Shawn Palek’s blog, What do I have to do to get respected in the Fine Art community?

Hey, I have been sitting here these past few years painting my ass off! Wondering if I paint enough impressive paintings, will I be accepted in the fine art world as an artist? With an airbrush. That is the key. With an airbrush.

 How can I break into a field, or better yet, create a field, an acceptance that an airbrush is just a tool, like a paintbrush used to create art. Why does it have to be done with a paintbrush or a chalk, pencil, pastel to be good, to be accepted? I have proven I can work in other mediums, I suppose being a commission artist for so long has granted me some skills in how I see things as an artist. I look at myself as a realist impressionist. I love to recreate pictures, but put my impression into them.

Should that make me a bad artist, because I use the tools available to me to create my art? I have never felt so, but others have tried to make me feel so!

Must I pick up a paintbrush again to be taken seriously?

 

Thank you,

Shawn Palek

Shawn Palek’s blog…Ahhhh art.

As I sit here in my new studio waiting for it to warm up, I think how lucky I am to be able to do what I love for a living. I am surrounded by other artists quite often who do not have such an opportunity. I remember what those days were like. Working a full time job, and going to school full time and then once everything else is done then trying to find some time to do art.

I do not miss those days at all. I am going on my 18th year of being a full time artist. It has been that long since I have had a real job. I really don’t think I would last long in a corporated enviorment. Would prob be fired within a week.

We were very lucky this summer that Misty’s work sent us off to the East coast. So we went to as many museum visits as possible, and exposed the kids and ourselves to some many wonderful paintings and sculptures. Misty and I have another trip planned for next month to KC to see the museums down there.

I am so thankful that Misty is so encouraging and supportive, and has as great of an appreciation for art as myself. I also am glad that she continues to explore new mediums and continues to enter into shows along side me. We make an unstopable team.

Also my daughter has entered into her 2nd art show as of this month. I am so proud of her! And she sold her first painting last month.

So to wrap things up, i really would like to thank everyone out there who has bought a piece of work of mine. And also thank those who take a moment out of their busy day to come out and see the shows I put on. I wish I could get more of you out to them, but I realize that someday that will happen also. As long as I can I will do my best to continue to enrich your lives and dazzel your eyes with my pieces of art.

Thank you,

Shawn Palek

Shawn’s blog…have you ever bought a frame because you liked the pics inside of it?

Well I did that today. A foo dog, the sphinx and a pyramid, some angels and statue of liberty. Don’t know why or what is gonna go in it. But a couple of those pics need to be painted, maybe that is why I bought it. I see things of beauty and wish to see how well I can recreate them. How exact I can make it, how much life I can give it.

I have been doing these new paintings, completely abstract and using the subconscious I suppose, cause they are completely random. There are 45 of them in the last month and a half. Tomorrow will be the first day that anyone will be seeing them in person besides Misty and myself and the kids. Interested in seeing what people think of them.

Sydo asked me to do one for her, so I did a triptych for her and Misty owns the first commissioned piece. They are great fun and messy. My daughter asked me if I would teach her how to do this, and I told her I would but she had to enter into the Art a holics Spring show. And pay her way in also. She laid down her $ and said she was in. My daughter and I will be having work in the same show, I can not tell you how proud I am. I am so excited to see what she comes up with.

Also Misty will be having her first major viewing of her Snoobs jewelry line at the High Tressel Trail Grand Opening celebration tomorrow in Slater. Plus she will have many of her new paintings on display there also.

Go see her and then come see me tomorrow and then come check us all out May 6th at Northland Studios. You will not be disappointed.

Support your local artists and especially the Palek clan,

Thank you,
Shawn

Shawn’s blog…painting with a brush.

By now some of you have seen some of my new paintings posted on Facebook. I was inspired to start painting with a brush again in March of this year. Now mind you I have not brush painted in about 20 years.

I don’t really know where these paintings are going or what the purpose is of them, But the piles of them are growing. Prob have about 20 of them done so far. We, Art a holics, will be hosting our Spring into Art Show May 6th at Northland Studios. I will have a small collection of them there if you would like to check them out. Also anyone interested in a private viewing, please contact me and arrangements can be made.

Thank you all once again for your support and interest in the art that I create.

Shawn

Shawn’s blog…Inside the Artist Studio interview.

Shawn’s blog…The concrete truck project update.

So this was the article that I found in this months ABATE of Iowa’s Freeway Flyer. Thanks go out to Scott for his vision on this project.

My 2 mins of being a whore this week…Shawn’s blog

After viewing a show that I am in or a show I am putting on, I wish for that person who just saw it to say “Holy crap that was awesome!” How can I make that happen? This is a question I pose to you. How can I get more people like you to come out to an art show?

This is not just to you artists or artists patrons out there, this is to the person who, the first 10 things on their list of “things they want to do” does not include, “go to an art show”. How can I get you to come check one out? They are really fun and have great works of art to enjoy. I do crazy shit at mine sometimes. Like the “how many circus peanuts can you fit in your mouth game” challenge thrown down by Megan.

