By Janelle Sullivan
If you are an aspiring artist, you have probably learned how difficult it is to achieve fame. To me, my art is very personal. When I started painting, it was painful to me if everyone wasn’t as excited about my work as I was. I realized, eventually, that if I was happy with what I produced, it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. I will never be Georgia O’Keefe and I am OK with that. That being said, many artists never acquire the fame they hope for in their lifetime – not even Van Gogh – but, let’s see if we can come up with a method to get some extra attention.
How can I get noticed?
In order to have your work seen by the “right people” you have to get out there and make connections. Go to art studios and talk to the owners, and the customers, if the owners will allow it. Go to every art show you can find. Look at the work that is being sold at these shows. I will never suggest you change your style of painting just to make people buy your work. Your art should be an extension of you, and you should always stay true to who you are; but, being aware of what is being created and what sells in a certain area can help you find the right spot for your artwork. (more…)
By Janelle Sullivan
I used to love the day the new phonebooks would arrive. I loved opening it up and looking for our name and phone number. I would feel so grown up when my mom would ask me to look up a number for her. And then there were all those other uses for phonebooks; like a booster seat when my hair needed a trim or a great step up for Mom’s step aerobics. Slowly but surely the phone book has faded away. I don’t have one in my home at all. I have opted out of receiving one, in the interest of saving paper, as I wouldn’t use it, anyway. (more…)
By Janelle Sullivan
I love color! I am captivated by the way colors interact in a garden, a painting, or even a rack of sweaters in a department store. It intrigues me when I look in my friend’s closet and see all of her clothes organized by color. But my closet, with its chaotic array of colors, makes me smile. My mom always says it is my artist’s soul that allows color to bring me such pleasure. She may be right but I think everyone reacts, in some way, to color. It has been proven to have an effect on both your behaviors and your emotions.
Color and Your Mood
When we talk about your mood, we are referring to the quality of your feelings at a specific time. How can color affect a person’s mood? Different colors can elicit very personal feelings in individuals. Often, these feelings come from past experiences, or the culture you were raised in. In our society white is worn for weddings, as a symbol of innocence and purity. In some Eastern cultures white is the color worn for mourning, therefore it is the color associated with grief. Cool colors, such as blues and greens, are considered calming. Warm shades, like red and orange, evoke feelings of warmth and comfort for some, but hostile, angry feelings in others. Scientists have not done large scale research on color and its effect on people, so there is not very much empirical evidence to prove the theory. What remains is a lot of anecdotal evidence on color and human mood and emotion. My favorite color is red! If I want to feel vibrant and in charge I will wear my favorite red sweater. It seems to boost my mood and my confidence at the same time. I guess that is my contribution to anecdotal evidence. (more…)
By Janelle Sullivan
Vincent van Gogh was born 1853 and left this world in 1890 at the very young age of 37. I can’t imagine that there are very many people who have never heard of van Gogh. This is not a name that would only be recognized by art aficionados, but rather by most everyone. That means Vincent van Gogh would be classified as a famous man. And we all know that famous people are rich and live fabulous lives, right? Not so at all. Van Gogh’s story is a monumentally sad story that could definitely leave you in tears. You may know his paintings but I would like to share some of his story with you.
Who Was Vincent van Gogh?
Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands and was the son of a Dutch Protestant minister. He was raised believing that he would follow his father’s footsteps and serve humanity with a religious calling. Vincent put his entire being into becoming the theologian that his father was, but was unable to achieve this goal. He had a tendency to be very single minded with everything he attempted and was prone to burn out followed by failure. Vincent van Gogh was a truly tormented man who saw himself as a failure in all that was important to him, both in his career and his personal life. (more…)
By Janelle Sullivan
I always thought transparencies were the coolest things. Imagine printing something on a clear film and then being able to project the image on the wall for everyone to see. The overhead projector, with its light bulbs, mirrors and lenses was once considered the height of technology. Transparencies were used in classrooms as a way of sharing images or problems with an entire classroom full of students. Even major airlines, such as Boeing and Beechcraft, used transparencies to review designs with their engineers. But transparencies are joining a large group of obsolete printing technologies that are being replaced by more modern technologies. (more…)
