"Hot Evening"

"Hot Evening" - Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel - 12" x 16" - $150

"As a fellow artist and I were returning to Cayucos from a day of painting, we took a different route and found this scene as the sun drifted down. With the promise of dazzling red-orange light, we began our paintings and added the effect at its height." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
For short-lived lighting effects, you must anticipate the change and have the painting developed enough to concentrate on the change when it comes. This is difficult because you often don't know whether it will get better or will fade, but with practice, it becomes a rewarding effort.

"Afternoon on the Coast" -- 12" x 16" Oil on Canvas -- $110

"Afternoon on the Coast" - Oil - 12" x 16"

"The intense light and color of the California coast is always attractive to artists. This location near Morro Bay had an array of docks and boats on the narrow beach. I got there in time to paint the slightly reddened light of afternoon." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Square canvases offer new opportunities for unique compositions and the unexpected format attracts the attention of gallery-goers.

"Alight"

"Alight"  Oil on Raymar Board   5" x 5"    SOLD

"Just a few blooms on a table can inspire me as much as a full bouquet. Sunflowers and daisies are some of my favorites." --- SFG

More info

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Small, simple works are great fun and are a fine way to start a painting session. Doing so encourages me to focus on the big shapes, planes, and values. Composition is just as important in these pieces as in larger works

"The Green Scarf" 14" x 11" Portrait Oil on Canvas Panel

eBay Auction NOW  - Starting bid $95 -- Was $400

"The Green Scarf" -- Oil on Canvas Panel  -- 14" x 11"

"Following in the style of Carolyn Anderson, a fine teacher and finer artist, I was enamored with this model's red hair against the green scarf."  --- SFG

VIEW AUCTION NOW

FOR ARTISTS:
Choose your instructors carefully. If you take from many teachers that have too diverse points of view, you will inevitably confuse yourself. There are many teachers who paint similarly and base their instruction on foundational principles. Their work will be similar in quality, if not in style.

Once you have determined that  an artist/teacher has similar views to those presented in your previous studies and are in class, follow his techniques and ideas. That's what you are paying for. Whether you later discard those you cannot use at this point in your development, you have benefited from the experiment. The purpose of a class is not to produce finished paintings!

REPOST: "A Life Well Lived" 24" X 20" Oil on Canvas Panel

eBay Auction NOW - Starting Bid $395 - Was $1200
100% Donation to American Cancer Society

"A Life Well Lived" - Oil - 24" x 20" - $1200

"From sadness to celebration (after my mother passed away). As I read my mother's journal, I was reminded once more of how much she delighted in flowers, gardens, and the passing of seasons. These brilliant tulips, a thoughtful gift of a dear friend, spoke of her enchantment." --- SFG

VIEW AUCTION

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Because of the intensity of the colors in the tulips, I set them against black to take advantage of their vibrancy. They were still tightly closed until I turned on the spotlight. They unfurled as I painted.



As I drew with thinned cadmium red - it doesn't contaminate later colors and leaves a sparkle if I miss a spot when painting over it - I considered the directions of the leaf lines as well as the overall placement on the canvas. The vase and flowers were so dominant, I decided that they should be closest to the viewer. Normally, I have still life objects in front of the vase in a floral that serve to lead the eye into the arrangement. There was no question of where to go with these!



Because I knew that the flowers would change quickly, I established their colors immediately, comparing yellow to yellow, red to red, and white to white. This was a break from my regular method and I knew that I would make considerable adjustments after the surrounding colors were in. Placing a new color next to an existing one ALWAYS changes the existing one.



Here, I've added that dark background. It really intensified the tulip colors, didn't it? I made careful note of the color differences as the light traveled across the tablecloth and passed through the water-filled vase.



I toned down the yellow pot that was behind everything and changed it to look like more of a tray standing against the background drape. I used its curve to repeat those of the leaves. As a pot, not enough of it showed to explain what it was, but I needed something to bring some action to the lower part of the painting. I couldn't eliminate it entirely.

