Newest Piece, Current WIP, and what's next in my Vendor Event Prep Journey!

     I know the title's a mouthful, but there's a lot of ground to cover today. In the last artist feature, [see: Art With a Modern Twist] I mentioned I would be talking about, "my newest completed piece and an update on my artistic plans in preparation for the next vendor event..."  and with this article, I'm going to do just as I promised. 

If you've watched my video post [see: Face Reveal, Amazon Products, and Room Tour] then you saw the painting I aforementioned, however briefly. 

I wanted to present a still image in this account so that we could discuss and observe it more closely. So, without further ado, may I present the piece: 

    I still have yet to decide on an official title, but I remember the initial feelings that went into this work while I was creating it. In its beginning stages, it was made with the idea that I was hidden or unnoticed, perhaps a mixture of both. It was abandoned for well over a year and was only recently finished. At its completion, the message grew into something along the lines of  "identity and silence...words unsaid, leaving one unheard... bite my tongue, sink further into myself; my comfort lying in the dark beside me." 

    I think it developed quite nicely. Sometimes you just need to step away from a piece in order to come back to it again. When you do, you come back with a fresh mind, and the sadness I harbored for ignoring the piece for so long dissipates when I realize it was for the best. 

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     I have quite a few unfinished paintings. A good majority of them were started in my high school days, which whether I want to believe it or not, is already five years in the past. It's truly terrifying, how quickly time flies. In the moment, we feel like the lives we're leading could last forever, and I often find myself wishing they would... It's much too deep a topic to discuss now, but it'd make for a great painting concept! 

    Currently, I'm working on finishing the forgotten pieces. Take a look at the one previewed below: 

 

    This video is the only "before" image I shot. If you are able to pause the video in any way, I invite you to look at what needed to be changed and compare it to the current photos of the WIP below: 

     

    The initial message behind this artwork lies in the saying, "beauty is pain..." although this piece may be a less obvious presentation of that dictum. Yet I'm reminded, "every rose has its thorns" and in this instance, the flower represents self-inflicted pain for beauty’s sake. 

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    Some technical reflection concurred that the head shape and size needed addressing. The head was about two times larger than the body, and so I wanted to make it more realistic and proportional. Other aspects of the painting I feel need to be resolved are the shape of her hands, and perhaps even her eye shape (it feels too round, I would like to make it more almond). I'd also like to add more detail to the hair, match the skin color of the face to that of the body more, and of course, add her other shoe. 

    To complete the piece, I feel the empty space surrounding her (the abstract part of this painting) needs to be filled with details to erect coherence (my mother suggested black roses to bring the black of the upper background into the lower foreground and therefore construct balance in the work as a whole...I think I'll follow her suggestion). 

    A humble brag, but the folds in the dress and the detail in the roses are *chefs kiss*.

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    I have a couple other old canvases I'd like to finish or remaster before the vendor event, but so far, I'd say a have a nice amount of artwork to showcase. OOH! I know!! In the next video I post to this blog, I'll go through some of that old art! That'll be fun! Let's set the date: February 18th! I hope you'll look forward to it! 

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     I seem a bit scatterbrained today, but that's okay! I’m actually writing this in the wee AM hours; inspiration often bears its claws into me when the night is quiet and my thoughts are loud: I can even write whole articles like this one in one sitting! As to whether or not that holds true in this particular writing case is my secret though. 🤫😁 

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     Speaking of secrets, my Amazon purchases are no longer one of them. I never had any qualms about sharing them in the first place, but there seems to be a progressively growing amount of artists and creators who feign ignorance when they’re asked about their process or products, etc…perhaps in the thought that one will steal their ideas and become more successful then they have yet to be? If you watch TikTok faithfully, you see examples of this in a lot of video comments, where so many questions go unanswered when the solutions only require a simple link or short response. To each their own, I guess, but if there’s anything I’ve learned as an artist, it’s that sharing resources with others creates a more connected world and can result in rewarding friendships and fellowships, as well as information and tips exchanged, compiling a road to growth in developing one's own creations while supporting the growth of another's skills. It's a win-win scenario. 

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     In the media I posted last article, I went over the products I've recently purchased. In today's tidbit, I wanted to go over my future investments.    

     It took some research, but I think I found a few goods that I may consider: 

     A display stand for my larger paintings: 

     A wire display cable for my prints: 

     And a tent to keep everything protected (while simultaneously drawing attention to my artwork... especially in this color):

   Whether I purchase these or not depends on a few scenarios. One would be, "am I willing to spend this much right now?," when I have alternatives like borrowing a tent from a friend, building my own display stand (my father has some extra construction materials...it's just a matter of getting to his garage and finding the motivation to build 😂) and if I really *need* the hanging wire to be successful (the answer's optimistically, "no"). 

    When it comes down to it, I want my table/vendor area to be the best it can be, and I feel these items would push that envelope for me and my work. So, more than likely I will buy at least one of these things before the event. 

    I believe that's all I wanted to go over today. If you're interested in the above items as well for your own sale/booth/table, simply click on their photos and you'll be redirected. 

    Thank you so much for joining me today, I hope you have a great rest of your morning/evening, and that you'll come to visit again come next week, where I'll be featuring a very dear artist friend of mine from high school whose artworks can undoubtedly only be recognized as hers due to her stylized, textured, and oftentimes mixed media portraits.