The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell - Episodes Tagged with “Creativity”

Episode 270: Rebecca's Interview on Art Ladders Podcast

Rebecca Crowell — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Today’s episode is thanks to Valerie Allen and Armin Mersmann, producers of the podcast, Art Ladders: the Creative Climb. In May, they interviewed Rebecca about her background as an artist, her process, development, teaching, and ideas. Their conversation also delves into the unique characteristics of cold wax medium, and why Rebecca was drawn to develop techniques for its use. Both Val and Armin are artists themselves, and their thoughtful questions led to the wide-ranging and insightful conversation that we are pleased to share with you on this episode. Rebecca’s exhibit that is mentioned in the interview, at Slate Gray Gallery in Telluride, CO. is currently on view through the end of this month. Art Ladders podcast is available on Apple podcasts, Spotify and Podbay, and via their facebook page and Instagram. So let’s listen now to the Art Ladders interview with Rebecca, recorded in May, 2024.

And there's more exciting news! Rebecca and Jerry have just announced the first ever online international exhibit of work created with cold wax medium. All styles and formats are welcome. The juror for the show is Dan Addington, of Addington Gallery in Chicago. To learn more, go to www.coldwaxacademy.com-- and click on the Call for Art button. While you are on the website, check out all the information abut cold wax medium and how you can join the monthly membership.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.
•
For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast
•
For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com
•
The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 269: Influences and Copying

Rebecca Crowell — Tue, 07 May 2024 11:30:00 -0500

All artists are influenced by others, but when an artist has an authentic voice, their influences are well-integrated with their own unique vision. But sometimes the influence from another artist is so strong that the boundaries between the two are blurred. Today we’ll talk about being influenced by other artists -- when it is too much, and what it means when another artist is being copied. We’ll also mention ways that influence can constructive and positive and part of an authentic creative voice.

Influence itself isn’t a bad thing—in fact it’s a given as part of creativity. Creativity doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and as artists we are naturally inspired by other artists past and present, and interested in and inspired by what they do. But there is a point when influence is too much, and you are taking liberties with someone else's work. While over-influence is somewhat expected when you are in a learning phase, as you mature as an artist it is expected that you move into your own territory.

Some strong resemblance to another artist's work can be understood as unconscious and even as parallel development. But if you want your work to be distinctive, you need to confront the possibility of being mistaken for the other artist or vice versa. And if you're consciously copying, it's not fair to you and your development, and not fair to the artist whose ideas you are replicating. You may rationalize this as being less well known than the other artist, or even as flattering to them. There are other problematic reasons such as not wanting to put in the work necessary to develop your own voice or wanting to ride into the art market on someone else's path.

To avoid having your work resemble someone else's work too much, it's helpful to have a large mix of influences rather than taking too much form any one artist. In that way, your influences can be compared to the various flavors you combine when cooking a complex dish, which has a unique taste as a result. You can also work with ideas that you perceive or interpret in an artist's work rather than adopting the look of their work as a whole. This is an important way to synthesize various influences so that you avoid too much visual resemblance. And most importantly, remember that your strongest influences should be the most personal, coming from your own thoughts, interests, and experiences.

Episode 268: What are Your Boundaries?

Rebecca Crowell — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:00:00 -0500

What sorts of boundaries do you put around your studio practice? What new ideas are you willing–or not willing—to explore in your work? We all have limited time and energy, so how do you decide where to focus? Which new materials, media, or directions are worth pursuing? It’s a part of learning to sometimes spend time and resources on things that are off track or don’t really suit you. And a basic openness to change and growth is a very good attitude. But, letting yourself be pulled too often in different directions can keep you from committing to deeper involvement. Today we’ll talk about boundaries that are useful and encourage growth, along with thoughts about those that are either too tight or too loose.

When do boundaries make complete sense, and bring about focus and development in one area, and when is it good to let go of some of them and open new phases of our work? The answer is unique to you as an individual, but a key factor is if you have a solid base from which you can branch out. Every creative idea potentially has multiple forms of expression. Is it the right time to explore some new aspects of your work?

Some people are very drawn to whatever is novel. New materials, processes, techniques, and ideas can be a strong pull. But any change in your process takes time and energy, and it's worth giving some time and consideration to whether to take on something new. Are you avoiding commitment and going deeply into your ideas? Or you may be a person who sets very narrow boundaries about what new approaches you will explore. There may be a fear of losing sales or simply of failing at a new venture. A good middle ground is being open to change and willing to follow through on changes that seem worthwhile. Understanding your own position about boundaries requires looking at yourself honestly, and you may find a solid base that you didn't even recognize.

It’s a challenge to find the right balance of being open to new directions and being committed to certain ideas. But that point of balance is also very exciting and rewarding. It means you are heading purposefully in direction you've identified as helpful but there are surprises and good energy along the way. You’re excited by new challenges but also understanding how various ideas fit together, and seeing that the basic connection you have with your ideas is solid.

Episode 267: Questions for the New Year

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 21:00:00 -0600

It's once again the time of year when many of us make resolutions and set goals. We’ve talked about goals and plans at the start of the year in previous podcasts, but in this episode, we would like to recognize that sometimes having questions about what lies ahead is just as important. The nature of creative work means focusing on what we don’t know as much or more than what we do know. Most goals and resolutions are based on a logical evaluation of what we want to accomplish—and there’s nothing wrong with that. But today we’re going to talk about the importance of generating questions as much as we do goals and resolutions.

We base many goals for our life and work on assumptions about what seems like the right thing to do according to outside standards. But as artists we have a lot of independence and autonomy, and a big part of setting your own course is considering what’s right for yourself as an individual. It's also important when setting goals to leave plenty of room for the unexpected, and for exploring things you haven’t even thought about.

Underneath any practical goal or resolution is a question about why it is important. What is the motivation for making this resolution? Is it something you truly want, or is it instead something you simply believe is expected of you? It’s interesting to go to this deeper level with questions and see what you discover. You might find a clear and honest reason for your resolution, or you may discover that you lack a personal connection or motivation.

There is also a problem with setting precise goals and resolutions in an art practice in that there are always unexpected changes and opportunities. The conventional approach may keep you from exploring the more meandering path that many artists find valuable.

One of the joys of the art life is that you have the freedom to find the path that suits your own approach and focus. At this time of year it's good to give thought to what is right for you and get rid of any “shoulds” that are causing you grief. Goals and resolutions are best when they are personal and as flexible as possible, to allow for the unexpected.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.
•
When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
There are some important changes as 2024 gets underway! The big news is that Rebecca and Jerry have restructured their membership program and now you can join on a month-to-month basis with full streaming access to all features of the program. This means lots more flexibility for you--you can try the program out for a short time, or take a break when you need it. Live sessions will continue twice a month--and along with favorites like painting clinics, critiques, and guests, some new and exciting plans are in the works. Make 2024 your year to discover the excitement of working with cold wax -- or if you are already a member, to go even deeper into your painting practice.
For more info and to join CWA please visit www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.
•
For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast
•
For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com
•
The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 266: Gratitude and the Artist's Life

Rebecca Crowell — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0600

This is the traditional time of year to focus on gratitude for the blessings in our lives. And while gratitude can and should cover a lot of areas of life, since this podcast is mainly aimed at artists, today we’re going to consider some of the ways that we as artists can be uniquely grateful. These include being thankful for being able to do our work, for those who appreciate it, for opportunities that come our way, and for the personal growth we gain from creative practice. Art adds a dimension to our lives that is deeply satisfying and affirming, whether we do it mainly for ourselves or whether we bring it to the wider world or even make a career of it. Today we want to focus on gratitude for the ability and the passion we have for making art.

Spending some time to write about what your art practice means to you is a meaningful way to explore your grateful feelings for your art practice and the creative aspects of your life. We can all get caught up in the ups and downs of the daily situation in the studio but taking a pause to acknowledge its special importance to you is uplifting. This can include looking back to times when challenges and difficulties in your creative life have led to positive outcomes, and the ways that you have grown as a person as a result. Perseverance, trust, and belief in yourself can build up over time as you involve yourself in your work.

Gratitude can extend not only to what comes to us in personal ways but also to what we are able to share. Making art can be seen as a way of loving the larger world when you do it with a sense of gratitude and when you offer others a bit of your sense of beauty and rightness. Whether it is through exhibiting, teaching, writing, or speaking about your work, you can be grateful for having something meaningful to share with others.

The list of things for which an artist can be thankful is long; each of us has our own specific or personal thoughts and experiences, but there are also more universal aspects of the creative life that can be acknowledged. No matter what role art plays in your own life, it enhances your life now and on into the future with its benefits of ongoing involvement and healthy aging.

By the way, you don't have to use cold wax medium to benefit from the content in these recordings. Artists who use other painting media will also find a wealth of valuable information --including effective use of the visual elements and composition, personal voice and intentions, mentoring topics like procrastination and work/life balance--and much, much more. For more info and to join CWA please visit www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.
•
For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast
•
For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com
•
The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 264: Interpreting Experience: Abstract Approaches

Rebecca Crowell — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 15:00:00 -0500

We may think of abstract painting as exploring the visual elements and the process of painting strictly for their own sakes, but that’s only one kind of abstract work. Many abstract artists have a more personal approach, in which aspects of their lives, memories and experiences fuel their work. They want to feel a direct connection between their inner lives and what they create. But finding ways to interpret these personal sources in abstract terms is a big challenge. Without obvious subject matter, how can you express an experience, tell a personal story, or evoke a memory? Today we’ll talk about some approaches to abstraction when very personal expression is the goal.

if you are an artist seeking this kind of personal involvement with your abstract work, a key is developing a meaningful visual language that feels connected to your own experiences. Personal visual language means the way you use the visual elements and composition that are most expressive to you. This can include certain color combinations or textural effects, kinds of mark-making, and considerations of scale or format. This is the result of lot of practice, building up aspects of it over time.

Working in a personal way with abstraction has limitations in how specific you can be in conveying your ideas. You might think of the process as setting a stage that invites your viewer into a certain evocative realm, for example something organic or nature-related, or a something that seems architectural. But a challenge in developing abstraction with personal meaning includes avoiding literal depiction and insisting on a particular interpretation. It's very easy to slide into imagery even if you decide you want to avoid that; finding a context for your ideas that is consistent in its degree of abstraction is important.

Finding the essence of experiences, places, objects, or other subject matter is an important aspect of personally expressive abstraction. Essence means the most basic and pervasive qualities of something, the distillation of an idea. It’s typically the motivation behind wanting your work to be more abstract, because it helps your own responses to your subject be more powerful. You can express essence via any of the visual elements that seem related, and you can use them freely in compositions that are not literal in their depiction.

Episode 263: After The Exhibit

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 20:00:00 -0500

It’s what so many artists work toward—a solo exhibit or small group show-- when a large body of work is shown at its best, to an appreciative audience. Preparation for an exhibit like that can take months, even years. Slowly you produce the work, experiencing everything from panic to satisfaction as the finished pieces for your exhibit accumulate. It can be both a draining and exhilarating experience as you head toward the finish line. Finally, your show opens, and then what? You have a few weeks or a month of receiving congratulations and feedback, hoping for sales, celebrating when they happen, and then rather suddenly, it’s all over. Today we’ll talk about the aftermath of an exhibit, a time to process what you’ve accomplished and consider what’s next.

Exhibits are milestones in your art career, and it's important to take some time to process your accomplishment, by observing how you feel about the work that was exhibited. Take some time to appreciate seeing the work as a body, hanging together, and to consider what might be next. What has changed in your vision and intentions?

Many artists also experience a lull or creative block following the big push of having an exhibit. Although this can be frustrating, this downtime can also be beneficial as a time to rest and find your way back into your work. You may need to step back to gather new ideas and energy. Keep your long-term goals in mind but allow yourself some time off.

The issues of sales also tends to occupy you in the post-exhibit period. Friends will inquire, and your own finances may cause you to feel anxious about having some income from the show. But try to remember that sales are not the measure of a good exhibit. There are too many factors influencing whether sales happen to use them as a gauge of success.

