Kacy Latham Fine Artist
  • Home
  • info
    • Artist Statement
    • Bio
    • Contact
    • CV

The Artists Way...

1/26/2016

Comments

 
I started The Artists Way study course a week ago. I really hated having to do the three morning pages everyday. It's supposed to be a stream of consciousness thing but I couldn't get into it. Then about three days ago I switched to short stories and now I look forward to it. I have written four so far and in them I could see the skeletons of actual stories possible to develop.

I'm still in a dry spell on painting but not a total loss. I created three this week and only one of them totally sucks. The horse sucks. I then started thinking about why I'm sorta bored with the abstracts that I've been doing. I'm stuck and I need new fuel and inspiration.

I created a visual alphabet of the common elements of my paintings which helped me see my style a bit better. It's random.

Just like my morning page changes when I found my voice to storytell, I feel my paintings will change when I find my next burst of inspiration. I've been painting intuitively but now, I'm ready to clarify my voice and plan.

Unfortunately, I'm still on the dry bank and going nowhere for the moment...it's ok... I must press on!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Comments

Dry Spell

1/12/2016

Comments

 
Picture
This painting just never came together for me...feels pretty and blah right now
I guess trolling around Pinterest and Etsy has it's dangers. I look at all the gifted artists is out there and then I start comparing my work... It is a slippery slope.

Then I received my big shipment of new canvases today and instead of feeling excited, I felt discouraged.

"What am I doing?"

"Who do I think I am?"

"What if nothing ever happens and I'm stuck with a hundred paintings that no one wants?"

I feel this and yet I'm not totally panicked...because this time (yes, this has happened before)...this time, I know what it is. It is resistance.


Every artist feels it from time to time. Even the most famous and successful artists get fight "imposter complex". It's part of the job.

Tonight, I painted a canvas mushy yellow and walked away... I'm dry. I don't know what I want to make. I will wait.

I will try to lay off the social media sites for a bit and think clearly for a few days. Maybe my Juices will return.

I listen to a podcast called "Creative Pep Talk" and today he mentioned finding your "voice". It 's in the spaces between the wildly different types of art that you really love. In that case, somewhere between Lisa Golightly and Rex Ray is where I belong.

Which means that I'd better attempt to do the thing that I am avoiding, practicing figure and portrait drawings. This I have been avoiding.

So onward, and I hope not downward. I guess I'd better spend some time with my sketch book. Sigh.
Comments

99 Paintings

1/11/2016

Comments

 
PictureCollage, 12" x 12' with photo of my grandparents Tommie and Sonny Crawford
Last May, I decided that I needed a break from years of sitting behind the computer working as a graphic designer.  I had always wanted to be a serious artist but I lacked the experience and confidence.  
​
Then, I ran out of my usual podcasts and started searching for something for creatives.  Well, I found a few really good ones.  I also indulged in a few books on Audible.  I listened to "War of Art" and "Do the Work" by Steven Pressfield, "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert," On Writinng" by Stephen King, Art &Fear by David Bayles, "Rising Strong" by Brene Brown and several others.

Needless to say, my whole attitude changed.  Though I had always considered myself a 'creative" person, I did not embrace the title of "artist" completely.

It's hard to feel like a REAL artist when you know that almost everything you have ever created was made to A) please a client, B) mimic a trend or style, or C) impress others.  I had not really started to question, "how can I impress myself?"

So, I dove into the idea of painting 99 paintings in one year.  I am somewhere around 70 at the moment with 5 months to go. Some of them are horrible, some of them or ho-hum, but a few of them feel really honest and true.  I plan on painting onward and maybe at the end of May, I will have a retrospective slide show to see the progress, the process and even the mess.  

A new shipment of big canvases are set to arrive in a few days along with some new paint sticks.  This is so much fun!

Comments
    THIS NOW
    THIS NOW by Kacy Latham
    Creative Writing and Essays.  Follow Me on Medium.com

    Author

    I'm a small town gal, raising two boys who loves to make things. My current love is abstract art.  It might be the creative love of my life!

    Archives

    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • info
    • Artist Statement
    • Bio
    • Contact
    • CV