All Artwork On Sale!

Big Sale

 

I'm announcing my end of the year holiday sale!

 

You can find my artwork on

 

www.suzannebuckland.com

 

www.paintingwithsuzanne.blogspot.com

 

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/suzanne-buckland.html

 

I have marked down my regular prices, Some to 50% off or more.

 

All small acrylic paintings on canvas board, sizes 9" X 12" to 12" X 18" are on sale for $20 each (regularly $25-$50). See www.paintingwithsuzanne.blogspot.com

 

All 16" X 20" Oil and Acrylic Paintings are now on sale for $125 each (regularly $200-$250).

 

All Gallery Wrapped Oil, Acrylic and Mixed Medium Pieces are now $25 off list price as priced on www.fineartamerica.com .

 

This sale will end Dec. 31, 2014.

 

These deals are only on original artwork pieces, no reproduction sales. Sale must be made in person within the greater Houston area, or through paypal online. Any orders requiring shipping, the buyer pays for the shipping cost. Delivery is available in Houston area only. I will also be at JoMar Visions Studio for the Artists Alive and Well 2014 Showcase event.

 

For more information see www.artistsaliveandwell.com

 

Contact me directly at confident_realm@yahoo.com for orders.

 

 

These painting are all on sale for only $20. Many more to choose from.

 

 

Painting with Suzanne: Painting Class on Sale One Day Only at Michael's i...

Painting with Suzanne: Painting Class on Sale One Day Only at Michael's i...: Art Class Open House Saturday, Nov. 15 Sign up for a painting or drawing class and save $10. Koh-I-Noor Drawing Clas...

Paisley Fantasy

 

I haven't created as much original artwork as I would have liked this year. I've been concentrating on my painting classes instead. The last three weeks, I've been back in the studio creating again. It feels great to just paint something out of my imagination. For several years, I've wanted to create some series based on fabric prints. When I was a kid in the 60s, my mother dressed up every Sunday morning to go to church. This was back in the day when ladies even wore hats. She had several great dresses with paisley prints and bold colors. This is the inspiration for my latest creation. This piece consists of five panels, 20" X 24" each. When hung together they measure 108" wide by 24" tall. I chose this sixe for an upcoming exhibition with Artists Alive and Well which will be in September at St. Luke's United Methodist Church Rotunda Gallery called "Small Works". This is not small but each panel is within the size requirements. I hope you have a chance to stop by the exhibition. It runs September 2-29. Gallery hours are 8am-8pm daily. The gallery is located at 3471 Westheimer across the street from River Oaks park. 

 

 

 

Needed: One Board Member

Plans are coming along for the new Spring Shadows Art Center. This is a new non-profit organization dedicated to bring an art space to the Spring Branch area and the Spring Shadows neighborhood. I started this initiative in view of a place where the community can come together to create. I believe that every neighborhood, small town or big city, should have an art center. This is a space where affordable art classes and workshops, art shows, musical shows, studios, etc. can be held, as well as parties and meetings for the people of the community and also for people interested in coming to our community from the Greater Houston Area and beyond. So far we have found a location, met with the realtor, had an inspection by a general contractor and have had two local people, Roy Salazar and Melissa Williams join our team as board members. We need one more board member  to apply for our 501c3. The duties of a board member begin with fundraising, promotion, and eventually hiring staff. The board member must be willing to make a one year commitment to work as a volunteer board member for the period of one year from the time the 501c3 papers are filed. We will have another organizational meeting as soon as this board member is found. Please contact me, Suzanne Buckland at confident_realm@yahoo.com for a copy of the preliminary business plan if you are interested.

Spring Shadows Art Center - Update

The plan for the art center is coming together. I have just about everything I need now to apply for a 501c3, except one additional boardmember. I'm seeking one person interested in working on this project beginning with fund raising. Additional duties of board members will be hiring, promotion and oversight of this non-profit organization. The purpose of the art center is to have a place for the community to gather and create, regardless of age, income level, race, religion or anything else that might have deterred people from becoming involved with community art. The art center will feature classes and workshops, gallery exhibitions, music and more. The location is beside the HEB at Kempwood & Gessner. Please email me at confident_realm@yahoo.com for a copy of the preliminary business plan and your interest in serving on the board. Boardmembers must be willing to make a one year commitment and get started right away with fund raising. You need not be an artist but interested in the arts and bettering the community.

