Painting 103: How I Learned My Paintings Were Worth Something

I think beginners, and artists who haven’t actually had any professional shows, always want to put their art out on some sort of proving ground to see if it’s up to snuff.

I’ve never enthusiastically subscribed to this, because it suggests that truly great art necessarily has a commercially viable and assignable dollar amount to it.

Art is art. 

Don’t do it for the money. Do it because you like it. Or because you want to express yourself. Or because you want to make a statement. Or whatever.

Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun one day when I donated a “Late Night in the Borough” print to a fundraising auction for Peterborough’s Brock Street Mission. It was hosted by Alderwoman Patti Peeters who was genuine and sincere in stating that my print ’made the grade.’

Score one for me. A POLITICIAN liked my painting.

Anyway, later that day she held the auction.

I know how many hours I put into the original. I know what the prints cost to produce, and I know what they sell for online. What would my painting go for? How much money would it raise for the mission?

The bidding started – and went. It did not exactly go into the stratosphere, but it sold at a very reasonable, acceptable and flattering price.

Score two for me.

Later I heard that the woman who bought it basically gave the fellow she was bidding against a half joking dirty look to get him to hold up on it.

Score three for me.

Nevertheless, do I do it for the money?

Absolutely not. I do it because I love to paint.

And so should you.

Thomas
Co-Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO

Painting 102: How I Learned to Paint Straight Lines

Okay, so maybe I have more to share.

If you look at my paintings, they are all done on canvas panels, and you will often see a number of straight lines in them — and the lines themselves are RULER STRAIGHT, mind you.

People often ask me how I manage to get them so straight when I am working with bumpy canvas panels so I thought I’d give you the head’s up on this via the MIC blog. 

1)  If you are working with canvas on a panel, you can run a compass’ pointy end lightly along a ruler to slice a straight line on the canvas. When you paint, use a small round brush and let the scratch guide your brush stroke. The paint ought to just slide right into the groove.

2)  If you are working on canvas mounted on a frame, try to pick a canvas that is stretched with the texture going perfectly vertical and horizontal so you can follow the direction up and down. Diagonal is a bit harder because the paint will have a tendency to want to fill up the depressions in the canvas.

I was talking with Gene Canning a while ago though, and he had an alternate idea.

Gene Canning, for those who don’t know, is an artist from Havelock Ontario.  According to his website, “his art has been featured in several magazines and by such TV networks as CBS, ABC, PBS, and City TV.  His art is in private and public collections including the official residence of Canada’s Governor General.”

Gene suggests that rather than use a small round brush to do straight lines on canvas, one should use a liner brush. These types of brushes just do not feel comfortable to me, so i don’t use them.   Of course, this doesn’t mean that a liner brush doesn’t feel comfortable to another artist’s hand.  Obviously it does.

He also suggested finding an untextured panel to paint on, but for those of us who like canvas, it just wouldn’t feel right.

Still, Gene’s suggestions are great ones, so if they help anyone who reads this, that’s terrific. 

Thomas D. Taylor
Co-Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO

Painting 101: How I Learned to Paint

I don’t know why I haven’t posted on this topic before, but to satisfy curiosity seekers and painters in waiting, I thought I would answer the question I am so often asked: “How did you learn how to paint?”

The answer: I am self taught.

End of post.

Sorry, just kidding. Just thought I’d put in a little humor there before we get somewhat serious.

I did take an art class in college, but that had more to do with identifying major artists and learning about the different styles of painting throughout the ages. But now that I am where I am in my career, having sold numerous prints and art cards, and having painted the album covers for the “Midnight In Chicago” and “Countdown to Midnight” albums, I have to say that I think taking that art class was a mistake.

The reason is that it limited my style in the early stages of my career.

If you are an inexperienced painter who wants to make a career from your artwork, your instinct is to take a bunch of classes and learn what other artists supposedly already know. You then mimic them in order to find your personal style. This is all good, but what really happens is that you wind up painting knock-offs.

I think there is a certain value to art classes, and there is a certain value to watching Bob Ross paint on TV.   Goodness knows I have watched him and others and still do from time to time.  That being said, I used to view these sources of information obliquely, not head-on.

Perspective, depth, colors, shading, hue, how to work with acrylics, oils, and water colors — these things can be self-taught through experimentation and a fair bit of painting, and I maintain that this is the way to go about developing your talent.

It’s all I did to achieve the success I have achieved with my career. Nothing more.

There is a secondary advantage to using TV artists and the Masters as inspirational sources: They all make mistakes.  Loads of them.

I won’t flame the TV artists or “Masters” by naming them, but one gets tired of trees with sponges for canopies, shadows and highlights applied to the wrong sides of objects, “representations” or “impressions” of buildings which would not in any way be structurally sound in the real world.

On the one hand, if these sorts of images are the precise impressions that the artists want to convey, then more power to them. I call my style of painting “Precise Impressionism” and much of what I create would not be able to exist in the real world.  My style is intentional.  Yet many artists paint this way by accident.

So go your own way.  Be original.  Experiment and learn from your mistakes. Sooner or later you will find your style, and when that happens, your professional career will officially begin.

That’s almost all you need to know about how I learned to paint in order to become a successful artist.

Thomas D. Taylor
Co-Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO

Peets Spears McCarthy with Leary Savage Tropic Thunder

Have you heard that headline before?   Me neither, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we did sooner or later … or something a lot like it.

It seems that lately celebrities all have something to say about autism or people with differences and most of what they have to say, if not all of it, is wrong.

Yes, it may appear arrogant of me to say, but let’s remember that I am a celeb of sorts, having painted two CD covers and co-written three songs on the “Countdown to Midnight” CD aside from a number of other celeb-worthy activities.  Aside from that, I have met and I know a few people in the biz, and Elyse knows a pretty impressive list of ”Big Name” celebs that she never makes a big deal about knowing.  When all is said and done, I would have to say that I am fairly well-connected when it comes to celebrities. 

And as the primary researcher and author of the Midnight In Chicago Audio Podcasts on Autism Spectrum Disorders, I know what the facts are as they pertain to Autism Spectrum Disorders. 

I suppose Elyse and I could use the recognition we’ve achieved to bring acclaim to ourselves, but here is something we remind ourselves when we are doing our work: “It’s not about US, it’s about AUTISM.”

Elyse and I make it a point to put autism front and center in our thoughts when we are working on anything MIC related.

So if Amanda Peets wants to promote the X-files, just remember that I’ve researched Fragile X Syndrome. 

So if Britney Spears wants to sell another CD, just remember that Elyse and I issued ”Countdown To Midnight“ to raise awareness and funds specifically for autism.

So if Jenny McCarthy wants to get publicity for her book and her wrestling appearances and her Playboy appearances, just remember we were getting our autism initiative published in the newspaper before she was talking about autism.

So if Denis Leary wants to sell books claiming that families and doctors conspire to falsely diagnose autism, just remember that Elyse and I wrote newsletter articles and podcasts that present facts on autism.

So if Michael Savage wants to say autistics are just a bunch of hard cases in need of reform, just remember that Elyse and I wrote the podcasts which can enlighten him on that fact.

And if the cast and crew of Tropic Thunder wants to call people with differences “retards” just remember that nothing is more “retarded” and regressive than prejudice.

Thomas D. Taylor
Co-Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO