Apologies for the lack of Blog spots recently, its been a busy time for me with the run up to Christmas and a new term of teaching.
Teaching has become very busy in my day job, I have full classes at the moment and a new term is always busy with planning and prepping for class. I have met some lovely new people and returning learners have come back! It's all good and I love it!
As I write I am quite pleased with myself for framing up work that has been drying in the studio. Framing is always a fab part of my process as the work comes to life, a frame can really make or break a painting. I am fussy with my frames and can pay a lot of money to have my work professionally framed. It is of course worth it, like I say the finished piece of the art puzzle.
Sometimes I frame smaller work myself, I have had a few frames hanging around from other work, so today was it.... my framing head was on.
Being in my studio today has made me realise I need to manage my time more so I can paint more often. I am an artist, always. There are times when the paintings just flow from my fingers!.. One after the other, sometimes 2 or 3 on the go and ideas waiting.
I am a great advocate of the sketch book. Ideas and practice coming together, although in recent times I have enjoyed just painting without sketching. I like this too, there seems an energy and freshness in my work that can get lost if too much practice or sketching happens.
Take today, I framed up a triptych of 3 small oil pastels and cold wax sketches which I drew ohh maybe 2/3 months ago. I have had them pegged to my studio wall, waiting.... wondering whether to scrap them, work on them, make bigger sketches.....
I found a frame I had bought ages ago and hey presto! in they went.
I'm really pleased with how they came together and I have created an interesting piece of art which I like and is sellable.
This also made me think.
Hmmm oil pastels, I was going to play with those in Oct last year! now its Jan 2024.
I need more time.
So, I am promising myself a day a week to work on my own work. No prep, no workshops just me and my art.
Nice.
I think we all need time for ourselves, time to be us. Maybe its listening to music, going for a run (I need to get back on that too), having a bath, reading, painting.
Mine is just that and having this time will reinforce all the other stuff that is wrapped up in my arty life.
Something for myself.
Thanks for reading and I hope to add more posts more often, in-between the painting but for now,
keeeeep painting,
Emma :)