Some Ebay fun

Well,

As I prepare some paintings for an upcoming exhibit, I look around my studio and see many little"studies" I have completed over the past year. I often do paintings in a small format to work out the composition before I tackle a larger canvas. Some of these get framed up to sell in a gallery or on the website, but I often auction my small works on Ebay at an affordable opening bid.

I know some artists frown on Ebay, but these small studies have found their way into private collections across the country, and they are a great way for people to "sample" my work. My Ebay studies are the appetizer, not the main course like my larger paintings.

Some of my small Ebay sales have also resulted in a relationship with a few collectors that have since bought several commissions, making it worthwhile for me to list there. I will be listing small studies at affordable opening bids regularly, so click the link below to visit my Ebay profile page, then click on my auctions to see what's currently available, then check back regularly. Happy bidding!

Got to http://myworld.ebay.com/justih to see my page.

Some Marsh, Palm trees, and Coastal paintings and sketches...more to come!

 "Storm over the Marsh" 6" x 6" Acrylic on Canvas on Panel

$75 unframed, $ 150 Framed

Email me at justin@justinholdren.com  to purchase. I can invoice you via Paypal and you can pay with your credit or debit card.

 

"Ocean Isle Palm" 5" x 6" Acrylic on Primed/ Sealed Acid Free Matboard

$35 Unframed

Email me at justin@justinholdren.com to purchase. I can invoice via Paypal.

 

 

I just returned from a trip to the Ocean Isle and Calabash area of North Carolina. I was traveling with my wife and daughters so I only had time to paint in the morning. I did a few on site studies and took a lot of photos, but mostly sketched in my sketchbook in pencil, pen, and watercolor. I will share some of those sketches here on the blog in my next post.

Traveling light for Ocean Isle trip

I thought I would share some photos of my really light painting setup that I use when I can't lug a bunch of painting gear.

I am headed to the coast of NC in a few days, but because I am traveling with my wife and daughters I don't have room to carry my larger oil and acrylic setup. I also would have to worry about transporting wet paintings with the oils, so I am just taking a small acrylic setup and a watercolor/sketching kit. I am also going to complete mostly small paintings and studies on this trip since I will be painting for a short time each morning before family time. These studies will give me the color information to use on larger paintings, and I will use my photos for the details.

For the acrylics I use this small cigar box (pictured below) that has been converted to a mini paint box to hold my canvas and palette. I can do paintings up to 8" x 10" in size on this box. It has a tripod mount that I use to mount a lightweight tripod or if I am in a tight spot I just rest the box on my lap or on a flat surface. This allows me to do small paintings quickly and is convenient for travel.

 

My smallest paint box that I use for oils and acrylics when traveling light

 

 

The other cigar box (pictured below) that will be in my backpack will contain materials for quick sketches in pen, pencil, and watercolor. It contains a small watercolor set, pencils, and a small pocket watercolor sketchbook. I don't use watercolor that often, but found out that I can keep a minimal amount of materials that almost fit in my pocket with a small watercolor field box with brush and a few pencils. I will probably be doing many sketches in my sketchbook with this setup when I am not painting in acrylics on canvas and board. I will post the sketches and paintings from my trip when I return and will try to post some from the road.

 

 

My watercolor and pen/pencil compact sketching kit



Ocean Isle & Calabash Trip

 

 A few photos from a past trip

Been awhile since my last post but I have been busy with commission work, a new etsy store project that I am working on with my wife, and enjoying my oldest daughter's kindergarten graduation! It has been hectic, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I will be taking a short family trip to the Ocean Isle and Calabash area of North Carolina soon and although I will be there with family, I will be sketching and painting some small works in the early morning hours. These will mostly be small paintings that are studies for larger gallery works, and I will have them available at an affordable unframed price. If you want to be put on a email list to receive first pick of these studies when I return, email me at justin@justinholdren.com and I will add you to the list. I will then send out an email when I return with a link where you can view the images and price.

Don't miss out on the chance to own something original at an affordable price!
I will try to post images to the blog from the road, but will mostly be posting to my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/justinholdrenfineart .

