Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Crazy Times...

It has been warm here the last few days, so I thought I would greet you with thoughts of spring. This photo was taken from a hotel room in Brecon, Wales, United Kingdom. The flower boxes were incredible and the flowers were not only flowing down the front of the building on the outside, but they were growing into the room. I still look forward to a bit of winter, though.


Tomorrow I will show you what I have been up to for the last two days, but tonight I wanted to speak a bit about the tiny thing I do to encourage participation of viewers/clients. One of the things which is important to me is to encourage those who purchase any of my paintings to participate a little beyond viewing. No, I am not talking about handing them a canvas to make their own paint mark on top of mine or anything as drastic as that. It is far easier to take, at least for me.


As you have probably gathered, once my paintings have been painted, I have less of an attachment to them than I do while I am working on them. I suppose there are probably others who do this as well, but I thought it was a good way to encourage what is also important to me. I sign my canvases on the edge rather than the front. In doing that, they can be hung in the way the client wants to view them. Several of the people who own my work have commented on how they appreciate that. One client moves quite a bit and has said that in some of their homes it looks good one way and in other homes it looks good hanging another way. She really appreciated not being dictated by the signature. I am sure this is probably not the greatest thing to do if I want people to recognize my signature, but what I really want is for owners to enjoy what they have of mine.


Do you do anything to encourage participation in your art?


It is good to be back talking with you again.


Until tomorrow....

8 comments:

jafabrit said...

I so enjoyed your photograph today.
I try to be very discreet with my signature, to the point one barely notices it. I think it a super idea for artwork that can be viewed in many positions to have the signature on the side.

~Babs said...

That is one awesome photo Kim,,,just LOOK at those fleurs!
I can't imagine being able to grow something that lush!
About the 'participation' question,,,,my mind is a complete blank,,,but I'll think about it.
I have been staying awake too late reading lately!
:-)

Anonymous said...

Well there's a coincidence! We were in Brecon just a couple of days ago. It's just an hour and a half from where I live and it was a beautiful sunny day :)
I really appreciate your encouragment with my painting, and here's another coincidence, you talked about how some people view your paintings the 'wrong way up'? My exhibition was advertised in a magazine yesterday and they'd printed my painting sideways. Trouble was, it wasn't a particularly abstract one!

Andrea and Kim said...

Thank you, Jafa! Do you know the Brecon area? I don't know what part of the UK you call home. A small signature is also wonderful, I think. I am glad you liked the idea of the side, though.

Andrea and Kim said...

Babs! You would love this area. It is exceptionally pastoral and lovely, but it is very different from OKC. In a large part of the UK flowers kind of grow themselves, it seems. Now you know why it is a country of gardeners. I have never seen gardens like there. You know how lush tropical gardens are? While the flowers are different, the lushness is similar!

Yes, I know you have been up in your studio, too. There are lots of new paintings on your blog site. Okay, I will buy the reading, too. We have that same passion.

Andrea and Kim said...

Jess! Well me telling you about this one was timely! I know it wasn't funny when you saw that photo. Where was the editior? Was this some new work that was hanging? You are amazing with the brush as well as the pen!

You are just a half hour from Brecon? Jess, you live in an incredibly beautiful part of the world! I loved it over there (We were in the New Forest in Hampshire, England). I miss the UK and all the lovely people there.

Thanks for visiting!

Daphne Enns said...

Interestingly enough I also sign most of my paintings on the edges as quite a number of my pieces are multi-directional. I think that this is a result of my years of thinking 3-dimensionally as an interior designer.

I'm excited to have found your blog. I'm looking forward to finding other similarities within our work and ideas.

Andrea and Kim said...

Welcome Daphne! I am also excited you have found my blog, as it sounds as though we do have several similarities in our backgrounds!

I have to agree my signing my art on the side probably came from my understanding of clients enjoying their spaces more when they participate in their creation (even on the smallest level...hopefully on the smallest level), so if they can decide the best "view" for them, then they may also enjoy the painting more.

Thank you so much for visiting. I hope you come again.