Nobody but the artist really understands everything that goes into producing an exhibit. Your own perspective is the most important and that needs to be focused on the big picture of your work, what you've learned and where your work may be heading. There can be a lot of distractions around a show—sales, publicity, contacts, exposure. A lot of that is exciting and can lead to new opportunities, but in the end, you go back to your studio and work. You are not the same artist you were before you went through this process, and it's time to move on.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.
•
When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy? As Rebecca and Jerry enter the fourth year of live programming, they are bringing a special emphasis to reviewing and consolidating prior learning, as well as to increased member involvement on a variety of topics like professional development, mentoring issues, and other questions posed to the group. As always, Members are also encouraged to take part in the online sessions, where lively discussions take place as Rebecca and Jerry respond in real time, And don't forget that Cold Wax Academy Members have unlimited streaming access to over 100 previously recorded sessions covering a broad range of topics. You don't have to use cold wax medium to benefit from the content in these recordings. Artists who use other painting media will also find a wealth of valuable information there, from the effective use of the visual elements and composition, to personal voice and intentions, to personal issues like procrastination and work/life balance--and much, much more. For more info and to join CWA please visit www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.
•
For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast
•
For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com
•
The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 262: Self Promotion For The Reticent

Rebecca Crowell — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 21:00:00 -0500

If you’re an artist who wants to get your work out into the world to be seen, appreciated, and even purchased, you will face the need for self-promotion. If that idea makes you squirm, you are not alone --and this podcast is for you. Why do so many artists hate the idea of promoting themselves? Probably because many of us were taught from an early age to be modest, to avoid mentioning our achievements, and to be grateful for whatever life handed us without seeking more. But dealing with the art world requires a different approach. You need to let people know who you are and what you do if you want to advance your career. Today we’ll talk about ways of self-promotion that may be comfortable even if you have a reserved, humble, or quiet personality.

If self-promotion is stressful to you, you may be struggling with overcoming these early lessons. Or you may have a truly humble or quiet personality that you're happy with, but it holds you back from things you need to do to get your work into the world. However, self-promotion does not mean you have to change who you are. In fact, the best way to handle it is to be yourself, and not present yourself in a way you believe will impress others. If your true personality is low-key or reserved, that is the tone to use in your self-promotion. That doesn't mean being self-deprecating, which is never helpful, or on the other hand exaggerating your achievements. Being honest and direct is the key.

Although avoiding self-promotion may be an ingrained habit, you need to acknowledge that it is necessary to operate in the art world. Your potential collectors and others in the position to help you want to know about you and what you do. A confident attitude is important in these situations, whether you are crafting a written statement or speaking in person. If you have trouble with this, remember that sticking to facts about yourself and your achievements is a safe and comfortable entry point. Simply stating these in a straightforward manner is never objectionable to other people.

Different types of self-promotion require different approaches, so it helps to know what is expected in each situation. This can range from a formal communication like a press release to something that is less formal, like a blog or newsletter. Lots of times you have some leeway in how to phrase things or how personal to make them, and you can find a tone that suits your true self. With practice, all types of self-promotion become easier to tackle.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.
•
When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy? As Rebecca and Jerry enter the fourth year of live programming, they are bringing a special emphasis to reviewing and consolidating prior learning, as well as to increased member involvement on a variety of topics like professional development, mentoring issues, and other questions posed to the group. As always, Members are also encouraged to take part in the online sessions, where lively discussions take place as Rebecca and Jerry respond in real time, And don't forget that Cold Wax Academy Members have unlimited streaming access to over 100 previously recorded sessions covering a broad range of topics. You don't have to use cold wax medium to benefit from the content in these recordings. Artists who use other painting media will also find a wealth of valuable information there, from the effective use of the visual elements and composition, to personal voice and intentions, to personal issues like procrastination and work/life balance--and much, much more. For more info and to join CWA please visit www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.
•
For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast
•
For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com
•
The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 261: Moving Your Studio: Emotions and Memories

Rebecca Crowell — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 20:00:00 -0500

In our last episode we talked about some of the practicalities of downsizing, clearing out, or moving your studio, and tips about ways to deal with your artwork, supplies, and other items that you’ve accumulated. But what about the emotional side of this? We’re going to focus today on how it feels to move out of a studio that has been a very important part of your life. You may be on top of the logistics involved in dealing with downsizing, but you are not a robot, mechanically sorting and tossing. Today we’ll talk about the fact that your studio is a very personal place that can evoke a flood of memories and emotions when you need to leave it behind. And we’ll also mention the benefits and positive aspects of going through this process.

A studio is a place to make your work, but it's also much more. It is a sanctuary and refuge, and a place of contemplation where you have spent countless hours working, thinking, and observing your work. Your studio represents your personal history as an artist and all its ups and downs. So it’s no wonder we get attached to our studios as well as fill them with a large buildup of objects and inventory. The physical objects themselves hold memories and feelings that can be overwhelming at times.

Pressure to meet moving deadlines, confronting your habits of hoarding or over-purchasing art supplies, and perhaps regrets over work that was never finished or sold that can all be stressful and bring up difficult emotions. Yet there are also fascinating and rewarding parts of the process when we see connections to older work, or are reminded of art friends, mentors, and experiences as we sort through our stuff. You may feel deep gratitude for your life as an artist when you realize the depth and breadth of your work and life as an artist.

Anyone who is on the other side of major downsizing tends to be pleased and relieved. The process gives you a fresh start and provides a sense of feeling more organized and purposeful. Instead of a jumble of bits of your past, with perhaps only minimal organization, in your new space you will know precisely what you own, where it is, and overall, you will have a good sense of what everything you’ve kept means to you. It's easy to lose sight of these positive aspects of moving while you are in the middle of this often-exhausting process, but they do await you.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.
•
When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy? As Rebecca and Jerry enter the fourth year of live programming, they are bringing a special emphasis to reviewing and consolidating prior learning, as well as to increased member involvement on a variety of topics like professional development, mentoring issues, and other questions posed to the group. As always, Members are also encouraged to take part in the online sessions, where lively discussions take place as Rebecca and Jerry respond in real time, And don't forget that Cold Wax Academy Members have unlimited streaming access to over 100 previously recorded sessions covering a broad range of topics. You don't have to use cold wax medium to benefit from the content in these recordings. Artists who use other painting media will also find a wealth of valuable information there, from the effective use of the visual elements and composition, to personal voice and intentions, to personal issues like procrastination and work/life balance--and much, much more. For more info and to join CWA please visit www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.
•
For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast
•
For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com
•
The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 260: Downsizing For Artists

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 23:00:00 -0500

The contents of an artist’s studio tend to be anything but minimal. Most of us accumulate a lot of art supplies not only for our current needs but for other projects that we have in in mind, or just because we love the possibilities suggested by a new material or tool. Then there is our inventory of older work, sometimes going back decades, as well as lots of miscellaneous items that tend to land in a creative space. Shelves, drawers, and closets become crammed as all this stuff builds up. Whether you are planning a move or just want to clear out some space, downsizing is a major project.

Downsizing a studio requires a great deal of energy and many decisions, and it may be your total focus for weeks or even months depending on the scale of what you’re doing. While the
basic logistics of clearing out a studio aren’t very different from similar work in a garage or basement, personal attachment to what you need to get rid of is stronger when it comes to your artwork and other things in your studio space. Much of what you must deal with is intimately tied to your creative self and part of your personal history as an artist.

Dealing with artwork is probably the biggest challenge you will face when you are clearing out a studio. There are some good ways to sell some of this work, including holding a studio sale or online sale, especially if you put some thought and planning into the logistics of this. Other pieces may be given away or donated to a local art center, hospital, or charity organization. Putting old work or other items from your studio in the common area of a building that houses artist studios with a "free" sign is another solution.

Art supplies, art books, studio furniture, teaching supplies, and miscellaneous things you've collected for inspiration can all be problematic as you sort and decide their destinations. But there will be many items that you realize you no longer need or want. Art studios tend to accumulate decades of your various projects and ideas, many of which you will have moved past.

Downsizing or clearing out living space has been a topic for several years in the general media but as artists we have special challenges due to the highly personal aspects of what we are dealing with, and the fact that in terms of the value of things, the usual categories of what can be given away, sold, or tossed, are less clear. It is a challenging project, but the rewards of finally finishing the clearing process are great.

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What's new at Cold Wax Academy? As Rebecca and Jerry reach the end of their third year of Live sessions they are launching a new phase of programming aimed at reviewing and reinforcing foundation topics--beginning with Color in their Summer quarter that starts on July 5th. This summer's sessions will also mentoring and professional development topics, as well as a painting clinic and a member critique. As always, Members of Cold Wax Academy have unlimited streaming access to over 100 previously recorded sessions. And a table of contents to easily find specific topics in the recordings will soon be available. For more info and to join CWA please visit www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

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The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 259: Surviving Your Opening

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 21:00:00 -0500

Art openings are fun, right? Your friends and family are there to celebrate, your work is beautifully displayed, you meet new people who are interested in what you do, and you may see some red dots appear. So why do so many artists approach their opening receptions with mixed feelings or even dread? Even if you feel excited about the show and grateful for the opportunity to exhibit, you may feel nervous about being in the spotlight, confused about what’s expected of you, or disappointed by a small turnout. Even openings that live up to your highest expectations can feel overwhelming. Today we’ll take an inside look at how to survive and even enjoy your next art opening.

Although there are challenges, openings can also encompass many positive moments. It's exciting to see your work in its best light when it has been in your studio for weeks or months, largely unseen. There is often an elevated quality to the work to see it in this setting, and it is affirming of all your efforts to have your work appreciated by a wide audience.

Openings can be disconcerting though. It is easy to misread various aspects of what is happening around you, because there is often a party atmosphere rather than serious consideration of your work, and it may seem that no one cares to really look. There are also many unknown factors, for example, you often try to gauge what people think of your work or whether there will be any sales. And a commercial gallery has certain expectations that may be outside your comfort zone, like mingling and engaging with the people there.

To make things easier for yourself, there are various ways to make yourself more comfortable, like choosing the right outfit and having a camera handy to have something to do as you move around the gallery space. But of all the many tasks and business responsibilities artists need to handle, for many of us, our own openings are the among most challenging times. it depends a lot on personality whether you dread openings or take them in stride, but experience is also helpful. Openings do become routine over time, and you find your own ways to make them bearable and even fun.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 258: Making Assumptions

Rebecca Crowell — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 17:00:00 -0500

As artists we are often in uncertain territory when dealing with the world of galleries, exhibits, and other opportunities, and leaning on assumptions --what we believe you know about a situation --can help you feel more grounded or confident. But when you find out you’ve misread a situation, you may be left feeling angry or frustrated, or blame yourself for not seeing things more clearly. How can you maintain your objectivity and identify your assumptions as you navigate the ups and downs of an art career? There are no easy answers but today we will offer some perspective on this tricky issue.

The definition of assumption is "something that is accepted or believed to be true, or as certain to happen, without proof." But proof is very hard to come by when dealing with unknown situations. Nobody can have proof of everything in their lives let alone in the variable and diverse art world. We all operate on plenty of assumptions in our attempts to further our art career.

But some assumptions can come from being naive or uniformed about the situation. Many opportunities in the art world are totally legitimate but many are not. Some are basically scams in that you’re being led astray on purpose. This means you can waste a lot of your resources because you trusted that a venue was working in your best interests. But even with legitimate venues and opportunities, we can be led astray by unrealistic expectations and assumptions.

You need to be aware of any assumptions about a situation that are blinding you to what is best for you. And communication is always key in understanding as clearly as you can how to navigate various situations, whether you're dealing with a gallery, arts organization, artist residency program, teaching opportunity, or any of the other myriad opportunities that may come your way.

