looking for a Medici

well the spell check is out... so bear with me. So apparently is the add image so I'll have to post 'Eve' later.


In the Renaissance period there was a family of capital "P" patrons of the arts who supported many of the best known names in art, ie: Michelangelo, and Leonardo, therefore freeing them from economic worries which allowed them to create freely. The world is a better place as a result of their 300 years of artistic input.


Today we have a system of grants that artists can apply for. Unfortunatly the process is complicated, and somewhat hidden, so that it's difficult to find out first of all what is available, and secondly how to get it. The system also favours formally trained artists, which leaves the self trained (like me) working at dead end jobs and trying to squeeze their art into the 'spare' hours of their life.


I'm not sure that the Medici were really that much better, they were politically motivated and some reports suggest they were 'The Family' Tony Soprano style. At lest everyone knew who they were, and where to find them.


I bring this up because I'm frustrated, about the small amount of time I have to devote to my art. In a good week I can get 6 hours in, in a really good week, 8. That includes, the time I spend on framing, promotion and 'business'. The last couple of weeks have not been good, so I've been down to a couple of hours, which when you're in the honeymoon phase of a new project can be frustrating. Of course I have no one but myself to blame, I'm the one who joined five guilds/paint groups, and the village Horticulteral Society... Now if only I had a Medici, and didn't have to work. Any Art Patrons out there, looking for someone to sponser, give me a call!

I'm, at the under painting stage of 'Eve'. Under painting in a 'griselle' (dark and light monocrome) and then layering or glazing over in many many tranparent colours is a tecnique developed by the Flemish painters like Jan Van Ecks that creates beautifully luminescent effects. I appoligize for the awful spelling, hopefully what ever glitch is causing this will soon right it's self.

Have an artful week, and come out to the Miniature show in Port Stanley, Robin