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Many of us do Circle Around the Edges of our lives for various reasons.

It could be because of a lack of money, motivation or education to take the steps necessary to jump in the middle and pursue your passion and live the life you only dream about.

My job as an artist, as I see it, is to Motivate, Encourage and Empower you with confidence through my bold, delightful paintings. And to inspire you to jump from the edges and get into the center of your quest for a fulfilled life.

Motivational and compliments the room beautifully.

Every time you view them on your home or office walls they not only delight your senses with their colors and patterns, but motivate you with gentle reminders to pursue your dream for a fulfilled life.

Circling Around the Edges greets you each morning with delight but also as a reminder to pursue your dreams.

At the office meeting it greets you as you enter to remember your end game to your goal in life.

My abstract paintings motivate me of my goal in pursuing my passion for continuing to grow through creating my art.

My goal is to give you a delightful feeling in viewing my art on your walls while giving your dreams a nudge that it is possible if you stay on a steady path. 

Take a larger look at Circling Around the Edges for that motivation that might be missing to bring your life full circle.

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2.  And then go to my social media and follow me there. A big thanks.

There many of us who love large art for our homes or office but don’t have the wall space to accommodate it.

It is either too tall or too wide or both.  But you fell in love with a painting and had to have it. Now what do you do so you can display it? So you can get that great feeling you get every time you look at it.

1. Buy an easel-not the type artists use to paint on but one that is made to show art. There are all types out there on the market. I prefer either black or silver metal ones. Make sure that it can accommodate the size of painting you want to display.

Here are some ideas with my new painting, Moving Within the Lines, 36” H X 24”W, Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas

2. Lean it on top of a chest or bureau that is no taller than waist height.

Here are some examples using the same painting, Moving Within the Lines, 36” H X 24”W, Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas

Turn the painting horizontally in both directions  if it won’t fit on your wall height wise to hang. And see if you still like it that way. If so hang it and try it out. See below...What do you think? You can hang a painting anyway it appeals to you!

I have to say I like it all the ways I have shown you. What about you?

Let me know if you need help with your choice. I will be happy to give you some ideas.

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2.  And then go to my social media and follow me there. A big thanks.

Let me detail what I mean and you can determine if it works for you in your situation.

Life today can get complicated real fast with all the choices we have available to us.

Purchasing ART causes anxiety for many because they feel that they need to know a lot about art to choose the “right art” for their home or office walls.

There are only 2 things you really have to determine when purchasing art.

1. Does the art speak to you? By this I mean do you get a feeling of familiarity, or attachment, or it brings back a memory and you want to repeat that feeling again? Most times your mind will go back to that artwork over and over again and you regret that you don’t own it.

2. The other issue is the spacing you have for the art. Do you have space for a large piece of art anywhere in your home or office that can accommodate a piece of art that size?

This 2nd determination, SIZE, is what makes owning a series of smaller artworks/paintings that were created to go together an advantage to own when they speak to you and you know you have to have them. They were made for you.

The Advantages:

1. If the series of art consists of 2, 3, or 4 or more, you can separate them on different walls in the same room or in separate rooms for a cohesive look among the art in your room(s). Four 12” X 12” paintings hung 2 up, 2 down = (approx.) 26” square painting!

2 Exciting Examples below of 2 up and 2 down:

Left image are my Structure A, B, C, D ~ Right image shows my 2 Green Peace & Moving Spaces 1 & 2 (all 12” X 12”)

We are a society that moves a lot. So at some point you decide to move to a different location or you eliminate a piece of furniture in your current location and now have space for a larger painting. VOILA, instant larger artwork to fill the space. And small art is much easier to pack, ship and keep safe when moving.

2. The 2nd advantage is size again in determining your layout on your walls or elsewhere. Below are 3 exciting examples of art that are a series of the same 3 paintings that are arranged in 3 different ways. And I have more arrangement suggestions for them too!

3 Exciting Examples below:  Crazy Daze 1, Crazy Daze 2, Crazy Daze 3   Again, all are 12” X 12” on wrapped canvas

      


I will give you some more exciting examples in future posts of different layouts using series of 2, 3, and 4 or more. And using different sizes together. Stay tuned.

