145 Days

That's how many days I worked on art this past year. I saw this idea last December on someone's blog, I'm sorry I don't remember where now, but thought it would be a fun way to track my time spent making art this year. So each day's square that is colored in is a day that I did something, worked on a drawing or even just scribbled a sketch in my journal. Of course there are a couple of days left yet this year, so I may color in another square or two before 2009 begins.

So here is my art year in review. Below are the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year.

1. Complete one finished colored pencil piece per month. I actually completed 17 colored pencil pieces, not counting ACEOs. Probably a few more than that but not all made it into my inventory system.

2. Complete one sketchbook piece per month experimenting with various media. Move out of my comfort zone here and play. I did fill one sketchbook and began three more. I did several works in pastel. I also started practicing with watercolor and did try experimenting with drawing in ink, oil pastels, and painting in acrylic with marginal success. No, you didn't see the results of much of this experimentation because that's what they were - experiments. And that was the point- to play. Besides, I don't know how long ago it was that I actually filled a sketchbook, so that was a personal accomplishment for me.

3. Work through the Everyday Matters drawing challenges working in graphite in my small sketchbook. The purpose here to work on my drawing from life skills, gaining confidence. Did that. And that makes two sketchbooks I finished. Okay, I didn't do every drawing challenge and some that I did do I will never post. Although there were a couple that I completed from photographs most were drawn from life. I can't emphasize enough the importance of drawing from life and how that regular practice has helped me with my confidence with drawing.

4. Develop ACEOs for sales. Did that, too. I made 21 ACEOs for sales, many of these were drawn from life as well.

5. Enter six shows with colored pencil works. Here I didn't meet my goal. I entered only two exhibits, was accepted to one, and that piece did sell at the show.

6. Re-design and update my art website. I got this accomplished right away at the beginning of 2008. I also set up an inventory system for tracking my art work that has been working smoothly for me and has been very helpful this past year.

7.And of course, continue with this blog and posting as regularly as possible. Yep, I did that. Sometimes it seems I could make better use of my time than sitting here at the computer. But the rewards of keeping a blog have thus far exceeded the investment of my time. I find it motivating in that it helps me stay focused on working on my art and the support, along with sharing of ideas with artist friends, is so very valuable.

So how did I do? I am now working on a new set of goals for the new year that I will post soon.

An apple a day

Here is another of my watercolor practice studies. Yesterday Kiddo had an upset tummy so while she was camped out on the couch I set up shop at the kitchen table and spent the day practicing with watercolors. From my spot in the kitchen I could easily keep an eye on her and fetch her ice chips and popsicles. She is much better today.

I had a comment on a previous post about staying focused from Hibbymom. She is also my sister-in-law, a very creative painter and photographer. She asked, "Can you do a whole post on how you stay focused? I find myself struggling at times." So here you go Roe!

Actually, I don't know that I do the best I could be doing at staying focused with my art, but I do keep trying to make it all work. Like most people, I have other activities that severely limit the time I have available for working on my art. However, I do have a few strategies that help keep me on track to make the best use of my valuable art time.

1. Set goals. My goal for my art in 2007 was to make art. That worked up to a point. You know that I wasn't really making any art at all for a very long time, so by just acknowledging that I wanted to make time for art in my life again gave me some motivation to do so. My goals for 2008 for my art were more extensive. I occasionally review that list of goals and revise when necessary. For example, I have moved from doing the Everyday Matters drawing challenges in graphite to using watercolor for some, as I have added the goal of learning to become comfortable with watercolor for journaling. I also realize that even though I may not do one finished colored pencil piece in a given month, there may also come a month when I finish two, or more, so I don't beat myself up over it. These goals are a guide, they aren't written in stone.

2. Which brings me to my next point. I also know that I go through a cycles of productivity. There are times when I only want to work on art and other times when even though I have time for making art I am not so productive. Kind of like Sammie dog needing to circle around several times before settling down, I go through the paces of circling before I can settle in to begin something. I see that as all part of the process, a kind of natural ebb and flow. And even though those less-than-productive times don't result in a finished product there is a mental processing happening that leads me to the next thing.

3. So what do I do while circling and not settling on the next project? I look at art books and magazines. I read artists' blogs. Seeing the work of others, reading about their processes, is one way I keep art in the forefront of my thinking. About a month ago Maggie Stiefvater had a great post on motivation over on her blog, Greywaren Art. Whenever I need a good butt-kicking, Maggie's sure to come through with sound motivational advice!

