My Own Art Gallery

REDO, REDACT, REWORK

2012-02-16T15:31:00.001-08:00

I have recently embarked on a mission to fix or rework failed paintings. About three weeks ago I found myself sitting in my studio staring at a wall of paintings that I just couldn’t bring myself to exhibit yet hoping that I would eventually figure out what those weak pieces needed to reach a state of resolution. I had to search deep for the courage to begin this process of facing the inevitable.

These pieces didn’t work and never would. Ever.

As painful as it was to admit this to myself, this was going to be another battle with ego and I needed to win. I got my nerve up and unsheathed my industrial scraper tool and began to peel back the colorful layers of paint that had mostly dried on the surface but were still soft and yielding beneath. It was a tough step because each piece had at least one redeeming quality: a particularly effective composition or a color scheme that was tantalizing to the senses. On the other hand and of equal import, each piece had a major flaw: poor knife work, muddy colors, overworked paint, overzealous use of medium, clashing colors, or stagnant composition.

They needed to go.

I didn’t scrape them all at once, I scraped one or two and began the process of editing right away. There were some pieces that had elements I could incorporate into new paintings; this was particularly serendipitous on a portrait piece entitled “Spirit Moves Through” (pictured with article) where what was once a pedestal became the dark hair of a mysterious woman. Other pieces morphed from abstracts to impressionist landscapes, and other pieces failed a second time, to my chagrin. One piece went through five different permutations, with copious amounts of wasted paint and a rising sense of frustration.

But eventually, with patience and tenacity I prevailed.

What I gained from this process was of immeasurable value: every artist needs to have his or her own editing method, one that compliments his or her process and approach. For me, this was about first letting go of these failed pieces and admitting there was a problem with them. Sometimes I was unsure what to do with them but convinced that having an additional panel to paint on was more useful than a half-formed or unsuccessful work. I had to let go of my nostalgia for them as well. I found this process liberating, having pieces that would never see the light of day be transformed into the signature piece for my next show or finally figuring out exactly what was wrong with the initial work and correcting it with confidence.

Every artist needs to have a redactive process that brings to bear an objective assessment of the work’s quality. In my exploration of editing, this practice had to be completely separate from the creative process, as I have found that the “critical” or “ego mind” is a block for me. I had to don the critic’s hat and be effective in judging which pieces could stay, which needed to be tweaked, and which needed to be totally obliterated. The growth that can be achieved by being honest with one’s self and one’s work is very important and can be realized by applying the basic tenets of design, color theory, composition and theme.

As a result of this editing process, I have 22 new works that came from what were the resigned, dark recesses of my home studio. It also has forced me into one of the most prolific periods in my professional painting life. These pieces will now be exhibited and I have a new arsenal of “process tools” that I can use when faced with a less than satisfactory work. I no longer fear starting over or destroying marginal work. I am empowered to improve them and make them something that not only I am proud of, but that others may be able to enjoy in their fully realized state.

Kevin Winger

THE ARTIST AND THE CREATIVE SPIRIT

2012-02-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

I do not paint daily, or even weekly, yet I am an artist. Months can go by without my squeezing a paint tube or picking up the palette knife. Despite an urge to be as prolific as possible in the creations of new works, I feel that I can’t always control when the spirit moves me to create. On the flip side, there are times where you can find me in the studio for days, awake at all hours of the morning and night, working away, seemingly possessed by the need to move colors around and make an art object.

I find myself often thinking of this urge and wondering why it is at times elusive and at other times like a bright light that I can’t seem to shut off or a gushing faucet with no spigot in sight. I find when I want to create, the source of inspiration or motivation isn’t always there, or readily available to tap into, despite the want; it seems that critical need is more important than the desire to get something worthwhile accomplished. When I try to force the completion of a piece or think too hard about what it should be or what form it should take or what is pleasing, I end up creating something less than good or even passable. Most of the time, forced pieces fail miserably. Why is this?

Sometime I chalk it up to the left brain/right brain argument, believing that the more logically and critically (left brain) I approach a project the less artistic and creative (right brain) the finished work is. Other times, I feel that there is some greater cycle, whose source is unknown, that moves through artists. This force or energy is something intangible. I have heard it described often that artists feel they are a conduit for something beyond them, something that works through them. I often wonder where this spirit comes from.

In my creative sessions, it has always been about dropping all pretenses, losing that sense of criticality and ego and just creating for the sheer enjoyment of creating. Sometimes it is as simple as just getting a spot of color on the panel and starting to manipulate it. Then the journey starts: forms appear, shapes reveal themselves, the larger composition takes identity and color choices come easily without any labored thoughts. This when I feel I’m producing inspired works: when I’m free from ego, self-doubt and second-guessing, when I simply express without judgment.

Don’t get me wrong, every time I’m moved to paint I always fall back into the trap and ask myself “What am I going to paint?” That is when the right brain answers, “Nothing. Today you will paint nothing”

That is when I begin.

Kevin Winger

The Artist and the Non-Profit

2012-01-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

An artist has many opportunities when it comes to interfacing with the non-profit community and charities. This can be something as simple as a donation to their offices or something as grand as unveiling a monumental work at a building dedication. Working closely with a group or cause that is dear to the artist can also be rewarding to the soul. Sharing your art with not-for-profit groups and charities can not only help those agencies, it can also lead to new exposure opportunities for the artist and be a great tax write-off.

Currently, I am in the process of donating a piece to The San Diego Chapter of the Soroptomists Club. They, along with a coalition of several Soroptimist International clubs in San Diego COUNTY are working on a program called Soroptimists Together Against Trafficking (STAT). This program works to raise awareness of domestic trafficking issues, with a focus on sexual trafficking. This is the movement of people, within national or across international borders, for the purposes of prostitution or other forms of exploitation. The painting I’m donating will be used in a special waiting room for female victims of trafficking. It is my hope that the beautiful colors add to the ambience of the room to help create an atmosphere of safety and security in this space.

It is of vital importance to work together with any group or organization in deciding which piece of art is to be selected for the benefit, fundraiser or donation. Giving them a variety to choose from helps to give them some ownership of the process and invites them to look at more than just one piece! The artist should always want to put his or her best pieces out there in the community, for any reason. All pieces considered should showcase the talents of the artist in their purest form. In addition, the piece should be appropriate for the group or cause that is receiving it.

Remember that art collectors are also donors, and this connection can help an artist generate new leads for future clientele through events.

When working with groups or agencies always ask to be included in any print materials associated with the event or ask to have a mention of the donation or your name included in their newsletter and/or email blasts. Also, if placing a piece at their offices make sure that proper credit for the work is posted with the piece. Waiting rooms are great places to get exposure for your art. At silent auctions, insist on placing some promotional materials by your donation, at minimum a small stack of business cards. Finally, always attend any event, fundraiser, benefit or dedication that includes your work or ask to volunteer or help organize these functions. A mention of your work by the host or in an event program is another vehicle for getting exposure to potential art enthusiasts at these events.

I have developed many strong alliances within the non-profit community though the aforementioned avenues and believe very strongly in the link between the artist and community. Art is for people to enjoy, in public, in a welcoming environment. What better way to achieve this than through those that give so much to our communities to improve the lives of others?

In the past I have worked with San Diego Coastkeeper, Family Health Centers of San Diego and Point Loma High School Instrumental Music Boosters for donation and fundraising purposes. Having these alliances in the community has been a very spiritually and emotionally rewarding process and has also led to further sales and new enthusiasts of my work.

It is up to the artist to figure out what foundations he or she supports and also to figure out how to work together with that agency and how best to benefit them. It is not out of the question for the artist to ask for some share of the publicity associated with these events and relationships. I have found every one that I’ve worked with very receptive to getting the word out. Remember, not-for profits are powerhouses of marketing and networking due to their role in the community and their need to engage and solicit the public’s support of their causes.

I have only scratched the surface of how mutual connections with non-profit organizations can help an emerging artist gain respect and exposure in the community. Working with and helping those that better our communities is good for the spirit as well.

Kevin Winger

The Edge of the Canvas

2011-12-09T11:58:00.001-08:00

Were you the kid who never stayed within the lines? That was me, for sure, and the same thing goes today with painting. For some artists considering the edge of the canvas is not something that has ever entered their minds, but for others, how one tackles this surface can greatly enhance or diminish the overall “finish” of the piece. Many approaches to treating the edge of the canvas or panel present themselves when the artist truly considers how to use this otherwise ignored surface and how best to engage it.

I have applied different methods to the edges of my works as my art has evolved. At first I thought all of my pieces had to be framed. Over time I learned that the collector should ultimately make framing decisions, with suggestions from the artist or professional framer if the collector solicits advice. Next, I found myself switching to the use of wood panels, which gave me a cleaner and more solid edge to consider, free from folded edges, fabric gaps and canvas tooth. When finishing these pieces I found myself meticulously scrapping excess paint, sanding, priming and painting these surfaces to attain a clean, contemporary look. Mostly these were painted in black or a neutral gray.

As time went on I became bored with such a “perfected” modern finish and started to allow the excess paint to remain on the edge, especially when it was a continuation of a stroke from the face of the work. In time, I began to exaggerate the work on the surface and let it carry over the edge to enhance the dimensionality of certain strokes and give the piece a limitless quality. These “carry overs” gave the edge a new character that spoke of breaking boundaries and pushing beyond the lines.

For future pieces I am exploring gilding and other treatments. Ultimately, I believe that whatever you do to finish a piece, it must enhance it. Also, be purposeful when deciding what technique to use, execute it with care and apply your best craftsmanship.

If you are a painter and plan on using the edge as a continuation of the artwork, treat it with as much care and attention to detail as you would the face of the piece. The artist must decide what works best for the work and what aesthetic suits his or her taste and the overall appearance of the finished piece. Presenting your work with a keen eye towards professionalism and that extra bit of polish helps others to take you and your art seriously. Never sacrifice your best possible presentation to save a few minutes of hard work; people will notice. Always be thorough with each and every aspect of finishing your work.

Kevin Winger
www.kevinwinger.com

“Art You Can Touch” at the UCSD Grove Gallery

2011-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

“Art You Can Touch” at the UCSD Grove Gallery & Craft Center is a feast for the hands! This show challenges what we were told never to do with art; TOUCH IT! This exhibition gives the visually challenged community a venue to experience art in a way not usually available in today’s public museums and galleries. It also gives sighted people the chance to indulge in the temptation of touching beautiful art objects.

The Grove Gallery’s Friday evening reception was a well-attended and enthusiastically embraced event; packed with people, both non-sighted and sighted, touching, feeling, caressing and investigating the varied sculpture, pottery and textile art that filled the space. At our knees were seeing-eye dogs guiding enthusiastic feelers through the gallery from piece to piece on a journey of discovery that continued throughout the evening. It was quite a heart-warming sight and increased my awareness of space as I navigated through the exhibition. A few of the visually impaired visitors saw through their hands and fingers the varied textures and surfaces that had been assembled for this show. Some spoke aloud about what they were feeling and others were deeply focused on finding through touch what it was they were handling.

At one point I couldn’t resist the urge to close my eyes completely, turn around a few times and grope outward for an art piece to try and experience it purely, without sight. I found myself carefully scrutinizing the surface of what I determined to be metal, by its coolness and smooth feel. I felt around its edges, up and around the back of its terminating point and back down to the pedestal where I made my way over to a similar yet smaller shape protruding upwards. I thought it was possibly a sailboat or a pair of stylized trees but wasn’t quite sure. I decided to turn away from it and not confirm visually what it was but to keep the experience purely based on touch. I opened my eyes to find many sighted persons watching me intently and smiling. The joy and feeling in the gallery was contagious.

This show is truly a unique experience.

The “Art U Can Touch” exhibition was created by UCSD students Helen Kagan and Ahmet Ustunel, both enrolled in ceramics classes at the Crafts Center. Ahmet, a teacher for the visually challenged and blind himself, started sculpting at a very young age. At home in Turkey, he would scrape the putty out of the window frames of his house and mold it into animals. Eventually, his mother discovered the missing putty around the windows and bought him some clay.

Kagen, who formed a friendship with Ahmet, learned that he seldom visited many museums or galleries. They decided collaboratively to curate a show for the visually challenged that allowed the viewers to experience the art through the sense of touch.

The exhibits’ jury focused more on unique and varied textures vs. the customary “perceived quality” or “best” art that dominates typical selection processes. This was quite a different approach for them. Some art was rejected solely on the basis that they couldn’t devise a means of securing the piece to the display, others were scrutinized based on their potential susceptibility to damage.

There are tentative plans to make the show an annual event in collaboration with members of the San Diego Sculptors Guild.

Go feel it for yourself!

The “Art U Can Touch” Exhibit will run from Oct. 18 to Nov. 18. Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10-5pm, Saturday 10-2pm The UCSD Grove Gallery & Craft Center is located at 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla 92037 You can contact the gallery at 858-534-2021 during office hours for more information.

Kevin Winger is a San Diego artist and owner/operator of Mod-Est Studio Gallery at Liberty Station, Point Loma.

