. Positivity was sold to a collector in Australia within a week of listing it on Etsy (which was shockingly awesome, to say the least), and Wild Garden, well, I just love that painting and kind of wish I could keep it for myself. These were the last batch of paintings I made in the basement. Now that the sun is shining brighter and the signs of spring are appearing, I'm feeling done with that dark and now totally uninspiring space, and can wait the couple of weeks to be able to work in the studio again.

In the meantime, I've been working in my sunlit kitchen making multiple original prints. I have experimented with screen printing with cut paper masters before, but this was my first hand carved print. Each piece was printed with acrylic paint and once dried, I applied large, wet strokes of watercolor paint. Some dried and ended up being just right as they were, others called out for a little more work.

Cupid Missed 5 - Mixed media original print on 6" x 9" paper, 2011

This is one that I liked as is. The others below got a little extra attention.

Cupid Missed 3 - Mixed media original print on 6" x 9" paper, 2011

Cupid Missed 2 - Mixed media original print on 6" x 9" paper, 2011

Cupid Missed 1 - Mixed media print on 6" x 9" paper, 2011

What are you creating these days? Feel free to share your latest artistic endeavors in the comments section.

It is officially ON!

2011-01-25T20:17:00.008-05:00

Under the Snow I - Acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas, 2011

Under the Snow II - Acrylic on 12" x 24" canvas, 2011

After the longest break from painting I've had since I was 19, I am back to painting and I couldn't feel better about it! I never questioned returning to painting, I knew I would eventually. I didn't force it, I let myself have the time I needed to take a step back and remember why I do this, what I love about it, and to reclaim the JOY of painting. I won't get into the things that dampened my inspiration - I don't feel like giving them any power since I've learned what I needed to and am ready to move on. But I will say this - it is never over. If you are ever an artist, you are never NOT an artist, even if you don't pick up a brush or a sculpting tool or whatever it is you use/do for some time. To any artists out there that have experienced or are experiencing a lack or inspiration or an artist's block, my advice is to just wait it out. It will come again and when it does you'll be refreshed and so inspired.

In my time away, I've spent a good amount of time developing my stamp shop, Green Garden Stamps. I've also spent a lot of time creating, promoting, and managing the Fine Art Friday movement and the Finding Fine Art team on Etsy and blog. I think this has helped me so much - taking a step away from my own work and focusing on a larger community of artists to support got me excited about art in general again. There is still plenty of work to do regarding those projects, but the foundation is laid and now is the perfect time to get back into my own work.

These two pieces are the first to be completed out of a batch of several canvases in progress. I'm working on a larger square canvas right now that is next in line and I'm just loving the bursts of color and the playfulness of these new works.

Under the Snow alludes to the hopefulness I have to have in a record breaking, hard core winter here in New England. Otherwise I just might get buried by cabin fever under all of this snow and ice. It has been INSANE and the snow just keeps on coming! I'm quite thankful for the timing of my return to painting because I'll be leaning on it to get me through the rest of this monstrous winter.

Giving the Gift of Art

2010-11-26T16:26:00.006-05:00

Let's face it - buying art as a gift isn't for everyone. Some people don't care much for art, or they have very specific tastes, or you just don't know them well them enough to make such a personal selection. There are some occasions and relationships however, where it is perfectly appropriate and ends up being a powerful statement with a lasting impression.

In my life, I've given my paintings as wedding gifts to friends that I know like my work, and I painted something specific with them in mind. (In fact, I've got one to paint for my friend in Florida that just got married.) My family has received my art as gifts through the years. I know who likes landscapes, who likes my abstracts and who likes my crafts more, and I always choose wisely.

Not all of my friends are huge art enthusiasts, and some are, but have very minimally decorated homes. I wouldn't give my work to anyone as a gift if I knew it would make them uncomfortable or feel like they have to hang it if they don't care for it. And for some of my friends that DO love my work, I know I've overloaded them so much through the years, I've got to give them a break! But on those special times where the occasion and the person aligns, art has been and will be a cherished gift to give and receive.

Last year my best friend and I got to see each other on New Year's Eve after being apart for a while as she lives in San Diego and I'm all the way over on the east coast. We had our gifts to exchange and wouldn't you know it, we both bought each other art on Etsy. :)

To Emily from Jessica - Birds by Wallcandy

To Jessica from Emily - Eloise and Ramona play telephone by flapperdoodle

I got Emily the bird painting on a little wood block because she had just moved into a new studio apartment by the beach and I knew space would be an issue. She loved it because she could place it on her window ledge in the kitchen, a reminder of the swirling sea gulls of beautiful San Diego. She got me the adorable print set that I have in MY kitchen and I love it because every day I see it I am reminded of my besty living across the country, but always a phone call or an email (or text, or facebook, or...) away!

So it is true - art is personal. But some relationships are personal enough to know what someone likes or would like. And if you don't know what they like, start paying attention to what they notice online or in a gallery or shop. If you're a fan or know a fan of my work, stay tuned as my next post will be gift ideas from my various collections and product lines.

Flying to Florida with Patti Smith

2010-11-19T13:37:00.007-05:00

Last Thursday I flew to Florida for a dear friend's wedding. I'm always so busy in my regular life that I often don't find time to read. Travel affords me the time to crank through one or several books and I cherish that aspect of traveling and vacations. On this trip, I read Patti Smith's Just Kids. It was the perfect book for me to read at the perfect time.

I didn't go into reading this as a huge Patti Smith or Robert Mapplethorpe fan. In fact, I didn't know much about either of them except for the basics. But diving into their world - their youth, young love, passion, sexual exploration, friendship, devotion, SEEKING, fearlessness, vulnerablity - all of it provided a deep insight into a fascinating life told from such an honest and self aware place. I almost finished the book by the time I landed and had a lot of personal reactions to what I read that I shelved for party-wedding-time.

Now that I'm home, I'm inspired to aspire to be as devoted to being an artist as they were. They were making art and living in apartments with junkies across the hall and no food but they were always committed to art. As vital to them as their blood. It's time for me to take money officially out of the picture when I'm making art. Take it entirely out of my mind and thought process. I've allowed it to permeate into my relationship with art and it's only served to limit me. Remembering what it means to be an artist, the responsibility I have to the gift of art, the responsibility I have to myself to not stop at small dreams.

I think I need to read nothing but artist biographies for a while. Soak in the reality that there is no "right way" to be an artist. Everyone has their own story, their own journey. The questions of "how do I relate, how do I agree, disagree, desire, reject their various choices, their process, their lives?" will help me figure out where I stand in it all. Where I want to go.

When I was in Florida I saw so many galleries and great contemporary art, I had this dream of opening a gallery down there and getting a condo so I could come and go and co-manage the gallery. I got so into this fantasy it was all I could think about when I was walking on the beach by myself. Returning home, I kept dreaming other dreams - a gallery/house on the Cape or Maine. A house on a lake here in Connecticut or in the woods in the Berkshires. For fun, I look up real estate in different states and vacation rentals in other countries. It's like a fun hobby for me but meanwhile, I don't really know what I REALLY want in the future. Am I supposed to know?

Blending all of this together, I think the focus is pretty simple. Just be an artist and let life take you where you're meant to go.

Lucid Dreaming

2010-10-29T12:03:00.004-05:00

I'm at my grandparent's farmhouse and the whole family is there, including a bunch of other people and children that I don't know. My husband and cousin are outside playing football with some kids, my aunts are inside busily cleaning and preparing a large meal. I find myself bonding and playing with a child that looks like my best friend's son, only she's a girl. I love this little girl. I want to go outside but my aunt stops me and wants me to sweep the porch. I act like a baby about it, "but I wanted to go outside!" and she lets me. (I can be pretty stubborn and hot headed in my dreams). Once outside, a little mean boy pours water over my mother's head. She stands up and it has somehow affected her leg brace. I'm so angry at this kid I want to smash him to the ground. I help my mother up and lead her into the house.

