I work at a local gallery one 4 hour day a week. It seems like that 4 hour day throws a monkey wrench into my entire week. How did I ever use to work full time? I love my life at home, but needed something to keep me moving ahead in my art work so I work at the gallery, not for money, but for materials. I love framing my art professionally myself, but the materials can become quite costly so I found myself making art that really didn't require framing. I don't want the cost of framing to dictate what I create and working for materials takes care of the problem. Plus, being at the gallery puts me in touch with other artists which I really need because most of the time I'm home working alone in my studio and miss the input of others. I adore solitude and crave it, but I know no woman is an island. (that's how the quote goes, doesn't it?)
Speaking of studio, sometimes practicing drawing/painting, etc. can be blocked because you can't think of something to draw. Here's a fun way to solve this problem:
Get an old book (one without pics) you don't care about and rip out a page, or leave it in for that matter. Skim the print for a word that describes something you could draw. For example, the tree and maestro was mentioned on the pages above. Sometimes you are tempted to say, "there isn't anything here I can draw", then go on to another page. But don't! The rule is you HAVE to find a word that depicts some sort of visual in your mind on THAT page. This forces you to think. Life isn't always easy ya know (rolling eyes)!
Oh, and be sure the pages are made of paper that is not glossy. The porosity of the paper used in old books lends itself well to all sorts of mediums.
I used gel medium to put some of my old painted pages onto a16x20 frame I bought at Big Lots for $10. I plan on putting a mirror in it.
