- Love your Art Studio, no matter the size or location.
I’m so excited about my new studio gallery space. Organizing the move is a challenging and rewarding time to review and appreciate your lifetime experiences, admire your hard work and get energized for opportunities yet to unfold.
- Make your working area a light bright fun clean and a happy space.
If you can pitch the florescent lighting and replace with energy efficient LED fixtures you will find more umph in the afternoons and feel uplifted to keep on working (in addition to the much needed coffee break). The more natural light the better with northern exposure being the best source, but whatever you have just make it work for you! Your eyes will thank you at the end of each day.
- Organize your art supplies.
Don’t waste time rummaging around your stuff to find the perfect brush or tool to use in the heat of the passionate process. You loose the train of thought and the “motion of expression” (topic for another blog); it will show in your work as something was interrupted. Been there done that! Preparation is so important. I now use clear boxes labeled for easy to find goodies all stacked on shelving racks.
- Re-purpose those old kitchen items.
Cookie sheets and cake pans are perfect paint palettes or utensils with interesting contours and shapes to trace or try using them as applicators to push pull and drag paint on various surfaces to find new and interesting lines and textures.
- Re-read your favorite reference books and old magazines.
It’s like taking homeopathic medicine ~ a shot in the arm, and suddenly you feel better about everything in your life and the ideas begin to gush. I personally love “The Art Spirit” by: Robert Henri. I always find a new philosophical twist with inspiring ideas for composition design color and more reasons why I create art.
- Work in a series.
I use a similar color palette on canvas or paper of the same size as one will inevitably turn out good enough for uploading to your website, and suitable for framing to exhibit in the future. Be patient with yourself, everything takes time and not everything will turn out to be a master work of art for infinity.
- Take a walk in the fresh air.
Breathe deeply. See all the beauty in nature that surrounds us. Use those colors and shapes in your work when you get back inside the studio.
- Look at photos of the wonderful places you have traveled.
Reminisce about the conversations, sights, sounds and smells of it all. Draw in your sketchbook from your photos (try not to use someone else’s photos or picture postcards) and create awesome new compositions worthy of painting and make your memories last forever.
- Look at those old paintings you set aside to marinate and re-evaluate.
Please, do not toss your artwork when you are annoyed with it during the moment of initial creation. They might look better to you, maybe even great several days, months or even years down the road. Creating Art is like cooking. Sometimes you have to set aside, marinate, and mix something else in a different bowl or start with a clean sheet of paper. Sometimes I cut or tear up what I think are not so great works on paper into small pieces and paste together in a collage with other sorts of papers for a new look at the wonderful colors and shapes. Include some letters, words and/or numbers that are a meaningful expression of you or thoughts you may have. They also make great gift and note cards, just size them to fit a standard size envelope to wow your collectors with original fine art!
- Eat good food exercise sleep love laugh sing dance and just do it.
Make art everyday, be your creative self and the world will be a better place!