At The Park, 24"X30", acrylic on canvas, 2009 - landscape painting by Maxim Grunin

"At The Park" is a red-brown, ochre, black and white colored canvas. This painting reflects the setting of a park next door, where I and other people go for a little bit of exercise and fresh air. Some pathways at the park look especially vivid and painterly, they invite me to stop and admire them. When constructing a painting I look for brush mark , palette knife mark or a spill mark appropriate for making objects look "nature like" and at the same time I want the picture to be on the edge of abstraction. I also want my painting to be fluid and moving. Broad paint strokes and rich surface quality of the painting are designed to capture viewer's attention. "Park Run" carries some of the quiet and yet powerful beauty of nature.

Talenthouse beta

There is a good web project beta called Talenhouse http://www.talenthouse.com/ . Any artist can create a free profile on the site, upload and organize projects in any media. Talenthouse is easy to use, it's fast and has excellent features to showcase the work. It also offers a comprehensive system for rating and networking.

Maxim Grunin - CV

Education:
2002-2004 University of Waterloo, MFA
1996-2001 Ontario College of Art and Design
1988-1996 Art Schools in Russia, Israel, and Canada

Exhibitions:
2009 - 2011 eBay auctions
2008 Varley Art Gallery, Unionville, Ontario
2008 Richmond Hill Art Tour and Sale
2008 Mill Pond Gallery, Richmond Hill, Ontario
2008 Markham Theatre, Markham, Ontario
2008 Burr House Craft Gallery, Richmond Hill, Ontario
2007 Artcube Gallery, The Human Canvas, Toronto, Ontario
2007 Artcube Gallery, Weston Collective Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2007 RHATS, Richmond Hill, Ontario
2006 Mittica gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2006 Unknown Russia 7 and Russian America, CASE Museum of contemporary Russian art, Jersey City, NY
2005 Etobicoke civic centre Art Gallery, Colour and Form Society juried exhibition, (Award), Etobicoke, Ontario
2005 The poetry of the urban life, (solo show) Noveks Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2004 Propagandista, Toronto Free Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2004 Antecendants, Artery Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario
2004 BLANKETCHUPCHUK, Gallery 1313, Toronto, Ontario
2004 Mediated Environment, MFA thesis (solo) show, University of Waterloo Art Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario
2004 Drawing 2004, Juried Show, John B. Aird Gallery, (3rd prize), Toronto, Ontario
1999 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Ontario
1999 Scarborough Arts Council Exhibition, Ontario
1997 Malvern Town Centre, Scarborough, Ontario

Related Experiences:
Teaching drawing and painting privately 2000-2009
Teaching and assisting teaching during masters program 2002-2004
Internship under Andreas Jauss, Tubengen/Germany, July-August 2003

Scholarships/Awards:
2007 Distinction in The Arts, National Ethnic Press & Media Council of Canada, Honoris Causa
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), 2003
Senate Graduate Scholarship, 2002/2004
Shantz Fellowship Award

Painting Price Esse

How much do original paintings cost? In order to produce a painting an artist needs time, studio space and supplies. To sell the product of his/her labor artist needs to research the market and the advertising costs. Let's look at someone who lives in Ontario, Canada and decides to make fine art painting his/her livelihood. Dedicating time to working on the paintings means less time for work elsewhere. A painting needs to be resolved through trial and error. An artist's longing for perfection leads him or her to hours of struggle with each piece.

Formal education can be useful alongside with consistent individual practice. Teachers and peers can gradually offer invaluable feedback and support to a scholar. Funding of art education and practice may prove to be difficult. Not everyone can afford to immerse themselves  in an artist lifestyle without paying a cost. The inevitable bank loans added to scarce income will cause problems. An adequate living/studio space in our time can cost anywhere from eight hundred and up per month. Anything less may not be sufficient for working on the paintings.

Paint is toxic, it releases vapors and can be hazardous in many ways. The art supplies amount to considerable expense every month. Stretched or unstretched canvases, paints, brushes, gels, solvents, varnishes and various other accessories constantly run out. These may add up to hundreds of dollars. Easels, palettes, protective tarps may also be needed, however they last longer. Once the paintings are made they have to be photographed and documented in order to be assembled into a portfolio. Therefore an artist needs to buy a good digital camera, a computer as well as word and image processing software. Learning how to use the gadgets will take a good amount of time and effort. Once the body of paintings is produced and supplied with a portfolio the advertising and pitching begins. Now the artist is making his/her ends meet financially, is producing amazing work and is running about to introduce him/herself to the world.

If an artist passes a test of being involved more than just a little bit in creative practice, he or she develops a kind of an emotional stigma.According to the popular media our world is a mixture of good and evil. Truth goes hand in hand with deceit and everything has to be taken in, to be turned into personal experience. Lets look at the emerging artist. This inspired person is quite enthusiastic about what he or she does An artist bares a gift, a mastery of the craft worth being noted.

