Thursday, December 29, 2016

A Brief Review of 2016

Overall, 2016 has been a fabulous business year for this artist.  Painting sales were down but I more than made up for the income by teaching glass classes in my studio.  I'm looking forward to adding more workshops to my 2017 agenda and have a few exciting ideas for expanding my teaching opportunities.

"Whispering Grace" - five 20" x 14" fused glass panels
My biggest art achievement for 2016 was landing the five-panel fused glass commission for the Sutter Roseville Oncology Center.  What made it even more meaningful was the fact I knew two people undergoing treatments at the time, and then Cory Huff from The Abundant Artist published this achievement on his blog - you can check out the article here.

Other achievements included being selected to be a founding artist on The Artsy Shark Gallery, an on-line art gallery through the popular Art Marketing blog written by Carolyn Edlund.  Click here to see my on-line shop.  I also created 100 "Zenscapes" for a "100 Day Project" challenge sponsored by an Instagram artist.  These were small 4" x 4" oil paintings that I matted in 8" x 8" mats, and were quite popular gift items for the low price of $45 each.  Here's a collage of some of the Zenscape paintings:

81 of the 100 "Zenscapes" created for "The 100 Day Project" - each is 4" x 4" 

I had a solo show in Benicia with 20+ abstract paintings, and did a show at Sacramento's ArtHouse Gallery called "See It With Words" with Michelle Andres.  For this show, we each created four diptychs and wrote poetry to go along with each set.  Below is "Lost at Sea" - one of my personal favorites.


I also managed to do one "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge that kicked off 2016, and nearly kicked my behind in the process!  Despite catching pneumonia during the month of January, I ended up completing the challenge, which I had named "Reflections" - paint overs of old paintings.  It felt good to give old paintings a new life, and I got to stretch my imagination a bit because I had to try and make the new painting match the old one's name (which was written on the back of each canvas!). Here's a collage of the completed works:

"Reflections" - 30 paintings from January, 2016's "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge


I decided to give myself a break and did not participate in the September 30/30 challenge.  Instead I had my studio open for the 2016 Sac Open Studio Tour.  The tour was successful and I signed up quite a few students for my Holiday Ornament classes, which began in late October through mid December.  I taught over 60 students and some folks took the class more than once.  I honestly don't know who had more fun.....the teacher (moi) or the students!  I learned so much from everyone and felt like a kid on Christmas morning each time I opened the kiln after the previous day's class 😍  

Just a few of the ornaments made in 2016's Holiday Ornament Classes


I also began painting a new series in the Fall of 2016 called "Table Talk," a tribute to our local "Farm to Fork" movement and my grandparents who were farmers in Chico, CA.  I've been enjoying this series immensely and have a show with some of the paintings opening at Mishka's Cafe in Davis, CA on January 1, 2017.  Here's a collage with a few of the paintings I've done for the series:

Some of the paintings from the "Table Talk" series
So overall it's been a busy and creative year for this artist.  I'm on a mission to increase sales and exposure in 2017, and will be kicking off the New Year by participating in yet another "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge.  The theme for this challenge is called "The Wisdom of Winter" and features thirty 24" x 18" limited palette (neutral colors) abstract expressions on paper.  Here's a preview of some of the prep pieces I'm working on now:  

Preview of "The Wisdom of Winter" series - all 30 paintings will be 24" x 18" acrylic on paper
It's nice to do a review of the past year's work because sometimes I feel like I just haven't done enough!  But after writing this post I can see I really DID do a lot and instead of kicking my Self I need to pat my Self on the back and say "well done."  2017 will be my year to work smarter and not necessarily harder - I've got lots of ideas on how to do that and will be sharing more soon.  Happy New Year to all of you, and will touch bases with you in a few days!


Friday, October 21, 2016

Where Does The Time Go?

Good Lord!  It's been month's since I've posted on my blog and I'm embarrassed.  Things have been crazy busy good which is the positive, and life has been hectic which does have a few negatives to go along with it but overall things are great.

I DID finish the 100 Day Challenge and have this collage of 81 pieces of the "Zenscape" oil paintings I completed  (I couldn't get all 100 to fit but I swear I did 100+!)


These little guys were a huge hit with my collectors too -- I sold over half of them in a short time and will have some more available at my upcoming Holiday show over Thanksgiving weekend.  The Zenscapes measured 4" x 4" each and were oil paintings on unstretched canvas.  They are each mounted in an 8" x 8" white mat and they sell for $44 each plus shipping - "4x4 for $44" was my motto and I'm happy they were so popular.