Then I'm standing in the porch looking out. A great rumbling in the distance gets closer and closer like a hurricane of destruction. The otherwise natural surroundings turn more urban and it's like a giant plane or train crash with debris rumbling closer and closer to the windowpane I'm standing in awe in front of. As it comes rushing towards me, I realize I'm just dreaming and challenge myself to keep my eyes open - nothing's going to happen to me. In this moment I am aware, I am lucid, as soon as it hits I once again forget I'm in a dream. "It" - this rumbling pile of gray - hits the house like a tidal wave and then the house feels like it's floating and bobbing on water.

I am lifted up and out of the scene and fly over city streets, parks, people walking and cars. Little shifting clips of scenes from above. The last scene I see is a disturbing funeral group hovering over a casket out in the clear sunny day. It's not really sad, it just sort of... is what it is.

My flying adventure ends at a stairway into a building which I enter. Inside is an art and craft show. I'm dizzy from my "flight" and have to gain my footing before back tracking to the first artisan, I want to visit every booth. She is a kind woman selling silver jewelry with sparkling gems - my favorite kind of jewelry. I pick out a pin and buy it for $8. She says "remember to keep this away from children" and I say I plan on giving it to one of my aunt's that don't have children for Christmas (Jo or Jan if you're reading this, I'm already thinking of presents for you!). She packages it up with a smile and I continue on.

I find myself in a room with antique dealers and I'm carrying a chair on my behind. Yes, as strange as that is, a folding chair is awkwardly being carried along with my purse stuffed with paper work and other random clutter and my new purchase in a bag. It's too much to carry. I ask the vendors if they mind me putting down the chair and one says it's fine, another gives me quite the attitude - "Why do you have a chair with you?" and I snap back, "Because if there's MUSIC or some kind of PERFORMANCE I want to SIT DOWN, OKAY!??" and I've crossed a line, made a spectacle of myself and feel ashamed.

I pick up my chair and exit that room into another that's very cluttered with antiques and some seriously amazing paintings. The artists don't seem to care that their work is strewn everywhere and I find it hard to step around things but I want to take it all in. I put down my things and realize after my little scene in the other room, I somehow managed to pick up one of the antique dealers displays - like a washboard with little nick-nacks on it. Sneakily, I just stick it behind some old chest hoping they find it, too embarrassed to return it myself. The artist looks at me like "oh sure, you'll spend your money on that crap but not on art?" and I tell him I'm an artist too and that I collect plenty of art.

Then my dog woke me up.

I laid in bed for a bit, remembering the artwork I had seen, the images swirling around in my mind and then began to see images that I want to paint. Abstract figurative paintings, big and bold, paintings that say something. That's what's sticking with me and I feel like I have something new to say in painting. After this time away from making art, something has struck me. Inspiration has struck me and now I must take it to heart and do some sketching and planning for new work.

I don't know what the totality of the dream is saying but I thought I'd share it since it was so crystal clear to me when I woke up. (I also find it hilarious what a brat I can be in my dreamstate!). I'm entering the season when my dreams are WILD adventures, sometimes scary, sometimes thrilling. I think on the whole I'm getting better at realizing not to be afraid when danger threatens me. That lucidity clicks in at the key moments and I'm whisked away from danger at the last minute. Like a car headed towards a tree that somehow magically lifts up and off the ground just before the strike. Most importantly though, is seeing art in my dreams. I love when I have art dreams and I wish I could just wake up and paint everything I've seen but already the images are lost to me. What is not lost however, are the images that I "dreamed" when I woke up. These paintings will become a reality. I don't know when, but they will. Stay tuned...

If you like to interpret dreams - have at it! Have you ever had a lucid dreaming experience? Do you ever dream about art?

The Art of Gregory Gallo

2010-10-21T23:02:00.008-05:00

Worlds Known and Unknown, Trinity of the Angels, The Back of My Chair Has Eyes

The Last Goodbye, Birth of Crow, King and Queen Tree

Visit http://www.arteology.com/ for more information about this dynamic, outstanding artist.

The website dilemma

2010-10-09T14:42:00.004-05:00

www.jessicatorrant.com

For anyone that does it all themselves, you know what I'm talking about. What site do you use to host your website? How do you create it? Which is best? In the last six years I've probably changed my website 100 times or more! In recent years I've had it on WordPress, then Weebly, then this blog, then the site I got when I signed onto FineArtAmerica. I liked the idea that people could purchase prints through their shopping cart but after a brief stint of having that as my website, I changed back to Weebly for a number of reasons. The first being, someone contacted me confused over the prices for prints - were originals going for as low as $19 - how was that possible? I wrote back with a link to my Etsy shop for originals but who knows, I could have lost a potential customer over that confusion. The next email I got through the site was a Nigerian scam. Lovely. Another reason for the switch is a website should be the epicenter of everything you do. I missed the freedom of designing my own pages with links going everywhere. Hence, the new change. Having made a Weebly site before, it was relatively easy to bang it all out in the last 24 hours.

Making the FineArtAmerica site still wasn't a waste of my time because now it's the go-to place for my prints. (You can see on the website, I've got a page for Reproductions). That's the thing that I've learned through the years. There really are no mistakes. Even if you scratch a new site or creative direction altogether, lessons are learned along the way, and sometimes efforts you make intended to work in one direction end up working out in ways you didn't expect.

Take my investment in Illustrator for example. When I bought it, illustrations were all the rage on Etsy (as they still are) and I thought, "I can take my little, cute line drawings I've been making for years, digitally alter them in Illustrator, and start selling prints! It's going to be a wild success!" And, well, it wasn't. I started a shop on Etsy for decorative art called Pure Decor thinking "I'm going to sell less expensive decorative original paintings and they're going to sell like hot cakes!" and, well, they didn't. So are those examples of a waste of my time? You could say that, if you just look at the original efforts and results. Here's the thing though - Now I'm using Illustrator to make digital stamps that are starting to already take off and gained me an interview with a popular digital scrapbooking magazine that will be out Spring 2011. I scanned the Pure Decor paintings I made that never sold, turned them into vector art, and made a Zazzle shop with those images that continues to make me money out of the blue selling prints and mostly mousepads. Illustrator and Pure Decor not a waste - CHECK

Last night I went through some of my first blog entries here (I want to go through the blog and delete posts that lead to dead ends, etc) and it's interesting how the theme throughout my entries is being able to roll with change, that this whole interconnected world of technology is constantly shifting and you've got to continually educate yourself about it or get left behind.

READER COMMENTS WELCOME!

*Do you have a website? Did you design it, or did someone design it for you? Feel free to share your links!

*Do you regularly update your website?

*How do you feel about the rapidly evolving online world? Are you overwhelmed with "the next new thing" or do you look forward to them?

Thanks for reading!
- Jessica Torrant

Return to Art & Life by Jessica Torrant

Tips for Selling Art on Etsy

2010-10-08T13:02:00.004-05:00

Beloved - Acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas, 2010

Since starting on Etsy in 2006 with my first art shop, livefunky, I've been asked by many artists how to best sell their art on Etsy. After writing a lengthy reply to the most recent request, I decided to edit it my response for a general audience and share my suggestions and advice here. Some of this will be already well known by seasoned Etsians, but for new sellers and artists, this is the ground work information that will help you get your work to be seen and ideally selling!