Developing a Relationship with your Collectors

2011-11-11T11:57:00.001-08:00

In my long, long years of being a gallery owner (1 year) and artist (3 years) I have made the discovery that marketing can only go so far in bringing new clients into contact with one’s work. I have spent countless hours developing websites, managing inventory, tweeting, blogging, advertising, mailing, emailing and presenting a very polished look to my display space and art presentation. Though all these activities are necessary (and expensive) in the contemporary art world, it is not the most important tool the professional artist has with which to develop a strong, lasting connection with his collectors and admirers.

That tool is being yourself.

Many can get caught up in the appearances of what one should do, or how one should present themselves to the world. This can be a delicate issue, especially when the salesperson side of the artist doesn’t correspond with the expressive side. When these two aspects are at opposition, a potential collector can sense this dichotomy and possibly decide against the acquisition of one’s work, noting the disharmony. This dance is a crucial commentary on who the artist is and what he or she is trying to say, not just through his or her art but through his or her businessperson selves and the supporting media used to promote it.

Being genuine is not a skill to be learned, it is simply about seeing the people that come into contact with your work as fellow humans and not sales opportunities. These people want to hear the story about your work, how you arrived at your particular style, why you chose the medium you work with etc. They want to know about your inspiration for your creations, why they are special beyond their perceived material value and why they were created.

This is easier said than done, especially when an artist depends on sales to stay in business, purchase supplies and make his or her rent. I have been fortunate in meeting some very special people that have subsequently become close friends and patrons in my short artistic career. Over time I have come to realize that the non-financial-only connections are more lasting and that maintaining a network of supportive friends and family is crucial to the success of a burgeoning art career.

I can honestly say that without the support of just a handful of people I wouldn’t have even gone into this vocation let alone maintained the gallery.

I interviewed collectors Bill and Diane Gustafson about their experience with acquiring pieces of my artwork and what was most important;

Q. Which came first, the friendship or the collecting?

(Bill) The friendship. Kevin was hired to paint our house a few years back. While he was working we all developed a friendship and learned that he is an artist, so we asked him to bring over a few pieces for us to choose from. Over time we found additional paintings that we liked.

Q. What attracted you to Kevin’s work?

(Bill) The bright colors definitely. Also the texture, which gives a three-dimensional quality to the paintings, and the abstract forms which allow each viewer to interpret the painting in a different way. I remember asking Kevin once what a particular painting meant to him, and he reversed the question and asked me what I thought it meant. He believes that a collector should have their own relationship to a work and not be told what a piece is or means, but let the viewer decide. Kevin helped to educate me to a degree about expressive art and what he was trying to achieve, this made it much more personal.

(Diane) I often find something new I never noticed before in a painting that has hung in the house for two years. There is an ongoing discovery process through his work.

Q. Do you have a favorite piece?

(Diane) We both love “Quercus Lobata”, a gift from Bill to myself.

(Bill) My favorite piece is one of his earlier works, “Cyan Sun” but it was not available. One day Kevin gave me the original acrylic mock-up/study for the work as a gift. Even though it does not have the same texture and dimensional qualities, it still is one of my favorites.

This may seem self-promotional however, I see it from the perspective of including one's patrons in the process of the artwork and the operations of the gallery. It gives them a sense of ownership. Just the act of writing this blog and interviewing my collectors is a vehicle for thanking them for their support. I recommend always trying to think of ways that you can include those that help to encourage your artistic endeavors. This process leads to a feeling of inclusion and also lets others know that their efforts are appreciated.

The art business is about relationships pure and simple, without a genuine connection with your clients, the correlation between yourself and your creations is not evident.

When you share your art, you share yourself.

Kevin Winger

Developing a Relationship With Your Art

2011-11-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

Develop a relationship with your art... what are you talking about?

For an artist, relating to one’s work is a part of the process of creation. There has always been the elusive point of resolution in completing one’s work on a particular piece. This is not always a cut and dry issue, such as filling in the last bit of white space on the canvas or polishing that last bit of sculpture. There is an intangible and mostly indescribable point when an artist feels he or she is finished. In fact, one of the most important skills an artist can learn is when to listen to his or her inner voice and know when it is time to STOP working a piece. Pushing a work of art too far can ruin it, causing the artist to abandon the effort or simply start over. This is but one aspect of the dialog an artist must develop with the works he or she is engaged in.

In my creative endeavors I have always found that sitting with a painting for a period of time is just as important as being sure that the work is complete. Over time your perception of a completed piece can change or evolve. I have found that my perception of pieces that I loved at first for their individuality or confident use of new materials changed in comparison to newer works of similar merit. I have also found pieces that over time lose a particular personal resonance with me and end up being scrapped or stored in the back of a drying rack for months or years. Later, uncovering an early, hidden piece can also become an exciting discovery, as it can now be viewed in a fresh, new way in relation to subsequent works.

For some incomplete works, I have given up finding a resolution in them and have later pulled them from storage and found them more finished than I’d initially thought. This process is elusive and varies by the artist. At times, I have struggled to figure out what a work may need in order to reach that state of completeness and after much consideration have found that only a very minor tweak of color or texture was all that was needed to reach a finished state. I cannot stress enough the need to let your perception of your individual creations “stew” or “marinate” for a while before exhibiting them and allowing yourself to be open to viewing your work from new and different perspectives.

Sometimes the simple act of moving a work to a separate environment, out of the studio and away from other works (contextual issues) or in different lighting can provide new insights into what the work will eventually mean to the artist. Try to view your works in isolation and in the context of similar works. Trust me that this process is truly a necessary evolution in understanding how to see your work.

Seeing your works (emphasis on plurality) as a "whole" or a "body" is crucial.

One strategy I use for new exhibition groupings is to hang the potential pieces from that show together, salon style (all hung closely together, side by side both above and below) on a single wall in my studio and shuffle their placement in relation to one another. This process helps me to decide which works are most cohesive, which ones are technically inferior, and which ones will make the cut. You’ll find that just sitting quietly and considering their distinctive qualities or personalities will help you decide which are best for your show.

Each artist has to determine how he or she decides a work is complete, what gets exhibited, and what gets reworked.

One of the most difficult decisions a professional artist can make is parting with a treasured piece, a work that he or she feels is one of their best whether it is sold, donated or gifted. I have had this feeling many times, but have resolved to let them live in new homes and be enjoyed by others. Remember, sharing one’s creations is just as important as creating them.

Kevin Winger

Getting Ready for the Show

2011-11-11T11:52:00.001-08:00

For an emerging artist, making the best possible impression when exhibiting one’s work is of paramount importance. Many artists overlook the significance of presenting a clean and cohesive finish to a body of work when presenting it, opting instead for unfinished edges or frames that detract from the works as opposed to enhancing them. An artist who wants to best present him or herself chooses the right frame, (one that enhances the appearance of the piece) finishes their pieces in a professional manner and assembles a body of work that presents itself as synergistic whole.

It is up to the individual artist to decide what compliments his or her work when presenting it to the public, but the artist must always keep in mind that the public may not agree with the artists finishing choices. I have found that building flexibility into the way I finish pieces helps the process immensely: always use acrylic to finish the edges of unframed pieces (so you can paint over them later) and have easily removable frames should a collector not like your framing selection you can quickly remove it, or opt not to frame at all. Other tips include: using quality canvasses or panels, quality paint or materials, and making sure that your works are completely dry before handling them.

Here are some simple and universal tips for installing a work of art.

• Basic hanging techniques is as follows: measure up from the floor 60” (average eye level) make a pencil mark. • Measure height of piece to be hung, including frame, divide height of piece by two and add this figure to your 60” mark, make second mark at new height. • Turn picture around to the backside and measure distance from hanger (the pieces’ wire or bracket) to top of piece (including frame) subtract this measurement from second mark, make an x at this point. • This is where your screw or wall anchors go. • Always consider weight of piece and use appropriately weight-rated hangers or anchors in the wall.

After picture is hung it is time for informing your audience. Tags for artwork should always include the following information:

• Title of piece • Medium • Dimension (height x width), • Surface (canvas, paper, panel etc.) • Artist name • Price

For some, whether or not to put a price on the information tag is a tough call, it depends on the gallery or exhibition space the show is in and whether or not the show is solely for public enjoyment, sales opportunity or both. I think that not having the price accompany a work can detract from a possible sale. In my opinion, pricing your work openly doesn’t diminish the professionalism of the exhibit.

Lighting is also very important, use color corrected bulbs to best represent the work, use a system of tracks and moveable fixtures for maximum flexibility, avoid surface glare and position lighting in a manner that doesn’t create shadows from onlookers.

Always have professional media to support yourself or the artist such as: business cards, portfolio, color postcard takeaways for prospective collectors and other relevant artist or exhibition “concept” related print.

There are a myriad of other details for putting together a great show, this blog entry has only touched the surface of all that should be considered for an exhibition. For more in depth information may I suggest the books: “Art / Work” by Heather Darcy Bhandari and Jonathan Melber or “How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul” by Caroll Michels. Or you can take a local class that covers all the fine details of gallery and exhibition skills.

Mesa Community College offers a certificate program in Gallery and Exhibition Skills. In this three-part program, students learn about the theory and design of art exhibitions and curating. Professor Alessandra Moctezuma, Gallery Director, shows very effectively through a series of courses and an internship, all aspects of installation and de-installation. The program also requires students to actively participate in the workings of Mesa College Art Gallery and to curate a show out in our community.

Selling Out?

2011-11-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

Many artists are paralyzed by the idea of selling out. Some feel that money is in some way destructive to the process of creation and can corrupt the higher purpose of art as a vehicle for culture transformation. Some artists never get to the point of displaying their work for fear of succumbing to money’s influence. Can artists make money and not be influenced by its power? When it comes to supporting one’s self or purchasing new materials, do these rationalizations move us past our ethical impediments?

Don’t most artists aspire to support themselves through their art?

There are those in the art world who have made a lucrative business of selling their art. With modern reproduction methods, many create limited editions of their pieces. This does two things for them: it creates lower prices for their work and makes that work available to more collectors. Is this selling out? Photographers and graphic designers are expected to produce multiple prints to share, whereas a sculptor whose works display dimensionality, is hard pressed to copy his/ her works in a way that is true to their inherent dimensionality.

Thus, the artist can be limited by his or her medium as to the broadness of the market in terms of duplication issues.

Being an impasto oil painter, my market is limited, and, although my more textural works are professionally photographed, the true sculptural quality of them can only be appreciated in person. I choose to sell only original works because that is what works best for me. Individual artists have to decide for themselves whether it serves the highest purpose of their artistic vision to copy them and make them available to a larger audience.

What about commissions? What happens when a collector gives direction that lies outside the style or comfort zone of the artist?

For the professional making a living with their art, this creates a unique challenge. I have found it helpful to see “direction” as a challenge to step outside of my comfort zones and push the limits of what I am typically producing. I find that to accept a client’s suggestion has helped me to develop new approaches and use new materials to achieve the desired qualities. But when does too much direction become a problem? When does that control separate the artist from his or her core of expression and that commission’s prospect become a burden?

It is the artist’s job to create, first and foremost, as a vehicle for expression. Secondly, any artist will tell you that input from outside sources can corrupt the process, becoming invasive enough to squash brilliance and inspiration. This interaction becomes more complicated when a reward (money) is involved. For the artist who needs to make rent, a reconsideration of his or her values may lead him or her into uncertain territory. Also, embracing a project so alien to one’s own creative process can quickly turn into a disaster for both the artist and the client. Taking a difficult project on unsuccessfully to make a quick buck can damage the artist’s reputation and, furthermore, erodes his or her artistic integrity. Pleasing a client at all costs can create the dilemma of selling out, where the artist is on the spot to either stay true to his or her vision or put food on the table. These issues should be seriously considered when negotiating commissions.

Once an artist makes the decision to earn a living from the sale of his art objects, avoiding the financial realities of this process becomes impossible.

The idea of selling out can mean a myriad of things for the artist, including the releasing of intellectual property rights, merchandising of artwork, mass reproduction, and accepting less money for a piece the artist feels is worth more. The individual artist must carefully weigh these instances, as they carry with them the prospect of financial reward. We must remember as artists that our integrity is something that can’t be quantified; sticking to one’s principles is of utmost importance. Luckily, we as artists get to decide what level of influence money has in our art and to know that it is OK to say no.

FINDING A VOICE IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS

2011-11-11T11:45:00.000-08:00

Where, throughout the creative process, does the turning of an idea into an art object begin? Where once it was just neurons firing inside the artist’s brain, chancing to become the inception of a thought, and then through the artist’s hands it becomes an object in physical world for others to see. Is this magic or miracle? Is it something from nothing: some amorphous concept transmuted into a completed work? Why is it so illusive and ultimately difficult to realize? There are many who aspire to create and for each of them, the process differs in getting to the endpoint of a finished work.

There is much more to being an artist than simply creating a finished work.

When I started painting I didn’t like a single piece I produced, for me the process was broken before I even began. Every time I started off by thinking “What am I going to paint?” Asking that question of myself was the simplest of traps to fall into. It was a capitulation to the critical mind before I’d even left the starting gate. Every decision from then on would be characterized by that thought, that container of structure, those bonds of expectation. It was only when I began simply putting color down, covering the canvas, free from anticipation of form that the shapes and constructions revealed themselves to me. I followed their guidance until a state of resolution was reached, a feeling that something had been achieved through that expression, that what spoke from the painting’s surface was true and in my mind, good. For this is the crux, is it not?