I also recently completed a big project for the Sutter Roseville Oncology Center.  The project consisted of five (5)  18" x 14" fused glass panels and is installed in the waiting room of the 3rd floor. The consultants were looking for a "Zen" look and after all the Zenscapes I had just painted (plus my own life philosophy and style) I knew I wanted the job.  Couple that with two friends currently undergoing chemo and I HAD to HAVE the job!   Here are a couple photos of the installation "Whispering Grace." 



Lastly I'm in the middle of several scheduled classes for my popular "Fused Glass Holiday Ornaments."  Here's some photos from my latest class - aren't they fabulous?!  All this from four students and four happy new glassies.  I'm excited to see what my next class does this Monday - 3 art consultants and 5 designers.  I can't wait :-)  I've also got 3 ornament parties set up so if you or anyone you know wants to take a class or book a party, let me know!!  Just shoot me an email:  jj@judyjacobsart.com 


Thursday, May 5, 2016

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Zenscapes 8 and 8a

"Zenscape - 8" - 4" x 4" oil painting on unstretched canvas - $44 plus shipping

"Zenscape - 8a" - 4" x 4" oil painting on unstretched canvas - $44 plus shipping
I'm afraid I've already lost track of which days are in the challenge already......so here are the offerings for today - Zenscape 8 and Zenscape 8a. 

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

The 100 Day Project - 100 Zenscapes


"Zenscapes - 1" -  4" x 4" oil painting on canvas paper - $44 plus shipping

Call me crazy but I drank the KoolAid (again).....as if I don't have enough on my art plate already!!  But here goes - 100 days straight of creating something.  Anything at all - it could be writing poems; transplanting succulents; creating coffee drinks; etc.  Anything your little heart desires - just pick one thing and do it for 100 days.  Starts April 27, 2016 and ends July 27, 2016.

This challenge was started by Elle Luna, a popular Bay area writer.  Apparently there are 25,000+ people from all over the world doing this and I'm excited to see the offerings - I'm sure there will be some spectacular projects!

If you're on Instagram, search for the hashtag #the100dayproject for more project details.  While you're there, look for #100Zenscapes (my hashtag) and if you aren't already doing so, you can follow me on Instagram - I'm at @judyjacobsart

I picked "Zenscapes" for my project - small (manageable) 4" x 4" original minimalist oil paintings on canvas paper.  I knew with 2 big shows coming up and a crack at a big commission for a hospital, I would need to do something small, so for the next 100 days, watch for my little works of art - all work will be 4" x 4" matted in either a 8" x 8" mat or a 9" x 9" mat, selling for $44 plus shipping.

If you see something you like and want to purchase, email me at jj@judyjacobsart.com or purchase direct at one of my on-line venues:  My Artfinder Shop or My ETSY Store.

Thank you for following along - and if you want to join in, it's not too late - just go to Instagram and look up #the100dayproject and follow the instructions.  Then let me know what your tag is and I'll follow your journey!

Friday, March 25, 2016

Work in Progress


I started this diptych yesterday afternoon and am playing with the base colors which are so far:  Celadon, Ivory, Prussian Blue, Burnt Sienna, Warm Gray and Green Umber.  This one has a "landscape" feel and I have no idea where it's going to go from here.  I think we're going to do a lot of canvas flipping today to see what happens. 

This piece will be for my upcoming June show called "See It With Words" and I've got two sets completed already.  The first set is an abstract narrative theme and the second one is abstract floral.  I need to have four sets for the show and have purchased five, so one will be an extra.  I'm excited to see where my painting muses take me over these next few weeks! 

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Spring has Sprung!

"Spring Bouquet" - 36" x 54" acrylic on canvas (diptych) - FOR SALE
Today is officially the first day of Spring and Sacramento had some rain.  We've had some great rains this past month and our rivers have risen to levels we haven't seen in years.  Is California's drought officially over?  The jury is still out, but in the meantime the trees are in bloom and we're having gorgeous summer-like days already. 

To celebrate, I created "Spring Bouquet" earlier this week, using mainly my hands and fingers.  I can't tell you how much fun I had reverting to one of my favorite childhood pastimes - fingerpainting!  I usually get my hands pretty dirty when painting....especially when I'm running my fingers across a canvas to make my signature "dots."  It's like a dance I like to do when I'm nearing the end of the new painting, only I'm using my fingers instead.

Upcoming events include a solo show at City Hall in Benicia, California beginning April 25, 2016 and ending July 25, 2016.  Reception date to be announced.

