The future of online art galleries???

For the last 6 years or so I have been trying to come up with a way for our clients to effectively (and efficiently) shop our gallery in the privacy of their home.  Since art is a very “tactual” or sensory dependent, our clients have always wondered out loud “I wonder what this would look like on my wall and/or with a different frame”. This question was very difficult to answer without taking the piece home with you – a practice we most certainly encourage. But sometime you don’t have the luxury of taking it home or maybe you are the process of redecorating and the walls may be changing…

Well here’s your answer – hangSMART.net

hangSMART.net was developed to allow art collectors the luxury of trying out pieces of art in the luxury of their own home. Highlights of hangSMART.net include:

• Add a painting or paintings to your “wall”.
• Position the art anywhere you choose on the wall
• Change your wall’s color by choosing colors from the list of commercially        available paint colors or create your own custom wall color.
  • Or paint your wall any one of the dominant 6 colors from the painting.
• Add a frame to your painting
• Change or adjust the size of the painting

This is the first iteration of hangSMART.net and we have more functionality, including more art, more commercial paint colors and many more frames, to add. But I really wanted to get your feedback re: what you like and ways we can improve this application.

4/19/2008 – New Cliff Bailey Originals!!

We are exited about four new orginal pieces from Cliff Bailey that we just unpacked at HCAA. Let us know what you think!!

Jess 36 x 24 Inches Oil on Canvas

Constantine 48 x 24 Inches Oil on Canvas

Want More 30 x 48 Inches Oil on Canvas

A Little Secret 24 x 48 Inches Oil on Canvas

Future of Blue Ridge

It seems like every time we turn around there is a new store or restaurant opening up in our quiet little town. Well it used to be quiet…

According to tripadvisor.com’s “TravelCast”, Blue Ridge, GA is listed as number five in the top ten travel destinations in the US in ‘08. Here is the full list:

1. Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
2. Kitty Hawk (Outer Banks), North Carolina
3. Seward, Alaska
4. Kailua, Hawaii
5. Blue Ridge, Georgia
6. Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
7. San Marcos, Texas
8. Paso Robles, California
9. Rockport, Texas
10. Copper Mountain, Colorado

Here is a link to the article for a full explanation of how they came up with this list. Check out www.tripadvisor.com for other cool travel stuff

Is painting for a gallery different than painting for yourself?

General question to the artists of HCAA (or any other artist for that matter)…when you know you will be submitting a piece specifically for a gallery, is your mindset different than when you are painting for the fun of it? Or do you decide that a piece is “sell able” after the fact? Also, and I know the answer, ever keep a piece for yourself that started out as a gallery piece?

work from the valley of the sun

seven fresh masons have been posted to high country art and all are in the usual contemporary naive style–some small and few a bit bigger.

just finished a one-person show in peoria, arizona for a month and another in juried exhibit for the glendale arts council. let me know if the ‘naif’ style appeals to you or if you have a suggestion for a piece. LM

Louis Mason

From the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Today

http://www.uwosh.edu/news/?p=549

Retired educator enjoys second career as artist

Louis Mason, MSE ’66, spent 36 years in the classroom as a business teacher.

But he has always been an artist.

In his retirement, Mason has rediscovered his love for art – and found others love it, too. In fact, he has sold more than 400 pieces on four continents.

The former Oshkosh West business teacher and business/marketing education department chair moved to Glendale, Arizona about 10 years ago. He needed something to do, so he painted 30 canvases.

At his first show in Scottsdale, nearly all of them sold. “That was enough to motivate me to pursue this a bit further,” he said.

When he paints, Mason tries to capture the typically uninhibited, colorful drawings done by a third- or fourth-grader. The only difference is a dose of adult intellect. “So here I am in my golden years trying to create paintings that are similar to those that a seven- or eight-year-old might do.”

Because he is self-taught, he feels less inhibited, both technically and emotionally.

“I have the freedom to make mistakes,” he said. “I am sure some art professors that look at my work would suggest I take some classes, but I enjoy the discovery method. I did while I was teaching, and I do now as an artist.”

Critics have given Mason the thumbs-up. One said his art tests the boundaries of perception, and that the exaggeration of scale suggests primitivism often associated with narrative folk art. Another called his works “gutsy, whimsical and compositionally interesting.”

Pleasing critics is rewarding. But making everyday people smile is really what is important. “I hope my art will engender a grin or two for the observer,” he said.

Besides smiles, Mason said the few extra bucks are nice, too.

“It also keeps the right side of my brain nice and active. And the reminder that I have sold more than 400 paintings to folks on four different continents is also a bit of rush,” he said.

While at Oshkosh West, Mason was named Teacher of the Year in 1995. He also authored 24 books and workbooks in business, economic and legal education.

Mason’s art is available for purchase exclusively through galleries. For more information, visit http://homepage.mac.com/louismason1/Personal7.html and http://www.highcountryart.com.

Newest Marsha Savage Painting

Although I paint mostly in pastel, I have been trying to return to my oils and my acrylics. I painted a diptych — which is two canvases that create one painting. The canvas sizes are four feet high by three feet wide and when put together side-by-side create a painting that is six feet wide!

The painting was entered into a show last Fall, called “BIG” at the Tannery Row Artist Colony in Buford, GA. It won “Best In Show”! The painting is now hanging in High Country Art, so come by to see it. The scene is deep woodlands and creeks from the Blue Ridge area near the Toccoa River.

Other new paintings will be arriving within the next couple of weeks. Keep up with the blog and we will let you know when I will be in the gallery demonstrating!

New Clifford Bailey Giclee

We are pleased to announce the newest limited edition giclee from Clifford Bailey “Full House”. A brand new subject matter that certainly is relevant to the times. This is a 40 x 30 edition of 100 on canvas.

Cliff’s giclees

Cliff’s originals

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Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Telephone: 706.632.6882

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