Hi readers,
A few weeks have passed since I've shared a Studio Sessions post with you. Like the years before, I try to reorganize my social art presence as a resolution during these first few months of the new year. While I haven't posted every week; I've kept quite busy working on new paintings, creating videos, hosting collaborations, applying to graduate programs and painting publicly. My time in Arizona has been inconsistent thus far which has made my rhythm difficult to find. But hey that's not necessarily a bad thing right?
Last year was my first year without school since I was in kindergarten. I spent a lot of time contemplating the work I was doing compared to what I felt like I should be doing. Being an artist is a career that can have many high and low moments at unpredictable times. I think being surrounded by groups of people who work in a traditional lifestyle creates short moments of doubt in my decisions. However, at the end of the day I'm very hopeful and optimistic about my future in art! I think with time good things come to those who wait and work hard.
Side note: I'm proud of the break from traditional life that Megan and I took during our biking endeavor. The trip taught me a valuable outlook on the time I have and the opportunities out there for all of us to enjoy.
Finding the flow of life is always a challenge. Painting everyday without the obligation to work another job is an opportunity that is rare these days. I also feel that it's an opportunity I have now and might not have for long, so I'm going to try and make the most of it!
So what's been going on out here in Queen Creek you ask!?
Well first off I've obviously been creating new paintings, maybe too many...
The toy hauler Daryl uses for hunting has been generously shared with me to use as a temporary studio space. The short hallways leading to the far sleeping quarters has become narrow due to stacks of finished paintings.
Right now I have anywhere from 8 - 12 paintings in progress, three of which are at least 36" x 36" . It's been months since I've painted anything at this size. I don't have any art shows lined up at the moment, so it's on my list to start contacting venues and businesses with proposals for pop-up art exhibits. A few weeks ago I did sell 8 small drawings and paintings to Camelback Flowershop for resale! This has generated enough income to continue painting and framing more work for a few weeks (an "up" moment).
Along with the paintings I have at the house in Queen Creek, I've made an effort to travel to nearby parks for plein air painting. When we first finished the bike trip Megan and her mom found a french easel at a garage sale for $10! A steal, prices usually start at $100. These easels are great for painting on the go and at home. They offer a lot of space to house brushes, palettes, and paint. The downside is that my trapezius muscles are very sore when walking in and around the parks, it can't all be easy!
Here are a few of the studies out in the field:
The Traveling Painting collaboration has been going well so far. I finished up my contribution and sent the painting out to California for the next artist, Justin Pastores, to beautify! Here's the full time lapse video of my painting "Placebo":
To read how the project works and to consider supporting the expenses of the project please visit gofundme.com/thetravelingpainting updates on the painting and behind the scenes material can be found on our instagram account @thetravelingpainting
Please help us out by sharing and tagging friends in our posts, we're going to auction the final painting off to raise a donation to the ICAF (International Child Art Foundation) and would love to reach as many people as possible!
As I mentioned earlier, I've applied to a few graduate programs (Michigan State University, Rutgers University, University of Minnesota, and the University of Iowa) Most of the deadlines I barely squeaked into. I'm anxious to hear back in the next two months and see where the opportunities could lead.
Until next time, thank you for reading and for your continued support! I hope my posts discuss topics you find interesting, but I'm always open to new suggestions.
Thanks!
- Hector