Now for the other half of the creative process, sharing it with the world.

This is the part that scares many artists aiming to enter the world of exhibiting. How is one to improve without critical assessment? How does the artist advance an idea, vision, or independent voice without an audience to share it with? In my opinion an artwork is only as good as the reactions it elicits from its viewers, good or bad, uninspired or groundbreaking. Without this interaction, the work hides from the world, only to be seen by those who created it. Those that have yet to reveal their creations to others shouldn’t wait around to be discovered. The artist has to put his or herself out into the world. In order to create this opportunity for improvement through public response one has to take the risk of being rejected or simply drawing a lukewarm response.

I must constantly remind myself that when a less than embracing review of my work reaches my ears or eyes, that the appreciation of art is a purely subjective process, and the question of artistic “quality” is at best, illusive. It is more often than not that my least favorite pieces find their way into collectors' hands. One must let go of owning that fear of judgment and embrace all criticism, whatever its source. This is one way the professional artist grows.

"Arise" show wrap up!

2011-05-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, yes I'm submitting a blog, I'm getting 'round to blogging again on a regular basis. I know how important it is to stay with it and build that momentum so here I go!

My last show "Arise: From Sea, To Soil, to Sky" was a great success! Summary: approximately 100-120 guests, 3 sales and 3 strong leads on sales. I also raised $425 for Sd Coastkepper! I'm happy with it!

Preparation was long and hard but it paid off, this was my largest marketing effort, and though it didn't translate into huge attendee numbers (I was competing with Artwalk 2011) I believe it went well. Thank you to all who came, and thank you to those who sent their positive energy and wishes. Thank you to Chi Chocolate for the great food and drink and thank you to our creator for the opportunity to share these inspirations.

The gallery looks great with the new works in it and I will be composing a video tour of it later this week to post on you tube, so watch out for it!

On another note: The NTC gallery committee met with the UT Music & Arts Critic, Jim Chute, he is asking for help on their arts blog! I am going to set up a meeting with him and get more details but it sounds like a great thing. The discussion regarding the format and content was very helpful and Jim thought a contribution from the perspective of an Artist/GalleryOwner/Businessperson would be a worthy subject. Let's see how it goes.

My good friend Bill did some great legwork for me in contact all the SD public libraries, and digging up what seem like some exhibition spaces, More on this later. Thanks man!

I've entered three pieces into the SD county fair, and submitted entries into the La Jolla public Library's community show, "Our Town" Updates to follow.

I'm very excite about developing the upcoming show concept for September: "Wealth of Spirit" an exploration of new age, cosmology, metaphysics and spirituality. I have completed two pieces already, entitled; "Wealth of Spirit" and "Point of Attraction" I am currently developing conceptual approaches to two others "The Septarian Halls of Akash" and "Ascension" More on my approach later.

Well all, this is it for now, many exciting things happening here. Hope you are all well.

Peace and love.

Kevin Winger
www.kevinwinger.com
krwinger@gmail.com

Finally Blogging Again!

2010-11-13T15:13:00.001-08:00

Guys.....its been crazy. Ever since I got wrapped up in the preparations for the big Grand Opening Celebration I have been so busy! Aside from the Grand Opening (more on this later) Bart and I have remodeled and finished the Marmil house, and i have been going to Mesa College full time.

The opening was beyond my expectations, 250-275 attendees, great press and 6 sales just from the event. The catering by Chi Chocolate was phenomenal and everyone had a great time! Since the show I have sold another six pieces, that's twelve in 7 weeks. Things are going way beyond my expectations, I can't thank the universe and my supporters enough!

In addition I feel I have reach a real convergence of concept and application in my current works and have entered a very prolific period in the creation of new pieces. At times I cannot contain the enthusiasm about new pieces and wish they simply dry faster so that I can share them with the world!

Alas, I have to stay true to my business model and stick to the plan.

The next projects are; finding representation in the Palm Springs area. Doing two outside exhibitions per month in public spaces other than my gallery, compiling a book that has all 120 pieces of my completed works, photographing the newer pieces for documentation and putting together the budget for my 2011 show of impressionist trees, which as of yet remains untitled. I'm shooting for mid-late February, after the holiday event fatigue wears off. :)

I love being here at the gallery and I love the opportunities that are in front of me.

All the best to my friends, family and supporters!

Peace

Kevin
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Hitting the ground running....is that cliche?

2010-08-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy two weeks and I have never been busier! Thank god for my partner, contractor and my friends for all their help and support........

There is so much going on...

The biggest news to report is regarding my website... there was a mis-communication with my web developer and the project never really got launched....bummer. I have spent the last week with a San Jose company completely redesigning the website from the ground up. They have promised a 3-5 business day turn-around. At this juncture I have seen the mock ups for the design and am waiting for some changes so I can upload content I'm having them design the site so that I can change information about shows, events and new works at my discretion.

The bad part about this hold up is that I held off on sending my press release out until the web site was complete. This has caused me to miss publication deadlines for all the monthly publication in southern California. This is unfortunate but I think the damage is minimal since the monthly pubs are the smallest number by volume of press contacts of the whole.

I will still send them the info and invites however, they will not have time to feature my Grand Opening. This bothers me immensely, but having an editor take a glance at a sub-par website and write me off as a result of poor representation would bother me much more.

I believe in the "weakest link" theory and out of all my professional media for my art and gallery the site was the most fragile.

All of the mailers are done, labeled and stamped. My mailing lists are compiled, cross-referenced, de-duplicated (is that a word?) and streamlined. It took me three months of emails and phone calls, to put this together and now that I have it, it will serve as one of my most powerful tools in reaching out to the arts community in San Diego. From inception I anticipated about 200-250 on the list but after all was said and done the list topped out at over 400.

I guess I'm covering my bases. What happens if they all show?

:) Smiley Face

That's it.......

While we are on the subject of mailing lists and invitations, I talked with my representative at Modern Postcard today, she said that now that everything is compiled, for future mailings I can upload my address file and they will laser jet the addresses directly onto the cards. In addition they can mail them for me at half the price of postage, at bulk rate.

Should I be mad that I paid almost twice for postage what I should have...?

No, my list wasn't ready.

I have started school and like all my classes thus far. I have had straight A's for two years now and plan on continuing that trend through the end of this semester, which will bring to completion of Associates of Fine Arts: Two Dimensional Studies.

Among the other school related stuff I have to do in the coming week; apply to UCSD and SDSU, petition the Dean at Mesa to accept credits form Ventura Community College, (that was like in ancient times before the current codes...etc.) get a parking pass(don't get me started on parking), make an appointment with a counselor, appeal my financial aid decision (denied based on number of units completed at CC level, What? I only changed my major four times...isn't that normal?) and research scholarships towards my B.A. in Fine Arts.

The show I'm doing at the Cole library in Carlsbad is coming down this coming Monday the 30th. Bill has been kind enough to drive up there while I am in school and pick them up. THANK YOU! The show at Southwestern College goes up on Friday September 3rd, the same day at the next Friday night Liberty event. It is going to be a fun start to September.

NO new paintings to report though my sister in her last visit was very impressed with the new direction my current work has taken.

That was a nice affirmation.

Met with Matt Harding of GSDBA today regarding options for business networking and it sounds like there is quite a bit I could be doing to use the opportunities available to me as a member. I will go over the welcome packet in more detail later this week and get that ball rolling.

So back to the website..... I keep asking my self if I am being to perfectionist about having this site design perfect. Am I crazy to want a professional site representing me during my entry into the SD art scene? A few people close to me think that it really wasn't a big deal, but I think that if it wasn't the best, than it isn't worth publishing.... I feel the same about my art, writing......whatever!

The new site, because of its expedited status has set me beyond my monthly budget a bit, but I keep saying to myself the same thing I tell others when it comes to tough decisions like this; "You have to take risks, to create opportunities." I can think of no better example of this than the current one that I am in regarding the site.

Besides, I have three solid leads on sales right now and my debut in three weeks. If sales to date, without publicity or an opening are any measure of future success, I may be looking back in a few weeks wondering why I harbored any feelings of trepidation.

I'm sure I'll be fine, there is something bigger than me, guiding this thing forward. Don't ask me what it is, it just is.

Have I mentioned that the invite looks absolutely incredible? Oh, well it does! Very professional, colors are spot on, scale is attention-grabbing and information is targeted and concise. Thank you Professor Alessandra Moctezuma for your certificate program on Gallery and Exhibition Skills, It has prepared me for this.

I cleared up the address discrepancy with AMEX, and took the next step in the process with Chase Merchant services. Their first fix was no help, looks like I'll be going the keyboard emulation route to reprogram the mag reader. Don't you need a degree for this stuff?

I found out that Magellan GPS Maps has my location incorrect on their system, so I will be tackling that tomorrow.

I'm tired of licking envelopes and sticking labels and buying stamps. Let's get this mailing out! Thank again for your help Bill.

Bye for now folks,

Peace

Back to it!

2010-08-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Well I'm back at! Preparations for the Grand Opening exhibition are in full swing! I spent the day emailing some preliminary press releases to NTC residents, a few local publications and the resident groups here at NTC. The time spent on developing a press mailing list is finally going to pay off.

I will be spending the week getting labels ready for the event. I pick up the invites on Monday and they will be mailed Tues or Wed.

SO EXCITED

After they have reached thier destination I will follow-up with some phone calls and emails, closer to the event to try to ensure attendance and to gauge the turnout for food and other libations.

THe credit card USB swiper/reader saga still continues. I don't even have the energy to go into to detail. Suffice it to say I have to change the type of keyboard compatibility setting of the unit with a PC (barf) and then retry it on my mac. Fingers crossed, will update you.

I sent some info to NTC to promote some of the new additions to the gallery for September' Friday Night Liberty and also submitted the Grand Opening info to the Liberty Station blog. Trying to cover all bases.

Summer is finally here!

I'm still going through a rather prolific stage in creating new paintings, my success rate I think is still rather good, and I have been converting unfinished works into more palatable, (no pun intended) finished pieces.

School starts on Monday, I will be taking three classes and wrapping up my degree. Good stuff. Then I have to wait nine months to start UCSD.

YUM.

Can't think of much more, just focusing on events and stuff.

Hope everyone is well. I promise to start blogging some more interesting content, art philosophy (very exciting) more in the future.

Laters,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

2010-08-15T15:18:00.001-07:00

Howdy People,

Its been a few days, trying to finish remodeling this fixer before school starts. Yes, gallery, painting, house flipping, school. All of them....

Thank you Bill for gallery sitting this past week, it has been an enormous help.

Last week I sold Quercus Lobata, my favorite piece, this is the one I couldn't talk about in my last post.

Rehung gallery today to include; "Conformity of a Circle", "Curtain of Night" and "Sequestered Supernova"

I have been very prolific in the gallery this past two weeks, churning out a few new works. Some of them are reworks from pieces that A. Hadn't reached a state of resolution, B. Weren't quite satisfying as far as color goes, C. Hated them.

I have started work on the as yet to be named, (third exhibition out) I think this show will deal with confronting fears or common fears. I have no working title for it yet.

Two shows out is the trees.... no working title yet, still want to rework "Crystallization" 60x54" and paint a few new ones, plus a triptych of three vertical 72x24" panel that are tied as one composition, incorporating trees and a landscape, with lots of variegated metal foils.

I have spent my monthly supply budget on framing and am getting short on paint and surfaces. Here's a plug for a Blick gift card for my birthday, Sept 30 :) wink wink! Gotta keep me workin' those pigments!

Invites for "Decadent Expressions" are finalized and are in printing.

Received my promo frame cards for the gallery, now I have to print images to go inside them.

Tha'ts it for updates, except that average walk ins are down a bit over the last week, usually about 3-4 people coming through.

Love you all,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

August Friday Night Liberty

2010-08-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone!

What a great event last night! The gallery saw 60 visitors, most of them new, with many of them staying to talk about the works and techniques. It was very stimulating. The evening also yielded a possible exhibition at a Sunset Cliffs framing gallery and two sales leads! It was a great night! Thank you to Kate, Alan and all the NTC folks for all their hard work and for making this such a successful event!

Chi chocolate across the way was packed all evening and Tess was nice enough to bring me a cheese plate that was to die for! So good, they totally spoil me over there!

I purchased a new easel and am now displaying a piece in the Arcade and in view of the front door to help people recognize the space for what it is; an art gallery! I was oddly puzzled last night that when I was sitting at my desk people were more apt to just poke their heads in but not really come in and browse/peruse, but when I was out of the gallery (refilling my wine glass) I would return to find the gallery full....

I would join them after they had looked for bit, and introduced myself as the artist, that seemed to work better than sitting at my desk and smiling..

Go figure.....

My sense is that people don't want to feel pressured or looked at, I guess there is also an intimidation factor that kicks in not to mention the intimate size of the space. I'm still struggling with the idea of moving my desk out of the sight line of the entry, but I've tried this and it is not so simple, the size of the desk and the valuable hanging real estate I would be blocking, keep deterring this change.

Maybe I should just try it.........

How can the psychology of it be so complex? People are strange creatures....in a good way.

