The Value of Mastery
Sunshowers Acrylic on Wood Panel in Solid Maple Floater Frame 13”X13”
I spoke with a friend the other day who told me that he was lucky enough to get a ticket to the Bruce Springsteen concert in a nearby city. The night’s event was $525 plus all the fees that the ticket companies charge. (That’s a post for a different blog and I won’t share commentary about that.) He thought that price was worth paying because Bruce is known to put on a really good show. I’ve been to a couple of his concerts and I agree that a Springsteen concert is a lot of fun. But that was a long time ago and I paid far less than what my friend was charged. I’m not sure I’d fork over that much to see him again. But, I think that whether you love his music or not, we can agree that he has mastered his musical style. And after decades of practice and experience, he can charge whatever he wants for a 4 hour long concert.
The alternative to going to see a big name like Bruce is to go to see a cover band. Someone who has practiced every note of Springsteen’s songs and puts on a great show for maybe $50 bucks a seat. They give you a similar experience but, it’s not the real deal. You’re not in house with Bruce and the E Street Band. It’ll be fun but, you probably won’t walk out of there telling everyone about the epic cover band you saw. And the price matches the experience. You got a good deal but you didn’t pay for mastery - at least not creative mastery. You got a copy.
Let’s take a look at mastery in the realm of sports. I marvel at the talent of athletes at the top of their game. The amount of training, practice, commitment and intensity is what separates the pros from the weekend warriors. The Olympic medalists and the pros in any sport league have mastered their craft. And even if they are the best, they know that they have to continue to improve in order to stay on top. The top means top salaries, bonuses and sponsorships. They receive the most money because they have the mastery that has the most value. The value of the players is paid for by the fans. And there are people who fly to distant cities and pay big bucks to attend events where their favorite team or player is exhibiting their mastery.
As artists we are always looking to improve our skills. Make better work. Grow our skillset in some way. It’s the job of being an artist. It’s also the job of everyone else who does whatever they do. Get better and better until you feel you have mastered your job, career, work or output. Once we’ve mastered something in our artwork, like every at the top of their profession, the work is to continue to improve your skills. It’s why an emerging artist charges $100 for a painting and a master can charge anything they want. To the art collector, the price is worth it. They appreciate the effort, experience and skill required to make the work. That’s where the value is. It is in the eye of the beholder.
So if you want to spend thousands of dollars to go to the Superbowl or have front row seats to your favorite musical performance, that’s where you find value. Our job as artists is not to convince people that our art has value. Our job is to put our best work out there and decide how much mastery we have amassed in order for the price of our work to meet the value of it to buyers. Selling yourself short is a disservice to the time, effort and practice you have committed. Honest pricing allows you to feel confident that the buyer is getting their money’s worth. It’s the sweet spot. People who connect with your work at a fair price - whatever that is - will recognize value and mastery when they see it.
Scattered Thoughts Acrylic on Wood Panel in Solid Maple Floater Frame 13”X13”
4 Reasons to Change Your Art and Your Life
Cartwheels on the Lawn 28” X 24” Hand dyed, Hand Woven, Overdyed & Cotton Batiks with Vintage Buttons Framed in Solid Wood Vintage Frame
People, as a general rule, resist change. They feel very comfortable with their habits. If you try to get them to give up coffee, or wine they give you every reason why they should keep up the habit. Take a moment and think about what habits you have and consider your arguments for keeping them exactly as they are.
As creatives it serves us to have certain habits but, it helps us grow if we can embrace new ways of making our work. Here are a few reasons people change their art (and their lives).
The first reason we change how we create is because it hurts enough that we have to. The stiff back of the potter over the wheel, the arthritis of the woodworker from years of carving and hammering, the vision of the painter diminishes. The pain hurts enough that change is the only way to continue. There’s the emotional pain too. The sadness of wanting to create art and not letting yourself explore. The frustration of wanting to be in your studio but feeling stuck. The regret that you have let time go by and the art practice has slipped away. The best to improve any of these situations is to change what you are doing or how you are doing it. If you create art long enough you will experience a pain that hurts so much that you will change how you create.
The second reason that people change their lives and their art is they see something that inspires them to make a change. The person who wants to start making art meets the person who is a parent, full-time employee and running a household and still carves out time to create. A visit to a museum, gallery, art show or beautiful place seeps into them and what they see there sends them home with a myriad of ideas and inspiration for a new direction or creative venture. Excuses fall away and are replaced be a creative spark and the creativity changes the person and therefore changes their art.
A third reason people change is because they learn something and they want to change. This is a really sweet spot for artists. You take a workshop, find a really great book, meet someone who shares their process or learn something you didn’t know or hadn’t thought of and it gives you the opportunity to expand your art in some way. You learn something that makes your health, lifestyle, home or opportunities better. Once you learn new information, you want to act on it. This is the easiest and perhaps the most welcomed form of change.
The fourth reason people change their art and life is they receive enough that are able to make a change for the better. It can be a financial windfall that allows you to get supplies, a generous artist shares something that opens up opportunities, or we can ask for something and receive it. I’ve heard people say that they wish they could make art, if only they had the time, space, money or whatever. These same people never ask for it. Perhaps they don’t actually want to be creating art or they don’t believe they can have what they need. We stop ourselves from asking for some time and space. I did this for a while and then I changed my limiting belief that I could only do small things because I didn’t have the room to work bigger. I looked at our house and asked how can we use this place more efficiently? What rooms are being underused or aren’t serving our current lifestyle. My formal living room had no purpose. We moved the exercise equipment in there (donated the furniture to people who could use it) and voila - I created a big space to expand and work larger. I curated my supplies and really focused on where to direct my time and energy. It helped me make progress in the directions I cared about most. It also helped me save money to buy the supplies that serve me best right now. If you want to make art and you can’t seem to get going, ask yourself “What do I need to get started?” Ask for it or figure out how you can get it. It’s often a lot easier than we make it out to be in our minds.
I hope that you are inspired to create something beautiful in your life. Don’t wait until it hurts so much that you have to. Take some time and think about what you want. What would be the most logical or most practical first step to setting yourself up to receive what you need? Where would you look for inspiration? Your library, bookstore, local workshop, YouTube? There’s never been more information available as there is right now. Curating what you want to know is what helps get you started.
Thank you for getting through this lengthy post, I hope it gave you some food for thought. I hope those thoughts create positive change for you.
Spring’s Arrival 20” X 20” Hand dyed, Hand Woven, Overdyed & Cotton Batiks with Vintage Buttons Framed in Solid Wood Vintage Frame
Influenced by Positivity
Spring’s Arrival
Before I go to sleep, I have a gratitude journal and I write down at least three things that I am grateful for within the last 24 hours. Recently, I had loved ones in a car accident and I was thankful for the fact that one was surely held in an angel’s hand and was unharmed. I was thankful for the car’s airbags and sturdy structure that kept them alive. I was thankful for the EMTs, fire department members and police that were all on scene. It changed my perspective and it reminded me to count the positives in the whole situation.
During the past several months I have added one other piece to my evening journaling practice. I write down what I am looking forward to in the coming day. It can include anything from I am looking forward to having time in my studio, lunch with a friend, reading my new book or a new episode of a favorite podcast will drop. It doesn’t matter what I am looking forward to. The key is that I have already set the stage for a positive day before it even arrives. It’s kind of like looking forward to a trip or holiday days ahead of time. It makes you happy to think about it and enthusiastic for it to get here. This practice has had me jumping out of bed in the morning ready to experience whatever it is I have identified as my positive intention for the day. And to be honest, I have also enjoyed more restful sleep.
