Tag: process

Listening. My Studio Soundtrack.

Being an artist, especially a painter, requires a lot of alone time in the studio. Solitude can be blissfully peaceful and lovely but it can also be a bit lonely. To stave off that feeling ( and to get the creative juices flowing ), I like to choose a studio soundtrack that fits the mood of my work for the day.

My work often begins with the inspiring wild places Mr. F and I visit. Eddie Vedder‘s Into the Wild soundtrack captures the haunting majesty of big mountains and vast landscapes. I even created a Pandora* station based on the soundtrack, filled with wilderness-evoking music by Nirvana, Iron & Wine, Nick Drake, etc. It’s my favorite music for working on large canvases– mellow but full of energy.

*side note– is Pandora still a thing? There is probably a better source for online listening, but I’m still using Pandora. I’m uncool like that.

When working on smaller pieces, I bring the energy down a notch or two. The Innocence Mission provides a dreamy, misty atmosphere that gets me in the mood to settle in and lose myself in creating small beauties.

And then there are times when music just doesn’t fit. Usually when I’m gessoing or at the very beginning of new work, I find myself craving conversation and podcasts fill the bill. My favorite these days is Danielle Krysa‘s ( aka The Jealous Curator ) Art for Your Ear.

Danielle has a relaxed, easy interview style that makes it feel like you’re chatting with friends over cocktails. Seriously fun and such good information. Artists getting real.

I’ve also recently started listening to Cheryl Strayed‘s Dear Sugar Radio. I connected deeply with Strayed’s book, Wild and the ways our journeys parallel– the loss of a beloved mother to cancer, the love of hiking, how we’ve both found ourselves literally and figuratively in the Pacific Northwest.

Fresh Air is also a favorite, along with John Dalton‘s interviews with artists. I like to concentrate visually on the work, so I try not to watch videos in the studio while I paint but during breaks I love the Art Documentaries You Tube channel, especially the What Do Artists Do All Day series– the Tracy Emin episodes are especially wonderful.

What are you listening to these days? Any inspiring podcasts I should know about? Beautiful and beauty-filled music to inspire?

November 12, 2015
Artsy Diggs: In the Studio with Peri Schwartz

When we get a glimpse inside the studio of this month’s Featured Artist, Peri Schwartz, we not only see into gain insight into where she works, but in this video, we are also given the privilege of seeing how she works. I promise you will never look at one of her paintings the same way again.

Peri Schwartz: studio from Peri Schwartz on Vimeo.

Amazing right?!

See more of Peri’s work on her website and on the Artsy Forager Facebook page.

March 20, 2013
Finding My Own Artsy: Painting is Hard, Ya’ll.

So remember when I shared with you the story of my foray back into painting? And how my first go ’round, though initially painful ended in a pretty positive way? I was so excited, so elated to get back into it! My head was swimming with ideas for this new series of work and I couldn’t wait to dive back in the following weekend. ( Gotta be a weekend painter, I just can’t seem to do it during the week. )

Things did not go as well the second time around.

Mistake #1 | I moved my makeshift studio from the large picture window just off the kitchen into the spare bedroom. Smaller space and not nearly enough light. And the grey blue of the walls in that room are depressing.

Mistake #2 | Reusing an already painted canvas board but not gessoing over the old painting. Rookie mistake. I know better.

Mistake #3 | Not buying gesso. Or perhaps this should have been listed as Mistake #2, as M2 might never have happened had I actually purchased gesso.

Mistake #4 | Trying to utilize the exact same technique used in the first painting even though a different technique was actually working quite well.

Mistake #5 | Walking away and letting the canvas sit for the last week and a half.

So I’ve learned a few lessons from this experience.

Lesson #1 | If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Should have kept my little “studio” where I had it. Since Mr. Forager was working at the table in the kitchen, I was trying to be considerate and not disturb him ( I like to play music when I paint, sometimes accompanied by questionable singing ). I ended up listening with headphones anyway, so think it would have been just fine to stay put.

Lesson #2 | Don’t try to be cheap or take shortcuts. You’re never happy with the result ( see Mistakes 2 & 3 ).

Lesson #3 | Just because it worked for you the first time doesn’t mean it will work again. See Lesson #1.

Lesson #4 | Get over the fear of sucking. It’s OK to take a break, but don’t let fear freeze you. I am a task-oriented perfectionist. If I can’t do something really well, I hate doing it at all. So this is a hard one for me. But it’s a lesson I need to learn and put into practice. And not just in painting but in every aspect of my life. Friend & fellow blogger Erin at artsocial wrote a great post today about this very issue!

So I am determined to try again. Move the easel back into the sunny spot with the mountain view and try again. Buy some gesso and try again. Get over my fear of failure and try again. And again. And again!

Artsies, how do you do it? How do you overcome that paralyzing fear of getting it wrong? I’m also looking for a little evening creative activity for the iPad. I’m not an evening painter, I’ve learned that over the years. I’m kind of a middle of the afternoon on a Sunday painter. But I would love to have some non-messy creative playtime in the evenings. Any paint-y iPad apps to recommend?

All images by Artsy Forager.

March 5, 2013