No matter where you are in an art career you probably grapple with the pitfalls of expectations and assumptions. Because there are lots of different scenarios you will encounter, it's hard to be on track in every situation. Give yourself a break when you recognize you’ve let assumptions play too big a role. Nobody makes the right calls all the time, but we do learn from experience in identifying our own assumptions.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 257: More Than One Direction

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 21:00:00 -0500

In the interest of having a consistent style, artists are generally advised to stick to one type of work --both in the studio and when exhibiting. But many artists are experimental, curious, and explore more than one direction—so this advice can seem too restrictive. In our last episode, we touched briefly on the idea that a range of the same artist’s work can be promoted effectively if done with consideration. If you have more than one direction you may have questions about how you can best present your work when exhibiting or in other situations, and today we will address those concerns.

While it is advisable to have one primary focus that you fully develop and go deeply into, there are many good reasons that artists explore multiple directions as sidelines. Working in various media and approaches tends to inspire new ideas, energy, and insights, and helps keep your work fresh. Different approaches may also appeal to different audiences and thus expand your marketing possibilities. But it's important to think about how to present your work when you have more than one direction. Different situations involve different concerns, and you need to consider the audience for each.

For example, when approaching a gallery or applying for a grant or commission, you will make the strongest impression if you present only your main body of work. In these cases, the person deciding about your work wants to see consistency and an immediate visual impression. Other situations, such as when you post on social media, hold an open studio, or do a slide talk about your work, it's fine to show the breadth of what you do. In these situations, your audience has more time to absorb your various directions. If you want to show a range of work on your website, it's best to clearly separate your various directions and provide some written insight into your reasons for pursuing them.

In the best scenario, your work in various media or approaches will have an interesting relationship. Viewers seeing a range of your work will then be able to deepen their understanding of who you are as an artist. If your ideas come from a strong inner source rather than being very scattered, -they will be more worthwhile for you to pursue,and be more likely to enhance how others view your work.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 256: When Art Travel Ends

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 20:00:00 -0500

We’ve talked several times in the past about the experience of attending an artist residency program when you are away from your home studio, focused exclusively on your work in a stimulating environment. We’ve also talked about the importance of travel in general for feeding your creative ideas. But what about when that residency or the travel is over? Will the bubble you have been in for weeks, focused on your work or satisfying your travel curiosity, simply burst? Today we talk about that transitional time back to ordinary life and how that plays out in your work.

When you spend time at a residency or doing art-related travel, coming back to your studio can present challenges. Your vision has been altered, and your experiences while away will affect your thoughts and feelings. You may have done work that is quite different in terms of media, scale, or source ideas that what you normally do. You have also probably been free of marketing or business concerns, and perhaps not considering where the work would end up in terms of display or sales.

It's good to take some time once home to contemplate the similarities and differences with your previous or ongoing work. Will the work you did while away simply exist as your response to your time away, a separate project, perhaps a sort of travel journal? Or will it contribute to or integrate with the main body of your work? Will you continue to pursue the ideas you explored while away, or is that work specific to the place where you were? It will probably take some time to process the various ideas that your travel has evoked. Part of that may be inviting others to see the work from your time away. Thier comments can provide more insight and they may see connections to your ongoing work that you have overlooked.

While as artists we are always taking in new ideas when we travel, doing so with an art focus or as an artist in residence is very different from travel as a tourist. When you are able to create during your trip, you can process your impressions in an immediate way. This can enforce your experiences in ways that will have a permanent effect on your work overall, whether obvious or subtle.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new At Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry launched their spring quarter on April 12th. Sessions this quarter so far included identifying compositional issues in your work, and technical information from Gamblin representative Mary Tevlin. Upcoming sessions include a painting clinic for works in progress, and much more. As always, members can join in on live sessions with questions and comments, and can benefit anytime by interacting with other members on our Members-only facebook page. With 100 recorded sessions in the member library there is always something to learn or review, with topics ranging from technical advice to visual language to guests speakers and critiques of member work.

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 255: Silence, Solitude, and the Creative Pause

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 18:00:00 -0500

Many creative people embrace quiet, solitary moments as portals to being in synch with their work. Stepping away from everyday distractions is a way of nurturing your creative self, bringing you more in touch with your emotions, ideas, and the bigger picture of what you want to express. Yet true silence and solitude tend to be rare in our lives, unless we make a conscious effort to bring them in.

Most people are aware of the value of meditation and other spiritual practices like prayer as a way of calming and centering and consider it important, usually as a way of starting the day. But once you move into the main flow of a busy day, most of us never pause to find a quiet moment of solitude.

A purposeful, brief stepping back from full engagement with your work, a pause in which you take a moment to refresh your vision and can enhance your creative process by allowing you to get find your center and purpose again. It's good to take this kind of pause not out of frustration or exhaustion, but during a good flow of activity. If you stay in the moment but simply pause for a moment to look out the window, take a drink of water, or step outside, you are not likely to lose your flow. Working this type of pause into the rhythm of your process can seem counterintuitive, but one way to create this habit is to simply extend a natural pause-- taking a drink a water or washing your hands--and another minute or so to find something else to gaze at.

Solitude and silence are other ways to enhance creativity by bringing your attention inward, whether in the studio or elsewhere in life. Anything that helps you be in touch with your inner thoughts and feelings can be helpful. Consciously making space for solitude and silence in your life can be an important step to going deeper into your work

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 254: Intuitive, Spontaneous, or Random?

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:00:00 -0500

Intuition and spontaneity are important to many artists. But what about randomness? While these words are related in superficial ways, they have very different meanings in the context of art practice. Intuition and spontaneity play positive roles. Intuition can be a powerful guide and a source of new ideas, and spontaneity leads to energy and excitement. Randomness, on the other hand, tends to lead you off track and reduce the meaning and impact of your work.

Intuition and spontaneity have somewhat different meanings although they are very closely related. Intuition means inner knowing or understanding, a sense of rightness. It may evolve slowly and grow over time based on practice and experience and can stand up to analysis and questioning. Spontaneity means being in the present moment, playing, and acting with freedom and energy. It is reactive to the situation and not something to question or analyze.

How do these approaches differ from randomness? Although all three are alike in not being planned, random responses are characterized as being without purpose and based in chance. They have no specific source, while intuition and spontaneity both arise from your core creative self and push you forward in inspiring ways.

It can be very helpful to recognize your own use of these three approaches. Learning to recognize randomness and avoiding it can help keep you on track with developing meaning in your work, while cultivating intuition and spontaneity can provide valuable insight and energy. These distinctions can be hard to identify in the moment but in observing your work over time you can more easily see their impact.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 253: Dealing with Rejection

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 27 May 2023 16:00:00 -0500

It’s never easy putting your work in front of others to be judged and scrutinized, but if you don’t it’s very hard to gain a wider audience or grow as an artist. Submitting work to galleries, grant panels, juried shows, and competitions tends to become a routine part of what artists do. But for every time you’re chosen for an opportunity, there are many more times when you are rejected or simply ignored. And despite the thick skins many of us develop, rejection is never easy. Today we’ll talk about coping with rejection and try to gain some perspective on its inevitability

Accepting rejection as part of the process of your development is important. We all try many things as artists that don't work out for us, whether that is a new medium, a project, or a technique. Yet we learn to carry on with the next idea with a positive attitude. Rather than taking rejection as a personal affront, it's helpful to look at it in a similar objective way, as just another attempt that didn't turn out as you hoped.

But although it is basically good advice to shrug off rejection this is also a simplistic approach, because most people have emotional or personality characteristics that get in the way. These include perfectionism, insecurity, inflexibility, a sense of entitlement or being prone to having unrealistic expectations. It helps to try and separate your own personal issues from the reality of how the art world operates. Although there are certainly times when an artist's work is rejected based on a lack of quality or originality, many times this decision has more to do with the goals of the gallery, juried show, venue, or residency program which may or may not be apparent.

How you experience rejection tends to change over a long art career. In the beginning, you probably apply for more opportunities, and hence receive more rejections. When you are more established you are probably more selective about where you submit. After all, your needs change, and every application requires focus, time, and sometimes cost. In deciding where to place your resources, consider your true goals and how an acceptance would contribute to your growth as an artist. It is never wise to apply out of a sense of competition or regard an acceptance as a "win" or to prove yourself. With this attitude, it is easy to see rejection as invalidating your work and can undermine your confidence.

There is a danger in letting rejection affect you too much, in becoming discouraged, or allowing it to affect your self-image as an artist. Knowing how common it is for artists at every stage to be rejected may help, as does insight into the way art venues operate and to understand that your work may simply not align with whoever is deciding the outcome wants. In the end, it's up to you to push forward according to your own goals, despite rejections.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 252: Personal or Formal?

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 15 May 2023 22:00:00 -0500

We tend to think of artistic expression as being very personal, as coming from the artist’s experiences, emotions, memories, and responses. But there are also many works of art that are not focused on personal expression. Instead, the artist is motivated to explore a more impersonal realm of ideas, patterns, and more universal concepts. For most artists, there is a balance between sources that are more and less personal, a balance in working between the heart and the mind. That individual balance is basic to the artist’s voice and unique expression. Today we’re going to talk about these two different approaches to making art and the balance in your own art practice.

In looking at art history in these terms it is easy to see the differences, and to recognize the ways that artists have drawn from both personal and formal sources. These divisions, although they tend to overlap in any one artist's work, are useful in understanding your own preferences and tendencies, and what is important to you. Do you prefer a more intellectual, structured approach--one that is removed from pure emotion? Or is expressing your personal experiences in a freer way important to you? These divisions are simplistic, however. Even the most formal work may have emotion behind it, and the most informal relies on formal concerns like composition and the use of the visual elements.

Both approaches are equally valid, from pure abstraction to the most expressive ways of working. But in getting started, formal concerns like developing technique, and understanding the visual elements are an excellent starting point for finding your personal voice. Personal expression tends to emerge from this kind of exploration, but without a firm formal grounding it is difficult to develop powerful work.

It's important to develop your appreciation for the approach that feels less natural to you, and to recognize that any weakness in your own work may have its roots in that other approach. If your work is strictly formal, could it benefit from letting a little more of your more personal experience and sources come through? If strictly informal, is there enough structure to allow the viewer a way in, or a universality that allows their engagement with the image?

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 251: Travel Tips for Artists

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 08 May 2023 12:00:00 -0500

The ideas and energy gained from travel are important to many artists, and when you travel, you seldom leave your art self behind. The stimulation of travel and new experiences tends to create strong impressions and bring on the urge to create while you’re away from home, no matter the overall reason for your trip. This means bringing along at least some art supplies, and lots more if the focus of your trip is a residency or workshop.

It's hard to know ahead of time what environments or situations you will encounter, and what you will want to respond to. So, this makes planning your materials a challenge. But you can make some general decisions about the type of materials you want to bring, and how much time and space you will have for your work. Are you traveling as a tourist, or is your travel more focused on your work? If it's a shorter, busier, tourist type of trip, it may be that simply collecting ideas, photos, and quick work to reference later will satisfy your creative needs.

But there are many other situations when you may have a studio of sorts,--at a residency workshop, or self-catered set up, and you are planning a longer stay in which you focus on your work. If you will be delving deeply into your work while away, and you are using public transport to get there, do the best you can to anticipate your needs as you pack,and consider the option for buying supplies at your destination. But an attitude of accepting your choices of matrials once they are made and doing what you can with what you bring can be a creative portal. Responding in the moment to what moves you is the most important consideration.

Packing, shipping, weight restrictions, toxicity, and other factors are all factors, but often the simplest solutions are sufficient and may present exciting challenges. If you typically work with oil, why not bring only a small selection of inks, watercolors, and other water-based media, along with some drawing media? Our listeners contributed many experiences and tips for this episode about materials and packing, so please have a listen to hear what they had to say.

This is the website mentioned in the podcast for travel materials related to watercolor and drawing media:
https://arttoolkit.com

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 250: Expressions of Gratitude

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 15:00:00 -0500

As artists, what role can gratitude play in our work and practice? On a personal level, we know that focusing on what we’re grateful for is good for overall mental health and contentment. Today we’d like to talk about specific situations in which appreciation and gratitude can help artists cope with some of the tougher aspects of art practice. Expressing gratitude can also help in your professional life to build mutual appreciation and respect in your dealings with the art world. Today we’ll talk about the importance of gratitude on both personal and professional levels.

