Pond of Good Fortune, 36" x 36" acrylic and oil on gallery wrapped canvas Price $3240
"Context begins with other artists-seniors and mentors."~Kenneth Noland
This is part II, a continuation of the thoughts from “Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon. Past artists, teachers and mentors have influenced us all. As Austin Kleon says, “nothing comes from nowhere…nothing is completely original.” He advises that we look further in-depth of who inspired us and how they have influenced us.
Looking back at my influences, I do remember it started at a young age. Picasso was my first influencer, at seven, and I'm sure I didn't know who he was. I was attracted to one of my father's album covers that featured a one-eyed painting of Picasso's. This led me to draw portraits missing one eye for many years, up to and throughout high school. I tended to have an African influence in my drawings, of which through my research I found that Picasso was also influenced by an African statue Matisse gave him. Below is an African motif sculpture I created in 7th Grade.
Gauguin’s influence is also seen in my paintings; not only the color use, but also the flat planes and underlying abstract form. Matisse was always one of my favorites, reflecting the importance of design, color and flat shapes in my work. Wolf Kahn’s influence continues with my fearless love of color. As an added note, Matisse also influenced Wolf Kahn’s expressionistic use of pure color. My desire, like Kahn, is to create a unique use of color. My Artistic Lineage
Then there are the artists that others believe you are similar to. Many see a connection to Edward Hopper. Although I have admired his work, I never thought he was a great influence of mine, but on doing some research I discovered similarities in our loves and life. Hopper’s love of movies, Film Noire, bringing the theatrics in his scenes, his contrast of light and darks, and the theme of life still goes on, perhaps can be seen in my figurative pieces. My past teachers have also seen similarities in my work to Cezanne and Edvard Munch. Neither have I felt were my influencers.
What I have found is that in my research there are amazing overlaps. The artists that I admire have had some connection to the same artists that I am influenced by; “no man is an island”.
I realize that I am not only identifying with the artist, but also the technique. This became more evident as I saw the techniques repeated in many artists that I love. My desire now is to enhance these characteristics in future work giving me a future goal and direction.
This is a great exercise to not only help you understand where you have been, but where you are going.
Who were your biggest influences? Who is in your artistic lineage?
** "Pond of Good Fortune" 36″ x 36″, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, Price $3240, If you would like to purchase this painting please contact me at jvander51@msn.com or call (408)460-7237 Thank you!
"Remember" 30" x 40" Oil and acrylic on canvas SOLD
"What is originality? Undetected plagiarism." William Ralph Inge
Artists pride themselves on their artistic voice. We would like to feel our work stands out in the crowd. Hearing that my art is identifiably a "Vanderhoof" is the highest compliment I can receive.
Kleon believes that the secret to being creative is to learn how to steal ideas creatively from others. He doesn't want us to steal the style, but steal the thinking behind the style. He advises artists to take from the best and "remix it". You don't want to imitate or "rip off", but you want to transform the ideas you have discovered and create a new version.
Deciding to take Austin's idea further, I spent the last month investigating my favorite artists and their mentors. It was quite a discovery that I plan on sharing in my next post.
Why not study your artists you love and study them deeply? From where have you stolen your best ideas?
*Please contact me by email @jvander51@msn.com or phone (408)460-7237 for any inquires, on original art or commissions requests. Thank you!
"The Lost Horizon" 36" x 36" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas $3240
Success is neither magical or mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.~Jim Rohn
Art 2K14 was my third art challenge in a row. I am still learning about myself, my art and the business of marketing as I complete each challenge. My focus was to continue to paint 15,000 to 20,000 square inches for the year, but my biggest focus and challenge was to market and sell more art. It turned out to be a very successful year. In fact, my 2K14 sales was 4 x's the amount that I sold the first challenge, as I consecutively doubled each year. I would like to share some of the things I learned this year and perhaps you can tell me what worked for you this year.
If you don’t make your art public and available for your customers to see your sales will be random.
Out of site out of mind.
Not every venue is the best venue for your work.
You need to know who your customers are.
The more you try different venues, restaurants, country clubs, wineries, galleries, etc. the easier it will be to find out what is more effective and productive for sales.
Build a relationship with your customers and reward them for being your customers.
Great customers love your work and are great promoters of your work, use it to your benefit and their benefit.
Brainstorm and be creative with new ideas and venues for your art.
