Aiming for 2011

This is the start of a painting that I began today.  Its 10 x 14, acrylics on canvas board and represents my beginnings for the year.  Its not complete, it looks a little odd in places because there isn't enough detail yet, but it has form and gives me enough information so that I can see success, just as my 2011 plans do.


If you remember my post for 2010 plans from last year, you'll see that I had a portent.  It came in the form of a fortune cookie.   A bit hokey or superstitious perhaps?  Maybe, but I like to think that something is out there guiding me.  I didn't have a fortune cookie handy, so I looked online and found one here and choose a random fortune cookie to see what form the guidance took this time.

You find beauty in ordinary things. Keep this trait.

Pretty good advice for an artist I thought.  Artists can take something as simple as a bolt and turn it into a piece of art, making the viewer see it in a way they never would have thought of previously.

I hope in 2011 I will continue to find beauty in ordinary and extraordinary things and will try to make the ordinary become extraordinary.  And now I will share some of my plans for 2011 that become my goals to work towards.  I am concentrating on two of the same areas that I did last year, productivity and visiblity.  Both push me towards revenue generation which becomes redundant as a category because without the first two, the other doesn't exist.

Productivity

I will create a body of work representing water.  I have concentrated on fish for the past year and they will continue to be in my repertoire.  In 2011 I want to get to grips with their environment – water.  Surfaces, reflections, waves, etc.  I want to really know water and how weather, currents and environment shape it and be able to translate that into art.  The endless forms and light changes provide lots of opportunity.

I will create more pieces in dry media – charcoal, graphite, coloured pencil.  I miss drawing and believe it is ‘the’ most important tool for an artist to have under their belt.  I will work on more portraits and have ideas for other small series of drawings.

I will make more time for the business of producing art.  Its easy to get sidetracked into marketing or simply surfing online when I should be producing art.  Marketing is an essential part of art business, but getting off track and spending too much time on the computer sucks time away from production.

I will complete a book The Gyotaku Project and make it available for sale.  I want a permanent record of the past year’s work and learning process in fish printing. Both as a record for me and as a tool for those coming after me who want to know more about the joys and challenges of gyotaku in Newfoundland and Labrador.  A self published book will serve this purpose and should be available in late winter/early spring 2011.

I will create a local group of artists to produce, explore and exhibit work.  I will invite local artists and develop specific criteria to create an art group that is purposeful and functional.

Visibility

I will create an exhibition proposal for galleries in Newfoundland and Labrador as well as in another province and in non traditional exhibition space.  Galleries can be difficult to be accepted into.  A exhibition proposal based on my gyotaku work, fish and what will be future water paintings will be created and distributed.  Exhibition of art in non traditional settings such as businesses, private homes, community centres, etc. will be considered.

I will create a media resource page and publicity plan for the year.  Publicity isn’t something I’ve done much of in my art career, but is common in my day job.  I will create a media resource page on my blog with my biography,  artist statement, photo and any media releases to date.  I will create media releases based on events as they occur during the year.

I will write articles about gyotaku and submit them and images to fishing/outdoors/boating magazines in Canada and the USA for potential publication.   There are local, national and international magazines and specialist publications promoting fishing and wildlife.  An article on gyotaku as well as images, if printed, will provide me with additional visibility and possibility for the future.

I will join the Craft Council of NL as an active member and continue my memberships with current art organizations.  The CCNL has an art gallery and membership will allow me access to exhibition space, resources and financial assistance.

I will monitor submission calls and participate in local exhibitions when possible.  I have seen exhibition potential slide by me in the last year and haven’t acted on it for several reasons.  I will create a calendar of local exhibition calls and ensure that I have pieces available and framed in time to exhibit.

I will explore additional outlets for cards and prints.  There are many more opportunities for distribution and sale of note cards and prints that I have not yet explored.  I will add additional distribution links for sales of my products.