It’s not a secret that positive thinking is good for you. A lot of research and books have been available on the subject. I could read those (and I have read a few). But, I think that reading about positive thinking is not as effective, at least for me, as creating a practice where you apply positive thinking. I thought I’d share mine so that perhaps you will think of some way that you can inject some action that will generate positive thinking in your day to day activities. If you want a book recommendation, one of my favorites is “Big Magic” by Brene Brown (I bet your library has a copy).
As we all look forward to the longer, brighter days and spring renewal of nature, I hope you will take a moment to consider all that is possible because of the restful and restorative pace of nature during winter. I find myself following suit with this restorative cycle as I prepare for the emergence and growth of ideas of the coming season. The introspection of my gratitude and intention setting is preparing me for what comes next.
What are you looking forward to tomorrow? Next week? Next season? Be curious about how this mindset will affect your every day experiences. Allow yourself to be surprised.
Running through the Sprinkler
The Power of One
Solstice Art Quilt 21” X 21” in Solid Maple Floater Frame
If you have kids, even if they are grown, I want you to consider how much you can get done when you are by yourself. I used to joke that if I had an hour to myself when they were little, I could build a shed and then reshingle the roof. The reality was that I could do so much in an hour alone that I came to appreciate that hour and craved solitary time.
Now my kids are in their thirties. I have all the alone time I want and I appreciate it just as much as I did back then. I can immerse myself in any activity I want and soak in the solitude. I think I craved it way back then because it allowed me to just stop having to move, think, answer questions or get something for somebody. Now, I both crave and appreciate it because I can move, think, answer my own questions and create something that makes me happy. It’s seems selfish but, I know that once I’ve had my solitude, I’m much happier being in the company of anyone I come in contact with.
As an artist, (and author), I believe that time to ruminate on your own ideas and look at your work without the pressure of time or deadlines pushes me to do the best work that I possibly can. I have been carving out this time for over 30 years now. But, I had to prioritize it and I had to let go of some stuff.
If you want to be a more creative person, artist, author, or craft master what would it take for you to get the time to make it happen? There’s a rumor that mastery takes 10,000 hours - I’m not sure if it’s true but, I will agree that the more time I spend in my studio the better my work becomes. What would you need to let go of in order to make room for what you want in your life? Here’s a few things that I dropped in order to get solitude - watching reruns of anything on TV, social engagements with people who didn’t genuinely care about me or interest me in a way that I wanted to get to know them better and commitments that I felt guilted into (that’s never good energy). I totally curated what I used as entertainment by eliminating violence and graphic blood/medical stuff. I miss none of these things and now it’s a life habit. When I hear the guilt in an offer that will suck up my time, I politely decline.
If any of this resonates with you, I have an inexpensive Creative Kickstart program that you can read about HERE. If you have the clarity and ambition, you can do this alone. I’ve done it both ways and admittedly, having a support was hugely beneficial. But, now that I have had assistance, I am moving forward steadily and have a lot more clarity with my creative time.
It’s early in the year, if you make resolutions that’s cool. I don’t think we need to wait for a new year to make them. I do think that when you decide you want to change something in your life out and replace it with something better, there’s no reason to wait for a specific date. The day you have the realization is probably the best day to make the resolution too.
So if you get a minute or two to yourself, I hope you will use the solitude to evaluate what is working well for you and then come up with some ideas about how you can eliminate or reduce the things that are keeping you from having what you want. It requires solitude and it is a super power - but it’s comes from you alone - one.
The Forest for the Trees 25” X 26” Vintage & Hand Dyed Textiles, Vintage Mother-of-Pearl buttons
If Not Now…When?
Contemplations Series 1 #4
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Wood Cradle Panel 10” X 10” X 1.5”
If you could do anything with your free time, what would it be? Let go of the physical, financial or space constraints and ask yourself, what would I do if I had the chance?
I’m here to tell you that THIS IS YOUR CHANCE. If you are waiting for a sign, THIS IS IT!
So many people that I meet tell me they aren’t creative, they aren’t financially abundant or they aren’t….. fill in the blank. I would like you to consider that if you are waiting for perfect circumstances, they will never be available. So, if you want to change your life, your art, your circumstances or your bank account, there’s no better time than now. An ancient proverb says something like, “The best time to plant a tree is ten years ago. The second best time to plant that tree is now.”
If you stop listening to the voice that has been telling you that you can’t do something and actually make one small step in the direction of achieving a goal, you can silence that voice. Don’t believe me? Here’s a list of things I never thought I’d do:
Write a book - (or three) and another is in draft form
Create art that I love (that people buy)
Build a website (or two claudeblarsonLLc.com and this one)
Be on International podcasts with amazing hosts
Jump out of perfectly good airplanes (12 years, hundreds of jumps)
Swim in the Bering Sea with seals - BRRRRR and so cool!
Have experiments on the Space Shuttle and ISS
and so many more things.
I didn’t know I wanted to do any of those things until it became the only thing that I wanted. I just started out making a little art for myself and every time I tried, I learned something. Looking back on it now, I learned a lot but not all at once. Writing that book was HARD and there were times I thought I’d never get it done. But, it’s on Amazon if you want to read it. I thought I’d never be on a podcast because no one wanted to hear what I had to say - turns out I’ve had some truly rewarding conversations and people listened.
I won’t pretend that I know what YOU want to do. But, I hope you take some time to ask yourself what it is that you really matters to you? It won’t happen all at once but, if you never get started it won’t happen at all.
Sure, the start of a new year is historically a popular time to start a new habit, or delete an old one. But, I’m curious that if you don’t want to start to make your life better now, when do you think is a better time. If you think it was ten years ago, then the second best time is now. How much longer would like to defer more happiness or joy or self-empowerment?
Life is short. Do what you feel is important. Not because someone else wants you to. Do it because it matters to you. If not now…when?
Contemplations Series 1 #5
Acrylic and Mixed Media on Wood Cradle Panel 10” X 10” X 1.5”
Finding Your Personal Voice
Agate 24” X 24” acrylic on wooden panel
A lot of artists get caught in the vortex of trying to find their personal style. After all, when we look at a Picasso or Van Gogh painting, we think that is their personal style. And it was. For a moment in time, abstract faces or sunflowers was what interested these artists at some point. Because the art world has curated what paintings we see, unless we do a personal deep dive into the full range of an artist’s work, we connect an artist with a specific style of work. The reality is that the great artists of the past had many different personal styles. Their interests shifted throughout their careers and so did their work. We only recognize a glimpse of what they are famous for and I believe that’s the false pretense that has us searching for our personal style as if it is a static destination.
Looking back on my life, I consider my personal style as something that is constantly changing. In my twenties and early thirties my personal style was to wear floral everything - dresses, paper bag waist pants (a truly unfortunate choice), and mostly pastels. As I got more mature, I went for a business look and for the past 15 years, I would describe my style as sporty. I know this concept applies to my creative style as well.
When I started making art over two decades ago, I was interested in making representational work - landscapes and things people would recognize. At that moment in my time, I had that style. Now, I paint and create work that is abstract, non-representational and has more personal meaning. That’s my current style. It only makes sense if you were to look at my beginning work and see the progression to what I make today. It’s like saying “This is who I am” without taking into consideration all the life events that took place to shape your choices and bring you to this exact moment in time.
