Skip to main content

So Now What?

Now that the presents are unwrapped, the cookies are eaten and the mistletoe is down, now what?
Tis the season for looking to the New Year and asking the age old question: So NOW what?

I have been pondering that question a lot, especially in terms of my art and where I am going with it. 
So I pulled out a large journal that holds a history of such thoughts and plans, and wrote this: 


Not that you can read my writing, and I do realize it goes right off the page! I especially like the part that says “in no particular order”. There is something cathartic about simply emptying all the thoughts and plans onto a sheet of paper,  just writing down all those thoughts that have bumping around up in the gray matter, needing a place to land.

Good, it’s done.

Now I can fold that list into a little paper airplane and send it up to God. (At least in my heart)

"Begin, continue, and end every work, purpose, and plan with God. Self-sufficiency and self-confidence have been the ruin of mankind ever since the fall. Man’s sin has been to live independently and without God in the world. True religion consists of full acknowledgement of God in all human affairs.” Dakes Annotated Bible, note from Proverbs 3:5

And by that I mean commit it to God, then organize, prioritize, list, make a calendar, make it happen!

So my 2020 is a shift of focus on mixed media collage and off wearable art. Of course, my Etsy store is still alive and well and fully stocked and ready for customers. But my time and energy is going to be all about doing art on canvas and paper, and preparing to enter the 2020 show season with a whole new body of work. Yes, I know,  just breathe for a moment.


Sea Oats, Laguna Beach, Florida, 11/13/19


 Illustrated journal page from my Florida trip, 11/12/19


Rosemary sprig cuttings from garden, 10/25/19


Illustrated journal page from garden cuttings, 10/28


Mixed media study, 19”x 32” Of the Woods Series


First Frost, photo 10/31/19, illustrated journal cover 12/15/19


      Feel free to come along on my studio adventure while I plan, prepare, organize, paint, embellish, matte, frame and wrap up “In the Woods”. The whole adventure will be documented right here on my blog, starting now and going forward until further notice. 

Please leave comments and let me know your thoughts!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Where it All Started

    I have always believed that people love to see behind the scenes in the artist studio. It’s like looking behind the curtain and seeing what goes on backstage, to see how the art is crafted, what tools and materials are used, and how the artist thinks.        To this end, I am thrilled to unveil a new video that tells my story of the origins of Parts of Art.  A big shout out to the producer and videographer   @Moguefilms .                                           Here are some of the pieces seen on the video.                                              Want to see more?                                           visit my shop here    

Just add paint!

      It’s just that simple when painting with watercolor.  This is how I start my day in the studio. Open to a new page, fill a brush with sparkling clean water, and fill the page or pages. Then, add watercolor paint and let it do its thing.              The daily studio routine is this:  clock in at 9 and paint that page in my journal.       I realize that the painting on this page could become a beautiful fabric design, a batiked collage, or an amazing painted wall hanging. But my POINT is that I start my studio day with water on a page and go from there.           As far as the illustrated journal, yes it’s true. Any thing done on these hallowed pages could become some great masterpiece someday. But that’s clearly not the intent. The journal is the place to play, to experiment, to express,  to answer the question “what if ?” It’s about the inspiring and refreshing place my mind enters once that water on the page turns to color. It’s where it starts.  Does it matter

The Making of a Show piece

     Earlier this month I made the decision to compete. The competition is for a monetary prize that will be awarded in an upcoming show. This is an art show in which I have participated for the last three years, and, for me, the awards are fairly substantial. I am not usually one to go after awards, but I figure I’m going there anyway, so I might as well compete.      The other motivator for me is that I need a new jury image or two. Somewhere along the line I learned that jury images need to show a constistency; the pieces need to look like they are all from the same DNA, so to speak. I have had a concern that my jury images are too dissimilar, and someday I need to make them more cohesive.         So someday arrived this week. I had three days off work, so I scheduled studio time to design and build a show piece that 1) could possibly win a prize, and 2) be photographed for a jury image for next year’s shows.         I thought I would show you some photos of the w