On Art and Writing (and how I know to re-write my artist statement)
I’ve never been able to carry small bags. I’ve always looked longingly at small clutches and petite crossbody bags, but the reality is I just can’t ever use them - I carry too many books.
I’ve mentioned that I always have multiple sketchbooks on my person (here’s a list of other posts with some of them) but in addition to those, I also always carry a dedicated notebook/journal.
Which is why those cute little bags will never be a possibility for me; my bag destiny lies in big totes and backpacks.
I’ve always kept a journal of some sorts. When I was younger these journals focused on the day to day, when I traveled I would document where we would go and what we would do, and when I painted - I’d write about painting.
When it started;
I began the writing about my art part a long time ago when I was frustrated with everything that I was making. I couldn’t describe to anyone else why I wasn’t happy with my work, so I tried taking a few pages to tell myself why I wasn’t happy with my work. It ended up taking a few more pages than that, but I was able to see where I was going wrong and where I wanted my work to go - and why it wasn’t there yet.
It was a bit of a ‘eureka’ moment for me, and I’ve continued to make this a layer in my art process ever since.
Why I Still do it;
If I’m starting a painting with a nebulous idea, before I start sketching I’ll take a few minutes to write about that idea. It doesn’t have to be complete sentences or make sense to anyone other than me. Sometimes it’s just words, or jumbled thoughts, but I always find myself going back and underlining certain words, maybe crossing others out, and through that process I end up distilling the idea into something a little bit more concrete. Then I move to my sketchbook.
It’s also helpful for me if I don’t have any ideas but am itching to paint. Rather than just start throwing paint around and potentially wasting materials (though, I do this sometimes too…) I’ll sit and record some streams of consciousness. I may not think I have any ideas to paint from, but usually through a bit of writing to myself something will bubble up to the surface and I’ve got a place to start.
Another reason I keep up this practice is for my customers. Buying an original piece of artwork usually stems from a connection to the piece. Be it the color, movement, title sometimes - there is something that wiggles it’s way into the heart of the buyer and stays. When someone is interested in a piece and is looking to know more I can flip back through the pages of my book and provide additional indepth details about the painting’s inception.
Titles! This is often how I narrow down the title of a painting. Words will pop up as I work and I write them down here, giving me a list to choose from.
However, the most important reason for me to write about what I paint is my Artist Statement. Re-reading what I’ve written can greatly inform the status of my statement and in the past has even written it for me. I use these pages to check in and make sure my statement is correct and that it is the place I’m actively working from, as well as a marker for noting if my work is moving away from that. If there are words that come up regularly, that I feel like speak to the nature of my work I’ll factor those in and build the statement around these tidbits. As an artist who formerly hated the whole statement writing/revising process, this has made that process painless and definitely more truthful.
What I write with: *Note; some of these links are affiliate links
My current notebook is a Shinola book. I’ve used Pentalic books, random blanks, anything and everything.
My pens; I love the Pilot Plumix collection. I use all three of the nib sizes and I adore the lines and letters I can make.
Currently I use only blue ink. I think it’s ingrained from childhood - I loved looking through my dad’s notebooks and and he also tends to use blue.
What about you? Does writing factor into your art process at all?
