Blog | Annie Mason
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Slideshows of my Art by Collections







Lately, I have been successful with painting and recognition as an artist. See A Whim Turns a Win. This has given me more confidence and a desire to show my work in more places and take on more commissions.


With this in mind, this post is a series of visuals categorized by subject. Most of the art is watercolor, ink, or colored watercolor pencil. Use the small black arrows left and right within the SLIDER to scroll from side to side. There are six images in each category. The drop-down list shows the titles.


 


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FLOWERS



Flowers by title


 




ANIMALS



Animals by title


 




BIRDS



Birds by title

The Less He Spoke

Free to Be

Goldfinch and Dogwood

Illinois state bird

Georgia state bird

Ceramic Goose




 



FRUITS & VEGGIES




Fruits/Veggies by title


 



INSECTS



Insects by title





 


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12 Artists' Quotes...Inspiration, Life, and Vision


Annie's blog is a tour through her home art studio. Her artwork is watercolor, pen and ink, and crayon. She highlights and makes recommendations on art supplies for the visitors who come to her website. Annie has a Masters' degree in Art History, using her studies in this post on artists from the past.





Twelve artists from various periods in art history have been quoted here. Each artist's artwork helps show their style and the focus they bring to their art studio, and the reader can then make their assumptions about their written words and what meanings we can take in our thoughts today.



 


1.

"Creativity takes Courage." - Henri Matisse



The Goldfish by Henri Matisse 1912.


To those who rarely create art, it may seem as though the creation process is easy and comes without any challenges. But, for those who know that creating a work of art is rarely simple, this quote by Henri Matisse will likely resonate.


Matisse visited Tangier, Morocco, where he stayed from the end of January until April 1912. He noted how the local population would daydream for hours, gazing into goldfish bowls. For Matisse, the goldfish came to symbolize this tranquil state of mind.









2.

"If I could say it with words, there would be no reason to paint." - Edward Hopper



"Night Hawks" by Edward Hopper oil on canvas 1942


Some artists see art as a type of dialogue, like Edward Hopper did. Although art is often a visual medium, it can communicate as effectively as words. (Or, in Edward Hopper’s case, more effectively than words!)


Just look at this painting. Can't you "write" a story in your mind? Hopper did it so eloquently with his brush.





3.

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary."



old man playing a guitar. dark colors, pale skin.
The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso (Blue Period) 1903



Similarly, another great artist, Pablo Picasso, likened his paintings to maintaining a diary. How he describes substituting a paintbrush for a pen demonstrates how similar the branches of the arts can be. It’s not so much about being a painter or a writer; they are two beasts of the same species. We could also guess that creativity of all types essentially draws from the same well of genius.






4.

"An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision."


Girl in a white dress against a white background
Symphony in White No. 1 by James Whistler c. 1861

Sentimental in his approach, Whistler is a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake." His art is marked by subtle delicacy, while his public persona is combative. He found a parallel between art and music and titled many paintings, arrangements, harmonies, and nocturnes.


Whistler's Mother, Wood's American Gothic, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, and Edvard Munch's The Scream have all achieved something that most paintings—regardless of their art historical importance, beauty, or monetary value—have not: they communicate a specific meaning almost immediately to almost every viewer. These few works have successfully transitioned from the museum visitor's elite realm to the enormous venue of popular culture.














5.

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way -- things I had no words for." - Georgia O'Keeffe

Lake George Reflection by Georgia O'Keeffe oil on canvas c.1921


This art quote by Georgia O’Keeffe tells us she found art capable of expressing what she wanted to say better than words themselves.







6.

“The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration.” – Claude Monet



water lilies painting by Claude Monet
Water Lilies by Claude Monet 1916



Impressionism was pivotal in Europe, and artists like

Claude Monet joined the movement, which used

small, visible brushstrokes that offer the

bare impression of form, unblended color,

and an emphasis on the accurate depiction of natural light.






7.

“Every good painter paints what he is.”



Autumn Rhythm No. 30 by Jackson Pollock

An artist who truly knew the meaning of becoming part of his artwork. Not just throw the paint on the canvas, but plan exactly where the paint should land, how even the amount of paint in each inch is planned and definitive, and the action "becomes" the painting in the process.




8.

“Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul.” - Vincent van Gogh



portrait, man, beard, painting, thick strokes, aqua, blue, cool colors, brown, yellow, warm colors face
Self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh 1889

Never has an artist been so studied as to their "inner self." Troubled throughout his life, Vincent put paint to canvas and bared his soul to us. One wonders what he could have given to us had he been able to conquer the demons.