Also I'm preparing for my show with Michelle Andres at ArtHouse Sacramento opening in June.  Michelle and I are both writers, and decided to blend our abstract works with writing on the canvases.  Hope you can join us at the premiere opening of "See It With Words" on Saturday, June 11th at ArtHouse, located at 1021 R Street in Sacramento, CA.   

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Challenge Complete - Here's the 30/30 Collage for January, 2016

January, 2016 - Collage of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
I am ecstatic to have completed my sixth (6th) "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge time and am happy to report two of these paintings have sold to good homes.  In the past challenges, I always worked "small" - usually 4" x 6" up to 12" x 12" but this challenge was comprised of larger canvases that were in need of a makeover.  The series was called "Reflections" and were all done on canvases/panels that had previous paintings of mine on them (some done from the late 1980's!!)

Part of my own personal challenge was creating something that corresponded with the title from the original painting.  This wasn't always easy, I assure you!  But at the end of the day, I was happy with the new work and didn't regret letting go of the old paintings one single bit.

The next step will be finishing these paintings so I can begin the marketing process.  I didn't focus on sales this time - mainly because there simply wasn't time.  Painting larger also means painting longer, and this challenge had me putting in some long studio hours. 

I'm excited to take these new works and upload them to my website in addition to marketing them to my group of designers and consultants.  Many of them will also hit an on-line shop or two, and a couple of them will remain in my personal collection until I'm ready to let them go.

Thank you again for following along - there were a lot of things going on during this challenge, but I managed to finish and for that, I'm proud of my accomplishment.  I'm also thrilled to report I wasn't alone this time - we managed to get a group of 15+ artists from the Sacramento area involved in the challenge, which means one heck of a lot of new art was made in our Capital city this month!

The next challenge begins in September, 2016 - I can't wait to do it all over again!

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Day 30 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Oceans Between Us"

"Oceans Between Us" - 30" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to post this last painting!!  This was a redo of a piece that almost went into my current show that is currently up at FE Gallery.  It didn't make the cut because I wasn't able to get it done in time.

Besides the time factor, I just didn't like the layout and decided to gesso over 95% of the painting instead.  I pulled out my acrylic pens and sketched in some flowers with my left hand, then made an abstract "cityscape" portraying the ocean in between two places.

I was on the fence about posting this one because I didn't feel it was complete enough, but after I penciled in the words "Oceans Between Us" I felt it was finished. 

This 30/30 challenge was indeed a game changer for me in many ways.  For starters, 85% of the paintings are 20" x 16" or larger (biggest is 48" x 36").  Then there was the part about trying to match the old name to the new painting (these were all "do-over" pieces) - not an easy thing to do!  And of course, there was the pneumonia that decided to set into my body 10+ days ago. 

I'm going to celebrate with a Grande Chai Latte from Starbucks then will decide how to best market these for sale.  The finish work is going to take several days, but overall I'm happy with most of the new art.  A couple will get redone again but overall I think I've created a cohesive series, and I can't wait to publish some of the new paintings on my website.

Thanks for following along and for all your wonderful comments - the next 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge is in September and I am already excited about doing it again!!

Day 29 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Dream"

"Dream" - 48" x 36" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
The largest canvas that I've redone to date - here's "Dream" - 4' x 3' and layer upon layer of color and finished with metallic gold raindrops/fairy dust/use your imagination :-)  The gold dots are shown at the top but are interspersed throughout the painting with random patterns.

Only one more painting to finish and it's already about 75% completed.  Can't wait to post it and be able to say I finished my sixth (6th!) 30 Paintings in 30 Days!!

Friday, January 29, 2016

Day 28 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Did You Realize?"

"Did You Realize?" - 48" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
Someone told me today my art looked like "New Age" art.  She said it was ethereal and peaceful, and looked like a dream.

I'll take that!  There's also something very fulfilling about sticking my little paws in the paint when I'm almost finished and letting my fingers dance over the canvas.....

I'm almost caught up (just two more to go and I've completed my sixth 30/30 challenge!) and am already salivating at my next project - four 36" x 36" canvases along with four 36" x 18" canvases for a show I'm doing at ArtHouse Gallery in Sacramento this coming June.  I'm excited about this show because I'm doing it with my talented artist friend Michelle Andres, and I'm writing poetry/haiku for the show too!!  Somehow I'm going to be incorporating the poetry/words into the paintings - not quite sure how that's happening but I'll figure it out.

