Visibility, or trying to transform from Painter to NAME.

[Debra Jones]

I ran into Carol Norton at our local art league this evening and had my painting voted best of the month for the year end competition. I was happy. It is the demonstration piece I did for a bridal fair.
I was invited and tried my best to have a range of samples that I could at least throw together in a sample brochure.
I will do the others in a second post but I was telling her how the final product was made from a collection of goodies and the gown was toilet paper wrapped around my WILLIAM WHITAKER Spiderman doll! The 18" high incredibly articulated toy that stands on its own. I use it a LOT for working out physical positioning and wanted a look of super heavy gown with no actual gown.

My primary reference was a pose by Athene one of our favorite models, from a session at the school where she did slow dance moves. I asked if I could photograph her and tried to tip generously with the resulting stack of great reference shots. I have done three watercolors already and have plans for at least one more and lots of variations.

The original pose was a very angular African look and I liked the massing of the hair and the gesture of the bottom (also a ring finger) hand. I digitized it all out in my computer to create a reference and began working on the sketch. But I am horrible at drapery.

Thinking I was on to something with the concept, I did my little tailoring on the mortified Spidy and then glued them all together in a composite. At the demonstration I had blocked in tones and rough values and finished all the skin and facial details in front of the public.

Finally, I took all the detailed photos and rendered them with a little inspirational headpiece. My friend who makes Renaissance Gowns suggested stripped feathers. Like in the forties. Just the ends in little chevrons, not a veil, not a flower, just a flutter of white.

So here are the parts that went into the whole.

[Michele Rushworth]

Great painting -- and I love that Spiderman doll. Where did you get it?

Spidey looks terrific in a dress - who knew!?

[Debra Jones]

More sample paintings. The single young bride with flowers is pastel, the blue one is oil and the couple is watercolor. I also used my brother and his wife from last year.

I was comfortable with my presentation.

Not a word from a client. BUT I honestly know, I have planted seeds in every possible place I can travel. One does wonder exactly what the magic formula is. Sometimes I like to lay low and just wonder if anyone remembers me.

[Debra Jones]

Thanks Michele! You are on your toes. I had to resize all the others.

About three... maybe four years ago, Bill Whitaker posted these things on Studio Products or OAG, can't remember and we all went mad. Linda Brandon has two (I HAVE SEEN THEM) and I have met them in Boston and Chicago.

They are really amazing. When I am depressed or very bored, I set up dramas with him and my cat. Right now he resides under a lamp, in permanent siesta with a little sombrero I got on my last trip to Mexico which held little candies....

[Enzie Shahmiri]

I like the bridal work you have done, especially the 1st one posted. Marvin told his students once that all you can do is sow the seeds and tend your investment until eventually it will show results.

I have followed this advise and although I have enjoyed a short up turn in business, I am really afraid of what this declining economy will do to the portrait business and all our efforts.

[Debra Jones]

As they say, nothing to fear but fear!
I have been hibernating in the 108 of Arizona and feeling very depressed. Less from the actual situation than the lack of ideas to improve it! I think that as long as I have the ideas those seeds are scattering.

I have had some criticism for the general concept. I personally think that there needs to be some consideration for style and originality. I am never going to be happy as a slick and photo realistic painter, so I don't want to even try to promote the look. I love painting so much, I am trying - in my samples - to emphasize an aspect of portraits that I feel I do better than others and steer away from the areas where I am less strong. I am not a background girl. So I try to keep a sense of the internal life of the subject and less of the real environment.

Using painterly demos I keep hoping the rebels will see themselves in the work and know they have the kindred spirit for the work. I am also a performer and have no problems with crowds. I have a hard time at the end of the night with missing brochures and no real names to follow up with. THAT is the economy.

Well, off to find puppies. I have been doing a nice little bread and butter fur and feather job so far. I just crave flesh. I am feeling a bit empty for lack of human subjects but there is a real joy in the pet portrait crowd. There is deep compassion for the imagery. They LOVE it or hate it. Nice to feel that in the reactions.

[Linda Brandon]

Debra, congratulations on your first prize win! That's a lovely and strong painting . It's great to see so much of your work on this thread.

My own Spidermen are either doing yoga or trying to strangle each other, depending upon my mood. (You know you're spending too much time in the studio when you actually start playing with them.)

[Alexandra Tyng]

Debra,

Congratulations on your prizewinning painting!

As for your marketing efforts, I think they are well thought out and executed. The key ingredient might just be patience. I would assume from the start that you will probably not see immediate results. In fact it might take a couple of years to see any result from what you do today. Just keep on consistently following your long-term marketing plan. Don't think of each effort as a separate thing that has failed because it didn't "work" right away. (Of course you might already be doing this.) It's a state of mind with a long-term goal.

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Dear Debra.

Many congratulations!

By the way, you're getting better and better.