To view all my selection of small paintings go to my Abstract Small Portfolio

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2.  And then go to my social media and follow me there. A big thanks.

Storing Paintings:

Let me give you 2 important facts about canvas fabric.

1. It needs to breathe so it cannot be stored for large amount of times in an enclosed structure like a sealed box.

2. Stretched canvas retains any shapes and dings when something leans up against it and makes the canvas indent and stretch in or out with a different shape up against it. So be very careful how you place your painting and what may lean against it and damage it.

When storing canvas paintings in a closet or room:

You can store 2 identical-sized paintings, without frames, face-to-face in an open top mirror box. If you have various sizes you will need to stack there in various sized boxes. If you only have several paintings you need to stack in an area you can lean them against a wall without a box. Make sure that they are not leaning on a shape that can put dings in them.

If you are moving and need to pack them for storage or shipping, use a mirror box.

Preferably double box the painting(s). Wrap a piece of cardboard around the painting, at least the same size as the painting. Put packing, preferably bubble wrap or paper between the cardboard wrapping the canvas and the outer box. (there is acid-free cardboard available)

Don't wrap the painting on canvas itself in bubble wrap or anything that can stick, indent or stab the canvas. If you can find some cardboard corners to put on the corners of your canvas, that is an extra protection. Just make sure they are the right size and don't indent into the canvas.

Another idea for canvas paintings on stretcher bars, especially if it is an expensive painting, is to have it taken off the stretcher bars and roll it up and put it in a box. I would recommend you go to a frame shop and let them take it off the stretchers for you and wrap it up in a roll to put in a container. When it gets to your destination you can go back to a frame shop to have it re-stretched.

Large art is difficult and time consuming to wrap, box and ship. It might be best to have a professional art shipper wrap and ship your art to its destination. This painting, A Bit of Whimsy in Your Day, is 24” long by 48” wide. You would need a container at least 54” wide, 28” long and 7” deep. No such box exists so one would have to be made for it.

When you own something that gives you so much pleasure, you want to protect it and keep it safe. I hope you have learned some information here to keep your cherished paintings in great shape for years to come.

 You can contact me if you have any other questions about your paintings. 

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2.  And then go to my social media and follow me there. A big thanks.

After promoting my fine art paintings/collages for 10 years now, it has come to my attention that my followers don’t know that I am a professional illustrator also.

Many of my earlier illustrations were created the same way that I create my fine art paintings, using acrylic paint and mixed media on canvas or canvas paper.

My illustrations have been used in many national and international publications as listed below:

selected illustration clients…

• Atlantic Monthly Magazine • Advertising Age • Carlson Voyageur Magazine • Chicago Tribune
• Christian Parenting Magazine • Consumer Reports Magazine • General Learning Corporation
• Graphic Artists Guild • Los Angeles Times • MacMillan Publishing • Prime Times MagazIne
• Rochester Institute of Technology • Silver Burdett & Ginn • Scholastic, Inc. • Syracuse University
• Ventures Quarterly Magazine • George Washington Law School Magazine • Artsy Shark
• Foreign magazines in France, Germany, and Japan +

And many can be used on your walls as fine art paintings.

They are colorful art that gives a voice to the issues of our day: diversity, work and gender equality, racial issues, Wall Street, health issues including our recent pandemic and many more.

Recently I have started illustrating digitally on my iPad. The illustrations directly below are examples of some of those and deal with the Pandemic.

           
From left to right: Friendships-Priceless    ~   Cures   ~   Where is the Vaccine?

And here are some that were painted using acrylics:

From left to right:  In Line For Tickets    ~  Losing Money   ~   Bag Lady

Contact me by email to license to use for your use in print or digital. Or to order a print of any of my illustrations and get any additional information or questions.

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2.  And then go to my social media and follow me there. A big thanks.

So you own an original painting and it is hanging in the perfect spot in your home or office. GREAT.

    Separate From the Rest  24” X 36”

Now how do you take care of it?

What can you do to keep this painting you love in great condition and pass the test of time?

