Writing Our Point of View

Just read another artist's blog about creating work, why we do it. Why does one choose to do a certain style of art? Rembrandt painted hundreds of self-portraits. Why so many? What led him to create so many images of himself? I identify with Rembrandt, I love black and white. He did many etchings and pen and ink drawings. He illustrated many scenes from the Bible. Was he a devout Christian? Why did he do so many Biblical themes? Why do I illustrate passages from the Bible? These are the most successful works I do. Maybe I am in a rut. The blog I was reading said that often we find a style that is successful and we are reluctant to do anything else. This is true of me. When I was younger I learned to draw by copying other artist's work. I worked a lot from photos as well. Now I just do my formulaic Bible quotes. The last couple of weeks I have been doing little self-portraits in pen and ink as well. There has been a temptation to do a Rembrandt self-portrait. I used to love to copy other artists work. I stopped doing them when I heard that this was frowned on by many as not art. I never sold these copies. I did not want to be known as a plagiarist. But this is a great way to grow and learn as an artist. In my opinion.
How do we avoid falling into the trap of creating the same thing over and over? How do we avoid a common pitfall: repeating ourselves? What happens when we get stuck doing the same old thing just because it is successful? This week I did little drawings of me in pen and ink and watercolors. I had great fun with this but would not show anyone the finished product. It is one of the first times in a long time that I avoided my formula. A good place to start.

The Wisdom of Plato

A great quote....

Finding Inspiration

I have been working on an idea to illustrate a quote: "There they were overcome with dread, where there was nothing to dread." (Psalm 53:5) A large portion of my life I have found myself approaching challenges this way. Right now I am working on this quote and I am afraid that I no longer have the ability to carry it out. Whenever I finished a painting in the past I was afraid that I would no longer be able to create. That this was my last work. Inevitably what would happen was that I would find enthusiasm for something I saw and would want to draw it. And the process would begin again. For a long time I would go into the studio and just look at my materials and clean up my workplace. I grew up in a family of ten children. Both of my parents were high school dropouts. My father was an alcoholic. I did not have a lot of hope that I could be anything I wanted. Fortunately there was an aunt who influenced me. She drew for me. She gave me the ability to dream.
I have a friend that has a frame shop. She was having a tough time over the last few months with slow sales. She has had her frame shop for many years so she has gone through tough times before. She and I were talking about the slow season and she made the remark, "you have to believe in yourself." Others have had the ability to believe in me 'til I could believe in myself. My friend in the frame shop has done that for me. She taught me how to frame my work, how to cut mats and glass. She taught me the intangibles as well. Things like believing in myself. I have learned to get through slow times, times where I questioned myself constantly. I am much older now. I know that "this to shall pass. " All that I have to do is show up. Inspiration will happen. Count on it.

My Muses

My dogs keep me company as I work on my art. My Shi Tzu spends a lot of time with me. My older dog, a shelter find, comes in when it is time to take her out. I am unsure of her heritage.

My studio space. Lots of "stuff." I have often wondered about artists spaces and how they look. When I was a kid I wanted to be a cartoonist. I found out that cartoonists worked at drafting tables. I bought a drafting table and have had one for many years now. Once I read an article by an artist who suggested that if one is to be a professional they should only buy professional art materials. I have always abided by that suggestion. I know it is probably not wise to put the cart before the horse, but I had no role models except those I found in books so I probably moved in the right direction rather slowly. When I was a little older I began a correspondence with Trina Schart Hyman the Caldecott Medal winner. She helped me with guidance when it came to schooling. She was a big help.

Self-honesty

I was just looking at a few blogs by professional artists. What talent. How does one achieve that level of skill? I have been fortunate enough to find people who buy my work and I am grateful that people think enough of it to purchase it for their homes. But I am not in the same league as some artists out there. What makes an artist develop their work to such a degree of perfection? Is it natural talent? Is it lots and lots of hard work? Is it possible to achieve a great talent by hard work alone? How does one sit down at the table or easel and just practice until one one gets proficient? Where does one find the motivation?

This is the first self-portrait I have done in a while. It shows. Anyway you look at it I'm working. I so enjoy self-portraits. The drawing is pretty bad. Portraiture has never been a strong suit. It is a wonder that I still try to create, but I like it. I really do.

Snowed-in

This snow is keeping me from framing work, my frames have not arrived and with this newest accumulation it will probably be a few more days.

The thing that bothers me is not the snow though, this is just an inconvenience. How do artists manage to develop the skills necessary to keep pushing during times of low or no interest? How does one keep plugging away? Art school pushes one to keep going, there are teachers who affirm you every day and this builds confidence. What happens when you are all alone in the studio and no one is sitting on your shoulder telling you to work? I wish I had the answer....

Snow

Today is a great day to create. The snow has been coming down for the last twenty-four hours here in south central Pa. There is probably a foot of snow plus another two feet from last Friday. We are not used to this kind of weather. I am going to get the camera out and take some snow scenes for posterity.
I did some self-portraits. Another blogger did a self-portrait for every day of the year. It inspired me to do a few of my own.

Digital Camera

I just acquired a digital camera and I am learning how it works. Sometimes I paint from photos but mostly I find the practice to be tedious. I used to love to do still-lifes in pencil and the photo here seemed as if might have potential....

New Work

I haven't been creating lately, I really have no desire to. Sometimes I think that I would like to see how others see my work. Maybe it is best I don't know, my self-esteem is kind of fragile. Anyway the point is moot since no one visits the site as far as I know. There has been some success in other areas, I have had my work in juried shows. But the work has been abstract, not at all like what I currently do. One area of frustration is the inability to draw anymore. Once this was not a problem, lately it is a source of some irritation. How does one develop the skills to draw? Actually it is not the ability so much as the desire. A watercolor course that I took some time ago showed that my drawing skills were still intact. A little rusty perhaps, but still there.
How does one get their blog noticed? What does it take to get the work out there?