How Long Did It Take You to Paint That? #3

The Art Lady –  by Arrachme

Many of the fine artists that I collaborate with on international projects have

shared how they respond to the question, “How long did it take you to

paint that?” You will read how they respond as well as what to look for when you are shopping for art. 

“How long is a piece of string?” The consensus after inquiring with professional

friends that are fine artists is unanimous, “It has taken decades.” 

Most likely the questioner was asking how many weeks it took to paint that specific painting from start to finish. Maybe they were thinking that the time spent by the artist could justify the price. The artist, however, was thinking, collectively, how long did it take me to get to the point where I could produce a successful painting. Education + Experience + Brand Recognition = Length of Time to Create A Painting. 

The artist considers all the years it took to develop their style, all the trial and error, education, and the big one – developing their brand. Picasso was and still is an excellent example. Throughout his career, he was laser-focused on developing a unique art form, Cubism. He only let galleries or dealers that respected his work, handle any aspect of his development as an artist.  To this day even his signature scribbled on a piece of paper is valuable because of the choices he made. How long did it take for him to have the confidence to scribble that drawing? His journey gives us a good guide because his experience over a lifetime is documented by his works of art. When his signature became currency all the art that he created became even more collectible.

 Time spent? A minimalist painting may look like it is comprised of little paint or marks on a canvas. An example of this is the 1970s artist, Barnett Newman. He painted, what appeared to be a strip of color on a canvas which he called “Zips”. At first glance, the art may seem super easy as some abstract expressionist or minimalist paintings often present. The goal was to make the painting look effortless.

 Does it surprise you to find out that some abstract paintings can take longer to make than an incredibly detailed realistic painting due to the materials used, layers, and the contemplative process?

 Here is what to look for. After you decide that you like the painting, evaluating it may not be of significant value. However, if you want to analyze the art, here are some meaningful points of interest. Look for values created by layers, spacing of the objects, depth, and movement. Look at the composition which is how the images are arranged. My painting, “Closed Door Open Passage” was recently awarded 4th place in The Metropolitan Museum City Grand Exhibition in South Korea, also seen in Tatler Magazine, UK, and Art International Contemporary Magazine. It seems that it was simple to create, timewise. The Curator applied the usual aspects of judging, the execution, the use of color, and composition. After looking at the art they evaluated the painting’s provenance which documents where else it has been exhibited or acknowledged, and what other awards has it received. Then, most likely the curator looked at the artist, the education, and the experience which was listed on a biography or curriculum vitae. This last factor would not have drastically changed the decision of a seasoned Curator, but they do look at everything. Every judge uses a slightly different process. When collecting art, You Are the Judge.

So now you know why an artist answered, “It has taken decades to paint it.”