1. Shop Info & Appearance
https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/username

Your shop title should include keywords that people would use to find your shop. For example, mine is "Original Abstract Paintings Fine Art by Jessica Torrant". Including your name is a good idea for artists along with keywords about the style, medium or any other defining features of your work. Next is your description. You can keep it simple, but again think about the words that will act as keywords. Something like "Welcome to my gallery of original abstract paintings by John Doe. I work in oil on canvas and ship worldwide." What I have is "Original Modern Art abstract paintings by Jessica Torrant. Acrylic and mixed media on canvas." So my shop will come up like this in Google searches.

Original Abstract Paintings Fine Art by Jessica Torrant by JessicaTorrant
Original Modern Art abstract paintings by Jessica Torrant. Acrylic and mixed media on canvas.

I want my name, modern art, fine art, abstract paintings, original paintings, acrylic, mixed media and canvas as my keywords, so I've worked them into a couple of relatively cohesive and brief sentences. What would your ideal buyer type into Google to find what you make? Those are the keywords you want to have in your shop title and description.

Your banner should be crisp and clear and lure buyers in, not overwhelm them. If you're not comfortable with graphic design, there are many graphic designers that sell them on Etsy pre-made and also make custom banners for a relatively inexpensive rate.

2. Profile
http://www.etsy.com/public_profile.php

The first thing to add is an avatar. There are varying opinions on this to either add one of your products or a picture of yourself. I happen to like pictures of the artist when it's a visual artist. If you frequent the forums and post in them, a picture of one of your paintings would be better because it could make someone curious to click on it, leading them to your shop. If you don't frequent the forums, I'd go with a picture of yourself. In the end, it's really up to personal preference.

Next up is to write your profile. You can either write a loose paragraph about who you are, what you do and why you do it/how you came to start making art, what you love about making art, etc. or you can write out a full artist statement and bio. The approach is up to you, but having something in your profile allows buyers to get to know the human being behind the shop which increases buying confidence.

3. Policies
https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/username/policies

Filling out your policy section is another thing that can help gain buyer confidence. I won't comment on what to write - that's up to you. Your return policy, shipping methods and other information is all personal to your preference, just be sure to fill out this area.

4. Titles
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/seo/

The link above is to articles about SEO (search engine optimization). There is a lot of helpful information about how to utilize all the keywords buyers would use to find your work throughout your shop description, listing titles and descriptions.

Starting with your titles, flush them out with relevant keywords relating to what you're selling such as "original abstract painting", "original figure study", "original landscape oil painting". You can also include large, big or huge if it's a large painting. Also, if you're including the artwork dimensions, I would take away the word "inches" because it takes up valuable space. Instead, I would just write 18x24 or whatever it is because it's assumed it's in inches. In the description you can include inches or " and you might also want to consider adding the metric dimensions for international buyers.

Here are some examples of titles I could use for Beloved.

-Original abstract texture painting on 12x12 canvas - BELOVED
-Beloved by Jessica Torrant - original abstract painting 12x12
-Square abstract painting acrylic on canvas - Beloved

Whatever the major features of what you're selling may be - be it the style, medium, surface or technique - include that in the title.

5. Descriptions

Fleshing out your listing descriptions is key. Before I got into the groove of writing my own, I looked at a lot of other artist's listings to see examples of how people are doing it. Everybody's different, so you can pick and choose elements that you like (but don't copy - obviously). I tend to have a general description that I copy and paste to save me time and just edit what needs to be edited (like size, title, etc). Also, the first couple of lines of your description are included in Google searches, so having keywords in the first few lines is important. You can see when you are writing the description how much will show up in Google searches. Etsy has this feature right under where you enter the description.

How you express yourself and phrase your description is up to you, but a full description of what you are selling is important. What is it, does it have a name, how was it made, what materials, what are the dimensions, who made it and when, is it framed/unframed/ready to hang or something else, prominent colors, inspiration, how will it be shipped, when will it be shipped? The list goes on and on as to what you can share, just be sure to at least include the basics. I like to include a "return to shop" link at the end of the listing just in case someone stumbles on it and isn't familiar with Etsy and don't know how to return to a shop or that there even is a whole shop behind that one listing.

6. Pictures

Pictures are your number one selling tool. The clearer, crisper and more true-to-life they are, the better. It's best to try and fill as many photos as Etsy allows. Close ups, side shots, images of it hanging in a room or on your easel. You can buy a stock photo of an interior online (usually under $4) and use that image to paste your paintings into it making it look like your painting is hanging in a room. One thing I've heard as a complaint to this is when people make an 8" x 10" (for example) look huge in the staged photo, so try and keep it to approximate scale. Do a search on Etsy to see how other artists are displaying their work, including centering it on backgrounds from solid black to fading backgrounds. There are a lot of ways to present yourself, the important thing is to start with good, clear pictures. Remember the the first picture will be the one that customers will see in your shop and in searches. Make that the best one and absolutely identifiable of what it is.

Some don't's:

-Don't show evidence of flash.
-Don't photograph with a distracting background (aka leaning against your car in the driveway or propped on a kitchen chair with your kid drawing on the wall in the background, though that would be fun to see.)
-Don't choose blurry pictures.

Some possible do's:

-Pose with your painting.
-Show it hanging in a gallery, if it ever has or is.
-In the studio as a finished piece or work in progress.

7. Shipping

Consider offering international shipping. You can even have a high estimate for shipping to "everywhere else" and write in your listing descriptions something like I have "I ship worldwide with insurance. If I have over estimated the shipping fees, I will refund you the difference once it's been shipped." This just opens you up to all of the international buyers that are looking at the site. Also, write about how your items will be shipped, where to and when in the description.

8. Tags

Choosing the right tags is essential. Since this is written primarily for visual artists, you're going to obviously start with art. Odds are the list of suggested tags below art will reveal something that relates to what you're selling be it painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. Click on any of the tags that relate to what you're selling. If you're not selling an original painting, don't add it as a tag (even if it's a print OF an original painting, buyers are turned off when they see reproductions in a search for original art). Other possible tags to include are the subject matter (floral, landscape, abstract), the medium (oil, acrylic, watercolor), the size (small, large, huge), the colors (peach, turquoise, brown), the style (modern, impressionist, realism), and your name. If you join any teams, they may have tags you can add as well.

9. Getting lost in the sea.

Tags and keywords are important to exposure and people finding you, but another important thing is to remain relevant. This means either listing new work (and I do advise the more the merrier!) or re-listing existing items. This brings you to the top of the heap so to speak. Some people look at re-listing as an advertising tool. For 20 cents they can push their item forward to the cherished first few pages of a search. If it's been a month since you last listed or re-listed something, that means you are buried on the 20th or 40th page - it could be 100's of pages deep depending on the search.

10. Having a lot to offer.

Be it prints and originals, or a range of sizes of original art, the more you have in your shop, the more chances you have to be seen and, in turn, for people to buy. I've had artists with five paintings in their shop ask me what they can do to improve their shop and the first thing I think is add more work. People like options and having a range of prices helps as well. Maybe they fell in love with your large, $2,500 painting but can't afford it so they buy a small piece instead. You don't need dozens of pages of listings, but it just make sense that the more you offer, the more potential you have to sell something.

11. Promotion

This one is really up to you and how much effort/time you want to devote to outside promotion. Having a website or a blog, using social media like twitter and facebook, joining artist sites and sharing your portfolio with links to your shop, are all options for you along with others. You can also advertise, but I like to take advantage of as many of the free options as I can and invest in more art supplies. :) It is only as time consuming as you want it to be, but the more you get your name/shop/link/art out there, the more people will start to pick up on it and share it with other people.

12. Proofreading

My husband is a writer and we help to proofread for each other. If you have someone to check out your listings, shop profile - anything you've written - and check for grammatical errors or spelling errors, that can make a world of difference. It amazes me how much I miss when I write. I can have some glaring errors and I just read right over them!

