15 Ways to Motivate Your Art Mojo During the Summer

Today’s Image

I've used Today's Image before, but it fits today's blog, so I decided to re-use it until I get motivated. The summer doldrums and heat have set in, at least in my corner of the northern hemisphere. At this time of the year, I become a little lethargic and need motivation to keep the old art Mojo and artistic juices flowing.

I’m assuming this happens to you and all artists some of the time. If not, count yourself as one of the lucky ones.

When this happens, I do one or more of the following things:

1. List everything I’ve always wanted to paint someday (even if it’s only a mental list), and then tell myself, “this is the day,” and see what happens.

2. Pull out my set of pastels because I think I really like to paint with pastels, only it’s not an easy medium to quickly become good at, so I just stare at all the nice colors until I get tired of doing that.

3. Get the book, The Impressionists, down from my art bookshelf and find a nice cool spot to casually look at all the beautiful paintings.

4. Following on to no. 3, pretend I’m Claude Monet and think what it must have been like to invent “impressionism” and to be able to paint like that.

5. Mix as many colors as I can with watercolors or acrylics using only cadmium red medium, cadmium yellow medium, and ultramarine.

6. Draw my hand; if you’ve taken anatomy for artists, it will re-new your skills, and if you haven’t it can be a catalyst to do so.

7. Go to an art museum; it doesn’t matter if it’s contemporary or fine art or whatever, just go there to get some inspiration.

8. Re-organize my art studio bin again

9. Go physically to my favorite art supply store and stroll up and down the aisles.

10. Same as no. 9, except I do it online at Cheap Joe’s, Daniel Smith, etc.

11. A big time-waster, but while I'm online anyway search for an art-y thing that interests me, such as gouache, Edward Hopper, Cubism, encaustic, Conte crayons or whatever; you’ll find more than you ever wanted to know about any of them, but it will pass the time until you feel like drawing or painting again.

12. Figure out what my next three motifs will be; this will either motivate you or have the unintended opposite effect.

13. Pretend how I would have painted my last painting in the abstract style.

14. Explain to anyone who will listen long enough, why I'm drawing and painting.

15. Finally, I do nothing – this works for a while, then I see that it’s not solving anything, but by then I've forgotten what the problem was.

Happy artistic summer.

Cheers!

When Your Art Is Rejected from a Juried Art Show- How to Live with It

Today’s Image

Zia No. 2

Acrylic on Canvas

Today’s a Monday, which seems like a good day of the week for today’s blog, which is about rejection. I’m not talking about all the kinds of rejection there are in life, such as not getting hired or losing a job or the break-up of a relationship, all of which can be unpleasant experiences. Today’s Image is a painting of mine that was rejected recently from a local contemporary art show.

I’m talking about the rejection that artists regularly endure and that comes about after their artwork has been turned down or not deemed good enough for a show or exhibit at a gallery or similar venue. Artists being artists, this can be a bitter pill to swallow.

Why is this so? Well, the general consensus is that artists are known for being right-brained with traits such as being intuitive, good with images and color, spatial perception, feelings and emotions, and seeing the whole, etc. For some reason, people often say things like, “he/she in one of his/her moods, you know, he’s/ she’s an artist.” Like we should be immune or something.

I don’t like stereotypes, and I think it’s natural to feel down after a rejection occurs no matter what label, including “artist,” you put on people. The key is how down you let yourself feel on a scale from deeply depressed to slightly miffed or somewhere in between.

What most people don’t realize (or even think about) is that the vocation of an artist is probably more prone to rejection than just about any other career with the possible exception of acting. This is because creating art results in artwork, which is visual, and whose only reason for existence is to be viewed. Of course, if you’re an artist who has never, ever shown your art to anyone, and you never plan to, then you have not experienced the kind of rejection we’re talking about.

I once read a biography of the mid-20th century actor, Rosalind Russell, who described acting as, “standing up naked and turning around very slowly.” What she meant is that as an actor, you put yourself “out there” for everyone to see and comment on. I make the case that this goes for artists, too.

There’s vulnerability in what artists do, and it hurts when you/your work is rejected. As the current saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s a little too glib for me, and –ouch—it still hurts.

At those times, I like to remember Henri Matisse’s quote, “creativity takes courage.”

It most assuredly does. When my own art is rejected, I like to think positive thoughts, such as your art will never be acknowledged (or shown) if you never enter it in a juried exhibit or the more simplistic, nothing-ventured-nothing-gained.

I like to think most jurors of art are experienced and open minded, well intentioned, with nothing but the highest scruples and best interests of all the artists at heart.

But, darn it, they’re only human, so I know there must have been some mistake...

Cheers!

Drawing Naturally or Is That Naturally Drawing?

Today’s Image

A Sphere

Today’s Image is a sphere. Read on to see how it ties into today's OrbisPlanis art blog, which is a follow-up, sort of, to the one a couple of blogs ago on sketching. I got to thinking, the first benefit of sketching for artists in the list was “keeps your drawing skills fresh,” or some such, and how that presumes you already have drawing skills.

Not everyone has drawing skills, of course, and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure there a lot of artists and wanna-be artists that fall into that category (unfortunately).

