Ants-in-Your-Pants-Goals

S.

I am, without a doubt, a goal-oriented person.  I am a list-maker who derives great pleasure from being organized.  The end of each studio session is dedicated to actually naming the goals for the next, unless more time is needed for contemplation of a given work. 

That being said, travelling presents a problem for a person like me.  It is simply not possible to drag along armloads of art supplies.  And so I have devised a solution that keeps me content at the same time I am able to visit without too much offense.  The latest venture was a visit for a week in North Carolina.  Three very small watercolors were made on a deck providing afternoon sun.  But my favorite activity is to make small drawings from life while the family is gathered around, in discussion, or in front of TV.  Nothing posed.  Just several drawings begun at once and keeping an eye out for the model to resume a particular pose.  This trip I ended up with two small drawings that pleased me.  This one took a couple of hours, but I was content to pick away. Kept my attention up.  Feels good to produce something worthwhile. 

And.....keeps the ants out of my pants...temporarily.

Resolution...

Rick at the Wheel...sketch

'Tis the season for resolve!  We take stock of where we are and where we would like to go.  For visual artists, ideas are everywhere....on the web, in galleries and even in the newspapers that are heading to the recycle bin.  Goals.  Techniques yet untried.  Excitement for the doing.  My own resolutions include:

* to pump up more pure color in the work.....I have long been a neutral lover....primarily for their soothing nature.....but pure color grabs the attention and excites.  I will give it a try.

* to paint more from sketches.....one step removed from reality, painting from sketches allows for more artistic freedom and interpretation

* to incorporate more patterning into the work.  I am a lover of patterns - wallpaper, fabric and the like.  Why not include them?

There we have it............Happy New Year!

Your challenge should you choose to accept it is...

Bit of Orange   watercolor   8.25 x 6.5

whatever you need work on.  I have heard it said that it is our responsibility to work with both our talents and weaknesses in our quest for success in anything.  Challenges are good.  And challenges are many.  I try to add at least one challenge to any project in the works.  Not enough challenges to interfere with the enjoyment of the painting, but enough to take me from just painting what I see into learning just a bit more.  Increased ability to problem-solve is the goal.  Each artist in class was given an orange and instructions to cut it whichever way they wanted.  In addition:

* our papers were divided horizontally into three equal zones, either horizontal or vertical format   for the paper

* the orange was to be located in the central zone to the left, to the right, mid center, all of the artist's choosing

* half of the artists were to put hard edges on the top of the orange, shifting attention to the top of the work

*  half of the artists were to put hard edges on the bottom of the orange, shifting attention to the bottom

* we were to use a limited palette, using only one blue.  we were to create a neutral background using that      blue, with an orange.

Wow, we ended up with an amazing variety of wonderful works.  I had hoped to show some here, and perhaps will be able to next week.  I photographed them all only to realize that my significant other, a photographer, had removed the camera card from my camera.  No images.   ergh.....................

"Bit of Orange" is my solution.  My hard edges are, of course, at the bottom.  The painting was cropped to support the interest toward the bottom third of the paper.