August recap
Leo season companions
I’m back! August (Leo Season) was a special this year. I made a lot of art, looked at a lot of art, thought about art, talked about art. As I try to integrate more art into my life, I don’t take the uninterrupted creative time for granted. It’s a gift! Happy Leo Season.
I often think about taking my art seriously even though I don’t want to make serious art. What I’m really after is dedication, thoughtfulness, a critical eye…believing in my art and that it deserves time and consideration. I built more confidence and belief in my art in Colorado, and having people take my art seriously helped me get there.
Getting direct feedback from my instructors after working mostly alone for the past couple of years was hard at first. I labored over the paintings I brought from home for my first critique with them, and they read what wasn’t working in what felt like minutes, even seconds. As the week went on, I came to realize it wasn’t important to me if my instructors liked my paintings or thought they were good; it was more important to me that they were invested in my development as a painter. Even though the first conversations were hard, their feedback signaled that they took me seriously, and in turn, I began to feel the same about myself.
Some of my favorite feedback sound bytes from the week:
You have the skill, but you lack the confidence to let it rip.
Your space isn’t defined enough to hold four figures.
Me, talking about my line work: I was looking at Chinese landscape paintings as a reference.
Instructor: These aren’t Chinese landscape paintings.
All of the feedback pushed and is pushing my work in new directions, and it’s exciting! I’m excited! I’m excited to be back here and sharing more with you all along the way.
I left with a lot of questions about what and why I paint. I didn’t come back with clear answers for why I paint, but I did come back with a lot of energy and a feeling of, “how could I not?” So I’ll take this energy into the weeks ahead and see what comes next.
Until next time,
Alison