What the heck have I been up to?

06·12·2020


This week, I just wanted to make a quick little update/record so that I can mark where I’m at generally in terms of subject matter, style, and career intentions right now. After all, part of the reason I’m doing this is so that I can have something to come back to as time passes, in order to mark how my work (etc.) changes over time.


Last time I got some art supplies, I decided to take a chance and pick up some modeling paste, and I’ve really been liking what it can do so far. Essentially, I’ve been either adding it to my heavy body acrylic paint to make it super thick, almost like an icing consistency, or using it on it’s own to sculpt textured surfaces or forms right onto my canvas. I’m happy with what I’m seeing so far, since I’ve been having so much fun experimenting with textured paintings, and I can’t wait to see this medium’s potential.


Recently, I've found myself working smaller than I did over the summer, and I’m not totally sure how I feel about it. Generally, I feel much more comfortable making larger marks and being able to add more detail in larger works, so the challenge of cramming my expressive style that I’m more used to spreading out (one of my pieces covers an entire wall, for instance) into a smaller surface is frustrating in some cases, but makes me less afraid to start over and experiment with something else if I don’t like where it’s going.

I think that’s a net positive, personally, since I want to make as much work as I can and learn from it at this stage in my career.


The final thing I wanted to jot down this week was how particularly indecisive I’ve been feeling when thinking about the “bigger picture”/the general direction I want to go with my art making. Sometimes, I feel like I have so many ideas that spread me thin and too many contradicting directions I want to take in my career, but I know that now is the time to try as many different things as possible. It’s frustrating to not have clear plans or goals as far as my art life goes right now(especially when you factor the pandemic in), but I think it makes more sense for me to take it small chunks at a time right now, and not accidentally limit myself to future opportunities by hyperfocusing on one particular direction (again, at least for now?) I dunno. I’m indecisive, see?