Jill Van Sickle

Art A Whirl!

jill_vansickle — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:15:46 +0000

I’ll be showing nearly all new work at this weekend’s Art A Whirl in NE Mpls. Swing by and take a look! (Grain Belt Bottling House, 79 13th Avenue, Northeast Minneapolis, MN 55413. Friday 5-10 pm, Sat, 12-8 pm, Sunday Noon-5 pm.)

Gallery 120, River Falls WI

jill_vansickle — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:21:17 +0000

Gallery 120 in River Falls WI is not your typical, sterile, white-walled, minimally filled gallery. I’d go so far as to say it’s poorly lit and generally haphazard. The artists hang their own work (and not at the same time, so you just hope your work is arranged to look ok with the other artists showing) and local volunteers run the show.

What is cool is that it is a small town non-profit that is obviously done for the goodness of the community. It has that it-may-not-be-perfect-but-showing-local-artowork-is-the-important-thing sort of feel to it. I’ve been told a resident 90 year old brings brownies to every opening! And my favorite part is the parking meters in downtown River Falls. Feel free to turn the dial to get your first 12 minutes free. Add a nickle for an hour. NO JOKE! River Falls is becoming more and more a suburb of the Twin Cities, but it still holds on to some of that priceless small town charm.

If you’d like to try out those brownies, the opening is this Friday from 4pm to 8pm. :)

Show at Sanctuary Restaurant in Mpls

jill_vansickle — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:12:09 +0000

Sanctuary the Restaurant will be showcasing my work for the next three months! Though I have yet to dine there, the reviews and menu look really amazing.

New Pieces and Pricing Artwork

jill_vansickle — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:24:14 +0000

I’ve been in such a zone lately I’ve been painting like crazy but failing to update this site with the new work. I blame my secretary. ;)

So, keep an eye on the site, new work will be posted soon.

Also, I’ve had several people ask how I price my work and I thought some others out there might be interested as well.

Pricing is tricky, and each artists does it differently. I take a fairly straight forward approach to it. First, I consider what sort of canvas I am using. Typically, I use canvas that sits 2″ off the wall. Some clients want canvas with a depth of 3″, which is more expensive. Secondly, I calculate the total square inches of the piece. I have a loose price-per-square-inch that I adhere to regularly. Lastly, I have to consider my materials used. If I used more oil paint, or more oil pastels than usual, I have to add to the price. If you’ve never purchased art supplies before, and tube of oil paint can be anywhere from two to five times the price of a tube of acrylic. And the price of high quality oil pastels is astronomical!

My price per inch covers the cost of the varnish, hanging hardware, brushes, time spent, advertising, equipment costs, studio costs, administrative costs, transportation costs, health car costs, and about a hundred other factors. Come to think of it, my prices should be much higher! :)

Desert Paintings

jill_vansickle — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:05:51 +0000

I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time in AZ (thanks so much house/pet sitters for allowing this trip!) and have been inspired by the colors and blooming plants. Here are some of the pieces I’ve been working on. :)

New Show up in Minneapolis

jill_vansickle — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:21:26 +0000

In addition to my exhibition at Hennepin County Medical Center, I have a show that opens today at Theater in the Round in Minneapolis. It is open during regular workday hours M-F, and during theater productions. The building will not be open weekend days.

So Pretty

jill_vansickle — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:24:27 +0000

I often feel guilty when a painting turns out to be rather ‘pretty’. In the fine arts world, contemporary artwork that is ‘pretty’ is considered fluff; sell-out, unimportant, easy-to-write-off artwork. Being that I am a worry wort news junkie who is constantly shocked by the selfishness and cruelty that humans embody, anger, fury, and outrage are all very easy emotions for me to embrace. So, when I sit in front of a blank canvas, what comes out is an attempt to calm my nerves, please my eyes and give my brain a little break. This is exactly what I hope someone who looks at my work can experience. Yes, it’s a pretty simple concept, but still relevant, I think. And if you disagree, come and talk to me about it face to face. I will eat you alive. And then perhaps I’ll use all that energy to go and paint another ‘pretty’ piece. ;)

Wowzers! New work!

jill_vansickle — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:23:18 +0000

I’ve just posted loads of new work I’ve been working on for my Hennepin County Medical Center show that will be going up next week in the Blue building – check it out!

Commissions

jill_vansickle — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:51:51 +0000

I often have folks ask about sold pieces . . wanting something similar by way of a commission. Below is a piece I recently did for a couple who wanted a much larger piece based on the original they liked. It turned out great!

Original Piece 'Bristled Landscape'

5ft Commissioned Piece

Hawthorn Branch

jill_vansickle — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:13:37 +0000

I’ve been trying to remember to post new pieces on both my website and my facebook page. (Usually I just post on facebook.) In case you are not a social network geek (like me), a facebook page is not the same as a typical account. All you have to do is hit the ‘like’ button at the top of it to get updates on my artwork. I dont get any of your personal updates. So log in and ‘Like’ my page! –> Artist Jill Van Sickle

Hawthorn 18x36 $720

Here is a piece I finished last night! Where I walk my dog there is a pretty row of Hawthorn trees. I’m always happy to see those little red berries, even on a gloomy winter day.