In case you haven't seen my latest video watch it now! If you've already seen it, watch it again :)
When I decided to make a video that would feature a dialogue I wasn't sure what the content would be. I sat in front of my camera and talked for almost 20 minutes, and shot a variety of clips showing progress of the painting.
I use Adobe Premiere Elements for editing most of my videos, otherwise it's Windows Movie Maker. Creating and sharing videos has been a hobby of mine for nearly 10 years! I've been obsessed with YouTube since that time and have learned much about painting that way. Having the option to find very specific material to watch also attracted me more so than TV or watching movies.
As I was editing this video somewhere along the line I settled on sharing the ideas of the painting and a short backstory for new viewers. This video will hopefully work well to introduce my artwork to new audiences.
A series of videos I had been making for YouTube followed the making of Soul Low's next album cover. Up until a few days ago I was going to be making a painting for their upcoming release, but the band has decided to head into a new direction for the cover. While I'm bummed to miss out on the opportunity I still feel lucky to have artwork on one of their releases already! It's also easier to move forward because I hadn't finalized an image for them. I'm excited to see what the new record is like and to support the band as they keep growing. I appreciate the honest music they put out and have enjoyed following them for the past few years.
Another bit of bad news came the past few days as well. I applied to four graduate programs in the fall and have now heard no's from two of the schools. Both being my top favorite choices so it's a bummer not having an opportunity to attend there. While I wait to hear from the other two I'm going to spend a lot of time thinking about where I want to be in a year, location and career wise. Most days I see myself working towards an MFA because I believe it would help me grow into a professional artist. If I wasn't back in school I think I would want to be part of a community where I feel wanted as an artist. This is probably the most important "want" of mine right now. I also want to be exhibiting/sharing my artwork with people in-person on a regular basis. As a new kid in AZ it's been challenging and intimidating as I try to get my foot into any doors. I'm learning it's a lot about who you know.
Well as I continue to overthink these phases of my life I at least remember that painting is what's most important to me. Thankfully I have time and support from Megan's family to do that right now, full time. With money I have saved I'm able to cover any immediate costs of producing new artwork. The guilt of having Megan's family help me out with a place to stay/work and food weighs on me. If I can make progress on my career while I'm here in Arizona I think it will make me feel better. The only two shows I had lined up didn't work out so it's been a frustrating few weeks. One I struggled to afford the payment to exhibit and had to cancel my participation. If it had been for a month long type of show and not 3 hours I think I could've justified it.
But some good new is that Friday I'll be painting during the Chandler Art Walk! This will hopefully give me a chance to meet new clients and share my artwork with a fresh crowd.
Here are a few paintings I worked on today, indoors because the wind would've blown a pound of dust onto each canvas.
This one is 9" x 12" (click an image to view full size)
This one is also 9" x 12"
This was the final one I started today 8" x 10"
I'm going to let them dry for a few days and decide then if I'll continue painting them. The first and last ones I could see as finished, but each day brings a new perspective so there are no guarantees. Thanks for reading along! Enjoy the rest of your day!