Tag Archives: studio life

studio practice

Best moments of 2018

For the past few years, I’ve written an annual review of my studio practice. Having come to this career from one in marketing and graphic design, it appealed to my business side. Parts of it are pretty nerdy–stats on website visits, social media followers, works produced and sold, emails and blogs written, etc. Metrics are important. For example, I was happy to learn that sales for 2018 exceeded those of 2017. That doesn’t mean I’ll be taking a globe-circling trip anytime soon, but I’ve already signed up for a workshop from my favorite famous artist-teacher.

While metrics can range from disappointing to revealing to encouraging, they don’t fill the heart. Writing the annual review does bring other important things into focus, moments I may have forgotten until prompted. That’s what I’d like to share with you today. Here are my three favorite art moments from 2018:

Moment #1. Caught by Green Lines and Pink

Green Lines and Pink-lo

I’ve read several biographies of Georgia O’Keeffe’s fascinating life, and am familiar with her most famous published works. Having enjoyed exhibits of her work at Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Dallas Museum of Art, and Chicago Institute of Art, I’ve been exposed to her well-known body of work. I expected no surprises when visiting the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last summer. Yet, surprised I was when I encountered this painting, Green Lines and Pink, oil on canvas, 1919. I returned to it several times during my visit, wondering why I had never seen it before. Maybe it was just the novelty, or the sense of discovery. Her subtle gradations, the two sensuous  spheres caught in the folds, the simplicity of the composition, the mystery—all of this caused me to stop for a moment of reverence and wonder.

Moment #2. Practice Matters

practicing

I wrote about this in a previous blog, “Putting the practice into my studio practice.” It’s such a simple but profound concept, to grant permission to make mistakes, to try that same composition or concept again, to see what happens if I paint the same thing again and again. This acknowledges that not every work is wonderful, not every work is worthy of a slot in my inventory. Some will go in the trash or get painted over or end up on the collage materials stack. Some may never see the light of day. Practice must be a significant part of my creative journey. It helps me hone the craft, to be more discerning. I’m grateful for that moment of realization.

Moment #3. Art Builds Community

During the hubbub of one of my studio events, I was struck by the buzz of diverse conversations in the room. People shared their interpretations of the work, what they saw, and why they were attracted to it. Not all interactions were about art, but about everyday ideas and ordinary life activity. New relationships began, old friendships renewed, and guests from all walks of life united in this one social moment–with art the vehicle that brought them together. (Free wine may have helped.) Art has the power to create experiences to be shared by those in its presence. It was powerful enough to make it to my top three favorite moments.

Looking in the rear view mirror holds lessons and insights that inspire me to look forward. I wonder what 2019’s annual review will reveal?

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Join me on Facebook and Instagram for behind-the-scenes peeks and first postings of new work.

All Laura Hunt’s art is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without express written permission. Copyright 2018 Laura Hunt

 

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Spreadsheets and The Artist’s Life

The process of making art occupies considerable space in the stewardship of my time and energy. Not surprised, right? Isn’t that what artists do? Indeed it is. But if you imagine a day in the studio is always about me getting all starry-eyed while making the next idea tangible, I gotta pop that bubble. Yes, I do get into the zone, that right-brained flow when my sense of time stalls and nothing else matters and it’s all about the pleasure of creating. I do love that! But today I want to share with you another side of my art practice, the left-brained part that’s totally disassociated with making paintings or objects. Here’s where I trade the beret for a pocket protector.

I make spreadsheets. Spreadsheets? Really? Yes. Here’s why.

Every work of art that is going to see the light of day, that I deem good enough to make public, must be documented. Each work has an inventory number, title, and several descriptors. Knowing which pieces are off-site, like at galleries and exhibits is crucial info as well. Oh, and some pieces may have been accepted into upcoming shows. If the show is weeks or months out, those works need to be reserved. Some works are on layaway. Can’t sell those out from under the patron who has committed to making payments. It gets complicated, but my spreadsheet helps.

Spreadsheets are also indispensable for establishing prices. I use a formula of size (square inches or volume) multiplied by rate plus cost of materials plus gallery commission, if applicable. Now, to make that more interesting (or not—are you still with me?), the formula for works on canvas differs from the formula for works on paper, which differs from the one for three-dimensional art. That calls for another spreadsheet. Are we making any art yet?

Our digital world presents the expectation that just about everyone, artists included, accept credit cards. Having a service and the necessary devices to make transactions digitally requires another non-art activity: entering inventory numbers, titles, images and prices into the online database. I’ve found the art buyer’s experience is enhanced at checkout if my items are all listed, and with a swipe or the reading of a chip, it’s done. The service delivers a professional, descriptive email receipt directly to my patron.

Sharing my art gives joy to me and to the art buyer as well. Reaching the state of that particular joy requires another non-art activity–marketing. That includes gathering email addresses from interested folks, sharing images on social media, developing newsletters, and producing invitations for email, print and social media. Toss in writing blog content for good measure.

You can guess that all of this requires a time commitment. Yes, it does. But this might come as a surprise to you. I actually don’t mind the non-art tasks. I realize they are integral to making my art practice run as smoothly as possible. Having a system in place clears my head of minutiae, allowing me to plunge into an art-making session with gusto! Which is what I’m going to do next. Excuse me while I get into the zone. Have you seen my beret?

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