My good friend Larry came down, prompted by an invite email for the FNL event. He stayed and chatted about art with me for quite some time, it was very refreshing and great practice for me for the grand opening.

Speaking of the Grand Opening, the postcard invites are in their second round of proofing, they will probably be ready for final approval on Mon, I will drive up there to pick them up to save shipping costs.

I sold a 40x30" painting yesterday morning, I can't say which one because it is kind of a surprise for someone I know, so I'll wait to reveal the piece until later.

June and July sales have slightly exceeded my middle of the road estimate.

Starting out, my partner and I developed the sales/expense scenarios; breaking even (Average 2.5 sales/month @ average $600/sale), better (4.0) best (6.0) I am just above the middle scenario and was happy to find that our estimates/averages were pretty darn close from inception. I have to feel good about this.

August is shaping up well with yesterday's sale, the second half of an in progress commission and sales leads on four other pieces.

So far I have met my goal for one monthly off site exhibition for 2010;

June; Mod-Est Studio Gallery, Del Mar Fair
July; Mod-Est Studio Gallery, Del Mar Fair, Carlsbad Dove Library
August; Mod-Est Studio Gallery, Carlsbad Cole Library
September; Mod-Est Studio Gallery, Southwestern College
October; John Baker Frames & Gallery Point Loma

Now I have to focus on November and December, I still have Point Loma Library in the Hopper and am looking into St. James By the Sea in La Jolla and others. I just have to keep pushing.

2011's goal is two off site exhibitions a month.

Thank you Ben and Robert for visiting again, you are always welcome to come by and chat about art or whatever you fancy. Thanks Bill for sitting, and thanks Bart, I couldn't have even dreamed this was possible without your support!

The universe provides....

Peace,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Thursday catch-up day.

2010-08-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

Today was a great day to get caught up! I finally joined with the GSDBA and have schedule a meeting with one of their reps to maximize the networking opportunities the business group provides. Also, my friend Larry who referred me to them is going to help me find the best fit among the different networking groups that will best help the gallery get exposure, i.e. new clients.

So far I think, with the acquisitions of paintings by a psychologists office and a dental office, these professional, health related businesses are a great way to market the artwork. Bringing color and texture to otherwise dull lobbies or waiting rooms is a great way to cheer up a space and brighten the mood of clientele. Thats all I'll say.

Am I a salesman yet, please god say it ain't so.....

I have the information for two great opportunities right in front of me here; one is an open call for proposals for the San Diego International Airport art program. The other is a monthly booth at Ray at Night art fair in North Park. I think the airport display would be monumental in terms of exposure, also it would look golden on a resume to have an international airport as an exhibition credit. I am definitely submitting a proposal! The art fair is a great local venue and is well recognized, but I have to look at my budget and decide if that is the best way to spend my time and money. This will require a bit more fleshing out.

Tomorrow is Friday Night Liberty! I received an email from the Alan regarding our prominent placement in the Union Tribune and that the blurb mentioned me directly! I can't thank the people at NTC enough for being so on top of PR for their resident groups/artists! You guys ROCK! Sometimes it's the little things that can help elevate or give credibility to a local business or individual. Any mention this early in my artistic career is welcome and greatly appreciated. Thanks folks....

I contacted the editor of the GLT and tried to get information on their Business Spotlight feature. I think the Gallery and my art would make a fantastic story, full of color and just the right flavor for their readership. Don't forget I was a GLT cover boy just five years ago.... seems like another life.....another world!

In light of recent sales and off-site exhibitions, framed inventory is falling! HELP! just kidding, its not a crisis at all their are like 70 paintings still drying or yet to grace gallery walls, they're just not framed. I am going to frame "Valencia Road" and use it as a replacement for one of the three 40X30" that are either on hold or have sold in the last week, I want to stay ahead on this stuff because empty walls are unattractive and lead time on framing is at least two weeks. I am going to frame two other small pieces (16x20" or smaller) to replace other recent sales.

On that note, my buddies, the framers, are set up and ready to roll in their new "garage digs" I am bringing them "Cerulean Dusk" a 24x72" commission that has just reached a state of dryness. The client will be meeting me at the framers to pick a suitable frame on Saturday.

With the help of my partner I did my budgeting and entered all my numbers into Quicken. I feel good that it is all caught up now. I need to rework the budget though to reflect some of the monthly expenditures that were either over or underestimated in my initial business assessment.

The USB credit card swiper saga continues. . . .

It turns out that Magtek doesn't make any mac compatible swipers, and Chase Merchant Services only uses Magtek.... ARE YOU KIDDING ME? One of their tech desk guys sent me some instruction on a keyboard emulator that will interface with the PC compatible part of my mac....? He says I have to partition my hard drive to be one side mac (the force) the other (dark) side PC (death star). This does not look easy, and sounds like a nightmare in having to reboot and switch to mac every time I have a sale. I may be calling Chase to gracefully bow out of their merchant services contract. I told them from the inception of the sales process that I used a mac, and they still signed me up. Is their anyone with a brain left out there?

I think I'm done ranting,

Peace,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Wednesday report from Bill

2010-08-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the report from Bill Gustafson on the day's activities! Thanks for watching the gallery!

No visitors yet; foot traffic in the area is light. Bakery is closed; Chi had a few people wander in, but not a lot of business there either.

Sunday Report from Bill!

2010-08-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the report from Bill Gustafson on the day's activities! Thanks for watching the gallery so I could be at my friend's wedding! Your the best!

From Bill;

Hey - Opened around 945am and probably going to close around 415. Had 8 visitors today, including 4 friends of ours. Traffic in general not too heavy today, and now pretty light. Handed out business cards and talked about your work to everyone who stopped in.

Last Saturday

2010-08-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, looks like I missed a day, I guess I was so excited I figured I would blog later in the day and never got around to it!

Well last Saturday was the gallery's best day.

The client who put a hold on "Birth of Day" returned and also purchased "Rebirth" I was very happy to see her go home with them and knew that they would enrich her spaces. I found it interesting that both pieces had the word "birth" in the title. They are the only two pieces with that word in the title throughout my entire inventory. She also expressed some genuine interest in "Dandelion Suns" and said she would consider it for a specific space in her home and get back to me.

The day gets better....

Had a couple come in wanting information on commissions, and chatted with them for awhile about that process. It helped that the client who'd purchased two painting was here at the same time, going back and forth to the chocolate shop. I think it helped that I was making a sale as I was proposing a commission. Good timing!

My good friends Robert and Ben also stopped in and expressed interest in one of the new installation pieces; "Sun Greets Moon" But the best part of there visit was that they stayed and hung out for awhile and discussed art with me! It was so cool to talk about the approach I use to create my works, it seemed that they understood where I was coming from and I loved that they could engage with me about some of the more subtle elements of art, and why they like some pieces of mine more than others. I t was a very welcome discussion. They also purchased a portfolio, which was nice.

I must say that this was a great day for the gallery, and I am very excited to see more days like this one, full of art lovers and friends.

Keep em' comin'!

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Busy Day!

2010-07-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today went as follows;

Go to gallery and pick -up materials
Talk to (wishes to remain nameless source) at Peet's to discuss PR for gallery.
Back to Gallery to pick up "Occipital" "River Gorge" and "Lightening Meditation".
Back home to get truck and packing materials and tools.
Drive to Carlsbad to de-install July show at City Library.
Drive to Cole Library to install August show.
Back to gallery to relieve Bill (thanks for helping, couldn't do it without ya!)
Install new show at Mod-Est Gallery
Home, shower, beer, pasta, pizza, ba-da-bing ba-da... well you get the pic.

Meeting this morning was very enlightening, help me to examine my motives for the gallery, I guess I don't expect to be a capitalist, but I an American entrepreneur....can I get any closer to it?

Following leads for getting press for the gallery and my work, all looks good so far, but am not going to say specifics until something is in print!

I added another painting next door at Chi Chocolate with their permission of course; "Cape Sun" it look fantastic in the chocolate shop, so contemporary and it enhances the decor nicely.

I removed the three aforementioned paintings from Mod-Est and included them in the Cole Library show. The show also includes; "Semblance" "Marine Ecology" and "Astral Aura"
The new additions to Mod-Est include; "Dandelion Afternoon" "Risk vs. Reward IV" and "Sun and Moon" The walls look very different at Mod-Est with just these minor changes.

I asked about Carlsbad library acquiring a piece for their permanent collection, or a donation. Alas there is a process, so I guess I can say....its in the process. I really like the new show location and the amount of natural light, the paintings look great!

A good friend and Psychologist, who has acquired one of my paintings, stopped by today and informed me that he had framed the piece and that it now adorns his waiting room, I gave him a handful of business cards and am going to print another hard copy of my portfolio for his waiting room. His also added that his clients have inquired about my works.

Another good buddy dropped by at opening time today and brought 7 of his friends and co-workers with him! I was swamped! Dude you are awesome! Thank you!

I guess that's all I have. I'm beat...

Sleep well all,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Lots of Little Things

2010-07-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Had a nice day, 5 visitors so far, one of which was a fellow Mesa student who stopped in and chatted for twenty minutes or so. It was great to see him.

I can't believe it but July is pretty much over...... that means that the Carlsbad Library show is coming down tomorrow and the Cole Library show is going up. It's going to be an installation kinda afternoon. My good friend Bill is going to open the gallery, thanks so much!

I received my USB credit card reader and after plugging it in I found out that it isn't Mac compatible. I told the guy from Chase I was running a Mac and well....... need I say more?

I wanted to start more work on the palette knife information I am compiling but haven't gotten around to it, maybe this evening.

Last night I fished a piece that I am most satisfied with, its a landscape. It is fucking amazing, I promise I'll use that word sparingly, but it really is good. One of my best for sure. It was born quickly and ate through my paint budget fairly quickly. Rarely am I this pleased with a new piece. I can't wait til it is dried, framed and displayed.

Speaking of framed...I am sad to report that my framers are moving their operation to their garage. I guess their lease is up and the landlord is getting greedy. This is a shame from one perspective, on the other hand it will free the artist side of one of them up for other endeavors. I will still use them for framing exclusively though, they've been so good to me.

I bought a beautiful orchid for the gallery.

Looking forward to the show in September and Friday Night Liberty on August, 6th.

Cheers,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Wednesdays are slow!

2010-07-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

Wednesdays are notoriously slow! It shows how much local foot traffic is attributed to the bakery being open....

Spent the day putting together the final details for the grand opening exhibition invite, all I am waiting for is the approval of the owners of the chocolate shop and to upload the files to the printer, then we are ready to go. I was amazed when I went back to my grand opening to do list and found that many things on that list had already been taken care or, I was much further along than I thought, which saves me a lot of stress. I will be printing mailing labels a little later this week, than I can put that part aside for a bit.

Invitations aren't going out for another 3-4 weeks.

Next I will be focusing on PR, that will be an exiting new challenge for me, I guess its time to call in favors huh? See who knows people in the local media and try to get some press for the gallery and the event.

I spent a good part of yesterday evening putting together a digital mock-up of the portrait commission I'm working on. I constructed the layout/composition in Photoshop, stitched together from three separate images into one composite. I used various filters to bring it all together and was very happy with the results. I emailed the clients and they love it too. So now its on to color mixing and painting! Very exciting!

A good friend dropped by today, the gentleman that introduced my partner and I. It was very nice to see him and was also great that he could finally come visit the gallery and see what I had been up to. He got all the updates etc.

Had a total of three visitors today, quite a drop from the 18 the gallery saw on Sunday. But believe me, there's plenty to work on...

Hope everyone is well.

Peace,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

July Weekend

2010-07-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Boys and Girls,

Today I had my best foot traffic day since I opened; 18 visitors!

Still working on my mailing list, went through Fine Arts educational institutions today, their galleries, and dept heads..... lotsa work. but it is coming together though.

I went and saw Inception last night, very visually inspiring, lots of design ideas.

Just kinda pluggin' away at this event, much work to do still, but I will take it day by day. Once the mailing list is finished, I will print all the labels. After that I will work with Chi Chocolat to figure out a promotional image for the invite, then we will have it printed.

The press release is done, the text for the invite is done. The pieces are selected.

NO news on new exhibitions, but to be honest I haven't been focusing too much on that, next week I will put some time aside to find some additional off-site venues to display my work. I need some shows for OCT, NOV, and DEC. Any ideas people?

Everyone have a great week, will check in on Wed.

Lotsa Love,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

A Day

2010-07-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

Slow day, just updated the mailing list and did budgeting stuff. Figured out how to auto-settle credit card batches. Fun huh?

Chatted of fb with an very wonderful friend from my childhood who is now in SF. Somehow we got on the subject of expression. It made me think about how critical the ability to express has been to my life. My most cherished pursuits have always been in the arts and very central to each of my most important endeavors has been expression.

Photography, music, poetry, fiction and art.

I mentioned the importance of the critical mind and knowing when to put it on ignore. For me the breakthrough in art came when I was able to put the hypercritical mind in a box and just express for the sake of expression. At first my creations were what I call "haphazardly inspired" but these experimental explorations blossomed into a steady growth or comfort in using the medium and gave me the confidence to abolish the fear of the "finished product"

As with a lot of abstract art is has been about the process, each palette knife stroke is beholden to itself and itself alone.