9.

"I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. - Leonardo da Vinci



Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci 1503

Is there a more recognizable image in all of art history? What is it that Da Vinci captures? The enigmatic smile? The oft-copied parody of what is she thinking? For all the notoriety of this particular work, Leonardo was SO much more. A true giant in the early Renaissance: writer, painter, sculptor, scientist, theorist, and architect.




10.



The Child's Bath by Mary Cassatt 1893


11.

“I’m not really sure what social message my art carries, if any. And I don’t want it to carry one. I’m not interested in the subject matter to try to teach society anything or to try to better our world in any way.”



girl crying, cartoon style Roy Lichenstein
Crying Girl by Roy Lichenstein 1962


It was an era where Lichtenstein's work defines the premise of pop art through parody even as the precise composition, while displaying the tongue-in-cheek manner defines his style.





12.

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark."

- Michelangelo



Man, God, touch, heaven, fresco, Rennaissance
The Creation of Adam (Sistine Chapel) Michelangelo

Another Renaissance artist (painter, sculptor, architect) defined the brilliance of his era. His exemplary study of human anatomy is beyond the norm. Recognized by his contemporaries as a "genius" at a young age his work demonstrated a blend of psychological insight, physical realism, and intensity never before seen.



So many more. Artists are deep thinkers by nature. For every artist that we can name there is a quote because, for them, art IS life.


One more:

It’s not what you look at that matters; it’s what you see.

― Henry David Thoreau




 


Suggested books:







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A whim turns a win.

Isn't it something when something you are tempted to do turns into something else?





One of the hardest things for an artist to do is to determine the price of their own artwork. I talk about this in an earlier post: Commissions, Sales, and Gifts; oh my. There is so much to consider: the materials you purchased, the canvas or watercolor papers, the photography that you might work from, the amount of time and days that the artist worked, never mind the reworking if things didn't go quite right. Framed, or unframed. Sitter's fee if you do portrait work from life. Some people think we price by size. If so, my 5 x 7-inch watercolors can't compare to 20 x 30-inch canvases. Are oils worth more than watercolors?


I don't expect to have any answers today. I did however decide to at least compare my price base with some local artists. A quick google for local galleries would be my first interest. The first one that popped up was LibertyTown Arts Workshop. Great! There are a number of local artists who have their paintings (oil, watercolor, acrylics) along with weaving, pottery, jewelry, and glasswork here in this 13,000 square foot building.


I'm ashamed to say that I had only visited this gallery once or twice in the 30 + years that I have lived in Fredericksburg. The website had a lot of information. Then one item caught my eye. "Looking for Artists" was a tab. On a whim, I clicked it. An upcoming exhibition called "Feast for the Eyes" was coming up in just a week. The subject matter was "FOOD." Take it to any length you wished, said the prospectus.

Why I DO paint food, and have plenty of yummy images in my drawing portfolio! I immediately thought about the works that I had sitting on the shelves in my artist studio. I decided to enter three art pieces.



The work above is actually 4 different watercolors. I found a nice "window" frame in our local Michael's

It shaped up nicely and I did the necessary paperwork.


Again, I checked my drawing portfolio for works going back over three years. I came up with another three "juicy" images: a pineapple, strawberries, and grapes. I framed that one up for delivery.



pineapple, strawberries, grapes
Juicy by Annie Mason. watercolor (3) 5x7s

My third choice was a given. I had already framed this one and it was on display for sale at Heather Boutique where I sell my artwork. It had not sold so I figured, why not.

Again, these are three illustrations in watercolor framed together.


I completed the artworks for presentation and brought these into the gallery. I was told that the Juried announcement for submission would be in a few days. I received a notice that two out of the three entries would be in the month-long show and be up for sale, as required, The one not selected was the pineapple, strawberries, and grapes threesome.


LibertyTown presented a Facebook live stream the afternoon of opening the exhibit. I luckily was on Facebook and came in as a viewer a bit after it started. I watched as the gallery owner was moving through the entries and described each art piece in detail. As the video was winding down she mentioned a few "honorable mentions" and I realized that the jury had picked the awarded artworks.




⬇️




WOW! I was shocked and humbled that the "Vintage Botanicals" was awarded FIRST PLACE.






Later that evening my family attended opening night. While we were standing nearby, an employee at the gallery came near the wall display, she walked by, phone in one hand, clipboard in the other. She placed a small red dot on the label. The artwork had been sold.


All this in a range of just a few days. Life is good.



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