Studio and Attitude Adjustment

I don't think I ever posted a photo of my revamped art table which was actually, oh... about a year ago! So after re-reading Pam Carriker's book "Art at the Speed of Life" I decided to truly get organized and serious about getting some art DONE!!! I'll post about how motivating her book was to me another day and keep this one about the studio. Wanting to keep costs down I salvaged from all over the house. I bought a door from the hardware store and set it on top of a wire storage rack I had in the garage. It's the perfect height for working while standing or for a tall stool. It's big enough to layout several projects at once and after being secured to the wall, it's very sturdy. At one end of the table I have a small bookcase storing my art books and reference materials with a paper towel roll mounted to the side (you can kinds see it up there in the bottom right corner). Little cubbies and drawers hold all my supplies so they are accessible and I've labeled everything so I can find just what I'm looking for. I even spent time sorting and organizing so things I completely forgot about now have labeled homes. 

The wall above my art table has a storage shelf that I found in another room not being used. The newly labeled baskets hold extra supplies, texture tools, emphemora, old cards, and paint mixing supplies & bottles. There's vintage jars holding sponges, paint brushes, and button. And I keep my sketchbooks handy for reference. 

This end of the art table has a roll out card I keep my paints and miscellaneous supplies in. I have Stampington & Company Publications, Cloth Paper Scissors and Professional Artist magazines on the files along with my ever growing collection of UNFINISHED WORK. I seriously want to stop this habit of starting a project and then NEVER FINISHING IT! I either get annoyed with it or I should say frustrated with myself or I get distracted by some new technique I want to try and I move on to yet another project. I honestly have 40 to 50 pieces started...just sitting there...feeling neglected and forgotten...hoping to be re-discovered one day.  

Work In Progress



Here's the progression of my final assignment for Wyanne's Paint Free Class (named #8 in my 50 Painting Practice Series). I was starting to become way too attached to this concept and became afraid to do anything for fear I would ruin it. So I just stood there, staring at it, not knowing what to do next. I knew it wasn't finished and thought it was looking a little boring. I want my paintings to be interesting, and this just isn't.

So I got brave and just started making marks.

Again, I stood there gazing and staring, baffled at what to do next. I spent more time just standing there than painting.  I decided to just do something, whether it's right or wrong. So I took away the abstractness (which I love) and made it cute (which I'm not so fond of)! Unsure if I ruined it, decided to put it away and come back another day when I'm less judgemental about it and see the possibilities.

So I moved on to #4. The first layer of this collage was a piece I started last spring in Paul Gardner's Mixed Media Workshop. Didn't really like it (big surprise huh?) and it just sat there waiting for me to be brave and just do something with it. So a few weeks ago I painted some designs over the first layer. Being my critical self, didn't like it, so there it sat a while longer.



 So I messed around with it a little more.

Added some statements.

Then added some really watered down paint with drips and swirls to the top. This is on watercolor paper that doesn't lay very flat anymore because of all the collage materials in it, so the watery paint pooled in certain areas where it looks muddy. The brighter circles are where I applied masking fluid and have now removed it. So there's my under painting.

Yesterday I started to play with it adding some trees, flowery pods and color. I'd like it to have a landscapey feeling, but not in the traditional sense. I want it to be more fun and interesting and not really make sense. That's hard for the left brain person I truly am!

I Want To Be Great, But I Can't Get Started!!!

"You don't have to be great to get started,
but you have to get started to be great."

~ Les Brown

Today I'm having trouble getting started. I have what I need to paint...time, a clean work surface, quiet and no distractions. My environment and my heart say "Yes" please paint, but my brain says "NO!" My computer isn't cooperating and I don't feel like cleaning-up the Christmas decorating disaster that has taken over the house and I don't work until 1:00. So what's keeping me from painting?????

FEAR? Yes, it's got to be fear! Fear of frustration, fear of not being able to let go and just paint, just play, just enjoy the process. I'm reading "Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go" by Shaun McNiff. Everything he talks about makes sense and while I've been reading I've been really excited about trying some of the exercises. The only thing is...while I've been reading the book, I haven't painted once. Nope...not one single time. I'm all about getting ready to do NOTHING! I'm always so worried about the end product or making a mistake that I freeze up and can't think of anything to paint. If I approach the painting with no expectations, how can I mess it up...right? Why can't I just LOOSEN UP? My gosh...is it that hard? Why can't I just paint 50 paintings of nothing and not care? I'm not getting ANYTHING done anyway...what harm could it do? I'm kinda getting frustrated with myself...can you tell? Anyhow, I'm just in that kind of mood today...do you ever get that way? Please say "YES."