Spring Shadows Art Center Update

I have had a hard time getting another appointment with the realtor but we finally connected. I have an appointment for May 28 at 3:30. I have had many people interested in this project, other artists and locals alike. Who wants an art center in Spring Branch? This space is perfect, once fixed up. There are a variety of activities we can do together at an art center. Spring Shadows Art Center will be a non-profit community art center centered around the inhabitants of the neighborhood interested in using this space to further creative arts. There will be gallery space, classroom space, studios, and kitchen space. There will also be a stage for musical arts within the gallery space. This is a space that the community will gather to enjoy the arts together. Let's make this happen. Please email me at confident_realm@yahoo.com for further information. We need volunteers to get this going. We will also need building materials as we get ready to fix it up. We are working with a general contractor for all the electrical and plumbing issues as well as to check out the AC. This building has been empty for several years and needs some TLC.

Very good questions regarding Spring Shadows Art Center

I am so excited about the proposed Spring Shadows Art Center and am very happy to be developing this business plan. I still seek board members to serve. One potential board member recently emailed me some questions and after giving these questions much thought, I answered them.
Here are the questions from Melissa and the answers. All comments are appreciated:

Melissa's questions:

1. Do you have a timeline for the initial funding needed to start up?

As of this time, I do not have a timeline for initial funding, only to say ASAP.

2. When will the facility open?

When we get funding, as of right now, I am contacting somebody I know who works in upper management in HEB who could point me in the right direction as to who to contact regarding this property. The property is owned by HEB. The realtor handling the property has assured me that HEB will be willing to reimburse anyone who leases the property and does renovations. The property is in disrepair and will need extensive work before it can be opened. I am also in contact with a general contractor. I hope to schedule a meeting with the contractor and the realtor soon. I will also invite you and other interested people to this meeting so you can see the inside and discuss the work that needs completed.

3. Is there a bookkeeper already in place? If not, how will the funds be escrowed until used?

As of this time, there has not been anyone hired and there is no bank account. I plan to use my own money to get the ball rolling and initiate the 501c3. As soon as that phase is complete, we can open a bank account and hire a bookkeeper.

4. A list of employees was included in your proposal; are the employees the board members?

There are no employees at this time. I do not have any firm board members. To initiate the process, I need three people to serve on the board besides myself. I'm familiar with the process of creating a new 501c3 and one of the rules is that employees may also serve on the board. When hiring employees, the board must interview each candidate. If the candidate serves on the board, that candidate may not be involved in hiring for that position. The other board members must agree on the position, duties and salary of the candidate as well as all other candidates without that particular board member present. This is absolutely necessary that all board members sign a release stating that they all agree to this process before being accepted to serve on the board. Therefore, board members cannot hire themselves for any position.

If you are also interested in raising funds for this project, please contact me at confident_realm@yahoo.com
I need all the help I can get.

I have a plan but I need some help

I plan to open a new art center in Spring Branch area. I have developed a business plan for Spring Shadows Art Center which will be a 501c3 organization. In order to apply for this type of corporation, I need three board members interested in helping raise money through donations. In order to serve on this board, you will only be asked to help raise funds and not required to donate any funds of your own unless you would like to. I am making the initial investment in order to get the ball rolling. I am very serious about this project and have found the perfect location, written a complete business plan and marketing plan, crunched the numbers, and am prepared to move forward ASAP! Please let me know if you are interested in participating. Three board members are required. Email me at confident_realm@yahoo.com and I will send you a copy of the business plan. You need not be an artist to participate. Anyone interested in furthering this project is welcome.

