As 2020 comes to a close it has been a time to reflect on what I have achieved in my art this year. I started with leaving an artists co-op at Salamanca Art Centre which was not taking me in a direction I wanted to go. Two aborted exhibitions due to COVID in March, and the subsequent self imposed isolation or several months set the scene for a major change in my art practice.
Setting up a website and (almost) weekly blog was a particular achievement at this time. The process really challenged me I find I enjoy sharing what I do and its great to have a platform to show my work. It was an added bonus to discover I could sell work from the site as well.
I enrolled in a free online abstract art course over 10 very hectic days which I really loved. Then this followed with a 10 week course called Find Your Joy 2020. Over 1000 people enrolled in this fee paying course which included a facebook page for the exchange of ideas and to post work in progress or completed. I worked more than 40 hours a week doing the course work and applying it to a series of paintings. I gained great confidence and found joy in all I did and I think my work displayed this. Subsequent to this I have joined an online group called Art tribe which continues with the course work in a more flexible way.
I am broadly planning 2021 at the moment and having a go at Trello, a sort of project management tool.
This week I have been working on the two paintings I mentioned last week; reworking older works which I quite liked but wasn’t happy that they were finished. A transformation. I think they are finished. I am naming them Rock pools 1 and 2.
Rock pool 1Rock pool 2
I have worked further on more in my Flourish series. Still not sure if I am happy with them. The paper is getting very thick in the second one; it has had dozens of layers of paint.
I think my three larger Ocean themed ones are finished; ready for Waterways and Kingborough Art Prize in February.
I have nearly finished the 30cm exercise I showed last time. Finding some lovely crops in these which could form the basis of a new series.