Years of character development, pride and talent wrapped into a portfolio are laid on the table. The artist now a master, a spokesperson, a presenter and an entrepreneur is challenged by many scrutinizing critics. Burdened by working with a modest budget an artist needs every bit of determination, health and luck to carry out his/her mission of the show and sale of their artwork The critic, in other words, the world will put up a worthy fight before the tie will turn. Planning the success ahead is wise and rational. There are numerous examples of artistic careers in the past and the present from which a student can learn. These examples are not fully universal. A person encounters individual challenges along the way.

Let us say that the positive circumstances are on the artist's side. Now he or she is exhibiting and making sales. How can an artist determine what price should be put on each piece? The supplies used to produce an artwork as well as the advertising costs, time invested in working on a piece, should be kept in mind. Artist's living costs: rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, phone, the Internet connection, insurance and other necessities also need to be taken into account when it comes to pricing an artwork. In addition to labour and cost of material, works of art have the value based on the merits of cultural importance. This last set of values is anything but straight forward.

The institutions in charge of assigning the value when it comes to the merits of fine art are the universities, museums and galleries. Knowledge is classified and transformed by the educated minds throughout the History. When polished enough a notion of what art actually is, becomes a potent formula, at least for a period of time. An easy example is Picasso's Cubism. Pablo Picasso, trained in classical realism and studio arts, broke away from a tradition of his time by painting unusual geometric shapes. His act was studied and eventually seen as an important kind of an intellectual revolution by the academics. Picasso pushed forward the boundaries of what was considered art in the past. Antique art is the most valuable when it has the Historic importance much like the works of Pablo Picasso or Leonardo DaVinci. Art that has less theoretic content and was created to serve a purely decorative purpose, even if it is an antique, is of lower monetary value. Contemporary visual artists attempting to achieve the Historic importance in their work have to try very hard to get elevated to a permanent museum status.

Many factors are at play when the stakes are high and not everyone can become a modern hero. If a museum career should occur for a particular artist, that artist's work value will elevate considerably. There are artists alive today, who can be worth up to several millions of doll1rs per piece. Many professional artists can get to a mature phase in their practice and artworks baring their names become valuable commodities and collectables. The works of these artists can often cost within tens of thousands per piece. Emerging artists, students and amature artists often cost less. Their works can be purchased for several hundreds or tens of dollars a piece. Collecting art can be profitable espesialy if a collector knows how to spot a promising future sensation.



by Maxim Grunin

Painting "In Bloom"

"In Bloom" 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X24" (gallery).

Some time in May standing outside of a condo, I've noticed the blooming of crabapple trees. Memories of the occasions when I've admired a similar sight quickly ran through my mind. I moved closer to have a better view of the flowers. Suddenly, at that moment, life appeared to me full of joy and beauty. A sublime moment in my, at that time, uncertain and anxious state of mind.
I videorecorded the process of painting
"In Bloom" to illustrate the stages of making a piece.

PORTFOLIO paintings 2008-2009

Time Of Tranquility, 2009, oil on canvas, 20"X24" (available)

Warm Spacious & Tall, 2008, acrylic on canvas, 40"X30" (available)

White Garden Roses, 2007, oil on canvas, 22"X28" (available)

Sunlit Pinks & Whites, 2007, oil on canvas, 24"X30" (available)

Time Of Wivid Colours, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X30" (available)

Sunset At The Lake, 2009, oil on canvas, 20"X24" (available)

Stroll By The Stream, 2009, oil on canvas, 20"X24" (available)

Romantic Souls, 2009, oil on canvas, 20"X24" (available)

Nature's Symphony, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X30" (available)

A Breath Of Fresh Air, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X30" (available)

Flight Of The Setting Sun, 2009, oil on canvas, 20"X24" (available)

Tropics, 2008, oil on canvas (triptych), 24"X54" (available)

In Bloom, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X24" (available)

PORTFOLIO paintings May 2009

The Native Land, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 30"X36"

The New Day, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 24"X36"

Mother Nature, 2009, oil on canvas, 16"X20 (sold)

Native Beauty, 2009, oil on canvas, 16"X20" (sold)

Streaming By, 2009, oil on canvas, 16"X20"

Northern Land, 2009, oil on canvas, 16"X20"

The Wondrous North, 2009, oil on canvas, 16"X20"

Wild Stream, 2007, oil on canvas (framed), 28"X40" (sold)

Under The Sun, 2007, oil on canvas (framed), 27"X23" (sold)

Warm Summer Sunset, 2008, oil on canvas, 34"X40" (sold)

Birch Forest, 2008, acrylic on canvas, 24"X30" (sold)

Sunlit Woods, 2008, oil on canvas, 30"X30" (sold)

Wild Time, 2008, acrylic on canvas, 30"X30" (sold)

In Cool Air, 2008, oil on canvas, 30"X24" (sold)

Golden Path, 2008, oil on canvas, 30"X24"

Time For A Walk, 2008, oil on canvas, 46"X46" (sold)

Road Of The Setting Sun, 2008, oil on canvas, 30"X36"

Native Land, 2008, oil on canvas, 34"X40" (sold)

Far In The Distance, 2008, oil on canvas, 30"X30" (sold)

Town Up Ahead, 2008, oil on canvas, 30"X36" (sold)

Beyond The Hills, 2008, oil on canvas, 30"X30 (sold)

Big Sky, 2008, oil on canvas, 38"X40" (sold)