This Week It's Time To Clean Up

Here's a photo taken inside. Things are still pretty messy. I'm trying to get everything organized and put away as much as possible. Yesterday and today I spent most of my time on pieces for the Small Image Show. Really, that's a stupid thing to do because it takes more time to develop an idea. However, I actually wound up putting in two pieces that I had created previously. One is an enamel piece and the other is a necklace. Then this morning I started another necklace which I submitted as well. But in the future, I won't wait until the last minute. Also, I will make it a goal to create work during the year that I consider to be real artwork, not just a craft. And who knows in another year where I will be with my artwork. When I look back at pieces I made a year ago and two years ago, I see that I have improved.

I had a discussion with one of the artists at Spanish Village about art and the Small Image Show. She says she really likes making pieces for the show because she allows herself to stretch as an artist to prepare her pieces. Even if she doesn't get accepted, she knows that she will have some pieces that she put her all into and she gets satisfaction from them. She's right of course. You can't just paint until you have enough paintings to fill up your walls and then sit back and wait for them to sell. You have to keep creating everyday. Otherwise you'll never grow as an artist.

Some days I know that what I create, whether it's a necklace or an etching, is not very imaginative. But I continue to create anyway, because I know that I'm keeping my technical skills in practice and sometimes a really wonderful piece will emerge when I least expect it.

Anyway, I have spent the whole weekend on my submissions and no time on the studio itself. So everything is spread out all over the place. I'm finding that I really like spending time first thing in the morning straightening everything up and getting ready to work. When my work table hasn't been cleaned off, I find that it actually takes me longer to work than it would otherwise. Then I just get frustrated. That's not conducive to creativity.