Since there has been this crazy snowy weather going on and
it’s been hard for some people to get to work, I’ve been thinking… What do
artists do to not stop their momentum? So I want to put this out there and see
what you guys do when you find that you cannot make it to your studio?
I know a lot of people just stick to their sketchbooks when
they can’t get in and work on a current piece. Others might just sit around and
lose the creative flow they’ve got going. But it seems like there is something
else we can do instead of just sit around and wait for the snow to melt.
Some of the things I thought of were:
- Really research your artistic lineage. It’s important to
realize who inspires your artwork. But diving in a bit deeper and finding who
inspires them and so on can really expand your current mindset.
- Watch an art documentary. Hopefully you’ve seen most of the
ART21 videos. But have you seen “Lucien Freud: Painted Life” by BBC Two? Or “Degenerate Art”
which is all about the Modern movement being attacked by Hitler? There are
tons, and I mean TONS, of great art films out there that are inspiring.
- Copy a Master. Research what your favorite Renaissance
Painter would do to improve. Copy his mindset and his pieces (or do mini
versions in a sketchbook). Really study Ruben’s use of reds and how he uses
them to his advantage. Get in their brain.
- Personal Advertising. Use the day to connect with
people over the various sites you promote your work on. Maybe update your artist statements or the layout of your blog.
So what about actually creating things? What can us artists do
to still create when we’re not in the studio? Well… how about trying these
things out:
- Photoshop. If you draw or paint from pictures, get those
pictures going and start making your upcoming compositions. Have you ever tried
to image your work the size of a billboard? What about Photoshopping that
mock-up and see how it’d work. You could use that as an upcoming project and
even figure out what it could cost. With Photoshop, or really any advanced
photo editing software, the ideas and opportunities are endless.
- Trying new mediums. Let’s say you’re an oil painter. Have
you ever thought about your current collection includes a few tiny watercolors
to complement? Smaller pieces in general are more intimate, so maybe connecting
and getting your concept across in a more sensitive manner?
These are just a few things I do whenever I can’t get to my
studio. Share what you guys do and maybe we can get a real awesome list going!!
+I made it so that anyone can comment, you don’t need to have
a blogger or google+ account, now you can just post anonymously!+
+Don’t forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter!+