13. Networking

Get to know more about Etsy by familiarizing yourself with others that are selling there. You can join teams, read the blog, and follow other artist's blogs.

14. Understand it may not happen overnight

Selling art can be a challenge and don't expect success to happen overnight (though who knows, it's always possible!). It takes work and patience, the latter being something that has continually challenged me. Especially when you are new to Etsy, it may take a while to get those first few sales and much desired positive feedback. Of course, if you find that Etsy just doesn't jive with you or you find a more desirable venue to sell your work you should move along, but don't give up if it's just been a month and you haven't had a sale yet. It does take time, but the more you weave yourself into the network, the web of Etsy, the more things will pick up steam.

Additional Etsy Do's and Don't's

-DO respond politely and quickly to any emails you get from customers or potential customers.

-DON'T spam - aka drop your shop link in a blog comment or an unrelated forum thread. Also, don't contact people that have added you or one of your items as a favorite. This is also considered spam. If you add a customer's email to a mailing list without their permission, that's a big no-no.

-DO let your personality shine.

-DON'T act unprofessional, rude, insulting, defensive, desperate, begging, or arrogant - pretty much the obvious - don't be a jerk.

-DO present your work in a way that makes YOU want to buy it. Sell it, baby! Work that art!

This is just the tip of the iceberg and if I think of anything else, I'll add to the post.

Please comment with any of your suggestions, your experience on Etsy, or other Do's and Don't's. Thanks for reading!

- Jessica
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessicatorrant

Getting back on track

2010-10-05T15:09:00.002-05:00

Brilliant Maple - Available on stretched canvas, prints and framed prints.

So. It's pretty obvious I've been away for a bit. All artists have their ups and downs, and now I'm declaring an end to a much too consuming slump. I can't say exactly what brought it on, but I do know what helped me get out of it. The first thing was a good old fashioned, several hour telephone conversation with one of my best friends. Aren't those just the greatest? After some great suggestions on her end, I decided to write out a list of my goals. It helped me tremendously as I was focusing too much on what I wasn't happy with in myself, things I wanted to change, rather than looking at the positive things I want to bring into my life. There's a big difference between thinking DON'T vs DO. One of the things on my list of goals is to give my all to my creative career - the actual work end of things as well as the promotional aspects.

To be honest, my goal actually said specifically "painting" but the reality is, it's bigger than just my paintings - it's photography (as seen above), it's carving stamps, it's drawing and refining digital stamps and any other crafty thing I get my hands on! I must also thank Soraya Nulliah for introducing me to a fabulously helpful art blog - Alyson B. Stanfield's Art Biz Blog. There's just so much information there, it's almost overwhelming. I could spend the next week just reading and doing "homework" from the site! One of the suggestions is to start a mailing list, something I've put off for a long time. I finally signed up for mail chimp and it's going to take me a little time to figure out the ins and outs of how it works, but I've added an opt-in form on the blog (look to your right) if you're interested in receiving monthly updates as well as special offers and discounts. You can always unsubscribe if it's not for you!

It's getting colder here, so I'll be moving indoors soon. That will be a bit of a bummer because I LOVE working outside in the studio, but the bonus is I can have movies on in the background which, believe it or not, helps me paint sometimes. I think the background noise distracts a part of my brain freeing something up in me to go boldly into the abstract abyss! I guess the most important thing I'm realizing is that it's all about discipline. Regardless of what I'm working on, I most hold true to a schedule of work. I must limit my time online, shut off the phone and be aware of what inspires me in that moment and follow that direction. I may think to myself "tomorrow I'm going to paint!" but the next day I find I'd rather sketch and work in Illustrator. It's okay. Go with the flow. Just be sure to KEEP GOING!

In other stamp news, I was interviewed by the Italian website nuok - if you're interested, you can read it here.

That's all for now. I hope everyone's doing well and staying warm. Cheers!

Autonomous Connections

2010-09-17T22:59:00.005-05:00

Autonomous Connections - Acrylic on 24" x 30" on box canvas, 2010

Every painting informs and inspires the next. This piece is an evolution of the circle theme I've been working with, the Connections series, and also something very new as far as color and composition. The way that the individual colors stand on their own and relate to the other color groups remind me of people trying to work together with differing points of view. We're like unified pods of like-minded thought - clinging to others that make sense to us but still always connected to our opposing thought-groups whether we like it or not. Even within the pods, each circle (individual) is unique, and in some cases these individual beings have their identity almost dissolved/covered-over completely by overriding color/persuasion. I could continue on an abstract tangent about this, but let's just let the art speak for itself...

Interview with Soraya Nulliah

2010-09-10T13:14:00.009-05:00

She Holds the Key to Knowing

I'm so excited to introduce you to the incredible, soul stirring artwork of Soraya Nulliah. I discovered her Etsy shop last week when creating a Fine Art Friday treasury. She agreed to do this interview and it's been such a pleasure getting to know more about her and her work. Enjoy!

Heart Wide Open

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a wife, mommy, artist, seeker, creative soul. I got married later in life and gave birth the same month I turned 40..YIKES!! I used to be a free spirit nomad type and now I am free spirit homebody type! I love painting, reading, art, photography, blogging, learning, running, baking and most of all…spending time with my family.

How/when did you get interested in art?

I started drawing and painting in my mid-teens but without any support and encouragement, I pushed these dreams aside…tucked them deep inside my heart. All through my 20’s they were like a long forgotten dream while I went through a lot of…soul searching…and the mending of my soul. Then, when I turned 30, I spent 4 months traveling by myself through India. This pilgrimage led me back to mySELF and to my art. After that I made a commitment to making art an integral part of my life…taking classes and workshops, painting huge canvases and reading everything I could.

Letting Go Takes Courage

What inspires you when you create?

What truly inspires me is this journey of life that we are all on. We are all so fragile and vulnerable yet, paradoxically, resilient as well. I try to express that in my art. I am also inspired by both Eastern and Western aesthetics. I love the colors of India and the lush, curvaceous forms. Equally, I love 60’s inspired prints and Western art. I combine both of these elements in my art.

What kind of environment do you work in?

Right now I share my studio with a guest bedroom so it’s a pretty cramped space. I have a desk, bookshelf and closet that holds my art supplies, books, collage etc. We are in the process of moving so I am very hopeful that I will have my very own studio space soon. I am planning it all out already!

Guided

Who are some of your favorite artists?

Oh boy! This is a difficult one because there are so many fabulous artists. I love Frieda Kahlo for her strong images and deep rich soul. I love Georgia O’ Keefe for her vivid paintings and her writings. I love Van Gogh, Modigliani, Klee…African sculptures and masks…South Indian Chola Bronzes. What draws me to an artist is their ability to be true to their vision, to be vulnerable and authentic and to bring into existence something we never would have seen otherwise.

What has been the highlight of your creative career so far?

I have a couple. I had a solo exhibition a few years back and that was tremendously rewarding. It dealt with violence against women in the Indian community (a huge problem) while providing avenues for change and empowerment. I absolutely loved every part of bringing this whole show to life. Everything from the inception to the final exhibition that included 26 paintings, a strong artist statement and raising money for the Sexual Assault Center of Edmonton. Another highlight is the opening of my Etsy shop. This is something I have wanted to do for so long but all those nagging fears kept me from doing it. I was always waiting for the “perfect” time that never came or until I had more paintings or… So I finally just jumped in and it means a lot to me personally; just the act of believing in myself, daring to be vulnerable and putting myself out there.

A Heart Full Friendship

Do you have a message that you'd like to translate through your art?