4. I also belong to a couple of online artist communities. Wet Canvas is a valuable and vast resource for artists and a good place to share art work with others while learning from other artists in any media. And they are all represented there so you can jump around from watercolor to collage to photography and more. It was through the Wet Canvas site that I learned much about techniques with colored pencil. Their monthly challenges gave me projects to work on all the while developing skills and getting feedback from other members. Visiting the websites and blogs of other members opened up for me the potential of sharing art online.

5. Keeping a blog of my artistic journey has been hugely motivating. I have a chronicle of my process over the past year and writing about my work for others to read helps me to stay focused on my intentions with my art work.

6. Another online venue that has helped me stay focused is the wonderful community of artists that belong to the Everyday Matters group. Where Wet Canvas excels at support when concentrating in any one media , EDM is a place where artists of all different levels of experience working in a variety of media come together to share ideas and offer support. Doing the weekly drawing challenges has helped me not only expand my drawing skills but also move outside of my comfort zone. Not only with subject matter but also with different media, sometimes trying the very things I would have avoided just a year ago.

So Roe, that's my advice. Set some goals. Make creativity a habit. Accept that you will have very productive and not-so-productive times so be prepared to go with it by using your time to your best advantage. Join an online group or two. Start posting your art and photography on your blog. Visit other artists blogs, websites, and local art galleries. I know you have tons of stunning photographs and I remember when you did beautiful watercolor paintings. Do you have a sketchbook? Get one. Maybe I'll even see you over at the Everyday Matters group!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January on Rich Mountain
graphite and colored pencil on paper
6 x 6 inches
copyright 2007 by Ann Thompson Nemcosky









Here is my brief review of 2007 and new art goals for 2008. When transferring to my 2008 desk calendar I looked at my list of goals for 2007 that I had hastily jotted down last January and my art goals were to 'make art'. Yep. Just that simple.

Well. Here's what happened with that. Last year I received a set of 24 Prismacolor pencils for Christmas. I had previously been doing graphite pencil drawings and was thinking it was time I returned to making art on a more regular basis after many years of doing very little art work. In fact, over those past eight or nine years I had completed only as many artworks. It was all hit or miss. Usually misses. But I wanted to get back to making art. Drawing with graphite was a method I settled on as that fit my life, with no studio space and very little free time it is portable and there are no timing issues. After spotting an article on colored pencil artists I was intrigued and put colored pencils on my Santa list.

So it was just about a year ago that I first tried colored pencil on the drawing shown above. That led to more research about colored pencil techniques and colored pencil artists. After having a few false starts trying to get back into painting over those years I had finally found a way to make art that fit my limited space and time. Although I enjoy drawing in graphite my background is in painting and here was a way to incorporate color into my work.

Purple Cone Flower
colored pencil on paper
5 x 7 inches
copyright 2007 by Ann Thompson Nemcosky

My research into colored pencil was exciting for me. I began practicing with this new medium. Last spring I discovered and joined the online group, WetCanvas, where I jumped in with the monthly challenges on the colored pencil forum. I started keeping a sketch book again. After receiving a camera for Mother's Day I began collecting images for photo references. During the course of the year I set monthly goals for my drawing. One month I concentrated on flowers. Then trees and later skies studies. I began this blog last August and find keeping up with posting to be very motivating for keeping up with my art work. Then in October I joined Everyday Matters and began working on my drawing skills some more. The support I receive here and through these groups is so encouraging and I truly appreciate every bit of it.

Whalehead Sound
colored pencil on pastel paper
7 x 5 inches
copyright 2007 by Ann Thompson Nemcosky

So here I am. I did complete a good amount of art works this past year. Now it's time for setting art goals for 2008.

1. Complete one finished colored pencil piece per month.

2. Complete one sketchbook piece per month experimenting with various media.
Move out of my comfort zone here and play.

3. Work through the Everyday Matters drawing challenges working
in graphite in my small sketchbook. The purpose here to work on
my drawing from life skills, gaining confidence.

4. Develop ACEOs for sales.

5. Enter six shows with colored pencil works.

6. Re-design and update my art website

7.And of course, continue with this blog and
posting as regularly as possible.

Looking Up
colored pencil and Neocolor II on pastel board
6 x 12 inches
copyright 2007 by Ann Thompson Nemcosky

And that's it. I have the habit of setting goals too high and too many and then becoming overwhelmed into inactivity. So I have tried to keep these very reasonable considering I am also homeschooling my 9 year old daughter, keeping her active in various activities and still getting free-lance design work from time to time. I need the design work, well my pocket book does, and homeschooling is my primary job right now. But I am also preparing for the possibility that I just might be able to get somewhere with my artwork. That's plan A anyway. There is no plan B. Just another one of those impossible things I like to believe each day before breakfast.