It’s been a whirlwind year; I got married, my brother moved in, my parents moved back in-state, my nephew and cousin were born, I finished my certificate program for graphic design … Life’s been full of fun and exciting times. All these great things make finding the time to make art difficult. If I’m tired from work, I’m not motivated. If I have other activities that day, it’s hard to keep my energy up for art. If I don’t have my favorite headphones at the house … well, you get the idea. But despite all that, I’ve managed to complete a few new projects that I’m really proud of. And my motivation to practice my art, writing and design skills is higher than ever :)
Tree Nymphs is a canvas based on an idea that just wouldn’t leave my head. I love being in the woods. Picturing myself sitting at the base of a tree is my favorite meditation spot. I imagine sitting in the nook of a large, smooth tree root and, if there’s something I want worked out, I just have to open the door to find out how to get. This piece turned into a group project as my family helped me scour magazines to find just the right collage pieces, which makes the end result very special.
Making art on canvas still presents some challenges for my process, resulting in longer work time and keeps my studio (aka my dining room table) messy. In contrast to that medium, I went back to working in a journal for a quick piece. That’s where Underwater Adventure came forth. I spent just a few hours on this piece and, while the two mediums are similar, it was refreshing, satisfying and somehow less scary to get something down quickly. I painted and collaged in one day, embellished and wrote in another. Within the week, my “studio” was clean. Keeping my space clean makes me happy and opens up my mind for more projects. I’ve been hesitant to do art in journals because they aren’t easy to show, but if I look critically at what makes me happy, maybe it’s time to accept that it’s not all about what will show well. Maybe I’ll be able to find time and space for both … Sometime.
Robin Alex Art 