I should have qualified the statement about plein air -- I meant California plein air artists.
lots of interesting points - I did mean email the site privately osso - not put it on A2k, I may not have made it clear. I can see the reasons that links aren't allowed.
Have you looked at geocities for creating your site? My site is pretty simple and basic, because I just wanted the images to speak for themselves. I designed it using Frontpage - so the colours/font/layout etc are totally controllable and, like you i don't sell online. I simply use it as a very important showcase when talking to galleries, who can see a limited number of originals that i can carry plus a larger range of work online. It's free if you accept a small popup ad in the top right hand corner, which you can close down out of the way. It is a first attempt and so isn't sophisticated or clever but it has done its job! I've had some strange contacts through it as well - a gallery in Italy wanted to show my work - mmm - but i had to hire the gallery and ship the work ... thanks but no thanks! one artist in Portugal wanted to swap paintings ...
I for one would love to see more of your work.
Misti is the expert on free sites for photos - it would be lovely to see your Italian photos, I'd love to go to Italy - specially Florence and Venice and Tuscany.
I understand that for some working plein air isn't important and your work does have a terrific sense of place, so for you it works not to paint outside. I don't like rules, so, whatever works for you and produces good paintings is right. Also you are working outside a great deal in your work and so a lot of information is constantly being observed.
I need to work outside as well as in the studio. I don't find photos satisfying enough personally - the film doesn't show all the colours the eye can see and the 3 dimensionality is important to me (though i do use them as additional reference and takes zillions for their own sake - 192 from one week in Devon!). I think that part of this is that in working from something 3D, i give the perspective and movement of the planes etc my own sort of twist and may distort it slightly. With a 2D photo I just don't do this the same - so I'm like Farmer on this (LOVE the signature line by the way!)
There are a lot of really good painters in Scotland at the moment, where the influence of the Scottish Colourists is still strong (- they worked in France alongside the Impressionists/post impressionists, you probably know?). Putting Scottish Colourists (English spelling of colour necessary!) in google you'll come up with work by the original colourists and some brilliant contemporary work.
Well, I'll do that, I'd like to see those scottish colourists' works.
Ah, I am very very very picky about a website's look and don't want ads at all, though the one popup doesn't sound too awful. I'll be getting in gear on it one of these days.
I found a stash of 8 x 10's I had done years ago of some old work.. it will be fun to scan those, though I'll have to reduce them.. finally I can show the Nude with Bicycle..
Now THAT will be an interesting picture. Lady Godiva on wheels.
Right now, our Letty is probably having a rough time heading for higher ground (Tampa, Florida).
Really, eek...
thanks, jl.
Misti, Rae and cats are fine - the storm just missed them.
