Welcome back...
Bob and Glen Kinion
Flying Blue Angel
Kinion Fine Art Gallery - Roadside Attractions Opening
Roadside Attractions opened at Kinion Fine Art Gallery in Sedona during first Friday -- right before my workshop. Carolyn Travisano did a heroic job of hanging the show and Jennifer Reddington wrote a review that actually made me blush (well, not really, but it was well written). Roberta and Glen Kinion, whose gallery is located inside the Sedona Visitor Center, have an ideal location for those "vortexed-eyed" visitors. The opening was beautifully crowded -- three pieces sold within the first week. Roadside Attractions featured my accumulated childhood memories of going to a tented circus and carnival early in the morning. To this day, I still love the circus and all that it stands for... skilled acrobatics, audacious showmanship and traveling gypsies. I still have more memories in me to paint. Stay tuned. To see more Roadside Attractions, click HERE.
Light as a Feather
Last Show
Sedona Arts Center was the venue for one of my March Workshops, titled "Postmodern Painter Meets the Contemporary Collage Artist." The cool thing about this was the fact that Max Ernst created his early collage pieces in this same place 60 years ago. The tradition of creating cutting edge art continues. In Sedona, I had twenty students from all over the United States. Paper, paints and glue were scattered everywhere. Some even came back after 7pm and made art until 3am (I did not!). The experienced, professional artists had awesome breakthroughs. The very beginners exceeded their personal goals of creating their own vision and discovering their own voice. The week long workshop experience at the Sedona Arts Center was a thrill, an honor and a magical oasis also for me to create new work. Check out their other year-round workshops at www.sedonaartscenter.com
I can't let another newsletter go by without mentioning the great time we had AGAIN at the Wenmohs Ranch Workshop! We were at Dena Wenmohs' Ranch outside of Austin, Texas in February - beautiful weather, super location, and of course the girls! Click HERE for more Wenmos Ranch workshop photos.
Bob and the Burro Girls
Nancy and Floral Warmups
Workshops in the Spotlight
Views of Guatemala
Join Us for the Trip of a Lifetime!
Guatemala
November 24 - December 3, 2008.
Special side-trip to Tikal, November 23-24!
Join us in Guatemala this November and December for a painting workshop and cultural tour! Brochures are ready now! Contact Kate at kate@robertburridge.com to have a brochure sent to you or contact John Korte for more information regarding registration and costs at www.exploreguatemala.com
Click HERE to view photos from the November 2007 Guatemala Workshop.
Click HERE for Message from Bob.
We had such an amazing time last year-- we're looking forward to going again!
Don't miss this one!
Valley Reflection
Yosemite Art Tour - Painting on Location
May 5 - 9, 2008
5-day Workshop in an over-the-top scenic paradise! Pamper yourself in one of our treasured National Parks! Contact Cora Bieler, Yosemite Art Tours, (858) 945-1817 or (949) 553-9130 or email
cbieler623@aol.com www.myyosemitearttours.com
Last Year's Workshop in Colorado
Colorado Dreamin' -- May 19 - 23, 2008
Abstract Acrylic Painting and Collage - New Workshop!
Creative tearing and paint splashing starts off this all new "Loosen Up Workshop." Also you will learn how to begin a new fresh body of work with your own artistic voice and point of view. Think "artist retreat," producing a body of work, a series of paintings or your conceptual solo show.
Robert Burridge, along with his famous daily handouts, demos and lectures, helps and guides you to paint the way you have always wanted to paint.
Daily you can expect warmup paint sketching, brief painting and lecture demos, constructive critiques and plenty of time to work on personal projects.
Come prepared to paint your stuff!
May 19-23, 2008
5-day Workshop in Larkspur, CO
Contact Suzanne Jenne, (303) 681-0274
Email sjenne@suzannejenne.com
or sjenne@earthlink.net. 
Recommended Book
"Celebrate Your Creative Self"
"Celebrate Your Creative Self"
by Mary Todd Beam
You must get this book. It must be in your studio - and keep it open. Whenever you can't think of what to do next or you're stuck doing the same old boring thing, open this book up to any page... every page is a WOW painting idea. Use it to jump-start your next masterpiece! The book has more than twenty-five painting exercises to unleash the artist within. You'll develop the skills you need to express yourself and be able to make more meaningful, fulfilling artwork. No matter what your medium, no matter what your level of skill, this is your new favorite book! Celebrate Your Creative Self is a fun, no-fail guide every artist should have. -- And yes, she included my painting in her book!