Definitely! My works are very female-centered and they speak of joy, hope, empowerment, faith, love…but I also address all of our broken parts and pieces as well. I strongly believe that when we are vulnerable and authentic, when we have the courage to share all of who we are…therein lies the power of transformation and inspiration. I aspire to show strength and vulnerability in my paintings…I think life requires that we are both. Each of my paintings tells a story of the deepest parts of our souls…of what it is to be human. I hope my work touches others to speak their truth and be inspired.

What do you find to be the most challenging part of being an artist?

One of my biggest challenges right now is time!! I have a toddler who needs my constant attention. I have to really schedule my time and follow through (no procrastinating!) Another challenge is learning about the business side of art. I just opened up my Etsy store and there is so much to learn! Like most artists, I would rather be in my studio painting. But it is also rewarding and I am trying to look at the whole business side of art as a creative process as well. I am very committed to both my family and my art and that is difficult to balance.

What are some of your creative goals? How might they intersect with your personal goals?

I would love to have a solo (or group) exhibition! It is so thrilling and rewarding to conceive of a whole show and execute it. I love planning and completing every little detail…I am a huge planner! Also, I just opened up my Etsy store so I hope to focus on building it up. I would also love to write a book about the creative process. All of these goals fit into my larger personal goals which is to connect with others through my art. It is my deepest hope that I can use my creative voice to inspire others to find and use their creative voices.

my website www.sorayanulliah.com

my blog http://sorayanulliah.blogspot.com

my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/sorayanulliah

Thank you so much Soraya for your art and your heart. :)

Hydrangeas

2010-09-09T01:06:00.003-05:00

Let Go

2010-09-02T20:35:00.001-05:00

Let Go - Acrylic on 18" x 37" canvas, 2010

Three paintings, one palette

2010-09-02T14:18:00.003-05:00

Walls and How to Dissolve Them - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas panel, 2010

Red Sky - Acrylic, paper, gel medium on 8" x 10" canvas panel, 2010

Gathering - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas panel, 2010

A lot of times I'll just mix paint as I go. Today I pre-mixed some set colors - an orangey red, dark green, lime green and a cool gray. These paintings all have a different feel to them though they share the same palette. I think paintings have a strong personality and forceful will to become an individual. I may think I'm the one in control, but the reality is, the paint is the one that's calling the shots and guiding my hand.

Contemporary colors

2010-09-02T01:48:00.005-05:00

These are the colors I see and enjoy in art and design right now. I'm about to go into the studio to paint and I'll be taking these colors with me. What colors or color combinations have inspired you lately?

snow white
snow shadow gray
cranberry orange
deep cool green
crystal chartreuse

vintage turquoise
butter sun yellow
natural linen
driftwood gray
barnwood brown

pale periwinkle
pale pewter
beach house shingle white
spring asparagus green
glass cobalt blue

Seeking Order

2010-09-01T17:45:00.003-05:00

Seeking Order - Acrylic on 9" x 12" canvas, 2010

No. I really am. Today has been one of those stub your toe, forget something, misplace something, ad naseum days. It's like I woke up and just knew it, felt it, something is off and it's going to stay that way until tomorrow. I painted this painting yesterday and I enjoyed the zen like construction of it. I need more order in my life, I feel out of balance right now. After a good night's sleep tomorrow will be a new day and I have a feeling that I'll have sorted it out in my subconscious and be ready to rock in the morning.

Balance. Clarity. Awareness.
repeat

Expansion

2010-08-24T17:33:00.002-05:00

Expansion - Acrylic on 17" x 37" unstretched canvas, 2010

This new painting was created on unstretched canvas and I've worked all the way to the edge so that when it is stretched, the painting will wrap around the sides and the buyer won't need a frame (if he/she so chooses). I like this piece both horizontally and vertically and worked on it by flipping it back and forth.

Nude

2010-08-23T16:11:00.001-05:00

Nude - Acrylic on 20" x 30" unstretched canvas, 2010

This piece and others like it (coming soon!) came about after getting frustrated with another painting that I took too far. I began to think about the various lives a painting lives before it becomes whatever it's destined to be. I wanted to see what would happen if I stopped as soon as I felt any instinct of yes, I like this. Usually I feel that cue many times in one painting but I keep pushing it. I've always loved how the white of the canvas interacts with color but so rarely stop in time for it to remain. This painting is quick, intuitive, improvisational and there is something that I think is very pure having this first impression captured in time.

New paintings

2010-08-23T15:59:00.003-05:00

Splinted Sunlight - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas, 2010

Escape - Acrylic, embroidery floss and acrylic medium on 8" x 10" canvas, 2010

Art Books 1 : Facing Eden

2010-08-19T23:15:00.009-05:00

The images above are from an art book that's been in my collection since 1997. The title of the book is Facing Eden: 100 Years of Landscape Art in the Bay Area and it's been in my collection since I bought it used at the main bookstore in downtown Santa Cruz (at the time) when I was studying abroad at UCSC . I've poured over this book so many times, always returning to the pages that include these select works as well as several of Diebenkorn's paintings that absolutely take my breath away every single time.

This picture of Diebenkorn's Seawall doesn't do it justice so see it here. This photograph, however, does represent the changing, supple, reactionary-to-the-elements nature of images in an art book. They become your own the more you live with them and return to the pages again and again. The oil of the fingertips turning the page, the residue of dank apartments and the wear of every place you've lived in the last X amount of years, the evidence of paint and of being an active inspiration... all of this adds to the energy of the book, which has now become a voice that is either perfectly present in a "one on one" mental crit or quietly beckoning and ready to offer A HECK OF A LOT at the drop of a hat on the bookshelf, without judgment. My collection of art books are quiet friends, they demand a lot of me, they will tell me without question that I've gone in the wrong direction or if something is not working, but they will never, ever judge.

The Healing Process

2010-08-19T15:55:00.001-05:00

The Healing Process - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas panel, 2010

Curating your own Etsy shop

2010-08-19T15:44:00.004-05:00

The new Etsy layout is garnering (surprise, surprise) both praise and outrage from the Etsy community. To each his/her own I suppose. I happen to like it a lot and it hasn't been that hard to get used to the adjustment (links on the left, shorter announcement space, etc.). I've been thinking about re-arranging my shop to be more curated, almost like creating a treasury only it's with my own items. You'll see in the pictures above, yesterday I had a black/red/white theme going on inspired by my poppy painting and then today I switched it up to be more soft and colorful like my most recent abstract painting. If you too are an Etsy seller, how do you like the changes? Has it changed anything about how you organize or promote your shop?

Modern flowers

2010-08-18T19:08:00.006-05:00

These paintings hearken back to a style I was developing in the early 2000's. They are more decorative art than fine art, but with me, that's a line I am constantly crossing to the point of obliterating it. The second two are done in the style I was working with then, the first one, the poppies, is something I'm thinking I'd like to develop further in other paintings, maybe on a larger scale or as a triptych, and use the basic premise of this painting as a launch pad for different approaches, textures, design elements, etc. I go where the muse calls me, and right now she's saying, "Yes, go to the the poppies!". I will happily oblige. :)

Each piece is untitled and acrylic on 8" x 10" canvases. You can purchase them in my shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessicatorrant

Golden Meadow

2010-07-28T18:03:00.001-05:00

Golden Meadow - Acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10"

Campfire

2010-07-28T18:02:00.000-05:00

Campfire - Acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10"

There's Always More to Know...

2010-07-28T00:41:00.004-05:00

There's Always More to Know About You - Acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10"

Stop Making Sense

2010-07-22T18:28:00.001-05:00

Stop Making Sense - Acrylic on 12" x 16" box canvas

New paintings

2010-07-17T15:05:00.007-05:00

These four new paintings are all Untitled on 5" x 5" box canvas. They can be displayed at any angle.

Summerscape

2010-07-16T15:24:00.002-05:00

Summerscape - Acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas panel.