I offer that, perhaps, instead of looking for our personal style, we should put our attention on what interests us right now. Because tomorrow you will be a different person. You will have a different perspective or you will experience something that shifts your life. With the life shift, there will undoubtedly be a creative shift. And if you decide to follow the creative shift to wherever it takes you, I believe this is where you will find your authentic voice - whatever that is today.
As always, thanks for checking out the blog. I appreciate you joining me on my creative journey and I hope that you find something here that is of value to your creative endeavors. Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question, I’d love to hear from you!
The Rim Trail 13” X 13” acrylic on wood panel in solid maple floater frame
5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Art Process
Collage Study using Limited Palette
There are a lot of ways to make art, an infinite number of mediums and unlimited outcomes we can produce. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. It’s no wonder we can get caught up in procrastination or creative block. On the other hand, we can have so many ideas that we don’t know where to begin, so we don’t get anything done. Here are a few questions that I have found helpful when I am unsure what I want to do next. Clarifying the answers to these questions for yourself is a useful exercise and well worth the time you’ll invest in moving your art practice forward.
#1 What is important to me about the art making process? It can be as simple as it’s how you unwind from a stressful job. Perhaps it gets you away from screens, social media and constant stimuli from our fast paced (and sometimes crazy) world. Are you hoping to communicate your opinion about politics, the environment or humanity? Are you trying to stop thinking about politics, environmental fears or the challenging aspects of humanity? Does it feel like a sanctuary or an escape? If you are going to invest your time, energy and some finances on art supplies, it’s a good idea to clarify why it’s important to you.
#2 What do I admire/appreciate in other people’s work? It’s great to know what you are drawn to in order to help you clarify what you want to explore in your own art process. If you like bold color or tiny details this will have very different impact on your own explorations. If you enjoy energetic paintings versus simple, quiet paintings this is a clue to what you want to explore. Take some time and notice what captures your attention. It doesn’t necessarily mean to want to do the same thing but it can give you some direction in whatever medium you use.
#3 What medium/idea/process/technique do I want to explore? Some popular techniques can be intriguing and we want to try them - paint pouring for example. You might want to explore traditional methods of drawing, painting, sculpture and learn about the great masters of art history. Do you want to play with collage, clay, textiles or paint? Are you interested in landscapes, portraits, abstracts, or still life? I find it useful to make a list of all the things I would like to try, the mediums I have or would like to explore and techniques I want to use. For example, you may want to create landscapes using textiles and try your hand at free motion quilting. If you are drawn to portraits you might want to use pencils and good paper to begin rendering detailed drawings or big loose brushes to created abstracted portraits on canvas. The combinations are truly endless but, if you narrow down to one thing it can unblock your procrastination.
#4 When do I work best? This question is really trying to get you to find the sweet spot in your week. Are you available and eager to work in the morning? Perhaps you are a night owl. Busy with work and kids, so after their bedtime is the best time for you. Whatever the sweet spot is for you, I would like to add that as humans we tend to work best when we are fed, rested and have incorporated movement in our day. Hunger and lack of sleep can create a negative response in the studio and feed the procrastination habit. Movement in any form - exercise, walking, cleaning, etc. gets the body in motion. Sitting around doing nothing tends to lead to more sitting around doing nothing. If you are feeling uninspired, go for a walk or clean a room in your home. (Cleaning my studio almost always leads me to getting down to the creative process.)
#5 What do I need to change in order to make my artwork a reality? Do you need to find a space that isn’t the kitchen table? Having to stop and clear your art supplies every time supper time rolls around can be a deterrent to getting work done or even getting it started. It also adds set-up time each creative session. Do you need to get more rest and find a reasonable time to get to bed so you can build creative energy? Perhaps you need to find a medium that gets you excited without creating overwhelm. For example, if you want to paint and you’ve purchased canvases that are 3 feet by 5 feet in size but can’t seem to get started, scale down and use less expensive paper. Figure out where the disconnect is between you wanting to make art and you actually being engaged in the creative process. Find a way to change what needs changing so you can move forward. If you think about it a bit, it is often less difficult than you are building it up to be.
I hope you found this post helpful and if you want to get yourself moving forward or restarted, feel free to write down these questions on a piece of paper or your journal. I am a believer in journaling and writing things out long hand. Something gets lost for me when I am sorting things out on a device - any device. But, if that works better for you - have at it.
Thanks for checking out the blog and I’d love to read your comments. I appreciate you being here and hope you find my content useful. I wish you a creative week!
with gratitude,
Claude
Collage Study based on Limited Palette
Where Do You Want to Go?
The Forest for the Trees Art Quilt Inspired by a hike in early winter under overcast skies and on a trail of freshly fallen light snow. 25” X 26” framed in solid wood off white frame
What do you currently make? Appreciate how far is has taken you on the creative journey. We all started somewhere. I have been using color since I got my first box of 64 Crayola crayons and started sewing at about 7 years old. For over half a century I have been building a skillset that has led me to where I am right now.
Sewing clothes gave me skills have been invaluable in my journey as an art quilter. However, it was only when I decided to throw away my patterns and stop following other people’s directions that I broke through a plateau of my sewing abilities. I promised myself to only make what I could not buy. I stopped listening to the voices of my past and lit a little flame inside of myself.
I was raised to believe that sewing was for practical purposes. Looking back on it, I was pretty lucky. It allowed me to explore so many different mediums before I realized that I wanted to make art quilts that I built a very diverse skillset. Some interests hung around longer than others and some lasted through one project and moved on.
These early interests went through various phases. First, the phase where you don’t show it to anyone. After some improvement, I gave some as gifts, knowing that no one would ever pay for these. Eventually, I got to a place where someone offered to buy my work. Then I did a small local fair. I joined an artists’ co-op, then another artists’ co-op and now I finally have come to this place on my twenty+ year journey. It will only last for the amount of time that I find it interesting. Because each time I make a series of work, I get better or at least I get more experienced. I focus on finding ways to continually grow.
Like a plant, I grow to fill the size of whatever container I decided to plant myself in. As I outgrow each phase of the process, I looked for places where I could continue to expand. In essence, I am looking for a bigger container.
Now, that I am farther along the path I realize that I no longer need to find the appropriate size container. I am seeing how the creative potential of my life is unlimited. I am outgrowing my own artwork each time I create a series of work. I look at the work and I can see improvement. Where does it end? I have no idea. I can’t imagine a time when I won’t be excited to create art. It’s a long game for me.
If you are a creative person it helps to take a look at your long game. How long have you been on your journey? What do you love about it and want to keep doing? What skills are you gaining? What inspires you and keeps you excited to move forward? Each of these are little sparks that light the way for you.
It also helps to put down what no longer inspires you. If not forever, for the time being. Revisit it in the future if you feel the desire. Find the intersection of the thing that makes your heart skip a beat and the project that will grow your skillset. Try the thing you don’t think you are capable of yet. Reaching for something just beyond what you’ve already accomplished allows you to grow your skills. It’s like climbing a mountain in the fog. With each step the path ahead get clearer. The mountain is endless and only by moving forward will your next step appear.
Being an artist differentiates us from those who learn a specific skill and keep repeating it. The people who are satisfied and comfortable being good enough. If you want to read more about this phenomenon, I recommend a book called “Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson”. It talks about the mindset and behavior of people who want to excel at something - anything. I found a lot of the material in this book related not only to making art but other aspects of life.
