 |
| Tin Can Delight 11x14 |
Big Goals that I can mark as completed:
- Review old artwork and make a Shutterfly book of unsuccessful works (not my best works) that I can let go of-- then trash/paint over the works/canvases.
- Take a Workshop with an Aspire To Artist
The first completed goal helps me with art organization. I took a 2 foot stack of canvases and condensed them down to a quarter inch book-- this goal took some time but felt good to complete. It felt good to get that space back in the basement.
The second goal was actually beneficial to me in multiple ways plus the COVID actually helped me get access to a national artist (One of My 'Aspire To Artists'). I identified that I wanted to study with one national artist who lives far from where I live. Pre-Covid for the art workshop I had planned on flying in, renting a car and staying in a hotel--the COVID changed those plans! In Covid times, this wonderful national artist reached out to me and shared that she was starting online classes via Zoom, her workshop was ON, Online! I was hesitant; however, the class ended up being wonderful and I loved the instructor--and I signed up for the next class too!
The Take a Workshop with an Aspire To Artist Goal benefited me in multiple ways:
I learned
- how to paint skies and sky gradation
- how to paint clouds
- how to paint trees (to really look at the character of the tree)
- how to paint reflections
I have been plein air painting and landscape painting for years, but never had training as specific as this. It was incredibly valuable for me to learn the colors in the sky and the colors in the clouds. I have been wanting to learn how to paint clouds forever and until now could not get advice on how to do it. Also the class homework kept me in the studio painting (another goal) and with sky and clouds I used more paint--which was a goal for many years! I went through 200 ML white tube of paint in the class, so definitely I reached the USE MORE PAINT goal. I found all of this to be valuable and I feel that I am a better painter for it. And I learned it all online!
Goal that is in progress:
Enter Contests/Shows
One issue with the COVID is that my "from life" model sessions were cancelled-so I am automatically producing less portraits/paintings each week. I tried to paint from photos but I am not able to paint from a photo right now... I went through a serious struggle/not getting any good paintings in April and March --and then the COVID hit. Frustration city!
So once again signing up for an art workshop online really helped me--the work I produced in class was good, better than what I had attempted on my own. The downside was that the work I produced in class cannot be entered into shows or competitions. The class helped me to get my creative and art motivation back as well as a strong desire to paint my own works.
Sadly, I didn't feel that I had a new fresh work to enter in the recent AIS Show and the deadline passed. Ugh! More recently, I did attempt to enter another national show (I just got my rejection notice). Now I am back painting again and feel that I have more works that are show ready. I am going to try to enter an online show this week and perhaps a regional show in August. I will get back on track with this and start entering more shows.
Dear Artists, now is the time to review your goals. And, if you are an artist friend of mine, you know that I have encouraged you to make goals earlier this year (January). What were your goals? Have you reviewed them lately? Take a look back and see what area you can work on and/or to think about how to adapt those goals for these times. Print them out, update them or mark them complete and think about the remaining goals as you move forward! You've Got this!