Spring Shadows Art Center

Since The Green House Gallery & Art Center has closed, I have been working on a plan for another neighborhood art center for the Spring Branch area. I found an empty building that would work well, so I began putting together a plan. I am now at the point where I can confidently begin bringing other people together for serious discussion. I am calling an organizational meeting for Tuesday, May 6 at 7PM at the Starbucks on the corner of Gessner & Kempwood. The space is in this plaza, so everybody interested in serving this art center can have a peek at the place. I am very excited about this new plan and can't wait to get the wheels in motion. It will be great for our community to have an art center where everyone regardless of age, race, income level, etc. can come together to create. Anyone interested in helping me with this new non-profit art center is welcome to attend the meeting.

Sadness envelopes me

My heart is sad today. It is difficult to fail. Knowing "You gave it the old college try" is not good enough. Why is being an artist such a heartache? All we want is peace and all things good for mankind. WE are not a greedy lot. Artists are kind and caring of others. We see beauty in things and want to share our vision. This is why we create, to recreate and share. If you believe that humanity is connected, then why do we disagree or take advantage of others? Life is not equitable. Ideas are sometimes not equitable either, however when we work together and share, something good can be done. When greed enters into the mix, nothing good can come of it. When nothing good comes, creativity fads away and greed remains. How much is enough? There is enough for all. Life is abundant. AS long as life remains, art and creativity remains. Things fade away. But creativity remains.

Director

One of my biggest dreams has always been to have my own art center. I don't own one yet but I am the director of The Green House Gallery and Art Center. A stepping stone to where I really want to be, but it is a huge stepping stone for me. I have had a dream for many years of an art amusement park. I see this vision of several acres of log buildings surrounding an outdoor stage for live performances with buildings for art classes, workshops and art camps. We would also have a space for an organic garden where we would grow vegetables to serve in the organic vegetarian restaurant, with artisan chefs and a gourmet menu. The main part of the facility would be dedicated to not just studio space but mainly residential artists' housing. The artists would live upstairs from their studios and workshops with their showrooms facing the center of the complex. Bungalows would be available for rent. Hands on workshops will be part of the entrance fee. There would be no fancy rides but more mind expansion activities for all to experience. Live entertainment in the form of music and performance arts will be a constant theme in the central stage area. Acting workshops and music classes will also be a main attraction. Has this been done yet? Is there anything like this available now? I have done a little research on art farms but haven't found one like this. Now it is a dream but if you don't dream it you will never build it, and if you don't build it, they will never come.

What do you have hanging on your walls?

I can tell you what I have in my home, mainly original artwork. I have a few photographs of family and friends but everything else is original artwork created mostly by me but there are other pieces created by others that I love. I have absolutely no prints made in China or elsewhere. When you look at the items you have chosen to decorate your home, can you honestly say that it was made in America? I cannot stress enough how important it is to support local artists. This is a grassroots movement beginning in your own home. How many people bellyache about all the junk made in other countries invading our nation? Change only comes when people realize that their purchases are the direct cause of the problem. I'm very picky about where I shop and what I purchase. I wish I could find more things made in the USA and particularly made in Houston. One way we can all benefit from purchasing things made at home is to keep our money flowing within the local economy. I would rather pay my neighbor than some faceless corporate entity enslaving people on the other side of the globe. The cost of slavery is what you pay. Perhaps you feel like you are not rich enough to be a collector of original artwork. I can testify that you need not be rich. Local artists do not over charge for their work. By shopping around at local galleries, art markets, and directly from local artists, great deals are waiting for you. Consider this. How much did you pay for your sofa? Where was it made? What is hanging on the wall above it? Is the decoration worth as much as the sofa? The answer is that your decoration could be worth more than the sofa because eventually the sofa will wear out and need to be replaced. With a little dusting, the artwork will last forever and increase in value. Wouldn't it be great that the next time you go furniture shopping you could pick something that would match your artwork instead of buying artwork to match your sofa? Perhaps you could find a sofa made in the USA or even one made here in Houston. Support all local industry. Art is one of our greatest commodities produced here at home. Buy American. Buy Houston.