I want to add a disclaimer here. If you are happy dabbling in whatever it is that you create, don’t destroy your happiness to travel a road that you don’t want to go down. Take a pause and ask yourself “Do I love and appreciate this person’s artwork?” “Do I want to put in the 20, 30 or more years that allowed this artist to make something of this caliber?” Because it’s perfectly fine to say WOW! that’s beautiful, awesome or amazing without thinking that you should try to make something similar. In fact, if you want to pursue art, you are more likely to want to pursue something that is uniquely yours. Ultimately, you will know what to do if you just check in with yourself without anyone else’s input.
Thanks for checking out the blog and I wish you a creative week!
with gratitude,
Claude
Solstice Art Quilt Inspired by a night hike on the winter solstice and the illumination of the moon and our headlamps on the wooded trail. 21” X 21” in solid maple floater frame
The Power of Sketchbooks
If you are thinking about beginning a sketchbook practice or revitalizing one that has fallen away, I want to share a few ways that I use my sketchbooks. In the past, I didn’t understand the value of having a sketchbook, much less several sketchbooks. Now that I have taken the time to create several books for various purposes, I wanted to share them and the value I find in the purpose and process of each one.
The first sketchbook I want to share is the one I call my inspiration sketchbook. I use it as a place to collect things that I like and make notes around what I glue in there. Sometimes it’s as simple as business cards or postcards that I pick up at art fairs or magazine images that I like. The reasons for holding on to these items include being able to visit the artist’s website, taking note of a specific color palette or making notes about what I am inspired to try based on what I saw in an image.
I use a different sketchbook for keeping track of my color swatching. I sometimes adhere pieces of fabric on a page and try to create a color palette using fabric for inspiration. More often, I take a limited number of paints (2 or 3), and black and white and paint swatches. I collect them and put them randomly on the page and if I like the way the colors look collectively, I often use them as a jumping off point for a series of paintings.
Another type of sketchbook that I use is a reference book. This one I titled Catalog of Contrasts. I thought about the elements of art and how variety plays a key role in making a painting interesting. If there are light areas, you should have dark areas. If you have bright colors, it’s also good to have muted colors or shades of grey. So I made a lot of sets of opposites and keep them in a reference sketchbook in my studio. After I review the work and ask myself what is this artwork missing, I can refer to the catalog for ideas of how to add interest. I have about 40 or so sets of opposites. Here are a few examples.
Recently I used a sketchbook to experiment with some techniques because I was about to start on a new series but I didn’t know what direction I wanted to take. I experimented with supplies and over the course of a few minutes a day for a couple of weeks I had amassed almost 80 little studies. These studies informed the next series I created. However, there were so many different pieces and various techniques so the time spent experimenting has actually given me a large amount of material to study. I have already made one series based on the sketchbook work but, I have several more ideas that will surely find their way into upcoming work.
This is a 7” X 7” wire bound sketchbook. I used most of the pages to keep my studies about transparency and layering. So, I made a tag for the binding so I know what is inside without having to take all the sketchbooks off my shelf and look for the one I want to revisit. Whatever I use the remaining pages for, I will add a tag so I can easily find those studies too.
Once I have artwork underway, I sometimes get pieces to a place where I am not sure what direction to take them in. Some artists think of it as being stuck or blocked. I don’t take it as seriously as that. I just think of it as a crossroad where I need to decide to go one direction or the other. I use a sketchbook to make a quick sketch of my painting so that I can slow down and make some observations. Often this process of stopping to analyze what I have lets me decide what a painting needs. I make written notes along with the sketch and I have found that a short period of time gets me moving faster than other advice I’ve been given such as leave it for a day, week or two weeks, turn it around to face the wall or paint over it.
Here’s how this artwork review turned out. I took some of my advice on what to do next and ignored some comments. The act of pausing to reflect is really the power behind this little sketchbook.
I completed a 100 piece project, also done as a 100 day project by some people. I really wanted to hold onto the work but didn’t want to stick it in a box and put it away where it may never again see the light of day. So, I made my own sketchbook and now I leave it on my coffee table. Sometimes I leaf through it and people who come visit are free to look at it too. It gives me an internal dialog about my compositions and invites others to do the same.
I created a YouTube video about this book and also a video about how you can make your own. You can check those out here.
I also have a sketchbook that I sketch in. Which I find amusing because I used to think that the only reason to have a sketchbook was to sketch in it. Once I tossed away all the limitations of what I believed about sketchbooks, I created one for every purpose I wanted to explore.
The last book I want to share with you is my journal. It’s not really a sketchbook but it lives on the same shelf as my sketchbooks so I thought I would include it here. I use this in a few ways. First, I have read and lived The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. I spent 2+ years journaling 3 full pages long hand each morning in order to unlock my creativity. I still journal in the morning, but less regularly now. More often I give myself something I want to explore and I set a 30 minute timer to play first thing in the morning, before my phone, obligations or critical mind starts to interrupt me.
I give start and end dates on the cover and buy them in bulk during the great back to school deals in summer and early fall.
The practice of working in sketchbooks has just begun for me and I know that I will create many more sketchbooks in the future. I also think that archiving my 100 piece projects in custom sketchbooks has unlocked a real creative outlet for me.
I would love to hear how you use your sketchbooks. If you found anything in this post useful, feel free to leave me a comment. Thanks for checking out the blog and I wish you a creative day!
with gratitude,
Claude
5 Tips to Create More Studio Time
We all get 1,440 minutes a day. It’s non-negotiable. And I’ve heard many artists say they’d like more time to spend in their studio or creating art. While I do not have a way to increase the amount of time we have, I have done a lot of things in my studio to improve how I invest my time in there. I’ve compiled my top five tips for ways to increase the effectiveness of the minutes you do get to spend creatively. These are in no particular order - but, as you read them one will probably jump out as something you could prioritize. (Of course, I left the one I feel has the most impact until last.)
#1 Use Clear Storage
It seems obvious but being able to quickly find what I am looking for saves me so much time. I had to invest some money in clear containers and some time in sorting, but it has come back to me many times over.
#2 Label Things
I bought this flat file on Facebook Marketplace, scrubbed it and spray painted it. It’s huge and easily stores my 32” X 40” mat boards and foam core. And I paid 1/10 the price of a new one.
A package of shirt boxes that fit in my $5 yard sale shelf unit and voila - my collage papers are easy to find and I never have to pull out 7 drawers before I find the color I was looking for.
I was gifted a 10 drawer antique oak flat file. It’s not as big as the metal one I painted but it holds a lot of stuff that should be stored flat. Again, I’ve seen these on FB Marketplace and the right one is out there for you if you make a consistent effort of searching for it.
#3 Organize by Color (or whatever your supplies lend themselves to)
Here’s the threads I use for art quilting. If I need green, I can quickly compare all the greens and make a decision rather than have to hunt around and waste time looking over the entire rack - often to be unsuccessful finding what I was looking for.
#4 Put your tools and supplies together with similar items
Here’s all the scissors so I can get the one I need at a glance.
All the sketchbooks, notebooks, reference color charts, etc all go on one shelf. I used to leave them on the painting table where they got covered with collage paper and substrate. Now I can easily find the one I need and get going.
#5 Manage Your Time - Don’t let it slip away with indecision.
