HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It is 2015, and as is traditional with the turning of the year new goals have been set. I have made goals in all areas of my life (I like goal setting, I keep them realistic and create plans to help me achieve them so more often than not I get them done) and I thought I'd share my art goals for 2015 here!

2015 will mark the third year of selling at Sakura-Con for my sister and I. This year we're actually going to have a WHOLE TABLE to ourselves (in years past, we've split the table with other artists) and I want to have a lot of art to take up that space. Here are the pieces I want to have completed by the middle of March (so I can place product orders, the Con is in April):

• Sword Art Online piece = Jan.
• Death Note - L & Light piece = Feb.
• Action black & white drawing for Attack on Titan = Jan.
  
• Howls' Moving Castle piece = Feb.
• Labyrinth piece = March

I may also binge watch another anime just to throw more variety into the mix :-)

If I feel inspired I'd also like to do another generic piece that people who may not want anime fan art would enjoy - something cute. Maybe I'll enlarge one of the cute watercolor animals I drew a while ago and create a whole poster dedicated to it. Something like that.

In other words - I'm going to be very busy with art during the first part of the year. Especially because I"m sure there will be unexpected inspirations as well - for example, I've been listening lately to a podcast called "Welcome to Night Vale" and I came up with an idea I want to draw inspired by that show (since it's a free podcast, I won't be selling prints of anything I draw related to that show out of respect to its creators). HOORAY ART!

I am planning on this being my last convention (something I've said before, I know hahaha, but this time I am committed to the decision). I've enjoyed my time selling at conventions, but fanart isn't the end-point of where I feel I want my art to go. I've seen my technique improve, my confidence in my creations grow - and to be sure, my time doing conventions has been absolutely amazing! I don't regret the decision I made to sell at conventions and I've treasured the experience and growth I've seen in my art over these last few years. But I don't want to get stuck in a creative rut, doing the same thing indefinitely. I want to find new ways to challenge myself and grow as an artist - and make opportunities for me to be completely original in what I create.

So my plan after April is to give myself a month off, then to work from a book I have filled with creative ideas to write up a montly to-do list for creating original art for the rest of the year. I'll post my schedule along with my creations on here to share (you could work from the same list and create along with me if you like!). I want to take some time trying new things, experimenting without any pressure. I also want to use the rest of the year to research art shows and events in the area that I can make plans to create work and participate in for 2016.

Even besides that, I have other art projects planned this year. My mother has requested a specific painting she'd like me to create for her, so I will plan on doing that. Then my sister in law recently moved into a new house and has told me that she'd like me to create an abstract painting for her to hang on one of the walls.

I will not stop creating fanart if I feel inspired by something - I just won't focus on it as I have been doing these last couple of years.

I'll be keeping quite busy with art this year - a happy artist is a working artist ♥ At least, this is the plan. . . life is unexpected, so we'll see where the year takes me and my art!

365 Self Portraits (Project)

I love art. But, as with all things I enjoy, there are aspects I find myself easily excelling at - and there are aspects with which I struggle.

And I struggle with self portraits. To be frank, I'm really quite terrible at them.

"People say, and I am willing to believe it, that it is hard to know yourself. But it is not easy to paint yourself, either."
-Vincent Van Gogh

To my credit, a  self portrait is considered one of the more challenging things an artist (even photographers!) can undertake. To truly be a good artist you must learn to let the object teach you the context in which it should be captured. You must learn not to cast context out around you that will skew what you see (as a painter or drawer, if you wish your work to be objective and true to life). I do my best to be an observer, nothing more - and usually I am able to strip away the layers of what I see down to the visual core.

But I can't seem to see myself clearly.

Throughout history, the majority of artists who have created self portraits have relied on a mirror as a reference - sketching form from their inconsitent (but engaged) reflection. This adds an additional layer of difficulty to the challenge of accuracy. It can be hard enough to get a model to sit still when that's all they are focusing on, try getting a model to sit still who is also the artist!

I recently read Jane Eyre and was reminded of my inability at self portraitature. The main character, Jane, was able to artistically replicate her features easily using a mirror (as she was doing so to exhibit her plainness, perhaps she also wasn't unbiased enough to have created anything exact - but that's besides the point). Many artists I admire have also created self-portraits using the mirror method - Frida Kahlo, Vincent Van Gogh, Albrecht Durer, not to mention all of the classical masters.

So I decided it was time for me to stop shying away from this area of my art that could obviously be strengthened. Acknowledging repeition as the best teacher, I decided to undertake a unique project guaranteed to help me improve.

I have committed to draw a self portrait of myself from a mirror every day for a year.



These self portraits will be small - a little larger than a regular square sticky note (in fact, some may be on sticky notes - I'm not so prepared that I won't have to improvise at times for materials). They will be rough sketches, each one only requiring about 15 minutes to complete. Most of them will probably be ugly, since I'm really not skilled at rendering my own likeness. At all. But when all is said and done, I will have a very interesting series of autobiographical images.

"I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you."
-Frida Kahlo

Although I cringe to do so, I will scan and share each set of 7 (each week's worth) self portraits. Hopefully within a couple of months we'll see some improvement.