I compared the color on the lighted side of the pink vase to the pinks in the flowers and hit a warmer, somewhat grayed pink. Putting a cool, grayed pink on the shadow side made the lighted side look warmer, too. Notice the warm versus cool on the teapot, as well.

At the end of this session, I turned off the lights and heat in the studio, so the flowers would not open too much to work the next day.



Best laid plans didn't work, though. The blooms were tightly closed again when I opened the studio the next afternoon and turned on the spotlight, but the hour I let the studio warm up was a bit too much. When I returned, the tulips were much more opened and had moved a lot as they chased the light.

Instead of redrawing all, I simply added some of flowers in their new location and state. This filled out the bouquet and added more interesting shapes. The white bloom with red stripes inside is actually the one on its left as it opened and moved. It became the point with the greatest value change and hardest edge.

Note also, how I softened the edges of all but a few of the tulips.




Because of the action in the bouquet, I included all the variations in color and value present in the vase, table drape and other objects. Both light highlights and dark accents contributed.

"My Imaginary Friend"

GOOD (ART) WORKS AUCTION NOW



"My Imaginary Friend" - Oil - 9" x 12"

"This wisteria trellis is in full bloom and I hoped to have a model to paint. The subject just called for a lady in a sunhat ... or one with a basket... or one sitting in a wicker chair with mint julep waiting nearby. Unfortunately, the plan didn't work out. This figure is imagined." --- SFG

More info

Note for artists: First, paint what you see! Making things up too much leads to a pit of mistakes. If you find it necessary to add something for compositional reasons, be sure the light and perspective are consistent with the rest of the scene.

September in the Trinities

NEW AUCTION

"September in the Trinities" - Oil - 8" x 10"

"A yearly visit to the Trinity National Wilderness Area in Northern California gives me access to many spectacular views. While I do not climb mountains like the rest of my family, I absorb the best of the area and catch a little painting time. This was a quick sketch that caught the light of the day." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Just as brevity is the soul of wit, simplification is the key to composition in painting. With a small canvas, such as this one, I simplify shapes and include only the essentials that will set the mood and tell the story.

"Embankment in Bloom"

NEW AUCTION FOR THE GOOD (ART) WORKS EFFORT

"Embankment in Bloom" - Oil - 14" x 11"

"These colorful 'weeds' were growing next to a road near Cambria, California. Their vivid energy were in keeping with the beautiful spring weather." --- SFG

More info

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Keep your eyes open. Subjects are everywhere!

"Just a Whisper"

REMEMBER SANDY? Auction benefits RED CROSS
ENDS: SUNDAY  (Nov 18, 2012 18:00:24 PST)

"Just a Whisper" - Oil - 11" x 14

"Those familiar with the work of well-known artist C. W. Mundy will recognize his influence on this piece. This is the first painting I did after watching a demonstration by him. As is typical of his work, thick paint, scattered color, and interrupted edges are present. If you have followed my recent work, you will see these elements used to varying degrees. " --- SFG Titled "Just a Whisper", the daring experimental painting is 11" x 14" and is oil on canvas on Raymar canvas panel.

More info

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Experimenting with new techniques is important to growth, but jumping from style to style results in confusion and prevents the development of one's subconscious reactions. The subconscious tells the artist whether something is right or not and frees him for self-expression. Only intensive work within a familiar framework develops that ability. I have painted many years within that framework to develop and perfect that judgement.

FYI

I ran across this article I wrote several years ago and thought it was still timely.


EIGHT TIPS FOR BUYING GREAT ART ONLINE
by Susan F. Greaves

Buying art online is a growing trend despite problems like variable onscreen image reproduction, verifiable dealers and artists, and problems determining true value.  Still, a large number of collectors are entering the market this way. Whether you wish to enlarge an existing collection or are new to the fine art field, there are ways to minimize the pitfalls involved.

