FINISHED PIECES!

So I guess it's about time I put some finished work up here! I sent the one called "Corey Anne" and "The Gift" to Japan, so wish me luck!!!
Matrix Fine Art has the other pieces, and I'm working on a really large one now - figuring it will take up more space....
I've been working really hard and been on an emotional roller coaster. Sometimes the things I want to make are dark, and others whimsical, and others just strange.
Well, what is, is, I guess....

These two are extremely small but very delicate, and both took around two weeks to paint, and about three days to draw.
The frames are antique brass and iron, and very much guided the visual interests in each piece. I am irrationally attached to the brass piece - she is such a gorgeous girl with so much sadness.

These two are nice and framed and finished! Just thought I'd share...:)

These two are the universal favorites and I've sent them to an exhibition in Japan. Hopefully they'll get accepted. I'm really nervous. Although a friend of mine - a well-seasoned exhibitioner - told me, "after twenty or so rejections, you get used to it." I've had one acceptance into Bulgaria. That was my first attempt. I hope I haven't gotten spoiled!
Wish me luck everyone.

training subconsciously comes in handy.....

I realized today that when I put my mind to it, I understand light and shadow extre.ely well. I guess all that art education actually did pay off.....I can draw anything I want and so, paint anything I want. Never underestimate the value of learning, and challenging yourself, and practice. I suppose all those years of studying the human form, then all those years of learning to execute it, let my imagination go crazy without being hampered by the 'i don't know how' phrase of doom...!

What does it mean and why?

Lately I've been thinking about why I do my work......because the more I speak to other artists the more I realize the yardstick for "success" is financial. The questions I receive about my work are not about why I make it or the sensitivity of the work or the depth, or where the work comes from and what it means to me, and how the importance of the work must be attached to the connection between the viewer, the maker, and the work itself. Not any supposed connection between the viewer and the process - or any emotional depth the maker attaches to the work for the viewer's benefit after the work has been made.
Making a blanket statement about what your portfolio of work means is untrue and unjustified. Each piece has its own force, its own creative statement about who the maker is and its relationship to the world, and its place in it.
The questions I face about my work from other artists who "sell" are not about these things; they are "What galleries are you in?" "How much do you sell, or make?" "I've sold this much; so why don't you?"
Not realizing I think of my work in a totally different sense.
My artwork is a mental need. I need it to survive. My personality changes if I go without it for too long. It is surprisingly like my need for food.
I don't think of my work in a commercial, financial, marketable sense. It might be any of these things, but I don't know.
I try not to think about those things while I'm working. I let the work come from the place it wants to flow from. Most of the time the paintings I create look familiar in a sense, and are strange in another.
I am tired of trying to explain to other creators that they are thinking about my art with a jaded eye. I am tired of answering questions that have no bearing on my art and why I create it. If I sell, or get into galleries, fine. If not, I'll still create.
It's not up to me.

As long as the work comes, I'll still create.

grumpy

getting ready for a christmas party and it's been keeping me busy. i haven't painted in three days and i'm getting really......well, bitchy. Really not the holiday mood. i'm going to have to work for a week straight after this to get my personality back on balance again....

slackin....and stressed

i've been pretty busy. Casey and I are getting ready for a big Christmas party and I haven't been keeping up on this blog thing. Hopefully I'll get some new pictures up (it's hard without internet at your house) because I have some wonderful new work. I also want to give a few artists a nod - audrey kawasaki, mark ryden, and michael parkes. Thank you for your inspiration.

Stress is my middle name

I'm having a wonderful time up at my grandpa's house in Los Alamos but am unable to enjoy it fully because I should be working. My deadline is looming and I feel like I can't afford any time off - but why do I get so worried? I've tried to draw up here but am not coming out with anything good, so it feels kind of like a waste of time. I'm torn between wanting to go back home to my studio and wanting to stay with my family. I know in the long run the latter will serve me better but right now I feel like I've just spent two days not working, instead of I've just spent two days with my family.
Isn't that horrible? But that's how I've always been and I guess it's how I get work done. My work is looking good but I'm past my self-proposed deadline of one painting a week because I had to leave in the middle of the week to get up here. My almost-finished painting is sitting at home, waiting to be finished, telling me I'm past my own deadline. Oh, the pressure.....
But it has been fun and I would be lying if I said I haven't enjoyed myself. I've been looking forward to this weekend for a long time and am trying very hard to not let my work ruin it. A few sketches are coming along and it's not a total loss!!
But I can't wait to get home tomorrow to start working again and make up for lost time. So many ideas are bouncing around I have to get them down before I forget them, which is what I'm doing now.
I'll get some more photos up soon, I've finished a few more pieces since my last picture. Cross your fingers for me!

home againnnnnnn

Well I'm back home and ready to work hard. But it seems the shorter your week is the more stuff you have to do! I want to work but errands keep coming up and already the time is flying. I'll probably be painting this afternoon. Watch for some more in progress photos!

studio shot....getting ready and working hard. This one is actually almost done. Hopefully I can have some pictures of some new stuff soon...I'm working hard for the exhibition in Japan, trying to have two or three great pieces to send them. Getting your name out there is hard, but I kind of think that my stuff is more suited to the asian market; the kind of things people like out here just isn't really what I do. My March exhibition is going to be great, no matter what. 

perhaps the pictures will work this time

This is a before, 'in progress' shot

And this is the 'after' shot, but the whole thing looks great this is just a detail. This is the one that gave me such problems and the background was struggling with me. It turned out to be a light blue wash, like this:

it's a really washed out photo but you get the idea. it looks way better in person:)

troubleshooting

Well i'm having some trouble loading pictures here; we'll see if by this weekend I can get the problem solved. But I'm on my way to deliver work to Park City on friday; it's an eleven hour drive! Ugh. Oh well. I hope the trip goes well. Right now under my three and a half month deadline for my solo show I'm trying to do one painting a week; a tall order. It's going fairly well though. Hopefully I can get some pictures up!

blogging away blogging away

Well I just got back from the dentist:( man talk about an uninspiring morning! I've got to finish my drawing today so that totally took up my morning! Oh well:) time to eat leftover pizza and get to work. Be prepared for pictures later tonight!

New day, new drawing

well another day and i've started another drawing that might upset my mom; its not a very happy drawing but it's pretty intense. My work is evolving with each drawing I do into something more and more layered. I suppose that's good, right? I'm trying to get into an exhibition in Japan in January and I guess the more I get done the more I have to pick from! Ok time to work :)

Here goes....

Hello everyone! thought i'd share a few things that are going on...if i'm being boring just let me know:) Anyway i just heard from the Lessedra Gallery in Bulgaria and looks like I'm in the show!  i guess now i can only hope i sell my piece:)
But man did I have trouble with my latest this week...'whew'....my brain feels like a wrung sponge. It was almost done but not quite, you know, and it needed something but it wasn't talking. I spent twenty minutes staring at the th ing before I finally just picked up the brush and just tried to close the thing in.
After a while (like four hours) things started to happen and I frantically held onto it til it was done.
I took a nice long nap after.
It still needs a few touches but for the most part the battle has been won.
I'll finish it up tomorrow and hopefully get some pictures up soon. And I know this was long but I'm a talker. I'll get used to it I guess:)

My First BLOG!!

Hi! My name is Archer Dougherty and this is my first attempt at blogging! :)

Check out my web site, Archer Artworks.com or send me an e-mail at archer@archerartworks.com

Thanks everyone!!