~md

PROJECT ARCHIVES:

WEEK ONE - start date 5/17/13
WEEK TWO
WEEK THREE
WEEK FOUR
WEEK FIVE
WEEK SIX
WEEK SEVEN
WEEK EIGHT
WEEK NINE
WEEK TEN
WEEK ELEVEN
WEEK TWELVE
WEEK THIRTEEN
WEEK FOURTEEN
WEEK FIFTEEN
WEEK SIXTEEN
WEEK SEVENTEEN
WEEK EIGHTEEN
WEEK NINETEEN
WEEK TWENTY
WEEK TWENTY-ONE
WEEK TWENTY-TWO
WEEK TWENTY-THREE
WEEK TWENTY-FOUR
WEEK TWENTY-FIVE
WEEK TWENTY-SIX - halfway!
WEEK TWENTY-SEVEN
WEEK TWENTY-EIGHT
WEEK TWENTY-NINE
WEEK THIRTY
WEEK THIRTY-ONE
WEEK THIRTY-TWO
WEEK THIRTY-THREE
WEEK THIRTY-FOUR
WEEK THIRTY-FIVE
WEEK THIRTY-SIX
WEEK THIRTY-SEVEN
WEEK THIRTY-EIGHT
WEEK THIRTY-NINE
WEEK FORTY
WEEK FORTY-ONE
WEEK FORTY-TWO
WEEK FORTY-THREE
WEEK FORTY-FOUR
WEEK FORTY-FIVE
WEEK FORTY-SIX
WEEK FORTY-SEVEN
WEEK FORTY-EIGHT
WEEK FORTY-NINE
WEEK FIFTY
WEEK FIFTY ONE
WEEK FIFTY TWO
MAKE UP DRAWINGS (to reach 365 count) - end date

Preparing for Sakura Con

Preparing for conventions is a lot of work. And a lot of money. For the last several weeks straight (excluding Sundays) I've done nothing but work, come home, get on the computer, and prepare for Sakura Con.

To give you an idea of the many hours (and dollars!) involved in preparing, let me list some of the things I've done so far:

• designed/created business card (I still need to do the backside, I've conceptualized it just haven't made it yet!)
• created 4 new pieces of artwork (SO. MANY. HOURS.)
• scanned artwork
• retouched artwork
• touched-up and recolored 3 pieces of existing artwork  (this is always so satisfying, like figuring out how to scratch an itch that's been pestering you for ages - feeling like your art finally looks the way you've been wanting it to look but never quite had gotten it there before!)
• resized artwork to appropriate crops for having prints made
• if I change anything about a piece of artwork after this resizing (which happens a lot - I will be using the artwork for creating a bookmark or something and will make a change in coloring or design that I like, or will be zoomed in and discover blemishes I want to remove), then I have to go through and resize artwork again (using the new, changed image file).
• designed a set of 10 bookmarks (and redesigned several - I'm a perfectionist)
• ordered plastic bags/dealt with a damaged order
• researched construction of an artist alley display (we have to build it ourselves, so I was learning about common materials and where they recommend you go to buy them)
• created etsy shop (which I will use to sell anything leftover from the Con, I needed to establish it so I could get an URL and print the URL on my business cards)
• ordered metal headbands (for an idea I have for an item we'll be selling)

ANNNDDDD what's left to do:

• fix one more tweak on a piece of artwork (my mom pointed out something to me last night that's been bugging me ever since. . . it's minor, but now I see it I have to fix it!)
• order prints (also, I need to determine how many of each to get for each piece, all the art sells very different and it can be hard to predict!) - 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14 posters
• order business cards (after finishing back of card design - I think that will be pretty quick, my business card is pretty basic)
• finish keychain designs - I have the artwork done, it's the design that's taking a while (I have this feeling that the keychains are going to be the last thing I finish. . .)
• buying materials and constructing our artist alley display (this step is vital but it's going to be a lot of work!)
• buy storage bin for protecting artwork while at Con
• get prints/label and bag (I sell my artwork in protective bags with a label with my name and contact information on the back)
• create headbands
• buy tablecloth
• create signs to advertise for different products and pieces

All before March 29th. Think I can do it? Think it will be enough?

I intend to get the prints and business cards ordered this weekend (that's becoming more urgent as the Con approacheth since there is shipping time involved) - and hopefully I can at least start preparing to construct our artist alley display as well. Although I may need some down time, since I'm pretty exhausted and I haven't been sleeping well lately. So the display may get bumped to next week and I will probably work on finishing up keychain designs instead (it is better to finish a project than start a huge new one when you need a bit of a mental break).

Updates sure to come. . . hopefully with a preview of my zodiac keychains (because there will be a point in time in the future when they're done. . that's a happy thought right now!!)♥

~md

2012 and 2013

Best moment of 2012 ~  That's a difficult question, because there were so many great moments! I had a blast in 2012!! But I think I would have to pick hiking to Cape Flattery, the furthest north-western point of the contiguous United States. I had no idea how beautiful the hike and the views were going to be, and spending that time with my sister was so much fun!!

Worst moment of 2012 ~ This one is easy to pinpoint. It was losing my Grandma in August. My Grandparents were two of my best friends, and losing my Grandma suddenly and unexpectedly was incredibly difficult for me emotionally and spiritually. She was a wonderful part of my life that I will never let go of, even though I had to say goodbye to her for now.

Upon reviewing the goals I set for 2012, there's one big one I didn't meet - but I was successful at the rest! So here's my list of goals for the new year (carrying over the one unment goal from 2012):

• set and implement a budget - I will be in control of my spending and saving
• prepare and participate in Sakura-Con 2013 - I will successfully complete all planned artwork, prepare thoroughly, and have fun no matter how successful my sales are
• focus on selling art - I will successfully take over selling my own artwok and open two shops to accomodate the different bodies of work that I offer
• experiment and enjoy - I will be brave and confident in building a body of work that feels true to myself, authentic and I will not judge how successful I am by its popularity or sales
• take care of myself - I will continue visiting the gym and eating a healthy, balanced diet. I will sign up for 5ks as desired and a half marathon at the end of the year - all of which I will use to keep myself motivated.

Those are the basics - each goal is broken down into mini-goals I've set.

My very first mini-goal for the new year? Finish the wedding photos that my busy December schedule has kept me from! I'll share a few choice selections when I do :-)