Staying the course vs only trying a technique out

A few months a go I started a new series “from the dark” where I start by painting the canvas black and using a black texture paste to start. This forces me to think about colours differently and I have to really try to bring out the lightness from the dark.. hence the series name.

I’ve completed 6 and a half paintings so far and now I have to decide whether to keep at this new technique or try something different. I am really liking a few of these paintings – particularly “Transient Light” and “Near Light”

• 

  Transient Light

• 

  Near Light

I’ve entered “Transient Light” into the Lethbridge 20000 small scale art Prize in Queensland this year and I am really hoping that the judges see something special in it.

It’s really hard to get honest feedback when nobody buys the works, I take this as a sign that I haven’t quite gotten to the level that I need to be at and where everyone else is at. I can only keep going and trying until I make a sale and then I can continue exploring that method / style.

I think I will keep going with this series a little longer.

So it’s been a while..

So my last blog post was in 2016.

Does anyone read blog posts anymore?

I have completed a lot and not much since 2016 but the one thing that is constant is the search for my style, what is popular and something that meets in the middle. Creating art my myself but showing and trying to get found in the sea of the internet established artists feels like high school again. All I wanted was for high school to be over. And now I’m trying to get into the cool crowd. I have been for years…

Art is only art when someone says it is. But popular art is somehow a mix of the expected; flowers, abstracts that all look the same, really bad portraits or are they really great naive art?

So where do I fit in? I don’t even know how great or bad my art is. I only have a theme of colours and textures and it doesn’t seem like it’s enough.

I’ve tried countless mentoring sessions, art business seminars, small business workshops which all boast that they can help your business but in the end it doesn’t help people find you. Or tell you if your idea is crap.

So I will be here this year, trying different things but in the same general way because I believe in my art and feel that it needs to be in the world.

Hopefully that stupid confidence will be the ‘fake it till you make it’ facade I need to keep going until someone finally notices.

How rejection has made me a better artist

One thing I am learning being an artist is how to handle rejection.

Applying for something opens up endless possibilities; “I could win first prize!”, “I could meet lot’s of new customers”, ” I could be recognized by people I admire” but when it doesn’t happen life comes to a halt and those things don’t happen.

How do you move forward if your applications aren’t accepted? You are still in the same place as yesterday.

The only thing I can do is keep my eyes open for more opportunities – things I may be good enough for. I don’t apply for things I am not ready for – like the Big Design Market and Finders Keepers . I know they are big markets and there are very impressive stall set ups which I just don’t have the money for.

A few things I have applied for and didn’t get accepted:

• #etsyart
• Signed and Numbered
• Markit at fed square
• Etsy Design awards

I have learned that part of the reason is that my work doesn’t “fit in” with the other designers. I understand cohesion but I don’t want to create art with other people in mind.

I need to create to my vision and ‘push the boundaries’, whatever those boundaries are.

I want to be recognizable for my own style.

 

Playing around with video

Alright – I’ve been busy but I have made my first few videos showing my painting processes!

How scary – I am not that comfortable in front of the camera just yet so I will be posting progress videos for my paintings first.

Head over to my You Tube Page to check them out! Or for more up to date videos please visit my Instagram account where I post more often.

What do you think about video? Do you think it’s better than an image?

🙂