New Year, New Beginnings, New Art

Happy New Year!

WHY?

It's been a moment since my last post.  I've had some minor issues to overcome, but I'm BACK! and ready to get things poppin'.  The holidays revive the desire to loose weight, and make new years resolutions that are broken within the first 30 days.  I decided to make a plan and set goals for the year. Things that can be accomplished without starving myself and fooling myself by trying to achieve unrealistic goals, such as loosing weight.  I'd rather eat healthier and be more active and lead a better lifestyle. I'm not trying to compete with the stars who have trainers, chefs, stylists and other amenities to help them stay slim. Can't afford those things, but I can go for a walk, eat a salad or two, and buy clothes that accentuate me in a positive way. My focus is on finding my truth, it's on and I'm ready.

life size plaster cast

One of my goals for the year is to show more of my work.  My pieces have a lot to say, and are not just a bunch of pretty rocks and textured clay.  There is a consistent body of work and each piece has a different story to tell. I have pushed my work via social networking and exhibits.  Guess a lot of people are apprehensive about sculpture.  Part of my goal for more exposure is to overcome that obstacle.  Sculpture is not all about massive public art pieces, where most sculptors seem to go.  My work is more intimate, it can be touched and is attractive in a home, office or any indoor venue.  It can sit on a shelf, table, or wherever. It does not require any special stands or contraptions for it to be seen. Part of my plan is to revisit some of the previous methods of creating my art, as well as exploring new ways of telling my story. Some of my earlier work included pieces that could be hung on the wall, they were armature pieces that incorporated plaster and other lightweight materials. I love doing relief sculpture, and it can be done in clay or plaster like fresco paintings. It's back to the studio, with new ideas and plenty of motivation. Sometimes I can be my worst enemy and my toughest critic about my work.  Its nice to be able to seek feedback from other fellow artists, sometimes....

I recently read an article by Alan Bamburger, Art Business.com about "How to Respond When People Criticize Your Work," In the article, Alan talks about opening up the can of worms when you ask someone what do they think about your art. "All kinds of people will say all kinds of things about your art, whether they tell you to your face, write about it, make videos about it, blog about it, post about it or gossip behind your back. Not only do you have to learn how to handle this continuous onslaught of thoughts, feelings, feedback, comments, criticisms, observations and impressions, but also how to evaluate and respond to them, and most importantly, how to not take them personally." The truth is most people have no idea of how to respond, and will give the "it's nice" response, because they don't know what your looking for, they may not feel they are qualified to speak on the art and perhaps they don't want to hurt your feelings. I've stopped asking people long ago. However, I do like to talk to those who are familiar with my work and can offer some insight about it.

I don't take them personally, I do listen and filter out what is usable to me. The one thing I have learned is that I don't need anyone to validate what I do. Whether or not anyone comments, sees, or buys my work, I will continue to create. Because it is my truth, my passion and I believe in my work.  This article is good for  any artist or those interested in art, especially if your questioning yourself or your work. I found it enlightening and informative, it gives another perspective. The main question Alan says you should be asking is "What do YOU think of your art?" Bingo! What do I think of my art? I think it's great, with room for improvement and expansions.

view 1

view 2

Speaking of great art and improvements, my new piece is a head in Agata Alabaster, it's intriguing to watch my stone morph and transform into an image.  Despite some frustration, especially when it's not going in the direction I planned, taking a step back helps me work it out.  My drawings and mock-ups look very different than the finished piece, but that's okay.  I learn something new every time and I find a new way to get the desired result and accomplish what I want to do. Often times, they start off looking scary and the image is some what illusive. When the stone is turned to another angle, the whole image changes and often looks totally different.  This is unintentional, and once the piece has been totally fleshed out, the idea and the image become one and I can see one expression versus many. I spent the afternoon, working my Black & Decker drill with rotary rasps to help smooth out the stone surface and shape the face.  It was invigorating and productive. Haven't done this before, I usually hand carve it all and then use my rasps and rotary tool to enhance and smooth out the stone.  Using the drill was really effective and saved a lot of time.  Now I have to work on the actual shape of the head/hair, shape the mouth and add curves.

view 3

View 3 is after using the rotary rasps, what a difference. View 2 has that scary/mean look. The rotary rasps eliminate the tool marks and brings out the shape a lot better. I'm so excited, can't wait to shape the head/hair more.  This technique will definitely be used again on future stone pieces.  It speeds up the process greatly.

Now that things are underway, I feel more confident about where my work is going.  Larger pieces are in my future as I expand to 20-30 lb stone. I have to increase in increments, because my work space has to accommodate the size of the stone as well as my clay work  and any other materials I use.  At some point, they may become life size, but that's a future goal not set for this year. But who knows, life has a way of changing one's mind. Also, I want to take a few classes and get out there and do some Master class workshops to better hone my skills.  It would be awesome to study with a Master sculptor. We shall see.

Well, the day is calling and I want to take advantage of all this semi-nice winter weather. I'm not a snow lover, so this is a prime time to work outside and get the most out of the day, before other things interfere. 

Find your truth this year!

Thank you for reading my blog, enjoy your day. Feedback is always appreciated. See you next time....

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