Paintings On Impulse

http://PaletteKnifePainters.blogspot.com

http://www.Facebook.com/PaletteKnifePaintersWorldwide

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The Palette Knife Painters

Stunning new video of the work of The Palette Knife Artists.

You'll find them here:

www.facebook.com/groups/PaletteKnifePaintersWorldwide

and here :

http://paletteknifepainters.blogspot.fr/

http://PaletteKnifePainters.blogspot.com

http://www.Facebook.com/PaletteKnifePaintersWorldwide

Monday, January 18, 2016

My Art Marketing Addiction

I get such a buzz from marketing and networking online.

For a self-professed hermit, as I am, I have a fair number of Friends on Facebook (and growing daily), twelve Facebook Pages which are either mine or I am involved with, two Facebook Groups, and at least three blogs which I monitor daily. I don't post daily but I do keep an eye on them and promote them regularly as well as when I get the chance by default. I have a few other blogs as well but use them more as my private notebooks than public platforms.

I'm passionate about it all!

My latest Group is the Palette Knife Painters Worldwide Group where I've used one of the members' paintings as our page image. I just love it! It's called "Free Already", is by Carrie Jacobson, and sadly only the top part of the image is able to appear on Facebook, but here's the whole thing:

"Free Already" by Carrie Jacobson

Networking online is, for me, another creative activity. Sometimes I feel a bit like the conductor of an orchestra ... what a feeling of power! Organisation and displine are key to all this music, otherwise all hell breaks out and it takes me a while to catch up.

Believe it or not, there is time to paint in amongst all this marketing stuff, although more in the warmer months than right now in the chilly depths of winter. As I type, my fingers are stiffly protruding from fingerless gloves and I'm thinking .... hot chocolate.

So, to prove my networking and marketing addiction, these are my pages, groups and blogs:

http://PaletteKnifePainters.blogspot.com

http://www.Facebook.com/PaletteKnifePaintersWorldwide

http://www.facebook.com/SeladorCollection

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Painting and Art Sales Blog

Once a week I'll post an update from the Painting and Art Sales Blog. It's building up to be quite a strong platform from which to promote your painting sales.

You find find the Facebook page here : http://Facebook.com/PaintingSales

And the blog here : http://PaintingAndArtSales.blogspot.com

How to participate on this platform is easy to find on both the Blog and the Facebook page. Just look for Terms and Conditions.

Some latest posts:

"Fly Free" by Roisin Duffy

For sale. Please click : HERE

http://roisinduffy.com/RoisinDuffy.com/Fly_Free.html

"Fly Free" by Roisin Duffy (Irish Artist)
info@roisinduffy.com
http://roisinduffy.com

"Cosmos" by Brenda Mackay

"Cosmos" by Brenda Mackay (South Africa)

For sale. Please click : HERE

Please contact Patricia Brown, UK agent for Brenda Mackay

lyndacookson@gmail.com

Monday, January 11, 2016

Palette Knife Painters Group

I'm happy to report that I have recently been handed the reins of the Palette Knife Painters group and blog. Yay! What a challenge and what a lovely group of artists to work with.

I'm busy getting the hang of it all - how to network this valuable gem so that it becomes part of a strong linked-system working Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter - as well as other blogs and platforms.

We're on the lookout for new palette knife artists .... hopefully loads more from Europe, Africa and Australia - as well as anywhere else in the world we can find them. And there must be a treasure trove more palette knife artists in the USA too. In this way we'll bring together a host of different styles influenced by different cultures and environments. Just think of that energy!

You can find the main blog here : http://PaletteKnifePainters.blogspot.com

Here is a sample of paintings recently uploaded:

Artist : Karin Tarlton

Artist : Jane Boyd

Artist : Judith Babcock

Artist : Carol Schiff

Artist : Mark Bidstrup

lyndacookson@gmail.com

Saturday, January 02, 2016

"Told You So!"

It's a new day, it's a new world, it's a New Year!! And I thought I'd start it with a little bit of Attitude. I present to you: "Told You So!" a charcoal drawing on oil monoprint.

I have a few of these types of sketches, inspired by two separate life drawing classes where I found the models (a male, then a female) to be particularly grumpy and unresponsive during the class. I just couldn't relate to the essence of who they might be ... so resorted to humour and character drawing instead. I had loads of fun ... even if they didn't!

Have a delightfully wonderful 2016 everyone! Enjoy all the Highs, and kick all the Lows into the place they belong!

