In about a month and a half, I will be in Cadiz, Spain for an art residency. I am excited, thrilled and also have some anxiety about it since there's a lot of preparation to do. I'm awaiting my passport, figuring out what supplies to ship or bring, figuring out what to take in my bag(s), thinking about the project I will be working on while out there and the list goes on. All the while, I am continuing to make new work.
The Positives of Negative Thinking, available in my Etsy shop
While I am in a very focused state to accomplish a ton of things before I leave, I am trying to stay out of a negative mindset. Where am I going with my art? What if my art residency project doesn't turn out the way I want it to? Why am I taking off on a residency during one of my busiest times of the year? Oh yeah, and how rusty is my Spanish? Overall, I have been just going with the flow, so these questions are only sneaking up on me now and again.
A Guide to Not Doing What You Said You Were Not Going to Do, available in my Etsy shop
This post isn't all about my residency, but also about what I am trying to accomplish in my art practice before and after the residency. I am trying to get all my ducks in a row with my website portfolio, wholesale and online shops. I am also trying to figure out some new directions for 2015. The book above reminds me to learn from past experiences and to not repeat them. When I started working for myself, this happened a lot. It feels good to be figuring things out.
Art-wise, I have worked quite a bit smaller over the last few years. I have moved from working on canvas to wood to paper and from oil to acrylic to gouache/watercolor. I have also worked with many different mediums over the years from clay to textiles. What I am finding is that I feel very good about my current direction over the last year. I also feel there's a chance my work may be getting larger again. These last few months have gotten me thinking a lot about where I'm headed. Regardless, I am embracing the unknown and trying to not let myself get stuck on any of it.
Travel Paintings, now available in my Etsy shop