snow covered landscape paintingA lot of thought and exploration goes into developing a series of paintings for an art exhibition.

Today, this has been a topic of conversation between my good friend and fellow artist, Shanna Kunz and me. This weekend, Shanna and I are exhibiting together in an all women art show, “8 Broad Brush Stokes”. (Come see us in Utah, November 16-17).
Shanna and I love to talk ‘shop’ when we are together. Today, we have been discussing the importance of producing a cohesive body of paintings for each of our upcoming winter exhibitions.

Shanna and Lori in Maine in October

I was really impressed with Shanna’s clear 10 step approach to developing a series of exhibition paintings. Shanna is a landscape painter, but these steps could be applied toward any painting subject.
One
The first step is to decided upon a theme.
For example: For a landscape painter, the theme might be a regional location, or a season, or you might choose to focus on abstraction, or paint quality.
Two
Next, it is important to plan the shape and sizes of your paintings. There is an emotional connotation attached to different formats.

  • Horizontal  = peaceful
  • Vertical = majestic, active
  • Square = risky, contemporary
  • Standard = traditional

Three
Choose subject matter from images and/or sketches that ‘speak’ to you. Shanna likes to use her computer to set-up miniature thumbnail landscape images to help her choose her reference material.

woman at computer

Four
The next step is to create value thumbnail sketches. Simplify the composition into 4-5 values, paying special attention to patterns and spatial relationships. Be aware how the view enters a painting. 
Five
Once the composition is chosen, it is time to choose the palette combination.
Six
Now that the palette of colors is chosen, the next step is to decide upon how to ‘key’ the painting. Will the painting be a high-key painting that is primarily lighter values, or mid range, or low-key with darker values? These are important decisions to consider.
Seven
What message are you trying to convey to the viewer? What is your focal point? It might be a single tree, a shape, or even a color. But, everything else will be subordinate to this focal point.
Eight
Once the painting is completed, put it away. Turn it to the wall for a few days. Then, reevaluate the painting, tweak it and make the necessary changes.
Nine
Framing is next. The frame is a continuation of the painting and the message. It is important to compliment the painting without distracting from it. The whole series of paintings should be framed consistently with small variations.
art gallery hanging
Ten
Lastly, once the whole series of paintings is framed, double-check and look at the series of paintings as a whole. Make sure you are happy with the group before your exhibition!
Good luck!
PS. Do YOU ever work in a series? Do YOU have any tips to add to this post? Please add your comments…
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