Amy's Thought's On All Things About Becoming A Professional Emerging Artist

Last night the OPA had their award ceremony for their regional art show in the East.  The OPA Eastern Regional is the title to search, and I'll place a link at the end of the article.  I am currently considered a Western Regional Painter by OPA, as they divide the USA by East and West painters, and was taking about a year off to improve.

I was able to watch the award portion of the event this morning, as I was spending time with family last night.  I had just finished a painting and was inspired by watching the results of the OPA Eastern that had been judged already, to submit to another event taking applications for an all member show.

The American Impressionist Society, of which I am also a multi year member, is accepting works for the on-line, all member show currently.  The OPA is accepting works for The Fall On-Line Showcase soon, and I have some smaller works than what I subbitted today for AIS that will be going in there.

The painting I just finished, is already spoken for by my eldest, who moved out and just got into a townhouse.  

He has roommates, so he is still aware of not taking up too much wall space, yet this 23.5" x 16" oil painting is just the thing to commemorate one's first European Travels.  So I was excited to do this oil for him.

So thank you to the OPA Award winners and Judge, who inspired this current associate level OPA member, (who had gotten discouraged with not getting into the shows she applied for in most of the organizations at a National Level), to enter my painting still wet yet framed, in the AIS show for members, along with some work from last year.  And, to add some of my newer oil paintings to the OPA Fall On-Line Showcase for 2024 as well.  

Pictured is one of the entries for the American Impressionist Society All Member Show, along with one that I painted in 2021 with just using one pallet knife and my hands.  I am thinking I may have a better chance at getting in this year because I took so much time off, (almost a year) to be working on my observation skills, and have some new brushes I purchased, so my hands don't do all of my painting by themselves on this one.  I had the aide of 4 different brushes by 4 different companies, as well as a pallet knife and some other objects.  What I have heard over and over by judges of these events is that seeing brushstrokes is important to them. 

In the painting to the right, when I painted that 18" x 24" oil in 2021, I used mainly bare hands to paint with, and this style does have some precedence in art history, but is in the minority when considering techniques.  The painting on the left, includes more brushstrokes to satisfy that tactile visual desire, that many people have when they look at a painting and feel is satisfied when they see brush strokes. 

I have sold both types of paintings to collectors.  You may see my shop to view those.  One done Impressionist style with only my hands, appeared to have brush strokes because I laid on thick paint.  The other one on my website, that looked smooth used many instruments in the underpainting, then hardly any brushes to achieve the smoother finish.  As a trained printmaker, I pull from various areas and techniques in my art.

If you would like to set aside some time to view what inspired me to take my creations and try again at submitting them for shows, you can watch the replay of the OPA Awards Ceremony.  If you want to know what keeps me painting, you may view some of the museum exhibitions like the DMA Impressionists Exhibit, which was put on after almost 6 months of me going to the DMA to study and research the American Impressionists, as well as the European Impressionists. 

 I was so sad when the DMA decided to change and reduce their hours of operation, that I quit going for a time to the library, yet their exhibit, was like a reward for all the study that I had done.  I will be going to see it multiple times before it ends.  You can view on-line as well here:  www.dma.org  https://www.dma.org/  They have gotten rave reviews for showing both the "usual suspects" in the show, as well as some "delightful additions".

Here is the link to the Eastern Regional which I will also be taking time to revisit, so I can view all the wonderful art that was accepted.  They said they had 1400 submissions and less than 10% were accepted into that show.  That is why I took almost a year off from entering so many shows, to actually study European and American Master Works, and Impressionists in general, since I am currently closest to that style in my painting of both Pastels and Oils. 

I purchased books from the 1920's to view works that most likely are held in Europe, and I took about 6 months of museum study, simply telling myself to study like a Master's Level Student.  I went multiple weeks and multiple days a week, and sometimes from the opening  hour of the library to the closing hour of the library.  I was learning through immersion of beautiful images and using my powers of observation in my travels to identify all the different types of colors I saw in nature.  This is helping me to expand my style of Impressionism which is a bit different yet still identifiable as impressions of, and not yet realistic like photography, without loosing myself or my basic foundation of self study as a painter.

I hope you enjoy the OPA show, the Museum Show and My website.  Although I have over a dozen of my smaller works currently in people's carts, I need some of them to close their sale so I can ship them out.  I encourage to view, and buy as your heart desires. 

 https://www.oilpaintersofamerica.com/opa_show/2024-eastern-regional-exhibition/

If you would like to find smaller oils and pastels of mine, and works of other artists that I've collected for sale, you may visit my shop art page at:  

https://www.rubylane.com/shop/amy-carter-ishmael-art?cat=Art