Oils on board, 45x61cm: "Touched by a Dark Angel".This artblog will follow the journey I am attempting to make from my present expressive figuration (above) to figurative semi-abstraction (as yet unknown). This is the direction I have set myself to fulfil an inner need.
The project comes about from my unsuccessful attempt in October last year to become an Artist Member of the Paisley Art Institute (PAI). The experience showed me many things that I needed to learn and correct, such as:
1. The need to limit the scope of my image-making and focus on one subject or theme, rather than the diverse many I presently distract myself with;
2. The need to become more consistent in the quality of my painting;
3. The need to develop a more professional work ethic;
4. The need to simplify the presentation of my artwork with consistent framing.
I therefore decided, at that time, to impose a tighter, more focussed regime by implementing these objectives (and give myself a year to do so) with the intention of getting into the position that I could once again make application to the PAI with a much improved chance of success - if I still wanted to!
In November last year I also, co-incidently, sent for the final year course material for a distance-learning art course with the OpenCollegeoftheArts (OCA) which had already been paid for (by my previous employer) and had been outstanding for more than three years. This came through early December and surprisingly fit exactly with my proposed intentions. The course, titled ‘Painting 3: Advanced’ sets out to turn “self-motivated students” into “independent artists”. This is exactly what I had been proposing for myself and so I intend to use the course to my own advantage by accepting the discipline it imposes.
The principal feature of the course is that students ‘design’ their own series of projects which will lead them to their ultimate goal, establishing their own time-schedule or programme in the process.
In the coming days I will start by describing this programme of work and how I propose to complete it.
You are invited to accompany me on this journey and offer what observations and advice you can give.
3 comments:
Thanks very much for the invitation, David - I'm looking forward to seeing your projects come together. I greatly admire the discipline you are bringing to your artistic growth and am excited for you as you embark on this new beginning. I've been giving a lot of thought to my own re-alignment and focus for the new year and reading your clearly-stated objectives and planned coursework is very inspiring. Bonne chance!
Glad to see I've got the permissions right and you are able to make comment, Brian. Thanks for this.
If I didn't have this Course to impose this self-discipline (is that an oxymoron?) then I probably would, after a while, revert to my usual harem-scarem attitude to image-making. The PAI failure was a real wake-up call.
After a series of very bad experiences which I was blogging (and getting depressed about) I thought it was time to not only focus on improving my painting but also to focus on more positive messages just to show you that my life is not entirely out of control :o)
Re-alignment seems to be 'in the air' -- I'm embarked a modest version of same.
I am very much looking forward to seeing how this blossoms -- and I do anticipate blossoming.
Thanks, also, from me for the invite. I'm immensely flattered by your trust and hope I can live up to it.
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