A group of mixed-media artists will enter into a year-long challenge to create one, nature-themed 8" by 8" canvas each month for the next twelve months. Each month a different member of the group will decide the theme for the upcoming month and the members will interpret the theme in whatever media they choose, as long as the finished art fits on an 8" by 8" canvas.
This was an absolute first for me – I haven’t been involved in anything relating to art– no swaps, no round robins, no fat books no nothing – but I could do this. I really KNEW I could do this. So, I graciously accepted the invitation. (my art has been limited to making books – something I love and enjoy)
Our first piece was due July 31 and the theme was “Bird”. Should be simple for me – I love birds; my blog is a bird; my first home is named after same bird; I do wild bird rehab. But what do I DO for art? With all of the latest discussion about copying etc, I was suddenly petrified. I have no style that is my own – I haven’t had time to DO art, yet alone become myself. Everything I know about art is related to one class or another -- Ann Baldwin, Claudine Hellmuth, Lesley Riley, Traci Bautista – each finished piece, albeit having my own flair, is easily identifiable by the instructor from whom I took the class. My challenge piece will not be sold or published, but it will be on display, both on the Internet and in a gallery. Yikes!! That did it…. I decided to quit the challenge, besides I didn’t have time to work on art after all.
But wait…. QUIT???? – I’m not a quitter. I made a commitment and I’d jolly well better buck up and figure it out….time was ticking. I headed to my studio and hauled out paints, palate some papers and began. It was an agonizing task, but after repeatedly tearing off pieces of paper and re-painting the background – I finished….and only 2 days late. Hopefully everyone will see a combination of all my instructors in my first piece and I will continue to grow as the challenge continues. There is a blog dedicated to our challenge: http://naturegathered.blogspot.com/
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