I'm lucky to "like" one in four completed pieces, but I've learned something from each panel. Its funny though that the pieces I like the least are the one that sell first or have the broadest appeal. That wily universe.

I asked my friend for her mailing address (I've done that like three hundred times this week!) To send her an invite. Even if out of town friends can't make it to the opening I hope the invite will make a nice fridge image or a bookmark.....

Great Expectations!

I'm kinda fried this week, pushing just a bit too hard, not just at the gallery, but my partner and I are flipping a house, no to mention school starts up again in a few weeks. I will be applying to UCSD this Fall. I got a $5500 Pell Grant, but was disqualified by Mesa because I have taken too many units; 130+, maybe it took three career/education path changes to figure out that Fine Arts was for me. Really could have used that money, but I'll find it some other way I guess.

Had 5 visitors today, looks like the 4-6 range is about average, not counting FNL. That's a good start.

Have a good weekend my friends.

I see more and more that my work goes infinitely better when I am properly fed, and the paints are there, and the studio and all that. But have I set my heart on my work being a success? A thousand times no. I wish I could manage to make you really understand that when you give money to artists, you are yourself doing an artist's work, and that I only want my pictures to be of such a quality that you will not be too dissatisfied with your work. - Vincent Van Gogh

Peace and Love,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Merchant Account Activated!

2010-07-22T16:01:00.001-07:00

YAY! Mod-Est Studio Gallery now has credit card acceptance capabilities! This is great news, I tested the online i-terminal and it worked great! So happy this is finished, I still have to order the USB Mag-stripe reader, but that's easy. If I get any cc sales between now and the time I receive the unit I can enter the cc manually, no biggie!

The two gentlemen who commissioned the portrait came in today to confirm layout and image source details, so that ball is rolling.

Thank you Bill for helping open today while I checked out the exhibition space at Southwestern College! Thank you Diane for making this exhibition space known to me!

The space is very light with four pillar/walls, two large walls flanking the wide entry stair and a large wall expanse next to a study area. Most of the display areas can be seen easily from most of the LRC/Library. I'm exited to install this show.

I did have one concern with the hanging cables and their ability to hold large paintings/weight. This issues needs a bit more fleshing out.

Still working tirelessly on the mailing list for the Grand Opening invites.

A few weeks ago I purchased a mailing list from art-network for San Diego art professionals. In my due-diligence I discovered by just doing a brief survey online of the resources they provided, I found 7 of the first twelve were inaccurate or out of date. What a waste of money, now to put this list to any use I will have to check the validity of every contact on the labels to make sure my postage (and mailing list) dollar isn't a complete waste. I'm so mad at them for not keeping accurate, and up to date info, and for selling a product that doesn't pack the marketing punch it was billed to have.

I plan on emailing them and asking that they stop selling a misleading product... this list is really a mess!

Last night I emailed my webmaster (my brother, php master of the universe) the changes I need for the website. One of the most crucial changes is the addition of an RSVP form for events so I can track attendees for the opening. Other action items for the site include; a static map for directions, mailing list sign-up and different submenus for past and current works/exhibitions. Also I am adding a press section with submenus and a link to this blog.

BTW thanks Larry Gist for signing up!, you are the second person to follow this blog (at least as far as Google is concerned) I know there are others... Mom, Katie, Pat Bart, Bill, Diane, Alan, Chuck, Chiara, Tess, Robert and Ben, plus many others who just haven't officially signed up yet. What are you waiting for? :)

To be honest I have been humbled and surprised at how many people are following this blog, and I encourage those that are to let me know that they are, by either posting comments or signing up as an official follower. It means the world to me and helps rank the blog higher in the search engines so that others can find it.

I really do want others to read these thoughts and hopefully glean something of use from it or at least avoid a mistakes I have made by learning from my own errors.
ed
I email the staff arts writer from the Union Tribune today to let him know about "Decadent Expressions" and to get his real contact info as opposed to a form box.

I wonder why this trend of anonymity is becoming so pervasive in modern business? It's especially baffling when the fields they specialize in serve the public!, yet you can't get a real email address, phone number or mailing address. Or it is painfully difficult. Are people really that afraid of contact or is it a bleed-over from corporate culture? The business face is separate from the personal face.

I'm stunned how hard it is just to get in touch with museum curators, arts programs directors, art critics and arts writers. It baffles me.....

Website traffic is steadily trending up with the Adwords campaign and I think the regional approach is better for now. It will interesting to see what adding the keywords/meta tags to the main site page will do over time to search engine rankings.

Only time will tell.

I double checked my Bing and Yahoo business listings, they both still aren't active. Based on this I can honestly say that Google has their act a bit better organized than these others. Perhaps that's why Google is number one? I had Bing resend the confirmation pin for my business listing, a second time, with the mail problems I've been having its no wonder I didn't get the first one.

Yahoo has emailed me three time regarding pending authorization status; the way they have thier categories set up, it is impossible to be an art gallery and an artist at the same time..... So... I have to settle for just the one category as "art gallery" Its been taking at least four business days between emails so this should be straightened out by Sat I hope.

Hopefully the hardcover portfolio I ordered for the Dental Office came today and I can run it over to them with some business cards before they close.

Only five visitors today, no prob though. there are many irons in the fire!

Peace,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Gray and Productive

2010-07-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

It was so gray today, no sun. But that doesn't characterize how well today went!

Today was fairly routine in that I tended to regular emails, phone calls and continuing to update my grand opening mailing list.

Today I wrote the first press release for the gallery! To make things better, Mod-Est Studio Gallery is teaming up with Chi Chocolat for the event. This will help both of our businesses get some publicity and exposure.

This is so cool! Here's the press release!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery and Chi Chocolat
619-818-6087 phone
858-274-5336 fax
kevin@kevinwinger.com
www.kevinwinger.com

Decadent Expressions; Contemporary Art and Chocolat
San Diego, CA 6-9pm September 18th, 2010— San Diego’s newest Contemporary Art Gallery; Mod-Est Studio Gallery and Artisan Chocolatier; Chi Chocolat, team up bring you a Grand Opening Exhibition to tickle your senses at Liberty Station, 2690 Historic Decatur Road, SD, CA 92106. 619-818-6087

Located in the burgeoning arts and cultural district at Liberty Station, NTC Promenade, two new businesses team up to bring you a feast for the senses. Firstly, for your eyes; Gallery Owner and contemporary San Diego artist Kevin Winger displays his latest inspired works in oils, featuring his signature impasto panels and spontaneous use of color. To compliment the evening’s visual indulgences, Master Chocolatier Jesse and Tess Brown display their culinary artistry in chocolate, to tempt your taste buds and satisfy your insatiable chocolate craving. You won’t want to miss this evening of decadence.

Additional information or sample copy;
Contact: Kevin Winger: 619-818-6087 or kevin@kevinwinger.com / Free photos upon request.

Mod-Est Studio Gallery and Chi Chocolat team up to tickle your senses.

Mod-Est Studio Gallery and Chi Chocolat were established in 2010 at Liberty Station in the NTC Promenade’s Arts and Cultural District to bring professionalism and artistry in their craft to the general public and to enhance the cultural legacy of emerging arts in San Diego, CA.
# # #

For the press release I got some great tips from the web and an art marketing book as well as the stuff I learned in Mesa class; "Gallery and Exhibition Skills". This was one of those kinda "put it off" things, well with two months before the biggest splash for this gallery and myself, the artist, I have to go all out! This is the time!

I'm not scared.

Decadent Expressions what a name! I think this may work for a gallery tag-line, but I might want to let that one marinate for awhile.

More on this later.

So Tess and Jesse suggested that I create art for their chocolate..... what does that mean? Well, they are telling me about this transfer process with hot butter cream that can be manipulated and custom colored for nearly any design! I would design the custom decal for a promo piece for the show or for a specific chocolate or something. They were talking about all kinds of applications with it for decorating their decadent creations! I think it is a brilliant co-marketing opportunity for both of our businesses! I'm all in!

Tomorrow I am doing an exhibition site visit at Southwestern College for a prospective Aug-Sept show. I will drop off my contact info and a portfolio.

Still developing the palette knife demo / class.

A thought occurred to me today when thinking about personal motivation and expectations.

"I'm not trying to measure up to anyone other than myself."

The more I pondered this the more philosophical I became. What does it mean to me?, what bar am I really setting? What am I measuring up to? No man is an island, etc. I guess I keep coming back to an "idealized" or "best self" That person, would always do their best, explore every avenue, keep an open mind, hold up those who hold them and act from a place of love in every action.

That is a worthy cause.

That's all.

Peace,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Saturday and Sunday Workload

2010-07-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hey there people,

Not too much to report for the weekend, 6 visitors on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. Which is better than average for both days.

I spent early Saturday getting caught up on accounting stuff, putting aside sales tax I've collected this month on sales in a separate account, paying bills etc. I filled out all of my paperwork for the merchant account.

The rest of the weekend has been spent compiling my contact list, filling in the holes in my personal contacts and following up on others in the art world. I want to make sure I get people to this event.

I got the other two books I ordered on palette knife painting and one is another by Coulton Waugh the other is kind of generic by an author named William F Powell. His approach is a little too structured for my application, but I still think there are things to be learned form him. I believe I have a fair mount of research info to begin putting together a class of some sort for palette knife technique.

The Google Adwords account network settings have been scaled way back, to focus more I regionalism. I noticed a huge spike in hits when I expanded my ad network to the major North American art hubs. But visitors spent very little to no time on the site. I am going to focus more on the Southwest and throw in SF for good measure.

I can't say much more other than thank you to all the friends and new clients that have been stopping by. I will have more for you on Wednesday.

Peace and Love,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Amazing Client Email!

2010-07-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

Check this wonderful email out! Thanks Irene!

Hey Kevin,
I just saw your pieces at the dove library with my two daughters (ages 7 & 11), and we all loved them.
I do have to say that your website doesn't even come close to depicting the colors or the vibrancy of the pieces as they appear in person.
Your work is simply beautiful, and to truly get the full effect you have to have at least three pieces on the same wall.
My oldest daughter kept seeing all kinds of shapes and images in each piece.
I think you need to make a few extremely large pieces - that would be lovely to see.
I am sorry I did not attend your grand opening, I did not get the email from Dale until a couple of days ago.
We have gotten great responses from all the patients that see your work, and we pass on your studio information to whoever wants it.
Thank you so much for your talent and allowing us to enjoy it.
I hope to bring my daughters to your studio sometime this summer if possible.
Sincerely,
Dr. Irene

Very happy with the way things are going!

2010-07-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to thank Bill for gallery sitting this morning while I installed a panting and completed a sale. Thanks! Secondly, thank you to all the people who have visited and followed through with reviews on Yelp and Google Maps. This helps immensely!

I completed the sale today of Palm River 40x30". I am sad to see it go but it has a new home where many people can enjoy it daily! I went and updated my portfolio that I had printed through iPhoto and customized it towards the clientele at the dentist's office that purchased it.

The staff said they had been giving out information about my work already just based on the painting! So the updated portfolio will be a hardcover version positioned in their waiting room along with business cards for the gallery. YAY! I also am starting a referral program that gives the referring person 10% of sale in cash or 15% discount towards any available work.

My good friend Andrew stopped by for the first time today to view the gallery and took some good pictures of me in the gallery with the paintings. I will post these on fb later.

I received 1/2 of the commission price from the gentlemen that wanted the portrait commission with the chihuahua. I have thought long and hard about the approach to this challenge and am confident they will like the mock-up and final piece.

The Adwords campaign is driving more traffic to the website than I expected, the clicks/visits are increasing, but I am still looking for the conversions to contact inquiries, gallery visits and sales. The Google Adwords campaign runs through the end of August, I will assess it then. In the interim I will tweak the settings to maximize traffic to the right audience with the proper choice of keywords and target regional areas that are art hubs in the U.S., UK and Austrailia.

Sticking to English for now....

No updates on Grand Opening yet, but am going to work furiously on it over the weekend to line up them ducks. I'm going to be busy!

QUACK!

Had an interesting conversation with Jesse next door about business and one's attitude towards it. He said "I think you have to be a little egotist to be successful." I thought about what he said for a bit and said, "Yeah, you're right, I like to see it as more of a personal confidence in one's craft or product though, or a belief in one work ethic." The conversation got a bit tangential after that but the point or lesson was clear.

Who's going to believe in you if you don't believe in yourself?

That's something I think i need to remind myself of every single day.

I believe in my work and I think it shows, it shows through the professional presentation of the work and the space that houses it. It shows in the respect and warmth I genuinely offer to my clients and it shows in the passion i put into pushing around brightly colored paints on canvasses.

It also made me think about where I'd been career-wise in the past, the imbalance of power and negative ego impact in corporate employment structures. The hierarchy, the politics, personality conflicts, the crawling over the bodies of anyone who stands in your way on the ladder to get a measly 2% raise...

Barf.

I look back and say damn, those days of crow munching are gone. I'm humbled that I can take some of the skills from the positions I've held in dealing antiques, social services, rock guitarist, network administrator, file clerk, food and beverage manager and apply them to my current business venture. I don't have anyone to answer to other than myself, I don't have to report to a higher up, I don't have to work to please somebody or some idea of a model employee. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad, just the philosophy of it and how we all spend our time baffles me.