Mary Todd Beam is one of the best-known workshop instructors in the realm of artistic creativity. She has been giving workshops all over the country for a number of years and is an award-winning artist. She divides her time between Cambridge, Ohio and Cosby, Tennessee. "Celebrate Your Creative Self" By Mary Todd Beam, North Light Books, Cincinnati, OH 2000. ISBN 978-1581801026
Buy at Amazon
Ask Kate about Art Marketing
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ASK KATE! With every newsletter, Kate will post your questions and her responses on the subject of marketing, sales, and promotion. If your question is selected for the newsletter, you will receive a Burridge Permission Mug. If you have a burning question that you would like to have answered -- for your benefit and everyone else's -- email Kate at kate@robertburridge.com
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Cathy Morgan of Clarkesville, Georgia asks: I've just noticed that a few of my recent oil pastel paintings look better with a medium gray or black mat, rather than white. But I've heard that juried exhibitions and galleries much prefer white mats, and might not even consider artwork matted in gray or black. Is that your understanding?
I have a similar question about frames. I'd like to choose a frame color and style to use in various sizes so my work looks unified. I'm leaning toward plain gold metal, partly because it seems to be easier to find inexpensive metal frames that look good, compared with wooden frames. (I've ordered a few sample inexpensive wooden frames and they all have obvious flaws.) Will juried exhibitions and galleries prefer black frames, or will gold be fine?
Dear Cathy, Many juried shows, member shows, traveling shows and organizational shows have a requirement in the prospectus (or show rules/guidelines)for the use of a unifying mat color and/or framing style. Basically, if you want to enter that particular exhibit, you must abide by the rules or you stand a good chance that your artwork won't be included in the show. We settled on single white or off-white mats and whitewashed wood frames because it was a unifying, neutral look for festivals and exhibits. We weren't always re-framing to fit a look of a show.
Now on the other hand, our gallery in San Francisco framed the work in black mats and gold frames because she liked the dramatic look and new that her clientele would like it too. If they didn't, she would reframe the work according to their specifications and charge them a bundle! When we frame work for our own house - we do what we want!
Cathy, it really comes down to where the work is going to be shown. Hope this helps!
Bob Snell of Rancho Santa Fe, California asks: What determines the size of canvas that Bob works on?
Dear Bob, When you asked this question, you probably didn't know you were asking an important marketing question! Bob always works in a variety of sizes. Right now his favorites are 12 x 12, 22 x 22, 36 x 36 and 42 x 60. When he does a body of work, he likes the sizes to be complimentary so they will have the appearance of being connected, or relating to one another. He works in a variety of size range to make sure that there is something for everyone in regards to price points! If the entire body of work for an exhibit is sized 36 x 36 - the effect would be very impressive, but we would probably lose sales due to only having higher priced work.
Thanks Bob - Hope his helps!
For more info, click HERE to check out our Hot Art Marketing Workbook.
Thanks for asking Kate!
Kate Your Art Marketing Girl
Click HERE for top of page.
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Product Spotlight
Travel Size Color Wheel
"Burridge Color Wheel - Travel Size!"
9 inches diameter, circular, moveable pointer.
Packaged 8-1/2 x 11 with instructions.
Perfect for taking with you to workshops or in the field!
$14.95 + shipping & handling + sales tax (CA residents)
For info on ordering go to:
www.robertburridge.com/Products
Color Wheel Poster & Travel Size
Set of Both Color Wheels
"The New Burridge Goof-Proof Color Wheel" AND
"Burridge Color Wheel - Travel Size!"
$29.95 + shipping & handling + sales tax (CA residents)
For info on ordering go to:
www.robertburridge.com/Products
The Composition of the Month
Meander - Number Nine in our featured series.
Meander Black & White Sketch
Meander... This is a peculiar composition design because it leans towards a design AND a comment. The construction of the graphic goes all over the place in a seemingly haphazard direction. It feels and looks undirected. When the design meanders, it has no beginning point or an end -- no rest areas. It just goes on and on. You might think of Jackson Pollock and his seamless drip painting series: No beginning and no end. But Pollock's has depth!
Jackson Pollock DVD Cover
The "comment" comes from the belief that the artist is lost without a road map - He doesn't know where he's going - There's no focal point. In fact, he DOES know where he's going: On a guideless journey. That's the fun part of this design composition. "Viewer, come with me on this visual journey and I'll show you something wonderful that I've found!"
Brice Marden Book Cover
The popular contemporary artist Brice Marden's works come to mind. Try this flowing experiment yourself. It just might help you see more rhythm and flow in your own work.
Meandering Bob!
For more info:
Plane Image: A Brice Marden Retrospective, published by The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2006
ISBN 978-0870704468 Buy at Amazon
Biography - Jackson Pollock
A&E Home Video, 2004
DVD - 50 minutes
ASIN B000P6R5Q6 Buy at Amazon
Useful Studio Tip from Bob
Why Wide Mouth Jars?