Thinking about gratitude in ways that are specific to your art life and work ienhances a positive state of mind. To look back over your life, and make a list of who has helped you, who has understood your passion, and what opportunities that have come your way is a powerful tool in maintaining a positive outlook. Becoming aware of these sources of support can help you through times of frustration or feeling a lack of appreciation, understanding the goodness that in the big picture of our lives. Any success you've achieved has not happened without support and encouragement from other people.

Acknowledging this support on both a personal and professional level is healthy for everyone involved. One way of expressing gratitude is simply to be generous--to transform what has been given to you into new forms, whether that is through teaching, supporting your art friends in their struggles, purchasing artwork from others, or simply a direct conversation with someone you appreciate.

It is good also to be grateful for the basic importance of art in your life, the fact that you have the ability to express what moves you in ways that can be shared with other people. In this way, every work of art is an expression of gratitude.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 249: Explaining Abstraction

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 16:00:00 -0500

Lots of people misunderstand abstract art and don’t respect it as a valid form of expression. We’ve all heard remarks that imply that abstract artists lack talent or skill or are trying to fool people into appreciating something that has no value. If you are an abstract artist, how do you deal with this attitude? Do you have family and friends who dismiss your work? Do you let negative remarks pass by, or do you try to provide some background or insight into abstraction? Today we’ll explore why abstraction confounds many viewers and some ways you might provide some insight.

It's perfectly fine to not attempt to explain, defend, or try to educate people about abstraction. Abstract artists have well over one hundred years of history in the Western art world to support their approach and there are vast numbers of people who do appreciate this type of work. Ignoring negativity toward abstraction is a valid strategy. But there is also value to being able to state your position, especially to people in your life who may criticize you or are dismissive of your work because the “don’t get” abstraction.

It helps to recognize some reasons people say they don’t like abstraction. Although they may have a very deeply engrained bias against abstraction, they may also simply be uncomfortable with it and become defensive as a result. They may feel confused when there is no realistic image to identify, and no clear meaning. They may also lack the language to describe their reactions and are afraid they may sound unintelligent or offensive if they try.

In response, if you do want to engage with a skeptical person, you can talk about abstraction in general including its various forms and history, or you can talk specifically about your own work, your ideas and technique. You could perhaps compare abstraction to symphonic music, or point out that all visual art has abstract aspects. It's helpful also to understand and accept a person's resistance to seeing art in a different way and try to meet them where you find common ground.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 248: Feedback Time

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 19:00:00 -0500

As artists, we know it’s good to get feedback now and then so we can understand how our work is seen by others. But managing how and when to solicit feedback can have a lot to do with how valuable and appropriate it will be. While feedback at the right time and situation can be exactly what you need, feedback can also have the opposite effect, and even experienced artists can be thrown off track. Today we’ll talk about exerting control over when and how to receive feedback to make it most valuable.

Any feedback—whether it is positive, negative, or indifferent—has the potential to distract you and cause you to lose sight of your intentions. It can also be very helpful, giving you fresh ideas, insights, energy, and motivation. It helps to be clear about when to ask for feedback, and from whom, and to take charge of the situation. Don’t assume that anytime you have the chance to show someone what you are working on that you should seize that opportunity, because there are points in the creative process when feedback can be confusing, and your flow will be interrupted.

These points vary for the individual but typically there are points near the beginning of a piece, when you are flowing with ideas, or when you feel a piece is done, that feedback is not very helpful. On the other hand, there are times in middle of the process that a new set of eyes on our work can break through a block or frustration. Before you decide to share your work, though, ask yourself if you can work through the issue yourself. Solving our own challenges is really the best learning situation.

Understanding the value of feedback as well as its pitfalls is one more thing that artists need to balance. But knowing that you are the ultimate authority on your own work can give you the confidence to seek feedback at appropriate times and avoid it at others.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new At Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry launched their spring quarter on April 12th. This quarter's sessions include identifying compositional issues in your work, technical information from Gamblin representative Mary Tevlin, a painting clinic for works in progress, and much more. As always, members can join in on live sessions with questions and comments, and can benefit anytime by interacting with other members on our Mambers-only facebook page. With 100 recorded sessions in the member library there is always something to learn or review, with topics ranging from technical advice to visual language to guests speakers and critiques of member work.

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 247: Making Progress

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 19:00:00 -0500

It seems to be a given that as artists we want to see growth and progress in our work --and many episodes of this podcast have focused on taking on the challenges and mindset that feed progress in the studio. But what does it really mean to make artistic progress? Is there any way to measure or quantify progress as an artist? And how is a sense of progress linked to our basic satisfaction as creative people?

Many of us need a constant sense of progress as measured in specific achievements to feel good about ourselves. This is a cultural value and deeply engrained from childhood on, and it seems natural to ask yourself often what progress you are making as an artist. But it's also good to question whether you're applying outside standards of progress to your art self. Your inner sense of satisfaction and achievement is an important factor in recognizing progress as it plays out in your own studio life.

If progress is important to you, you may expect it to be happen in ways that are quick, ongoing, linear, or even dramatic. But progress in the studio is often slow, sporadic, subtle, and non-linear. We need to understand and accept that times of consolidation and what can seem like backward movement are part of the creative process. True progress requires time as you integrate new ideas. If you are working in the studio, some progress is inevitable, even if it is hard to see.

What does progress mean to you? Understanding your own need for progress, and how you view it are individual responses. We all have different attitudes and inner standards that tell us we are making progress, but you can sense what it means for you as you evaluate your work. and it is good to pay attention to even small steps. Notice when you feel stagnant, give yourself credit for how far you’ve come, and be open to taking steps toward the kinds of progress that are meaningful to you.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new At Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry will be launching their spring quarter on April 12th. Upcoming sessions include identifying compositional issues in your work, technical information from Gamblin representative Mary Tevlin, a painting clinic for works in progress, and much more. As always, members can join in on live sessions with questions and comments, and can benefit anytime by interacting with other members on our Mambers-only facebook page. With 100 recorded sessions in the member library there is always something to learn or review, with topics ranging from technical advice to visual language to guests speakers and critiques of member work.

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 246: Balancing Art and Business

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 15:15:00 -0500

For many artists that want to market and sell their work, finding a balance between studio practice and business life is challenging. There are pitfalls in spending too much time on the business side of your practice, and drawbacks to not paying enough attention to this. Finding a good balance between your art and your art business is not simply a time management issue, but also one of your focus and emotional investment.

A key to navigating this balance is being flexible because your needs for greater focus for either studio time or business change over time, depending on your current situation with your work and your financial needs. Besides time management, also consider where you find that your focus and emotional energy are best spent. Not everyone wants to invest a lot of themselves in marketing their work, teaching workshops, or other forms of art business. Motivation for becoming involved in art business needs to be an inner drive. Art business can be stressful and there is no shame in deciding not to go in that direction.

Deciding to begin or develop your art business requires artwork that is consistent and of good quality, and confidence in yourself. It is common for people to either be too eager to enter the art business world or too reticent, so seeking honest, objective feedback is valuable to understand if you are at a good point to go forward. If you do become involved in art business, finding systems that work for you is crucial. You need ways to track expenses and income, and to manage other aspects of your art career like maintaining your website. What you hear from various art business in terms of advice may or may not suit you personally, so you may need to be creative in finding ways that do.

As you go forward, prioritizing your studio time and setting aside enough time to feel creative flow is always critical. Without the focus on your art, there is no reason to be involved in marketing or art business. As your work improves and becomes more widely displayed and collected, the challenges of balancing studio and business focus can shift. Exhibits, for example, require great effort on both fronts. But experience with art business does ease the way, as you learn what works for you.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new At Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have wrapped up their winter quarter of online sessions at Cold Wax Academy, where as always members have access to in-depth and varied content for learning, growth, and support. Their Winter quarter included presentations by guest authors Eric Maisel (may-ZEL) and Shaun McNiff, a painting clinic for works in progress, and live sessions on procrastination, tips on photographing your artwork, and source ideas for your paintings. All of these sessions and many more are available as video recordings in the member library. As a member, you can also access the private Facebook page and the community there of informed and supportive artists who post paintings, ask questions and initiate discussions.

It's never too late to join Cold Wax Academy! Stay tuned for a list of topics to be covered in the upcoming Spring Quarter and please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.
Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Episode 245: Art and Technology

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 17:00:00 -0500

As artists, many of us honor the age-old tradition of creating our work with nothing more than our hands, a few tools, and materials that have stood the test of time. Yet we also live in a high-tech world, and that impacts all of us. How artists view technology ranges from a necessary evil to a full embrace of its creative possibilities. But we should all understand that technology itself is not a new factor in making art. Today we’ll look at some of the ways technology has been used over time in art and ways to think about it in our current world.

Dealing with technology can feel daunting and unnatural to the way you approach your work or it may be something you embrace enthusiastically. But it impacts all of us in life as well as in art. For artists, technology represents an intersection of scientific knowledge and creative output. It means knowledge that expands the known boundaries of what can be done in the name of creativity.

But thinking of technology as something only relevant to artists today does not consider the long history of technical advances that aid in creative production. A good example is the use of the camera obscura during the Renaissance by artists like Leonardo da Vinci to understand and depict perspective in painting. In addition, there have been countless advances in art materials, tools, and equipment that make our creative lives more expansive today.

Many artists today embrace new forms of technology in their work, including digital media, 3-D printing, and Artificial Intelligence. Yet traditional forms of art in which we see the hand of the artist will always have human appeal, and it's important to not feel pushed into technology to feel your art is relevant. But whatever approach is right for you, being open to the changes in art that result from technology, being curious and appreciative of its place in the flow of art ideas over time is important.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new At Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry are wrapping up their winter quarter of online sessions at Cold Wax Academy, where as always members have access to in-depth and varied content for learning, growth, and support. Their Winter quarter included presentations by guest authors Eric Maisel (may-ZEL) and Shaun McNiff, a painting clinic for works in progress, and live sessions on procrastination, tips on photographing your artwork, and source ideas for your paintings. All of these sessions and many more are available as video recordings in the member library. As a member, you can also access the private Facebook page and the community there of informed and supportive artists who post paintings, ask questions and initiate discussions.

Episode 244: Abstract Painting: Exploring Media

Rebecca Crowell — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 11:00:00 -0500

Each type of painting media that an abstract artist uses has specific qualities that make it suitable for certain approaches-- and less so for others. As part of your studio practice, it’s important to understand and work with the qualities of different media rather than trying to push against their nature. And it is also exciting to explore outside your typical media to see what each has to offer. Today we’ll look at several media used for abstract painting—oil, acrylic, encaustic, watercolor, and mixed media approaches and touch on the benefits and challenges of each.

A basic art theory concerns the idea that each art media has unique characteristics to explore and exploit. There is also plenty of middle ground; various media lend themselves to layering, for example. But in exploring various media for different purposes, you may discover new ideas and directions for your work. Water based media tend to offer possibilities for spontaneity, while oil painting offers special luminosity of color. The material qualities of various paints also play a special role in abstraction, when color, line, and physical texture can be important be an important presence for their own sakes.

Along with choosing painting media that is in line for your intentions, the tools associated with the medium are a consideration. Experimenting with tools that are outside traditional choices can be exciting, but if you are truly a brush painter, for example, you would probably work best with a fluid media like oil, acrylic, watercolor, and gouache rather than thicker media like oil mixed with cold wax medium, or encaustic.

Exploring these different media is exciting, and often leads to a cross-pollination of ideas. For example, you might work through several iterations of an image using water-based media that sets up quickly, and then moving some of those ideas into oil. Or you might increase the scale of a small acrylic study to a large mixed media piece. A shape that you play with in acrylic may take on more depth or dimensionality when you build it up in layers of oil paint. Each medium has distinct effects and potential.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Episode 243: Being Seen

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 14:00:00 -0600

A basic human desire is to truly be seen. We long to be understood by other people, acknowledged, appreciated, and accepted for who we are. As an artist, you have a literal way of being seen, of communicating who you are in a visual way. The hope that people will be able to connect with you through your work is a basic motivation for making art. Today we’ll talk about the desire to be seen and understood by the people who view your work.

