Play, Experiment and Fun

Current lowkey life in the studio: work,work,work. I've gotten a lovely response on my newest abstracts and will continue with them this week as I plan on my next bigger canvas.

I have about two months until solo shows are on the calendar so it's imperative for me to create,produce and paint my butt off. It is hibernation and incubation time.

What I like about these is the process of layers that allows me to work on several at once in rotation. While one is drying another can have its next layer of work done on it.

Despite their simplicity there is a lot of decision making that goes into abstracts. There are little magic touches that you don't want to lose in the editing process and there are areas that need to be pushed further. Deciding what stays, goes, needs to be reworked keeps the brain highly activated.

It's important to shut off the dialogue that plays in your head while you work. The dialogue that wants to talk business, direction and other topics that do not matter while you are creating this type of work.

These have been very liberating to create, very freeing. They have reminded me of the importance of play, experimenting and fun...not just in work but in life in general.

It is easy to lose that in the struggle to survive. But you must never lose that. NEVER lose that.

Im feeling kinda selfish this week and just want to play by myself in the studio in my own little zone without disruptions. I don't get to take "artists retreats" for financial reasons. So I don't get that intensive, unbothered time of deep creation and focus. It feels like someone is always tapping me on the shoulder for something or other and I always feel the weight of obligations pulling me away from my work. So when I do get some days to create I covet them and yes I will push obligations (that are not pressing) off my shoulders. Even something small like a trip to the store or a friend stopping by disrupts the day as I have to anticipate stopping, getting ready, doing the thing and then trying to get back in the zone. Artists are just like this, we need to not be pulled from whatever place we are traveling to that day. In a perfect world I can take a phoneless, computerless retreat without worry or bother but not in that perfect world just yet.

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Digital Vacation

Have you looked around and discovered you have filled your life with bad habits? If you said NO- good for you, you might not be human! 😁 I was experiencing a major BLAH and it was all because of ME. What I spent time on, consumed, did and did not do. I also felt like the willpower I used to have in abundance was gone and I wondered if I would ever get it back. First and foremost I had to look at my main bad habits. What was the very first thing I did every day. EVERY DAY! I reached for my phone, I social media blitzed my brain over two long cups of coffee every morning. I made sure to look at my MEMORIES like it was my job every day. Ruminating on the past and seeing everyone's angry opinions and celebrity/political posts and regurgitated memes ad nauseum....is actually not a very optimistic and healthy way for me to cruise into the day. Not only is this not good for my spirit it wasted almost two hours of every morning. 💀 That's precious time! I'm weaning mys...

So what's the Scenario?

Street Artist 'My Dog Sighs' Paints Faces on Cans Found Littered on the Street I found this interesting art on Pinterest and thought it would be a good example for a proposed scenario.....indulge me if you will.... The scenario is this....this street artist paints on cans. Pretty cool right? Pretty neat! He's probably not the only one who paints on cans in the world but he most likely is the only one in his little neck of the woods and art circle. Ok, let's pretend I invite this CAN painter to be in this big group show we do annually at my gallery. (This is pretend land, I dont have a gallery but roll with me...) Ok, he is a hit, everyone thinks his can faces are awesome and he's considered pretty unique for doing this medium in our little art circle. Ok fast forward into the future....it's a year later and it's time for our big annual show...here's the scenario....we don't invite the CAN artist to come show again BUT we do hand out a can ...

Top 10 Reasons

Have you seen Labyrinth? The scene where she finally realizes she had the power all along and that actually Gareth did not ...that's powerful stuff. My favorite part....aside from every scene with David Bowie prancing about in too tight leggings. 😁 My digital vacation got interrupted yesterday. I've still been checking my messages in Messenger because HI IM AN ART BUSINESS AND THAT DONT STOP. I was alerted that the scammer had hit up a mutual friend and because I was trying to be Art Spiderman I went swinging back online to see what was going on. Unfortunately the scammer got someone and I had to make another PSA about it to help my peeps understand what was going on. Barring that though... it's up to YOU to be SMART PROACTIVE RESEARCHING humanoids. I can't save you. Also my brief pop into fakebook gave me enough fodder to want to keep my vacation going. Here's what I was met with on messenger and on my page upon landing: 1. People pushing politics/celebrities ...

Art Plunge

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