Clearwind Farm and Career Changes

Hello all!
Last weekend I had the privilege to paint at beautiful Clearwind Farm in Mebane, NC. This farm is home to the North Carolina Theraputic Riding Center and they had a show and fundraiser this past weekend. Myself and some other artists were invited to paint during the show and we donated some work for a silent auction to help with the fundraiser. to find out more about them visit www.nctrcriders.org .
I will post some photos from the event when I get them downloaded from my camera card. Here are some shots I took of the property with my phone.

I was thinking after the event that day, how my freelance art career has changed since the birth of our second daughter last July. I used to try and commit work to every show and invitational event because I was producing a ton of work and trying to gain more sales to keep learning and moving forward. After our second daughter was born and two kids were in the house, things changed!

 We had a lot more on our plate, and I was mostly painting late at night. I couldn't commit to as many shows or finish a solo project that I hoped to exhibit last year, but that's okay. I am learning to make good use of limited time to just slow the pace and improve my work by much study and painting as much as I can.
I am now finding more time to work on some new projects and I will keep you posted!

Hard at Work on New Things!

 

Late night in the studio trying to finish up a bunch of works that are in progress

Although I have not been posting much to the blog, I assure you that I am painting!
In between studio time I juggle a family and a full time job, so life has been a bit exciting lately. We had some tenants move out of a rental property we own back in January and they left a mess, so I have taken on that huge project of getting the house painted, repaired, etc. so we can rent it out again.
All of this has meant that while I have been painting, I haven't had much time to post. Remember if you are on Facebook, you can find my art page there where I post more frequently than the blog. Just search "Justin Holdren Fine Art" on Facebook to see my art page or go directly to www.facebook.com/justinholdrenfineart .

I am also launching a new etsy store with my wife that will be different from my fine art, it will be commercial art prints themed for kids rooms and homes. My wife will plan and design the prints to offer and I will do the artwork. This will be marketed separately from my fine art business of course, but it will be a fun project that will allow us to do something creative together. More on that soon!

Etsy Store Now Re-open!

I have had an account and shop with Etsy for awhile, but have never really done anything with it because I mostly concentrated on my website, blog, Facebook, and Ebay. I have now listed new items in my store and will be adding new items every few weeks!

I am using Etsy mostly for my smaller unframed paintings that are affordable, but I will soon be offering open edition prints and other affordable "art" items. Some of the paintings available on my website will also be available on Etsy. Check it out and visit often to see my new listings!

Click HERE to visit my shop on Etsy!

Lavender Farm Painting auction

 "Lavender Farm in June"

10" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas ( Painted on location at a lavender farm)

Click HERE to view the 2 day special auction price!
**This piece is now SOLD and on its wat to a collector in Bahama, NC.**

 This painting is currently up for bid for a limited time 2 day auction on Ebay. The starting bid is only $49, which is a fraction of the original retail price. Have to make room in my small studio for 2013 paintings! Don't miss out! This price is for a limited time!

Some fun with small paintings

These are a few small paintings I had finished in the studio awhile back. Sometimes these small ones let me try out new colors and techniques without the pressure of working on a large expensive canvas. They are affordable as well for originals. My friends and patrons also like to collect them because they take up little space. Back tomorrow with some changes to another painting and some more new work!

 "Morning Reflections"

4" x 4" Acrylic on Cradled Panel

$35 unframed

Purchase at my website HERE or by emailing justin@justinholdren.com

 "Blue Ridge Meadow"

6" x 6" Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas (Wired and ready to hang unframed)

$75

Purchase at my website HERE or by emailing justin@justinholdren.com

"Summer Colors"

6" x 6" Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas (Wired and ready to hang unframed)

$75

Purchase at my website HERE or by emailing justin@justinholdren.com

Goodbye 2012

As I think about the past year, I realize how quickly time has flown. 2012 was a good year and I am truly blessed. In this down economy, my family is still surviving, even thriving a bit. Our second daughter was born in July and she has truly been our joy this year, along with her 5 year old sister.
All the activity and a busy work schedule means that I didn't get as far with my painting as I wanted to this year, but that's ok. I took a step back a bit and really enjoyed the time with my wife and 2 daughters.