Oh, you can get by with mediocre drawing skills, but it’s so fundamental to art and design. With less than adequate skills, you’re short-changing yourself and your art.

What to do?

Sketch and draw. Keep doing it.

And while you’re at it, enroll in a beginner drawing class or enroll in whatever level class matches your skill level. And buy a book about drawing—there are hundreds if you haven’t noticed—and read all the exercises and tips on how to do it.

Then draw and sketch some more and keep doing it.

If you're a long-time reader of the OrbisPlanis, you may recall I discussed drawing in several of the blogs about a year ago, and if you want to go back and read a few of those, just click on the links in this sentence.

Sometimes I forget about the information included in the right hand column of my blog—eyes to the right. I update it when I run across a new “artist factoid” or see a favorite artist quote I want to add. Anyway, I happened to be scrolling down the blog and saw the quote from Paul Cezanne, the notable artist from the late 19th century and the first part of the 20th.

A while back I had added this quote from Cezanne, "See nature in terms of the cone, the cylinder, and the sphere." It’s so fundamental and yet so true. I think he was referring to natural rather than man-made things or to the relatively few things that truly have no shape (hmmm, what would they be?).

Think about the following:

- Depending on the type--a tree is nothing more than a cylinder with a sphere on top or maybe it’s just a cone.

- The same goes for a dog—cylinders, a sphere, and a cone for the muzzle, maybe.

- A portrait of a human face--nothing but spheres, a cylinder, and maybe a cone or two with hair added.

You get the picture (pun intended, of course)?

So, If you can remember Cezanne's simple quote when you’re sketching or laying down your initial drawing on a canvas, it can help you achieve a really good, artistic look for your work.

Cheers!

How to Save on Art Supplies

Today’s Image

Some of My Art Supplies

I was out yesterday and found some good deals on art supplies although I hadn’t planned on shopping for them at all. That’s what makes it even better I think, like winning something unexpectedly.

If you follow the OrbisPlanis, then you know I’m frugal, which is a nice way of saying penny-pinching. I will tell you that’s true. It’s not that I wouldn’t pay the ticketed retail price for quality items and art supplies, but why would anyone when it’s so easy to find sales and bargains on brand name products?

Unless I’m completely out of something or must have a specific item or color I almost never pay full price for my art supplies. What that means is that I’m always shopping for supplies subconsciously, and that’s how I keep my art studio cart fully stocked.

I know there are different retail and art supply stores depending on where in the world you reside, and you may be somewhat limited. That being the case, some of the information in my blog may not be applicable in all cases, but the principle of shopping for bargains will be.

Here are some things I do to find savings:

Clip Coupons - Subscribe to the Sunday newspaper and save the advertisements and supplements of local arts and crafts stores and office supply stores. As regular as clockwork, two major arts and crafts retailers in my region of the US advertise their weekly specials in the Sunday paper. Every other week either one or both of these retailers include a 40 percent or 50 percent OFF coupon on any one item in the store. This is how you can really save on high priced supplies, such as the most expensive paint, or a high ticket item, such as an easel or light table. When you know you’re going to need or want something, just wait for the weeks when these coupons are available. And these coupons are in addition to other specials also included in the ads. I know a lot of people don’t subscribe to a newspaper at all, but the money you spend on the paper can easily be recouped in your savings on art supplies with these coupons.

Shop Clearance Aisles - When I happen to be in the neighborhood of one of the art supply or crafts stores, even if I’m not out shopping for any supplies, I will stop to check out their clearance aisles or sections. Not all retailers have clearance sections, but the ones in my area do, and I shop them regularly. Also, depending on the size of city you live in, they may have multiple locations—go to several locations within a reasonable distance because different items will be on clearance at each location. You don’t want to drive for an hour just to save $1US, but for example, there are 14 locations of one of the arts and crafts stores in my metro area, and I shop the clearance aisles at the four nearest to me. I’m always finding paint that is just past its expiration date or paint brushes or pencils that have sat around on the shelf too long. These are brand names, too. Watercolor paint in the 17 ml. size can be marked down as much as 75 percent. I got a 60 percent discount yesterday on 11 Prismacolor watercolor pencils in the clearance section. What a deal.

Ask for a Discount - So simple. That’s how I got 20-percent off a 3-pack of 300 lb. (640 gsm) Arches watercolor paper yesterday. There was a sign that advertised the 140 lb. paper on sale at 1/3rd off the regular price. At the checkout counter I just asked if they ever put their 300 lb. paper on sale, and was told they would give me a 20-percent discount right then, so I bought it. That meant each sheet was only $8.33US. If you were to buy a single sheet, not on sale, it's $17US. What a bargain. Also, while you're there, sign up to receive their email online specials.

Since you’re reading the OrbisPlanis online, you’re probably thinking, what about shopping online, can’t you save a lot? My experience has been yes and no. You will normally see cheaper prices online than in a retail store, that’s true. However, you almost always have to pay for shipping, and that can negate the savings. I know, they often offer to waive the shipping charges as a special, and if they do, it can be a good deal. But watch out, if they waive the shipping charge, they may have a minimum quantity or purchase order you must spend to get that deal. And have you tried to return anything?!

Bottom line--caveat emptor.

Cheers!