Category: Working Artist

In my last post I shared my take a way from Sarah Robb O'Hagan's book on developing drive. You can read it here. My next take away is on stepping out of line. As part of my current 100 Rejections Project, I am sending out a lot of proposals, resumes and calls for submissions. If it were not for the aim of this project, to get over the paralyzing fear of rejection and do it as fast as possible by applying for everything I think I am capable of in the arts, I would not say that this is the best or most efficient method for me to find interesting new projects. Why? Because essentially what I am doing by responding to calls is standing in line, with everyone else…

Well 20 minutes of deleting spam and I can finally settle down to writing this blog post. Part 1 of a 4 part series inspired by Sarah Robb O'Hagan's lively contribution to the swift kick in the butt genre of self-help literature. Before I begin, I will let you know that this is not my main read of the summer, even if a four part series would suggest that. In my studies on the subject of money for my currency paintings I have read some great books including: The Undercover Economist Strikes Back - Tim Harford Money: The Unauthorized Biography - Felix Martin Financial Fir$t Aid for Canadian Investors - Mike Graham Money Rules - Gail Vaz-Oxlade Smart Women Love Money - Alice Finn Rich Dad series (4) -  Robert T. Kiyosaki I…

A good primer on some of the major artist's of our times, and their ideas and innovations. It is an easy read, with a democratic 3-4 pages dedicated to each artist, even ones with incredibly long and illustrious careers like Picasso. Each artist is covered with a portrait, a timeline, a page condensing key points about their biography, career and innovations, and 3 or 4 representative images of work. I would recommend this book to beginners interested in getting a crash course in art since the beginning of the modernist period. However, even as an artist familiar with the western canon and art since the beginning of the modern period, I found fresh insights on the work of familiar artists. One critique of this book would be that despite it's recent publication (2016) the…

Work In Batches: I was painting alongside a friend, and she asked what she should do while waiting for the paint to dry on her current piece. I suggested she start a second piece while waiting for the first piece to dry. This is a strategy I frequently use in the studio to get as much productivity as I can out of that precious time. I dont just start one piece, I start a group of pieces, usually 3 to 6, at once, all using the same process. While I am waiting for one piece to dry, I can work on the next one. If it is acrylic I am working with that day (like the sunflower seed paintings), by the time I have brought the last one in the…

I'm not going to say I never take a sick day, but I thought I would share a picture of my 'office from this past Friday. No, I am not a workaholic either. I know a cold usually gets worse before it gets better, so I figured between naps I would try and get something done. There might be a day or two coming up where I don't have the energy for this either, and as an independent artist, if I don't get it done no one else will!