 I am still working full time and doing many commissions, so much of my work was contracted work this year and much study work, instead of work that was sent to galleries or put on my website. I painted more studies this year to really grow and improve my work instead of producing a lot for sale. That is a luxury I still have because I haven't left my day job.

 My goal this new year is to paint even more and finish 2 or 3 large projects that will be good for my art career. I also want to continue to push myself in new directions as a painter to really grow and improve with each new work.
Hope everyone has a happy new year!

 

 

Moving outside my comfort zone, painting on cast iron!

It's been awhile since my last post and I have been busy in the studio! New work for galleries and I also participated in a Christmas gallery exhibit.

I have also been busy with commissions, and I just finished an interesting one.
 A friend of mine wanted their grandmother's old house painted...no problem. Then she told me it was to be painted on one of her old cast iron skillets.
That is a first for me, and I wasn't sure about how the pan would take the paint, even with gesso primer. Anyway, I like a challenge so I primed the center with 3 coats of gesso and did some test painting. It took the paint great even if the surface was a little bumpy and it dried even faster than acrylics usually do, so I couldn't blend much. I used acrylic paints as it had to be dry immediately to give as a gift.

I jumped in to do it even though I have never painted on anything like that, and I think as my first ever pan, it turned out pretty well. As usual, I see a few things that I think I could do better if I had the time, but I was on a tight deadline!
Hope your Grandmother enjoys it Brad & Wendi! Thanks!

Annual Christmas Studio Sale

 

I have just started my annual Christmas Studio sale on my website. I create many small paintings each year as studies for larger gallery works, so I am clearing out the studio to make room for new work. These pieces will all be offered unframed at a fraction of the original retail price with FREE Shipping.
I will be adding new pieces every week until Christmas, so be sure to check it out and return often!

Click the link below to go directly to the sale portfolio on my website.
http://justinholdren.com/collections/53000

Happy Shopping! Contact me at justin@justinholdren.com with any questions!

Blogging Break & Madison Trip



 

Well, you may have noticed that I haven't posted here in about 2 months, but I am back. After the birth of our second daughter, I just needed a break from some online activity to enjoy and spend time with my family. I have been painting and posting to my Facebook page, but had taken a rest from the blog. You can always join my Facebook page to see more frequent updates and my blog posts also feed there as well. Just search "Justin Holdren Fine Art" when logged in to Facebook and "like " my page to see my updates.

 

Enjoy the pictures below that I took over the weekend. We visited my wife's aunt and uncle and their families in Madison, NC in Stokes County. We went to a bluegrass pickin' at an old general store and spent time at their home too. My wife's uncle is a well known Stokes County artist, Frank Duncan, and I always enjoy visiting his studio and talking "shop".

All in all, a a great day with family and taking in the beautiful Stokes County scenery.



 

 

 

 

 The view beside Frank's studio

 Frank Duncan's art Studio and Gallery

www.frankduncanartwork.com

  A view of Frank's gallery

 Another gallery view showing a recent large oil



 Pickin' at Priddy's General Store

Priddy's General Store in Stokes County

Back in the saddle & Playing with watercolors

I am finally back in the painting saddle after the birth of our second daughter in July. My five year old daughter also started K-5 this week too, so I have not had much studio or field time lately.

Most of you know that I paint mostly in oils and acrylics, but lately have been playing with watercolors. I am doing mostly small sketches on site and in the studio, but am having fun!

Often times, I paint when traveling with family and even taking minimal oil and acrylic supplies can take up valuable space, so I plan on using this pocket watercolor kit that I purchased on some future trips when I just want to sketch. All I need to paint is the kit with included brush and a sketchbook or watercolor pad. The kit is small enough to put in my pocket!
Here is quick pic of the pocket kit with some quick watercolor site sketches done at the historic Capt. White House in Graham, NC.

