"Who?" Colored Pencil on Suede Mat Board 8" X 10"
Available for Sale
The title if this painting has more meaning than the obvious subject of this piece. You may have noticed I've been MIA for a few months. And believe me if you haven't you weren't missing much.
WHO?
Has been an ongoing question in my life for the last few months. I love owls and the obvious is the lovely sound I hear from my home in the woods of VA on warm evenings. Secure and calming my soul. They even call back to you if you mimic them, something my oldest son does better than I. We have many owls who call from the security of our wooded lot along the creek behind my house. Several different types but they have evaded my attempt to photograph them.
My reference for this piece is not my own but from a great website called Paint my Photo, the photographer James Smith at Chasing Myths Photography
contributes to Paint My Photo. Visit the site above to see some wonderful sharing photographers who have provided artists reference photos for use in their paintings.
A quote from their website: Paint My Photo (PMP) is a social networking site dedicated to sharing photos for artistic inspiration without fear of infringing copyright.
Now back to that ongoing question, "Who?" the owl is asking - it's one I have been asking myself over the last few months. The new year usually has us evaluating our lives both past and future as we make plans for the new year. Internally the Who asks me if I'm being the artist I want to be? Have I planned for "Who" that artist is?
Hmmmm.....
Planning for an artist involves many aspects, and if you sell and promote yourself it's a vital part of your brand and upcoming yearly tasks.
Planning for me had me evaluating new goals (some old ones not yet accomplished) evaluating time spent on creating art and teaching as well as the new work itself. You see most of us reflect on what we did wrong instead of what we did right over the course of the year. To keep me from going too far down that rabbit hole, I always create a new goals list each year. It's a great habit to get into if your an artist and can incorporate the practical along with a few lofty goals. I personally have to watch how lofty I get, as an optimist, I can get pretty carried away!
The Goals List enables you to look back occasionally over the year to see if your on track. A sort of report card on how you are preforming according to your goals. Giving you the chance to refocus your efforts if those goals are still in line with where you wan to go. I always surprise myself how much I have accomplished when life seems to get in my way.
While I'll not share my personal list here I will tell you that keeping up posts on my blog is very close to the top of the list. Along with making more time for my own art creating while cutting back on my teaching schedule a little.
What's your 2017 Goal List? It's not too late to make one! Make a comment and tell me what you think? I appreciate knowing if this post resonated with you!
Creatively Yours,
Gloria