If a venue was very successful, try to line up the next year with duplicate venue that can either be the same or evolve into something bigger.
It's important that your art is sold by people who love your work.
Keep in contact with your customers, through newsletters, email, snail mail or visits; let them know what you are up to.
Remember your customer’s taste. When you paint something you know they would like, personally contact them and give them first choice.
Make sure you know what your dollar goal is for the year. Keep track of your sales monthly, to figure out your pace for the year.
If you succeed your goal, please keep up the momentum and take advantage of the sales.
Sales come in spurts.
Always be building inventory because without inventory there is no sales.
Have a variety of art to fit all your customer’s needs.
Make sure you save enough of your money from your sales to cover your supplies and extra costs.
Be willing to invest in high quality materials, including framing; your customers will notice.
And lastly, if you start becoming really successful, don’t sabotage yourself. You deserve your success, because you worked hard for it. Keep up the momentum.
*15,000 square inches completed for 2K14
** "Lost Horizon" 36" x 36", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, Price $3240, If you would like to purchase this painting please contact me at jvander51@msn.com or call (408)460-7237 Thank you!
A Sacred Place-36" x 36" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas $3240
Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again. -- Joseph Campbell
I’m a contemplative. I don’t know if I always was one or if that developed after I decided to stay home when Blake was born. I used to be in wholesale lumber sales, where constant noise and activity was the norm. I enjoyed the adrenaline rush of selling a commodity item and yet now I enjoy the quiet solitude of being home.
I have a “sacred space” that I visit regularly. It faces the most spectacular view. As I sit in this space, I easily go within. It puts me in a place of no time where I connect to the larger mind. Here I listen, I pray, I learn, and get inspired. I have been going to this space almost daily for the last 25 years. I originally went to this “sacred space” to be heard and prayed often for it. But now I have learned to listen and be. I am guaranteed something will always happen when I am in this space, especially if I am open.
Listening to the constant chatter that surrounds us daily from social media, the news, television, our cell phones or just noise in general prevents us from hearing our creative muse. Our thoughts from the reptilian brain, the extraneous debris of unusable information encloses us from the frontal creative part of our brain. We become unfocused and distracted by rampant thoughts causing our internal space to be small and cramped. Quietness and solitude can create a vast space for innovative ideas, inspiration, guidance and problem solving.
Find your sacred space, it can be at home, in nature, or wherever you can find a moment of peace and quiet. Soon you will discover this sacred place will also become your creative space, a place of no limits, boundaries or time.
2K14 CURRENT FOOTAGE 10276 SQ INCHES *ALL ART FROM JANET VANDERHOOF’S FINE ART GALLERY, MAYBE SEEN IN JANET’S STUDIO AT MORGAN HILL, CA. YOU MAY PURCHASE BY CONTACTING MY EMAIL JVANDER51@MSN.COM OR PHONE (408) 460-7237. THANK YOU!
“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?“ – Henry David Thoreau
"Cypress at Pebble Beach" 36" x 48" gallery wrapped, Oil and Acrylic $4320
When is the best time of the day to create? I guess the answer is anytime as long as you create.
Each morning I have a plan to get as much done as possible. I do believe my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but I also believe that my schedule is lopsided and out of balance. There are certain things I must do daily and have committed to doing no matter what. I recently added meditation to my list and have been meditating for close to a month. Meditation has made me more focused and also more productive. But it has also made me realize that I am not using my day effectively, especially to create.
So the question when is the best time to create? Everyone probably has a time of the day they feel most productive. I am a morning person so A.M is the most productive time of the day for me. I have heard of people waking up at 3:00 in the morning being inspired regularly to create, so I don’t think there is a hard-set time for creativity and there is an argument that you can’t wait to be inspired before you create you just need to be present and get to work.
In the A.M. I have the most energy and I am the clearest. I usually use this energy to do things that don’t take much thinking; they are habit, exercising, cleaning, chores etc. Then why am I wasting this precious energy that would be most effectively used otherwise especially to create? I do have an answer for that, but that may be another post. I do believe it is “guilt”.
So as of today my schedule is going to change, and that includes creating first thing in the morning. I will try this for 7 days and let you know how my experiment goes.
Would you like to join me? Or is there a schedule that you would like to share that helps you create at your full potential?
*Cypress at Pebble Beach, 36" x 48" oil and acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $4320
2k14 current footage 7,780 sq. inches *All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