Round and Round

2010-07-15T14:15:00.001-05:00

Round and Round - Acrylic on 12" x 12" box canvas.

Secret Code

2010-07-14T15:08:00.001-05:00

Secret Code - Acrylic, fabric and gel medium on 12" x 12" box canvas

Surrender

2010-07-13T15:01:00.001-05:00

Surrender - Acrylic on 10" x 13" canvas

Glow

2010-07-13T12:10:00.000-05:00

Glow - Acrylic on 8" x 10" canvas

Floating Bliss

2010-06-28T22:31:00.005-05:00

Floating Bliss - Mixed media on 6" x 8" canvas

Floating Bliss framed.

Hand stamped paper on back of Floating Bliss.

This piece was a lot of fun. Every element of it has the artist's touch. I painted the frame, I did the framing installation with the added bonus of hand stamped paper on the back. I want every element of my work to exude the handmade philosophy mixed with a quirky artist's approach. This piece certainly has it all! Making something out of what I've got around has been a thrill and this piece is an example of that. I've had this frame hanging around now for a couple of years. It took really looking at it and re-visioning it's purpose the other day that took it to this new level. Can you tell by my tone that I'm pumped? I'm pumped. Tomorrow is another day to make art. I'm going to work my buns off. That's the plan at least.

Dancing Meadow

2010-06-25T15:11:00.004-05:00

Dancing Meadow - Acrylic on 20" x 24" canvas, framed

New painting

2010-06-24T21:44:00.003-05:00

I took these pictures tonight after finishing this new, as of yet untitled, painting. I love it! It was one of those paintings that starts with an idea that demands that you to go paint it now and then follows through effortlessly, like all you have to do is hold the brush and the whims of the Muse will take care of the rest. No wrestling, no doubts, just one lovely surprise after the next. I wish every painting could happen like this. I understand that's not possible, but when it happens it just feels so good.

The sides of the canvas have staples so I've got it set in this ornate gold frame. I'll properly frame it and photograph it tomorrow to list on Etsy.

Things are alive and thriving this summer - I'm feeling it! I'm feeling free and happy to engage the Muse in any direction she pulls me.

Hello Summer, I love you

2010-06-22T01:07:00.000-05:00

Teapots

2010-06-19T14:11:00.005-05:00

Teapot 1 - Mixed media on 5" x 7" canvas panel

Teapot 2 - Mixed media on 5" x 7" canvas panel.

These are my first two attempts with photo transfers onto canvas panels. I worked over a set of two acrylic paintings of circles. There are layers of acrylic paint over the transfer as well (clearly more so in the first one). They were interesting and informative to make but I'm liking this other technique (used in next post) of painting watercolor on raw canvas and then layering the transfer over that. I've got four 5" x 5"'s ready to go but I want to mount them onto wood first. Hopefully they will be complete with others like them next week.

Week in Progress

2010-06-19T00:45:00.003-05:00

WORK IN PROGRESS

Having a blog that's all about the process of making art (well, at least 90% of it) inspires me to keep my camera by my side or think about what I'm doing as if in front of an audience.

Sometimes.

Other times, a lot of times, it needs to be personal. Undocumented.

So instead of giving my normal post in ridiculously full detail, here's my week of impressions (pun intended).

* Week started with a dream "seeing" new art I wanted to make/explore.
* Continued research I started months ago about photo transfers.
* Had test runs - many fails, lessons learned.
* Made lists, sketched ideas, spent a lot of time thinking out the process to achieve desired effect.
* More testing, better results, lack of materials (for now) to take the next step.
* Other art stuff.
* Celebrated four years of being married to the love of my life. :)

I'm finding patience in art making, I'm allowing my ideas to fully flourish in the time that they need. I'm also trying to let my initial inspiration flow into the next evolution of that idea. Keep flowing, keep moving with an idea or the thread of an idea.

Allowing creativity to happen organically sure fights against everything else my culture tells me. The whispers of the muse say I'm right on.

Go figure.

Summer Showers

2010-06-12T16:54:00.003-05:00

Summer Showers - 12" x 15.75" canvas

Today I finished this canvas I bought in Ireland last fall. It had been going in another direction so I decided to work over it with this technique, taken an extra step further by "whiting out" the negative space around circles instead of circle chains, as I've been doing. (See previous posts and the Connections series). I feel really free right now in the studio - able to take chances and go against what's familiar. I'm listening to those thoughts that inquire "what if I did this?" and answering, "I don't know, let's find out!". I'm working a little slower, more conscious and detailed. Of course, the effect I want is something dreamy and loose so the marks are more impressionist than hard lined - not sure if detailed is the right word, but that's how it feels.

I think this piece conveys the atmosphere I've been surrounded by all week - wet and misty, damp, heavy air, vivid greens and sparkles of dew drops. Of course I love a hot, blue sky summer day like the next girl, but these moody, rainy days have their own energy that is quietly comforting.

Paint it out

2010-06-11T19:00:00.003-05:00

Not Quite Chaos - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas

Joyful in June - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas

I felt a little blue this morning. I know it's the slow time of the year, but just a nibble would do wonders for my confidence right now. Knowing that wallowing or starting to think/act desperately would be futile, I pushed myself into the studio where paint would (and did) take me away.

I have been painting without music lately. I'm so used to years of painting with some other distraction be it listening to the radio or even playing a movie in the background. Somehow it took my attention away just enough to keep things loose and fluid. These days I'm just enjoying the sounds of the forest. An extra bonus has been the daily visit (yesterday and today) from turkeys making their way through the woods behind the studio. They forage on bugs on low growing plants right out back. If I'm really slow and still I can get a really close view of them feeding just feet away. The wonderful thing about it is... there's babies!!! Lots and lots of them! By my estimation today I think there are anywhere from 15-20 in that little tribe led by three adults, perhaps even more. They are too cute for words as they cheap and tweet and bounce up to grab especially tasty bugs.

A tasty meal, a hot shower and a hug from my husband later and I feel just fine. Being productive is my salvation, it really is. I can't just sit and feel sorry for myself or let my mind wander into fear territory. It's never helped me in the past, it certainly won't now. I've just got to keep working and believe that things will work out as they always do. Faith in the future. Comfortable and confident in the present. That's the name of the game.

New diptych

2010-06-11T15:28:00.003-05:00

Jazz - Acrylic on two 6" x 12" canvases

Connections 4

2010-06-10T20:37:00.000-05:00

Connections 4 - Mixed media on canvas

New studies

2010-06-10T00:56:00.005-05:00

Study 7-9 - mixed media on canvas

Painting on a rainy day

2010-06-09T23:09:00.013-05:00

Taped off unstretched primed canvas on board. Ready to rock it!

Initial sketch with orange water soluble crayon.
Bottom left shows just the sketch, the other two have a layer of acrylic varnish that has smeared some of the color.

Tools of the moment.

Outlining with a dark gray to see how that looks.
Everything could have ended right here.

Using a rag to wipe away brights.

Decide after filling in negative space that things are too controlled.
Get a little loose in the bottom right painting.

Now they're all moving in a more free form direction that makes me happy.
It began to not be fun. I decided fun must be included in the process.
Bringing in some sgraffito techniques as well.

Palette, techniques and lessons learned are brought into the larger piece.

Many layers of varnish, paint, water soluble crayon and oil pastel later...

I really enjoyed this way of working today. A mix between small studies and one larger panel that was informed by the lessons and techniques learned in the sketches. In this moment I'm feeling the wonderful relief that there are limitless paintings to create and not enough time on Earth to paint them all. I've experienced a little bit of I've done this before, this isn't anything new lately that didn't sit well with me at all. The "limitless paintings" mantra has served me well through the last decade plus, so when a voice of doubt snickered Maybe that's so, but maybe you can dry up too I think it snapped me awake with fear and desperate acts to prove myself wrong. It's working for me.