This desire probably goes back to childhood when we bring our drawings to our parents, saying “look what I made.”
At a young age we can either be pleased or discouraged by the response. We either feel seen and appreciated, or we realize the person we're showing our work to doesn't understand. Many children leaearly to follow certain rules for visual communication in hopes of a positive response. They start to rely on recognizable symbols like houses that are square with a triangle roof and flying birds that look like the letter V. But this sets up a disconnect between the child's original idea and how they feel they need to portray that idea.

Those of us who do continue trying to communicate in personal ways through visual art can have a relationship with those who view our work that is energizing and at times profound. Art can transcend so many of the social and geographic barriers that we have such as age, social status, and culture, and it can even communicate across time.

For your work to allow others to see you honestly, it needs to be authentic and motivated from personal meaning. As artists we have an ability to connect with other people, whether friends or strangers, in a purely visual way. On the other hand, doing work to please your audience, rather than opening honest interaction, is rarely satisfying in a deep way. The more meaningful your work is to you as an artist, the more satisfying it will feel in terms of the basic desire to be seen.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry are now midway through their winter quarter of online sessions at Cold Wax Academy, where as always members have access to in-depth and varied content for learning and growth. Upcoming sessions include a presentation by guest author Shaun McNiff, tips on photographing your artwork, a painting clinic for works in progress, and the final critique session for this quarter with a special focus on composition. As a member, you can also access the private Facebook page and the community there of informed and supportive artists who post paintings, ask questions and initiate discussions.

It's never too late to join Cold Wax Academy! All live sessions are recorded and there are now nearly 100 previous sessions in the member library. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 242: The Challenges of Consistency

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:00:00 -0600

As artists we know it’s important to be open to new ideas and changes—but for marketing purposes we’re also expected to have an identifiable style that is consistent and recognizable. This basic dilemma is frustrating when you have wide-ranging interests and like to explore new ideas or media. Your work can appear to be “all over the place” and seem to lack focus. At the other extreme, being overly concerned that your work is consistent can inhibit your growth as an artist.

These are issues that are contained in the idea of personal voice, in which you can have flexibility and change while working within the realm of what is meaningful in your work, that is, your core ideas and content. The search for basic intentions is an ongoing aspect of creative process but is more involved as an artist in is the beginning stages. The stage of incubation of core ideas may take years, and during that time, exploration and experimentation are essential at that time.

Marketing enters the picture when galleries and collectors need your work to be consistent and within parameters that define your style and approach. This allows them to market your work as a sort of brand. But allowing for your growth and changes when dealing with galleries is important. Growth that is the kind that evolves organically over time is typically more accepted. For you as the artist, understanding what makes your work consistent and building from that base is helpful. Working in series is an excellent path to this discovery.

This issue of consistency and growth is of those balancing acts that creativity requires, and it means we find individual solutions to that balance. Thinking of consistency as continuity and organic growth is a helpful idea that encompasses change and flexibility. Your work can move forward yet also have common threads. Those threads are what makes your work you, and unique.

Episode 241: Where Are You Going?

Rebecca Crowell — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 17:00:00 -0600

Carrying out a creative project is rarely a straightforward process. A basic aspect of creative work is the way that ideas evolve during the process, rather than being known from the beginning. The outcome is unknown as the artist dives in, and the end is often surprising and exciting for its creator. Yet understanding and accepting this process is very difficult for many people. It seems to be human nature to know where we are heading when we set out, to have a goal and a plan and a roadmap. Today we’ll talk about the importance of the unknown in creative work.

We call this aspect of the creative process a lot of things-- play, trusting the process, being in the flow or the zone, spontaneity, and intuition. Operating with an unknown outcome may come easily to you or it may be a challenge. Why is it so hard to shift into this mode? It's not something we learn growing up, because throughout our school years we achieve by following a logical progression of ideas with a predictable and expected result. Although there are certainly basic things to learn about art, this mechanical approach can suck the joy out of the process and reduce it to just another subject to be rotely learned. As adult, mature artists, we need to set aside the idea that there is an established path to our goals.

It's also true that there is indeed a place for having intentions and basic ideas in mind, and some amount of planning depending on your style and the materials you work with. You need to be flexible about this, and allow time for both spontaneity, and some from analysis and planning.

In the big picture, it's good to have an idea of what is important and meaningful in your work. But for an individual piece, in the moment, “where am I going” need only be about the very immediate future, responding to what can be the next move or set of moves. Having the fortitude to keep going when you don’t know the final outcome has dimensions beyond the studio, to life itself—one of those lessons that creative practice can teach us if we pay attention.

Episode 240: Your Studio Privacy

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 21:00:00 -0600

Privacy and solitude are important factors in producing creative work, allowing an artist to feel secure to explore and take the time needed to develop meaningful work without judgement or observation. Yet the outside world can sometimes push against these needs. It may seem hard to set the boundaries around your studio time, to preserve the time and space you need to focus exclusively on your work without distractions. Today we will talk about setting boundaries around your privacy as an artist and what you choose to share of your unique creative space.

Having any other person in the studio, even someone who is respectful and quiet, means your attention is divided. Making art requires complete focus, and disruptions and distractions can derail your process. You never know when you'll enter a state of flow or when you'll be challenged by something that needs your complete attention. Not being secure in your privacy is therefore unsettling. Making art is also very personal, and when you're alone in a private setting you are most in touch with your inner self.

Of course, studio visits are not always a bad thing. It can be very positive to have other artists come to visit, or to hold an open studio and welcome in the public. But most of us want control over the timing and duration of that, in order to guard privacy and working time. Along with people from the art world, many artists also have friends and family with whom they need to set limits. It may be hard for non-artists to understand how much you need privacy in the studio.

For all issues relating to privacy, the most important thing is to figure out what your boundaries are. Who and what will you let in? What makes you uncomfortable and how can you change that? How much of a sense of privacy do you need to create your best work? It is always your right to maintain your privacy however you see fit.

Episode 239: Trusting Your Intuition

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 14:00:00 -0600

As artists we all recognize that intuition plays a role in what we do, but what that role is can seem mysterious and elusive. Like many concepts in art, we tend to use the words intuitive and intuition loosely because they defy exact description. But a closer look may help you understand its place in your own way of working, and to better access its power. If trusting intuition doesn’t come easily to you, you are not alone. Today we will talk about what intuition is, why it can be challenging to trust, and ways to nurture it in your work.

The word ‘intuition’ has its roots in the Latin intueri which means ‘to look at or toward’ or ‘to contemplate’. This points to the foundation of intuition, which requires an openness, an awareness of your true self, your experiences, and emotions, that you can use in your work. When you have that base, the inner knowing that we call intuition can be accessed. Intuition also comes from being in the moment, and tends to motivate us toward action and decisions. It is motivating and energizing, but it can be counteracted by second guessing and hesitation.

Rational thought is important too of course, the need to step back to analyze how things are going. We need critical thinking to improve and evaluate our work. But in creative work, the original impulse is intuitive. When your work comes from your deepest self, that is rarely a purely rational or intellectual source. Left-brain thinking can support and help develop the original idea. But what gets you rolling, provides the excitement and energy, is generally not primarily intellectual, but instead emotional or experiential.

Many artists want to be able to develop and to trust their intuition but they feel inhibited by their rational minds, or by fears of being judged if they allow their inner selves to be more visible. Making art sometimes from as pure an intutive source as possible is a good way to develop your intuition. It’s important to honor and nurture intuition however you can access it, whether in small decisions or in larger, more inspiring ways that get to your deeper sense of self-expression.

Nancy Fletcher Cassell webpage mentioned--intuitive painting:
https://ericmaisel.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/07/ten_tips_for_intuitive_painting.pdf

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have an exciting lineup of online sessions planned as they launch a new year of learning and growth for members of Cold Wax Academy. Winter quarter sessions, which began on January 4th, will feature help with technical issues, photographing your work, developing ideas for imagery, and advice on works in progress. And two special guests, well-known authors Eric Maisel and Shaun McNiff will be conducting interactive sessions with members. As a member, you can also access the private Facebook page and take advantage of the informed and supportive community there of artists who post their paintings and questions. It's never too late to join Cold Wax Academy! All live sessions are recorded and available in the member library. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 238: The Laws of Creativity: An Interview with Joey Cofone

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 19:00:00 -0600

Artistic expression is driven by an inner need to be your authentic self, to express what is true and unique in your individual experiences and thoughts. That may sound straightforward, but as we know, there is nothing easy about finding the creative voice that is yours, dedicating your time and energy to its expression, or putting the work that results out into the world. Creative expression challenges us to be honest, to focus, face our fears, and to understand and cope with failure. We can feel alone in this journey, but countless other people in all fields of endeavor have followed their creative urges and found a way forward.

Today we are excited to welcome our special guest -- author, entrepreneur and award-winning graphic designer Joey Cofone. Joey has designed and art directed over 100 products from zero to launch. His design work has been featured in Fast Company, Bloomberg, New York Magazine, Newsweek, Bon Appétit, and more. He is also the author of the exciting new book that we’re going to be talking about today, “The Laws of Creativity”, which has been called “a comprehensive exploration of the curiosity, discipline, playfulness, and persistence necessary to usher new ideas into the world.”

Joey discusses various aspects of nurturing creativity, starting with challenges inhibitions instilled in us as children, such as feeling we need to know the outcome of what we take on, or hesitating to question established rules. He talks about many aspects of working on your creative mindset as the foundation of making art and getting it out into the world, including understanding risk-taking and fear, and the importance of truly enjoying what you do and the joys of creativity.

Joey's website: www.joeycofone.com

Special Guest: Joey Cofone.

Episode 237: Finding Your Artist Community

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 21:00:00 -0600

Art is primarily a solitary activity. Although some artists collaborate or share studios, most of us spend our time alone with our work and our thoughts, and we value that solitude. But art is also a form of communication, and other artists are often very savvy about understanding the work of others and connecting in that way is valuable. And who better to understand the ups and downs, the challenges and rewards of art life than another artist? Today Rebecca and Jerry discuss the benefits of being part of an artist community.

Artist communities can take many forms--from a few artist friends getting together on a casual basis to organized critique groups to online communities and membership programs. Workshops also serve as gathering points around a shared interest, and often relationships continue afterward. An artist group or community can be formally organized with a definite structure, or a looser arrangement created simply by connecting with people in your region. Many artists have a deep desire for connection with other artists and it just takes one person taking the risk of reaching out to others.

All these kinds of community offer benefits to the artists involved, including honest feedback, emotional support, and shared resources and ideas. It helps to have a central focus for a group, but it need not be rigidly defined. Many artist communities have a purely social aspect, even while they have a broader agenda like critique or studio visits. And there can be unexpected benefits that would not be foreseen when setting an agenda for a group.

During the pandemic a lot of artists found themselves feeling isolated, without the usual and natural ways of getting together with other artists such as gallery openings and events. Now that things have loosened up a lot of people who got involved in an art group during that time deeply appreciated the growth and support, they received from other artists, and many artists have a different awareness of the importance of artist communities than they did previously.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have an exciting lineup of online sessions planned as they launch a new year of learning and growth for members of Cold Wax Academy. Winter quarter sessions, which began on January 4th, will feature help with technical issues, photographing your work, developing ideas for imagery, and advice on works in progress. And two special guests, well-known authors Eric Maisel (May-ZELL) and Shaun McNiff will be conducting interactive sessions with members. As a member, you can also access the private Facebook page and take advantage of the informed and supportive community there of artists who post their paintings and questions. It's never too late to join Cold Wax Academy! All live sessions are recorded and available in the member library. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Special Guest: Jerry McLaughlin.

Episode 236: Clarity and Focus in 2023

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 14 Jan 2023 16:45:00 -0600

The beginning of a new year is a time to consider what will bring clarity and focus to your art practice in the months ahead. For many artists, that means setting goals and intentions, and to do that means gaining clarity about what to prioritize. Artists’ goals tend to cover a lot of ground--some may be for the work itself, for improving and advancing skills and techniques, or for completing projects. Others may be more personal, like taking steps to overcome procrastination or negative self-talk. Still other goals fall into the realm of career or professional goals like gaining gallery representation. Which are most important for you?