My mother and I briefly chatted today and she said something to the effect, "I'm so glad to see you grow into your life dream as an artist"

I responded, "Thank you, I think I finally found a way to get out of the hamster wheel."

I hit a series of stoplights today and thought about the song "Rat in a Cage" I thought about all the activities I was trying to accomplish today and the motivations behind why I was spending my time in such a way; finishing a roof on a fixerupper (equity, money) Gathering sales forms and care of artwork forms to finalize a sale (bringing color and beauty to a space, money) Finishing a drywall job in Claremont (money) going to the bank (money).

Wow those dirty green pieces of paper. Made me think of an acquaintance who blew me off and damaged as prospective friendship because I only offered him $100 for two hours work. Amazing how dirty green pieces of paper can divide people or rule their lives.

I'd like to make a living from my art / gallery, but I think my main motivation is the ability to express myself and share the beautiful things I create with others who can connect with them.

Jeeze, so deep. Laughing at myself, but those are my thoughts take em or leave em.

Have a safe and sane Friday night all.

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Carlsbad City Library Exhibition Link!

2010-07-15T18:55:00.001-07:00

Here's the link for the Carlsbad show! YAY!

http://www.carlsbadca.gov/services/departments/library/about-us/Pages/library-exhibit.aspx

Check it out!

A Day with Friends

2010-07-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Today was a great day, I had a number of friends stop by, six in all. It was so good to see all of them and to hang out, chat and show off the gallery! One brought me a delicious homemade spice cake wit cream cheese frosting, one brought me a chocolate croisant, a cookie and coffee, another bought me lunch!

I'm going to get fat people! :)

Thank you all so much for your support, it means the world to me! One of them is purchasing a new home with his partner and would like to acquire a piece for their place once they have decided.

I am so happy to bring color and texture to peoples living spaces!

Besides friends, no new or foot traffic visitors today :( But there was follow-up emails on the latest commission that came through and with the sale to the dentists office. This week is ending well. It will be a good first month for the gallery.

I was able to put together all the text for the Grand Opening Event mailer and get the specs from modern postcard. I am glad that is all done. I am also coordinating with Chi Chocolate to help with the catering and to be open in tandem to trade business contacts and add to my display space.

I'm going to do two events; the first will be a VIP / Media "Champagne Preview" on Friday, September 17th and the main event will be Saturday, September 18th from 6-9pm. I am so excited, I am going to make sure I do everything I can the insure that these events are well attended and well covered by the the local arts and culture media.

Hits are up on the website due to the Google Adwords campaign and I also got a hit/text msg regarding hours of operation from the new SE placement. So far this looks like a good idea.

I completed another 16x20" painting last night of another tree, this one curved, reaching towards the top left corner of the canvas. The branches frame a nice curved sky area about 1/3 of the way up on the bottom left, between some gloriously rendered aura-laden mountains; the perfect spot for a yellow daub of sun. I love this new piece, the paint is THICK! It will be dry in 9 months. I also completed the 24x72" commission from last month this week. It is phenomenal, can't wait to show it to my clients, gosh they're gonna love it!

I am ready to start painting in the gallery, and I am going to have an "Open Studio Day" each week. I have to decide if that will be on a Thursday or Saturday though. Sat makes more sense but who knows. I have to get this information to the NTC / Liberty station people to put up on the calendar. This is important.

So for the portrait commission. . . Remember I mentioned that taking a portrait commission was something new to me. I have done portraiture before, but not in the heavy impasto, alla prima style that dominates my current works. I haven't had any trepidation about the challenge but instead had thought hard and methodically about how to approach it. The couple that commisioned the work, recently had one of their beloved pets pass, so now, in memorium they would like their late "Choncli" the chihuahua to grace the canvas alongside the human subject. I am sorry for their loss, but very excited to take this on and make them happy with a heart felt piece. tHey have sent me multiple images of the dog, the human and the backdrop (seascape) It will be fun!

How could I pass this opportunity up?

I received one of the Colton Waugh books on palette knife painting and there was a quote near the introduction that caught my eye;

"I am exploring a new road, but I am whistling as I go."

That is me.

Peace and love,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Wednesdays.......

2010-07-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hey kids!

Today was another computer day here in the studio. Short summary, signed up for myspace, and added my artist profile there. I also created business listings for Yelp and Kudzu. I'm starting to save the URLs of sites that offer business review capabilities to send out on Facebook and Twitter to cull reviews from friends and contacts who have visited the gallery. Business reviews are very important to potential clients, also the more you are reviewed favorable the higher the mapping sites list you.

I started a trial business listing with GSDBA, it's like a gay and lesbian chamber of commerce, with like 30,000 members. When the time comes I will be able to make some presentations about the art and the gallery to some business networking groups and get a bit more exposure. I'm still on the fence about the full membership, hopefully they have a good salesperson who can convince me that my marketing dollar will be well spent with them. I am also looking at BBB and San Diego Chamber of Commerce . . ..and the saga continues. Are you bored yet... There's more!

Sent an email to the Editor in Chief of San Diego Magazine and gave him the scoop on what is going on with the gallery and Grand Opening party. Also, invited him to lunch, hopefully he accepts and I can at least get a blurb in their events section. Fingers crossed. Someone mentioned interviews, not once but twice. I think I will call in a favor to the president of Jazz 88, maybe they have an artist spotlight or an arts and culture program that would be interested. Who knows.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I followed up with the dentistry office, they were busy and said they would call back later. The receptionist said that they (staff) loved the piece and thanked me for loaning it (since Thursday) to them to see if they wanted to purchase it. They also said that they have had many unsolicited comments on the work, and how nice it looked.

This is heartening.

I followed up on the possible portrait commission as well.

I received an email about marketing opportunities right here within Liberty Station, when I reviewed the main site I discovered that many of the other Arts & Culture Resident Groups were listed, but not mine. I followed up to make sure that my business info would be added during the next update. I also sent a business blurb, logo and a 15% discount policy to all NTC Tenants, Groups and Residents and 10% on commissions.

Why Not?

One of the ideas I had was to go around to all, yes all the businesses in NTC and present myself as their neighbor. I would insist on exchanging cards and get the contact info for the business owners or the person who makes the decisions. There are many businesses around here that could provided vital referral services if they only knew I was here. I think the face to face approach is the most successful.

I contacted the head of NTC operation today as well to get the go ahead with an easel out in the arcade with a painting on it to help direct traffic into the gallery. I don't think it will be an issue as many of the ground floor tenants here have their wares/signage in the arcade walk. I'll keep you posted.

Had a couple of other residents (3) stop by to day to chat and one friend. So I really didn't have any new traffic today.

I'm testing an ad campaign on Google AdSense to drive a bit more web traffic to the site and gallery. I will monitor this closely to make sure it is worth the expense.

I set the Grand Opening Date for September, 18th 2010 from 6-9pm. I will be finishing up press releases, postcard invites, mailing lists and events calendar listing this week. I will be featuring an entirely new body of work in the gallery. I am very excited.

I completed a 16x20 painting this past Monday night and am very happy about it. It is another tree with swirling skies, crystalline mountains and an earthy foreground. The foliage reaches up and dominates the entire top 1/4 of the canvas. I really like this new work. I was the first since I moved back upstairs, back into my home studio.

I got one of the books I ordered in the mail; "Painting with a Palette Knife" by Anthony Gruerio. On first glance it looks very good, I am excited to incorporate the knowledge into my repertoire.

I finally received mail in my box today, both the test piece and a direct mail advertisement, so I am hoping I can put this mail issue to rest.

I also made an appointment to set up a merchant account with Chase.

Thats all I got folks, hope you are all well.

Take Care,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Search Engine Listings!

2010-07-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I was just about to leave the studio, and I say to myself, " I should check Google Analytics (web traffic tracking program) to see how many hits the website had today.

Just two . .. .

I proceeded to check where the hits came from...Escondido...

Cool, probably from the Carlsbad Exhidition...

I checked the traffic source, it said keywords; contemporary art galleries San Diego.

Hmm I say to myself, they must have dug deep into Google's pages to find me, I'm just starting to get crawled by the data spider. So I try the keyword combination myself (this is like porn to me...)

BAM! No. 2 listing on Google Maps after the Scott White Contemporary Art Gallery.

THIS IS HUGE!

I wonder if it is a fluke?

If you are reading this blog, and have visited the gallery, please go to google maps, find the business listing for Mod-Est Studio Gallery and write and quick review and rating.

I'd appreciate it.

This was a great surprise to end the day!

Later

A Day at the Computer

2010-07-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

Today was a great day, where a lot of good work was accomplished.

The majority of the day was spent researching palette/painting knife techniques. This process was very helpful as I developed a kind of punch list from the data I gathered that will later be used to create demonstrations and classes. I also did some research on publications that had a singular focus on knife panting and came across the author Coulton Waugh who had two highly recommended books on the subject; Landscape Painting with a Knife and Painting With a Knife. I purchased these books used. I will use these books for research purposes and to help develop my own techniques. I also bought the URL www.thepaintingknife.com which I will develop into an information based site devoted to palette / painting knife art.

I am excited about this! I will be able to use this site to help develop classes, develop programs for grant opportunities, author wiki articles and create original you tube videos on the subject. This application of knowledge is the core of my work and will only increase my competence within the medium.

You've got to stay hungry as an artist, hungry for knowledge, hungry for exploration and hungry for develpment.

Stagnation and comfort within set parameters are the artists' worst enemy in my opinion.

Today's traffic around Liberty Station was epic, there was a conference, a Farmer's Market, a wedding, plus the weekend foot foot traffic!

Sadly, today's visitor tally was two. TWO!

No follow-ups as promised from the prospective sale or commission. :(

No worries, at least I was smart enough to get their contact info, I will follow up with them later in the week, I think patience is crucial in these matters. One doesn't want to seem pushy or desperate. The art will still be here.

So will I.

I am inspired to paint this evening, we'll see if my enthusiasm persists late into the evening. My brother has moved to NC after a prolonged stay and I have my painting studio back. YES! I may relocate from the garage which will be a nice change of scenery. I have planned to approach the studio a bit differently, clearing out the computer and paperwork and allowing myself more space to manipulate paint. I find space is more freeing.

I need to get that lazy susan installed for my panels, then things will start spinning!

I just might paint a tree tonight, go figure.

Sunday is starting to wear thin on me, I've been here since 9ish. There is good morning traffic here, so I think it makes more sense to be open from 9-5 on the weekends then 11-7. Its absolutely dead right now!

I'm looking forward to a home cooked meal and a hot shower.

Hope everyone is well and happy.

Don't ever forget.....

EXPRESS YOURSELF!

Peace and Love,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

Social Networking Cornucopia!

2010-07-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hey connected people,

Today was an extension of yesterday's endeavors, I figured out how to ping multiple sites with my blog updates. Not sure why this excites me so much......

I also signed up for linkedin, twitter, youtube and wikipedia; all portals I plan on using to help get my artist self and the galley business on the map. Thankfully most of these site have inter-connectivity features that automatically share updated content with one another, that saves time and sanity.

When doing some research on keywords and metatags for website I found that may best choices are location-based, like, "san diego art galleries" etc. This is where I want to have top listing in the search engines. I also need to gear the website a bit more towards the gallery and off site exhibitions, instead of the stand-alone portfolio it is now. I think making these changes is crucial. See you can teach an old dog new tricks.

So far I've had 13 visitors today, a nice spike in traffic, the second best foot-traffic day other than Friday Night Liberty, which saw 49 visitors. Today's visitors seems to stay a bit longer than normal, commented more on the work and asking many more questions, I wonder if this has something to do with it being the weekend?

It was nice to have visitors today.

I spent a good chunk of yesterday evening comparing different virtual merchant providers and decided just to go with Chase, the hassle of connecting everything up and waiting for funds, help make the decision. Their percentages are competitive and I already have all my accounts with them, Beside they have crossover with Quicken accounting software, so that saves headaches too. Will be at the bank Tuesday or Wednesday to set it all up.

The woman who asked me to not to sell "Birth of Day" and that she would return with her checkbook today, has not shown up yet. I will remain here until 5pm to try and catch her if she does show. Even if she doesn't show, I know the chocolate shop will draw her back, and hopefully she either has her checkbook or I have credit card acceptance capabilities by then.

Nuff said.

I figured out the sales forms and receipt stuff, so I won't look like a dunce when a serious buyer walks in next time. Tomorrow I will have a commission contract form ready to go for the two gentleman interested in the impressionist portrait.

I promise to be more prepared.

I'm knocking items off my to do list little by little, and that is a relief. I think I have a stable web presence that will continue to build if I keep blogging and pinging. I need to incorporate my blog into my website though, search engines love fresh content! I have to wait for my brother (web designer) to get situated in NC befre he has time to make these changes, so they may be a ways off.

Next week is grand opening planning week, right now I'm going with Saturday, August 28th as the event date. Next week my goal is to have the mailer designed, all press releases written and sent, and to have contacted San Diego Magazine's Editor to set up a lunch meeting. These are my goals. I am going to ask the chocolate shop to stay open for the event as well, because I need the space, not just for the opening's attendees, but also for additional display space!

