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All responses Most smiled responses
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Acid free, archival quality, matte surface paper for ink-jet printers. Then I seal it with clear matte acrylic medium. If I'm painting in acrylics - I dive right in. If I'm painting in oils I first prime the acrylic matte coat with a clear alkyd medium to get it ready to receive the oils. Fat over lean!
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Every artist has a different personal formula for pricing originals. Since I had a background in graphic art and commissioned illustration work - I drew upon my experience there when I first started pricing my originals. I figured out costs of material, time spent vs hourly rate. Then over time as my work has become more popular and subsequently more valuable and in more demand I've been able to raise the prices. This is the "formal" formula I use. But most of the time these days I just go with my gut. As I was just telling a friend on the phone literally minutes ago - "These days I price my work based on how much money I need to receive to feel consoled once the work is out of my possession. The pieces are like children to me. It's never been easy for me to sell originals. So I price based on how much money I need to see in my bank account to not cry when a piece has left me." That's a colorful explanation I know. And in the wrong hands it could result in ridiculous pricing. So you have to have some perspective. You can't say "I need 50 million not to cry about this painting leaving me". Cuz unless your Damien Hirst you're not gonna get 50 mill.
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I am that which I FIRMLY believe every artist should be. I am BOTH. There is a great deal WRONG with art school. That said there is a great deal WRONG with the misinformed ideas of many proclaimed "self taught" artists. In my youth I had an offer of scholarship to the Corcoran School of Art. I declined it. Whether this was foolish or not. Who is to say. I did go to a local community college and to the Maryland College of Art and design and received what is referred to as "formal training". I did not get a degree. I also grew up with access to accomplished professional artists (friends of the family) who gave me sporadic, yet utterly indispensable advice. In my opinion a degree in art is nothing to hoot about. Neither is being "self taught" anything to feel smug about. Every artist is self taught whether they realize it or not. And any artist who disdains the idea of formal education of any kind is a fool. Being open to learning from others, however "old school" or "stuffy" they may seem is very important, and will only make you a better artist. And one last thing. Its a lack of experience with any kind of formal education that has created a horrible trend on the internet. Some artists that proclaim to be "self taught" get up in arms over the use of tools in the creation of art. Tools that are legitimate part of the creative process. The use of reference and vellum and opaque projectors to shorten work time and ensure accuracy are completely appropriate and are not "cheating". Just as we learned arithmetic in school the long way by practice and memorization, only to eventually be handed calculators - so too is the process of education in art. You learn stick figures and anatomy, proportion, perspective, foreshortening and you draw it over and over and over until you get it right. Then you use that damn grid and you get better and better and finally you graduate to a pad of vellum and your reference photo. Then you are allowed to trace. Trust me - if you don't have the skill or the training - no amount of tracing will make you an artist. I really hope we can educate up and coming artist that are solely self trained on some of these points. I've seen too many professional artists with incredible skill and grace blasted on forums for using tools and techniques that are entirely appropriate to their trade and subsequently vilified as "cheaters" Its appalling. *Steps off soapbox*
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This is such a difficult question to answer. Inspiration is so elusive and notoriously difficult to define or even determine for oneself. Music is incredibly inspiring to me. I literally start to seek pictures in my head - always centered around a face (because at heart I am a portrait artist - it matters not if the people really exist). I'm story driven and character driven. People seem to pick up on this. Over the years many people have thought that my paintings were really pieces commissioned for book covers. In fact none of them are. But a lot of my work does seem to "tell a story". I think that's because the characters are often telling me their story as I paint and I try to convey that in the image. But then, it's not secret that I'm a frustrated writer masquerading as an artist.
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Like many people who enjoy Steampunk I'd known about it and been drawn to it as an aesthetic for years before ever putting a label on it. I'd been creating Steampunk content in the 3d virtual world of Second Life for about 2 years before I ever drew my first 2d steampunk inspired piece of art. This was actually quite helpful when it came time to engineer bits and pieces of 2d steampunk drawings. Because of my 3d modeling experience I was able to think in 3d while drawing 2d. Awesome. The steampunk pices I built in Second Life were mostly dirigibles (airships) and houses. I do plan on drawing them someday as 2d pieces.
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Generally whatever is currently on the drawing board is my favorite. Although at the moment I'm very attached to The Locust Queen. http://www.brigidashwood.com/pigment_emulsions/
I can't even conceive of selling the original at this point. I'd cry. -
Neither. I just consider myself an artist. I feel free to explore whatever imagery and themes I wish. I do make a distinction between my commercial art and my fine art. My commercial art is pretty much all of my fairy themed work. A large portion of those works were created specifically for licensing companies per their request. While I have nothing against fairies - I've never had a deep connection with the theme. That said Fairies have a tendency of working themselves under your skin and "adding wings to things" can become a hard habit to break. My fine art has always been a part of my life as an artist but hasn't always been my bread and butter or a visible part of my website. Thankfully as my career has grown my fine art has really resonated with people and I feel free to share more of it. I'm so happy about that. Its an odd feeling as an artist to feel that your fans perhaps haven't seen the "real you". Until now of course.
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Find your own vision - your own style - don't mimic the work of others - find your own inspiration. As my friend Ash says "Keep your head down and swim in your own lane."
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I have one kid. Girl and she thinks its cool but she is very sick and tired of being asked if she is going to be an artist when she grows up. Because she fails to understand why what her Mother does as an adult should have any bearing on what she chooses to do as an adult. I quite agree with her.
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Social marketing - especially Twitter.
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I don't have one lifelong single stand out favorite. I have a list of artists I've always admired and enjoyed - and I regularly find new ones to add to that list. I also find I'm very attracted to certain artists when I am working on specific projects. For instance I'm working on some private portrait commissions right now so I've been very inspired by Hans Holbein. I'm also working on more pin up witches so I've been cracking open my Gil Elvgren books again. I'm a big fan of comic book artist Travis Charest (genius), Travis Louie, Pre-Raphaelites etc. I tend to admire most those artists with a sense of surreal romance & wonder in their work. Additionally those artists with incredible painting skills that also have a strong sense of anatomy, light, shadow & depth, always appeal to me
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I'm on their advertising mailing list. They put out a call asking for advertisers willing to do a promotion with them. Those who were interested had to offer a coupon or discount or product for every new subscriber. I contacted them literally within minutes of getting the email (I knew the spot would fill quickly). I offered a $7.00 coupon (or gift certificate depending on how you look at it). They took a look at my website and decided they liked my work and offered me the spot that issue. That simple.
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Why certainly!
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Alas, its not up to me as to when more fairy ornaments are made. The ornaments are made by a figurine company and they decide what they wish to make and when. At this time there are not plans for any more fairy ornaments of my art. That doesn't mean there won't ever be, that just means there are no plans right now. Sign up for my newsletter if you wish to be updated about new projects and products. Thanks! http://www.brigidashwood.com/newsletter/
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Plant & Page in the 90's. They were dead tired and Jimmy Page looked like he was going to pass out on stage. I didn't blame them for being tired - understandable - but made for a really awful show.
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Both please - but if I had absolutely to choose just one then Rich please - and then I'll go buy the fame.
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Loading...Brigid Ashwood’s Bio
Bring to me a fitting portion of string, an aether lamp and unfair things - I'm an artist who paints steampunk clockwork dolls, fairytales & vinyl toys.
Wants Questions About
- my profession
