Almost played it safe

I’m in between shows which gives me time to catch up around the house and get at the admin side of the art gig. Two art fairs are coming up in San Francisco: stARTup in July and Artspan in November. Each of them is asking for directory images, ad layouts, statements, resumes and a selection of work that will be exhibited. It’s a juggle to know what is going where and what still needs to be done. And not a time to play it safe.

Today I used my dog walking and gardening time to mentally finalize which the plan. If I can see it in my head it’s resolved and it’s just a matter of sitting down at the computer to organize the files and send them off. Knowing how I learn and organize my thoughts, outcome of years of teaching, makes the overwhelm a whimper.

How do you learn best?

I learn by watching, reading and writing. As I watch, I feel the movement/placement in my body which directs me to action. I watch and I ask questions about feel and action. Reading is about making mental images and writing connects the physical with the mental. If you verbally tell me how to do something I feel a crunch in my head. This is why I’m not a fan of automated voices in cars telling me what to do.

Amazonia, Encaustic 48″ x 48″ x 1.5″

This afternoon I mentally toyed with which image to have as my ad for Artspan. I settled on 3-4 paintings and then looked at them on the computer. Ok. Ok. Ok. Hm. One of them really stood out. I questioned its boldness and composition. Too much color? Different from the other “safe” paintings that have proven themselves through purchases and feedback. Bold Amazonia had question marks around her.

People will either like it or not.