I made this poster in a word document and had it printed at Staples and laminated. I break down my seasons in 3 month sections and decide what I want to do in three areas of my art practice. Right now I am preparing for an art show so that is its own category. Small progress in this area will help the event go smoothly because I will be prepared. The second area for me is to keep up with this blog, YouTube videos, newsletters and social media. It’s a lot but when I break it down into smaller doable tasks I can get it done on a weekly basis. The final, and most important, section is what I am doing with my artwork. I tend to have something going on the fiber side of the studio and on the paint side. If I only have a few minutes and don’t want to get covered in paint and have to clean brushes, I have something to do with textiles. If I have a block of time, I can set up and get painting. I have also started a 30 minute morning creative practice so I write down the areas I am trying to cultivate so when I arrive at 6:30 AM - ish I don’t have to ponder and make a lot of decisions. I just do something - and having some ideas to start with is helpful.
Notice that I put target dates in each area - 90 days ends September 24th - Art Fair Day!
Thirty days moves me closer to my target and it’s what I can do in a month. I’ve gotten better at setting realistic plans here. I used to write down too little and then have to come up with other stuff to fill the time. And I’ve also listed so much in a month that I couldn’t possibly do everything I thought I should. With time, this practice hits the sweet spot and you get almost everything done. If you are getting everything done each time, you need to raise the bar a little until there’s always something that you can move forward into the following month or week.
So this month I will get 4 newsletters out but I have some direction. A couple of blog posts and a couple quick YouTube videos spread out over the month is totally doable.
Now I break the 30 days down into what I need to focus on this week. It looks like a lot and some tasks take a larger chunk of time than others but, with everything in front of me I can consider the time I have and the time I need to complete a task. A social media post might take 5-10 minutes whereas taking out my mat cutter and cutting the mats I need is a larger investment in time and energy. I only think about what I can do right now and don’t worry about all of it. If there’s something left over at the end of the week, I just push it into the next week and eventually the task and the motivation to get it done collide. I will admit that crossing the tasks off the weekly list are very motivating. Another helpful tip is that I have a little spray bottle of alcohol and paper towels to wipe off the poster when needed. I also have dry erase markers - fine point.
People ask me all the time how I get so much done. This is how. I reduce the millions of things that I could be doing and take a few minutes on Sunday to write out what I need to do. The decisions are made then and I don’t suffer from overwhelm or the “I don’t know what to do next” problem.
Of course, there’s flexibility here - I’m not giving myself orders. However, the steady progress in these areas really add up. If you are making one millimeter of progress in 100 directions, I highly recommend making a list of all the things you could do and then honing in on no more than three things.
This has been a long post, but I hope you found something useful in here. I’d love to hear your favorite tip in the comments.
Thanks for checking out the blog. I wish you more time in your creative week.
with gratitude,
Claude
Collage Study
Quantity vs Quality
A couple of years ago, I read Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It was transformative. I’m not just saying that - it was actually life changing. I will never fold my clothes in any other manner than what she taught me. You can get the audiobook for free here and decide for yourself.
That’s how I “read” it. On my commute to work. There aren’t any plot twists to follow and it’s an easy listen. Here is an arial view of my shirt drawer. I see every shirt in one look with nothing smashed at the bottom or forgotten. My fashion choices have more variety because it’s easy to find what I am looking for. Goodbye boredom and the desire to buy something new because I’m tired of wearing the same thing.
So, this blog is about art - not origami shirt folding. What does this clearing out have to do with the art process? The actual point of the book is that we should rid ourselves of things that we don’t find useful and don’t consider beautiful or meaningful in some way. It’s not about minimalism - although I did clear out a lot of stuff that I no longer used or needed. choosing Quality over Quantity left me with empty space, breathing room, more freedom and less cleaning time. .
I’m going to take a contrary approach to Marie’s Less is More concept for a moment. In my art making process I have learned that less is not in line with better. To put it more directly, the less I paint, stitch, and create the less likely I am to make anything worth sharing. However, the more I paint, stitch and create the more likely I am to make something I really love and want to share.
In order to build my art practice, I have taken to setting little challenges for myself and create MANY small experimental pieces so I can hone in to what I really like and then let go of what I don’t like and create from that place. The place that I clarified and refined through observation and discernment. Only then can I create a body of work that I truly enjoy throughout the entire process. Without fail, the results are more satisfying than if I was trying to create the minimum amount of work necessary.
The quantity of pieces allows me a broader range of visual observations than if I only tried something a few times. Once I see what works, I can explore that more deeply. Without the larger quantity, there would be very little quality.
Once I have made a quantity of experiments, I will elevate the quality of work from what I learn. Then I will make a series or QUANTITY of work. From that I will select for exhibit or sale those of the highest QUALITY. I can’t find a shortcut to get quality without first creating a quantity of work.
For those of you who are mathematically inclined, I recently made 100 small compositions. I worked quickly and didn’t invest my expensive materials or too much time creating. I also went into the process knowing that by definition half of them will be below average.
I set parameters: 5.5” X 5.5” hot press water color paper painted in all different colors, pairs of squares were collaged with 5 of the same pieces of collage paper, final decision - I could add a pattern, splatter, or scribble.
Here’s a quick video of the results of my project.
I learned a ton about composition. I will be sharing it soon in an in-person workshop. The only reason the ability to pass on what I learned is possible is because I created a large quantity and then refined it to the ones I felt were the highest quality.
So, while I’ll agree that clutter and holding on to things because “I paid a lot of money for that”, “It was a gift and I’d feel bad giving it away” or “I don’t have the time, energy or motivation to clean out the closet” are excuses we tell ourselves that can really affect our mental state, I don’t think making 25 or 65 or 100 art investigations in order to refine our work is the same thing.
Feel free to leave a comment or suggestion about how decluttering or art experiments have helped you or what you’d like to try but have been putting off. Thanks for visiting the blog. I wish you a creative week.
Eat Like an Artist
Sketchbook practice, color study. Notice the word at the top of this dictionary page.
Like most activities, creating art requires a fair amount of energy. When I’m in the moment of making art there a lot of things I don’t feel. I don’t feel various parts of my body – until I am done creating and I realize my back is stiff or my legs are tired. I don’t feel thirsty – and I actually set a timer to remind myself to take sips of water. I don’t feel hungry – until I run out of creative ideas – then I’m famished. As long as I am busy creating, I can ignore a lot of sensations but the moment that I hit the decision making wall or realize that I need to walk away from a project, I am flooded with hunger, thirst, weariness or sometimes pain.
The visual act of painting, stitching, writing or whatever other things I do in my studio seem to have the ability to feed me. I take the nourishment and pour it into my projects. However, the well of nourishing inspiration has a bottom and when I reach that bottom, I need to allow it to refill. Without taking time away, I would be tapping into a dry well and coming up with muck.
Creative people need a lot of nourishment and so we need to make sure we are feeding our inspiration and creativity. How do I do this? Here’s a short list of things that absolutely feed my creative process.
I eat the healthiest food available to me at any given time. I personally cannot feel productive or at my best on French fries and junk food.
Before I eat, I take a look at my plate. I notice the red tomatoes against the green lettuce, the neutral pasta and the colorful sauce, the shape of the food and the composition of the meal. It sounds silly but when I was working full time and always hustling to get out of the house or ingest lunch in 20 minutes, I often didn’t notice these things – and I will admit that I ate entire meals without even really tasting them.
I also spend time in nature. Hiking, biking, kayaking and sometimes just sitting on my patio listening to bird songs. I notice the colors, shapes, scents and temperature. It rejuvenates me.
I dance. A couple nights a week I go out dancing. Focus on my body and get out of my head. I get to enjoy myself in the company of people who also like to dance and it’s a polar opposite activity from being alone in my quiet studio.