Until then, I need to concentrate on finishing two more paintings; completing each and every one of them (signing; finishing the sides; wiring; adding them to my inventory list; photographing; and varnishing).  The finish work can sometimes take as long as making the painting itself!  It's the least sexy part of an artist's job, in my opinion......but a necessary one.

Day 27 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Zoom"

"Zoom" - 40" x 30" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
Still playing catchup for this challenge - here's Day 27's offering....only 3 more to go!  This pneumonia is kind of kicking my butt.  I feel better; go out for a couple of hours; then spend 8 hours paying the price with dizziness; hacking; and general feeling like pooh. 

Seems like with all this "free time" on my hands I should be able to just knock out a few more paintings, right?  But the reality is when I go to paint my head starts to throb and I get queasy or dizzy then have to lay down again.  I'm committed to finishing the 30/30 though - even if the next 3 are small pieces I have to do while laying down.  We'll see how it goes - stay tuned!

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Day 26 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Splash"

"Splash" - 40" x 30" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
"Splash" is a multi-colored cityscape with numerous layers of color in the sky and water portion.  As usual, the photo doesn't do it justice!

Day 25 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Love Notes"

"Love Notes" - Mixed media on 24" x 18" canvas

Gosh, I've fallen behind on this challenge and am finally getting a chance to start painting again.  Having pneumonia has really put a damper on my well being!  Besides being super dizzy and having a head that feels like a foreign object, I haven't been able to stop coughing and my energy level has been at the sub-zero stage.

Woke up this morning feeling much better though and am going to catch up and finish the challenge.  Here's my first "catch-up" piece - "Love Notes."  There's some metallic gold highlights that are glazed over parts of the notes and collage piece.  Enjoy!


Sunday, January 24, 2016

Day 24 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Bay Breeze"

"Bay Breeze" - 36" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
This piece reminds me of the windy day on the beach in the Spring - flower petals dancing in the air with a gentle sea mist floating over the sand.  I enjoyed working with the pastel colors on this painting and making the various squiggles as I painted over the layers. 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Day 23 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Time to Grow"

"Time to Grow" - 24" x 36" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
I've been fighting a respiratory infection this past week that has unfortunately turned into a case of pneumonia, so painting for the remainder of this challenge will be happening as the meds continue to work their magic and in between bouts of coughing and dizziness. 

I really liked the painting that was painted over for "Time to Grow" - and I almost set the original aside to keep intact.  However, an inner voice guided me forward with the knowledge of what I was doing was indeed growth as a person and an artist. 

The original was rather dark and very personal - it was one from my dress and cups stages.  This new painting covered all that darkness, and at the end I decided to collage one of my canvas house pieces over a particularly personal area.  I just noticed it now appears as though it is "housing a secret" which indeed it is. 

Isn't it amazing at what appears when we let our psyche's through and hand them the control of the brush? 


Friday, January 22, 2016

Day 22 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Sweet Surrender"

"Sweet Surrender" - 24" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
More soft and subtle colors in this abstract painting - covering up a mid-range palette with lots of marks.   With the exception of a couple of paintings thus far, I can safely say I'm loving this new style that has been emerging from this challenge.  

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Day 21 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Inner Peace"

"Inner Peace" - 24" x 30" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
This painting gave me everything BUT inner peace while painting it....in fact it was painted over and over and over again before I finally said "enough."

The original piece had a ton of texture - molding paste; fiber paste; gel sand; gel medium.....and at one point I became so frustrated I actually grabbed some more molding paste and started texturing over the texture!!

No matter what I did (graphite lines; ink drips; bold cruciform composition) I couldn't seem to create a focal point of interest.  And then it hit me.....I didn't NEED a focal point!  The texture WAS the focal point and the soft, blended colors that danced over the surface were the perfect background.  I added gold metallic highlights and that sealed the deal.

I know the photo sucks and you can't really see the shimmer but you can see the subtle colors that  float on the surface.  The finished piece has so much depth it is actually quite beautiful.  This one might just stay in my personal favorite stack!

Day 20 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge - "El Pueblo"

"El Pueblo" - 24" x 18" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

I love the way this piece turned out....the colors are very subtle Southwest colors (hence the moniker "El Pueblo") and there's an inkling of a homestead/house in the upper right corner.  I didn't want to commit to a decipherable form so left it very abstract, then added some metallic gold for good measure.  And because for some reason I can't seem to get enough of the shimmer right now, I threw in some powdered silver gouache to make it really glow!  The gray areas are really the silver spots, but when I tried to get the photo, the glare was blinding.