Setting goals and intentions and making resolutions is common practice at the start of a new year and we are often advised to do this as artists. But it doesn’t make sense to do this randomly or to do it just because it seems like good advice. What you really want is to gain ground in some kind of logical progression. With all the moving parts in a studio practice, how do you prioritize what you want to work on?

Some of the kinds of goals that artists can work with include working on mindset and inner issues, intentions for your studio practice overall, things about your work you want to imporve, and career or professional goals. Separating your goals into these categories and writing your thoughts about them can help you see where to focus your energies.

How you set goals and pursue them is up to each person--there is no approach that works for eveyone. Some people need or want a lot of structure, others are fine with simply having some clear ideas in mind. But thinking about these areas of focus, how they are related, and where your priorites lie can help you gain clarity and focus going forward. Being aware of where your own issues lie is the first step to making progress.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have an exciting lineup of online sessions planned as they launch a new year of learning and growth for members of Cold Wax Academy. Winter quarter sessions, which began on January 4th, will feature help with technical issues, photographing your work, developing ideas for imagery, and advice on works in progress. And two special guests, well-known authors Eric Maisel (May-ZELL) and Shaun McNiff will be conducting interactive sessions with members. As a member, you can also access the private Facebook page and take advantage of the informed and supportive community there of artists who post their paintings and questions. It's never too late to join Cold Wax Academy! All live sessions are recorded and available in the member library. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 235: Lessons from an Art Practice

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 12:30:00 -0600

A studio practice of any kind is an optimal learning environment. As an artist, every day that you work, you set challenges for yourself in your work and figure out how to meet them. But beyond learning how to produce the best work you can, there are also personal life lessons that come from a studio practice. We learn patience, perseverance, the ability to live with uncertain outcomes, and much more. Today we will look at some of what art can teach us on this personal level.

When you’re committed to an art practice you learn many practical things out of necessity, like the need to show up in the studio, how to conduct the business of art, and how to evaluate your work. But making the commitment itself is a big step that can also lead to a great deal of personal awareness of what is important to you and how you handle your life.

Because art is so personal there are deep emotional and personal effects that may evolve from dedicating yourself to your work. These tend to be subtle and slow to evolve but over time can lead to positive changes in your outlook and behavior. You may experience a growing ability to allow solutions evolve, the ability to stick with your goals, and an increased trust in your own abilities. An art practice challenges you to problem solve and have the strength to keep trying.

So, the life of an artist has rewards beyond the obvious joys of creativity and communication. The challenges of an art practice can help you grow in ways that enhance your life and your character. This happens naturally and is not something you need to push. But being aware of these lessons can lead to gratitude and appreciation the life changes brought about by your commitment to your work.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have an exciting lineup of online sessions planned as they launch a new year of learning and growth for members of Cold Wax Academy. Winter quarter sessions, which began on January 4th, will feature help with technical issues, photographing your work, developing ideas for imagery, and advice on works in progress. And two special guests, well-known authors Eric Maisel (May-ZELL) and Shaun McNiff will be conducting interactive sessions with members. As a member, you can also access the private Facebook page and take advantage of the informed and supportive community there of artists who post their paintings and questions. It's never too late to join Cold Wax Academy! All live sessions are recorded and available in the member library. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Episode 234: A Deeper Look, Step by Step

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0600

In the process of making a work of art, the artist deals with many questions and decisions. There is a constant evaluation of asking if the piece is on the right track and considering what is needed for the next move. What will best convey the artist’s ideas and intentions? Many of these decisions are quick and intuitive, but sometimes a more reflective and conscious process is called for.

You need a balance between intuition and more conscious analysis to produce consistently good work. Both are important—you don’t want to be constantly stopping and picking apart every move, that is paralyzing and over thinking. But without applying some objective evaluation of your work every so often, your work will be all over the place. Sometimes you hit on a good result, but it is harder to do that consistently without a deeper look.

A lot this is analysis is thoughtfully but quickly, with just a short amount of consideration. This process borders on intuition because it feels that you just know what to do, although that knowledge may need a moment of looking to see what to do. But there’s another level that takes more time. This is an actual step by step process you can go through to analyze your work either when you are close to being done, or deciding if it’s done, or at any time along the way that you feel stuck. It involves close observation of your work in several ways. The first is an objective, descriptive look at the form of the work, observations about what you see in the use of the visual elements and composition. Next is subjective interpretation based on your ideas and intentions, and finally, how do the form and content work together? It is helpful to do this in written form to help your focus.

This basic exercise is taught in art school as a way of observing the alignment of form and content. After a while the practice gets ingrained and a basis for making choices about how you use the visual elements and composition to express what you want to say.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just wrapped up their Fall Quarter of instruction, which featured an exciting session on using Procreate, and demos of creating depth and working with color. Winter Quarter begins on January 4th, and Rebecca and Jerry are launching the new year by featuring informative guest artists, help with improving your studio practice and habits, painting clinics, and mentoring topics. You can join Cold Wax Academy at any time and take advantage of over 80 previously recorded sessions already in the member library, and you can also join in on the live, online sessions produced each month. Please consider treating yourself or a loved one to the comprehensive and wide-ranging art education available at Cold Wax Academy in 2023, by visiting http://www.coldwaxacademy.com. The website also offers plenty of free information about cold wax medium including a series of informative videos.

Episode 233: The Compulsion to Create

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 15:30:00 -0600

There is something compelling and mysterious about the urge to make art. Those of us that make art today are part of a tradition going back many thousands of years. What is its role in your own life? What basic needs does making art satisfy? Why do so many of us spend so much of our time putting down paint, shaping clay, carving wood or marble, or cranking prints through a press? Today we toss around some ideas about what motivates us to create and the satisfaction it brings.

It's not uncommon for an artist to stop working for a while due to some disruption in their lives and it can be a distressing time. If stopping is the result of a personal upset or trauma, a vicious cycle can develop in which not working can lead to an even lower state of mind, and lead to even more difficulty getting back to it when the overall situation improves. Yet most artists don't truly give up their studio practice when circumstances are negative, and will continue to search for a way back in.

Although artists have always persisted through every era of history and every situation that people experience, it is sometimes seen as a self-centered activity and not essential to society. In fact, it is an extremely personal activity and that connection to self is the source of the passion artists feel. At the same time, art transcends individual experience with its universal appeal, and is a very basic aspect of a fully developed culture.

For artists, art can fulfill many needs, from the desire to explore and be challenged, to spiritual fulfillment. It is a way of processing experience and to find a language for what goes on in an artist's inner life. These aspects lead to the intense drive and passion artists tend to feel for their work.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry sre well into their Fall quarter of live, online sessions with a special focus this time on member participation, plus informative sessions on a variety of other topics. This month also marks the beginning of Cold Wax Academy's 3rd year of teaching sessions, meaning that the member library now has over 80 recordings and other instructional documents available for members. To access this wealth of information and to take part in upcoming live sessions, please visit the membership page at ColdWaxAcademy.com and sign up for one of the two levels of membership available.

Episode 232: The Demons of Procrastination

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 21:00:00 -0600

Procrastination may be human nature but identifying its role in your life can be a big help in moving forward. Instead of simple laziness or looking for distractions, procrastination can also be active avoidance behavior in which you channel energy into activities other than what you really want to achieve. You may stay busy, but you’re not doing what is truly important. Today we look at how artists are affected by procrastination and ways to confront it in your own studio practice.

As noted in a recent article in the New York Times, "procrastination isn’t a character flaw or a mysterious curse on your ability to manage time, but a way of coping with challenging emotions and negative moods induced by certain tasks — boredom, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, resentment, self-doubt and beyond." Each of these may show up as various aspects of studio practice. Some procrastination has to do with your artwork itself, when you are bored or frustrated, while others are practical chores and obligations.

Artists experience procrastination around such topics as finishing projects, organizing financial records, creating and updating websites, deadlines of all kinds, making decisions about materials, and contacting and communicating with galleries. In fact, there are so many aspects to an art practice it’s no wonder that some get put aside, so something to consider in all of this are your true priorities. You may discover that some things that you procrastinate about are not as important or necessary as you assumed. Prioritizing helps keep you from feeling overwhelmed, another procrastination trigger.

But although it’s common for artists to allow procrastination to loom large, it is truly detrimental and can sap your growth and excitement for your work. Like so many other challenges of an art practice, it helps to just become more aware of where your own procrastination demons are lurking and try to confront them. Even small steps are rewarding.

Episode 231: Thanksgiving Thoughts

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 20:00:00 -0600

It seems to be true for us as humans who sometimes struggle in our lives that identifying the good things in life--what you feel grateful for-- is a practice that leads to more contentment and joy. Thanskgiving in the United States is a traditional time to count one’s blessings and share time with family and friends. Today, Rebecca and Ross share a few things they are feeling gratitude for in their own lives and hope their conversation inspires listeners to think of what has been good in the past year for each of you.

Gratitude for family and friends top most people's lists of what inspires gratitude, but there are also many aspects of community and creativity that bring satisfaction and pleasure. For our artist listeners, the ability to work in the studio and to get the work out into the world are significant.

Ross and Rebecca would like to express their gratitude for all the followers of this podcast, both those who have been loyeal throughout the two breaks in production last year, and for new listeners. Thank you!

Episode 230: Artists Collecting Art

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 17:30:00 -0600

We often think of art collectors as people who love art but don’t create it themselves, meaning that the work they purchase may seem to them to come from a somewhat mysterious creative realm. Yet artists are very often collectors themselves, and have a different kind of appreciation for the work they acquire due to their deep understanding of what is involved in creating art.

Many artists focus mainly the work of friends through purchase or trade for their own collections. That is not surprising since as artists we know lots of others and have more exposure to artists as friends than the general public does. But many artists also purchase art, from people they know or from complete strangers. Their reasons are diverse, from feeling a personal connection to the person who made the work, to work that moves or inspires them aesthetically. In our homes, we observe and study the work of others on a daily basis, and the work of others can have an effect on our thoughts about our own work over time.

Acquiring a work of art creates excitement and a thrill of connection that is very pleasurable and motivating for collectors. An artist who sells their work certainly knows the pleasure of selling a piece, but one who also collects artwork experiences the other side of that experience.

As an artist, considering what you gain from your own collection can be interesting. What does work you own offer you as an artist? What feelings do you experience when you buy art? Does your collection feed your own work in some way?

Today Show interview by Bob Dotson with Jim Mott mentioned in the podcast: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3JOZYESh2KRcG92WlF5T3NvRUk/view?resourcekey=0-5OaRvWVwS3tbLn6ZqjGz-A

Episode 229: Pricing Quandries

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 12 Nov 2022 20:00:00 -0600

One of the trickiest issues that artists deal with is pricing their work. While there are some well-known, basic, and useful guidelines to follow, not all pricing situations are straightforward. Artists also encounter situations that may not have obvious answers—situations that are usually not addressed in basic art-business advice. When the situation is not clearcut, even experienced artists can find themselves feeling indecisive or worried they are charging too much or too little. Today we will talk about some of the pricing situations you may encounter that are challenging, and factors to consider when you run into them.

Most of us are aware of the standard practices for most pricing situations, which are easily available online or from those who teach about art business. These include pricing in an objective way, perhaps by the square inch, rather than doing it subjectively, based on personal preferences. Consistency in pricing across the various platforms you use and galleries that represent you is also important, as is raising your prices over time in small increments.

But overall, deciding about your prices can be challenging because financial decisions often come with emotional baggage. Your perception of how sales are going can challenge you to stay objective in both your practices and attitudes about pricing. Depending on outside validation for your sense of the worth of your work can either enhance or tear down your self-esteem as an artist, depending on whether things are going well. But since there will always be fluctuations in your sales, maintaining a practical approach to prices can keep you on track emotionally.

While many sales situations are straightforward, others present difficult questions. These include selling to friends and family, establishing your policies for commissions, selling at open studio events, and deciding which geographic markets suit your own price points. Thinking ahead about these situations is helpful so you are not put on the spot and left to struggle to come up with the best reply. Anytime you can state a policy with assurance and clarity to a potential customer you build a little more self-esteem about your prices.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just launched their Fall quarter of live, online sessions with a special focus this time on member participation, plus informative sessions on a variety of other topics. This month also marks the beginning of Cold Wax Academy's 3rd year of teaching sessions, meaning that the member library now has over 80 recordings and other instructional documents available for members. To access this wealth of information and to take part in upcoming live sessions, please visit the membership page at ColdWaxAcademy.com and sign up for one of the two levels of membership available.

Episode 228: Creative Flow

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 20:00:00 -0600

The state of flow has been described as the mental state of being completely present and fully immersed in a task, and psychological studies have delved into what enhances this state and what types of personalities seem to be able to access it most easily, although how and why we enter this state remains rather mysterious. The experience of flow in the studio is one many artists crave as the source of ultimate joy and satisfaction in making art. But creative flow is elusive—it may appear without any conscious effort or disappear when you most want to rely on it. Today we talk about this state of mind, how to cultivate it, and the role it can play in your work.

Being focused and fully with your work is crucial to the state of creative flow. Without distractions or extraneous thoughts, you are responding with sensitivity to how your work is developing. Flow also tends to lead us to work in ways that are sensual and tactile rather than intellectual, although you may take breaks for more analytic thinking. It has to do with sensitivity to the materials you are using and your own coordination and skill in using them.

Although it's possible to enter a state of flow at any stage of your development, when your skill and your intentions are well matched, it is easier to find your creative flow. On the other hand, studies have shown that a certain level of challnge tends to enhance the flow experience. Having some intention for what you're working on can help channel your focus.

Although this creative state is unlikely to happen because you strive for it, there are ways to encourage it. One idea is to let yourself be fully involved with whatever media you are using, enjoying the process in front of you. Another tip is to create plenty of work so that you can feel less precious about whatever you're working on. A playful attitude, enjoyment of what you are doing is a hallmark of the flow state. You may benefit from background music and setting up your studio situation to avoid distractions, When the flow state starts to break up, accept that you are leaving it for a while. Take satisfaction in having experienced it but don’t stress about losing it.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just launched their Fall quarter of live, online sessions with a special focus this time on member participation, plus informative sessions on a variety of other topics such as photographing your art work and using Procreate. This month also marks the beginning of Cold Wax Academy's 3rd year of teaching sessions, meaning that the member library now has over 80 recordings and other instructional documents available for members. To access this wealth of information and to take part in upcoming live sessions, please visit the membership page at ColdWaxAcademy.com and sign up for one of the two levels of membership available.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Also-- stay tuned for information coming soon about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. You can learn more and make a reservation by emailing info@coldwaxacademy.com. A dedicated Espacio website is coming soon!

Episode 227: The Gift of Days: An Artist Residency

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 16:00:00 -0500

We’d like to begin today with some words from John O’Donohue, the Irish poet, author, priest, and philosopher--who wrote in his poem, For the Traveler:

May you travel in an awakened way,
Gathered wisely into your inner ground;
That you may not waste the invitations
Which wait along the way to transform you.

May you travel safely, arrive refreshed,
And live your time away to its fullest;
Return home more enriched, and free
To balance the gift of days which call you

O’Donohue’s poem-- from which this excerpt is taken-- reflects on the impact of travel that is done in an aware and thoughtful manner. Taking part in an artist residency program is one way to experience a new place on this deep level and to experience its influence on your work. In today’s episode, Rebecca reflects on her recent 3 weeks of residency at the Obras Foundation in Portugal, and the challenges and rewards of this experience.

We talked last week about the duality of familiarity and novelty that you can experience when working with the idea of place and in your response to unique aspects of an environment. There can be novelty in what is familiar, when you tune into your daily environment, and there can also be familiarity in what is new, as you seek out what you know and are comfortable with even in a completely foreign environment. When working in a truly new and unfamiliar place, it can be a challenge to find focus and continuity with your ongoing work. Allowing your responses to being on a residency to evolve organically in your ongoing work may be the best way to integrate your new experience.

website for Obras Foundation: http://www.obras-art.org

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just launched their Fall quarter of live, online sessions with a special focus this time on member participation, plus informative sessions on a variety of other topics such as photographing your art work and using Procreate. This month also marks the beginning of Cold Wax Academy's 3rd year of teaching sessions, meaning that the member library now has over 80 recordings and other instructional documents available for members. To access this wealth of information and to take part in upcoming live sessions, please visit the membership page at ColdWaxAcademy.com and sign up for one of the two levels of membership available.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 226: The Importance of Place

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 22 Oct 2022 20:00:00 -0500

The influence of specific locations on creative work is important among many kinds of artists, from plein aire painters to site-specific sculptors. On today’s podcast, Rebecca talks about the ways responding to certain places has impacted her own abstract work over the years, and specifically how this has evolved in recent years since her move to New Mexico. We hope that her thoughts invite contemplation of your own influences from both your home environment and your travels.

Two aspects of place that influence abstract imagery are familiarity and novelty, an intriguing duality. Familiarity leads to visual language based on repeated observations, repeated experiences, and getting to know a place beyond initial impressions. Knowing a place deeply leads to an integrated approach of emotions and visual observations and can be a very satisfying way to experience your everyday life. Treating your home environment as a rich source of ideas enhances your everyday life and sense of gratitude.

Although you can experience the aspect of novelty anywhere if you pay attention, including in your home territory, it plays into your work in a different way that can be very stimulating and can lead to ideas outside of your everyday realm. The sense of what you see and experience being unfamiliar and strange keeps you curious, reflective, and attentive. This happens especially during travel in other countries. You need special awareness to navigate this unfamiliar territory.

Interpreting a sense of place in your work in a meaningful way can evolve over time, especially when you work from your home environment, as you engage in the process of noticing and understanding the subtleties of your home location. What you know and love about a place has a natural way of becoming embedded and central to your work. But even when responding to an unfamiliar place, connecting your experiences to what is already present in your work is a good way to approach it in an integrated manner. And if your current location is not supporting your work in ways that you want, if you are able seek out a different lcoation for travel, a residency, or even a new home, it is something to consider.

(website mentioned in this podcast: resartis.org)

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just launched their Fall quarter of live, online sessions with a special focus this time on member participation, plus informative sessions on a variety of other topics such as photographing your art work and using Procreate. This month also marks the beginning of Cold Wax Academy's 3rd year of teaching sessions, meaning that the member library now has over 80 recordings and other instructional documents available for members. To access this wealth of information and to take part in upcoming live sessions, please visit the membership page at ColdWaxAcademy.com and sign up for one of the two levels of membership available.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 225: When Less Is More

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 15:00:00 -0500

For some artists, bringing meaning to their abstract work is hard because they lack ideas, or direction, or a true sense of connection to the work. But for others the problem is the opposite. They have so many thoughts, feelings, and references they want to work with that they become overwhelmed and frustrated. Today we want to talk about the value of focus in your ideas for abstract work, and what happens when your they are too complex and create blocks in your expression.

Often, to bring personal meaning to abstraction people develop complex stories with a range of ideas they want to bring to the work. These references may be personal or may be broader world issues like climate change or war. Ideas are certainly important, but it takes focus to express meaning in abstraction. Working in abstraction is not a great approach for dictating how the work will be seen and interpreted. Anyone looking at your work will have their own interpretations; that is the nature of abstraction.

It is the beauty and challenge of abstract work that it is not read like a story, but received as a complete impression, so it needs to work visually foremost. Your ideas are important as guides in choosing the aspects of form in your painting, in arriving at the composition, shapes, colors, lines, and textures. But realize that having too many ideas can negates the ability to create a strong visual statement.

Like so much in art, limitations allow us to go deeper. A focused, simple idea is less likely to become too literal because it allows for an expansion of thought. When you try to pack in too much, your viewer has less room for involvement. Clear ideas on your part can act as excellent guides in your choices. But then you need to step back and let it be what it is to another person. This is a key attitude in working abstractly.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just launched their Fall quarter of live, online sessions with a special focus this time on member participation, plus informative sessions on a variety of other topics such as photographing your art work and using Procreate. This month also marks the beginning of Cold Wax Academy's 3rd year of teaching sessions, meaning that the member library now has over 80 recordings and other instructional documents available for members. To access this wealth of information and to take part in upcoming live sessions, please visit the membership page at ColdWaxAcademy.com and sign up for one of the two levels of membership available.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 224: The Challenges of Exhibiting

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 21:00:00 -0500

Whether it’s your first exhibit or you are a veteran of many, an upcoming show of your work can take you on a wild ride of emotions and expectations. In anticipating the planning, production, and stress involved, you may even wonder, why bother? Yet for most artists, being able to show their work in a public space is important to their identity as artists. In today’s episode, we’ll look at the benefits and rewards of exhibiting and the role it plays in an art career, as well as some of the emotional and logistical challenges.

Showing their work is vital to most artists because it completes the circle of communication, allowing others to receive and respond. Creating and exhibiting a body of your work is a significant event that allows your audience to have a complete and immersive experience of what you do.

There are lots of logistical challenges that we covered in our previous episode (#223). But there are other, more inner issues to confront. For example, expectations for an immediate response and sales can fall flat. The opening reception often does not yield even a single sale since many people who attend regard it as mainly a social event. Especially if you are showing for the first time, it is important to understand that it may take a while for results. And even experienced artists may have exhibits that for one reason or another, fail to produce sales or leads.

Exhibits typically last three weeks or more and the period while it is up can be stressful as you wait for news and wonder how things will evolve. And sometimes sales happen well after the show ends. So as with many aspects of an art career, patience is important, and if things do not go well, know that your art life will go on, and other opportunities will come along.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just announced their topics for Fall Quarter which begins October 12. With a special focus on member participation, they are planning a couple of new features--one will be online mentoring to help with issues in creative practices, and one session this quarter will be devoted to members tracking their painting progress over the past year. The quarterly member critique and a painting clinic for works in progress will also be featured, along with further information on professional development. You can sign up for one of two membership levels at any time, and catch up on the past two years of recorded weekly sessions at your own pace.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 223: Your Upcoming Exhibit

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 17:00:00 -0500

Nothing energizes and motivates an artist like being offered an exhibit, especially one that involves showing a lot of pieces together. Even experienced artists with a history of exhibits feel excited by the opportunity, but also a little daunted by all the work and planning involved. For artists preparing for their first big exhibit, there is a lot to learn and figure out. Today we’ll go through some of the practical aspects of preparing for a show, based on Rebecca’s almost 40 years of experience with exhibiting her work--and in a future episode we’ll consider some of the other challenges involved with showing your work.

There is much to consider in the complex process of mounting an exhibit, starting with deciding if you're ready to exhibit and whether it will be beneficial to you at this time, and how to approach a venue about providing you with the time and space to show your work. You may decide to apply to a non-commercial space like a community art center, or you may already be represented by a commercial gallery and request a slot on the roster of upcoming shows. In either case, preparing a body of work and checking off all the steps needed to make that happen takes considerable time and effort. Yet exhibiting your work is an important step in completing the cycle of creating art and providing the opportunity for an audience to see it.

Beyond simply providing the work for a show, your responsibilities in mounting an exhibit also include framing, packing, and shipping or delivering the work, providing your own publicity, and providing such things as your artist statement, price list, photos of the work, and other information to support the show according to the venue's timeline. Consider whether you have the time and willingness to comply with all expectations, and ideally, give yourself at least six months to a year to prepare. A good tip is to prepare more work than you think you will need for the exhibit so that you can curate the best possible grouping.

