Back in April 2023 (over 3 years ago) I wrote a blog post on evolving as an artist. In other words, continuing to learn more about my craft and new techniques. It also includes the extra lesson of never being so snobbish that you ignore opportunities that will, if taken up, can and will challenge your professional artistic persona. 

This year, 2026, has been an extremely challenging one for me. Not as an artist but on a personal, individual level. Although one does affect the other. Indeed, my art has been affected to a great degree this year. First, because of these challenges, I was not able to paint for several months at a stretch. That's highly unusual for me. Normally, I have a high and consistent output of new paintings. Second, when I was able to return to my studio, I felt that I needed to try new, and unusual methods. Break out of the classical motif. Go a bit wild. It was all experimentation, with no intention of having any of these new experiments go any further than the studio they were painted in. So, I gave it a whirl.

First, I decided that instead of painting on good old, stretched canvas, I was going to paint on unusual surfaces. I tried gator board. Yes, oil paints on gator board is a big challenge. The painting came out pretty good. My husband sang its praises. I wasn't satisfied.

Then I tried different oil paints and altered my palette to add new colors that I hadn't ever tried before. The paintings came out pretty good. Definitely not my best work. I still wasn't satisfied. It all just left me sort of blah.

Then I had a "come to Jesus" moment. What if....just what if, none of these experimentations was of any use to this artist?? Me, that is. I know what I love to paint already and I know how to paint that really well. I even teach workshops on it. And it makes me happy. Yes, satisfied in fact - very satisfied.  

Could it be that in the process of evolving as a person and as an artist, I came to the conclusion that who I am and what I do as an artist right now is the best me I can be (at least for right now)??

Holy cow. That realization made me smile. I'm the best me I can be right now. But then again, there's always tomorrow. LOL.

As you know, I've been painting for well over 50 years. I've been around some great artists, whose work amazes and delights, as well as some artist "wanna-bes", who seem to know a lot but never produce a work of art worth the paint it's created with.

Further, there have been many a myth that has come and gone regarding best painting practices, which in fact were not "best practices" at all. Some examples that stand out are that you should never use the color black. That one was a doozey and never made sense. That myth was popular in the 80's and 90's. It went by the boards once artists realized that some of the greatest masters in our history, such as the likes of Caravaggio and Rembrandt, used the color black extensively with great success.

Another such myth was an intense concentration on how the artist should hold his paint brush. Honestly, when a young artist is just learning his craft, he needs to focus on the important aspects of painting, such as value and composition. Once he has that down then you can get him to look at holding his brush with more finesse and not like a knife and fork. 

Most recently, the myth I've been hearing is an interesting one. It goes something like this: "every brushstroke is important. One wrong brushstroke can destroy an entire painting!" Well maybe there is some truth to that when it comes to watercolor or acrylic painting. Both mediums tend to be a bit unforgiving. But I can't agree that it's true with oil paints. Oil paints are wonderfully forgiving of mistakes. The only way you can mess up with a single brushstroke is if the color is so "off" that it looks terrible. But again, oils are forgiving, and you can easily wipe off the mistake and correct it with destroying the painting.

So, when I hear this kind of trite nonsense, I often connect the myth with the very knowledgeable wanna-bes. Imagine my surprise when it is uttered by an artist that I consider, by all standards, to be a great artist. Now the BS meter goes off the charts. I cannot begin to explain why a pro artist working in oils would forward such a false statement. Perhaps it's to enhance their credibility as a master artist. I don't know. What I do know is that the statement is utterly and completely untrue.

So, the next time an artist makes a statement that seems a bit too farfetched or mystical-magical in nature, check your BS meter and check the facts. Especially if you are a student of the arts.

When an artist paints a still life painting, he faces the challenge of "motion", because obviously, in a still life painting, there is no motion. The problem is that if a painting doesn't "move", as in getting the viewer to move his eyes around the painting, then that painting is boring and lacking "life" or interest. Any work of art has to be dynamic and interesting to be a good work of art. So, the challenge is that the still life artist has to learn how to create motion through his composition, content, color, brushstrokes, etc. That takes some practice, but it can be achieved.

The artist also has the problem of creating motion in his art "business". That is, the business of exhibiting, selling and making oneself known in the art world and beyond. I know dozens of artists who create and have extraordinary artwork, but they barely ever exhibit. I know others who exhibit but who don't promote their work on social media or elsewhere. Occasionally, I'll hear of an artist who has sold some work or has gotten a gallery to represent them, but the bottom line is that the majority of artists don't create motion in their business of art. They work in a sort of vaccuum, staying within their small group of artists, wondering how well-known artists do it. 

