New Workshop! Creating a Daily Art Practice: Sketching with Graphite
On February 12th I’ll be presenting a workshop at Literati (in partnership with the Ann Arbor Art Center) here in Ann Arbor on how using water-soluble graphite can help develop a daily process.
Together we’ll work on a few of the exercises I use and I’ll share some of the ways I work with the graphite.
Materials are included ( a handmade sketchbook and your own stick of graphite!) in the ticket price.
I’d love to see you there!
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?
New Print Alert; Blush Response!
Blush Response (30 x 40 - available) was one of my favorite paintings from last year. And getting hi-res images made of the work have been on my list of to-dos for a very long time.
The stars aligned last week and I was able to get some photos taken and prints are FINALLY ready to go!
Blush Response is available is three sizes, 5 x 7, 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 14. I can create larger versions (up to 30 x40) so contact me if you want a bigger print.
Happy 2020!
Happy 2020!!
I hope this new year greets you with warmth and many fun creative endeavors on the horizon.
I’m taking a few more days off to see family, work on house projects, eat too much food and paint without a goal. The shop and commissions will reopen on January 6th.
In the meantime, I thought I might share a few of the goals/focuses I have set for 2020.
Every year on the 1st I take some time to myself to brainstorm my hopes and dreams for the coming year and to dig into the numbers from the year past. I do this partially to just stay organized - but also to make sure I spend the first day of the new year in a headspace that will influence how the next 365 days are experienced.
I divide these into ‘goals’ which have a concrete, measurable way to determine if I have achieved them or not, and ‘hopes’ which are judged by more feelings/emotions.
Goals for 2020 //
I want to update/rearrange our office area - end of January.
Right now our office feels very thrown together, because it was, and it just doesn’t give off any productive vibes. I’m looking to foster a more professional environment in this space.
I’ve got fun activities/contests/giveaways planned for the subscriber list for the majority of the year, and I’m just excited to grow a smaller more personal community via the newsletter.
Apply to 50% more shows and events throughout the year.
I am thrilled I was able to be a part of so many shows last year, and I’m looking for a bit more of a challenge for 2020. For every show I apply to, I’m going to find one more.
Spend 1 day every month photographing and cataloging new work.
This is a big one. I love the creation aspect of my work - not necessarily the business part. But I can’t have one without the other, so setting aside real time to photograph and add work to my site would be immensely helpful.
Build basement studio - Spring 2020/
I’d love to have a bit more space for multiple projects, large work or a group painting session. We have a space in our very, very unfinished basement that would be perfect for this - I just need to get to work painting and building walls.
Hopes for 2020 //
More house progress!
Learn basic woodworking
Stay on top of short-term goals and emails.
So happy 2020 again, thank you all for being here and best wishes for an amazing year!!