NC Plein Air Landscapes

"Tree Study"

7" x 5" Oil on Canvas on Panel - SOLD

"Crestmont Meadow Study"

8" x 6" Acrylic on Panel - SOLD

These are two landscapes done on site in rural Chatham county on a beautiful private property. Was a really hot day and eventually used my acrylic spray bottle to mist myself with water to stay cool! These are both sold recently to a regular collector of mine.
I have been busy in the studio packing up some commissions to ship out as well as working on new paintings for my gallery rep in Siler City, NC. Will show some of those when I get them finished.

North Carolina - An Artist's Oasis

I have been working on many new studio paintings that are in progress and I will post some plein air paintings tomorrow that were done over the weekend. Thought I would just share a few pics of some the beautiful landscapes that abound in central NC..
 I love working and painting in North Carolina. We have such a wide variety of landscapes and beauty here. These pics are from central North Carolina where I live, but I can be at the coast or the mountains in just a few hours as well. Even when I travel, I always look forward to coming home to the beauty of NC.

Hatteras Boat Painting & A Plein Air exhibit

"Working Boats"

16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas

Currently ON HOLD

Just finished up this scene in the studio a few days ago. It's a dockside view of some Hatteras boats, and it is currently on hold while a buyer in the Outer Banks decides between this one and another boat painting that I did.
Also, our Plein Air group's small exhibit "Local Landscapes" opens Friday, June 15 and the opening reception will be from 6-9pm. The show is located at Courtyard Coffee, next to the NC Arts Incubator Gallery in Siler City, NC. Go to my website at www.justinholdren.com and click on "events" to find out more. If you are in the area, I hope to see you there!

100 Paintings Project. Am I crazy?

Starting the "100 Paintings Project" 

I have had a project idea in mind for awhile now and I finally started prep work for it yesterday. I am going to do 100 small 5 x 7 inch paintings as a mini painting project. These will be a mix of landscape, still life, and paintings with people. I do a lot of small paintings in a year anyway to work out ideas for larger gallery works, so I am used to working small.

My main reason for wanting to do this is not for sales, but for the growth that comes with completing that many paintings. I have sort of hit a plateau lately and these works will be a way to explore many new ideas and methods of working on canvas. I got out some rolls of canvas and used a 5 x 7 panel as a template to draw out the dimensions on loose canvas. I will then mount the finished pieces on gatorfoam or hardboard.

Although I would love to sell each of them as I complete them, I am toying with the idea of holding these back and mounting all 100 in an exhibition and offering them unframed at an affordable price for new collectors. I will let everyone know soon.
Due to the fact that my wife is due any day now with our second child, and I am still holding a day job, I have not set a time limit on myself to finish these, but I would like to have them done by the end of summer and plan an exhibit for fall, just in time for Christmas.
I will post each one I finish here on the blog as I complete them. Keep checking back!

Painting the Beauty of North Carolina

I am painting on location a lot lately for a June group show that I am in with members of NC Paint Out. These shots above show the county I was painting in Saturday along with my small, portable cigar paint box easel. I could spend hours upon hours at these locations photographing and painting. The best part is that these kinds of locations are only minutes from my house.
I find the beauty of God's creation fascinating, and North Carolina has so much varied beauty from the mountains, to the Piedmont region, to the coast. I never have to search far to find a beautiful landscape to paint.
Come visit our opening reception at Courtyard Coffee on North Chatham Ave., next to the NC Arts Incubator gallery in downtown Siler City, NC. Our opening reception will be Friday, June 15, 2012 during the 3rd Friday Art Walk from 6-9pm. Hope to see you there!

Tropical Palm Trees and Beach in Kenya

 

"Bamburi Beach View, Kenya"

12" x 12" Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas with sides painted black - Wired and ready to hang

Click HERE to view the auction and place your bid

This is an older one from some sketches and photos I did in Kenya years ago. This is a view looking at Bamburi Beach into the Indian Ocean from a hotel. I loved the colorful shadows on the sand made by the trees outside of the picture. I am offering this one for a limited time at an insane opening bid on Ebay of 49.99, much less than the normal retail price of $250.00. Click above to view the auction. You can also click my Daily Paintworks widget in the sidebar to the right and it will show this piece and link you to the Ebay auction. This item will ship for FREE. Enjoy!