It's pretty simple but it does take a certain amount of courage to step out and create motion for and with their art.

First and foremost is believing in yourself. Know that there are plenty of people out there, friends included, who are more than happy to tell you that it can't be done, that your art isn't good enough, that the economy isn't right, on and on, ad nauseum. Just skip all that noise and negative energy. Somewhere out there, there are collectors that want the art that you have to offer. But they will never know that you exist until you create some motion.

Second is making yourself known through promotion and marketing. And that can be as easy as printing up a flyer or a postcard. Don't worry about being obnoxious. The people who are not interested in what you do will drop off your mailing lists but the ones who admire your work and who are interested will stick around to get the next "announcement" from you.

I have an enormous solo exhibition coming up in June 2025, titled "Old World, Tin and Metaphor". I'll be featuring almost 100 original still life oil paintings, all created within the last five years. I've been promoting this show since last November 2024. I've sent out postcards to my mailing list every month. I've added the information to my monthly newsletters. I've posted on social media. I've mailed press releases to both print media and local television stations. In other words, I'm creating motion. 

And guess what has happened? I now have people telling me when my opening reception is and that they plan to be there. 

My art colleagues are amazed at what a great marketing guru I am. I'm not. I just believe in myself and my work, I don't listen to the naysayers, and I promote like crazy. It works.

I keep asking myself what I want to accomplish as an artist. Where do I want this game of creating works of art to take me? What would I like to achieve in the next five to ten years? Honestly, I'm struggling with the answer, while trying not to tear my hair out. 

This past year I've found myself sort of "going with the flow", like a leaf being blown around by a soft breeze. Good things have been happening to me but, is there a direction that I'm heading in or not? It's kind of funny to me because I used to be a tough, driven professional businesswoman. I would chart where I was going and what needed to be done on a weekly basis down to the last detail, with minor goals adding up to major goals. I sought success at every turn and knew exactly where I was going and what had to happen to get there. And I didn't stop until I got it, or someone shot me in the head (which luckily never happened).

With my art it's very different. Maybe it's because I don't have to push like I did when I was in business. Maybe it's because I want my art to be a relaxed and enjoyable endeavor, without the fever pitch level of setting targets and achieving goals. Maybe it's just that my success as an artist doesn't depend on how much money I make but rather how many individuals I reach with my art. I want to exhibit my paintings, and I want lots of people to see and enjoy my work. I want my art to make people smile and enjoy the image before them. I'd like them to purchase it as well but that's not terribly important to me in the grand scheme of things.

I'd also like my work to be accepted into prestigious venues and galleries, just because that would be a flattering acknowledgement to me and what I do. I'd like art collectors and interior decorators to commission me to create a special work of art just for them and their clients. Why? Because, of all the excellent artists in the world, to be selected to do that would be an honor. And if I can also command an excellent value for that, all the better, but it's not the first priority in my universe.

I'm not painting for the money. I'm painting for the fun of it, for the joy and challenge of creating it and for the joy I receive from others loving it. The money would be the final validation.

This past week I received a phone call from a local "Arts Alliance". They are a fairly prestigious organization, and I exhibited in one of their group shows this past year. They called to ask if I would be willing to do a solo exhibition with them this winter. Talk about being honored and receiving validation for my art. Of course I agreed! Wow. And the fact that their request was not solicited by me was all the more flattering.

Then there's also the workshops that I've started to teach. So far, I've taught a workshop on the color wheel and how to work with creating analogous colors, and a workshop on the basics of composition. Both were so much fun to do. I knew that I was helping other artists to develop their painting skills to become better artists. Knowing that my expertise was benefiting others was for me, an extraordinary experience. I'm chomping at the bit to do more! And secondarily, it provided me with a nice income, which again was the final validation - that other artists would pay me to provide them with my insight. Wow! That's probably even better than having someone purchase one of my paintings.

And one other thing. I live in Florida, the land of sunny beaches and palm trees. It's not what I paint, obviously. And I've struggled with whether it's what I should be painting, since that's what sells in the Sunshine State. I found that I couldn't do that. I couldn't compromise on the type of art and subject matter that I relate to and that brings me joy. So, I haven't. I've remained true to the art that I love and that speaks to me.  Had I compromised I may have just given up on painting altogether. Art, for me, is not about the commercial aspect. Art that is YOUR art has to be the art that lives inside of you. That is your voice - my voice. I create what I feel, see, relate to, desire and admire. It's never the money. Cezanne said it best when he said, "I dare". It wasn't until he was an old man that he was recognized as a great master and innovator, but it didn't matter to him. He was true to himself and "his" art.

