pursuitofart | The Pursuit of Art

5 Ways to Energize Your Art

It has been raining all morning. Unfortunately, this means it is a gym day as opposed to an outside run day for me. Gym days are less exciting for a few reasons, but the main reason for me is boredom. When I arrived at the gym today, I opted to use the elliptical machine instead of the treadmill. Two tricks that I discovered to keep myself more entertained on the elliptical are listening to music and using the reverse mode on the machine. The change in direction from forward to backward and then forward again keeps me engaged.

In my art, I also get into a rut due to boredom and it’s hard to break out of it sometimes, particularly when painting alone. But here are some techniques I utilize to combat the issue and keep my painting process interesting:

Paint with your eyes closed
You can do this by just closing your eyes or by using a blindfold. Make sure to set up your workspace and know where all of your materials are before closing your eyes. You may want to set a timer for two minutes to allot yourself a specific time frame. You can try different techniques with your eyes closed like thinking of a memory and painting/drawing, or if you’re listening to music, trying to paint/draw to the beat.
Work on more than one art creation at a time
When I leave a piece of good paper next to me and use it as I would scrap paper, this sheet can sometimes become more interesting than the piece I am working on. I may use the sheet of paper for wiping off extra paint or drawing a quick sketch. Then after a while, I may notice that the “scrap” paper has more energy than my actual piece (where my focus is often on fully integrating colors and shapes, a process that can sometimes result in a loss of energy). When that happens, I like to try finishing the artwork that started as scrap, just as I would a regular piece. Try applying this approach to your artwork in whatever way makes sense for your medium.
Flip your substrate upside down
Rotating your canvas or paper will help you see the basic shapes in your work. Once you see these shapes, make sure your piece still works from each perspective of your rotation. Can your eye still easily move around the canvas, or does it get cut off?
Switch hands
Try painting or drawing with your other hand for a timed segment. Try making small movements followed by loose, large movements with your painting/drawing instrument. How does it feel?
Exchange your art with another artist. Work in rotation on the same piece.
I worked on my first collaborative piece two years ago. It was for an art show where you could only enter if the piece was collaborative. An artist friend and I exchanged the painting about once a week. We each did whatever we wanted to the painting and stopped exchanging it after we both felt it was complete. The painting sold within a month of completion and we split the profit.

What tips or tricks do you have to energize your art and get out of a rut? Did you try any of the suggestions that I listed? If so, how did they work for you? For other ways to spice up your art, try my 7 Day Creative Challenge!

When is a Painting Complete?

I was working on a painting that I set out to finish Thursday night. I really wanted to drop off the painting for an art exhibit and the deadline was Friday. I was pushing, but as much as I wanted the painting to be finished, it just wasn’t. Something was a little off. This brought me to the question, when is a painting finished?

For my own work, I think about where I envision a piece going. I often paint intuitively, so I usually don’t know the answer to that question when I begin. But as I progress, it becomes clear to me what the focus for the piece is (for me, this often means which two elements and principles of art I want to focus on). And given that I work abstractly, I don’t know when something is finished simply because I started out to create a painting of a dog and now it looks like a dog, therefore I must be done. I need to judge my painting based on the emotion or feeling that I want to convey. Sometimes I do this with color, by picking a warm, yellow color to convey a happy mood, for example. Or I might listen to upbeat, instrumental jazz music to inspire energetic brushstrokes.

I paint until I have a gut reaction that a piece is finished. Yes, that means that there have been times when I went too far and ruined a painting that was already complete. But by pushing myself, taking risks, and continuing to practice my art, I have a better sense of when it is time to put a painting aside.

Here are some questions that I have learned to ask myself:

Does the art mean something to me?
Does the painting convey what I want it to?
How does my eye move through the painting? Does my eye get stuck anywhere?
Does the painting feel unified/balanced?
When I turn the painting on its side or upside down, does the painting still work visually?

