Friday, May 30, 2008

Working style

I'm getting really frustrated that I cannot scan my work as I've been drawing a tremendous amount just lately. Oh well, I have to be patient until my IT person (my husband) is less busy .

Just when I start to fall into a funk of wondering if I am wasting my time with my art, someone posts that they love my work, find it inspiring and that it makes them smile. I ultimately make art for myself and because I HAVE TOO! (Otherwise, I'd be even more crazy than I am now!) But, it is always nice to know that what you are doing actually matters or makes a difference to others as well. So thank you! I don't really think that I shouldn't be making art but sometimes I question how much time to spend on it or on which kinds of pieces or projects I should focus my attention. And, I feel really guilty about how much I go through in terms of paint, paper, fabric, etc. I tend to be a bit obsessive and if I start drawing it turns into a week of drawing and 3 pads of nice paper later I have a stack. Or, painting on fabric. Rather than working very focused on one piece, it will turn into days of just having to splash colors about and see what kind of effects I am able to achieve. Then, 10 yards of fabric later and only a few pieces I'm happy with I think, was that really a good idea? And, the answer? Most of the time I am able to remember that is an emphatic YES!!!! Of course, not everyone can afford to go through so much material and have so many mistakes. I choose to use nice paper and nice fabric because I never seem to know when something will be just a sketch or keep me so entranced that I must turn it into a piece of art. I very rarely sketch and then proceed. It is a somewhat wasteful way to work but it works for me. I am able to feel as if I am practicing and making my mistakes and creating things I am satisfied with all at the same time.

How do you work?

1 comment:

Carol Sloan said...

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that works that way. I can't seem to "do" just one thing...I go back and forth between several on-going "projects" or"experiments"...I spend a lot of time with my art just don't seem to produce as much as others seem too...That's ok though, it's just my way.