Positive. Negative.

Which Shall It Be?

Five Portraits of Dat so la lee 

Original paintings by Pamela Hunt Lee

I follow several blogs, some crafted by other artists.  I follow several artists who have Facebook pages.  It's fun, entertaining, and educational.  Every day I take a bit of time to read these and while running through those posts today I came across two very different opinions from two distinctly different creators.  The newest post from Alfinsen Arts Alive which throws out some comments and questions about innovation, experimentation, and working with the public has a positive note (as well as some great images and a cool story about a street artist).  The other, from a completely different person is one of several Facebook posts complaining about the buying public, and carries a distinctly negative connotation.

Without getting into the messy details, the basic question seems to be:  Do we create for ourselves or do we create for the buyer?  

A secondary question would necessarily evolve: If you create for the buyer are you selling out, not following your passion? This second question came bubbling up when an artist's work was considered for purchase by a prospective customer only to have the possible sale negated by an interior designer who didn't care for colors in the work stating it "wouldn't look good over the sofa".  Though we artists may not like to hear that, we all know it happens.  So then what? Let the hair stand up on your neck, get angry and frustrated, or move on knowing that what you have created is true to yourself, your style, your objectives. Or if asked, create something that would fit the space, in essence painting for the customer?  These are questions each artist must answer for herself.

I firmly believe that if you create for yourself, follow your passion, your inspiration, push yourself and actually create (not just produce), your work will be accepted.  When a prospective customer inquires about my work I help them become familiar with what it is I create, help them understand why I create what I do, educate them, and let them decide if my work is something they would like to spend time with, live with.  If an artist wants to sell, part of the job of the artist is to educate the public about their art. Oh sure, there are a few potential customers who cannot decide for themselves and let someone else sway their decision, but that doesn't happen often. 

So what will it be?  The Positive or the negative?  I choose the Positive.  How about you?  Leave me a comment.....

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Failure and Art

It Takes Failure to Succeed.

Indeed it does take failure to have success.  If we cannot experience a failure we may not recognize and appreciate a success.  Failures help us grow, push us to work harder for that success.  We need to embrace failure as a learning tool, an inspiration to continue to strive for that we wish to attain.

Asked, a few years ago, whether or not I had failures with my art I had to laugh, though it is no laughing matter.  YES!  I have failures, but they do not stop me.  They make me work harder to achieve what it is I am working towards, to realize my vision.  Do I like failures?  NO!  But I see failure as a learning experience.

So when I was invited to create a work of art for Placer Arts' Outside The Box exhibition, and it failed miserably, I had to back out of the exhibition.  Now that is something I do not like to do, but in this case there just wasn't time to recreate my vision.  Will I just walk away from this?  NO!  I will go back to this particular vision and continue to work with it until I reach success.  It has become a challenge.  

This is the 'box' the way it arrived from Placer Arts.  I had it ground into sawdust, created a type of clay with the dust and began my project.  And when it didn't work, I started over.  And when that didn't work I started again.  I ran out of time to begin a fourth time, and complete my work prior to the exhibition entry deadline, but begin again I will, and this particular project will come to life.  It's all about inspiration, dedication, learning from the failure and moving on to recognize and achieve success.   

To contact me click HERE

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To take a look at Outside The Box, A Placer Arts Event click HERE

Lake Tahoe Paintings

 Three Weeks of Mild Weather.

That's it for Northern California and the Lake Tahoe area. Mild.  That is not what we are all seeing for the remainder of the country.  Brrrr...it looks cold out there.  But here, at Tahoe it has been unusually clear and warm.  This is not a situation that is good for the lake level or the local businesses, but one that must be accepted since there is nothing any of us can do about it, but live with it and enjoy it.

Lots of people are out on bikes, hiking, and using the water.  It's pretty amazing to see paddle boarders skimming across the lake in January.  I choose my kayak because I can load it up with my sketch book, camera and other art related items. Posted here are a a couple little paintings created using the inspiration from these kayak trips.  Yes, back to my passion, painting.  And back to painting Lake Tahoe Boulders from the water instead of winter inspired work, but that's how it is when the weather is mild day after day.  

To Contact Me Click HERE

To Visit My Web Site Click HERE