Many thanks to all of you who have bought paintings, prints, and studio visits.
You have helped me reach my initial goal and much more. I started painting today, sharing the kitchen table with homework and coloring on a sunny Sunday morning:
Part of my reason for doing this project was the desire to paint the 50 small egg tempera pieces. But it is also as a way of getting my work out in front of more eyes. Please keep passing along the link, posting it on Facebook and tweeting it so I can get some more exposure and interest in my work.
This Kickstarter isn't only a way for people to support me. It is a way to buy art at a great price. Every contribution from $75 and up receives an original piece of artwork. Some of the pledge levels buy a painting from the exhibit and some buy a painting that I have already completed -- they are shown on my website and can be chosen in a first-pledge-first-served order. You can see the existing paintings here: http://www.carolineadamsart.com/rewards.html
I have 10 days left and I am setting a new goal of $10,000 as a way of pushing myself to get the word out even further. If you know of anyone who might be interested in my work, please pass along the link to this Kickstarter campaign.
Many thanks again for your support and help. It's been a great success and I'm grateful to all who have supported me thus far.
Now back to the eggs and brushes!
Painting with Eggs
For thousands of years, painters have mixed powdered pigment made from earth and plants with egg yolk and water to create translucent paint (watch the video to see how!). Egyptian sarcophagi, Botticelli masterpieces, and Andrew Wyeth’s haunting landscapes all derive part of their power from egg tempera.
Egg tempera is different. It is translucent and delicate. Its surface is smooth, but holds great depth. The paint is applied stroke by stroke -- sometimes with a single hair -- taking care not to overlap until the previous layer has dried. Very slowly, layers of paint build to create a surface that appears to glow from within.
With your help, I will make 50 egg tempera paintings.
I have used egg tempera in the past. I love the slow brush work. I love the way the paint dries almost instantly. I love the process, building layer after layer of translucent color to create the subtle, ephemeral changes so well suited to landscapes filled with light, clouds, and atmosphere.
I will work on the paintings in batches, 10-15 at a time depending on size and spend around two months on each batch.
I will create a variety of sizes:
- 7x5" - 15 paintings
- 10x8" - 20 paintings
- 9x12" - 5 paintings
- 14x11" - 5 paintings
- 20x16" - 5 paintings
My brother, Tristram MacDonnell, will build handmade maple frames with splined corners.
When the paintings are finished and framed -- in summer 2014 -- I will rent gallery space from Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Georgetown, Washington, DC, and hang all 50 pieces. I often think of my smaller work as being part of a larger whole. I envision the whole room full of small, intimate glimpses of one larger, shared landscape.
With your generous support the following will be possible:
- Materials - Ampersand Clay Board panels, new brushes, powdered pigments, eggs
- Time - I am an artist but also a mother of two and I work at a gallery part time. Paying for two extra days of aftercare at my kids' school will give me the time I need to paint.
- Presentation - Beautifully handmade frames are an essential finishing element to the paintings
- Space - I need to rent the gallery space to exhibit the work
- Marketing - Postcards to advertise show, catalogue of show, preview party/opening
Rewards
There are many rewards to choose from. Below are some examples of some of the items listed. The egg tempera paintings from the exhibit are also available as rewards. They will have a similar feel to some of the paintings shown above. I will post the paintings as I finish them throughout the year.
Monotypes ($75) like this one:
Small Oil Studies ($100) like this one:
Small Framed Oil Paintings ($300) like this one:
Cloud Studies ($600) like this one:
Medium Oil Paintings ($1200) like this one:
Large Oil Paintings ($1900) like this one:
Thank you so much for considering my project. Please visit my website to see more of my work and the site I have put up for my Kickstarter campaign that explains the rewards. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Risks and challenges
I feel very confident that I will be able to finish all of the paintings in my targeted time frame but the biggest challenge will be to push myself to move beyond my comfort zone in my painting style. I want to use this project to grow, learn, and develop as an artist. I will have to be diligent about trying new methods of laying down paint and developing compositions to ensure variety and interest throughout the entire group of 50.
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Funding period
- (30 days)