What else to say........

Going to have dinner with the Gustafsons' this evening, my number one collectors and good friends, really looking forward to it! Word on the street is that Bill makes a killer gin martini. That is going to be nice!

Enough business! what about art? Well I painted a new painting the other night, it is as of yet untitled, but wouldn't you know it.....it is a tree! I remember fondly in my youth drawing trees, lots of them. the ones I drew in my youth were dead though, just gnarled branches, never knew why I didn't add foliage to them, and when I did, I never liked them...

Now the trees I paint are alive! Brimming with life, full of greens and vibrant earth tones that scream vitality. I love these trees.

When I decided to go forward with the gallery endeavor, I got serious about documenting my work, and no, I'm not just talking about photographing them, although bringing a professional photographer in (Tom Weigand) to give my work the proper light and warp-free touch was well worth it. I'm also talking about signing all of them, spreadsheeting them, assigning serial numbers etc. When this arduous process was completed I was shocked to learn I was nearing 100 completed pieces!

That got me thinking....

What were the next hundred going to be......?

After weeks of thinking about style changes, material experimentation, and a switch to a more representational style, I've decided to do trees, immense trees, trees full of energy. Conceptually they would represent the services they provide to our environment.

I'd been thinking for three years how I could incorporate my love for science, ecology and current environmental issues into my art. I believe I've found a conduit, and I'm good at painting them! Subjective........

I am going to put together a series of large format canvas 30x40" for a large exhibition that celebrates trees! How exciting! This will be my first serious show that gets vetted to my "dream galleries" Places that I'd love to display my work in, places that could provide maximum exposure for a good cause.

I will tie proceeds from the show into an environmental non-profit of course.

More details to come.

So many ideas, I was thinking I need more time. Yeah, like its something tangible, hmmmmmmmmmm.

If you've got some extra time, please send it to me.

Ciao,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwinger.com

More Press for Mod-Est! sdvisualarts

2010-07-10T11:41:00.001-07:00

http://www.sdvisualarts.net/popdetail.php?id=5402

Frustration.....Elation!

2010-07-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Mod-Est Gallery has had its first sale , I mean first two direct sales today!

Well kind of......

I've posted before about having all them ducks lined-up, you know, in that row.....

Ducks were scattered today.

A customer who'd stopped by the first week I was in business popped back in, announcing "I'm back!" She looked around for a few moments and then pointed to the painting "Birth of Day" and said, "That's the one I want. I'll be right back, I'm going to grab some chocolate." So she went next door.

To make a long story short she wanted to pay with a credit card, I've delayed the process of getting set up with a merchant account, and instead opted to use PayPal directly through the computer for cc transactions until I figured out which bank I was going to use. Well not testing the system, came back to bite me in the ass. Paypal either wants the payer to sign-up for an account or provide detailed personal info to verify the card (address, home phone, email, CCV, etc) I felt this was too invasive and excessive to ask of a customer.

When the customer returned and produced her credit card, I didn't know how long it was going to take, and she was in a hurry. I offered to take her cc info down and deliver the painting and a receipt later in the day. But she opted to return the next day with her check book saying "Don't sell it!" I put a red dot on it and said to myself, I just lost a sale........

Even though the likelihood of her returning is high (the owner of the chocolate shop said that she was one of his best customers, and that she'd surely return) I felt like an unprofessional boob, totally unprepared.

I've learned my lesson.

I will sign up with Chase Merchant Services early next week.

Jeeze, the universe is testy!

Part two;

Two days ago I was on my way to my favorite coffee joint; Peet's and while passing Urban Mo's I recognized two gentleman sitting at a table having breakfast. They were former customers from my prior job in Food and Beverage Management. We chatted for a bit and when they asked what I was doing these days, I told them all about the gallery and my art.

They were excited to come down and see it.

Well today one the gentleman showed up with his partner within minutes of my prior debacle. They liked the work very much, asked many questions about my technique and after 20 minutes or so, wanted to commission a 20x20" portrait of the partner.

He didn't have his checkbook..........................................

He said he would return on Sunday to pay by check the upfront percentage of the commission.

Jeeze the universe is doubly testy!

I'LL GET A DAMN MERCHANT ACCOUNT! JEEZE!

So now for the elation part, I'm confident both sales will materialize. So all in all I made two sales the same day, after three weeks of business and no direct sales through the gallery, two sales plop right down in my lap.

That darn universe!

I spent the rest of my day in a futile attempt to learn how to ping my own blog so that it automatically update to all the blog searches and web crawlers, I bought a step-by-step book. But even with a publication date of 2010, the menus, links and layouts were already out of date. I reviewed the book at amazon in an attempt to rouse the author into posting updates so that my $17 investment wasn't a total waste. We'll see.

That Search Engine Optimization stuff isn't easy. I have made a commitment to myself to not give up and keep trying to make it work. It seems that the RSS feed is updating to yahoo so I guess that's good but the pinging link provided in the book is not returning a confirmation code for verification. So for what its worth...... um, I think I did it right.....

The problem is, you have to go through the same process for all the major blog following engines, it will take a lot of patience. I'm not looking for massive traffic to drive ad content, just a relevant audience that can glean something useful from this blog. That's not asking too much.

I finally went up to Carlsbad and checked out my exhibition this a.m. and photographed it. I was very happy with the installation. The lighting was suboptimal, but I knew that going in. I asked the ladies at the desk what kind of response the show was receiving. She said it was very positive. The information sheet that the curator provided for the show was well done. Overall I am very happy about this exposure.

The stress level was high today and I can feel it in my head, jaw and eyeballs. I'm looking forward to grabbing a drink with my honey.

Today's deep thoughts;

Is it wrong to use chicken meat in an omelet?

Is it wrong to carry my roast beef sandwich in a leather lunch bag?

Those are the things I think about, think about it.

Peace,

Kevin Winger

A new day!

2010-07-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hey there everybody,

Today was a very productive day, started knocking out little detail things around the gallery. It seems that my suspicions were correct, having a painting as the first impression to the gallery, as opposed to having myself at the desk, brought in more customers today! Within a few minutes of propping up the easel and placing the painting on it people that were either coming or going from the chocolate shop or strolling through the arcade, stopped in to view the works! I'm glad this minor change is already bringing results, whereas yesterday I had no customers; I had six people inside here in less than an hour.

Now I've got to get some signage up! I discussed the permanent signage with Alan Zeiter, NTC Foundation's Executive Director, he said we are looking at a minimum of 60 days until approval, I asked him to forward information regarding a temporary banner. I hate banners, they look cheap, and well......temporary.

But better than nothing, I guess.

In addition to bringing in the piece "Valencia Road" to mount on the easel in the entryway, I also brought in "Native Sisters" whose name was changed today to "River Gorge" For some reason the first name never quite sat well with me, and after having it rejected from two juried shows, in the non-representational category, I think there may have been a disconnect between the name eluding to a representational work and the actual abstract nature of the piece itself. I don't know that "River Gorge" solves that problem or worsens it. I bet a name that would seem to imply a somewhat more conceptual origin for the work may be more complimentary or appropriate, but at this point I'm satisfied with it, temporary as it may be.

Finally got around to painting last night and made a lot of headway on a commission I'm completing. It felt good to pant, after all the inspiring scenery in Jackson Hole, WY. I woke up with a splitting headache this morning though, probably from the paint fumes, I need to be better about ventilation, but it is just so unseasonably cold and wet out there!

I still think there is a problem with the mail, I still haven't received anything in my box for five weeks, you'd think even junk mail would be headed in there. I will send a test letter to myself to see if it comes back, if not I will rip USPS a new one, they said it was taken care of.

Tomorrow I will run up to Carlsbad to photograph the current exhibition. I will also go to the Cole Library space and see what pieces will work, at what dimensions etc. The curator of the project says that there is limited space, especially for the large ones, but I think we can pepper in some of my smaller pieces in there and still produce an outstanding body of work for August.

I intend to publish some pictures of the show on fb and to this blog if I can figure out how.

I am going to submit applications for future exhibition possibilities starting next week, and update my resume in the process, with all the recent activity in my career there should be great improvement my resume's viability.

I don't really have any thing else of philosophic importance to add, just that I'm committed to keep pushing this endeavor forward into the future.

Peace,

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
www.kevinwnger.com

Back to work!

2010-07-07T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well its Wednesday,

The Bakery across the way is closed, but the chocolate shop is open! I love chocolate!

Gallery was slow due to non-existent bakery traffic, however I did have four visitors today. Two of them, both ladies were very excited about my work. They were very particular in pointing out how much they liked the colors and textures.

Today was a business day, still knocking down the to-do list. Got the desk modified so I can get my long legs underneath it, how mundane right? Followed up with the winner of the gallery drawing for a $100 gift certificate towards the purchase of a painting. Also followed up with Yahoo business listing to make sure all was correct, fixed a delay, blah, blah.

I am leaving a tad early so I can go by a client's place (dentist office) to hang a piece. They haven't committed to buying the piece yet, but they are going to sit with it for a few days and make a decision. They initially were going to purchase four pieces and kind of dragged it out for a couple of months, but as a seller and business man I couldn't be pushy, I just had to be patient. Yesterday I went in and asked to get my soft portfolio back for other presentations. (the client had it for over a month) It got the ball rolling again towards a sale. I'm very happy about that.

I also hung a piece in the chocolate shop next door, it looks fantastic, just one more thing that helps get bodies over here in the gallery. The people that run Chi Chocolate next door are awesome! They really do have the greatest mocha I've ever had!

I finished all the arrangements for the August show at The Carlsbad Cole Library, so that is all set. I have to follow up this Saturday about a potential show at Southwestern College. I think this cold be a blockbuster if I can get the information out there early enough, market it thoroughly and get some local arts writers to review it.

I tried to paint last night, but my partner, god bless him, sat me down to go over budgeting for the gallery in Quicken. It was good to get caught up and see the bigger picture. All said, if this sale to the dental office goes through I will have made the minimum sales to get through August. I should celebrate if I get it! Three months in business! YEAH!

I may have the energy to paint tonight, we'll see.

I also paid Sales Tax to the Board of Equalization, BLAH!

So that's it, pretty boring eh?

Yeah today was a business day.

I learned something the other day that I found interesting, it is called the Pareto Principle. It states that 80% of success/business/productivity comes from 20% of work/effort/activities.... I need to find out which activities those are and focus on them!

Love to all, til next time.

Kevin Winger
www.kevinwinger.com

Publicity! Diego on a Dime

2010-07-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

Mainly for archive purposes;

http://www.diegoonadime.com/2010/07/walletfree-weekend-july-2-5/

For more info go to www.kevinwinger.com

New Publicity in Citybeat!

2010-07-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Another blurb, mostly for archive purposes.

http://www.sdcitybeat.com/sandiego/events.from.07-02-2010.to.07-02-2011-85.0.0.0.0.1.5.s0.html

For more info go to www.kevinwinger.com

More publicity for art gallery! www.sdnews.com

2010-07-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

here's the link

http://www.sdnews.com/view/full_story/8180919/article-The-Weekender--July-2-5?instance=home_arts

Happy Independance Day!

2010-07-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Came by gallery today even though it was a national holiday. Flew back from Wyoming this morning.

Kinda lonely down here, when everyone is closed, but I had a lot of business to take care of after being gone for 9 days.

Bill and Diane did a fantastic job of running the show here, and were very helpful. They did a drawing for a $100 gift certificate from the gallery, which helped get a few more names on the mailing list. The drawing will be on Wednesday (no mail til' Tuesday)

I'm happy to be back, but am ever more convinced that I have to focus on gaining exposure and notoriety. In addition it will be paramount to try and draw visitors from the arcade walk, bakery and chocolate shop. I think people are a bit intimidated by the desk, and maybe the guy sitting behind it when they first look into my doorway. I have no other real options on placing the desk elsewhere though, because I would either be in front of artwork or blocking access to other pieces, its one of the pitfalls of being in a boutique sized space. But I'm not going to let it bother me. I think a few well placed paintings and some arcade signage will fix those issues.

I will be hanging my painting "Field Distortion" next door in the chocolate shop this Wednesday, hopefully that helps too.

I had a great time in Jackson, WY was able to visit some very impressive galleries and learn a bit about a few very talented artists, namely Robert Moore, featured at Trailside Galleries and Rocky Hawkins at Altamira Fine Art. I was attracted to them mostly due to their heavy use of paint and deftness with palette knives..... go figure. I was shocked to learn that Jackson Hole Wyoming is the fifth largest art market in the US, who would have guessed it?

I'm so tired, but super inspired this week to not only get word out about the gallery, but to really dive into marketing and of course and most importantly to paint more pictures!

I'm going to find a tabletop lazy-susan for my panels to aid in orienting them while I paint (I paint horizontally, I am also going to increase the size of my palette to give myself more room to mix and set up paint combinations on my knives.

Well thats it!

I gotta go, losta of love to all of you out there!

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
2690 Historic Decatur Rd. #104
San Diego, CA 92106
kevin@kevinwinger.com
www.kevinwinger.com

Friday Night Liberty! First Event for Mod-Est Studio Gallery!

2010-07-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some thoughts from Diane Gustafson, who, along with her
husband Bill took care of the gallery while Bart and I were on
vacation. Thanks you two!

