Happy New Year!
2011 was eventful for me (maybe a little too eventful even)–I gestated and birthed my second child, had a hugely successful art show and sale, and most recently packed up my entire life and moved to the opposite side of the continent with my husband, toddler, newborn and dog.
January 1st has arrived: the date I decided on to get back to work after my (self-imposed, obviously, since I’m self-employed) maternity leave, and I am uber-excited about my plans for the year. For the next few months I will be developing my “Cosmic Dance” series further. New paintings will be posted soon!
While making lists and sketching out plans for my own work, I was reminded how difficult it was (and still is) for me to focus on one thing at a time and see it through. I get emails every day from beginning artists asking for all kinds of advice, so many that I can’t respond to them all. By far the most common request is for feedback on their artwork, and when I go to look at their artwork, I always find the same thing. It’s the same thing you would have found if you looked at my artwork 10 years ago. A collection of images that could have been made by 10 different artists. Regardless of how good or interesting the artwork is, there is a complete lack of cohesion from one piece to the next. Pencil drawings of figures next to abstract oil paintings next to digital work. I always think, “Who is this artist, really? What does this person do?”
The single most important thing for any artist to do, and in my experience one of the most difficult, is to create a consistent body of work. It is how a visual artist finds his or her voice. Here is a short video sharing some thoughts on how to simplify that process:
