Wednesday, January 13, 2010

What direction to take ... in 2010...

Hello –

Now that we are into 2010 some I am now comfortable with what type of resolution to make this year. Compared with last year where I made three resolution categories that each had a specific item or a list of things to accomplish. This year I am only going to define my goals by establishing two key words that will embody my decision making process and direct my actions. They are:

1} Growth: the act or process, or a manner of growing; development; gradual increase

2} Inquiry: a close examination of a matter in a search for information or truth

Why these words? … Because after taking the big step last year to become a full time artist I realized that one of the most important factors to be satisfied with my work was to feel that I was growing in some way. It did not matter as much if the product is what I wanted or expected, but whether I gained something from the experience. Though sometimes I felt a nagging sense that all actions and projects must produce a “product” and at times it seemed to me that my sense of exploration and desire to learn was given a back seat for the more specific goals I had outlined.

Thus I want this year to be filled with growth, the gradual increase in skills and understanding of what a career in art making is all about, and where I allow my natural tendency to investigate further and to understand something in more depth is also given room to breathe.

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I was inspired to pursue this method of making resolutions
by the talented Lisa Call and Anna T.
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{15 min. study & detail}

I have been thinking about how to establish goals in 2010 for awhile and after yesterday believe using these defining words to give direction will work out.

Yesterday was the first figure painting class of the winter term. This term I will be exploring the differences in drawing the human figure versus painting the figure by taking a class in each. In the painting class we started with three 15 minute studies. With this one I used the gray ground to be the initial shadow mass and then started laying in the skin tone with variations in paint thickness and color temperature. After the timer when off, this sketch was scraped down and a new sketch was begun.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so glad to hear that you were inspired by my process of setting intentions! Growth and Inquiry sound right on the mark for you - I always feel that many of these words can be valuable for years to come!

P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury said...

I always love this study period of any painting, it looks quite lovely as is.

Gary Keimig said...

I guess resolutions are great for folks who keep them. I have never made onE thinking I should be bright enough to at certain times in my artistic endeavors to decide one day I will do thus and thus. It sems to be human nature that we are so easily sidetracked from resolutions and end up going in circles.
Keep what you have made though. They sound like the type many should make.
God bless and HAPPY NEW YEAR

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Hi Anna, I agree "growth" and "inquiry" are probably words to keep forever...

Hi Gaye, the study phase of a painting is the funnest, because once refining the drawing starts to take place anything can happen. Now it is bright, shiney and new :)

Gary, you are probably correct, however I know it feels right to have some underlying intention. I guess it is like a business plan for a small business. Happy New Year!

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

oh my word, those are beautiful studios. Makes me want to break out my tube of holbein gray violet, which I think I will!
The color harmony is exquisite and the form is right on.

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Thanks Mary :)

I have never used the holbien gray violet, I will have to check it out

Jala Pfaff said...

This is fantastic!!!! These are my favorite type of studies, and this is just beautiful.

Unknown said...

Nice! I just stumbled upon your blog, great post. I was also influenced by Lisa Call's article, and I love her idea of theming the decade. I originally got into this one-word for the year concept because of Christine Kane... tried it last year for the first time and it was hugely effective! Last year my word was 'commit', this year I chose 'grow'. I lean towards verbs, I think, because they are action words. Did you choose a theme for this new decade?

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Thanks Jala, I too love 15 minute studies as there is so much energy in them :)

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Welcome Julie, I like your word and the idea of choosing a verb for your word for the year. I too love the idea of also setting a theme for the decade, and like Lisa Call, I think if I picked a word for this decade it too would be JOY!