Consider asking yourself these questions and allow the answers to determine whether you are finished. If you are, remember to sign and date your painting. Some people do this on the front of their painting, but I choose to do this on the back of my work. I also find it helpful to take photos throughout the painting process, the last photo, of course, being one of my finished piece.

How do you know when you’re finished a piece of artwork? Are there other questions you’ve used to help you make that determination? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

You Can Succeed in Art and Life

I never ran until 3 years ago. Today, I run 3 days a week. In fact, I had just returned from a 5K run on a new trail at the time I started writing this post. I first started running after hearing about the Couch to 5K (C25K) program. C25K is a 9 week program that uses walking and running intervals (where you start out mostly walking) to build up your running endurance and eventually get you able to run a full 5K distance. For me, reaching my end goal of being able to run a 5K distance nonstop (no walking breaks) took something more like 18 weeks. There were weeks I struggled to meet the program goal and so had to repeat the week’s program before moving on to the next week. But I was determined to reach my 5K distance goal however slow my pace.

One day it hit me that EVERY person is slower than someone else. In order to stay with my training, I had to focus on myself and not on how my pace was over 15 minutes per mile. By showing up every training day and acknowledging my small achievements along the way, I was able to continue on the journey I started. I allowed myself to feel proud when I completed my first 5K race with a PR of just under a 13 minute mile.

As with all journeys, there have certainly been bumps along the way. I had surgery a few months ago and was sad that I couldn’t run for over a week. By the time I was allowed to run again, I was still feeling pretty yucky, but felt okay enough to try a one mile run, so I did. During that run, I passed an older man who said to me, “Keep it up. You are almost running.” The thing was, I was already running, and had been running for 3 years. I am just not as fast as some of the other regular runners out there. The man’s comment hurt my feelings (even though I doubt that was his intention). But I DID complete my one mile run and felt accomplished. I may not have fulfilled the expectation’s of the man who chose to provide commentary on my running that day, but I did meet the expectations I set for myself.

Over the years, I’ve had similar experiences with responses to my paintings. I’ve received feedback, for example, on why my paintings might not be a good fit for a certain gallery. But, I never gave up. I have reached out to successful artists, asking them specific questions and noting the feedback. And that feedback has helped me hone my art presence while remaining true to myself and my artistic goals. Slowly but surely, I began to have more success and to grow and deepen my connections in the art world. When I receive rejection letters, I keep moving forward just as I do when life dictates a momentary break in my run training. I continue to apply to shows and occasionally something sticks. And when it does, it’s kind of like hitting that 5K goal all over again!

What tips do you have for how to stick with a pursuit? Did you ever get rejected and then later get accepted? How did you feel? I hope you’ll share your experience below in the comments.

7 Day Creative Challenge

monochromatic paint splatter

Do you ever have a day where you want to create art, but you just don’t know where to start? The first few minutes in creating something new are the most daunting for me. A blank canvas gives me the chills! There is so much possibility, but what if I mess up along the way? When I pick up my paint brush I ask myself questions like: Where should I start? What color palette should I use? What do I want my end product to be? And, I often get so caught up in the details that I don’t even start.

Sound familiar? To break out of this rut, I invite you to participate with me in a 7 day creative challenge. I will be painting for my 7 day challenge, but you can draw or sculpt as well! When you are ready, here are the 7 day departure points:

Day 1: Complementary Colors

By Ellywa (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons — Complementary colors by Ellywa via Wikimedia Commons

Complementary colors are colors that are across from each other on the color wheel. Examples are red and green, yellow and purple, and orange and blue. For this challenge, limit yourself to a set of complementary colors and see where your creation takes you!

Day 2: Nature
For this challenge, start creating while being inspired by nature. My suggestion would be to go on a nature walk. While you are on the walk, take inspirational photos and collect leaves or sticks that you can combine into your creation or be inspired by.

