A Painting a Day Edit

Self-Disciplined Artists Reach Out to Markets
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Everyday, for the past two years, I get an email with a beautiful, postcard-sized painting from one Julian Merrow-Smith of France. “Postcard from Provence”, it’s called - and the painting is priced at $100. Lately, Julian has taken to auctioning his paintings, which start at $100. He is but one of the artists - and a famous one at that - who are part of what is almost a movement in art: the Painting a Day phenomenon.

The Daily Painting Phenomenon - a Movement?

Variably known as “Daily Painting (Movement)” or “$100 paintings” - this “phenomenon” (or movement, as some believe it already is) is characterized by these distinctions:

1. the artists choose a rigorous routine of at least a painting a day - it serves the purposes of productivity, development of technique, and ensuring a regular flow of art
2. the subject matter is often chosen from daily life. In some ways, often the Daily Paintings are miniature impressionistic images - focusing on everyday objects which are even mundane - such as keys, hands, fruit, pottery, and birds
2. the paintings are small in size, typically postcard sized
3. base price is (usually) $100 - which is what has lent the title of “$100 Paintings” to the phenomenon
4. artists typically auction the paintings
5. artists usually sell directly to market via blogs, e-Bay auction, mailing lists, proprietary auction tools, or a combination of channels. Internet is the key. Middle-persons are bypassed. The artists create a close connection with the art appreciation and buying community.

The Story

The concept started with artist Duana Keiser. He believes that having to paint a picture daily makes one “look” and see the subtleties of life, such as the green flash, a real flash of color observed when the sun sets or rises.

Duane did daily paintings since Dec 2004, and used eBay to auction his paintings, besides blogging about them. This is the blog where is all started: A Painting a Day

Today a Painting a Day movement has inspired hundreds of artists who are using this self-disciplining method to make them always see a subject around them, to make art affordable, and to reach out directly to admirers of art around the world - all connected through the invisible bonds of the Internet.

Image: Abandoned House, Julian Merrow-Smith (April, 2007)