In which I go fangirl for Harley Brown

Headed In

10" x 14" watercolor (with just a smidge of pastel)

I know.

You're probably thinking what has happened to all the watercolor portraits? And what about that landscape we were promised? Hmmmm???

They're next in line folks, promise. Or, at least close to next in line. :)

So. Changes. My first two paintings of the new year are verrrry different from what I did last year. And both of them are a little more expressive.

That's one of my goals for the year. To paint with more expression. More freedom. More joy.

And I'm blaming Harley Brown for this.

I've been reading his book 'Eternal Truths for Every Artist' (which I think should be required reading for every artist) for the second time (okay, okay if you want to get picky about it I guess this is the first time, since I just skimmed it before) and I'm feeling SO inspired.

Seriously, if you haven't read it you must go find it. The man is a genius. And he's pretty hilarious too.

This book is all about being confident with your work and painting with passion. And he places a big emphasis on drawing from life. Which is another of my goals for the year. To draw at least once a week from life. 

So, instead of having a list of goals to check off one by one throughout the year, my focus is going to be on stretching my artistic skills. Drawing from life. Painting with lively brushwork and colors. Believing in myself. 

Now.

Dear friends.

What say you???

Are you with me? 

This is our year.

Let's challenge ourselves.

2011 has just begun. Anything can happen.

Huzzah!!

I leave you with these inspired words from dear Mr. Harley Brown:

"The art world is littered with the spirits of people who gave up, just didn't see the fun and the inspiration of being part of the artist's wonderful world.

But you, dear friend, are made of sterner stuff. Right?

So I say to you:

Never, never, never, under any circumstances, give up faith in your ability!

On paper or on canvas, you really do have something to say. Trust whatever is inside of you.

Stick with it!" Harley Brown

I said it before but I gotta say it again.

Huzzah!

Now. Go paint. :)

Jackson, and it's that time of year again. . .

'Jackson'  chocolate lab

8 x 10 watercolor

Jackson is my sister's dog. He died last year and it was heartbreaking, as it always is to lose a much loved member of your family.

She'd raised him from a teeny little pup and he grew up with her kids and was her husband's faithful hunting partner. I've painted him once before here, but wanted to do a single portrait of him as my gift to her.

So, here he is Jen. Happy Birthday. :) Love you.

Now, down to the business of Motivational Monday.

It's that time of year again.

That's right. It's time to make some GOALS. :)

You know how I feel about goals. Me and goals, we are like this *crosses fingers*. Tight.

I've been thinking about what I want to do in the next year with my artwork and really what I want is to take my artistic skills to another level. I want to stretch myself and do things that maybe I haven't tried before. New subjects, themes, media. Something like that.

That's the basic idea of my goals. I'm asking myself what will get me excited to create more art? What can I do that will bring me greater enjoyment as an artist? What will stretch me the most?

I want this next year to be fun and productive but, most of all I want to grow as an artist this next year more than I ever have before.

This is my challenge to you. Think of a goal for the new year and tell me what it is. I plan on 'formally' posting mine on January first, but I'm giving you a little peek about what's been on my mind so far.

Your turn. Let's hear it. You know you want to. :) 

Goals, revisited

                                    

A sample of the chaos of me making art. So, so many piles, and projects. :)

     I've been thinking about goals a lot in the last few weeks. I came across a notebook I had written down a bunch of goals in earlier this year. I only had a few that I really wanted to accomplish this year. My theory was that if I wrote down too many I would be overwhelmed and then stop working at reaching any of them.

     That's kind of what I do, if too many things demand my attention I have a really hard time focusing on getting any of it done. Kind of get that deer locked in the headlights look on my face. So I only wrote down some that I really wanted to reach. And these are just creative, personal type goals.

• finish my novel and submit it to agent/publisher
• run a half marathon
• earn more income than I have in the past with my art

     It's kind of interesting because I wrote down this list and then I don't think I've looked at it again until just this last week. But I am really happy to say that I completed two of these goals! How awesome is that? Don't you just love that feeling of setting a goal and then actually meeting it? That's why I *heart* goals :)

      Run a half marathon: check. Earn more income than I have in the past with my art: check (I set this one kind of low on purpose, I wanted to be able to reach it and feel good about myself). Finish my novel and submit it to agent/publisher: no check.

      When I started this year I thought I'd zip right through this little book I've been dreaming about writing for the last three years, look through it once or twice for grammar and typos and then send that baby off to get published. Yeah. . . it's not really happening like that. I work on it almost every day, but I'm still not finished with it. And I don't think this year I'll be ready to look for an agent. I want this book to be the absolutely best that I can make it and for me that takes a lot of time.

       So I'm changing that goal, and adding some other ones. I find goals and deadlines to be VERY motivating, I think I need some right now. But to make goals that 'count' I need to know what I want. Let me tell you what that is.

      I want to be a published author. Oh, how I want this. You just don't even know. I feel kind of silly to admit that, it seems so shallow and superficial to say it. But that's not how I FEEL about it. It's been my dream for so long and I've never really let myself actually believe that it could happen, until this year. I'm committed to this dream, I'm going to do whatever it takes (I mean, aside from super villainry) to make it happen. I'm not giving up. It'll happen one day, if I just don't give up.

       So my new writing goal is: Finish my novel (first draft) by September 1st. There I've said it, now you can all hold me to it :)

      And I'm adding a new writing goal too, because I feel like this will help me be a better writer: write one short story every two weeks. Why every two weeks? Because once a month sounded like a long time, and every week started to make me panic. So middle of the road, two weeks it is.

       Artist people I hope you stuck around for that :) Because here is what I want with my artwork.

      I want to earn a steady income with my work (it's not all about money, I promise). I want to move people with my art, I want them to feel something when they look at one of my pieces, something so strong that they need to have it in their home, so that when they walk past it they feel happy, thankful, inspired, or just peace.

      I have a few paintings hanging in my house that I feel that exact way about. And they aren't my work. It's another artist that I admire so much. Every time I look at those paintings I think to myself, that's what I want to do with my work.

      But how do you make a goal out of that? I'm not really sure, but I think it means painting regularly, and painting subjects or themes that I react strongly to. Images that stay at the front of my mind and won't let go of me. And getting my art out where people can see it. So here are the goals I've come up with: Paint a piece specifically for entry to the American Watercolor Society's national show and enter that show, November 1st.

Paint two spiritually themed paintings for two art competitions that are specifically for religous art. One is in October, the other one is about 9 months away.

Paint one or two small "daily" type paintings a week. To improve my skills and just for fun.

     So, yeah. Those are some of my goals. I think I better conclude this epic post now :) But I hope you'll tell me what your goals are, I'm challenging you to go make some. Ready? . . . Go!