"Self Portrait of My Soul"
10 x 14 gouache
So, I've been thinking a lot lately about goals with my artwork and my life right now in general. I read a book about a month ago that I loved, "Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater, and I've been following her blog and she has some awesome posts about goals and achieving them. So go check it out at m-stiefvater.livejournal.com, look up "butt kicking", if you are a creative type person it could change your life seriously! Also I found artist Laura Hardie at portraitartistsblog.blogspot.com who does amazing work with colored pencils inspiring me to pick mine up again and take a break from watercolors (only temporary). And photographybyjennymartinez.blogspot.com this woman is an amazing photographer, she captures the moment truly and her portraits just blow me away, go see for yourself. And music of course, I just found a great song "Monsters" by Hurricane Bells that I am loving and of course Muse because I love them and "Uprising" is one of my favorite songs. Overall feeling like I'm getting inspiration from everywhere lately and am loving it! So what has this flood of inspiration produced you ask? I am working on a colored pencil portrait that is going well, I am happy to say still to early to post as I only have one eye and side of the face done, but soon my friends soon. And I have decided (feel free to remind me of this later) that I don't care what other people say about my work, or what juror wants to let me into their show. I just don't, I am doing this because I love it and I believe that good things will come of it in my life. Maybe not right away, but someday. I know that because I will not give up, I will keep creating no matter what because ultimately I have to it's who I am. That being said I just got news yesterday that my painting was accepted to the Eccles Art Museum's Black & White statewide competition, I entered two pieces they wanted one. Yes that is me, behind one of my kids when they were a few months old. But I told myself before I opened the letter that it didn't matter what they thought, if I got in or I didn't, because I loved those paintings and I loved creating them. Just checked that off my goal list, not that I got accepted, but that I tried and entered the show anyway.
Beautiful artwork Crystal! I found you through blog catalog...we have a lot in common: 3 small kiddos, trying to find balance and painting while they sleep. :) Looking forward to seeing more of your work. luv, trina
ReplyDeleteThanks Trina! I am so glad you found me, I just went to your site and am amazed at all that you do, your work has real feeling to it. I agree that we have lots in common good to know I'm not the only one missing out on sleep!
ReplyDeleteYou are very talented! I know what its like to try to balance kids with your other passions. I am a stay at home mom to 2 and 9 year old little girls. I am also a full time Breative writing/ lit student and an aspiring YA author. It can be very frustrating trying to balance it all, but it is worth it!
ReplyDeleteThat is amazing that one of you pieces is being shown in a museum :)
Thanks so much Kristen! You sound like you have a lot going on, and this is crazy but I am an aspiring YA writer too! I am in the middle of writing my first book so glad to meet you, would love to talk to you about that. I agree with you totally that it is definetly worth it ;)
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