1. FOLLOW YOUR HEART. This is a time-tested maxim. Few, no matter how experienced, can predict future increases in the value of an artwork. Preferences change and what was wildly collected a quarter-century ago may be less valuable if it is put on the market now. Web sites tout the glories of this or that, but your educated intuition and preferences are more reliable. Many famous collections stand on their own as a reflection of the interests and taste of the collector, not the specific artists represented. Make your collection YOURS and you will achieve maximum gratification.

2. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. Be sure you understand the medium or the method of reproduction used. Certainly, know whether the work is an original or a reproduction. Even paintings that look original may simply be “enhanced” prints on canvas where areas are painted with thick paint to give the appearance of an original. If the work is a print, know whether it is a limited edition lithograph, poster, or giclee.  Ask about its permanence. Were archival materials used? For sculptures, investigate the medium. If it is one conducive to multiples like bronze, ask about the number cast.

3. KNOW FROM WHOM YOU ARE BUYING. Is this web site or listing of a dealer, gallery, artist’s representative, artist directory, or the artist himself? Dealers and galleries take work on consignment from living artists or current owners of the artwork. Occasionally, they buy work directly from the artist or owner. Representatives and artist directories usually get a percentage of the selling price. Ask the agent how long he has been in business, since longevity is a measure of his ability to honor his commitments. Buying directly from the artist may be preferable, in that it allows you to establish a personal relationship with him or her. It may surprise you, but artists relish this. It has been one of the major benefits of selling on the internet for artists. Not only is it more fulfilling for them, it can fuel their future work and tell
artists whether they have achieved the true goal of fine art… communication of their ideas.

4. RESEARCH THE ARTIST. Whether you find the work that interests you on the net through ads, auctions, or web sites, you should learn as much as you can about that artist. Read his resume or biography. To which professional groups has he been elected? Has he won awards? Has he shown locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally? What other sites show his work or list him? Use online registries and other sources.

5. CHECK THE SELLER'S REFERENCES.  Any cross-reference that verifies that a seller is a legitimate and reputable business person is necessary. Auctions like eBay have the advantage because of the feedback system. If a seller, whether an artist or a dealer, has many sales with little or no negative feedback, you can expect to be treated professionally and honestly. With other methods of purchase, verify phone numbers, addresses, call the Better Business Bureau, look for endorsements from companies that verify businesses, and so on.

6. SET YOUR MONITOR FOR MAXIMUM COLOR. Many variables make viewing artwork on the internet and online imaging difficult. The seller cannot control the brightness or contrast settings on your screen. Sometimes a color that is a lovely coral was show as bright orange on a different monitor.  You will come closer to a true reproduction if your settings are maximized. Still, the artwork may not look like what you expected. That leads to our next tip….

7. IS THE SALE GUARANTEED? The unavoidable and undeniable problems with color reproduction and visualization of artworks in the online forum make it appropriate that you demand a “satisfaction guaranteed” commitment. It’s very hard to fully visualize a 36” x 48” painting from even the largest image online. The customary policy calls for the buyer to pay for all shipping, but you should be able to get a full refund for the price of the artwork if it does not prove to be as described or does not meet your expectations. Most reputable dealers and artists willingly offer this guarantee.

8. BE SURE THE SELLER USES A PROFESSIONAL SHIPPER OR IS WELL-TRAINED TO DO IT HIMSELF. After investing the time and effort into finding and verifying all the facts about your artwork, a safe delivery is a must. Most shipping companies - Federal Express, UPS, etc. - set higher requirements for the packing and claims process for fine art. Be sure that the seller uses a company thoroughly familiar with these rules or is so himself. Also, be sure the shipper uses a carrier that allows tracking and that the seller fully insures the piece. Online feedback will give clues. Sometimes it is what is NOT said, such as no reports of damage or returns, that should guide you.

