Avoid the traps

I spent last week's blog discussing the fact that I have been struggling to get my "touch" back. Just having that approach or attitude runs against my normal grain of thought.

I am a firm believer that artwork, like anything we pursue with a passion, be it a musical instrument or a garden or knitting or golf ultimately hinges upon a very solid principle: "10% inspiration, 90% perspiration."

For the truly gifted, it may be 20% inspiration, but, nonetheless, when you stop working it you undergo a couple of things. First, and most obvious, you aren't producing. Second -- and perhaps the most insidious -- is the erosion of your confidence. For that reason alone, I truly believe it's essential that you produce something every day, even if it's just an hour or two. It keeps your head in the game, so to speak.

If you are not in the business of art in some fashion, be it graphic design, advertising, etc., or you have the luxury of being able to devote all your time to your artwork via retirement or financial wherewithal, it's far too easy to fall into the "I'll do it tomorrow trap." Or, in my case, "I've lost my touch."

There's no magic. Just time and effort.

This week's work

Been working on this oil painting for a while now and I keep "noodling" or tinkering with it cause it still doesn't feel right.

In looking at it in Photoshop just now I saw a couple other things I need to tweak. I think I fixed the croissant so it actually looks like a croissant instead of this lump of bread tossed in on the right to balance out the painting. 

Still, I'm struggling with jelly/jam jar in the middle. It doesn't have the right feel yet. The coffee mug needs some adjustment too. I may need to add a little tea bag string-tag coming out of the top of it.





CPSA International Show

The 21st Annual International Colored Pencil Society of America deadline passed on Easter Sunday evening. I managed to get my two entries submitted and now it's just a matter of keeping your fingers crossed. The competition is just so intense and the talent level of the artists never ceases to amaze me.

The two pieces I submitted were:

ANDREW

Andrew is a painting of a pig asleep. I shot the photo several autumns back. I estimate there are about 15-to-18 layers of color around the nose and snout area. This is the third and final time I can enter this piece and while I had the painting shot professionally, I'm still not certain it could capture all the colors that are in this piece.  

PUTTING ON THE RITZ

Putting on the Ritz is a photo of my daughter's husband's nephew (whew!) getting fitted for the tuxedo for their wedding last fall. I changed my style to more of the scribble technique that John Smolko employs in his work.


The winners will be announced on the CPSA website in late April or early May. I have qualified for this show once in Bethesda, MD in 2007 and need to get accepted in two of the next four years' show to earn CPSA Signature status.



Speaking of John Smolko, he is one of four colored pencil artists featured in the May issue of The Artist's Magazine. The article features four colored pencil artists, including Joseph Crone who produces astonishing work with one colored pencil -- a black Verithin.


You know it's spring when ....

... When you mow the lawn for the first time this year (which I did today)! 

Feel free to add to the list!