By simply writing all of these thoughts and viewpoints down, I am finally figuring it all out. However, my art obsession, on a practical level, does need some financial funding and I can't just give it all away. But I think now I know where I want to take this, along with having some fun along the way - at least for now. We shall see.

Several months ago, I received some sage advice from a professional artist and art instructor. She encouraged me to begin teaching what I know as an artist. At first, I recoiled from the idea. Then I realized that was just fear setting in...fear of the unknown and untried.

So, pushing aside the fear, I began to look at what I know as an artist and how I could benefit other artists by sharing that knowledge.

One thing that came to mind was the color wheel and its use. In all my years as an artist and art student, I have never once found a class that focused on and taught the color wheel. And I know from personal experience that many artists are, quite frankly, stumped by it. In an effort to overcome the lack of information out there about the color wheel, I spent a lot of time researching and studying its use for my own enhancement. I learned a lot and was able to successfully apply that knowledge to my own art. Therefore, I decided that my first workshop, titled "Dynamic Color and Contrast in Oils". would be a deep dive into learning and applying the color wheel. 

In September 2024, I delivered that workshop to eight intermediate to advanced artists. All I can say is that the students were somewhat floored by what they didn't know about color and most came away demanding more. It was a tremendous success, and I had a blast. The image attached is the live demonstration painting that I did for my students.

Then, at the behest of those that sponsored the first workshop, I was asked to put together another one that was more geared towards beginner to intermediate level students. In response, I put together a workshop titled "Basic Composition and Color". It was to be delivered on Saturday, November 23rd but unfortunately, due to the damage caused by the recent hurricanes in Florida, the workshop had to be cancelled at that location. However, I was able to find a substitute location and will now hold the workshop on Saturday, November 16th. If you would like the information on it, please email me at [email protected]. 

The great news is that this workshop is already filling up, and some of the students from my first workshop are returning for this one.

Also, I'm sure that there will be more to come in the future, so check back to my website from time to time for more information.

Thanks!

Artists have dreams. Heck, for most artists, all they do is dream! But I'm not referring to daydreams or a head-in-the-clouds type of dreaming. No, I'm referring to dreams of creating that certain masterpiece...that signature creation, that you will forever be remembered and admired for. I could throw out the name of any great, well-known artist and you would instantly associate it with some work of art or some period in art that they did or were a meaningful part of. That's the dreams (also known as goals) that Heaven is made of.

There's also the dream of becoming well known and having your work sought after, because as an artist, you've established a name. Or, how about the dream of being financially independent as an artist without having to work a "side hustle". 

Dreams and goals are not yet to the point of being a reality. That's why they're called "dreams". But without those there, the artist will never achieve anything. Enter the poor, starving artist or worse, the artist that stops creating altogether. So, the point is "what's your goal"? And are you keeping your eye on that proverbial mountain in spite of all setbacks?

Let's use the example of the great Vincent Van Gogh. He was a prolific artist, a genius, who was far ahead of his time. His brother was a successful art dealer who "supported" Van Gogh financially but never, ever sold one piece of Vincent's art. Why not??? Had he really wanted to help Vincent, he could have convinced his art investors to purchase Van Gogh's paintings and make the sales. Eventually they would all realize enormous wealth, all while really supporting Van Gogh. But no. He convinced Vincent that he was insane instead. In the end, Van Gogh abandoned his dreams, his art and took his own life.  

Now, I will share some of my experience. I've had my share of positive opportunities in the past few years. I've had the good fortune of exhibiting in multiple, prestigious art centers and galleries and several one-woman solo exhibits. I was awarded the Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist Grant through the National Endowment for the Arts last year and was honored to exhibit in their exclusive gallery. Not many artists have those bragging rights. But don't think that these opportunities came to me with the stroke of a magic paint brush. Nope. It was lots of work, consistent marketing, lots of painting, lots of networking and, most of all, keeping my eyes on the prize, in spite of any negative opinions to the contrary. And I've tried very hard to navigate away from the types of people like Van Gogh's brother, who say they want to help, but their "help" is something else.

Oh, and here's another pitfall to be mindful of. I fell into this trap once and won't do it again. When you achieve a lesser goal to the major goal that you seek (for instance, getting noticed by a gallery you want to represent you but not actually getting represented) there can be a tendency to stop there and not push on to close the deal or find a new gallery. So, when you set your sights on a goal, keep at it, in spite of all setbacks and belief to the contrary. Because as sure as there's a sun in the sky, there will be those individuals who will work to "convince" you that your dreams are not possible.