By following these tips, you can enter the fine art market online with confidence. Look forward to the many rewards provided by owning a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of original artwork.

Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions!

"Hills Near Paso Robles" 11" x 14" Oil Sketch -- $95

EBAY AUCTION ENDS NEXT SATURDAY-- 100% DONATION TO HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

Ends Nov 17, 2012 18:00:07 PST

"Hills Near Paso Robles" - Oil - 11" x 14

"Clear skies and rolling hills characterize the area around Paso Robles, California, in springtime. I painted this one during a trip to paint in nearby Cambria, another artist's Mecca. Something about this one reminds me of a museum piece. Its composition is exploratory, not by rote formula, but with brushstrokes and colors typical of the artist. " --- SFG Titled "Hills Near Paso Robles", the field sketch is 11" x 14" and is oil on canvas on Raymar canvas panel. These excellent boards are archival and the canvas will not flex, reducing the risk of future cracking of the paint or damage in shipping. The paint is professional quality. There is a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the purchase amount.

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Some painters have a natural sense of balance that guides the arrangement of elements in a work. Others have to study and follow basic rules for years. Once the eye is trained and sensitive to composition, breaking rules will help you grow. 

Jeff -- 14" X 11" Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel -- $55 Starting Bid

100% Donation to the AMERICAN RED CROSS























"Jeff" - Oil - 14" x 11"

"'Jeff' is a model I painted in my studio several years ago. The result shows how I responded to his strong features and presence."  --- SFG This portrait sketch is 14" x 11" and is oil on canvas Pintura panel. These boards are archival and the canvas will not flex, reducing the risk of future cracking of the paint or damage in shipping. The paint is professional quality. There is a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the purchase amount.

VIEW AUCTION

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Accurate drawing is the key to capturing a likeness. Practice is the key to accurate drawing. 

"Hohenberger Farm" 12" X 16" Oil on Canvas Panel - $105 Donation - BENEFITS HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

"Hohenberger Farm" - Oil - 12" x 16"

""I have painted several larger works from this sketch of a fetching scene near Cambria, California. Though I don't know who owns the picturesque farm, I dubbed it 'Hohenberger Farm' for my fellow artist and friend, Rose Hohenberger, who was painting with me." --- SFG

VIEW EBAY AUCTION

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Keep your field sketches for a while. Even less-than-your-best sketches can serve as a color reference as you use your onsite photos to experiment with alternative compositions. Some sketches will merit their own frames, like this one did.

"Fruit and Silver" 6" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board - Donation: $65

EBAY AUCTION IN PROGRESS - BENEFITS AMERICAN RED CROSS

"Fruit and Silver" - Oil - 6" x 8"

"Quick little paintings of still life objects are a training tool for artists. They keep the eye alert to value, color, and draftmanship. Additionally, they are pure pleasure!" --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
One of my teachers had a saying that has stuck with me and served me well for many years. He said, "Paint every day and you will get better. Paint every-other-day and you will stay the same. And paint every third day and you will get worse."

"Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos" 8" x 10" Plein Air Sketch - $85

ON EBAY AT 6 PM PDT TODAY -- BENEFITS AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

"Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos" - Oil - 8" x 10"

"Turri Road, between San Luis Obispo and Los Osos, is a favorite of local artists. It presents plentiful subjects for the plein air painter, especially farm and mountain scenes."  --- SFG

Titled "Farm on Turri Road, Los Osos", the field sketch is 9" x 12" and is oil on canvas on Raymar canvas panel. These excellent boards are archival and the canvas will not flex, reducing the risk of future cracking of the paint or damage in shipping. The paint is professional quality. There is a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the purchase amount.

GreavesArt has sold over 1000 paintings by Greaves on eBay with the highest customer satisfaction. More info on the artist: susanfgreaves.com.

Join the "Good (Art) Works" effort. 100% donation to the selected cause. 