I would like now to thank the love of my life. Misty, I am so glad you encourage the passion and madness. And embrace your own desire to create. I so love you! Let’s get married soon!

I love the process of painting a picture, I make them for you though. Once I am done with a painting, I don’t really think about it anymore. So if you buy them at a show, I won’t have to look at them and can focus on creating new ones. Win win, you get great art and I free up space. I am running out of storage space. I have so many more paintings to paint, so I need the room for them. You see my quandary. They are very reasonable priced if you would like to by one.

Also, to my friends with businesses, would you be interested in hanging some of my work to sell or just for the viewing pleasure, in your shops?

So with that being my 2 mins on the street corner whoring myself, please support you local art and artists. We will be famous someday and wouldn’t you like to have a piece of our work and a story to boot? Come see an art show! Suggestions welcome as to how to get you there. There has never been a better time for art in Des Moines and Iowa then there is now. Come be a part of it?!

Shawn

Shawn’s Blog The concrete truck project.

So I was approached a few months ago by a member of ABATE of Iowa, and asked if I would be interested in painting the ABATE logo on the side of a concrete drum. Well of course I said sure. I mean I’ve never painted one of those before. So tomorrow and just tomorrow I have to paint the entire design on this truck. I will have with me, 3 very capable students to help me with this project. Photos will be posted on my Facebook by Sunday hopefully. Depends on how sore I am.

So we had a fun time at the Heartfest show, but you people need to buy more of my artwork please. If you see something you like you should buy it now. I will be famous some day and they will be a lot more expensive.

I was contacted by Mollie Cooney from channel 8 about being interviewed for her segment “Inside the Artists Studio” on Sunday mornings. That should be cool. Means I have to clean the hell out of the studio. If any of you have ever been in there you know I have crap everywhere.

My buddy and former employee Brandon who lives in AZ now, are gonna quit smoking the 28th of this month. He is turning 28 and had decided to quit so I am gonna join him.

The kids have the day off today so they went to the park for a bit and then we all went down and took Misty out for lunch. Cactus Bobs is great.

Well off to start getting everything ready for tomorrow. Have to start painting at 7 am. I hate painting in the morning. Best have a couple of cups of tea. Wish me luck.

Shawn

Some thoughts after a show. Artists I would like your input.

I as an artist, would like to ask my other artist friends on here and out there in the real world a question.Would you be interested in themed art shows held in various businesses around the DSM area, hosted by me?

I’ve been doing art a long time in this town and some of you know me and some of you just know my work, and some have already stopped reading.

I am always striving to get my artwork out there for people to see and for my friends and students and former students, I try to do the same thing. Give them opportunities to show their work to people who want to see art. I feel the pin-up show had a very good turn out and am ready to do more.

I am suggesting taking it one step further, and having a theme to each show. I would set it all up with the space and have most of the particulars worked out, and you would just have to provide a piece or 5 of artwork and help promote it by clicking a few buttons on your computer and then come check out your work and what everyone else comes up with. What a great networking idea. Think of the people you will meet. And if anyone does steal this idea from me I will beat you up using ningets. (lol…sydo great word props to you)…Seriously I will!

Anyway, anyone interested? Seriously, I am pretty good at this, let’s do something new. Plus I have lots of ideas for shows that will blow your mind, and if not yours, well then hopefully some minds of people who appreciate a certain genere of art and the friends that they bring also.

And please keep in mind, this is just a question I pose to you. Do not believe that something like this could happen with out encouragement and hard work by all. But doesn’t it sound like fun? I plan on leaving more of a mark on this world than I already have, a much greater mark. This is just another stepping stone on that path. Anyone wanna walk with me for a spell?

Thanks of making it this far,

Shawn

Let me know what you think, please!

shows shows shows

Wow what a year it has been. I have been painting like crazy this year so far. Misty and I took January off from doing shows, so we could build up some inventory. I decided to host a pin-up show at Northland Studios in DSM the first Friday of the month of Feb. Great turn out! Over 100 pieces of work hung and about 200 people through the door the night of the reception. We also participated in the Hail to the King show at Finder’s Creepers in Jan, but that has been it so far. Last Sat we as Art-a-holics had a hole at the Skywalk golf open and ended up winning most creative, so we get to do it for free next year.

Tomorrow and Sunday we are doing the Heart Fest Art Show at Vally West Mall. Next Sat I am painting the drum of a concrete truck with the ABATE of Iowa logo on both sides. And then the following weekend, I am having my closing reception for the pin-up show on Friday. Also that Fri Sat and Sun we are doing the Art and Craft show at the State Fairgrounds. So someone really needs to step up and invent that matter transporter so I can do both events at once.

On top of all this I am teaching 4 days a week at DMACC, and spending as much time with the family as possible. Now I am still working on my same goal as last year, 1 painting a day for the year. Been doing pretty good on average, some days none but then some day 5. Hard to remember to document all of them with pics. Gonna next try and figure out how to post pics on here so you can see them.

Well that’s all for now, I set a reminder on my phone to write on here every Friday, so hopefully you will be seeing this blog with more regularity.

Shawn