I hope you’ve been enjoying the Artist’s Sketches.
I feel so much comfort in knowing that I’m not alone in this crazy train of art making! It’s a rollercoaster over here, I tell ya… with my mood and outlook on the artistic process changing by the hour. On any given day, my monologue sounds like this…
Hour 1: So excited about this idea
Hour 2: This is crap…
Hour 3: Oh, it’s actually cool…
Hour 4: But it doesn’t look how I want it to look…
Hour 5: Wow! I kinda like it!!!
Teen girl walks in the studio and says, “You’re the only one who’s surprised, mom.”
So yeah. Rinse. Repeat. Every. Day.
But of course, the corollary of this daily occurrence is that I am, in fact, making art every day. This is a true blessing.
When I started out on this exploration back in January, I don’t think I was aware of how important this process would be in my day to day experience. Regardless of what happens, I know this is A THING. This is MY thing. Some people run marathons or ride horses or whatever. They key to my mental/spiritual health is making something. Every. Day.
I’ll have to apologize ahead of time because I’ve found that I’m not a very good blogger. I’ve come to realize that it’s hard for me to concurrently make art and write about the art that I’m making.
The piece above is a recent page from my sketchbook. I’m really loving the low stakes, non-planned exploration that I can do there. They don’t have to hang together in a series or collection. They are just my way to unwind at the end of the day. You can see the progression of layers I built up over a few days.
Do you keep a sketchbook?
For the purposes of accountability and documentation, I do post daily on Instagram so if regular touches are important to you, connect with me there. I’d love to see what you’re up to as well.