I've been embracing the unique atmosphere of our current weather pattern. The frequency of sudden and powerful thunderstorms has been intense and it looks like we should get used to it for the rest of the week. We lost power for over 8 hours on Saturday night and it led to a great evening hanging out with friends by candle light in the porch of the studio as well as a faux camping experience sleeping out there for the night. Summer is alive and well in New England and the wet, heavy, humid or pouring rain (as it was today) condition affects my painting by creating more wet on wet conditions. Acrylics can dry in a heart beat in dry heat, but in this weather, things are different - I'm relating back to my days of oils with this weather and it's fun, it's a different kind of challenge.

The three study paintings are finished after some final layers of drawing and I'll share them soon.

New painting studies

2010-06-08T17:17:00.005-05:00

Today I worked on small studies on unstretched canvas.

Connections 3

2010-06-04T15:24:00.002-05:00

Connections 3 - Mixed media on 20" x 32.5" canvas

Connections 2

2010-06-03T18:17:00.001-05:00

Connections 2 - Mixed media on 30" x 40" canvas

Connections

2010-06-03T13:13:00.006-05:00

Connections - Acrylic on 25" x 42" unstretched canvas

So, I looked at this today and realized it is indeed finished so here it is!

Work in progress?

2010-06-03T00:52:00.003-05:00

This is a large unstretched canvas I'm working on right now that could very well be done - I'll have to take a long, hard look tomorrow to be sure. If it's truly a complete statement, I'll call it finis and get to work on another. I like the various stages and levels in this piece. All sort of their own thing from the dripped underpainting first, to the automatic drawing in water soluble crayons, to the impressionist dashes of color to the final negative space white out.

The problem is - I could do more. Yet when I think about it, when I've been here with a painting before, I take it just that one step further and it becomes too complicated and everything about that painting that could have been finished is now painted over and going in a totally new direction. I think it's that I found a technique I like and I want to max out on it with this one canvas when I really need to move on. Let this be and take the ideas and inspiration I've got to the next and the next surface. So... I will be careful with this tomorrow, really study it and refrain from painting unless absolutely necessary. My husband says it's done and I tend to trust his judgment in the cases when he says "oo!" with that extra umph. (It's a hard job being the partner of a rabid painter). I'll let you know what the verdict is tomorrow.

Green Dream

2010-06-01T15:50:00.000-05:00

Green Dream - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas

Sky blue sky - my visit to Southern California

2010-05-31T22:21:00.015-05:00

This collection of photographs conveys my week long trip visiting my best friend in San Diego better than words can. They are out of order, but isn't that how a memory of a great vacation goes? You don't remember what day you took that magical walk on the beach or had that fabulous meal and it really doesn't matter (though I do appreciate the journals I keep whenever I've traveled and the log of activities by day because it fades in no time).

I realized on this trip that I'm wrong when I say my favorite thing to do is travel - my favorite thing to do is vacation. There's a difference. Maybe it's my Taurean nature, craving the "good things in life" - a great meal, a fine glass of wine, a good laugh and a great sunset. The physical bliss of hot sun and cool waters lapping on the shore, the soulful release through a beautiful book, enjoyed in an idyllic location. The last time I was in California, it was with my husband and this same besty and we had a great time, but we packed so much into it. From San Luis Obispo to Seattle. That was kind of insane and too much time was spent driving, pushing onward. I LOVE having a proper vacation in one spot. A new place to explore and get to know, to get to feel comfortable in.

My friend had to work during the week so instead of renting a car (I admit, aside from the monetary issue, I was just plain scared to drive around SoCal) I set off on foot around Pacific Beach by myself - with a beach bag packed I had breakfast and lunch in various sidewalk cafes with my book and journal by my side, I spent hours lounging and walking on the beach. I truly embraced the fact that this was a time to de-stress and that I did! Before my trip I thought about buying art supplies and painting plein air but once I was there I realized NO. I needed a break from everything, including art. I took everything in. I was in the moment. It was wonderful.

The last day walking back to Em's apartment I got this thought in my mind...

Destination - Pacific Beach, San Diego
Mission - Bum around town, hang out on the beach, have a blast with my best friend.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

And that made me smile...

After a day of jetlag confusion after sleepless flights back east and Memorial weekend spent celebrating the onset of summertime with family, I'm so excited to dig back into painting, into my daily patterns that can hopefully be altered, twisted a bit, for the better influenced by this trip. I painted last night and it was just wonderful. I felt such freedom and a who cares attitude about the end result. Just do it because it feels good said a voice, a voice that's rescued me many times when doubt and judgment sneak in to take the wind out of my sails.

The ultimate lesson learned in my spoiled rotten vacation of shared joy with a sister of spirit, the best burrito I've ever had, surf gazing, and sun bathing luxury? The lesson is - stress is a bitch. I hate that word and try not to ever use it, but Stress deserves it. It does nothing for me, nothing for anyone. Stress and worry just waste time. It doesn't just waste it, it eats it up and devours anything else you've got on hand - your heart, your mind, your spirit, your creativity, your passion, your sense of joy, your LIFE. I didn't even realize how tightly wound I was until the sun melted it all away, until the only agenda was to unwind. This trip was a gift from my husband who knew after a long winter and many hours spent by myself that I needed some "lady time" with one of my besties. God bless that man. Seriously. Even if I had the money myself, I wouldn't have given myself this gift that I so desperately needed. And now I am home, and I can sense how easy it is to slip into my patterns, so the question now is how do I hold onto the importance of being in the moment and not worrying/stressing as much as I am prone to do? How do I continue to determine the difference between being determined and driven vs. being anxious and stress filled to the brim? The latter can mimic the former and convince you that it's necessary, but that's just part of the wicked little beast that Stress is - it's devious as well as destructive.

The natural buzz of my trip is fading into a different but just as intoxicating natural buzz of summertime in New England - everything is in full bloom, vivid green - that temporal lushness that is so incredibly appreciated and yet I can't help myself but think it won't last forever. Nothing does, and maybe that's the source of my stress and anxiety, the source of my fears. Regardless, am I going to let my fears dominate my life, my NOW moments? I could but I don't want to. It seems like such a waste. I hope that I can maintain this determined desire to keep stress and undue worries at bay. Yes, it IS here and then it's gone so what are you gonna do about it? That's the question. I'm still working on the answer. I'll probably always be working away at it, isn't everybody? That surfer saying comes in perfectly right now "it's all good, bro".

See you in a week!

2010-05-18T16:43:00.002-05:00

I'm leaving for a week to visit my best friend in San Diego. I'm nearly jumping out of my skin as I wash some laundry, make lists and think of the moment when we hoot and holler seeing each other in the airport. I'll have my camera and an empty chip to fill with images, so expect an optional slide show when I return (don't worry, I won't trap you at a dinner party and make you sit through all 600 pictures). Have a great week!

The Muse Returns - new series

2010-05-11T17:26:00.006-05:00

The Muse Returns 1-6 - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvases

What can I say - I am in love with this new series! I was at a bit of a stand off with my abstracts and muddling around with too much color, too little focus and too many ideas all at once. My husband and I were watching a television show and I saw these giant black and white abstracts that really inspired me. Something clicked that limiting my palette might free me up to new ideas, new ways of painting and exploring marks. Things just took off from there. I'd love to hear your thoughts and reactions to these new paintings!

Landscape painting on a sunny May day

2010-05-06T00:11:00.007-05:00

(Above: First strokes of paint over randomly toned ground canvas. Usually I work with one tone and actually I prefer it that way, this was a bit of an experiment.)

