Yaeli's Blog

View

by Yaeli Vogel

How do you paint at home? All day?

As an artist I spend a lot of my time painting. Alone. Even if there were people around me, I have to paint in private, where it’s quite, and where all I can hear is music and my thoughts. Hermit much? I think so! Although, before days like this, I was out every single day at my day job, which was teaching. It was a very social environment and as an active social person I truly enjoyed connecting with my colleagues. But that’s where it ended. I was craving something different for myself. I knew I had something else to do. I remember telling my family and friends that I was quitting and going to start painting. They looked at me like I had gone mad! “But you’re not going to interact with anyone on a daily basis..” was one of the many things I heard. I should have been nervous but I didn’t seem to be bothered by it. I just knew I was onto something and it would be ok. And thank Gd I didn’t care! Firstly, because as the saying goes: “Man plans and Gd laughs” - we can plan and plan, but in the end we don’t know how it will all play out. I didn’t know at the time, that I’d have an active account on Instagram where I would get to interact and meet incredible people on a daily basis! Many relationships have formed due to that platform alone. And secondly, when there is a strong voice inside, it overrides daily inconveniences. It definitely can be challenging at times to be alone for hours at a time, but the whole picture works for me, and I’m so satisfied doing it. If something doesn’t seem to match up with your family or friends lifestyle, but you know somewhere inside you that you’d be fine, than find it in yourself to have the courage to do it. Whatever it is - big or small. You will thank you.

by Yaeli Vogel

Q & A!

Interview with Yaeli Vogel How did you get started making art? I always painted! Always had some paints stacked away that I would pull out. I started making paintings for my own home and then continued in that. Who are your favorite artists? Teil Duncan, Vladimir Volkov, Matisse, Gustav Klimt What inspires you? Has the inspiration changed over time? Happy life and people inspire me. Vibrant color and shapes also. My inspiration didn't change. I'm very consistent in what I gravitate towards Was your art always Jewish themed? Do you do other work? I don't only do Jewish themed. I like to call myself a contemporary artist and I weave that style into Judaic art as well How did you get into a gallery the first time? Do you only show in Jewish galleries? Do you find that other galleries are open to Jewish artwork? I got into a gallery by walking in and asking them if they wanted to represent my work -- they said yes. I then pulled out since I wanted to exclusively sell my work and keep the profit. Non-jewish galleries are open to Jewish art -- it's art! But to be practical you have to see where your clientele is How many hours a day do you usually work? Three to four hours a day. Sometimes less. Sometimes more. In the beginning it was a lot more Do you work on more than 1 piece at a time? I do work on more than one piece at a time How do you have your workspace set up? I keep my workspace as minimal as possible -- easel and paints. Nothing fancy In your beginning stages as an artist, when you were commissioned, how did you set a price? Is there a formula you used? Do you make a contract for the artwork before you begin? I always say that I paint the painting just like I would if it wasn't a commission. If they like it in the end, then they get first dibs. There's no contract or initial fees, or else it is a job and I don't like to work :-). I have a formula for pricing. You can check out Lachri fine art on YouTube for the formula -- type in how to price my artwork. Do you ever turn down work? Do you have criteria for what commissions you choose to accept or decline? I always turn down work. If I don't want to paint it or it isn't in my realm of ideas or style, I'm not doing it How do you price your work now that you are an established artist? I establish pricing based on my formula. I go up a percentage each year How do you keep customers coming back? I keep my customers by being relevant in their world. I show up. What do you find is the best way to promote yourself and your art? Best way to promote is online -- be everywhere that you can. YouTube Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Tik Tok…. Do you sell prints of your paintings? If yes, how do you decide which ones and how many? I decide which ones based on what's most popular and has most requests. I don't make prints of my large works since those can't be scanned and the people who buy large works probably want to have it exclusive, so it works out. I keep the prints on the site for 6 months to a year and then they go off forever. They are signed and dated. Do you, or would you recommend an emerging artist, use social media to sell art? Has it expanded your customer/collector base? I always recommend to use social media -- it's free!! Best way for an emerging artist to get a client base and have an audience How would you suggest an emerging artist go about getting into a gallery? Best way to get into a gallery is walking in and showing them your portfolio of work And last but not least… What advice would you give to students on how to become a successful artist once they are out of school? Market Market Market and practice practice practice -- paint everyday and for every painting, market it out on all the social platforms and get it sold.

by Yaeli Vogel

Showing my Painting Process

I’m not a very private person. Although I am. Can you relate to this? Like when you’re asked: “are you a morning person, or a night person?” Do you know for certain, or sway for a second and then say both or none;) - that’s me! I don’t like to be put into a box of I’m completely like this or that… I’ve always felt like an open book and that allows me to be present on social media. But I’ve noticed recently just how private I really am. And social media has highlighted that as well. There are lots of times where I just want to crawl behind the screen and not show lots of things. I’m asked a lot to show my process. So I do. But only when I’m in the mood to press play on the record button. It’s a very conscious action. I know there’s a video behind me. I can’t pretend that it isn’t there. I don’t mind being on video, and actually enjoy video! But when it comes to painting, it’s a whole different play. I feel it. And I don’t like it. Painting has become such an intimate experience between the canvas and myself, a place where mystery unfolds and where worlds are found. The camera is simply an intruder. It’s the elephant in the room. That’s what I’ve noticed. But I gotta give you something! I know that. You are my everything . So I I show the process. Bits and pieces. Here and there. Some golden nuggets. Preciously taped for you. Many times, it may be a small painting, where I consciously know that I am painting to record. I was feeling the pressure. Pressure to be one way. and pressure to show up. Coming to the realization that actually I don’t want to. I don’t want to show the whole process. I don’t want to give up my privacy. It’s ok to be private. . That feels freeing. Whatever you are, private or not so much, it’s all good..just be in touch with yourself, and you can be both. or none;)