Studio Table Setup
Most of my preferred studio paints are Holbein Acryla tube paints. I squeeze the colors out on my large, flat table-palette. My table IS my palette! At the end of the day however, the leftover colors are, to say the least, hard to put back in the tubes. Eureka! I now squeeze my favorite tube colors into wide mouth jars. Since I paint large and mostly every day, I have found that having wide mouth jars ready to dive into each morning speeds up my starting time. If the paint is too thick, I thin it down with a little water so the consistency gives me a juicy feel and comes off the brush easily.
I have lots of jars of paint and I don't take the time to match up the lids with their matching jars at the end of the day. Instead I simply place a plywood board over the whole lot, and it's done. The next day I only have to lift off the board and I'm immediately ready to pick up where I left off.
The jars are like cheap Tupperware¨ style containers - all the same height and can be purchased in hardware or "dollar-type" stores.
I prefer the wide mouth design because it's easier for me to aim my big brushes and load up my paint - rather than trying to work around small palette trays.
Bob in his Studio
Whatever you do, make it easy for you to stay focused on your painting and spend less time fussing around with non-creative busy work. Get to it!
Product Review
Latest Resource for Watersoluble Drawing Pencils
Sharon DiGuilio of Jerry's Artarama sent me their huge art materials supply catalog, along with the pencils I prefer to draw with - See February 2008 ArtsyFartsy News.
They are:
• Derwent Sketching Dark Wash 8B
• Derwent Aquatone #67 Ivory Black
• Derwent Aquatone #72 Chinese White
Derwent Drawing Pencil
As I mentioned in last month's newsletter, I draw either on dry paper then smudge the drawing with my wet fingers, or I draw on moist paper and let the line bleed. I also can produce a light grey wash in specific areas with a soft brush dipped only in water. There are quite a few similar products to produce like results. I choose the above Derwent line of pencils.
And, as always, if you can't find these products in your local art supply store, use your favorite catalog supplier. Jerry's Artarama carries Derwent.
PS- When the drawing is finished, I seal it with Golden's Archival Varnish Mineral Spirit Spray with UVLS. It fixes the drawing so it won't move under high-moisture conditions. I guarantee this product, provided you follow the directions.
Sign Your Artwork
Bob with Signed Paintings
There are two questions I'm asked in every workshop: Should I sign my work? and What should I sign my name with?
Of course you should sign your work. When someone looks at a new painting, what's the next thing they look for? Who did it! Yes, sign your painting. And then I've heard this argument... "My signature ruins the design and integrity of my artwork." Ridiculous argument. A good, successful painting will stand on its own. The signature is the stamp of the artist's commitment that the painting is completed; the artist takes ownership of their work. An unsigned painting is a sign that the artist is ambiguous, has nothing to say and could be a sign of fear - Fear of failure and also fear of success.
Additionally, as an added bonus, as soon as you sign your work, legally you own the rights to that image for the rest of your life... plus seventy-five years after your death. (For more on this subject, go our our ArtsyFartsy News Article Archives) I sign my work on the bottom left or bottom right - where it will be most legible. I don't "hide" my signature. It's not an ego thing - it's marketing. I'm proud of the painting and I want the buyer to know that.
Now, what to sign with. I've tried every pen on the market and most eventually will fade, even though they are marked "permanent." They are not.
Signing Pens
These three pens are my winners for permanency, ease of writing and are available in fat or thin nibs. All must say "Oil Base." This is very important.
1. Zig "Painty" found in better art stores and usually found in Scrapbooking stores. Black, white, gold, silver and most colors.
2. Pilot Silver (or Gold) Marker found in art stores and office supply stores. They are messy and tend to leak. Problematic yes, but they sign beautifully. Walk away from your painting and shake the Pilot Marker until the little ball makes a click click click sound. Get the ink flowing and wipe the excess off the messy pen with a tissue. Then walk back over to your painting and sign. It's a bit of a ceremony and performance, but the pen works great! I use gold or silver in the dark paint areas for legibility. It dries within minutes.
3. Sharpie Paint as finally introduced "oil based" Sharpie style pens. They look like the standard Sharpie so make certain it says "Oil Based" Your signature will dry within minutes.
Bob Signing Litho Prints for Cruise Ships
Think about this...
Think about this...
Paint what you know
Teach what you learn
Love what you do
In Guatemala
Copyright ©2008 Robert Burridge. All rights reserved.
If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by contacting:
Robert Burridge Studio
Arroyo Grande, California
805-459-1503
rburridge@robertburridge.com
www.robertburridge.com
Click HERE to sign up for the ArtsyFartsy News.
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