Enjoy Art Through Open Eyes: Art Viewing Tip #2

[This is the second installment in a series of art viewing tips for beginners to the art world. Read on for more tips in this ArtBarcs blog series to aid those newcomers how to enjoy art like a pro! Read Tip #1 here.]

TIP #2:
Consider all the Artist’s Choices. When creating a work of art, artists make certain decisions and choices to effectively convey their thoughts and emotions. Artists deliberately choose the medium of the artwork, the colors, the linear perspective and other tell-tale signs to express something specific. Take a look at a piece of art and think about all the decisions that particular artist made and try to understand why.

What medium was used?
There are many mediums that an artist can choose when starting a piece, oil, acrylic or pastel to name a few. The artist takes time in considering the best medium for their message. As you look at a piece think about every kind of medium, why would the artist choose this?

Dry Polaroid Transfer on Arches Water Color paper created from a hand built assemblage combined with pastels

Brush Strokes?
Notice the brush strokes, try and guess what size brush was used and look at the techniques used to apply the paint. There are countless styles of painting, each creating a different mood and feel. What is the artist trying to portray in the piece?

This abstract improvisation painting uses large, wide brush strokes.

Color Palettes
An artist’s palette is filled with many colors that help to make the heart of the piece. From shades to tones an artist meticulously calculates where each hue is placed. When looking at a piece of art take into account all of the different colors. On a canvas there can be thousands of hues, spending time enjoying them will help to put you in the artist’s shoes.

All of these details create a whole painting and an entire artistic message. Keep an eye out for this help and enjoy the details!

Read Tip #1: Open Your Eyes here!

Update: New Piece to Title in our Facebook Contest!

A new week means a new chance to win a $100 Gift Certificate from ArtBarcs in our weekly “Name This Piece!” contest!

Head over to our Facebook page here to submit what you think the featured piece should be named. Our Featured Artist of the week will then choose his or her favorite and on Friday at 4pm, the winning title will be announced! (Contest rules here)

Submit your title idea today for your chance to win!

Enjoy Art Through Open Eyes: Art Viewing Tip #1

[This is the first installment in a series of art viewing tips for beginners to the art world. Read on for more tips in this ArtBarcs blog series to aid those newcomers how to enjoy art like a pro!]

To an outsider, the world of fine art can be an intimidating place. From remembering a whole slew of unfamiliar names and titles to getting all the new lingo down pat for art discussions – many newcomers feel pressure to try and act a certain way when they want to try to enjoy art compared to the standards of other art fans.

ArtBarcs never wants anyone to feel like they can’t enjoy artwork because they don’t think they fit into the fine art environment; we feel everyone should have a chance to enjoy art any way they’d like. That’s why we will be releasing a handful of tips to aid those just getting their art bearings and to remind the seasoned appreciators of the simple love that can exist for fine art. Put these art viewing tips in your personal “Art Viewing Arsenal” and begin to thoroughly enjoy artwork at your own pace!

TIP #1:
Open Your Eyes. Don’t forget this first major point! When you first see a piece like this, taking the time to fully see what is in front of you is half the battle. Take a few steps back. Spend some time looking at the piece at a distance. Get the full view of the canvas. Thick, heavy lines of bold color may, at first, confuse the eye and you may not know what the painting first depicts if you are standing too closely.

This may be what you see if you're standing too closely to a piece.

This may be what you see if you're standing too closely to a piece.

Fully take in the color choices. Note the brush strokes; the highlights and lowlights. Also remember to take in the size of the canvas; how big is it?

Take a few more steps backward, let your eyes adjust – and voila!  It’s a screaming baby!

Difficult Passage - Wide Open Big Cry

Difficult Passage - Wide Open Big Cry

But, there are also some instances when stepping in for a closer look is the only way to view a piece of art and understand the full message the artist was intending. Using all of these full-view viewing techniques is only half the battle — now it’s time to get up close and personal.

Step up closely to the art piece. You can now see all the details that are not as clear from your original far stance. It’s a whole new world this close!

