Moving Forward with Charity Challenge!

After much contemplation, I am moving forward on my charity challenge. I will participate every month, but I wanted to make it immediately open for others to get involved. Please, if you are interested, or know someone who might be, share this post! Also, charity and theme suggestions are most welcome! Head on over to Twelve for Twelve Project and join in!

The new Facebook page for this group can be found here!

Something Positive!

Toy Frog, 6 X 6, Acrylic on Canvas

I've had a strange week. It's kind of brought me down.

But, I have a lot to be thankful for and I am living my dream. It's time to turn negative into positive.

I've decided that I'm going to auction a painting every month for charity. I'm not sure of the dynamic yet, but I will probably publish a list (12 months/12 charities at a time). If there's interest, I may open this to other artists to participate in, as well.

I've donated paintings for charity in the past and it's a good feeling. I already have a short list of charities I feel strongly about, but it's not enough. Does anyone have any suggestions? If so, please leave them in the comments.

Also, I'd like to take a moment and thank everyone who has stayed with me through my long hiatus. It makes me so happy to see people comment. I'm just getting back into my studio, and updating my blog is becoming a huge priority. I can't wait until I have the chance to read everyone else's posts over my morning coffee again. I'm looking forward to a lot of great things in the future.

F.A.T Friday Trolley Hop at Mellwood

So, Friday was my first Trolley Hop night down at the studio--the first one I actually got to attend, anyway. In the course of the 9 or so hours I spent down there, I completed two new paintings.

For those who follow my Facebook page, the first one will be quite familiar. I had been working on it for several sessions, and I was finally able to get it to a point where I was happy. I decided to quit on it before it became overworked and stale. I'm not 100% in love with it, but it's an nice restart for me.

Flamingos, 12 X 12, Acrylic on Canvas. $175

I also completed a painting for the rookiepainter blog challenge (found here). Again, I'm pleased with the over all, but there was a slight perspective issue between the reference photo and my drafting and it bugs me. The response has been quite positive, though, so I'm going to relax and be happy about it, too.

Question, 9 X 12, Acrylic on Canvas. $150

 

 

All in all, this has been an amazing "first week back" at the studio. I really couldn't be happier to be back in the saddle. My tentative goal is to paint every day; but I eventually want to complete a small painting every day. As I become a little more comfortable, easing along with the unflexed muscles, I think I can attain that goal.

Sink or Swim

I'd love to post an update with a recent finished piece, but unfortunately I made it into the studio today without camera or cell phone, so unless you want to see me hold something up into a grainy webcam, we'll skip it.

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that it's "sink or swim", I suppose meaning that this is your shot at whatever it is, don't blow it. I can't help but think about that, especially given that I'm now, for all intents and purposes, a "full time artist."

I'm familiar with the concept of sink or swim--generally, a parent tosses a young kid into a swimming pool, feeling that the kid will either learn to swim or drown. This is a horrifying concept in parenting. It may work for young sea creatures or those with the natural inclination to swim, but humans are fleshy, poorly designed, difficult to float, and lacking an oil-coat. We aren't really designed for swimming.

And sure, tossing your baby in a pool may result in the kid being able to keep head above water, but it's not "sink or swim", it's "sink or survive." You teach your child, through trauma, how to not drown, not how to succeed and swim.

Truly swimming takes years of practice, instruction, and discipline--just like learning any other skill. In order to truly thrive in the water, you must have someone guide you into it--because the slightest mistake could cost you your life. I'm not kidding. Anyone--any age, any size--can drown, sometimes in a frighteningly short amount of time. Without the systematic training to rise above fear (of water up the nose, or being restricted, or submerging your face) and to embrace technique (of floating, of treading water, of strokes) you will never be confident. You will never thrive.

So, after much reflection, I reject "sink or swim". Yes, you eventually have to get in the pool--but there's nothing wrong with getting into the pool with guidance, with support, with trust. There's nothing wrong with becoming confident before diving in the pool and really swimming. If you don't, you may wind up simply floundering in the shallow end for the rest of your life--and is that really better than sinking?

Set the World on Fire

You know that thing where you turn around to do something, and when you turn back around, two years have passed, you're older, more worn out, and more overwhelmed than ever?

Yeah, me, too.

How about that thing where, all of a sudden, you find yourself free of burdens--even some you didn't necessarily want to free yourself from but you knew you had to in order to be productive and healthy? And then you have unlimited free time to try to make a go of your life's ambitions? Remember that feeling?

Me neither! Which is why I'm floundering a bit right now. I have a clean slate, and nothing but time. I earned my degree, I'm renting a studio space, and I'm ready to go out and set the world on fire with my great art that everyone loves.

And yet today, I spent the morning cruising job search sites and figuring out why my art isn't any good and no one will like this. Why am I wasting my time?

Well, finally I was able to break that spell, and here I am, in the studio, waiting for some photos to download so I can start making references.

And you know what? It feels really, really awesome to be back.