I go grocery shopping – which for many of you might seem counterintuitive. But I love the colors of the produce – deep purple/red beets and yellow peppers. The trip inspires me to make something delicious for dinner. I look around for a new food I haven’t tried before or something with a short season that I can only get for a couple of weeks. Variety is the spice of life and this includes my food!
I sleep. People think artists are up till the wee hours of the night creating endlessly. I don’t know any artists like that. I try to get into my work as early as possible in the day and at night I hit the pillow for solid sleep. This is the time of day that your brain sorts out the ideas you came up with and brings you solutions. The old adage about sleeping on a big decision is true for me. If I am stuck in a painting, I generally have a better idea how to go at it after a good night’s sleep.
I do nothing. Perhaps while soaking in the tub or sitting in a lawn chair. I try to stop the endless stream of ideas and questions and just do nothing. Often after 10 – 15 minutes of that, what I need to do next gets very clear and I have given myself the space to let it surface without worrying or overthinking.
I learn something new. New art process, new dance, new recipe, new trail, whatever. I get out of autopilot and try something different. It tells me a lot. And that feeds my creativity.
My list is mine. What nourishes you? What have you been wanting to do and haven’t make the time (or effort)? If you are going to be continuously dipping into the creative well for inspiration, you need to fill that well. I also believe it pays to dig the well before you are thirsty.
I’d love to hear your comments about what refuels you, rejuvenates you and inspires you. Thanks for checking out the blog and until next time, I wish you a creative week!
With gratitude,
Claude
Coloring Outside the Lines 14” X 14” in solid wood matte grey frame
When Inspiration Strikes
Much of my art pieces are inspired by nature, specifically moving through nature. When I hike, bike, kayak or travel through beautiful places it tends to seep in through my senses and provide me with a ton of inspiration. My recent series came from a variety of these experiences and worked its way into my artwork without conscious thought - it just wiggled in there not directly invited only to reveal itself much later in the creative process.
Solstice 21” X 21” X 3” in solid maple floater frame
Solstice began the day after I joined a friend for an evening hike on the winter solstice. The bare trees allowed a lot of dusky light and eventually light from the full moon to shine down on us. The evening changed from shades of white, to grey to blue grey and finally we hiked the trail by the light of our headlamps. The light and shadow of the woods created the inspiration for this piece. The colors are ones that remained in that last leaf still clinging to a tree branch, or the ferns still hanging on along the trail. The full moon made its way into the piece as well. We did stop to admire it from the highest point on the trail. The winter solstice is one of my favorite days of the year. Knowing that the daylight hours will increase from this day forward is always encouraging as we enter into the winter season.
The Forest for the Trees 27” X 26” in solid wood sand colored frame
The Forest for the Trees came along for a long while without my knowledge of its origin or its destination. I kept adding small pieces of fabric and vintage book pages to my design wall, not entirely sure of why I was making any of these choices. Then one day, while hiking along the same trail that I had hiked on the winter solstice, I looked up and saw the exact inspiration for this piece. The winter had come and the trees were grey, the skies were overcast and a dusting of snow had fallen. There it was in front of me - overcast skies, grey tree trunks and fresh snow. The buttons were added afterwards and maybe they’re the trail, or my foot prints or something else entirely. But, I love them there. The luster of the mother-of-pearl against the matte finish of the fibers and the little red strips of red waxed linen make me happy - which how I feel on the trail.
Windswept 22” X 23” in solid wood charcoal grey frame
Windswept was also created in the winter season and reflects the colors, or lack of colors, of the winter landscape. The pops of light through the forest and the long shadows of short days. The piece was stitched and quilted and I decided to cover it with acrylic medium in a moment of inspiration. (Actually, I found myself by my painting table applying matte medium as if someone else had taken over my hands. I didn’t really know why I was covering it in acrylic but I was guided by the invisible force of inspiration.) From there I added swirls of red paint which I see as the swirling of wind that often happens in winter storms. My love of buttons still evident here. Perhaps adding some elements of control to the otherwise unplanned grid design. Perhaps a representation of the monotony of winter days spent indoors. I’d love to hear what you think of when you see them.
The Road Home 30” X 37” in solid wood charcoal grey frame
The Road Home revealed itself at the end of its evolution. Because I loved the uneven edges of The Forest for the Trees piece, I wanted to continue playing with that idea but, on a larger scale. Using the same solemn winter palette, I designed, stitched and quilted this piece. It had several starts and stops due to travel we had planned. First we went south for a few weeks of the winter just to escape the bitter cold of late January and February. That trip gave rise to the Historic St. Augustine series that can be found here.
Then we went to Ireland as the spring was underway. Throughout this time the quilt was progressing slowly and I had all but abandoned it. I had moved on from the stark winter colors and wanted to work in a different palette. Then all at once I saw it. This piece was the fields, roads, buildings, highways and places I had moved through during our travels. I added the red lines and small square at the very end. They are the road home. Like the lines on the map you find on the plane, the road for travel is always fun to explore but, it’s also nice to come home.
Inspiration can strike from anything and I believe it works differently for each of us. This is how it came to me for these particular pieces. What will inspire me next? I’m not sure. But, once I begin and it finds me working in my studio, it will surely come. I keep the door open so it knows it’s welcomed and doesn’t need to knock.
Thanks for checking out the blog. I’d love to hear about your sources of inspiration. Until next time, I wish you a creative week!
with gratitude,
Claude
And We’re Live!
Hello Friends,
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to have a workshop in person. I understand that it’s sometimes better to be online so you have people in different places, time zones and who would otherwise not be able to attend. It’s the pivot so many people made, from yoga studios to corporate meetings. But there’s something about having creative people working in a place together. And this workshop was something that I couldn’t really have taught online. If I’m honest, I don’t think I could have delivered a very good experience. So, I waited it out and found something I was inspired to teach and take people along with me and it turned out to be a great day.
Despite above average temperatures, we were shaded, open air and hydrated. By the end of the 3+ hours everyone had taken away something of value in the way of learning, mindset and creative art practice. I was happy that they were happy. That’s the best feeling when you deliver experiences such as these. I’m not sure I’d feel that way if I had done it virtually, and this workshop didn’t fit that model.
Here’s some pictures from the day and comments from the artists who attended.
Nature inspired mark making.
Black and White marks were our starting point.
Everyone found something to make their unique marks.
Adding layers…
so that we could reveal and conceal our marks.
Less control makes for interesting marks.
One of a kind - that’s what we love about art!
And now we consider composition. A great exercise in noticing what we love and what we can do without. Less is more.
Susan had some kind words that summed it up and helped me realize that I had delivered something to be proud of.
“From conception to production, this nature inspired workshop was a joy. The materials and implements provided by Claude contributed to the students' feelings of freedom and surety, just what an artist needs.”
I hope to offer another workshop in the near future. It was such a pleasure to be among other creatives and have something of value to offer them.
Thanks for checking out the blog. Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Have a creative week,
Claude
It’s All in a Name
Closing the Gap Art Quilt 29” X 27”
Hello Fellow Creators,
You know what time it is? It’s that time after I’ve finished a series, done the sealing and varnishing, frames are in transit and I have to create labels for my artwork. I know what the series is about. I know what feelings I want it to convey but I have to come up with 24 names for my upcoming show.