"I Told You So" - in all his glory - is available HERE (or click the image or title below)

"Told You So!"

lyndacookson@gmail.com

"Magic Jar" by Lynda Cookson

Monday, December 14, 2015

"Magic Jar"

Here's a different concept ... an ACEO which stands for "Art Card Edition and Original". Each miniature painting measures 3.5" x 2.5" and is painted - or created - in any medium you wish. I have a collection of them for sale on eBay and there seems to be quite a market for them. I believe Collectors have hundreds or all different mediums and styles.

Some of mine have added sentimental value by being painted on the back of vintage photographs, many of which were taken in the shadows of Table Mountain in Cape Town.

This one is a collage and acrylic called "Magic Jar" and can be found on eBay. Simply click the image or its title below it.

More ..... all on eBay ....

"The Complexities of Life"

"Secrets of My Diary"

"Magnolia"

"Lemon"

lyndacookson@gmail.com

"Fairground" by Lynda Cookson

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Daisies and Fairgrounds

I've just finished a mammoth task of photographing, editing, and uploading a whole whack of paintings to both my own eBay sales page as well as my sister's Selador Collection. She was sensible and chose a nice short and simple name for her business - not me, ho no, I go for ... The Painter's Palette Original Art Store. Typically long-worded. What the hell, it's the paintings which count!

Here are two of them, a floral and an abstract, and you just have to click the images to go through to the relevant sales page.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Daisies-Contemporary-Abstract-Floral-Oil-Painting-Paper-Artist-France-2000-Now-/291630780248?ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

"Daisies" by Lynda Cookson

"Daisies" was entirely palette knife painted, while "Fairground" was mostly palette knife painted but includes some finishing touches with brush as well as a few bits of collage.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fairground-Contemporary-Abstract-Oil-Mixd-Media-Painting-Artist-France-2000-Now-/291630780282?ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Close-up detail of "Fairground"

lyndacookson@gmail.com

Monday, November 30, 2015

SOLD! The magic word for artists

A contemporary abstract painting I did a couple of years ago when I was full of ambitious energy has just sold to a favourite returning customer of mine in the States. It's called "Abstract Autumn Bowl" and was created during an Easter weekend of video making. Alan and I hired the most economical camera we could find and spent the whole weekend filming demonstration paintings, with the aim of using them to promote sales online. Most of those videos still await editing! The sale of this painting - for some inexplicable reason, one of my favourites - will prompt me to quickly edit and upload the video to YouTube methinks.

I genuinely feel sad when a favourite painting jets off to a new home and I spend as much time as I can looking deep into the painting like a mournful depressive, trying to imprint every palette knife stroke into my psyche forever, before slipping it into its packaging. Sad. Sad, weird artist. But I know that the real thing is so much better in colour, texture and life than the digital image of it and that I'll never again enjoy that same feeling I get when I look at it. As I said, sad.

"Abstract Autumn Bowl"

The same customer purchased a small oil painting on paper called "Bright at Night" - and here it is:

"Bright at Night"

As a Thank You Gift to a much-appreciated client, I enclosed a magnetised print of one of my photographs taken in Co Galway, Ireland, some years ago. I hope she likes it!

"A Roscahill Farm"

lyndacookson@gmail.com

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Imagine

I was very touched by the German pianist who traveled 400 kms to take his piano to the site of the music hall in Paris where the terrorist attacks caused such devastation. He sat and played John Lennon's "Imagine" for a couple of minutes, then, feeling too emotional to continue, he packed up and left.

I've put a link to the video of him playing, below. It's great how that song has made such an impact on the world ... thanks John Lennon.

I was finishing an abstract study painting at the time I saw the story of this pianist, so decided to name the painting "Imagine" ... sigh, how original can I get! But then, I hope it adds its little bit of strength to the actions of that pianist and to the meaning in the song.

"Imagine"

I suppose I would like folk to consider the fact that, despite your political beliefs and frustrations, kindness is in everyone. You just need to use it. The political situation will be as it is, and sometimes, as an individual, you are powerless to change that .... but you're not powerless to be kind.

It is possible to separate humanitarian acts of care from political beliefs.

Click the image below to see the video of the pianist playing "Imagine"

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-pianist-perform-john-lennons-imagine-outside-paris-bataclan-20151114

lyndacookson@gmail.com

http://stores.ebay.com/Selador-Collection

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Portrait Progression and The Selador Collection

So there's been more work done on The Sunflower Wedding couple portrait ... mainly scary stuff like paint mixing and quick studies ... which sometimes make me feel more nervous than confident ... but I know that each study I do, despite the fact that all studies are challenging and explorative, I get closer to a more alive painting than if I hadn't done them. And that really, is what I'm about ... paintings which capture essence and energy.

