Which piece really says, "This is Barbados".

"Long Bay Blue" A 16 x 20 Acrylic painting by Mark Phillips

I started this painting a few weeks ago but I was distracted by the "Street that never sleeps", and my finishing of "Tweedside Saturday Morning".

I am now going to finish this over the next few days.

Recently, while reviewing my work, I started to wonder, "What scenes are more distinctly representative of Barbados and the Barbados way of life? I don't mean what we try to represent to the tourist. There is sea and sun in many other countries but what makes Barbados unique?

Is it our street scenes? Our Churches and other historic buildings? Or is it indeed our coastline and beaches?

As fate would have it, while I was pondering this, I received an email from a young lady who had some questions about collecting art. She was in her 20s and wanted some advice about deciding what art to invest in. I must admit that initially, she had me stumped. What did I know about art collecting? Fortunately, she peeked my interest enough for me to do some research.

For many people in their twenties, art collecting can seem like a far-off pipe dream, the preserve of the older and wealthy. I understand that the average income for university graduates is Barbados is just under $50,000.

Fortunately, the art market in Barbados isn’t about $450 million Leonardo da Vinci paintings. There are many local artists that produce excellent work and offer them for sale at reasonable prices. I offer layaway options for persons desirous of purchasing my art and I am sure that many local artists would consider similar arrangements. 

The next barrier to starting your art collection is the need to discover your likes and dislikes, and know where to find and buy the art you enjoy. Local Art Galleries are excellent places to see works up close. Young collectors can support artists who are also just starting out themselves. Buying the work of an emerging (or even unknown) artist isn’t about bringing home an expensive trophy for your wall. It is about fostering the career of a young artist you respect and enjoy.  A collection doesn’t need to start with a Fielding Babb. So next time you see a work that you like and it fits your budget, “go for it.” Owning a unique creation from the hand of an artist is something you’ll enjoy for a lifetime.

Barbadians like to say that Barbados is a small place. If you see an artist's work that interests you, contact them directly. Ask to see some more of their work. More often than not you will find a piece that you like that the artist could offer you some financing on.

As I was trying to determine what type of art this young lady liked, I was also gaining some clarity about what my style was. I never thought of myself having a style. I just painted whatever caught my eye in Barbados. Then I remembered when I asked Facebook readers to help me name one of my pieces. Almost half used the words, "peace" or "tranquil" in their suggestions. While this may not be a style, per se, I realised that quiet tranquillity was the underlying theme in most of my paintings! 

I have not decided how I feel about this. This type of painting sells well but does it truly represent Barbados?

I have attached  6 images of my work. Please tell me, in your opinion,  which one would you like to own as the most representative of a painting depicting an authentic Barbadian scene. You can comment on Facebook.

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As always, thank you for reading. I appreciate the comments and the kind words of encouragement. Until next time when I will share some more of my work and a little about what makes me tick, please leave a comment.  And, I will really appreciate if you share this post with your friends. To make sure that you don't miss any future posts, Please enter your email address in the subscribe by email box on the right.


Mark Phillips

Artist
Email:- mark@phillipsbajanart.com
Website:-www.phillipsbajanart.com