Linda Blondheim Art Studio Landscapes Of The South

Cypress Trees
4x6 inches
gouache on cold press watercolor paper

See my paintings HERE

Art Notes Blog HERE



Painters Tip

Working on a Series or Theme

I've been working for a couple of years on my Florida River series. It has been a very interesting journey and I have loved every minute of it. My advice is to do some planning before you begin a long term series. Take lots of notes about your process and your journey. Write down your basic goals for the series. Will it be educational for your viewers? How will you support this idea? With studies, a journal? Will you want to show the body of work in a gallery or museum? As you sell the paintings, will you keep a record of you the patrons are, so that you can borrow the paintings back for exhibition?

Often times my series just happen without forethought. I often have to play catch up with documentation, studies and so forth after the series is well on its way. That's ok too. The first river paintings were just happenstance, with no thought in mind for a body of work. They are long gone, but after a couple of months, I started getting excited about the paintings and began to be more serious in my long term approach to this project. It has only been in the last month or two that I started being quite serious about all the parts and pieces in terms of the educational value of this journey for nature enthusiasts, conservationists, and art lovers. Now I do multiple 4x6 inch studies of the rivers I intend to paint, so that I can share these with those who wish to know the painting process. I use my Art Notes blog to record my process and thoughts about the series. I will be able to simply print it all out and write the essay to show with the studies and the paintings to make a complete presentation for this body of work.

I am very much looking forward to traveling to Wekiva River State Park in two weeks where I will have a week to paint the river, springs and lakes in the park. I will be able to take lots of notes and do many small studies of the area to add to the series.

Planning a project and series will enrich your experience beyond measure. The next time you start out on a series, think of the possibilities which will enhance your body of work. Not just for your patrons but for your own knowledge and growth.