I have to laugh also. There are some artists that will cross your path that either don't understand you and your art or worse, are highly jealous of you and your work. Don't get me wrong here as most artists are givers of life and an abundance of creativity, who will cheer you on in your pursuit of your artistic dreams. However, one artist I met recently asked me an interesting question. The question went something like this: "Do you find that your ego gets in the way when you don't sell your art?"

What?! What an odd, out-of-left-field question. I had to think about what was actually meant by this. Were they implying that I was so narcissistic that I was preventing sales, or that I was pricing the work too high, or what? Since none of that was true in my universe, the answer I gave to the question was "no, I just want to paint and if someone wants to buy it, great".  Honestly though the question ate at me for a while until I realized one thing. I was closer to my artistic goals than that person and that the question was intended to introvert me and slow down my race to achieve my goals. That could have been a very subtle but effective setback, had I taken the bait.

Know this. Your dreams and goals are YOUR reality. If you hold true to them and continue to work toward them and ignore the snarky comments and intentional "stops" from the naysayers, then your goals will eventually become a reality in your life, in spite of all "truths" to the contrary. If Vincent were alive today, that would be the advice I would offer to him. I offer it to you as well. Never give up.

So many myths surround how an artist produces a work of art, whether it's a painting, a novel, a musical piece or whatever. Hollywood depicts the artist going insane as he attacks a canvas, struggling to realize his vision. Or the artist, in a sinister way, steals the ideas of another to create his masterpiece. Or the artist has some unhealthy addiction or obsession that constantly interferes with the creation of his work. And of course, they always end up dying some terrible death, a pauper, never fully realizing the artistic vision within them. Lots of drama. It's great for the movies. Very little truth.

The truth is that the artist does go through his emotional ups and downs, but without insanity or any evildoing setting in. It's work, to be sure, but no more or less dramatic than fixing a car engine or balancing your checkbook. The caveat is whether the artist knows his basic artistic tools as well as the car mechanic knows the workings of an engine. But there is one more aspect to it.

Unlike the mechanic, who can fix engines day in and day out without failure, an artist needs to breathe. If he doesn't, if he works every day, non-stop and relentlessly pursuing his art, his art will fail. Why? Because unlike the car mechanic, who can rotely do the same job over and over again (because engines are pretty much all the same, one to another), the artist is creating newly with each new painting or song or book. Even though the artist is utilizing the same basic tools, from one artistic creation to the next, it still requires new vision, new emotions, etc. So, if you tried to put the artist on "automatic", creating over and over again, without breathing in between, then the art suffers and will decline. And so will the artist.

I have found that for myself. I'm on a deadline to produce X number of paintings for an upcoming show. I'm cranking out four to five paintings a week. Suddenly, I'm toast. I have to walk away and go do something else...anything else!! All that happened was that I bled all of the creativeness and vision out of me, without refilling the reservoir. I bled myself into a temporary artistic death.

You see it happen with actors, who years after they "retired" somehow make a "comeback". Chances are they needed to breathe. I had been avidly following a young, up-and-coming science fiction writer. He promised a series of three amazing novels documenting a single storyline. The first and second books were published to rave reviews. Amazing work. Then he dropped out and the third novel, to this day, has not yet been written or published. What happened?? Well, barring some massive tragedy, chances are he drained his "well" of creativity in an effort to get the third novel written without replenishing it and then decided he had "lost" it, never to return. Sad.

So, there's one thing to come into your stride as an artist and become successful. But once there, maintaining it becomes a matter of taking care of yourself (much like you would take care of your physical health) and knowing when to step back and breathe. Then, the production of new work won't suffer and will probably continue to be better than the last one.

It's been quite a while since my last blog post, "Maintaining Enthusiasm". A lot has happened since then.

Two days after I wrote my blog, I was given the opportunity to be interviewed by a local television station, Spectrum Bay News 9, for their "On the Town" segment. It was for a solo exhibition that I was having at a gallery in Tarpon Springs, FL. I exhibited about forty paintings there. Being interviewed was fun and exciting - a first for me, but definitely not stress-free.

If you would like to see it, the link for that interview is here:

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/02/27/painter-fran-failla-tarpon-springs?cid=app_share

Then, a mere two days after the interview, I became super ill with one of the nastiest flus I've ever had. It was so bad that I missed my own opening reception for the solo exhibit I was interviewed about! And it took almost three weeks for me to fully recover from it. Talk about stress! Talk about having to maintain enthusiasm under all that. I honestly admit that there were plenty of days where enthusiasm was not included in my life equation.

