1. I find I am no longer as interested in comparing my work
to the work of others so I have
drastically cut back on entering competitions and exhibits.
2. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been
represented for many years by six good galleries but I am now reluctant to use
my time traveling to the rotate my work so I
have “retired myself” from several of the galleries.
3. Painting pretty pictures has become less interesting to
me. I find myself gravitating to the essence and emotion of a visual story
rather than a detailed description of each word/stroke. I know how easily I am
drawn back into detail and traditional painting. To maintain my focus of how I
might paint in the coming year, I have
unsubscribed/quit following the online work of many of my peers.
4. For each new medium there is a learning curve, then a
time that is comfortable with enough surprises to keep me on my toes. That is
followed by a settling-in and a productive time when I think of it as my
primary medium. This period may last for years but eventually I become bored. I
seem to need a new challenge and switching to a new medium does that for me. I
like to start a new medium with a know subject so it is only the handling of
the medium, not the subject of the painting that I struggle with. I plan to try a new medium in 2016.
5. Painting is a solitary business. Teaching satisfies the
need for interaction with other artists and I truly enjoyed my twenty years of
teaching workshops. The past few years, I have mentored several students in
person and online. I’m still interested in doing that in some capacity for
those experienced with pastel. Perhaps a
Suggestion Session for paintings near completion?
6. Last Fall I saw a notice in our local paper about a
painting group at the nearby Community Center; the group turned out to be two
people who paint “for fun.” I spent most of the first session asking myself
what I was doing painting there, under fluorescent lights, amidst tables of
chatting/card playing seniors instead of in my lovely studio. I was uncomfortable
at first; it felt like I was giving a demo that no one was interested in. But
once I let it go and focused on my work, I found that painting outside the
security of my known space made me a more careful painter. Each Friday for
several weeks I painted small pastels that I was very pleased with and I became
acquainted with the other two artists whose attitude and perseverance I admire.
I look forward to continuing the
challenge of painting there.
7. One of my long time goals has been to write a
book. I
thought it would be about my life based on my nearly fifty years of
handwritten
journals but earlier this year when I began to review them I realized
that to
get to the happy and funny parts of my life I would have to plow through
the sadness and struggle. I didn’t want to revisit those times so I
shredded
all but a few journals from the early years when my babies were born. I think a better idea for a book is to focus
on my art journey illustrated with images. I’m working on it.
My online presence is important to me both as a
communication tool and as a retrospective view. I plan to continue posting on
my Art Journal and Golden Years blogs. I also will have paintings available for
purchase through several online venues. Thanks to all who have followed my work
this year. Let’s keep in touch!
Wishing you a wonderful 2016,
Barbara