What bold and confident talk this is! LOL

Two extremely quick studies (less than 5 minutes spent on each)

helping me to decide whether to wield my palette knife or a brush

when working on the final painting - brush it is to be.

I call the couple of studies above "The Two Bruisers"!

Working on mixing skin tones

James, who features in the portrait, popped in this morning to hand me a very welcome envelope of money (being the mid-way payment in accordance with our agreement) ... and I must have frightened the living daylights out of him by grabbing him and dragging him into my studio, madly gazing at his eye colour and his hair colour, then plonking him down on a stool, pulling him into the position I wanted him in, and avidly taking more photographs. He had rather a terrified look on his face by the time he made it out the studio door again.

I've also been up to another bit of nonsense ... assisting my sister in setting up an online store selling Art, Vintage Clothing and Collectibles. It's called "The Selador Collection" and can be found here:

We've also created a Facebook Page here:

www.facebook.com/SeladorCollesction

Please have a look and Like her page if you do.

lyndacookson@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/SeladorCollection

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Original Art Sale - 15% discount at The Painter's Palette Original Art Store

I've been hitting the keyboard and heating up a storm in my office today. The reason for my expending of so much energy is that I've been helping to create a new eBay store for my sister who'll be selling Art, Collectibles and Vintage Clothing. She's called it the Selador Collection.

I simply can't resist the fun of starting a new business! Alan (husband) shrinks in his seat, visibly, when we drive past empty shops in towns ... he knows full well that my brain has gone into immediate "What I could do with that space! It would make a stunning art gallery!" mode. And we've had loads of fun and some success with ventures in the past. However, I'm going for the peaceful and creative life now ... until I pass empty shops that is.

You can find my sister's "Selador Collection" here:

So while I was about it, I was tuning up my own store on eBay and decided, that as I'm working like crazy to create new paintings to upload this coming winter, I may as well create a promotion to see how much of the existing stock I can sell in time for Christmas presents.

For the next 6 weeks, starting from today, the purchase of 3 items from the store will mean a 15% discount for you, as well as combined shipping costs of course. And I've included at least 95% of the stock in the store in this promotion.

You'll find it all here:

Christmas sale on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/sme/lyn2654/offers.html

lyndacookson@gmail.com

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Pontivy exhibition in a deconsecrated church

My first participation in a group exhibition in France! Woo hoo!

We set up on Tuesday in a stunning, cathedral-like church in Pontivy (Brittany) and the exhibition runs through to Sunday 25 October 2015 from 2 pm to 6 pm daily with an entrance fee of only €2 per person.

How stunning is this venue! I don't even have to write much this time ... these images simply speak for themselves.

Tra la!

lyndacookson@gmail.com

Friday, October 02, 2015

Stages 3 and 4 of "The Sunflower Wedding Portrait"

I've published similar images of these images below, of Stages 3 and 4 of "The Sunflower Wedding Portrait", on www.Facebook.com/PaintingProgression so thought I'd go the whole hog and display one or two here too. I've also given more detailed explanations of the process on the Facebook page.

I'm getting a bit nervous, and certainly very vulnerable, now as this is the first time I have published images of something important that I am working on - as I am working on it. This means that errors and corrections I make as I go along will also be public!!! Uh oh.

The first stage of tracing the drawing

Detail of how as many darks and lights are traced onto the canvas

The face of the man is not yet correct as the image

I have been working from is very dark. More work needed there!

After correcting the drawing of the male face, the next step will be to put in the background.

lyndacookson@gmail.com

Saturday, September 26, 2015

"Sunflower Wedding Formal Portrait"

The groundwork has been laid and now it's time ... during this next week ... to get going, with my heart and soul going into the "Sunflower Wedding Formal Portrait".

I'll add images here as I go along, or you could watch the progress (which will be fairly slow!) on www.Facebook.com/PaintingProgression.

For now, here's the starter. The basic outline of the composition has been agreed upon with the help of a pencil drawing on baking sheet paper, initial colours have been chosen, and the canvas has received two coats of lovely clean white gesso.

Rarin' to go now.

It was decided to lose the Welsh Guards badge (top left corner in this image) as, although it's a precious and sentimental symbol for the couple, there was just no comfortable or harmonious place to put it in the painting. James' head has since been enlarged a little and Carrie will be holding a flower on the book on her lap. She'll also have a suggestion of a chair to sit on so she's not sitting on thin air! So looking forward to getting going with this painting.

The two coats of gesso make a huge difference to a canvas. It's like a first date ... you're just starting to get to know the creation, and beginning a lovely relationship.

Tally ho!

lyndacookson@gmail.com