"Chalk Hill"
This is such a familiar scene to me...this is the view once I pull out of my driveway. I see this seen everyday and have seen it in all sorts of weather. Those big clouds are a pretty common occurence most of the year. I really like the contrast they give the hillside with that one big eucalyptus tree. In summer the grasses are wonderful ochres which really pops the cloud formations. Here is my reference photo I worked from.
This one was done alla prima in a little over an hour. Christmas is almost here and it is really difficult to work on a larger painting. Too many errands popping up! I hate starting and stopping on paintings. I was in Santa Barbara a few times this past week which gave me time to run down to the harbor to snap some reference photos. I've been going through them and there is some really nice ones which will probably become paintings in the next month or so. I'm dying to paint another boat scene while I'm still in that Marine Art mode. I spend so much time throughout the year concentrating on landscapes I don't seem to find the time to work on things nautical.
I was speaking to an artist friend yesterday and the subject of seascapes came up. We both seemed to agree that they are very hard to sell. One of the gallery owners I know wouldn't even carry seascapes because she said they couldn't sell them....here we are not 10 miles from the ocean and it is hard to sell anything with water in it. I remember once deciding to show my work in Morro Bay because I figured it would be the place to sell my marine work...the first year I was there I only sold one painting and it was a scene of the mountains behind Sana Barbara! There might be something to Marine art taking a back seat in sales to most other subjects. So, if you are a painter of seascapes living in Kansas and think heading to the coast would be the thing to do to sell your work you should think twice about that, hahaha.
4 comments:
Fortunately you paint the inland scenes beautifully, Ron!
Happy Holidays and have a great New Year as well!
Very interesting. I find that my paintings with water such as ponds, lakes, and rivers sell the best. A survey of what sells best in different parts of the nation would probably be fascinating. A gallery owner in Asheville, NC once told me that they could not sell figurative work. However, I see that they are now carrying some, so perhaps tastes have changed.
Hi Marian - Hahahaha, yep, there is always the landscape to be painted and it's constant learning too. Merry Christmas to you and yours Marian!!!!
Hi Connie - I'm sure those subjects do well too. I'm really talking about Marine art, boats, harbors etc...Even coastal scenes seem to take longer to sell. You're right though, what sells in various parts of the country would be more than interesting to read.
Have a great Christmas Connie!
Ron
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