The Other Art Fair - What Was This Show Like?

It's been a whirlwind few weeks with the Calfornia wildfires and I have not had time to post having been evacuated. A lot of people are going thru so much. We lost over half our neighborhood. It looks like  a war zone.

But I said I would report back on my POP-Trait! portrait showing at Saatchi's "The Other Art Fair" in Los Angeles at Santa Monica airport, especially for other artists who may be considering doing it. It was a very postive four day experience for  me -which happened just before the fires.

The opening night was great, good foot traffic and I got some terrific leads,  one of which was an inquiry about licensing my work. Contracts have just been signed. More on that later. Some commission inquiries too.  Foot traffic on the Friday and Saturday could have been a little busier. Sales were not the point of exhibiting here for me. Some artists were definitely selling and some artists were definitely not. If you plan on doing The Other Art Fair for brisk sales, I would say, think again. For me, the aim was networking and showing a new collection/body of artwork in front of actual eyeballs, the general public, instead of social media. This was very postive.

The Fine Art Ledger highlighted my POP-Trait! collection as being among its' favorite artwork at the show. How cool is that!

linkhere

I also did a portrait demo at The Other Art Fair and that was well received and I thank ArtModelShannon for donating her time to sit for me. We also did a small POP-UP showing of her lovely white figure china sculptures called "Femme-guerines".

The Saatchi show organisation was good. The Saatchi people were friendly too. I think they could have been a little more generous with some free drink tickets though on the Opening Night.

Just so you know, you are hand-juried into this show. They had 800 applicants for 120 spots for my show. But you still pay a fair sum for the actual space rental, liability insurance, etc. Saatchi has a big PR machine behind it, one of the reasons I knew it would be good to show with them. Its' PR lived up to my expectations.

The Other Art Fair runs shows across the world throughout the year. Los Angeles will have two shows in under 12 months . I  personally would perhaps wait a while until I did the next one rather than jump in to another one  too soon.

Thanks to everyone who attended and showed me their support. It was much appreciated.

If you have questions about the show,  feel free to email me at johanna@johannaspinks.com

Opening night with beautiful Rachel, one of my sitters. 

Day 2...

Portrait Demo With ArtModelShannon

ArtModelShannon sits for me...

ArtModelShannon's POP-Up "Femme-guerinnes"

Lynette, a sitter, strikes a pose.

ArtModelShannon with her portrait behind from an earlier sitting. 

Stuntman Patrick, one of my sitters. 

The Gang.

The Demo, Two Hours. 

Family 

Besties....

Thank you to The Fine Art Ledger for giving a nod to my showing at The Other Art Fair. Los Angeles

Saatchi Art's The Other Art Fair - Almost Here

POP-Traits!
By Johanna Spinks
Now accepting commissions. 

My POP-Trait paintings are being packed and my business cards are at the ready. Saatchi Art's sponsored "The Other Art Fair" show,  which travels from London to Australia with various U.S. locations/stops is almost here.  It's a big production and I am honored to have been hand-picked by a Saatchi panel of judges to show.

I am looking forward to the experience and will be posting here. It is a four day event in Los Angeles this weekend featuring about 120 artists from 800 applicants. Some artists are flying in internationally to show which makes me so grateful that I am so local.

I do still have a few comp. tickets. Emal me.

So far, the pre- show organisation, and its'  team,  have been impressive, not to mention friendly which is always good.

Stay tuned! I hope to see some of you there. I am at stand #30 with my POP-Trait! series of large format portraits painted in two sittings via my palette knife.

Thanks to Dave Teel Photography for this photo.

Comp. Tickets - The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles

Thanks for following this blog and my artwork. It means the world to me.

As a small thank you to readers that are local,  I have a few comp. tickets to The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles. Contact me at johanna@johannaspinks.com if you would like to attend. You can choose the day you would like to go at a link I will give you.

This promises to be a great show of contemporary art and I am excited to show my "POP-Traits!" for the first time which some of you have been following on this blog.

I will be blogging about the four day show so stay tuned.

Johanna

Naming Paintings...

Very impressed with the folks at Saatchi putting on this show.  The pre-show prep is very thorough.
  My POP-Trait series featuring comtemporary portraiture has been handpicked by a panel of judges  to show at The Other Art Fair presented by Saatchi Art in Los Angeles

Naming paintings is almost as hard as painting them...any ideas for a title on this one? Just finished this week. 

My latest POP-Trait portrait of the lovely Alexandria Morrow painted in two life sittings via palette knife, 36 x 36"

My "Pop-Trait" Series Unveiled

Excited my "Pop-Trait" series will be unveilded for the first time at this huge contemporary show. As many of you know I have been quietly working away on this series for almost two years now. All 36 x 36" and mostly painted from life in two sittings via my palette knife.

I have had the most encourging words from my dear friend and mentor Everett Raymond Kinstler, N.A., painter of eight American presidents and a who's who of America over the last 60 years.

Kinstler says of this new body of my work:

“I am impressed with your new striking portraits. I think you are on to something. They are fresh, contemporary and different. The new scale and size lend themselves to very modern settings and a new audience."

How cool is that. Thank you dear Mr. K.
www.everettraymondkinstler.com

 I will be posting the whole collection over the next few weeks. Please stay tuned. Would love your feedback.  There are about 24 of them now.  

The Art Critic?

Honored: invited to judge Simi Valley Art Assoc. Annual Open Show again in California. 

Cash prizes. Open to all artists. 


This ptg. a favorite of mine by Norman Rockwell "The Art Critic" painted in 1955. Oh boy, to paint like this master. It's just impossible. And he is still not in The Met in New York's collection.

www.simivalleyart.org

Summer Event Painting

I was recently commissioned by a lovely couple to paint a special anniversary party at their home in the mountains.

These twinkling lights were a lot of work, along with the people,  but very fun to paint and I am happy to say well received at the painting's presentation this weekend. I love painting light and party dresses so it was a win-win for me as an artist.

 I also compiled a large journal of watercolor sketches from this event, see video below,  which I started onsite at the party. I sketched the actual party scene, the cocktail hour, the dessert and champagne bar, the gift table, the couple's first dance and even the hostess's party shoes as they were amazing.

I used all this watercolor reference to help create the final oil painting in my studio. The couple also got to keep the watercolor journal.

I am looking forward to paiting more twinkling party light commissions.  Stay tuned.

Mid-Summer Night's Eve
30x24"
By Johanna Spinks
Event Painting
SOLD