How to overcome a creative block [6]

Apple podcast Art Juice

We can all recognise this sorry state of affairs, and it’s not fun! We dig into the different times this can happen and share our ways of resolving it, but first….

What are you working on this week?

studio work in progress; playing with subtle transitions before I go back to larger changes (Alice Sheridan)

Louise has been wowed by learning about Facebook (it’s not all just paint, this being an artist business!) Alice has been going for a more subtle approach – which can feel slow, but perhaps these variations in speed of change are all part of the process? Identifying single words which rise to the surface seems to be helping; ‘transitions’ seems relevant for me right now.

What helps when you feel creatively blocked?

Art Juice podcast creative block

We discuss the difference between procrastinating, being temporarily frozen, or being truly blocked. Is a real block caused by a disconnect  between what you ‘want’ and what you are actually doing? Is it a result of losing your connection with your deeper self? While a pause is OK – and sometimes needed and necessary – we come up with some questions to ask yourself, and offer two different ways you can get inspired again by leaning in and investigating.

Audience Question & what’s inspired

We answer a listener who is struggling with multiple styles and wondering if they will ever converge. And discuss how a teenage concert reminded Alice of the importance of finding your own creative path, and that awe-inspiring self-belief. Let’s get some of that!

Mentioned:

Muse Hysteria 

Live version  

Steven Pressfield interview

Louise’s 365-day self portrait project

Join the Art Explorers Facebook group to join the discussion

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Should I keep all my work? [5]

…or does there come a time when you need to take stock. So, how do you decide what to keep – and what do you do with it all?

Apple podcast Art Juice

What are you working on this week?

Louise is preparing to start teaching a new online course and taking a one-week break from painting. Alice is beginning a series of new panels and changing up her approach a little bit by NOT starting with black. Watch the video here.

Help, I’m drowning in old work!

How do you deal with your older work when your style has moved on? If you are surrounded with stacks of old canvases or sheets of paper that no longer feel like you, is it a waste to throw them out? Is it OK to show them with your newer work?

Or are there ways you can reuse them or somehow allow someone else to enjoy them? We discuss some solutions, and why it can feel so hard – and so good – to clear the decks.

Art Juice podcast what do I do with my old art

Audience Question: What’s the best way to ask for feedback?

“So, what do you think?” leaves it fairly open and can be pretty hard for someone else to answer. What are you really asking? We wrestle with the best (and worst) ways to ask for feedback on your work – and how important it is to prepare yourself mentally before you do.

Inside/Outside: what’s inspired you?

Louise has been inspired by a documentary on Chris Martin and Coldplay “A head full of Dreams”; it looks at their rise to fame, from early school days with braces (!), why “you can’t please everybody” and why he always says this is the end of Coldplay Watch on Amazon

Alice has been reading a book on why staying small is the next big thing for business. Which is kind of reassuring! Paul Jarvis ‘Company of One’

Join the Art Explorers Facebook group to join the discussion

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Making big leaps in art [4]

…and why it’s so important to develop your art. Stepping outside of your comfort zone excites us in life, and in making art.

Bravery in art

What are you working on this week?

This week finds us at different ends of the process. Louise has just finished several paintings in her latest series while Alice is preparing to begin new work with a delivery of large wood panels… who would have thought it was possible to get so excited by a bit of aluminium back-bracing!

LINK: to the panel supplier Artists Surfaces

Taking big leaps into the unknown

The impressionist Edgar Degas is quoted as saying “only when he no longer knows what he is doing, does the painter do good things.”  This week the conversation centred on the extent to which this is true.

How important is it to push your work into new territory? Is risk-taking an essential element of being an artist? And if art mirrors life, do we need to find ways to bring risk into our daily lives?

Audience Question: How long does it take to become an artist?

We discuss what it means to be an artist, and whether becoming one is a matter of fact or a matter of mindset.

Join the Art Explorers Facebook group to join the discussion

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Starting abstracts with black or with colour?

Facing a large white panel or canvas can be daunting, but once I get started I actually love this first stage of painting. With nothing established, there is nothing to lose and no risk. 

Usually I begin by making marks with black – it’s too strong and too harsh but the strong contrast immediately gives me something to react to and to knock back. This time I am looking for a different approach. 

I’d like these paintings to be a bit gentler and less busy and really enjoy the movement of paint and not be so concerned with the structure. In the video you can see me starting 3 large panels. First I subdues the white with a soft grey. I’m not bothered at this stage by getting the exact shade or colour temperature correct. In that sense, it’s still about building the tonal layers, but starting with versions of a colour I may hope to keep throughout the painting. 

Still no plan!

The danger here is that I find something I like quickly like and it feels restrictive to move away from it. As soon as you create something you enjoy there is a risk of loss – if you see it that way. 

I enjoyed this approach so much that I came away thinking “I love this stage” and then quickly: “so why can’t I always paint like this?”

Have I been too concerned to make ‘corrections’? So my intention is to continue to paint with this feeling in mind. 

I hope (!) these paintings will be ready to show at Surrey Contemporary Art Fair in March. If you’d like free tickets to see them in person, or to see the final results then I’d love you to sign up to my mailing list. 

 

How to make the most of your studio space [3]

Making the most of your studio space

What are you working on this week?

Alice has been tidying her studio using Marie Kondo’s methodology and has just published a blog post about the process. Having decided to pursue an online sales strategy, Louise has been developing a marketing plan and is plunging headfirst into the world of Facebook advertising..

Show us your studio space!

Some artists work in giant, light-filled spaces, others make space on the dining room table. But whatever the size, your studio set-up is crucial to make the most of your space. We discuss how to make the most of your space, why it’s important to keep making changes, and practical tips on flooring and lighting solutions.

LINK to the plasterer’s tube light we discuss.

Audience Question: How can I stay motivated when I don’t have a deadline?

Alice loves to work to a deadline, whereas Louise much prefers the space to play and experiment. Both share their perspectives on this common problem and wonder if there is something deeper behind the issue if you are stuck with motivation. Do you agree?

Join the Art Explorers Facebook group to join the discussion

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Subscribe on iTunes
Listen on Google podcasts
Listen on Spotify

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License