I was talking with a few artist friends the other day about the way we sketch...or even IF we sketch at all. Some just go right at it on the canvas....others sketch but with only a single pencil...another does only watercolor sketches
I actually like to sketch -- this is where I tweak my composition to include the lightest lights through to the darkest darks. I like my paintings to have a yin/yang experience with my values. Believe it or not, I actually sketch with a black Sharpie, a #2 pencil and some white-out and almost always on white sketch paper. Sketching and drawing on while paper is my preference because I tend to see and document the very darkest darks first. It's just easier for me to see various shades of dark rather than the various shades of light -- which is probably why my favorite part of my painting "Couch Potato" is Miss Spot's rump where there are just very subtle shades of black and grey. I was once told that I am good in the shadows -- perhaps they were right.
Anyway, for my Sharpie and white-out sketches....Below are a couple that I did while living in Baltimore and one I did on our last trip to Sweden. I plan on eventually completing paintings of both of the Baltimore sketches, but they have fallen behind in my priorities. I do love these sketches though. What do you think?
So Long to 2007.....This year, as every year, I look back and review my accomplishments. This gets me fired up because, day-to-day I'm just too busy too take it all in and often wonder at the end of the day if I accomplished anything at all! Let's take a look....
Launched my One A Day Gallery -- this was very successful from a sales perspective...not so successful from a time-management perspective. It was pulled from my website midyear so that I could relaunch it on my blog -- a much easier format for updating and posting...AND selling! (more on my blog in a minute)
My painting "Erik" received an Honorable Mention in the Member's Juried show at the Somerset Art Association
"My Little Viking" was a Finalist in the Richeson 75: Figure & Portrait International competition and was additionally honored by being placed on the inside flap of the front cover of their book published by the same name. My paintings "Erik II" and "Rocking with the Dr." received meritorious entry into the book as well.
Started teaching Drawing and Painting at the Somerset Art Association
Studied with David Leffel at The Art Students League of NYC -- what a master! Love him!
Formalized my business by setting up Merchant Services -- I can now take all the major credit cards!
Opened a high interest Business Savings account
Advertised for six months in NJ Family MagazineTraveled to Long Island, Maryland, Virginia, Chicago, Wisconsin and Ohio for art related work -- and many trips into the "city"
Finished 35 paintings and 5 commissioned works
Started working with Alyson Stanfield of ArtBizCoach.com who specializes in promotion and "all things creative"
Took a 23 week "Promote Your Art with Confidence" online course with Alyson. Highly recommended!
Continued to volunteer for The Portrait Society of America as their New Jersey and Delaware Ambassador
Launched a blog for the PSA NJ & Delaware members in addition to formalizing my newsletter and communications
Formalized my method of communication by choosing and signing up with ConstantContact
Painted en plein air most of the summer and early fall
Joined the Somerset County Business Partnership
Finally finished the portrait of Jonas that I've been working on since 2006!
Read 15 books and listened to 7
Ended the year with a two page article written about me in Somerset Business Magazine. "Jamie Lindholm Portraits: A Thousand Words are Not Enough" by Christopher Reardon December, 2007
For 2008, I'm going to continue to build on all the valuable information I gained in 2007. I'm so excited about the possibilities and I'm looking forward to sharing them all with you!
Oh, it's been a busy year, hasn't it?? maybe it's just me....I'm kicking off the new year with a studio newsletter that will be going out to my mail list. Contained within it, I do an assessment of what I've done throughout the year and what I want to accomplish for 2008.
I didn't actually think that I could do that much, but it's hard to refute when you see it all in black & white. I thought 2006 was a good year, but I see that 2007 was better and that 2008 looks even more promising!
I'm ending the year with a wonderful article written by Christopher Reardon of Somerset Business Magazine about me and my Portraits. I couldn't be more grateful for the wonderful story he told.
I wish him and the rest of you out there a HAPPY NEW YEAR and I hope you have nothing but smiles and blessings throughout 2008.
Jamie
ps....you'll actually have to wait for the newsletter to see my 2007 In Review!
Well it's that time of year again. In the past three Christmas seasons, I have not taken my son to see Santa Claus. He was just too young and I thought it might be more traumatic for him than anything. THIS YEAR however, he verbally dragged me there. He couldn't wait to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas and his face just beamed as he first met him. It's no wonder his face is a constant inspiration for me to paint portraits. If I could just capture that expression on his face.....
Merry Christmas!!!
December 08, 2007
Dear Jamie,
Keep doing new stuff.
Keep doing new stuff, Jamie.
Keep doing new stuff.