Take a look at the example:

Killer Baner Bots From Bomberburgh

Killer Baner Bots From Bomberburgh

When you take this piece for example, none of the minute details would be available to the viewer until she was quite close. To fully understand the piece as a whole, you must get in closely to the canvas. From a distance, the figure details would be lost, the colors blurred and the specific intricacies gone.

Up close, the detail are much more evident.

Up close, the detail are much more evident.

Have any questions? Put them in the comments below! Or visit the ArtBarcs Facebook page here.

Next Tip: We’ll discuss personal artist choices!

This week’s Artist Up Close: Michael Chearney

Painting since he was 2 years old, artist Michael Chearney is a vibrant spirit whose excitement and emotion can be seen in all of his outstanding work. In this edition of Artist Up Close, ArtBarcs asks Michael a handful of questions to get to know the man behind the paint.

Michael Chearney

This is artist Michael Chearney sitting in his art studio covered in his paint after one of his unique and expressive painting sessions.

Like his favorite quote says, Michael’s abstract artwork lets his work explain itself. What do you think this piece titled “Into The Sunset 2” expresses? Answer in the comments at the end of the post.

This piece is titled “In Search Of The Miraculous.” Notice the sophisticated color balance and almost sculptural 3-dimensional quality Michael achieves with his paint application style.

Much of Michael's work includes sand from the beaches he visits. This one has a handful from Santa Monica Beach.

For more information about this artist or his artwork, please contact an art expert at ArtBarcs by emailing staff@artbarcs.com.

What Can ArtBarcs do for You? (Interview with Lucy Liu)

One thing that most people have in common is the fact we don’t have enough time to really enjoy the arts. With schooling, work, family and traffic (especially if you live in Chicago!) – finding free time is pretty hard these days.

That’s where ArtBarcs comes in.

Lucy Liu, founder of ArtBarcs, says one of the main reasons for creating ArtBarcs is to make it easier for those who would like to start collecting art but don’t have the available time to put in the effort.

Here is Lucy Liu during her visit to the Louvre in Paris, France.

“Most people, starting out, don’t really know what they like,” Lucy says. “People can’t go to 100 galleries a day to try to figure out their tastes.”

ArtBarcs lets potential collectors browse through its immense catalogues of many different kinds of art which are hand-selected by Lucy and her team of curators  for user convenience. With such a vast volume to choose from, the odds of finding favorite pieces are high. Users will then be prompted to either “Love It” or “Next” the piece of art shown using the gadget on the website – a rating that tailors the following pieces of art that come up in succession.

“This is why ArtBarcs works for all types of potential collectors – there’s something for everyone just waiting to be discovered,” Lucy says. “Some buyers might be intimidated by the art scene, ArtBarcs also cuts out that fear, making art collecting approachable and accessible.”

Other than aiding in the ease of art discovery for potential collectors, ArtBarcs also benefits the artists who create the featured art. Throughout the website, artist biographies are featured along with information about each artist. This not only develops a community of ArtBarcs artists online, but also an artist/collector relationship that could grow substantially over the years. Our primary mission is help you ensure your art is seen by, shared by, and talked-about by a large global audience of art-lovers.

See the ArtBarcs magic for yourself by visiting the website! See what art speaks to you now!

Like” the ArtBarcs Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for more info on behind-the-scenes events & artist info!

Welcome to the ArtBarcs Blog!

Hello & welcome!

If you’ve already read our site, you know that ArtBarcs is dedicated to identifying &  connecting the most innovative living artists with a global community of art lovers & buyers. Over 500 of the world’s leading living painters have come together to make it easier for you to discover & collect new art!

Other than being a part of your own private art concierge service – our ArtBarcs blog is also a hub for art news and will help you along your art journey to act as a helpful resource newcomers to the art world. We want to be here to help you & your new endeavor.
We are excited you have visited our blog & would be excited for you to return again & again!
- The ArtBarcs Team