It was a beautiful Spring day in Atlanta. The perfect opportunity to try out my new plein air set up and shoot this week's video. I packed my new baby Heilman box (the double sketchbook), my tripod and some paper and my husband and I headed to the river.
Michael volunteered to be the cameraman. That was great for me because I needed to get familiar with my new set-up. We decided to go the a park alongside the Chatahoochee River. I did a warm up painting and we decided the light would be better if I faced the opposite direction. I really wanted to find some blooming trees so we moved to another spot.
The best spot happened to be right where we parked. There was a wonderful row of blooming redbud trees. Sure they were alongside a busy road. Yes there were houses and 'stuff' behind the trees. But it was a great exercise in simplifying and editing!
I thank you in advance for watching. In Wednesday's blog post I will answer any questions you have about the demo. Ask questions in the comment section.
If a picture is worth a 1000 words what is a video worth? If blogs are great for sharing words and pictures imagine the possibilities for sharing through video! I am excited to share my entry into the world of video and YouTube with my first video blog episode. Here is the back story.
My daughter is an avid fan of certain channels on YouTube. She follows these 'vloggers' every day just as we read our favorite blogs everyday. She encouraged me to start my own YouTube channel and share my art life through video. At first I resisted. I have enough to do. I don't have the right equipment. I have no idea how to take and edit a video. Would anyone really want to watch?
I tested the waters a bit last year with a few simple videos on YouTube. The quality wasn't very good and the learning curve seemed steep so I let it slide. But then I needed a new camera for my upcoming art adventures. I thought it would be a good idea to get a camera that would be good for travel but would also take decent (and would be easy) to take videos....just in case.
my new camera
I got my new camera. I mulled over taking a video. And then it occurred to me. I can learn how to make and edit a video. It's just like painting. We need to learn the basics and then practice.....a lot. Things may be rough in the beginning but with practice they will improve. I have to take the plunge and just do it!
Video will be the perfect complement to this blog. We are artists....visual people. I can show so much more with video!
So I am pleased to share my first episode of my new video blog 'An Artist's Life'. I plan to add a weekly installment and I will share it here. I encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you won't miss an episode!
(if you are reading this post by email the link to YouTube may not work. Go directly to the blog at www.karenmargulis.com for the link or copy and paste this address in your search bar https://youtu.be/m8VRQm-jzNE)
I used my Great American Artworks Richard McKinley set for this painting
Now that you have watched the video here are a few more tips for small daily painting:
keep them small 6x8 and 5x7 are ideal
keep them quick. Set a timer for 15-10 minutes
keep supplies set up even if it is just a small set that is easy to access
simplify! start with a few big simple shapes
create a roadmap of values....decide what is mostly dark, light and mid value.
choose the area of interest and put the most clarity in this area
leave some mystery....don't put in every detail. the time limit helps.
when the timer goes off STOP. Paint another one but don't fiddle with the painting
evaluate the painting and decide on 3 marks to finish. place those mark and call it done!
What is a Vlog you may be asking? Or you may already be hooked to some popular YouTube vloggers. A vlog is simply a blog in video form. Here is the Urban Dictionary definition of Vlog:
A video log. A journalistic video documentation on the web of a person's life, thoughts, opinions, and interests.
A vlog can be topical and timeless, instructional and entertaining. The main thread is trying to communicate on a personal level with your audience.
Last Spring I started my You Tube channel and posted a few videos and called them 'What's in my Studio'. Now that I have my new GoPro video camera it will be easier to add videos to my channel. So today I have posted my latest installment to my channel....
My Black Friday Art Haul
A sneak peek at the great stuff I got on Black Friday/Cyber Monday
I did some shopping for art supplies over the Black Friday weekend. Online art stores had good coupons but I found most stuff in regular discount stores! You just never know what you might find for art in just about any store. I am always looking for ways I can repurpose things for art. Of course I will be writing more detailed blog posts reviewing all my finds but the video gives you a sneak peek!