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
When painting hilly country, I often use diagonal lines to move the eye through the composition, as I did here. The asymmetric balance is achieved with the darkest trees to the left and the largest building and another tree to the right.

"Elevations" - 8" x 10" - Oil on Raymar canvas panel - $75 donation

eBay auction begins tomorrow at 6 PM Pacific Time. Benefits Good News Rescue Mission in Redding, CA.























"Elevations" - Oil - 10" x 8"

"This scene in southern California was a study in warm and cool contrast. The distant mountains were in delightfully cool tones that enhanced the dry grasses of the foreground. I placed the horizon line low to emphasize the scale of the farm vs. that of the mountains."  --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Before beginning a landscape, experiment with where you place the horizon line. The psychological effect is very different, so choose the placement according to what you are trying to say. A low horizon line like this one minimizes the importance of the viewer (makes him smaller) compared to the subject. I wanted to emphasize the scale of the mountains in this painting.

"Dark Mantle" Oil on Ramar Canvas Board - 14" X 11" - $95 Donation

AUCTION BEGINS WEDNESDAY AT 6 PM ON EBAY






















"Dark Mantle" - Oil - 14" x 11"

"This model's dark hair offered a solid form that reminded me of mideval armor. I explored her facial structure, especially her nose and mouth. The cool tones around her eyes, plus the lovely blue of her irises, gave balance and relief to the warm tones elsewhere."  --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Painting portraits in a limited amount of time is tough. I go for accurate drawing, big shapes, and overall color. I must pay attention to the edges to keep one element from taking over and being inconsistent with the rest of the work.

The mistake I see most often among my students is making the far edge of the face too hard. In an effort to draw accurately, they flatten the image into a cut-and-paste cartoon against the background. Softening that edge immediately gives the head more form.

New Benefit Auction on DailyPaintworks.com: "In the Trees" 8" x 10" Oil - Starts at $85

"In the Trees" - Oil - 8" x 10"

Choose YOUR favorite charity from the "Good (Art) Works list.

"Paintings are everywhere I look. This was a sunny afternoon and the sun lined the top of the deadfall and reflected up to warm leafy branches. It's not the subject...it's the painter that makes it special." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
When I search for a subject in the landscape, I simply look for light against dark or dark against light. A touch of color in or near that focal point will reinforce the effect.

Auction Starts Tomorrow -- "Cool Day at Clear Creek" 11" x 14" Oil Field Sketch

"Cool Day at Clear Creek" - Oil - 11" x 14"

"The viewing platform along Clear Creek in Shasta County, California, offers a fine view of the small canyon. There is dramatic lighting on the sides of the steep, rocky gorge, especially in the morning. Below, the creek is transparent and salmon spawn and lay eggs in the gravel streambed. A stunning subject!"  --- SFG."

NOTE TO ARTISTS:
Be sure to remove your sunglasses! As tempting as it is, you cannot mix accurate color through colored lenses of any sort unless you are doing just a value study. I had to re-paint much of this work because of the distortion. 

Join the "Good (Art) Works" Effort

a

100% of the proceeds from sales of my works

will be donated to a good cause.

EBay auctions must be pre-designated by the seller,

but buyers from www.susanfgreaves.com or other sites

will choose from this list:

The Alpha-1 Foundation

American Breast Cancer Foundation

American Cancer Society

Good News Rescue Mission, Redding, CA

Heifer International

The Humane Society of the United States

Make-a-Wish Foundation

Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, LA

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK

Shasta County Arts Council, Redding, CA

Wounded Warrior Project

LET'S DO SOME GOOD TOGETHER!

