Hey, hey!
As many of you know, earlier this month I began my 2100 Painting Challenge, which is about exploring, learning, and growing as an artist. Today, I wanted to share an update from this first month and some insights I’ve learned about my creative process:
Experimentation is Key
One of the most liberating realizations this month has been leaning into experimentation. I've been playing with different tools and materials, like using a spatula for paint application and exploring the use of plaster of Paris to add texture to my pieces. This approach has opened up a new world of possibilities and has infused my work with a fresh sense of spontaneity and life.
Texture is Important
Another thing I’ve been really excited about is playing with texture. I’ve always loved adding texture to my pieces, but this mindset shift of having 2100 pieces to play and experiment with has allowed me the freedom to really experiment with how I apply it to my work. This piece called “Memories Rewritten”, was kind of an introduction to this and has inspired me to continue pushing texture further:
Learning and Growing
I’ve been continuing to read and dive into resources about how other artists approach their work and see how to apply those techniques with mine. Do they feel natural? Do they bring an exciting element to my pieces? This really came into play during these sketch paintings that I just finished. I focused on simplifying my values down to just three values in order to get more expressive pieces—and it worked! I want to continue leaning into this technique more.
The Power of Passion
I've realized that my best work comes when I'm genuinely excited about what I'm doing. I know that seems obvious, but I think when I’m in the studio, a lot of the time I get bogged down with the logistics of next steps and technique and hope the excitement just comes. But getting excited first is a beautiful place to be and it significantly influences the quality of my work.
Personal Growth Through Art
This journey has been as much about personal development as it has been about artistic skill. Managing perfectionist tendencies and embracing the beauty of imperfection have been challenging but incredibly rewarding aspects of this process so far.
Conclusion
December proved to be a wonderful first month of this challenge. In the least it has allowed me to establish a consistent art practice and at most it has helped give me a little bit more clarity on my process and technique.
I can’t wait to see what next month brings. I look forward to sharing more of this journey with you all.
Stay tuned for more updates!