Unfinished?

Well I added a bit of texture and movement to this piece…I like it much better this way…I think I’m done…I think it’s finished…I’ll wait and take another look at it in the morning to be sure

work in progress

Originally I started this blog to document a solo show i was working on but it has turned out to be a place to share my work, but not just the completed pieces and not just the work i’m happy with but all the other stuff..well…some of the other stuff…the works in progress…including the ones sitting on the shelf waiting for more inspiration, more enthusiasm…i think it’s important to share and talk about the challenges that turn in to frustrations that can then lead down the path of, “i give up…i can’t get it together…this sucks” you know, the negative talk that does nothing but make me feel worse. Most of the time i’m pretty good about putting the brakes on before i go there but recently i was speeding out of control. it happens for different reasons, this time i was trying out new techniques and they weren’t turning out how i had envisioned…instead of being patient and giving myself time to learn and play, i got way too frustrated. so…….here it is…my experiment that didnt turn out right…it’s not done…i dont know what to do next but for now it sits…waiting…waiting for an idea…inspiration……and that’s ok:)

Spring Break

Ahhhhhh…time off…its so precious…there’s lots I want to do like finishing art pieces…starting new ones…read a book…nap…projects around the house. I usually start out with lots of ambition and in the end don’t get much done. I’m trying something different this time….waking up and doing whatever I want for the day:)…so far so good!

Part 3

So I think I’ve been a bit unfair to my friend from the past…mainly because she didn’t respect my choice of how to pursue my art career….but I didn’t respect her choice either…in fact I hope she’s happy working as an art therapist. As far as the struggle between creating for yourself and creating for the market goes…for me balance is the key! It feels too much like a job if I’m only producing for a show because I have to think of pricing which makes me edit ideas. When its just for me I can play and go all out on an idea.
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The Struggle Between Creating Art for Yourself and Creating Art to Market Part 2

About 12 years ago I met a woman at an art show we both had booths at. We enjoyed each other’s work. She worked at most of the same shows that i did and i noticed that at each show she had a whole new line of work…not just new pieces but work that didnt look at all like her previous work…a whole new style each time. Now, i myself have lots of different pieces that i’ve made in different mediums but you can always tell i made it. i’ve always listened to and expressed my own voice so i’ve always had a distinct style to my work. Her approach to marketing and selling her work was to change her style of work according to trends. My approach has always been to create what makes me happy and then try to find a niche in the market. She didnt respect our differences…in fact it seemed like she was creating a competition between us…one day she said to me,”i guess it comes down to me staying on my path and you staying on your path and we’ll see who’s successful in the end”. We shook hands and that was that…i didn t see her for several years and then one day i got an email. She took a job as an art therapist and was selling her studio equipment. At first I thought she had given up but i realized money is what she wanted…her definition of success was to make money…is that bad or good?..neither it’s simply what she wanted. what do i want? what is my definition of success and how do i cope with the struggle?…next in part 3

The Struggle Between Creating Art For Yourself and Creating Art to Market – Part 1

So…the other night I was reading an interview with an artist and once again the question, how do you balance making art for art’s sake and art to market?, came up.

For me, creating  just for a market feels a little like I’m a dog chasing my own tail…round and round I go chasing that big sale or big hit which is always just out of reach. When I’m creating to create, I feel focused…in the zone…everything is clicking…happy!

I’ve been creating my ‘Ladies & Gentlemen” sculptures for about six years. I’ve had some good success ‘market wise’ up until recently. Part of that is because I chose to slow down to renew and regroup and refuel and work at a full time teaching  job…part of it was the economy. But while I was taking a break, came the self doubt…I hate that…I really really do. I started thinking…hmmmm…maybe no one likes these anymore (not true)…maybe they’ve had their run (not true, I’ve only had them in a few galleries in a small part of western washington.)..maybe I should quit making them and focus on something else…I said this last part out loud after dinner last night and immediately both my daughters’ yelled, “WHAT? NO! YOU’RE CRAZY! DON’T STOP!” to which I replied, “You’re right! I love making them and I should keep on making them if for no other reason than I love making them!” …”There you go!” said my husband.

I am now in the midst of creating a ‘Ladies & Gentlemen’ Auto Sales Lot…..there I go!

Questions

So lately I have had a lot of issues in the air…lots of questions and no answers. They were driving me crazy so I wrote them all out…cut them up…and stuck them in my art journal……I felt much better:)