Beginning of December Check-in
It feels like it’s been so long since my last update because it feels like a lot has happened in the last two weeks with Thanksgiving, getting sick, and family visiting. I had some time off from the studio and working in general, but I’m back to being quite busy (but not overwhelmed)!
What I’ve been working on:
I started a new painting that was inspired by a visit to the coastline along 17 Mile Drive. A bunch of sea debris of limpet shells, blue mussels, white coral, and seaweed had washed ashore and I was inspired by the random arrangements the ocean had tossed them onto the beach. I took a bunch of close up pictures of the debris and decided to start a 30”x40” painting of one of the photos I took.
Prior to my seashell painting, I started working on a smaller 8”x10” painting of cherry blossoms. I’ve been slowly working through a collection of 8”x10” flower close up paintings. This will be my fourth painting in the collection. I think I’m better understanding my workflow/creative process. I have these ideas for collections and can pretty quickly come up with 5-10 paintings that will make up the collection, but I get bored of painting the same type of subject. So I usually stop halfway through one painting to start another painting in a different collection, but will eventually get back to it. I’m accepting this reality and letting myself paint what I want/what inspires me because I know I’ll eventually go back to the painting or collection and complete them. So it may take me three times as long to finish a collection, but it also means I’m working on three collections at the same time. I like to have a diversity of projects that I’m working on because it keeps me interested and excited.
So that being said, I’m taking a break from my 30”x40” painting of Yosemite painting. I’ll start working on it again before my next check-in because I want to use the painting in an art call specific to Yosemite National Park.
Outside of painting, I’m writing a proposal for a grant to secure funding for programming with the arts organization genARTS, where I serve on the Executive Committee. The funding would be used to create programming that provides networking and educational opportunities for Santa Clara County artists through art career panels and workshops. It’s been an interesting process and I’m hoping to use this experience to help me write proposals for grants for myself and my art business.
Outings
As I mentioned earlier, I had family visit last week. We did some traveling around the Bay Area, including visiting 17 Mile Drive, which was really relaxing and inspiring.
Inputs
I started reading The Creative Act by Rick Rubin again to help me get out of the planning brain space so I could feel less pressure and stress with painting. I think it’s been helpful, since I feel really motivated to paint a lot again.
Overall, I think this winter season has been quite nice. I’m glad that I didn’t sign up for a bunch of holiday events. I’m also glad that I did my 2024 planning, because now I feel like I can spend the rest of December painting and building out my portfolio to prepare myself for next year.
