Recent art

Here are two more samples of my recent oil pastels. Both A4, resulted from random encounters on the Web. The landscape "Warm Lake" has been sold on Ebay for about 10 quid. The nude is still available from Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16271026).

Random Images 1

Sometimes I'm lucky to see real beauty right from my window. That's how the American winter landscape on the left has been made.

I do take hundreds of photos every time I go out in hope that one day I can use them for my artwork. They constantly appear in random order on my desktop.

My wild imagination and dreams often bring me vivid pictures worth painting.

I like using 3D modelling for creating landscapes and/or people to paint later.

I also feel its fine to be inspired by random photos in books, newspapers, on the web, in movies. After all, I'm not copying them photorealistically, merely interpreting. Artist Pablo Picasso said "Good artists borrow, great artists steal." And, of course, all artists & photographers steal from God a bit... Poor Van Gogh copied his favorite artists when couldn't afford live models.

Last, I sometimes do copies of historic art from all over the World to learn about old masters approach.

Random Images

I love finding inexpected inspirations for paintings all around me. If I have a chance, I'm going wandering with my sketch kit outside. Here are two examples out of a series of ACEO miniatures I did during this spring in Newtown, Powys.

Three Things you should Never do to an Artist...

From my own experience & what other artists told me:

- Never say "you have talent". For many artists it translates into "you don't work hard - just use your talent every time".

- Your painting is very good: it looks almost like a photograph... (then whats a point of doing a painting???)

- Never give to an artist an artwork of another artist as a gift unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure he or she will like it. Just ask! We lot have normally very strong preferences in art!

PS. Personally I found patronizing words like "clever girl" be real killers...

2009 Calendars from the Distant Lands...

There still is time to order calendars with my artwork at Lulu.com. I think they will make an unusual present - not many of them around anyway. Full previews available. I maybe even manage to make a couple more till New Year - Britain & People.

Distant Lands by A.Cook by Alexandra Cook
Welcome to the Distant Lands! Fifteen of my artworks (mostly seasonal landscapes) are included in this 2009 14-month calendar. It has British & Christian holidays (could be changed - just send me a message). I hope you'll enjoy it!(26 pages ) Paperback: £9.97

Fantasy Lands by A.Cook
by Alexandra Cook
This it 14 months 2009 calendar illustrated with my fantasy artwork. It contain British holidays (this could be changed - just send me a message). I hope you will enjoy it. (26 pages ) Paperback: £9.97

My Russia by A.Cook My Russia by A.Cook
Print: £12.49 (with postage in the UK)
This is 14-month calendar for 2009 illustrated with my own paintings and drawings dedicated to landscapes, people and buildings of my native Russia. Contains British and some Orthodox holidays. If you would like other / custom holidays please let me know before buying and I'll create additional version for you. I hope you'll enjoy my calendar!

Any artists from Newtown, Powys? Lets start a group!

I moved to Newtown about a year ago but haven't met any local artists yet.
I used to belong to the Nottingham Society of Artists (http://www.nottinghamartists.org.uk/) and a local Art Club (http://www.ledac.org.uk/index.htm) in my old place. Couldn't find anything here (maybe there is a group?). We don't drive (eco-friendly) so I can't really go to nearby towns to join their groups.
Ideally I would love to be a member of an open-minded & friendly all-media & style art group (club, society, association) with an aim to actively help each other improve they work, exibit it and, of course, sell it. Also get painting outside together. Let me know if anybody else interested.

An Art Gallery

Just wanted to write down few thoughts about a local art gallery (Oriel Davies)
http://www.orieldavies.org/

Small quiet town, not really much arty folk around... Exhibitions in the gallery are mostly very -very - very weird (strange). I love experiment and feeling of strangeness - as just one side of creativity. But why poor people have to think that only this is ART? Where are simply local artists? There was an "open" exhibition with entrance fee I couldn't afford... Where anyway are works which somebody could have in ordinary comfortable home and simply enjoy them? I know there is good art created right now - look in International Artist Magazine (http://www.international-artist.com/iam/overview.aspx), for example. Who profits from promotion of weird and disgusting in art? Why feeling of peace and happiness in art is ignored?

My novell

I've sold the first copy of my Russian novel few days ago.
http://www.lulu.com/content/741519
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/THE-RETURN-Science-Fiction-E-Novell-in-Russian-A-Cook

I'm thinking of translating it to English, widening the story at the same time, but have to find somebody to review it first...

Recent art

Marshland and Kids with Pond. As you can see, at the moment I'm very much into painting in oil pastels and influenced by Vincent van Gogh (have been reading about him half of the summer). The image on the right inspired by a scene in my garden (Pond, hills&kids:Original Oil Pastel Painting by A.Cook). The one on the left is very loosely based on a picture from a Baltic wild nature book (Marshland in early spring - Original oil pastel painting). Both are still available.