As an artist we need to create to live, there is no other way. Creation costs money, be it paints or pencils or even the paper to write a poem on.

I have bought pre streched canvases for years and because of that I had to calculate that into my price when I sell the piece. A while ago I started looking at a cheaper way to do this, I wanted bigger pieces and odd ball shapes, like triangles, or sizes to fit in a nook somewhere.

At my hardware store, I get my paints there, I spotted a canvas dropcloth for 9 dollars, its 6 by 9 feet and kind of rough. I bought that and 7 2 by 1's as well which where 8 feet long.
That and some screws i had made me 4 nice large canvases, the largest being 3 by 3 feet.

Just Gesso the end result and sand it down a bit to get the roughness down and there just fine!, for 16 dollars I got 4 large canvases, that and paints from the mis matched isle, you can be a very productive artist and not be broke!

What does Jay do all day you ask your self..well many things would be the answer I would give you!

"Like what?" you ask..ok here we go.

I get my daughter to school in the morning, after I walk the dog. When I get home, my wife and I drink coffee and things go from there. There are several things I tend to do then, checking my e-mail is the first. Most times that will change a day's plan, work needs to get shuffled around then.
But then the fun starts, paint and pencils come out and I get to work. I work on several pieces at the same time, when one dries you do not have to wait...

Portraits are a large part of my portfolio so I have always at least on that I'm working on. During the day I tape some of the work I do, this gets posted on my You Tube account: http://www.youtube.com/user/juriaan13

When I am not recording it, I broadcast here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/juriaan

This way you all get to see what I'm doing and through the ustream you can talk to me to!