The
Universe
I love these "truly unique thoughts" (www.tut.com) from the universe.....Keep doing new stuff -- I have always been a big believer and advocate of change...or so recently this was presented to me as "transition". I believe that to continue to grow and learn we must change. Every moment in time is change after all, isn't it.
so, what new stuff did I do today? Well let me think about it for a second. I started a painting of a new subject that I have never painted -- magnolia blooms from our tree in the side yard. It's almost finished and should be finished tonight, so I'll post it tomorrow.
I also went for a walk in the neighborhood while it was snowing. I forgot how wonderful it is to be out in the fresh air while it's snowing. It's rejoicefully quiet....only one of my neighbors was out and he was just getting firewood.
So, what did you do today that was new? What are you going to do that's new tomorrow? What new stuff am I going to do tomorrow? ......I'll let you know!
Remember awhile back when I talked about painting "en plein air" at Jockey Hollow? Well, it took me awhile but I finally photographed the little painting
and wanted to share.
I actually donated the study to the Somerset Art Association for their Small Wonders exhibit and sale, so if you like it, you can bid on it!
The exhibit started November 5th at Somerset Art Association. If you're anywhere near Bedminster, NJ, please stop in and tell Robyn I sent you.
This is going to be a great weekend! Anytime I can help contribute to a good cause, I'm happy to -- mostly, because I am grateful that I am able to. I'm grateful that I have something that some one else may want to buy....and with that purchase, help a family and their son, brother, friend Dylan fight the biggest fight of his life. So, if you're anywhere near New York City, I invite you to join us:
Eight Mile Creek 240 Mulberry Street NYC, NY 212-431-4635
From 4-7pm
Gold Star tickets are available at the door on the day of the event ($150)
In addition to a "portrait to be painted", I am donating one of the paintings from my M & M series for the auction-- see below
I love it when you put a thought or an intention out there and the universe works....I'm continuously inspired by the possibilities.
So, if you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, I'll let you in on a little miracle that happened to me today. I have been taking an online "Promote Your Art" course through Alyson Stanfield of ArtBizCoach.com. One of the lessons was about networking and discussed joining an art organization. Since I already belong to some pretty reputable art organizations, I decided that I would join the Somerset County Business Partnership (SCBP). I'm a business and thought I should network from that prospective for a change. What a better way to actually network with part of my target market, right?
Now, parallel to this activity, I participated in a teleseminar on how to get your artwork into magazines. It was also produced by ArtBizCoach and editor, Jennifer King provided her knowledgeable advice regarding magazines and editors, etc. I found it to be very informative and I had confidence that I might actually be able to accomplish this -- it might take me a few months, but I would try. I promptly added it to my Franklin Planner under business goals for 2008.
When the universe wants to work fast, it really can. Today, I received a phone call from an editor from the Somerset County Business Magazine, who would like to write an article on me and my journey from being an international transaction technology Business Analyst in NYC's financial district to full time artist. As a new member to the SCBP, he came across my information, read my background and was intrigued. I have not yet met with him -- I'll keep you posted.
Right now, I'm just celebrating the way the universe works!
Have you had any similar experiences? I'd love to hear about them....
I am working on a new project -- it's a painting to be auctioned off as part of a fundraiser for a young man named Dylan Hartung. I met Dylan through my Aussie friends last summer...if he were still in Australia, this probably wouldn't have happened. Not because of the obvious geographic distance, but because of the fact that his doctors in Australia gave him only six months. That was a couple years ago!!!
But, others tell his story much better than I .... visit these links and get inspired by a mother's love and determination and by a "cheeky" little boy. :D I did. ps. I'll post the painting when I'm finished.
If you are at all inspired by this journey, there is a fundraiser scheduled for November 11th from 4-7 at 8 Mile Creek restaurant in NYC and you can email me for more information.
I received an email today encouraging me to look at a trailer for a movie about Plein Air Painting. So, I did. I loved the trailer and I can only hope that the movie gets distributed nationally.
I'm going to basically rewrite the original email because I don't want to leave any of the information out. So here goes...
I want to share the "Local Color" trailer that has
just posted on YouTube and ask you to visit the sight and perhaps post a
comment. For those of you who don't know the backstory in the making of this
film, it is a film that George and Julie Gallo made based on events that
happened in George's life when he was 18 and searching for meaning.
With no support from the studio system, as well as
independent money to finance the film, the Gallos decided that they so believed
in putting this beautiful, inspirational story out there, that they mortgaged their
home to make it. Their producing partner also mortgaged his home and the rest
of the money was raised through friends and family. What they are aiming for is
to have a great opening weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they are
debuting the film on October 19th, in anticipation of opening wider at the
beginning of next year.
So, for those of you that believe that in an age of cynicism such as we are presently experiencing, it is necessary for us all to put "good positive messages" out into the world. Please share this information with anyone and everyone you think would be interested. For those of you who don't live in the Scottsdale, Arizona area, maybe you know someone who knows someone that lives there that you can pass this on to...and so on...and so on.....
Link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/localcolormovie
