When the craziness and the dust of the last few months finally settled, I really just needed to relax. I’ve been wound up like a coil and I just wanted to do something creative and with no pressure. So I decided to pick up a few canvases and get stuck into my paint again (not literally although that might have been another idea).
The support I’ve had for the paintings I did a few weeks ago has been amazing. I got all sappy reading the lovely comments, I’ve had loads of traffic to that post from Pinterest and a lovely shout out from the rather fabulous Tobe of Because It’s Awesome and emails from bloggie mates near and wide – even emails from Jenny at My Favourite and My Best gave me encouragement to continue (I was a little starstuck with that one, I have to admit).
So I figured I’d give it another go and see where it took me. I decided to first try a much softer pallette than my previous efforts with lots of pale and interesting colours, soft pinks, lilac and pale blues and greens. A hint of darkness like smoke billowing gave my two paintings some contrast.
I know, I’m teasing…
Here’s what they look like. Yes, my makeshift studio is the 2nd bedroom which at the moment, is looking more like a warehouse of forgotten things (but that just means a new room to decorate eventually so ya know, silver lining and all that).
I shot them on a black wall in the bedroom.
I actually like these two as a set – the smaller one is on a box canvas with deep edges, the larger square one is on a normal pallette so I painted the edge of the box canvas in pink.
Here’s what they look like together (as you can see, there’s no right or wrong way to hang these things, I turned the smaller canvas upside down because it looked better that way)… Wayne said it looked like continents so I decided to call them Continental Drift I and Continental Drift II.
Then after those were complete, I decided to do another much bolder, much brighter canvas with deep reds and blues a splash of metallic gold paint thrown in for good measure.
I’m calling it The Tell Tale Heart after the short story by Edgar Allen Poe.
“…The hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man’s terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! –do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst.”
The edge of the canvas is a bright peacock blue.
Here it is upon a black wall. I think it suits the dark wall.
So you may be asking what the heck I’m going to do with all my canvases? For now, Continental Drift I & II are in my living room hanging above my sofa, The Tell Tale Heart is hanging in the hallway.
Off the back of a lot of encouragement, I’m considering – considering – opening an Etsy shop and I’m doing a lot of research around how to go about selling art. It’s not as easy as I thought – pricing them, shipping them, do I keep the originals or sell them? Do I simply make prints to keep prices down? If so, how does one go about making prints from originals? All of this, I’m looking into. I need to know I’m going to have the time, the inclination to start selling if I decide that’s what I’m going to do. So yeah, that’s all kind of up in the air! If anyone has any advice, I’m all ears!
But in the meantime, it’s just kind of nice to create, ya know?
YYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS you DEFINITELY should open a shop and sell. You are talented and these are beautiful and I am absolutely sure they would sell like warm buns out of the oven (it's a Dutch expression). <br />Sending you encouragement and hugs<br />Natascha xoxo<br /><br />
Oh my goodness! Girl you are GOOD! I think opening an Etsy shop is a grand idea – go for it!<br /><br />P.S. Those colours look beautiful against the black wall. xx
I would definitely buy one! I would prefer an original but having the option to buy the print is always good too. Love the colours of all of them. Keep up the good work.
Simply marvelous!!! I love all of them, but my favorite is the bold one with the fat brush strokes. Do you use acrylic paint? You have a great collection of colors. I did some research on the subject of selling art as well and it does seem difficult. I found a few print shops in my area that did high quality art prints, but they had a minimum price per order, which made it difficult to just "
go for it swoons (sorry, that's your new nickname)! i think they'd sell like hot cakes & i'd love to commission a piece (once i have fund-age!)… from strength to strength!!!
ps, why doesn't my gravatar show on your site?
You know how I feel about this…an Etsy shop is a must! You've got the mad skills girlfriend!!! xo
they're beautiful. i have sold art on etsy, but have been much more successful locally with word of mouth. i haven't shipped big pieces because that just seems like a nightmare and too scary and time consuming for me. i also learned i did not like commissions. i do much better when i create when i feel like it and then market that result. get connected with interior designers and give
keep on painting because these are fab!!
Love love love these Kimberly!! You absolutely should go into business, I was just thinking that before reading your final paragraph. Freaking gorgeous, all of them, but am particularly going crazy for the Continental Drifties. I can totally see where Wayne's coming from, they do look like continents. I'd love to be able to create something like this, it's soooo hard to find
YES, sell them. Reading this post made me itch to go paint over a pair of canvases I have. Doing it!
Hi there
Are you selling your paintings? I would be interested in getting one.
Thanks
Hi Louise, happy to chat if you are interested in buying one, sure! Drop me an email on kimberly@swoonworthy.co.uk :) xx