Design 101 revisited

As I reread Molly Bang's Picture This, I couldn't help but think that I was in my freshman design class learning about Albers and the basics of design. Succintly and wonderfully created into this small book,  Bang let's us peer into her thought process. I can see the reflection of my own acts of creativity, editing and elaborating on the design process, not merely settling on an initial idea. So frequently, artists settle for their first solution. Dig a bit deeper and longer and the impact of the composition improves.

I've owned this book since it was first published. Yet, after all this time, it remains timeless and valuable. Key learning - How can you distill your work down to it's crucial elements and color relationships?

I Hate My Artwork

Ever feel like this? Ever feel frustrated that what you create doesn't match what you envision? I know I'm being harsh on myself, but frankly 99% of what I create isn't what I would buy for myself. It's not what I personally like in terms of style, technique, and other aesthetic qualities. I once told another artist that I met during a plein air event, that I did not like my artwork and was disappointed at what I created during the week. At first, she said I was being hard on myself, but when she understood my reasoning she responded, "Then change your style."

Changing one's style is a tricky thing. First you need to figure out what you do like and where you would like to be.  How do you see yourself creating art? What excites you? What aspect of art do you want to make a stand towards? What mode of expression do you see being the form or outlet for your creativity? painting? design? a certain technique? or something else? Then, you need to figure out where you current are by taking a personal inventory of yourself, your time, your skills, and any potential gaps in your abilities, training... It also means finding your areas of strength and knowing what comes easily and naturally.  What it will take to get to your desired end? Do you know, or do you need another set of skilled eyes giving you an honest opinion? I kind of know where I want to be creatively, but not exactly. That's OK, I don't need to figure it all out today. It's good to have some structure, but also some freedom to explore and change directions.

I've decided to become more focused on pursuing this path by doing some studying on my own, over the next year. I've listed 13 areas in which I will do some sort of practice or study. Several great books, or so I was told, sit on my shelf waiting for me to open the cover. Perhaps, it's time the pages get a bit ruffled.  If this sound interesting to you, stop by each Monday to see what catches my interest for the week.

This upcoming week, I will be reading Picture This, by Molly Bang. I read it long ago and keep it on my shelf, but I'm hoping it will spark me towards one of my goals, simplification.

Tea time - 30 day challenge

This quick little sketch was my experiment with painting areas that extend beyond the main subject. Instead of painting within the form, strokes extend into the surrounding area.

Day 2 - 30 day challenge

This tiny painting was a quick half hour sketch from a California photo. I fudged the mountains,but like some of the dry brushed areas.