Cleaning or storing your art needs special precautions in order to keep it in top condition. You want to use the right solutions for cleaning it so that it doesn't do any harm to the paint or canvas or other background that holds the paint. And when storing your painting, for various reasons, it can be done so that it keeps it in the best possible shape so you can rehang it at a later date and it looks just as great as it did at its earlier showing.

Cleaning your Painting(s):

Why do you need to clean your painting? Well, to keep it in great condition!

Just like anything else in your home or office, it gets dusty and dirty from things that happen in your environment on a daily basis. 

Caution: If you are doing construction that involves sawing or sanding or anything that sends particles in the air, it would help your painting(s) to be taken down and put in a closet or an area where they can be shut away from that area where that activity is taking place. I will expand on how to store them under the Storing your Artfor short periods in a later post.

For Paintings using Oil or Acrylic on Canvas: If it is a new painting, it is recommended, on a monthly basis, that you dust it using a feather duster that is only used for your painting(s). Or you can use a dry brush that is soft with fine bristles. Over time you may need to do a more thorough cleaning on your acrylic or oil painting. (Make sure you know what mediums were used on your painting when you purchase it.) You can use a very gentle soapy water (preferably an olive oil soap) and a white, clean cotton cloth. 

Global Consequences ~ 36” X 36” X 1.5 “  ~  Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas

Soak the cloth in this soapy water, then wring the cloth and gently run it across the surface of the painting. You do not want to soak the surface because it could loosen and break apart hardened paint. You can also use wetted Q-tips in crevasses but gently rules the day.  

Over time, if your painting becomes really dirty, an art restorer may be needed.  Smoke, flaking paint or other factors need a professional. They know how to restore it without further destruction.

For Paintings Using Water-based Paints on Paper: Dust only with a dry, soft, fine brush. If stained, use caution to gently try lighten stain using a damp, wrung out, white cotton cloth. Again, gently wipe cloth over stain to avoid taking off any of the paint. 

Look for the next part in this 3 part series in several days.

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2.  And then go to my social media and follow me there. A big thanks.

This last year, with isolating so much of the time, artists had extra time to explore, experiment and create whatever they wanted.

My brushes were used a lot. But I also took the time to experiment with some other mediums and collage.

So let me show you some of my latest new pieces.  It is time to give your spirit a lift and your walls a new, modern look.

Left to right:  Tying Up Loose Ends  ~  Tying Up Loose Ends 2

Both   12” X 12” X 1.5”   ~   Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas

And look how great they look staggered on the wall!

Several new hand paintings have also made it into my portfolio.

From left to right:  Nesting, 30” x 24’ x 1.5” ~   Color Does Not Define Us, 20” x 16” x 1.5”

Both are Acrylic/Mixed Media on Canvas

These look wonderful in their chosen spots on the wall as well.

Bold color, abstracted, organic shapes and simple forms with texture is my style. They make you feel good but carry messages about life as well.

New art to get your walls noticed with bold color, organic shapes, texture and a creative modern style. You need a lift and so does your surroundings.  Let me help you to make your walls feel good too.

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2.  And then go to my social media and follow me there. A big thanks.

We all need a show of caring and love. Especially with what we have been through the last year or so.

Embrace the Differences

A show of love or caring makes us feel we are connected to others and that we are not alone in this world.

M

Left to right: Embrace X and O      Embrace O and X

Because of the last year of isolation there are many of us that have had a hard time coping with being “alone”. And not being able to have a hug or kiss from our close friends and relatives.

Left to right: Embrace X and O   

That human touch and connectedness is so important as a human. To go without that touch for awhile makes many depressed and withdrawn.

Embrace Our Diversity

To understand this is to look at the studies of newborns. Touch, hugging and shows of love is what connects newborns to the world and makes them feel valued. If they don’t receive that when born, it is difficult to ever repair it for them. And that trauma most often influences their life in negative ways.

Left to right: Embrace X and O      Embrace O and X

A gift of an artwork that shows love to someone important to you is valued by the recipient. And a gift of love to yourself is empowering to you as well. In its presence it reminds you that you need to love yourself first but also makes you think about your community.  A reminder that there are people out there that cares about you.

A Bunch of Hugs And Kisses

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2.  And then go to my social media and follow me there. A big thanks.