FINDING BALANCE IN ART

Sometimes it is a direct conscious effort in choosing pallets, approach, style, and the concept for art work, and at other times it seems that if you let the subconscious energies operate all on it's own the results are far more vibrant, alive, conveying to the viewer a sense of honesty, truth, and vibrancy that may not happen when subject matter and aesthetics are overly intellectualized. I was thinking about this in relationship to meditation and the conscious choice to elevate your energetic state.

Some say that by simply being present, aware of your thoughts and actions that you are meditating, and advancing energetically, while others say that you must consciously choose to participate in a ritualized form of meditation, such as doing it for 30 minutes or more every day while sitting in a posture that allows energy to flow easily through the chakras.

In choosing to do a ritualized activity, I ask, is that always the route to take in order to achieve the greatest effect and does it allow for spontaneous experience, such as when you paint without a great deal of forethought as to concept and aesthetics.

It seems to be a hit and miss sort of situation when simply approaching a canvas and letting out whatever will come forth, whereas a strongly preconceived notion will be well directed, but may also be a stifling approach that doesn't allow for spontaneous events, so the painting will look stiff and un-energetic.

I am still finding the balance between allowing for energetic spontaneous occurrence, and having a well thought out map of where I'm going conceptually and aesthetically.

Saying For The Day; Listen to your internal dialogue and what your body is telling you.

Marketing Art Day

Producing art work is a wonderful, joyful experience. If I only create new art and deny the need for marketing my work, I'll have a studio full of art with no outlet for sales, so this day is devoted to gallery research, juried shows, and making follow up e-mails and phone calls.

I find this activity of marketing to require a great deal of creativity in a different realm, and it is an art unto itself. Finding galleries that are within the realm of what I do requires an enormous amount of research and diligence. Each has their own standards for applying, so I have to tweak each application. I also am working on a few things for magazines which want to feature my work, so I put together all the pictures and information for that as well. The most recent request came from My Daily Thread, and I should appear in an article in a few weeks.

I hope that soon I will have an art representative, so that I can focus solely on creating art.

The attached picture is a working sketch for my new equestrian series I recently started.

Saying for the day; Do all things in accordance with your heart...............

AT THE STUDIO 3-26-10

An interesting day at the painting studio, a bit restless, working on some sketches for the upcoming equestrian series, and wrestling with the dynamics of foreshortening. I do love the challenge of learning the anatomy of the horse, as I have never tried to draw them with any degree of accuracy. I think the more knowledge I gain about any visual subject matter gives me a foundation to work from that whether I'm doing realism or abstraction, it gives the drawing and painting a depth it couldn't have otherwise.

So, I'll continue with drawings today, working my way through the unknown, and whatever the results, whether pleasing to me or not so pleasing, I know I have expanded my abilities, and will have learned something new, doing better the next time.

Saying for the day;

I am willing to explore uncharted territory, and find joy in going beyond my comfort level.

First Art Blog Post

This is my first blog post 3-25-10

I wanted to start this blog because I thought it would be interesting to share my artistic endeavors with you. Some days are spent painting, but there is also a great deal of time spent in the area of promotion and research. I am just starting to find the balancing point in how I spend my time, to little time spent on the marketing aspects and I know I will have few sales, but to much and I will have no new art work to show. This is one of the things many artist struggle with, some just want to paint and forgo the marketing aspect of things, while others will do lots of marketing, but have little art work to display. Of course if you are in the upper ranks of artist, that is, "well known" you will probably have an art representative. As for me, I am in a few galleries, sell my work on line, and through word of mouth. I hope to find a great art representative this year, this would free me up to paint, paint, paint.........

Today I had a great day in the studio working on some compositions for my upcoming equestrian series. I have loved horses for some time now and I also ride dressage, but until now I had never really tried to draw horses. I think I've drawn just about everything else and feel very comfortable drawing, but I still have a lot to learn about horse anatomy and how to present them with a sensibility of the noble, strong, beautiful creatures they are. I probably will spend the next year drawing & painting studies of horses before I attempt to create the real series for a gallery to sell.

Saying for the day: Express yourself without ego, from your heart, honestly, and with love.