Well, perhaps your challenges are not art related, but I'm sure that, if you're human, you have some pretty crazy challenges to deal with too, so we can all relate to and understand how important it is to try and stay above it all, albeit difficult at times.

And then, after I recovered and began to think that life could return to normal, my sweet dog injured his knee badly. Now he needs knee surgery! It just doesn't stop.

Funny thing though, in the middle of all these stressful things, I've continued to paint, as it is a major stress-reliever. And, I just installed yet another solo exhibition at a prestigious art center in Tampa, FL. 

I like sharing good news rather than complaining about all the challenges we have to face, because face them we do. They make us stronger. They make us wiser. And it makes succeeding that much sweeter.

My dog will be fine. The show will go off without a hitch, and there will be more coming up soon. And I will continue to paint to my heart's content and bring more beauty and aethetics to the world.

This is a bit personal, but I feel that there are many people, artists and others alike, that could use some inspiration from time to time. In a world where stress is a common condition, from worry about meeting the cost of bills to handling one's jobs and relationships, life can be, at the very least, a challenge. I for one, go through a plethora of emotions on a never-ending daily basis. Sometimes I'm so consumed with preparing for a show or answering emails or making an income, etc. that I forget to get some "me" time in the mix.

"Me" time could be anything from getting my hair done to sitting down to paint or just hanging out with some of my friends. It's for me and my personal emotional and mental wellbeing alone. And I find that doing that is vitally important to maintaining my stability and enthusiasm about life in general.  That seems like a simple thing to do but honestly, sometimes there's just so much going on that there really is no time at all for that precious "me" time. 

The past few weeks have been a perfect example. I've been preparing for a solo exhibition, which means going through my paintings to select what to hang, ensuring each one is properly finished and framed, packing them up, drawing up a price list for the gallery, delivery and installation, etc. It's an enormous undertaking. In addition to that are the normal, daily demands. The result is that I haven't had a lot of time to paint or anything for that matter. The stress mounts, the pressure is on.

So how do I personally maintain my stability, and calm enthusiasm? I have to laugh, that's the first thing. I try not to get too serious about anything or any situation. I try to "keep it light" as the saying goes. And I try to laugh at myself when I do something thoroughly stupid or awkward. Lord knows that scenario happens all too often.

Also, I have a dog who is the sweetest and "bestest" friend a girl can have. He keeps me smiling with his antics and sweet nature. 

Finally, and possibly one of the best things I do to stay positive is to walk away from uncomfortable situations. I try to stay away from negative people. I try not to listen to "advice" that is, in actual fact, a nullification of me and my art. That's not always easy to do but boy does it do the trick!

Combine those three things and presto! I feel on top of the world and ready to push forward, filled with new enthusiasm for life and art.

So, the next time you feel yourself being pulled downward, try one or all of the above. Or better, come up with your own. 

Over the past years, I have received several requests or orders for one-of-a-kind "commissioned" paintings from various art lovers and collectors. I feel that to receive such an order is a special and unique compliment. Someone loves your work enough to request something special just for them. Wow! Thank you!

Now, it takes a lot of looking and listening to the person ordering the commissioned piece(s) to get it right. I believe that the preliminary work and conversations with the buyer are far more important in creating the work of art for them than the finished artwork itself. It has to reflect the buyer! They have to love it! 

In other words, and as an example, let's say the buyer wants a painting of an apple. Fine. I'll run into my studio and paint a red apple. You then present what you thought was a perfect duplication of what the buyer envisioned only to have him/her reject it. Why? He didn't ask you for a RED apple. He wanted green apples, and more than one, displayed in his grandmother's favorite dish. 

Ah! I see. As the artist, it's my job to get into the buyers' world, discuss with him HIS vision and perhaps even do some sketches or color studies first, in order to "get it right". Now we're talking!

Trust me, I've made that mistake. A lot of time and money is wasted, and far too much unwanted frustration is created.

Here's an example of doing it right. Last year, a friend of mine requested a commissioned painting. She had seen some of my paintings on my website and absolutely fell in love with one of them. Unfortunately, the painting she adored had already been sold. Undaunted, she requested that I paint ALMOST the same painting. I took the time to find out what about it she loved and wanted duplicated in her painting AND what she would like to have in the painting that wasn't in the sold one. Knowing that information, I then was able to create a painting just for her that had the elements she loved, the colors she wanted, the size she needed and the proper framing for the space she was to hang the work. Not only did she love "her" painting far more than the one she'd seen on my website, but I also now have a full-blown collector. She has since purchased two other paintings from me, one of which was another piece that she requested.

It's nice when someone loves the artwork that you've created because of your vision. It's just as nice to do it for someone else's vision.