Finishing Touches

As we all know the economy has been hard on everyone, but you know what? This also is the best time to expand your knowledge and spread your wings to explore other art forms than just faux finishing with a few techniques. Specialty finishes are where most of the market is these days, even in the more trendy and chic areas of modern/contemporary designs. Artists have access to the most versatile products in the world today to where I believe everything is possible. For instance, I just recently matched a wood grain on a car. Finding and repainting furniture is a very hot market, especially kitchen cabinetry. Wall and canvas art, such as landscape painting, is still art, and contemporary art with high intensity and chroma is in demand. I sold half a dozen smaller paintings this year, as well as a couple of small murals, simply because of increasing color intensity. You see, it is known and always has been that bright intense colors are what make people feel good during rough periods throughout history. Whether it’s the economy, war, personal tragedies, etc., it was during these periods in the history of the world that some of the biggest art movements and revolutions resulted in some of the greatest masterpieces ever created.

Versatility and consistency. In learning, education, experimentation, trial and error and, yes even accidental discovery have made some of the most successful artists in the world today, and they got there because of living with the “no fear” kind of hunger for knowledge. Some artists, like Warhol and Kincaid, have been labeled by art critics as not being very good at all, but rather they were marketing geniuses, which is the reason for their success. Marketing for artists is, in fact, an art form all its own and falls into the versatility category.

With that being said, artists are actually forced to rediscover themselves in order to survive, and if you are stuck within your own little box and mindset, guess what? You’re going to starve because of the fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone. Dipping your John Tenniel sized spoon into a bowl of self discovery is really unfair to the rest of the art world. Who knows? You could be the next Pablo Picasso. Don’t laugh—anything is possible in this proverbial rabbit hole that most think I am stuck in, when in fact I choose to be here. I mean come on! You’re not scared are you, hmmmmm? Won’t you join me? Madhatter…

Arthur Morehead has been a professional painter/artist for 35 years. He owns and operates Art-Faux Designs Inc.™ in Naples, Florida. A man of many talents and highly regarded professional blogger (SEO, SEM expert are but only a few of his talents), his passion for the arts and painting murals, fine art, and teaching others is first and foremost. Studying with many nationally and internationally renowned artists, Morehead is mainly a self taught artist since childhood. Much of his background can be attributed to family craftsmanship that has been passed down for generations and through early education. Faux Effects International, Inc. can be attributed to the transition into the waterborne systems that Morehead uses predominately. He was first introduced to Faux Effects® by Donna Phelps of The Sarasota School of Decorative Arts and Architectural Designs in Sarasota, FL.