Here’s some things I have done in the past and my method for naming my work. First, I often name things after what is happening around me. The influence of external sights, travel and circumstances can’t help but seep into my artwork. The piece above was created during lock down in early 2020. I had no white fabric left to dye and small pieces of previously dyed fabric. I did however have a pretty impressive stash of vintage textiles. I decided to see what I could do and I made a series of several pieces that all had a lot of what I consider negative space. Coincidence? I think not. Then the pieces were pieced in small random arrangements and separated by the shades of white in the vintage textiles. Small groupings separated from each other. Coincidence? Not really. The piece at the start of this post is titled “Closing the Gap”. Wasn’t there a huge gap we were all feeling? I could have named it Separation or Social Distances but, that would attach a specific time to the piece. It would also give it a negative connotation - remember that terrible year?? I decided instead to name everything in the series something timeless and yet, related to that time. Here are some of the names I used for those pieces.
Far Reaching, Hanging by a Thread, Thinking Outside the Box, Circles of Influence and It’s Anybody’s Race (Remember that news cycle?) Timeless yet clearly influenced by the circumstances of the time.
I have pieces that have sold with names like “Nor’easter”. I made it during a day off of work because of, you guessed it, a nor’easter. I also have pieces who names I’ve struggled to find. Now I just sit on the floor, get grounded and look at the work. I ask it for a name and so far, I have been given some pretty good direction from the artwork.
Beachcomber #4 8” X 10” ready for framing
Another strategy that I use to name my pieces is to use a series name and just give it a number. The Beachcomber Series used stuff I had collected while shelling on all the beaches I had visited. It’s one of my favorite seaside pastimes. I also used this strategy for my Contemplations Series for a couple of reasons. First I had created 50 paintings so that’s a lot of names and second, it was about the mindset I used while I was making the work. You can hear more about the mindset here.
Contemplations Series 2 #4 10” X 10” X 1.5” on Cradle Panel
Now I have a series of 14 paintings and 10 art quilts that are in need of names. The art quilts are an interpretation of the winter landscape and so I will be considering names with that in mind. So far I have named this one “The Forest for the Trees”. I wasn’t sure during it’s construction what I was making - often the case in my abstract and non-representational work. But while hiking I looked around and it was a clear connection to me that this was the snow covered ground, the stark dormant trees and the grey skies of winter.
The Forest for the Trees is yet to be framed and measures 19.5” X 18.5”. But at least it has a name!
Finally, the latest series is about travel. I had the chance to get some travel time this winter and we headed south for a few weeks, 20 hours by car. We experienced St. Augustine, America’s oldest city. This recent series is influenced by the colors and vibe I experienced there. The beach house, the quaint city streets, the sightseeing and adventures of a new place. When I finish this blog post, I will be sitting with my paintings to give them their names. But this one already named itself.
Fountain of Youth 16” X 16” X 1.5” on Cradle Panel
I’d love to hear how you name your artwork. Please leave a comment of send me a picture. I’d love to see the work and see the connection to your title. Thanks for visiting the blog and I wish you a creative week!
With gratitude,
Claude
Art Quilt Meets Acrylic
Matte medium and acrylic paint on a vintage textile and book page art quilt.
Hello Fellow Artists and Art Lovers,
As you may know, I am formerly a science teacher. Twenty-five years in the classroom to be exact. When I tell people that, they look at me and say, “Oh, I would have thought you taught something creative, like art.” Hmmm. I’m not sure where people get the idea that science isn’t creative. After all, we do a lot of experiments. We start with a question or a problem and then set out to solve it. Which often in science leads us to another question. To me this sounds like perfect training to become an artist. Curiosity and uncertainty.
We have a question. What if - I mix these two paints, dye these different fabrics, scrape away paint or use this new technique? The possibilities are endless. Which always leads the artist, (and a scientist), to a new question. Ok, I mixed these two colors - what if I add white? black? paint over what I did and scrape into it? The what ifs are unlimited. Which is the perfect playground for the curious mind.
So, in my recent series of black and white art quilts, I have asked myself a bunch of what ifs. And today I am sharing with you a new way that I have devised for mounting and displaying an art quilt.
I asked what if I add red? What if I cover the piece with acrylic matte medium? What if I don’t want to put it under glass and in a big frame? How else could I showcase a piece? What if the edges are uneven? and so on.
I’m still working on the series and the ideas are coming to me only because I am making observations and asking the questions. Until recently, my studio has been divided into fiber on one half and paper and paint on the other half. It was inevitable that I would eventually combine the two. So for now, the paint and acrylic mediums are joining the art quilts. I imagine that further down the road, stitch will meet up with paper.
Here’s some photos of the series and how I am playing with the process. I hope you find something inspiring here. I encourage you to ask your own questions. One small idea that meets with another small idea can actually be a pretty big idea. I rarely get big ideas - but stringing together a bunch of small ones has been serving me pretty well so far.
I applied some cold wax medium to the sides of some 6” X 6” cradle panels and let it dry for about 30 minutes. Then I buffed it to a nice satiny finish. No one will notice this but, I like to have the work finished as nicely as I can.
I went to the local box hardware store and bought some stainless steel nails with thin shanks. Then I gathered my tools for the job.
I carefully placed my 6” X 6” art quilts on the cradle panels and tapped a nail in each corner, starting with diagonally opposite corners. I see the little frayed piece - I’ll have to trim that away.
I also added a nail at the midpoint of each side. If this were larger (and I have a larger one planned), I’d put them at whatever regular intervals make sense and securely hold the piece in place.
I had a couple of frames in the studio so I auditioned each piece in the frames. These are for 1 1/2” deep panels so these are recessed and I will need to use blocks on the back to raise them a bit.
I think I prefer the natural wood frame. Lightens the look and still feels contemporary. I’d love to hear your vote. Black or Natural? Feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks for checking out the blog. Feel free to leave a question or comment. Then go make something - start with “What two things can I put together?” That’s the big idea.
Reviewing Your Work
This is what I start with - YIKES!
All artists who create non-representational, abstract and even representational work will inevitably come to the question, “How do I know when a painting (or piece of art), is done?” Here are a few tips, tools and techniques that I have used and found helpful when I am getting to the end of a painting.
That’s a little better.
Cut a mat to the approximate size that you will be framing or mounting the artwork. Reduced the visual clutter of the extra paint and marks around the edges.
Hang it up and walk back at least 10 feet. Does it have appeal? Is there something about it that makes you want to take a closer look?
Use the paper or mat board that you removed from the center of your viewing mat and cut away one quarter. I have a 16” X 16” opening, so from the section I cut away I removed an 8” X 8” square. This gets trickier as you work larger but taping paper, even plain newsprint can be helpful to make this tool.
Place the mask over the painting so it covers each of the four quadrants. look at each quadrant at a time. Are they different from each other? Is there variety of value, marks, color, shape or whatever you are trying to engage the viewer with in your work?
Does each quadrant have something interesting? They don’t all have to. You can surely have a quiet area if you are highlighting something else. But there should be variety and something for the viewer to enjoy in each section of your painting.
It’s useful to check for a variety of values in your work. If everything is very dark, light or midtone nothing will stand out and there will less visual variety. So, I use my phone photo editing and turn the saturation down to -100 or essentially, black and white. This allows me to see if there are dark, light and midtone areas present without the distraction of color (which can be quite deceiving).
Then I crop out the mat or paper so I have only the artwork.
Another useful tool is Adobe Capture. It is a free app that allows you to do several things with your photos. I find it very useful when I am critiquing my artwork. Fifth row, far right.
It has several useful features that you can check out if you decide to use this app. But, the LOOKS feature breaks down the image into light, medium and dark tones. It also gives you some proportions. Variety of value helps keep the work interesting and keeps the viewer’s eye moving.
