"Side By Side"

(unavailable.....6" x6"......Experimental Piece....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Light pierces darkness, especially when they're side by side." There are so many meanings that could be attached to this quote. You decide.

I've talked about process "ad nauseum", but the truth remains that unless a strategy is in place to progress on each of our art journeys, the journey will stop. Accidental strategies are not strategies. I know because I've been there, done that. That's why it is important to hang out with other artists and talk about each other's art. It can be very scary if you don't because each of us has an internal critic that will absolutely "eat your lunch". 

One of the most important strategies is an established place to work. If you don't have space for a full blown studio, then you may need to invest in a rolling cart that can be wheeled into the kitchen...preferably close to the sink.

The next most important thing is to choose the very best time of day to work. This will be different from person to person. As most of you know, I choose early morning to insure that art gets done first before distractions overtake me. Even if I plan to go out, I never schedule appointments before 11:00 AM unless there is no other alternative. Today is my 700th posting and I can assure you that it would never have happened without getting up early in the morning...even when I didn't feel like it. 

Art has to be treated like every other skill. You simply must make a decision to do it every day. I have always been struck by the fact that even concert pianists practice at least (4) hours a day to keep their skill level in tact. One teacher from college once told our harmony and theory class that we should take her class as seriously as we would if we were preparing to be a surgeon. Art certainly isn't a life or death situation, but imagine how far any of us could go if we took our art that seriously. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.