STUDIO TIP #1

Increase Productivity with Storage Bins   As an artist it's important to keep the work process flowing. Putting strategies in place to stay organized is key to maximizing your studio time and to reducing wasted time and frustration.  If you have to spend a lot of time organizing your supplies before starting a painting or any artwork, it’s an obstacle to productivity.  If you are a beginner, or a veteran artist, you know how easy it is for your studio/work area to devolve into chaos.  The chaos is fun and enhances creativity during the work process but the aftermath and clean-up, not so much!  

Paints are organized by type such as all High Flow Acrylics together and by warm and cool color family together. This makes it easy to find what I'm looking for without a lot of digging.

I like to start a studio session with some kind of order and to be able to clean up and put things away quickly.  Having spent many years as an art educator in schools, I got in the habit of using storage bins and drawer units of all kinds and sizes, from shoebox size to the giant 30 gallon, for almost everything.  They are affordable, easy to clean, and they are easily purchased in dollar stores or other big box chains.  Bins are also flexible to use since they can be moved around easily, fitting into nooks and crannies.

Collage materials are organized by type such as painted papers, printed papers, etc.  These drawers are convenient because they can be pulled out and taken to wherever you are working.

My favorites are clear plastic so that I can see what’s inside.  I tend to forget what’s in my stash if I can’t see it.  I also use a label maker. Snap top lids are great too particularly to keep out pets and dust and to make stacking easier thereby increasing your vertical storage.   I try to keep a consistent look to the bins as well, such as all lids the same color or mostly from the same brand. This cuts down on the visual clutter which can be overwhelming in a studio crammed with supplies.   And if you move, everything is organized and ready to go!

Painting Process: Keeping it Fresh and Lively

My paintings emerge out of an enjoyment of the painting process. Intuitive and improvisational, the process is a journey and the end point is always a surprise.  It usually begins by applying color and arranging paper, fabric or paint skins out of my collage stash in a freewheeling manner. Or sometimes I create a textured surface using various acrylic pastes or gels before adding the first layers of color and other materials. The unexpected, serendipitous magic that happens when working this way is what excites me as an artist and gives the work its potency.  

 Christine Sauer, " Marvels and Mysteries IV" 20x16" acrylic and mixed media on canvas   Final layers being added to this work in process.  "To pour or not to pour?"  It's important to stay brave since choices seem riskier toward the end of the process.

The images surface through the process.  Sometimes the initial layer is engaging, spontaneous and feels like a complete visual statement so it becomes a keeper.  Some paintings need more attention.  Layers of paint are added from thick impasto to dripped, scraped, and thinly glazed passages that conceal or reveal the initial layers. Complex, lively surfaces are created where vibrant color and lush texture coalesce to engage the viewer to take an up-close look to discover visual surprises.   Mark making includes loose and painterly brushwork, dripped paint, scribbled drawing, freeform printing, stenciled application and more.

©ChristineSauer, Details from paintings from the Collections on this site.

Exploring multiple approaches to painting energizes the process for me, keeping things fresh and interesting.  I am a perpetual student, always learning and experimenting.  In the studio, there are often several works in process going on simultaneously.  They are not always from the same series or groups. The process is a spiral with exciting tangents developing along the way.  Eventually common threads emerge between artworks and they become a loosely connected collection as presented on this website.

©Christine Sauer, During painting sessions I always offload the leftover paint on my brushes and tools from the main project unto additional surfaces such as paper,  raw canvas, and fabric.   This often yields interesting materials for collage or sometimes they become artworks on their own. 

Honored to be part of "Instagram for Artists" on Vasari 21 by arts writer Ann Landi

Instagram is currently one of my favorite social media sites as an artist. After joining I was wondering why I resisted for so long!  I enjoy scrolling through and seeing art from all over the world and connecting with people through comments that I wouldn't have a chance to meet so easily.   Seeing artists' special projects develop and videos from their art and lives has been fascinating.  As artists, we often work in isolation so interacting on Instagram is a little escape.  I also love the focus of just one image at a time.  Getting feedback on my own work has been rewarding too.

I was honored when arts writer Ann Landi , who I connected with via Instagram, Facebook and by joining her Vasari21.com site, interviewed me by phone recently. She was writing an article for Vasari 21 about artists using Instagram.  Vasari 21 is a fabulous resource for artists offering career advice, informative articles about art collectors, interviews with artists, podcasts and much more.   Ann's writing is engaging and humorous.  And no artspeak on the site, yay!  Below is the image  from my feed, @christinesauerstudio, included with article.

Christine Sauer  "Vessel (petite)"  8x8"  acrylic, mixed media on canvas

Launching the "Earthy Collection"

I'm excited to be launching the the "Earthy" Collection on the blog this month with special introductory pricing (see below).  I grew up in a rural area in upstate New York and spent a lot of time outdoors.  Nature and landscape have always fascinated me so it seems natural that those elements would percolate up in my work though not in a literal way.   These abstract, mixed media collages on paper have a palette of earthy hues and rich surfaces.  The artworks evolved intuitively from arrangements of paper and fabric, drawn from my extensive stash, that were layered with acrylic paint and sometimes with machine stitching.   As the pieces developed they suggested inviting imaginary landscapes, gardens and other elements from the natural world.  

Many of the collages were monoprinted using Gelli Plates with acrylic paint.  This created surprising and unexpected textures and colors. Using a sewing machine as a drawing tool, several collages were also stitched with heavy thread. The resulting line work visually reinforced the overall designs and added a geometric counterpoint to the organic textures.  The collages are dressed up in natural wood frames.  They are also available unframed.