Be sure you're signed up for MY EMAILING LIST

"Burney Falls" - Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel - 11" x 14"

"Burney Falls is another jewel amid northern California's visual riches. Besides that, it offers a cool spot during the scorching summer." --- SFG

This painting is now available through DailyPaintworks.com and eBay.com.
100% DONATION TO A "Good (Art) Works" CAUSE
See listing for details

NOTE TO ARTISTS: Though painting this subject involved a little hike, the rewards are obvious. Additionally, painting with other artists, as I did this day, pushes you to "get it down and get it right". Maintain your links with artists groups and like-minded painters. When you are my age, you'll be very glad you did.

Autumn by Mary Lake

"Autumn by Mary Lake" - Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel - 11" x 14"


"Last autumn, I set my easel on the shore of Mary Lake, near my home. Its seasonal color and reflected light made an exceptional subject." --- SFG

This painting is now available through DailyPaintworks.com and eBay.com.
100% DONATION TO A "Good (Art) Works" CAUSE

Painting with Alla Prima International

I just spent a terrific five days painting with other Alla Prima International members at Ghost Ranch, near Abiquiu, New Mexico. This is Georgia O'Keeffe country. What fun! This is Georgia O'Keeffe country.

"Late Blaze"

"Late Blaze" - Oil on Canvas on Panel - 6" x 8"

"California's coastal residents are recipients of a light show each evening, especially if the sky has clouds to provide variety and contrast.  One becomes aware of the stages of the sunset when the sky transitions from green to gold to orange to red. This is the gold stage." --- SFG

NOW ON AUCTION -- Starting bid $55

NOTE TO ARTISTS:

Small paintings are more direct and less encumbered with detail, as is this small seascape. Making many starts, especially if you use a brush larger than you would normally choose, focuses the painter's attention on the essentials of composition, values, and color.

"Coastal Haze" -- Oil on Museum Quality Panel -- 6" x 8"

"Coastal Haze" - Oil - 6" x 8"

"This wonderful effect came about because of the sun's struggle to bore through the moist air of the California coast. This lovely scene is north of Cambria, near San Simeon and Hearst Castle." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS:

Painting on location is difficult when everything is perfect. The birds are singing, the sky is clear, and even the clouds don't move. Catching an atmospheric effect is even more difficult.

When something that is the main premise of the painting, as was the indistinct background in this field sketch, is present, quickly reduce everything else to its simplest form and paint the effect as it relates to those large notes. Then, you can return to the other elements to add as much emphasis as you like.

"Purpose"

"Purpose"  Oil  12" x 12"

"I am not sure why I titled this subject "Purpose" unless I was thinking of the joy such cheerful blooms give like a precious offering, however brief their span.

Delicious strokes portray the two open flowers as well as the bud and separate petal that lies to the right. The dark background enriches the vivid red and the warm tabletop completes a primary color scheme.

This is the third of my recent series of simple floral paintings, made special by lush paint application and rich contrast and color. As a group, these 12" x 12" paintings have a great deal of impact."
                                                                                                                                      --- SFG

"Opulence"

"Opulence" - Oil - 12" x 12"

"How I love rich paint and flowers! The two combine well in this new work, I think, and I‘ve titled it “Opulence“.

The heavy red blossoms support a brilliantly lit orange one that shows behind the first rank. Scattered leaves and blue accents move the eye through the space as a triangle of the crisp white drape defines the foreground tabletop.

The combination of thick impasto and winning color carry my enthusiasm to the viewer.

Prints are available at http://fineartamerica.com/featured/opulence-susan-f-greaves.html.

"Awesome"

"Awesome" - Oil - 12" x 12"

"This is the first of a series of new floral paintings that I am ready to release and I am especially pleased with this one. The pile of bright yellow sunflowers rests on a diagonal swath of white fabric. There are red and green drapes in the background that recede nicely. Small accents of orange and blue are sprinkled through the work and add exceptional life to the work.

The original is 12" x 12", though the image will display nicely in a larger print. Prints can be ordered at http://fineartamerica.com/featured/awesome-susan-f-greaves.html?newartwork=true and the original will be available at Jose Antonio's shop in Redding, California later this week." --- SFG