Craft Fair Solihull - Saturday 18th August 2012

Tomorrow I'm running a small stall at an Art and Crafts fair in Solihull. I'll have a selection of fine art open edition prints of my work for sale. I will also be taking bookings from any Solihull residents who wish to commission a painting.

I've not run a stall before, so I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm sure it'll be an interesting experience if nothing else.

As an antidote to the notion that running a stall at an arts and crafts fair might not be the manliest thing in the world, I will be taking payment in the form of blood, meat, women and beer.

As always, be sure to visit www.artbylukebennett.com for more original wildlife paintings and prints and to commission a pet portrait, a family portrait or any other subject.

What's the time Mr. Wolf?

I took the opportunity this week to re-work the wolf painting that I originally posted a good many months ago. I was not happy with it at the time or afterwards as I felt it could do with some more detail and better colour balancing.

I'm reasonably happy with it now. The edges look more like how I wanted them to the first time round, with more definition against the background. I also took some time to improve the eyes, as they looked a little bit too intense before, like the wolf was tripping rather heavily or something. Now he just looks mildly drunk.

To Post or Not to Post

I've been in two minds for a while now as to whether or not to make this post. The reason being; I'm not all that happy with they way the above painting has turned out. But then I decided there's no point in only showing things when you're happy with them. If I did that, I'd probably never ever post on here. I almost always feel that there's more I could have done with a painting or sketch. Most artists probably think that way. It's what drives us on as human beings- the eternal search for perfection.

Actually, that probably gives the wrong idea about what I'm aiming for in my work. It's definitely not perfection. Not in a photo-real sense anyway.

Unfortunately with the wolf painting I ended up leaving it too late, and being as I had a deadline for its completion- the hand in date at the gallery in which it is now hanging- to me it appears unsatisfactory. I know that if I had managed my time slightly more effectively I could have achieved a higher degree of detail and finish. As it is, to me at least, it looks incomplete and lacks detail, which is a shame as I can see its potential.

At this moment I should point out to any future potential employers or clients, that on a professional basis my time management and ability to reach deadlines satisfactorily is impeccable :) The wolf however was done purely for personal reasons, so I'm allowed to slack off.