Visitors

My cousin from Ohio is coming to visit this weekend. She had signed up for the Houston Marathon but since the weather has been so bad in Ohio she was unable to train and will probably run the 5K. I'm so proud of her. I can't run to save my life. So much self-discipline and determination goes into making a marathon runner. Even more than the making of a visual artist. Runners have physical pain while artists mainly have emotional pain, bearing rejection sometimes on a constant basis. I have found that this is probably the largest hurdle to cross, dealing with rejection. when I paint, so much of my own personal emotion is spent in the creative process that when an observer says that they don't like my work or that something is not quite creative enough or not original enough or whatever negative critique is said, I just have to lift my chin and take the punch. There is no fighting back. One thing I've learned from successful artists (meaning those selling their work successfully) is that when they show their work, the first thing they do is tell the observer how great their work is. I just love it when an artist shows me his or her artwork for the first time and they say "I just love this piece!" I have incorporated this philosophy into my own feelings and I have found that if you present your artwork in this matter, people tend to agree instead of criticize. So, before revealing your next piece, cover it up and practice the unveiling. Take a towel and place over the completed piece. Stand back and describe the piece to your audience, using only positive thoughts and words. They pull back the towel and smile. It will make you feel more confident about your creations and this really counteracts the feeling that the work just isn't good enough, therefore the artwork is great! 

Daily post

I'm attempting to write daily. It isn't so easy. Sometimes it is like painting every day. I just have to make some time. There is a book called "The Artist's Way". It is about getting over "Artist's Block". I've read the book several times but I didn't do any of the activities. I tried to start a group study but didn't find anyone interested. Perhaps one day. It is a very good program. One of the exercises is to write every day for about a half hour about anything and not read what you write for at least a couple of months. I'm not sure what good it will do me but I'm going to try it. I have been feeling a creative block recently. I never had this before but I think it has something to do with burning the candle at both ends. Once I give up some of my responsibility I might get over this. I've been very sad the past couple of days because a friend died on Sunday. I had known her for years but we recently got close and it is really difficult for everybody who knew her because she was such a wonderful person. I generally don't take death so hard because it is part of life and we just have to accept it but this time I surprised myself by waking up yesterday morning to find I had been crying. I suppose it is a natural reaction to a loss but it is unusual for me. Death just reminds us that each person only has a small window of opportunity to live. Make the most of it.

Painting with Suzanne

Today I journey out to Katy once again for my beginners' painting class. It has really been a joy conducting this class for the last 3 1/2 years. I've met some very interesting people. I love to paint, especially with others.
At first, I didn't like acrylic paint. I was an art snob. I have been painting in oils all my life and absolutely love them. Acrylics always seemed to be for amateurs, at least in my mind's eye.  I know some wonderful artists who only paint in acrylics but I never thought it was for me. Now, after using acrylics for this period of time, I'm beginning to love them.
One of the biggest differences is the drying time. This can be a positive and a negative. The positive part of it is that generally, acrylics dry completely within twenty four hours but the down side to this is that once they are out of the tube, you better use them fast. You can't save left over paint like oils. Once on the palette, oil paint can be used over and over again. Not so with acrylics. You better have a plan before squeezing the tube.
Another pro for acrylics is the easy clean-up. No chemicals needed, only soap and water. I used a paper plate as a palette and just throw it away when finished.
Something else that I have noticed about acrylics is that I don't like to mix them with water. I find that the molecules shrink as they dry and give the appearance of the canvas peeking through. It really makes the paint look weak. Acrylic mediums are lovely. You can make textures and glazes easily by using different mediums, and there are many to experiment with.
If you want to learn to paint, acrylics is a great place to start.

Daily Blog - 1-10-14

I started a blog years ago before blogs were popular but gave it up when my life changed. Now I have decided to give it another try. I guess it part of my rethinking my life in the year 2014. I always have this sense of new beginnings after the new year. I need to start painting more. Always my resolution. What I really need to do is sell more and I believe I'm headed in the right direction because in Nov. 2013 I got a job as the gallery director at The Green House Gallery & Art Center. Now I have a place to show my work on a continuous basis instead of dragging it from gallery to gallery, show to show. I'm ready for work this morning. I have my painting clothes on. My plan for today is to begin working on painting the bathrooms at the gallery. I love to paint bathrooms. My own bathroom is painted with an underwater scene. I hope to paint a jungle scene in one bathroom and perhaps a flower garden in the other one. I caulked yesterday, today I'm ready for KILZ!