Archive for April 2012
“it’s a major award!”
Okay, well maybe not a major award, but a little prize! I got a contributor’s award complete with $200 check from the San Antonio Art League and Museum yesterday for my entry “Bee Mother” (please excuse the blurry photo). My husband kept saying, “It’s a major award!” a la his most favorite movie, A Christmas story:
There was, alas, no leg lamp. But it was so nice to be featured among such a talented and diverse group of artists. The show is going to be up until the end of May, so if you find yourself in San Antonio check, check it out!
a rough critique
So…I’ve been thinking about going back to finally get my Masters of Fine Arts degree in painting. This week has been busy getting together a portfolio and sending it off to two important arty people for a critique. It has been nerve-wracking to say the least. I got my first set of feedback yesterday and it was worse than I expected. I won’t go into the nitty-gritty of the whole critique, because ouch!, who really wants to rewrite that for the internets.
Art is such a dysfunctional occupation in some ways. Artists typically are the most sensitive of people (I know I am), you put your heart into your work, and yet to be an artist it seems you have to put yourself and your work out there to be torn apart either in critiques, reviews or shows. Why do we do this to ourselves, people?! I yearn for my high school art days and the oreo type critique: Positive, An area to be improved, Positive. Even if you have to stack all the oreos to get your whole “improvement” sections in there, it might lighten the blow a bit. Geeeez….
So I’m giving myself a day to lick my wounds, catch up on some internet marketing type things (has anyone ever used BlueCanvas, or RAWartist portfolio platforms?? I’m trying both right now, I’ll let you know how it goes), and post my newest in progress piece. This is a different direction for me. I’m trying to push the whole surreal thing a bit more. We’ll see how the painting turns out, but I had a lot of fun with the drawing. Does anybody else have tips on how to bounce back after a rough critique?
look to the clouds
This is one of the most personal paintings I’ve done in a while. Since it is the internets, I will not go into specifics, but basically some health business. I am very happy with the final painting. The cloud formations in the back were made by throwing salt onto wet acrylic. I love the texture it made! I’m trying to throw a bit more “chance” into my paintings, like I do in printmaking.
In other news, I sent my portfolio off to two professors who are taking a look at it. There is NOTHING more nerve-wracking and confidence-wrenching then getting together your work to send to an important arty-person. No matter what my work looks like, or how much I’ve grown, this process always leaves me thinking “this all sucks!?! What on earth are you doing with your life? AGHHH, why did I pick art devote my life to?!?” Yes, I am a drama queen sometimes. The best way to overcome this unbearable self-deprecation (for me), is to put on sparkly, high heels and have a dance-party-for-one to old-school Beastie Boys. I promise, it works.