After struggling with some new abstracts in the studio, I decided to try something different to challenge myself today. The intuitive source that I rely on so heavily for abstracts wasn't there and I thought having a subject (other than my imagination) would be a nice relief for a change. I'm lucky to have a cousin that lives right down the road from me in an old farmhouse on a large piece of natural property, complete with run down sheds (as seen above) and a stocked pond. Though some of the flowering trees in the yard were beautiful and added bursts of color, I was drawn to the pond for the strong lines of the tree trunks reflected in the water.

Here's the view from where I stood with my easel.

Working...

A visit from a duck...

Here's where I called it a day. I'd like to work on the left side more, creating more contrast in light/dark areas and everything could use a little tweaking, but the general concept is there. I haven't missed oils in my abstracts but boy that acrylic paint sure did dry fast in the open, warm air! I really enjoyed the experience and I think the fresh air and painterly practice did me good.

UNAPOLOGETIC

2010-04-22T16:30:00.001-05:00

Unappologetic - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas

one goal - PAINT

2010-04-22T13:39:00.003-05:00

Flowers for Sharon - Mixed media on 12" x 12" canvas

Doing spring cleaning usually finds me with a few bags of clothes for Goodwill. I had this pretty tank top that didn't fit me anymore but I loved the material so out to the studio it went! The floral pattern is made with a sheer material that's thinner than the base fabric so it worked great to pick up color and texture around the forms. I used a regular gloss medium to adhere the fabric to the canvas then lots of layers of paint and medium over that. I titled this for my mother who I see in this painting - her femininity, beauty and grace. I think I'll make another painting like this for her for Mother's Day.

I've written about goals in the past and how they've helped me, be it daily, weekly or monthly goals. Now I'm just focused on one overall goal - paint. Paint as much and as often as possible with NO LIMITS. I have always resisted my true nature which is all over the place, including in art. One minute I want to fling paint across a room another I want to slow and steady my hand for a delicate piece (like comparing Frenzy to Flowers for Sharon for example). Now I am throwing everything out the window - the threat of not being taken seriously as an artist with a mixed collection, the weight of expectation to be consistent, the feeling that I have to force myself to make like minded creations or series. If it happens naturally, great. But If I want to make 3 totally different abstracts, 3 totally different figure studies and a folk art landscape in the same week, SO BE IT. I just CAN'T CARE anymore and I have to ask myself why it ever mattered to me before. I'm a freaking art renegade! (hahaha, as if) When have I played by the gallery world rules?

I've been asking myself what are my long term goals... like if everything could go my way, what would it actually look like? And the truth is I didn't really know the answer to that. I've been scrambling to make my art my career for years and it's just... well.. picture me on all fours scrambling up a mountainside. Looking at what's immediately in front of me - the next rock to grab hold off, the next safe spot to step. I have no clue what the top looks like because I'm just looking at what's right in front of me, but I've known whatever it is, I'm sure I want to get there! But if I don't look up, look ahead, I could conceivably climb in circles (which reminds me of a hike I took with my best friend in New Hampshire when someone screwed up the path signs and we ended up winding back up the mountain instead of back to the parking lot at dusk worrying about bears). This whole connection to hiking is funny to me because that's how I actually hike. I look like a spider - a really lanky, goofy spider. You'd laugh too if you've ever seen me do the spider scramble. But anyway... I digress.

What I really want is a life that I've custom made for me. One that works with my strengths and understands my weaknesses and incorporates how I genuinely operate best. I truly believe that if a person follows their truest desire and commit to it being exactly who they are, they will succeed. I like down to earth people, down to earth situations and down to earth art talk. I LOVE selling my art online because I get to make a direct connection to people in a down to earth way. In my perfect vision, I'd still be doing this, just more of it. I'd still have a studio, maybe a bigger one, and I'd open it up to the public sometimes. I'd teach small groups of people that want to learn how to paint from their heart - not an apple study (because I'm not the best teacher for that, I've tried). Lastly but most importantly, I don't WANT to know or expect the art that I will be making then because that would limit it - I will find out when I'm there. I don't know what I'm about to go paint after I finish this post, and I don't need to. I really need to let go of this outside vision of an artist and embrace MY definition through experience. Once and for all I need to put it to rest!!!

DOOSZH

...man, that was a heavy load.

Ok. So it's settled then. I am an unapologetic artist that marches to her own beat. The word "consistent" is officially banned in my universe.

Thank you.

Hooray for Hubby!

2010-04-21T19:26:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited for my husband and the unveiling of his new book The Fall. Here he is talking about getting the first copy. Go Rob! I'll have more information for you as things develop.

Frenzy

2010-04-20T16:29:00.003-05:00

Frenzy - Acrylic on 36" x 36" canvas

Took some of the anxiety I've been feeling to the canvas today. It was quite cathartic! If you're worrying I'm going through something, don't - it's a cyclical experience if ya know what I mean. ;) And if you don't then you're too young to be reading my blog. Viva the rollercoaster that is being a woman! RARRRR!!

done for the day...

2010-04-15T19:30:00.001-05:00

done for the day 4/15, originally uploaded by Jessica Torrant.

Live painting 4/15

2010-04-15T16:45:00.002-05:00

I made it to just shy of the ten minute limit - this one is for you Sherrill from Montréal!

Begin/End/Begin

2010-04-15T16:21:00.001-05:00

Begin/End/Begin - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas

Growth

2010-04-15T15:36:00.002-05:00

Growth - Acrylic on 7.5" x 11.5" canvas wrapped wood

Beloved

2010-04-14T22:21:00.001-05:00

Beloved - Acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas

Video blog

2010-04-14T02:19:00.000-05:00

stripes

2010-04-14T01:04:00.001-05:00

Vertical - Acrylic on 8" x 8" canvas

Horizon 8

2010-04-11T20:53:00.002-05:00

Horizon 8 - Acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas

Color explosion

2010-04-11T14:37:00.003-05:00

On a Day Like This - Acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas, 2010

New Beginnings - Acrylic on 7.5" x 11" canvas wrapped wood, 2010

Video Blog 4/10 and new texture painting

2010-04-10T20:55:00.003-05:00

Awakening - Acrylic on 20" x 20" canvas, 2010

This is the finished painting from the video below.

Studio shots

2010-04-10T20:52:00.001-05:00

studio 4/10, originally uploaded by Jessica Torrant.

I was asked to show some more of my studio. If you click on the link under this photo you can see more on my flickr page. :)

Sun Kissed

2010-04-10T20:44:00.000-05:00

Sun Kissed - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2010

Crowded by Nature by Sarah Giannobile

2010-04-10T13:45:00.001-05:00

Crowded by Nature, originally uploaded by Sarah Giannobile.

I am in awe of Sarah's brilliantly executed abstracts. Visit her Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SarahGiannobile.

New painting

2010-04-09T19:52:00.000-05:00

Untitled - Acrylic on 18" x 24" canvas, 2010

Creating texture

2010-04-09T19:26:00.000-05:00

Renewed Energy

2010-04-08T20:55:00.002-05:00

Renewed Energy - Acrylic on 16" x 20" canvas, 2010

Carried Away

2010-04-08T20:15:00.003-05:00

Carried Away - Acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas, 2010

Taking a cue from Jackson

2010-04-08T20:13:00.002-05:00

Today I took my paintings down from the easel and worked on the floor. It was a lot of fun, but I think I need a table or my back will go out. Did Jackson have a Gumby back that he kept a trade secret?

Time Travel

2010-04-07T19:43:00.002-05:00

New painting on canvas wrapped wood board.

Passing Through

2010-04-07T14:44:00.001-05:00

Passing Through - Acrylic on 18" x 24" canvas, 2010