Day 3: Black and White
How far can you push yourself while limiting yourself to only using black and white? Can you think of any artists who are known for monochromatic painting? Pablo Picasso and Kasimir Malevich come to mind. Who can you add to the list?

Day 4: Shadows
Shadows and silhouettes are all around us. For this point of departure, let’s examine interesting shadows that we find in our day. Think about the positive and negative spacial relationships in your drawing, painting, or sculpture. Let this be a point of departure for your new creation.

Day 5: Concentric Circles
Concentric circles are circles with a common center. Wassily Kandinsky is known for his famous painting Squares with Concentric Circles. Join me and originate your own piece of art with the concept of concentric circles in mind.

Day 6: Collages/Cut Outs
I challenge you to draw abstract lines on your canvas and fill in each area. Or, if you want to take the most realistic path, draw an animal, flower, landscape, etc. Spread glue on each area of your canvas and cover it with torn or cut pieces of paper. You can use paper that you have painted different colors or cut or tear from magazines. An optional last step is to add a coat of fluid matte medium to seal your finished collage.

Day 7: Lines
Join me in combining lines in an interesting way. How much will your lines vary or stay the same? What types of lines can you think of: straight, curvy, dotted, jagged, transparent, thick, thin?

Feel free to share your 7 days of creations (or just your favorite pieces) by adding the link to an image of your piece in the comments below! I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

How to Create a Professional Artist Website

So, you have been pursuing your art for a long time now. Or, maybe you have just started. Either way, you have a passion for creating. And now the world needs to see it!

Here are a few simple steps to get you started with creating a professional artist website and selling your artwork.

Buy a unique domain name. Go to https://www.godaddy.com/domains/domain-name-search and search to see if your preferred domain is available. You could search for your first and last name or combine your name with the type of art that you create.
Build your site. There are plenty of free ways to build a site with no coding skills. The one that I recommend is wix.com. If you agree to display the Wix logo, Google hosts your site for free. Another good resource is squarespace.com, but that does have a monthly fee. Or, build your site in WordPress.org if you have some coding skills.
Create an “About” page. This is a place to talk about your passion for art and describe your journey. Keep it professional.
Add a “Blog” page. Here is a great opportunity to talk about your process and find followers. Create an option for followers to pin your art to Pinterest to help expand your following.
Post testimonials. Already sold some work? Ask those collectors if they are willing to give you a quote that you can add as a testimonial to your website. It is important to build and maintain your reputation.
Sell your art. Add several art pieces that you have available for sale. There are a variety of methods for selling your art, but a few that come to mind are: eBay, Etsy, FineArtAmerica.com, Artfire, and Amazon. Do you have more to add to the list? Comment below and let us know! And, don’t forget you can always sell art directly from your site itself.
Promote yourself. Remember that promoting your art and getting it seen by your target audience is important. Create business cards that include your new domain name. Develop your 5 minute elevator pitch. And take advantage of the network that you already have established. You would be surprised how word of mouth advertising can help you when collectors are pleased with the art and service they receive from you.

Creating your artist website, building an email list, sending out a newsletter, blogging, and regularly posting to social media will not only help your business prosper, but will also get you additional sales on third-party sites as well. Have any other tips or tricks to share about building an art following and getting art sales? Let us knowin the comments below.

Make a Statement with Color

“Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I see before me, I make more arbitrary use of colour to express myself more forcefully … To express the love of two lovers by the marriage of two complementary colours … To express the thought of a brow by the radiance of a light tone against a dark background. To express hope by some star. Someone’s passion by the radiance of the setting sun.” Vincent van Gogh, 1888.

One of my favorite things in life is color. Colors are all around us and each color and color combination evokes a different feeling for each of us. When creating art, color choices should be made intentionally. Try working with a limited color pallet (three to five colors only) for your next piece. Depending on the colors you choose, you’ll find that this approach can help you produce either a bolder, more dynamic piece, or something much more muted than possible with a wider array of colors.