One of the biggest problems I'm having with this challenge is with the old names of the pieces.  Because these are all "do-overs," most of the canvases were already named.  So trying to make a new piece work with the name sometimes doesn't work - like at all.

The old painting for this canvas was called "Decisions" and was a geometric work with numbers and letters sprayed on (yes, I went through that phase....).  However, when I was painting this piece, the name "El Pueblo" came to me and my rule is once a name comes to me, I know it's time to stop painting. 

I don't want to white out or gesso over the previous name, so will somehow blend the names (ie Decisions - El Pueblo).  Maybe it will attract a buyer who can't decide which house to buy?  Or someone inthe  real estate industry?  I'd be happy if it just attracted a buyer, period!!

Only 10 more days to go - and today I pulled some large canvases out of the shed in my backyard.  Watch out, folks - things are going to get freaky now :-)

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Day 19 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "City Dreams"

"City Dreams" - 20" x 16" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

This painting was done entirely with a palette knife, something I haven't done in years.  I like the texture and blended colors you can get with acrylics and a palette knife, and may try to do a similar style piece or two before the challenge is over. 

Another cityscape using complementary colors - again a very limited palette.  I wanted to do something that looked Mid-Century, but didn't want to do turquoise with orange, so I opted for a creamy soft Light Ultramarine Blue by Golden instead.  The building shapes look contemporary to me though - and that worked for me.  I had to really hold myself back from trying to add more colors or change the "sky" - and I'm glad I did now.  I like the end result and would have lost it entirely had I gone rogue with my earlier desires!

I'm behind again in finishing the paintings (ie signing; wiring; varnishing; finishing the sides), and need to get a jump on that this week.  I know - in my spare time :-)  But seriously - I need to get those paintings finished so I can show them to another art consultant and her client.  Nothing like a little pressure to get this artist busy!

Monday, January 18, 2016

Day 18 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Building Dreams"

"Building Dreams" - 36" x 24" acrylic and graphite on 1.5" canvas
With a strong background in the real estate industry, I have a love for buildings; houses; and dwellings in general.  They house our spirits day and night, and I've always been able to "feel" their soul.  When I was developing commercial real estate, each building or project that I worked on felt like a child to me, and I would always get excited when the new tenant or owner moved in.  True, I had built the structure but the people who moved in were what ultimately made the building come alive.

Inside these structures, the occupants build their dreams.  Doesn't matter if it's a home or a building - it's where the creativity begins and life actions take place.  It's almost spiritual, hence the desire I had to add the liquid metallic gold at the lower left part of the painting. 

Another fun makeover piece - and it can be hung either horizontally (as shown) or vertically with the black circles on the bottom. 

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Day 17 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "My Funny Little Valentine"

"My Funny Little Valentine" - 24" x 24" mixed media on 1.5" canvas
Looks like I need to get busy this Holiday weekend and get some more paintings done!  I thought I was ahead of the game when I completed this one last Friday, but yesterday wiped me out.  Long story and nothing I want to share right now, but I'm back on track now.

In an earlier post I mentioned two friends who are both fighting life-threatening diseases - one is being treated at the Mayo Clinic (fortunately she has excellent insurance) and the other just got accepted to Stanford's cancer center.  Unfortunately her insurance seems to be fighting her every step of the way, and one of her friends started a funding campaign to help with the bills.

I decided to do my share to help and am offering the following:  Any of the paintings in the collage below will be for sale at A PRICE YOU NAME (no reasonable offer refused) - and 100% of the sales will go to help my friend.  The offer is good through Monday, January 18th at midnight.  I normally charge an average of $1.00 per sq. in. of the canvas (for example, a 12" x 12" canvas would be $144 - but make me an offer I can't refuse!).  Here are more details.  Please consider helping this family in need.....cancer ain't cheap and the treatments are going to bankrupt this family.  Stage IV inoperable cancer can be treated and the Stanford oncologist team is hopeful Tammy's type of cancer responds to the treatments which start next week.  At $3500 a pop (out of pocket expenses), this isn't easy.  Send me an email with your offer and get some original art.  100% goes to Tammy - inquiries at:  jj@judyjacobsart.com


Saturday, January 16, 2016

Day 16 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Sky Watch"

"Sky Watch" - 24" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas
Here's something different - bright, bold and tons of texture.  I wanted to paint something that reminded me of David Bowie and these colors and geometric shapes screamed "80's" to me. 

I was a huge Bowie fan  back in the day and was so bummed to hear of his passing this week.  Another rock and roll legend has joined some pretty talented superstars who went before him.....just think of the music they're playing now.