Awesome dark and intense images! I dig em! S+F! I hear how some might not connect in gallery settings with it since some of it might seem dark.
I'm sure plenty have told you that you will simply get used to criticism, but you can always just change up your palette or subject matter. Or, just
change the venue you show them at. Find a high scale metal/rock/goth club or cafe, places where regular customers frequent, places where darker images
are very welcome. Even contemporary art galleries are going much darker now
I'm sure younger veterans connected well to these pieces, they are all very strong. I especially like the older man with a cap, the linework in his
face is just awesome! I also like that linework on the knuckles of the 2nd piece, very Matisse vs Picasso, your palette also in that piece reminds me
of Picasso (light greens and pinks).
I am an oil on canvas artist who has studied very little but has moved all over the spectrum. I always have ideas and trying something new is
frequent. I started in cartoons, went to illustration, then digital, then right back to oils and have stayed in this medium (love the color) but have
changed styles alot.
The past few years I've gone from bizarre funky subjective, to simple abstract, to surreal, and now lately I'm doing mostly very bold abstract that
borders on surreal (I don't sketch my ideas, i directly put them on canvas with paint, then let it morph on it's journey, yeah I have those late
drunken inspired nights too). The boldness came from attempting to paint over previous failed attempts at abstracts, and not blanking out the original
image and having no idea what to do! I ended up making huge leaps at making nicely stated abstract linework without losing the essence of what's
beneath it. I went a step further after good results and painted over a DIFFERENT artist's work (they didnt mind) and that also had amazing results
(Goodwill means much more to me now, bad art = opportunity to make killer funky new art).
I have not had much big gallery experience, but hope to soon. Mainly I've been able to sell in coffeeshops and mostly neighborhood bars in cool
neighborhoods. Regular customers at places that serve alcohol tend to like to buy art ocassionally. What sold best was simple palette abstracts (in
Seattle yellows and reds sell well, offsets the gloom i think?). Coffee houses are my 2nd choice but I try for nice neighborhoods because students are
broke even though they shell out $4 a coffee? Lately I've had some luck offering up inexpensive prints for sale along with shows of originals, and I
usually sell a couple.
SO again, brilliant work and appreciate you sharing, and thanks for letting me share what my years at painting have taught me Brotherman!
If you feel like checking out a sample of some of my older work just click on my signature.