by Yaeli Vogel

TAKE TWO

Wanna hear the story? Fine. Here goes...phew...I take pride in my own work. Always have. As any true artist would. We all like to be original and create our OWN work. And I did until a fateful moment. This was back a few years. I was just getting started and didn’t know much of the “rules”. But I had (and have) a big conscious. I just know...I was approached with a painting and asked if I could make something similar. I looked at it and thought it will be hard since I saw it and the image is in my head. With that, I said sure and painted the painting. It was beautiful but VERY similar to what I saw earlier. They loved it and we called it a day. I had no idea about who painted the original painting. Didn’t know if it was a male or a female, alive or not. I didn’t think to check. I didn’t know. But what I did know was that I had NOT created an original piece of work and transgressed one of my highest values. It NEVER sat well with me. Until one day, as I was walking down the stairs to grab breakfast, an email came in. I glanced to check. It was from a lawyer. What?! Who?!I quickly scroll and skim through, grabbing bits and pieces. It showed both paintings side by side, explaining that mine is clearly a copy of the other. It said that I need to have my painting DESTROYED within a week. My mind began to spin and I felt mush in my thighs. I didn’t know lawyer talk. I phoned my husband. He then called his lawyer friend and spilled the story. This was right after another copy case which had won and the lawyer told me to buckle forward because this could be won. 80%. I then told him - BUT I DID COPY. He calmly told me that I was thinking like a woman and I could put my emotions aside and fight it. In my spinning mind, I thought one thing very clearly. There was no way in hell that I was going to lie. I don’t lie. I hung up. I called my husband back and told him I’m not fighting. I told him I 100% did something wrong, it’s been bothering me ever since I did it and I want it erased from my conscious! I was dancing somewhere deep inside even though I wasn’t feeling it then. I KNEW it was the right thing.Then the most dreadful part of it all. Calling the collectors. They didn’t answer. The dial tone. Felt endlesssssss. I said I needed to speak to them immediately. They called back. They were obviously shocked. But within 15 minutes they texted me the images. The sight on my screen was one of the ugliest sights I’ve seen. Squares of rip and ruin! We then settled with either repainting a different image or a refund. They said they needed time to think it through. I sent the images to where it was supposed to be sent. I felt FREE and then I felt MAD. What in the world just happened?!? It was one of the coldest days of the year. My gallery was in my garage at the time without any heating. I wasn’t going to be defeated and I definitely wasn’t going to wallow in my sorrows. I was on a mission! I put on my coat and gloves and got to work! It was going to be the same concept but MY OWN! I thought, I schemed. I cropped, and edited, combining two wave pictures into one in my head and then on screen and began painting.I was so mad, that a life force overcame me. I wasn’t cold, time flew by and within three hours the Yam Suf that you all know and love was staring back at me. It was a moment. It was a moment of TRUTH! Go INSIDE and there you’ll find your answers!!It felt so concrete to me, so strong - I could touch the feeling in the painting!! I texted the painting to a few friends and they told me it was my best yet. I then decided to title it LET GO AND LET GD TAKE TWO. We all fail at it. It’s hard . But when we do, there’s always TAKE TWO. The hardest part is, admitting it.

by Yaeli Vogel

What Are Your Sources of Inspiration

I used to get so overwhelmed by this question. Almost scared. How do I answer? What should I say? Will what I say be sufficient? Will my answer define me as an artist? These thoughts would flood my mind, each time I was put on the spot. I could’ve just found a base answer and pulled it out each time it needed to be used, but I didn’t. It wasn’t authentic enough for my artistic soul. And so I would say this and I would say that - esoteric, perplexing art words which truly meant nothing to the and probably left the listener wondering even more. (although, not such a bad and thing either) What I’ve come to realize on my painting journey thus far, is that inspiration is so overrated and freeing my mind is EVERYTHING. There is a constant bombardment of information, ideas, and inspiration all over. The world is full of it and it’s getting fuller every single day. What I see happening is that, when I relax, put the phone down, take some time to think and rest, the inspirations just swipe past me in thought. I must be aware of their ever so slight movement and grab them by the horn. Many times, the ideas will come right before I doze off and ill remember it when I wake up and then will enter it into my notes. Other times, there is no clear direction when I begin an art piece. It will start as purely subconscious, laying on strokes and color. As I move along, the inspiration meets me on the way. It happens each time! So what I’ve come to understand, is that us as humans, need to chill. We don’t always need to know. We don’t must have answers, but we have to allow ourselves to hear. To become vessels of learning and growth. When we are in a calm state like that, true inspiration festers about. And in the meantime, when asked this question once again, of where do you get your inspiration for your artwork? Ill simply respond with “I get it from myself.”