SETTING GOALS NOT MAKING RESOLUTIONS!

I do think there is a difference between setting goals and making resolutions for the New Year.  Each day flows into the other in a seamless stream but there is something about a fresh start, a beginning point.  New Years is a good time for that.  Especially, after the crazy rushing around in December, it feels cathartic to be still and think about ideas and goals for the coming year.  Focusing in on a few things helps me to learn, grow and be more creative, and this is actually my true goal which doesn't change from year to year.  Working in a series, each successive painting growing out of an idea from the last helps me to delve deeper into an area of interest.  This year I have decided to work with the figure, explore pattern, and experiment with acrylic materials.  I have exhausted my interest in self portraiture ( I am so sick of my own face) but still am intrigued with collage and the potential of working with a grid.  Lastly, I want to explore color using Robert Burridge's color wheel based on Munsell's color system.  This gives me lots to work with.

I have had very little time to paint since I returned from Israel but I did find a fabulous new way to create
a stamp for my exploration of pattern.  This stamp was created on a sheet of colored foam.  This is a very inexpensive material found in craft stores.  It is usually in the children's craft section.  The beauty of this stuff is how easy it is to cut into shapes and can be incised with a ball point pen to create a pattern. Even better is this nifty tool I bought at Michael's Craft Store.  It is a wood burning set PLUS a soldering iron, all in one.  All you have to do is change the point.  This set has quite a few tips.    The one I have used has a good point on it so you can do precision work.  I not only used it on the foam sheet, but I used it as a stencil cutter on clear contact paper.  Fabulous!!!  I used my 40% off coupon, making it a good value!

Since I am not a doodler, or natural pattern designer, I have found Zentangle to be a wonderful resource for pattern ideas. http://tanglepatterns.com/  has lots of patterns organized alphabetically by name.  Each pattern is shown step by step.  I am keeping my eyes open for other pattern ideas.  They are everywhere when you pay attention.

I hope everyone is off to a good start on their 2011 goals!

ARE YOU READY WITH YOUR ART PLANS FOR 2010?

The New Year is fast approaching. I have been giving much consideration to my art goals for 2010. First, a quick overview of what constitutes a true goal:
1. Must be written down!
2. Must be specific (words like more, some, better etc. are not specific enough)
3. Must be attainable (example...I will paint on the moon is not an attainable goal)
Once I have established my goals, a plan must be created to make things happen. I came across my written goals for 2009 today while cleaning up my desk. It was satisfying to see that most of them were accomplished. The two disappointments were beyond my direct control but I did do everything in my power to make them happen. Most years I write out the goals, contemplate what actions I need to take, and then set the sheet aside. There is something in this process that sets it internally for me. When I check the list at the end of the year, much has come to pass.

One goal I wanted to carry over from last year was to draw every day. I did a lot of drawing this past year but I missed the "every day" part. It started me thinking. What might I do to encourage this practice. It occurred to me that drawing on a calendar would keep me on track. Especially one of those 365 day calendars with a separate page for each day. I headed out for the bookstore today to find one. Calendars are 50% off now with many wonderful themes to choose from. Maybe I should improve my pathetic French with a word a day, or attempt Italian or Spanish. In the end, I settled on a perfect match for me. I am focusing on grids (especially quilt patterns at the moment), self portraits, collage, quick sketching. It will all come together with this neat daily calendar of quilt blocks. I am going to use them as a collage element after drawing on them. To reinforce the "daily" element, I have started a blog just for this activity. There is nothing like public declarations to embarrass ourselves into following through. Starting January 1 you can follow my progress on www.drawntothemirror.blogspot.com

This is my planned setup. I want to draw from life and there is a program in my MacBook called Photobooth which turns on the internal camera. I could just prop up a mirror but I like the Photobooth program for now. I can use all manner of pen and ink materials, icluding white ink. The calendar fits in front of the computer and has a built in easel so it is propped up at a nice angle to draw. Here is my trial sample using a bamboo pen and India ink.

If you want to improve your drawing, why not give this idea a try. You can draw any subject you like. At the very least, you need to get busy with your art goals for 2010. It's going to be a wonderful year!

FIRST DAY OF THE NEW YEAR, LAST SKETCH OF THE OLD YEAR!

A shiny brand new year with all the possibilities started today. Last night our friends gathered together to see the old year out and the new year in. Most of us struggled to stay awake until midnight. Some of the guys played cards while others watched some never-ending football. Two groups of women played Mah Jong and 4 of us played Scrabble. I spent a little time drawing the Mahj game. I wanted to finish out the year with a drawing on the last day. My friends would kill me if they saw what I did. Kind of a fun drawing but not much for likeness of anybody. You can see the guys playing cards in the background.

Today I picked up my laptop and it still doesn't work! I am taking it back tomorrow. The "Genius" (that's what the Mac people call the tech guys) tried to fix it without replacing any parts but it didn't work. I am going to insist on a new antenna. In the meantime, I am limping along with my old machine. I am grateful I have it!

I took a few minutes out to reflect on my goals for the New Year. I don't believe in resolutions, just goal setting. Maybe it's the same thing but it has a different attitude! It is a good practice to sit down and really think about where you want to go and what you want to happen at least once a year. I create catagories like career, artistic and personal. They must be specific to be achieved. They must also be WRITTEN DOWN. I did this last year and then set the list aside. When I came across the list a few months ago, I was amazed at how many of the things on the list came about!

My artistic goals this year include drawing everyday for a minimum of 15 minutes, learning to hold an image in my mind's eye so I can draw accurately after someone has moved! Creating 2 serious paintings a month and trying at least one new technique or material once a month.

It's after 10 PM and I haven't done my first drawing of the year, yet. I guess I had better get busy!