As another year comes to a close so to does another opportunity to look at our art and creative efforts throughout the year. Like many artists, I document and catalog my paintings, an effort that is much easier with computers! Years ago I would write index cards for each painting with a title, size and other information and write on the card when it was delivered to a gallery and when it was sold.

Now, of course, the task is in a computer database program and I can keep track of far more information and an image of the work too. The reward for a year’s diligence in record keeping is a wealth of information and an ease of overview.

It isn’t complicated to build a ‘report’ on the paintings completed, where and if they were sold as well as other comments on sources, commissions and framing expenses. Since I have thumbnail images of the art in a file, I can get an overview of the entire year’s production at a glance. When I experimented with a new color or background technique, what compositions were more successful than others and other information is there in the images.

It is only from looking back at what we have done that we can recall what we were striving to accomplish. We can identify the strengths and weaknesses of our past work and plan the direction we want our art to take in the next year.

Most of us have a space that acts as a ’studio’ if that is a separate building or just a temporary corner of the kitchen. It isn’t usual to start out with a dedicated space and of course plein air artists can settle to paint anywhere. Some artists have special requirements for presses or large easels but all of us are impacted by our surroundings in one way or another.

Recently I re-designed my studio which had been somewhat over-crowded for a long time. By the time I got rid of boxes and found new ways to store things, removed unused furniture and eliminated the clutter it looked like a different place.

No wonder I had felt overwhelmed in that crowded space! Having a friendly but relatively sparce environment seemed to encourage imagination to expand. Being able to draw and paint unbothered by clutter in my peripheral vision seemed to let me focus better on my work.

While some artists no doubt would feel comfortable in a busy place others, like me, might find that they are inhibited by the surroundings. Take a look around you when you are creating and see if your environment is impacting your work.

In the studio the other day I was thinking about what makes artists fearful. Humans are by nature fearful; not always of immediate danger, but, as the one creature who looks forward in time, we can imagine dangers in the future. From worrying about wild animals or food shortage, the health and well being of family members to more vague fears of distant storm clouds, humans are inherently afraid at some level.

Artists develop their own fears beyond the human basics. Some are shaped by insecurity; ‘Is it good enough?’, ‘can I make the brush do what I want?’ or distilled to ‘am I a fake?’ Only the most self-assured artist might avoid the insecurity fears as they dive into arrogance.

Are we afraid of not being able to do all the work one envisions? not getting, keeping or not finding ‘it’? The fears can sometimes get in between the artist and the art. One need not dwell on one’s artistic fears but recognize them for what they are. We need to be able to move forward, realizing that fears may be sitting on your shoulders but not letting them weigh you down.

Discuss artistic fears and other subjects on the ArtCafe ArtBoards.

How is it that hours of concentrated artistic effort can produce nothing of worth and yet a few minutes can be inspired?  Determination is not alway efficient use of painting time.  It sometimes seems that the art we work hardest on is not always the best.

While creative inspiration might sometimes seems hard to find, at other times the muse is at one’s shoulder whispering more ideas than the artist can use.  Plain hard work is always necessary but the results are not dependable.  Creativity is a mysterious thing and it is not always available when one wants it to be.

After several hours struggling with  a painting that was not going well, I went back to the house in disgust.  Later, after avoiding the problem for a while I returned to look at it again.  Almost instantly a solution came to mind and ten minutes of exhuberant painting brought the finish I had struggled so hard for.    Why was what was once painful and difficult suddenly easy and a pleasure?  I really have no idea, but the same has happened on a more or less regular basis for many years.   There seems to be help in avoiding the problem for a while; a change of perspective or a change of view.   Perhaps our subconscious works on the problem while we are doing another activity or perhaps it is merely the brain needing a rest.

No matter the actual cause, the certainty is that creativity is always in ebb and flow.  When a painting problem seems insurmountable, taking a walk or turning to other activities for a while can help.  The important thing is to realize that the creative spark has not gone out but is only in need of recharging and will return brighter than ever.

Sharon Himes

ArtBoard members and visitors know Roger Marz as the ‘old man mad on drawing’. Roger really is a prolific and dedicated artist who has done thousands of sketches and drawings in just the last few years.

Recently Roger created a 2007 desk calendar with floral and tree sketches for every week. The article ‘How to make 2007 Bloom’ is featured this month on the ArtCafe.Net along with Roger’s article on sketching on location.

Roger, a long-time member of the ArtCafe Network, is helping to support the ArtCafe with sales of the calendar and a link is also on the main page.

Drawing daily as Roger does takes dedication and perserverence. It is always hard to set aside the chores of daily life to spend time at an activity most people regard as frivilous or just for fun. Drawing on a regular basis is not always fun, it takes continual focus and concentrated thinking and it is often tempting to just skip the drawing and head right for painting when the chance to spend time on art comes along.

The trick is to make sketching or drawing a habit. Keep a pencil or pen and sketch pad handy and reach for it often. Don’t feel that every sketch needs to be a finished, frameable masterpiece. Drawing is a way of thinking graphically and the more we work at it the better the results for all of our art efforts.

This summer’s ArtCafe Open Project is ‘Fill in the Blanks’. In the first part of the project, ArtCafe artists sent in twenty-two line drawings in a variety of styles and subjects. From frogs and herons to country roads and figures, there is something for everyone.

For some of us it was not difficult to guess who had done which drawing but now comes the fun part. Anyone, if they sent a drawing in or not, is invited to use the drawings and ‘fill in the blanks’ to turn it into another piece of art. Of course we do not ever need to stay in the lines, or even directly use them, but think of the drawing as a basis for your own artwork.

You can see and download the drawings in Open Project:Part I and read the instructions for participating in Part II. Please respect copyrights and don’t use the drawings for anything but this project.

This project is a way to experiment and explore your ideas while basing them on someone elses drawing. Sometimes the best way to open up your own creativity is to set a few limits, but you never have to stay in the lines!

A box of new art supplies brings out the kid in most artists. It is a treat to go over all the new colors in unbent tubes or handle the brushes lovingly. The new palette is sparkling white and the paper is velvety to the touch.

It takes a while to get to know the personality of a new brush. No matter that it may be the same style and size that you have used before, each brush has its own temperment. Unfortunately brushes do change over time and heavy use so you have to get reaquainted even with brush brands and sizes that are old friends.

Watercolor paper batches too seem to vary slightly, depending on humidity, sizing and other conditions. The new paint colors will have to be tried out on the bright white palette and a piece of the new paper.

Materials are the artists partner in creating a painting. You have to spend some time in the studio getting aquainted. It may look like playing with new toys but it is serious work…. really!

With the advent of scanners and digital cameras it is easier than ever to record? and document artwork.? Whether student, professional or hobbiest, it is a good idea to keep a record of the progress of your art.

Rather than a collection of slides in a folder, today’s portfolios can be digital reproductions in a photograph album or an interactive show on dvd.? No matter the format, remember that your portfolio represents your artistic talent to the world.? Like a living thing, the portfolio needs to be cared for on a regular basis.? Feed it your best work and prune it occassionally to remove outdated materials.? Take care to show it to it’s best advantage in a good presentation box or portfolio album.

Look at your portfolio often, not only to refine it’s contents, but to consider the direction of your work.? A well-tended portfolio system is a valuable asset in your art business and well worth taking seriously if you consider yourself a professional or not. It shows your progression as an artist to others, and to yourself.