Two great resources come to mind when choosing and mixing paint colors.

First, pick your colors. Adobe Color lets you create and save various color combinations, each of which consists of a set of five colors. Visit Adobe Color, click on the color circles and start creating your combinations! You can select that you want to create analogous, complimentary, or custom color combinations.
Then, figure out how to mix your paints to produce those colors. Golden Virtual Paint Mixer allows you to virtually experiment with and explore color options within the GOLDEN palette. Visit Golden Virtual Paint Mixer, click on a color, then a tube, and slide the cap left or right to adjust the amount of each color in the mixture. The swatch will show you the color you’ve mixed, along with tints of that color. You can click on the numeric tab and see what the color would translate to in RGB, L*a*b, and CMYK, or reverse engineer a mixture from one of those formulas.

I hope this helps you when starting your next project. What other resources do you check for color inspiration?

How to Let Loose and Create

photo_467_20051111 Before you begin, be sure to wear comfortable clothing that is non-constricting — items that you don’t care about getting dirty (I have a few designated outfits just for my art). You’ll also want to have all your supplies set up ahead of time. Trust me, once your creative flow is in motion, you won’t want to stop to find that paintbrush you just purchased last week.

Once you’re feeling physically prepared to create, you’ll need to get yourself mentally prepared. Here’s how:

Clear your mind. Yes, you might very well be thinking about all the things you need to get done at some point today, tomorrow or this week (that pile of laundry won’t wash itself after all) but you really need to clear your mental slate to make room for creative inspiration and risk taking.
Stay in the moment. Avoid the temptation to give up if you just aren’t feeling it or if your favorite Netflix show seems to be calling your name. Try regulating your breath, and listening to music that isn’t distracting, but supports your creative focus. Stress-reducing techniques such as these (and other suggestions you can check out here) can really help your focus.

Now you’re ready to just create. Don’t think, just do. Freely approach your creative piece without preconceived notions. Be free to experiment. Try one new technique that you never imagined doing before.

When you feel ready to wrap up your creative session (this decision could even be based on a pre-determined length of time), try not to judge what you just worked on. Put it aside and see what you think in a couple of days, or a couple of weeks. And when you feel comfortable, share your work with others.

Remember, the act of creating is a reward in itself.

5 Ways to be Successful as an Artist

Doesn’t it drive you crazy that you’ve read hundreds of blog posts and books on painting and creativity, and yet you’re still not making the progress you expected to make by now? I can remember a time when I was not successful at art, mostly because I was not doing it. At that time I decided that I wanted to make a change.

The first thing that I did was join an art class! I knew that showing up once a week to create would be just the start I needed to get back into my work. And, it was! I met amazing people who were on a similar journey. We connected, shared resources, and learned from each other.

From these experiences, I became successful and you can, too! To get you started, here is a short list of ways to become successful as an artist.

1. Create art everyday.
Set time aside whether it is 15 minutes or an hour to have fun, create, and most importantly not judge your work.

keepcalm 2. Be social.
Attend local art meetups or art classes. Share what you are working on with others and ask to see their work. Inspire each other to be kind to both yourself and others. We are all in this together and art heals the soul.

3. Take risks.
Mess up your work and fix it again. Transform your piece. Kill it and give it new life again. Photograph the process.

4. Set goals.
Create a list of objectives for yourself. Ask yourself where do you want to be in a month, 1 year, and 5 years? Set small and large goals.

5. Forgive and forget.
Not everything you touch will be a winner and that is okay. It is important to stay focused and keep creating. Besides, how can you be an artist if you aren’t creating?

If you want to create authentically, you’ll come to a point of making a decision. Do I want to tell my story, convey my journey, and paint/draw/sculpt my vision? My suggestion: create away. That’s what artists do. Your journey will be messy, surprising, and fun. You may learn new things about yourself in the process. I sure have!

I’d love to hear about your journey as an artist and your practices. Share your story.