Make Time your Friend not your Enemy

"Release" 24 x 30 mixed media
(Currently I'm adding two panels on each side and turning this into a triptych.)

Get a group of people together and their number one concern is time or the lack thereof. Their problem isn’t a lack of ideas. It isn’t money, although, this is a restricting factor. What worries small business owners the most is time. Every decision that is made is concerned with time: what it’s worth, how to set priorities, where to focus it for optimal growth. Marketing alone requires enormous amounts of time, and making product requires time. Without a product, there is nothing to sell.

(Sketch on panel)

A novice once asked me for detailed information on what it cost me to do a painting. He divided it into parts: supplies, paints, canvas, tools, and time spent in the actual painting. This picayunish breakdown was designed to belittle me and other artist’s work with little regard to the years it takes to perfect a skill or the knowledge required to assimilate what one sees and interpret it on canvas.

I gave him a simple mathematical tool he could use to consider basic costs: Multiply the size of the painting (i.e. 24 x 30), add any overhead costs the artist may have incurred (leased space / gallery, a model, etc.), and add the cost of a frame. This exercise at least gives you a basis from which to judge. Add into the equation, the artist’s background and notoriety and the worth of a painting is much easier to appreciate.

To reduce a painting to a dime-store print or a knock off which has been photographed on canvas and then given a few swipes of paint is an insult. This is not a serious buyer, but a person who hopes to get something for nothing. Walk away!

"1st panel on left" Will require many layers of paint to complete.

Some people get overwhelmed when they see the big picture and understand all the work that is required to become successful. If this is you, try to slow down and take one piece at a time. A child doesn’t learn how to walk all at once. Neither does success come without a series of mini-steps and hurdles to overcome.

Focus on one thing at a time:

• Prioritize your work list in order of importance
• Do as much as is humanly possible in your 24 hour day
• Don’t neglect your health or there will be no business
• Small increments of time are better than nothing
• Use down time for planning, organizing your thoughts, and creatively solving problems.

When your body is at rest, your mind can take over. I mentally paint even when I’m not at the canvas. Sometimes I solve problems in this way. At other times, an idea completely changes and moves in another direction. By the time I’m able to actually work at the canvas, I can move ahead quickly with confidence. Use your time wisely and it can be an asset not a liability.

"Bella Bellissiomo" 16 x 20 Acrylic on canvas
Currently on display at the SWF Coop Gallery at Coconut Point

Two other paintings are on display at this Gallery: "Hey, Coconut Man" and "With These Hands -- Hope"

Redwing Sighting

The air smelled heavy and earthy. The sun melted the last wisps of morning fog and warmed my back as I stood in the wet grass. A few yards away, a pair of male redwing blackbirds sparred in the underbrush, rising and falling like miniature conquistadors sporting shiny black satin and flashy red epaulets.


They lunged at each other, lifting exultant wings; their talons poised and threatening. Between lusty bouts, they perched on low-lying branches until the urge returned and they faced off again with aggressive thrusts and retreating pirouettes.

From the corner of my eye, a brown streaked bird with a long broad tail flapped into view. Was this plain, undistinguishable female the reason for this extravagant display of testosterone? She hovered over them casting her spell, flapping her wings like a butterfly on steroids.


First she tried to distract them by darting from side to side. Then she swooped near, pretending to protest their dual of love. When this didn’t work, she trailed after them as they whirled from bush to bush; a visual reminder of her stake in the outcome.


I left before their contest was over. I never witnessed the losing male’s defeat or the triumphant coming together of the welded pair. What I took away was an impression that later became a painting and brought back memories of Minnesota my second home.

The redwing blackbird is a year-round resident of both Florida and Minnesota. Their red shoulders and ebony black feathers make a striking contrast against the rolling sunflower fields of the upper Midwest where they flock in great numbers. The male exposes red epaulets during the mating season and can become quite aggressive, even attacking passing hawks, crows or people who invade their territory.

Redwing, Minnesota’s sandstone cliffs are a favorite gathering place for many of these migrating birds, attracting hundreds of tourists each summer to this normally quiet city. In October, the changing leaves along the Mississippi river and the quaint antique shops lure additional visitors to Redwing, one of my favorite cities.

In my acrylic painting, the wings and feathers of the redwing replicate the petals of the sunflowers and inspired my title: “Blending in.”For this and other bird art go to my online gallery @ http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com

Be Daring – Experiment! Join the “Art Revolution”

Lisa L. Cyr’s first book: “Art Revolution; Alternative Approaches for Fine Artists and Illustrators” is a wonderful way to rev up your artistic engine. Cyr’s book is filled with examples, techniques and ideas featuring many different artists. The book motivates, excites, and inspires me every time I pick it up.

I also have her second book: “Experimental Painting; inspirational approaches for mixed media art.” If you’re already familiar with faux techniques and collage, this book will merely springboard you to your own experimentation.

"Release" -- 24x30 mixed media

Above is my first “exploration” titled “Release.” I know I will get better as I gain more confidence. My recent workshop with Art Cunanan made me realize just how “tight” my brush work has become from drawing and painting portraits using oil paints as my main medium. Although I was pleased with the bright colors I used in my watercolor, it was evident my brushwork and approach were far too precise; at least to suit Art.

Sample close-ups within the painting

I’m hoping that a few experimental paintings will help me focus on imagination more and fundamentals less. My featured painting has been an evolution of ideas. The first draft included a monkey, a woman, and a different phrase by Joseph Campbell. My goal was to have a painting within a painting; but the overall effect made the painting look like an “origins of man” theme and the interior orchid looked overtly sexual as if being compared to a woman. Campbell’s verse was: “Ohm..the sound nature makes when it’s pleased with itself.”

This could have made an interesting painting, but was not the statement I wished to make. The second draft used this verse from Campbell: “Art is the set of wings to carry you out of your own entanglements.” Using this verse made the painting’s title obvious: “Release;” and for me it was a release.

I was able too use the same “jungle” theme with vines, hints of leopard and gold leaf, and butterflies to represent the “wings” in Campbell’s statement. Using Cyr’s instructions, I first applied butterfly pictures using a medium gel gloss directly on the colored surface and then applying it to the canvas. A brayer and my fingers, pushed the print color onto the surface. A few minutes later, I lifted the paper up and pale images were left behind. In some areas, I left them as they were, and in others, I livened up an edge, or added a touch of color.

I also used modeling paste on the gessoed canvas before adding any paint. I wanted some of the vines to be three-dimensional. I also applied modeling paste to a fern leaf and pressed it on the canvas for a raised leaf effect. The interior painting also has a frame fashioned with modeling paste and lace. Gold leaf and acrylic finished it off.

I wanted a clear contrast between the wild jungle background and the beautiful wild orchid in the frame. I used acrylics on everything but the interior portrait which was finished in oils and glazes.

I’ve taken shots of some of the detail in the painting so you may see what it entails. The 24 x 30 mixed-media painting is available on my online gallery @ http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com