This piece is part of my current series, scheduled to be in my June Featured Artist show at The ARTery Gallery in Milford, PA. I hope that these ideas had some value for you. I know that when I get close to thinking something is done, I like to check that I’ve hit some key art elements. It’s helpful and it can help with the question “How do I know when it’s done?”
Thanks for checking out the blog. Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. I’d love to hear how you analyze your work when you are nearing the end of it. Please share so this blog can be a valuable resource for others. Thank you!
Have a creative week!
with gratitude,
Claude
Regaining a Fresh Perspective
The Rim Trail 13” X 13”
I was in my studio, just looking around. I have a lot going on in there. Currently, 16 paintings are underway - a series for an upcoming show. I also have 10 art quilts going. I was getting a bit stuck with the work because I kept doing what I know how to do - paint, splatter, add a pattern, stitch, etc. I love my creative work and I am always looking to push it further.
Realizing that I needed a fresh perspective in order to make these pieces “more” than I usually made, I decided to regain my beginner’s mind. Beginner’s mind is a meditation term that often means look at everything as if you are seeing it for the first time. Delight in wonder - have a childlike curiosity. Trust that whatever you know, you know nothing.
Of course, I know what materials and tools I have and I know how to use them. So, to boost my creative muscle I decided to try something completely new. Line dancing.
Yup, that’s right line dancing. I’ve never done it before. EVER. As luck would have it, I mentioned it to two people and within minutes, I had a Facebook post with details of weekly line dancing within a 10 minutes drive. If that’s not the Universe sending out support, I don’t know what more of a sign I could ask for.
Yesterday, I went to my first line dancing class - I guess it was a class, but really it was just a dance. I knew nothing - and everything was new - the names of the steps, the steps, the sequences and the people. I LOVED IT! I learned, I messed up, I laughed at myself and everyone there supported and encouraged me.
Today, I went into my studio and my work took on a whole new perspective. I let go of knowing where the work was going and I used a lot of paint to make bold changes to the paintings. Are they done? No. But, they are far more interesting than they were yesterday.
Will I go back to line dancing? Absolutely, what a fun and healthy environment. There are thousands of dances and it would take a lifetime to learn all of them - I imagine it is fodder for beginner’s mind for quite some time. (And it’s fun!)
How about you? What are you willing to try that you’ve never done before? Whatever it is, be willing and able to laugh at yourself. Honestly, if you take yourself too seriously that magic of childlike wonder will find someone else to bless with its graces.
I’d love to hear from you about what you tried. Also notice how you feel once you get back to that project you were stuck on.
Thanks for checking out the blog. I wish you a fresh, creative perspective on your week. You have my support and encouragement to try something new.
Claude
Earth Spirals 38” X 38”
The 100 Piece Project
As I’ve said before, there’s a lot of people who want to get better at art and the “100 Day Project” has been very helpful for them. If I were still at my full time job, finding 15 minutes each day to create one small piece would be a great way to make myself accountable to growing my creativity. But, I’m now on my own schedule and when I set aside creative time, I try to set aside as much of it as possible. Which is why I decided that instead of making 1 piece every day for 100 days, I’m going to make 100 small pieces on the same topic, but not necessarily in 100 days. It might take longer - or it might not. I started 13 days ago and I have 18 pieces so far. I make them in batches and I am working on them two at a time. Here’s what I set as my parameters.
I pick two of my painted square papers - different colors.
I pick 5 pieces of paper from my collage stash.
I make a collage with those 5 pieces on each of the two different colors.
Once I get home from my travels, I can add one or two of the following: A scribble, a line, a splatter or a pattern.
That’s it. What have I noticed so far? The color of the background changes everything. The size of the collage piece in relation to the other collage elements and background make it either stand out or blend in to the piece as a whole. Here are a few examples with my observations.
The warm colors (yellow and hot pink) really stand out but the muted colors blend in.
Same collage papers on a different background and the warm yellow doesn’t pop as much - although the hot pink still does. The black and grey has more impact than on the blue background.
This one is really about the magenta line, which is related to the magenta shapes from the magazine paper on the right.
Here the black and white incomplete letters and the muted green are more predominant.
You get the idea. I’m not suggesting you try this particular exercise. But, if there is something you want to get better at with your art making, create a small challenge for yourself. Make it manageable and with distinct parameters. The limitations actually cause you to get more deliberate with your choices. Here’s a couple that I have lined up so you can see how I start. On the right are the two painted background and on the left are the five collage papers.
You can see that I have some painted papers left over from past projects, magazine pages and sometimes I use the inside of security envelopes or old book pages.
The turquoise is an old birthday card envelope, there’s some magazine clippings, one painted paper and a book page. I am not using anything I think of as precious - it’s just for playing around and learning how elements can relate to each other.
So that’s how far I’ve gone on the project and for those of you who love math - I expect that half of my pieces will be below average. (The very definition of below average.) The point is that I’ll learn a lot by making 100 pieces and I won’t spend a lot of money or waste a lot of materials - which is often a concern. It’s a lot of knowledge bang for a few bucks.
Thanks for checking out the blog and if you have any suggestions for a 100 piece project, please feel free to send it my way. I’m having fun with this one but, there’s a lot to learn on the creative journey.
Have a creative week and I’ll be seeing you soon!
Claude
Here’s the counterpart to the one at the top of the blog. Very different - with only one change - the background paper.
Why I Work in A Series…
I used to make art in my spare time. After my full time job and on weekends when I could find some time. Back then, I had so little creative time that I was thrilled if I could make one piece every couple of months. But, as time moved forward and the kids grew up and moved out, I had more time. I got more serious with my creative endeavors and I had several pieces of art in the works at one time.
Now, I spend time in my studio several days a week. Because I love it and I have a place to exhibit it, as well as a website, I realized that I could work more prolifically in a series. Here’s the main reasons why it works for me.
It saves time because I am using the same color palette whether it is textiles or paint.
It allows me to explore what happens when certain colors are next to each other in a variety of pieces.
I learn a lot about color mixing and relativity - Bright red looks really bright when it’s next to dull green.
It allows me to create a body of work that can exhibit together and shows well in multiples.
When I am not sure what to do with a particular piece as I work, I don’t get stuck - I move on to the next piece.
Creating the limitations of color palette keeps me from over analyzing a situation and I can choose according to what materials I have laid out for myself. This keeps each piece relating to the others.
There’s less pressure to create one masterpiece because there are so many and you never know how each one is going to turn out, so the uncertainty makes each one less precious.
It really keeps me in a flow state. I get moving and everything is at my fingertips. I don’t need to think and the work comes together intuitively.
Here are some examples of pieces of work that are all in the same color palette. Cerulean blue, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, Titan Buff, Black and White. They are in process, which is a nice way to say right now - They stink. But with each paint session some get better and some get worse. One by one they get finished and TADA! a body of work.
I love so many techniques. Mark making, painting, stitching, dyeing fabrics, monoprinting, the list goes on. But each time I work in a series, I try something. Maybe I like it. Maybe I don’t. If I like it, how can I change it so it looks different or repeats but with variety. If I don’t like it, how can I change it? What did I learn when things didn’t go well? I can then immediately apply what I learned to another piece. The rate of improvement is dramatic when you are working in a series. That’s what I’m working toward. Getting better with each and every series.
Do you work in a series? I’d love to hear what you like about it. I’d also like to know what you learn through the process. Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question here. I’ll get back to you after I clean my brushes and get out of the studio.
Happy Creating!
Claude