Hello, Lovers of all things Art!
I hope your October is cruising along nicely!
I've been in planning and playing mode this week! I thought you might like to hear a bit about my process for both :) + I have a subscribers only bonus at the end. Don't worry, I'll keep it short! I know how busy you are! A Bit about Planning
Now, I know many creatives don't like the process of planning. Frankly, I'm not sure how much I like it, either! UGH! But, here is the problem...
I have dreams! I have so many things I want to accomplish - with art, with business, with life! The only way I know how to get to those dreams is by planning. Planning is Step 1. A Dream doesn't become reality through Magic.
My process for planning may not look like you expect! I love technology, but...
I have a hard time composing at a computer. I need the feel of the pen in my hand, the flow of the ink, and the visual stimulation of writing on paper. I need that for my planning, as well.
The pic above is an overview of what I want to really focus on this year.
I get really tired of black ink text, so I chose 2 colored pens. They contrast, so the sections pop out at me. BTW, my handwriting is pretty bad! Chalk that up to 4 years of notetaking in college.. I wrote my heading, created a chart, and added the categories. I try to keep in mind that it is likely that I will not get all of this done! Some of these things, like creating a calendar for my collectors, has been on my list for a looong time. That's OK! As long as I keep working toward my goals, I will eventually acheive them. Time for some authenticity here. I feel like this is a pretty ambitious list! 12 In-Person Workshops 52 Bite-size Videos 52 Blog Posts 4 Small Products, like my first ebook! And, honestly, I don't know if I can do it! Up until now, I haven't really shared my goals with my followers. Why? I am afraid. I am afraid I will tell you I am doing something...and then fail, by not doing it. I don't want to disappoint you. My biggest hope is to help and inspire you! So, if you don't mind, I would like to ask you a favor. Can we consider this a Work-In-Progress? A jumping off point? These goals may change--probably will change, just like paintings that go through many layers before they are finished! But, these are my goals for 2016. All revolving around creating art, having fun doing it, sharing it with you, making you smile. Thank you for being patient with me! You rock!! The next step in my planning is to break these goals down into tiny, tiny steps! I'll save that for my next blog post :) or, if you really don't want to hear about it, leave a comment below to let me know! A Peek inside My Studio
I spent some time this week working on small paintings on watercolor paper, with a very limited color palette.
I started with one of my strategies for Overcoming the Blank Canvas, using watercolor paper that was gessoed and toned orange, with bits of texture already on it.
I chose to work with purple and green, + white. That has been one of my favorite color combinations lately...I know it sounds strange, but it works. (See the Japanese book cover on the table? I just saw it...too funny :) )
As it goes with art, things don't often end up where they started.
It's October. I haven't seen a lot of fall color here in Texas, but I have seen ton of pink, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What I see ends up in my art, even if I didn't start out that way! Did your teachers ever say, "Garbage In, Garbage Out"? For me, it's Color In, Color Out! I ended up working with reds and purples + white. I played around with light and shadow, going for high contrast, on these pears. These are practice paintings, but I am crazy about the color! They remind me of Candy Apples! I know they are pears, but..now they are Candy Apple Pears! Who cares about reality?!
And, of course, If you give a mouse a cookie...The pink of the pears made me think of hearts!
...darn cookies!!
Collectors Corner- Upcoming Sale + Exclusive CodeJESSICA-SANDERS-15-15CF13
The holiday rush is just around the corner!
You are the first to know, I am having a Beat the Holiday Rush! Sale in my Artfinder Shop. Save on 70 small, gift sized artworks for the next 2 weeks :) PLUS!! One collector can save an additional 15% by copy and pasting the code below into your cart!
PLUS+!! If you are new to Artfinder, get a $15 credit just for subscribing! It can be used for any artwork on Artfinder! Just follow this link.
Happy October!
P. S. If you enjoyed this post, don't forget to share it with your friends! And, if you haven't subscribed to my blog, you can do that here!
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