July 2's First Friday at Liberty Station was as exciting as
we had been told to expect. Although the hours were 5 to 9 p.m.,
most of the traffic was between 6 and 8. Forty-seven people came
into the gallery.


Bill was at the gallery Wednesday and Thursday, but things were
slow, especially since Con Pane across the street is closed on
Wednesdays. However,now that the chocolate store is open across
the hall, more mid-week visitors may come.


There were many favorable comments about the lighting, the black
ceiling,and the general appearance of the gallery; most of these
comments came fromother artists. Most people mentioned the bright
colors as appealing.


Among the memorable comments:

"So much more texture than is visible on the Web"


"Almost a fabric texture"


"Exciting to see something so different"


"Reminds me of Gustav Klimt"


"Love it, love it, love it!"

Diane


For more information please visit www.kevinwinger.com

Link from Mesa College 2009 Student Show

2010-07-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a link from Mesa College's art show last year where my work was featured on the show's promotional materials.

http://jeanettevieira.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/mesa-college-art-show-free-cookies-punch-galore-pretty-rad-art/

Also check out my website,

www.kevinwinger.com

Day 3, Light Traffic

2010-06-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a light day, only 3 customers. No worries here though, I knew when embarking on this endeavor that foot traffic was not going to determine whether or not I made my bottom line or sold paintings. I moved forward with the idea that this Liberty Station Development Project for Arts & Culture is a work in progress, it is just getting on the map, literally! (more on that later) I knew that, until the remaining buildings were remodeled and leased, full of artists, that things would be slow. I'm totally fine with that. I'm viewing this first 12-18 months of business as a "Destination Gallery" It is up to me to bring people here as well as get my work out there . . . Fopr this first year I set a goal of one external exhibition venue per month. So far July and August are book, one show at the Carlsbad Dove Library in July and the second at Carlsbad Cole Library for August. It is important get exposure out there, and try to achieve recognition, mostly it will come over time. As I said last blog, I have much marketing to do......

I think that once things are rolling here foot traffic will be a chunk of sales to accentuate other venues for business and exhibition. I remember thinking about this space that there truly isn't a better location at Liberty Station, despite its size, its a ground-floor, corner unit, next to Point Loma's Anchor bakery; Con Panne, adjacent to Chi Artisan Chocolates, New American's Museum, Command center and NTC Waterfront Park. Its a stellar location, and you know what they say about that.

When are they going to start busing over the cruse ship peeps?

One the first things I have done is to utilize the free business listings services on the three main search engines; Google, Yahoo & Bing. These services are free and give the owner the chance to get the information out there to populate the web with accurate information. There also are free listings on Google maps and Mapquest which are crucial! If the information isn't accurate on these sites, the potential to lose customers is huge. That's what I did today, made sure the little map arrows and xs' were in the right spot, on the phone with tech to get it right on, not 150 yards to Southeast as was the case with Mapquest, the dot for my business hovering over another gallery. That's just what I need. Luckily it is fixed.

In addition to that hot mess, the USPS is returning all my mail to senders as undeliverable when there is a a perfectly serviceable box with my number on it right down the street. Took an hour just to file a case report, bummer! Now I have a confirmation number and will be contacted in three business days or so. As frustrating as it sounds, getting all these things right is crucial. Sometimes its the details that customers remembers. Don't let those ducks outta their row, thats where they belong!

The first few hours of business today were dedicated to going over operations with my good friends and soon to be gallery-sitters the Gustafsons. They will watch over my micro-empire while I hike around the Tetons with my partner this coming week. Jeeze, do I need a change of scenery! The grindstone has worn this boy thin. I must say that preparing to convey gallery operations to my friends was a great exercise, I had to go through every day-to-day business practice and decide how to handle it, and write it all down. Doing this was as helpful for me as it was for them. I remember saying to them earlier in the week. "When I learn how to run this gallery I'll show you guys!"

I'm feeling more confident about daily business practices from pricing, discounts, check policies, gift certs etc. I think most bases are covered now. That was weird, synchronous lyric with what I was typing, love Owl City!

Trying to think of something inspirational to write about today, but mostly I'm looking forward to making a big pot of garden marinara with Italian sausage and spaghetti with my sis. I need comfort food badly!

I printed some 4x6 photos of some of the works, I plan to mount them in blank photo cards and make them available to customers. I think it is a good marketing tool. I'm going to include the business/contact info on them and add some gold leaf and a signature of the front. Think it will be a nice touch.

One thing I noticed today was how the foot traffic responds to the entrance to this building. Though I only had three visitors probably 40+ people walked by. There is some strange reason why people who do look in, only turn to the right (chocolate shop) One is that they have a banner out front and I don't (i'm waiting for the formal wood sign in the arcade to be approved) The chocolate shop opens on the 28th, there will be some outdoor seating, and lots of lingering, that will help immensely.

The owner of the chocolate shop agreed not only to carry some of my promotional materials but to hang a piece of my art inside. All these things will help direct traffic into the studio. I think the second reason is that when you first round the corner you only see me, working at the desk, not the artwork. So . . . . . . I think I have to get an easel outside with a piece on it and possibly an additional desktop stand for a smaller piece that with resonate with people's recognition, something gorgeous that will make them stop and ponder, and perhaps come in for a better gander.

These changes will have to wait until after I return from vacation. Like I said if I depended on sales from walk-bys I'd be out of business in two months. However I believe that I have to do everything in my power to get people in the door, than I can turn on my charm, maybe they'll like what they see . . . . the art :)

Adios peoples, love and peace.

Kevin Winger

Second day, 11 visitors.

2010-06-24T16:38:00.001-07:00

Hiya folks,

Was a great day here at the gallery. Things are settling in a bit more for me regarding being in my own space. The thought that kept coming to me today is how well the art displays here, and the great light the space has. One of the things that was critical here for me, and my biggest expense was lighting. I consulted with Michael Fields, Director of Exhibitions at the San Diego Museum of Natural History. He had done presentations in Mesa College's Museum and Exhibitions studies course. He suggested the perfect lighting build-out for my space, and the results are spectacular! I was very concerned that the studio be finished in monochromatic colors so as not to compete with the very saturated pieces I create. I am very happy with results. You can't do enough research on lighting, make sure it is spot on, no pun.

Also, my wonderful sister Katie drove down to spend the day with me and has been hanging out all day exchanging ideas and brainstorming, it has been quite fun.

Other thoughts today have centered on the amount of Marketing and networking that will be necessary to attain recognition in the art world, first I'd like to start regionally and build my resume, find and retain a small group of collectors and continue to seek outside exhibitions. I'm not going to depend on walk ins to meet my bottom line. I don't necessarily buy the idea that artist have to start locally or regionally, at this point I'm ready to display anywhere. Well maybe not anywhere, maybe in places that will either add to my resume or lead to credibility to garner more desirable exhibition spaces.

The NTC Foundations Executive Director has been courting potential leasees for the remaining barracks building that are going to be refurbished like the one I'm leasing. It is good to see a very concerted effort to create this arts and cultural center here at Liberty Station. I'm so excited to see it reach that critical mass point that leads to widespread acknowledgment. I'm also hoping that the projects draw artists from all disciplines, from around the area. This is such a great opportunity for emerging artists!

I also want to take some time to thank Bill and Diane Gustafson, my good friends and number one collectors. They have been so supportive and helpful through this discovery process. I also want to thank my partner so much for his support and levelheadedness. He has helped me develop my business plan, lease package and provided other material assistance. For this I am grateful beyond words. I'm glad that when I wondered whether this chance would take more time than I was willing to give, he reminded me of the opportunity that was beating down the door. Glad he showed me the door's handle.

I'm signing off, one last thing though.....

can't think of anything . . .

Next time,

Kevin Winger

First Critique (2009) by Sarah Carswell

2010-06-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and collectors,

This was a surprise to me this past semester in my Freehand Drawing 101 course at Mesa. One of my fellow art student was discussing an artist she did a piece on for her class. Turns out she was discussing my work! At the time I didn't believe there was a whole bunch to say about two paintings, boy did she show me. I really like the piece she wrote and wanted to do it justice by sharing it.

Sure its self-serving but, I believe in tooting one's own horn! Whose going to advocate for me if I don't?

Thanks so much Sarah!

Check it out!

Museum assignment By Sarah Elizabeth Carswell

I chose to observe a work at Mesa College art gallery by Kevin R. Winger. He
produced an Oil on canvas painting entitled “Monarch”. Along side his piece Kevin wrote
a short message to the viewer about his personal philosophy of painting. He said, “Paint to
me is something to be manipulated, pushed, and pulled. Color, along with texture, explores
an interior world, leaving what is inside open to the external interpretation.” This quote
reminds me of something Manet, Monet, or any Modernist painter would have agreed with.
Kevin’s piece has no subject, but judging by the title, it is symbolic of the Monarch
butterfly. His abstract and non-representational presentation forces the viewer to use their
imagination. As I observed the 34x30x5 canvas I was impressed by its scale and attracted to
the depth of the canvas itself. As it protruded five inches from the wall the canvas forces itself to
be recognized in a grand way. In addition, it was the only color piece placed in the center of a
The work looks a little bit like a tie-dyed shirt; swirl motions and intermingling of color
through out the entire surface of the canvas. The general color in the bottom left had corner
are cooler blues and greens which turn to turquoise and are laced with lighter and darker
accents. Moving to the right bottom, colors change to warm browns then to red but still no color
is prominent or alone. In the left top, colors change to the same as that of the bottom right and
then colors in the far right, top corner are the same cool blues that are diagonal from it. Kevin
used almost every color I can imagine: black, white, muddy brown, bright pink, sky blue, royal
blue, deep reds, etc. There seems to be a purposely messy organization to where the colors
were placed on the canvas. The layout and choice of color makes it very balanced and visually
The oil is distributed to produce a rough and uneven texture, yet in some spots the oil
is elevated from the canvas smoothly; as if Kevin were scooping ice crème or yogurt and at
the end of his motion the substance left a lip or wave like crest. In a more literal sense, it looks
as if Kevin dipped a thin but about three inch wide brush or hand tool into several colors on
separate sections of the tool then set the brush on the canvas and twirled it around a point while
rhythmically applying pressure. This action produced a butterfly wing-like appearance. If the
dimensions created by the oils were more rough and jagged the piece would be less attractive
to me because it would diminish the dreamlike motion that is presently there. Kevin’s actions
with the paint are very visible and he did exactly what he said in his quote. He “pushed and
pulled” the paint across the canvas.
The lines are flowing and random. When it looks like there is one edge of a circular line
the eye is caught by another circular line that intersects the first, this continues and the viewer is
weaved through a maze of lines across the surface.
The abstract is not 3-D and it seems like he could have painted it while sitting or
standing with the canvas on an easel.
Overall I was vey impressed with the piece. I enjoyed the use of color and the size of the
canvas the most. Also, I liked what the artist had to say, I feel like that engaged the viewer with
what he was trying to portray.

First Press for Mod-Est Studio Gallery!

2010-06-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Hey all, got a little press blurb in the sd online community news calender, here it is!

Friday, July 2 (first Friday of every month), the NTC Promenade Arts & Cultural District hosts Friday Night Liberty, featuring an free evening of art, music, food, drinks and exhibits in support of local artists and designers. The featured event will be the newest addition of Mod-Est Studio Gallery in Suite 104 of the district, with displays by owner/artist Kevin Winger. Friday Night Liberty takes place at 2640 Historic Decatur Road at Liberty Station. For more information, call (619) 573-9260, or visit www.ntcpromenade.com.

First Day of Business

2010-06-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and collectors, this is my first day of business. I did it . . . . opened my own art gallery featuring my work. I decided to call it Mod-Est Studio Gallery, one because the space is boutique-sized, two because the space is industrial and three because my artwork is contemporary.

To be honest I wasn't even considering having my own gallery even six weeks ago! I followed a lead from a professor at Mesa Community College about Liberty Station at NTC Promenade; a burgeoning arts and cultural center in Point Loma, San Diego. When I saw the space I couldn't pass it up! With the help of my partner, friends, family and collectors I took the leap and dove in. So now here I am, paintings hung, lights dialed in, and ready to start collaborating and marketing.

I want this blog to serve as a kind of artist's diary, a diary that chronicles the day to day workings of an artist owned and operated studio gallery. I don't buy into the starving artist belief or that all artist struggle, I believe that I am responsible for my own success and I will work hard to make this dream a reality.

I still don't think it has hit me yet, the fact that I run and own a gallery, I've been running around like such a crazy person trying to get everything together that I haven't taken the time to sit back and celebrate all that has been accomplished thus far.

I want this blog to also serve as a place for people to discuss and exchange their ideas about art, culture, and the challenges that face new, young and emerging artist.

I hope some of the experiences I write about can help others take a step forward in their art careers.

In closing . . . the song "100 Years" just came on, I think I felt a tear trying to fight out from behind my eyes.

Life is too short, you've got to take risks to create opportunities, always hold up those who hold you up.

Life is too short.

Kevin Winger
Mod-Est Studio Gallery
2690 Historic Decatur Rd. #104
San Diego, CA 92106
619-818-6087
www.kevinwinger.com
kevin@kevinwinger.com