Over the holidays, I finally caught my first confirmed case of COVID. While it wasn't any fun, it did give me some time to really think about what options were available for my art going forward. The retina and shoulder problems of 2022 were (and are) still with me, and I was forced to face the fact that I could no longer make the finely detailed ink and watercolor paintings that had become my hallmark.
I could choose to give up....or I could change how I worked.
I've decided to go with the latter.
As artists grow and change, it's natural for them to lose a part of their audience when they engage in other styles, mediums, or subject matter. They also can gain a whole new audience who appreciate the new direction. Sometimes the artist's work becomes so different, it seems like it was created by a totally different person! Picasso is a perfect example of this, albeit a rather extreme one:
I'm not planning on changing my art to be avant-garde, but to accommodate my present challenges.
What does this mean? Bigger and more broadly painted works. Bigger (due to changed visual acuity) and broader (due to changed joint locomotion). I'm still sticking with my chosen subject matter of birds and the natural world, but in the foreseeable future the details might not be so minute that they need a magnifying glass to be appreciated. And truth be told, the popular consensus seems to be that bigger IS better -- at least when it comes to viewing one's work on a gallery or home wall.
In addition to changing my studio practice, I also plan on sharing in a more direct way: via vlogging. (If "blogging" is a portmanteau of "web logging", then "vlogging" = "video logging.")
Each week, I'll try to record and upload something that pulls back the curtain on what's going on behind my work: what inspired it, how it's made, where it's being shown, etc. I also hope to encourage viewers to get out there and cultivate creativity in their own lives, whether by making their own paintings or engaging more deeply with art and nature in general.
Here's links to the first three entries I've put together. Like any new endeavor, it might be a little shaky and unscripted at first, but I aim to get better at filming and editing my journey as I go.
"So I've Started an Art Vlog"
"Physical Therapy, Mail, and a New Painting"
"That Time I Tried to Sketch All of New Zealand in 6 Weeks"
Let me know what you think. If not here in the cobweb-draped comment section (does ANYONE leave blog comments anymore?) then over on YouTube. I'd love to hear from you!
Best,
L
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