The amount of commitment needed for this process may seem daunting if you are just beginning this phase of your art career, but with experience it becomes more routine. But it is an important step. Maintaining an exhibition schedule is a mark of someone who is truly dedicated to their work, whether that is for the purpose of selling it or not. Exhibiting is a mark of your desire to share the work that you are proud of.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 222: Self Assertion for Artists

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 20:00:00 -0500

When artists deal with the world outside their studios, they are often called upon to state their needs, assert their rights, and sometimes to confront unfair actions by galleries, organizers, or clients. Most of us don’t have agents or employees to handle these situations for us, and so we need to handle them on our own. To be effective, you need to be confident and straight-forward with the discussion. But instead, your personality may cause you to feel shy, socially awkward, or less than confident when you need to be self-assertive. Today’s episode is for those of you who struggle with confrontation and self-assertion in your dealings with the art world.

Being self-assertive is complex for many people. You may fear coming across as someone who is belligerent or aggressive, but also recognize that standing up for yourself is necessary to avoid negative situations in which you are taken advantage of. But stating your needs or bringing up problems is not the same as attacking someone or inviting negative conflict.

You can work on being more assertive when the situation is something that has built up, and you can anticipate the moment when you speak up. In those cases you can organize your thoughts, process the problem with a friend, or write out your main points. But other times you’re blindsided by remarks or actions and fail to react in the moment. In those cases, the best thing is to forgive yourself for not responding well and to learn what you can from it. This may happen more often as you become increasingly public with your work and deal in more complex ways with the gallery world and other business situations.

Difficulty with self-assertion is a personality trait that is quite deeply ingrained and the reasons people have this problem is beyond the scope of our remarks. But not standing up for yourself can interfere with professional behavior and being able to move out of toxic situations. Understanding your own boundaries and developing ways of speaking that are clear and confident are strategies that are worth practicing.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 221: Creative Momentum

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:00:00 -0500

Studio practice has noticeable ebbs and flows in terms of productivity, sales, exhibiting and marketing. There is also an energy flow that is less specific and harder to quantify that runs through our days in the studio. Sometimes our energy is strong, and we feel carried along by ideas and excitement, and other times we feel sluggish, lack ideas, and must push ourselves to even go to the studio. When we lose creative momentum, it’s hard to feel we’re doing our best work. What is creative momentum, and how can we create and sustain it?

The official definition of momentum is in terms of physics and it is rather technical. In simple words, momentum has to do with the mass of an object that produces motion. If an object is moving, then an object has momentum, and something with a lot of momentum is hard to stop. In this case the word has a much more popular, non-technical use, and that's how we want to address it today. Creative momentum is the feeling of flow and energy in your work that keeps you excited, involved, and motivated in the studio. It's when you and your work are a positive force in motion.

Creative momentum is affected by events in your life and creative cycle and recognizing what the reasons are when you find yourself losing it. If you're typically a person with energy and focus, when you lose that it can be distressing. But we all tend to return to what is normal for us and it is helpful to understand that this loss of momentum is temporary. You can also help maintain momentum by looking for the continuity in your work. When you realize that your work continues despite ups and downs it can provide optimism.

Experiencing a break in your momentum is a very common--even inevitable--issue, with various causes, and unfortunately, it can easily lead to a general malaise and a period of self-criticism. But it is interesting to consider momentum in physics terms when this happens. Our episode today may help you think about energy, motion, and loss of motion in a more objective way, because while these are scientific principles, all of these can also be applied in some ways to an art practice.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 220: The Blank Canvas

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 15:00:00 -0500

Beginning a work of art is a leap into the unknown. Facing a blank canvas or panel or sheet of drawing paper, a lump of clay, a block of wood, a freshly prepared litho stone, or the untouched material of any art form is exhilarating but also a bit intimidating. How do you approach starting new work? Do you feel the energy of a fresh start, or is there some worry about how things will go? How do you overcome resistance to starting something new? Today we will talk about the ups and downs in launching into new work.

The beginning stages of your work challenges you with the question of "now what"? What, if anything, are you ready to change in your work? What urges and new ideas are you entertaining? These questions impact all people who are producing creative work, because we never rest long on past accomplishments. New beginnings are the part of the creative cycle that keep us moving forward.

How you respond to beginning new work depends on where you are in that cycle. At different times, starting fresh work can affect you differently. If your ideas are flowing well, you probably are excited about the new work. The question of what’s next brings a positive, confident feeling. If you're struggling though, it’s time for some serious reflection about your work, and trying to pinpoint where the problems are coming from. Another difficult situation can be feeling self-imposed pressure if you're previous piece was very successful. You may worry about being able to reach that level again. Understanding that progress takes time and multiple stages in which you integrate new skills and ideas is important. Another situation that affects how you approach new work is when you have a commitment or event that you’re working toward. In that case, there is a bigger context because you will be thinking about creating work that will show well together or that fits a specific theme.

While there are certainly difficulties or challenges with facing the metaphoric bank canvas, you can access positive aspects no matter where you are in the creative cycle. The fresh start, the sense of limitless possibilities is exciting, and there is a special energy when you have yet to make the first move on the new work. That is something to cultivate, to look forward to, and respect because every time you approach a new piece, you are showing commitment to your work, and a certain optimism that keeps you moving forward.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
As their summer programming comes to a close this month, Rebecca and Jerry are busy planning for their online sessions for Fall Quarter which begins October 5th. If you are already a member, please respond to the survey Jerry sent out asking for member input on what you'd like to learn more about or delve into more deeply in upcoming online sessions. As instructors, Rebecca and Jerry are always aiming to increase member participation and involvement--one of the many valuable aspects of Cold Wax Academy. If you're not a member yet, this is a great time to join, catch up on all past recordings, and enjoy their interactive online sessions.
Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 219: The Confidence Game

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 16:00:00 -0500

As artists and as creative entrepreneurs we all know the challenges of building confidence—in our own attitudes and in our encounters with people we want to engage with our work. To a large extent, we invent ourselves as we go along, developing a vision for our work and an audience to appreciate it. And often we tackle all of this without much emotional or practical support, and the times when we struggle have a way of depleting our confidence. Today we will talk about understanding the role of confidence in your work and in your business dealings.

Self-confidence provides you with energy in the studio, optimism, motivation, and a positive mindset that can get you through the inevitable issues of a creative practice. It can also, unfortunately, be rather fragile if you don’t have a strong foundation of confidence.

Confidence in your work itself is basic, and has to come first. With focus and diligence you may find confidence in the privacy of your studio more easily than in your more public dealings with marketing, galleries, exhibits, and so on. For some people, the latter situation may always be a challenge. But just as with the need to practice your art skills, practice in engaging with the outside world can also build confidence, and sometimes it's important to take opportunities that require you to go beyond what you think you can do.

Confidence has its roots not in ego, but in a realistic and humble assessment of your own artistic development and goals. When you understand your own situation, your confidence can be maintained through inevitable failures and difficulties. Confidence can be built by taking action, building your skills, and committing to your studio practice. Making time for your work, finishing work, being patient and compassionate with yourself, and accepting cycles of more and less productivity all help grow your self-confidence. .

There are no easy answers to finding and maintaining confidence in your work and in dealing with the art world—but it may help to know how common this problem is, even for people who seem to have it all in terms of recognition and success. Dealing with the outside world is easier if you have inner confidence but accepting challenges that feel uncomfortable is also a way of improving your confidence in a more public way over time.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
The Summer Quarter of Cold Wax Academy's membership program is now underway. Rebecca and Jerry's upcoming weekly live, online sessions will explore Personal Voice and Composition and continue the topic of Professional Development with some special guests. Member Critiques and Painting Clinics, Cold Wax Academy's new feature, are ongoing. You can join the membership program anytime and catch up with past recorded sessions at your own pace. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Episode 218: About Teaching Workshops

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 13:00:00 -0500

Last week we talked about workshops from the point of view of artists taking them, what they look for, and how to make choices from the many options available. Today we want to talk about workshops from the perspective of workshop instructors. Many artists who have ideas and experience to share are drawn to workshop teaching. And teaching can be a very rewarding, interesting, and lucrative side job that fits well with an artist’s own studio practice. But it’s also a completely unregulated territory where success depends largely on personal reputation and endorsements, and where sometimes the best laid plans fall apart. What does it take to do well as a workshop instructor? What are some of the rewards of teaching workshops and what are some things to watch out for?

For those of you who are thinking of getting started with teaching workshops, it's important to carefully consider your own qualifications. You need to evaluate honestly whether you have the experience about the topic, and whether you have something original to contribute to your students. And no matter how developed you are as an artist, you may not know much about teaching itself. So, you also need to learn what you can about effective teaching methods, respond to feedback from students, and constantly evaluate and tweak your approaches.

There are many considerations for choosing what to teach, where to teach, the pay you want to receive, the number of students, and your own accommodations. And once you make these basic decisions, you need to be prepared with an accurate description of what you will teach, a detailed supply list, and if you are teaching outside your own studio, a list of what you would like the venue itself to provide.

Teaching workshops can provide not only a decent income, but there are also intangible benefits. Experiencing the fresh energy and perspective of beginners, and the sharing of tips and tools that often happens spontaneously in class, and hearing people's ideas and motivations is uniquely rewarding.

Going into teaching sometimes begins as a casual, gradual process among people you know, but once you are fully in you need to take its responsibilities seriously. Are you really serving your students in the best ways you can? Are you continually evaluating and revising your teaching agenda? You need to provide something important for your students and exhibit a basically generous and altruistic attitude. At the same time, it is also important to be treated well, and be well compensated for your time, experience, and dedication.

Episode 217: Navigating Workshop World

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 13:00:00 -0500

Workshops serve many purposes for artists, including learning new skills and information, connecting with other artists, and receiving feedback and critique. A workshop with the right instructor at the right time can provide an important breakthrough for your work. But attending a workshop can also be challenging on a personal level, involving travel, a commitment of time and money, and working in a group environment. And not all workshops are well organized or worthwhile. Today we will be talking about workshops from the perspective of artists who have taken them--what was gained, and what difficulties were encountered.

Taking a workshop is a big commitment of time and expense, so a basic question in deciding to take a workshop is to consider your reasons and motivation and if they are strong enough to take that leap. A desire for growth, development, and improving your work are all essential. Without these, you probably won't get enough out of the experience to be worthwhile. The opportunity for focused studio time or the desire to learn something very specific or work with a particular instructor also factor in.

With the range of options for workshops available, it can be hard to decide what to take, or if you want to take one at all. Important factors to consider range from finding a competent and inspiring instructor to deciding how much travel and expense you can afford. Venues can be anything from a crowded private studio to a purpose-built, fully equipped classroom.
The class may last only half a day or a week or more. You may be in a class with others at the same level of development as you, or you may be combined with people at very different levels. Social aspects of being in a group can be supportive and exciting. You can gain new friends and enjoy the sense of community that surrounds you. But sometimes being with a group can be challenging. To work outside your own studio and to be exposed to everyone else's work styles and personalities is not easy for everyone.

Many artists report things like a shift in perspective, a new confidence, excitement, insights, new ideas, or even bigger changes after a workshop. These are all the reasons to take workshops and are more likely to happen if you are careful about your choice, research the instructor and the venue, and at the same time go into with a flexible attitude, you cannot know or control all the variables when participating in a group activity. There are an incredible number of variables in workshop world. But overall, the number of artists who take at least one workshop a year speaks to the overall positive aspects of this type of learning,

Episode 216: The Personal and The Professional

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 13:00:00 -0500

In every field of work, there are some interactions that are professional and some that can be more personal, and the lines between them are not always clear. How casual, how revealing, how personal can you be while keeping a businesslike and professional attitude? In an art career, this issue impacts your interactions in many ways—in talking with dealers and collectors, when you give talks and interviews, in setting the tone of your website, and any time you are meeting the public. Today we’ll talk about the boundaries between personal and professional situations in an art career.

Self-promotion is an important area in which personal and professional may collide. We are often advised in marketing art to be personal, to tell our story, to let our audience into our private lives to some extent. At the same time, setting boundaries around what we choose to reveal and be open about can provide a comfort level for both our audience and ourselves. Treating professionalism as your default mode is preferable in almost any situation in which you are presenting yourself to the public.

Specific situations in which crafting a professional image include making posts on social media, creating your website, and in your relationships with galleries. For some people, feeling a little insecure and wanting to make a good impression can lead to over-sharing, while others with similar fears back away from revealing anything personal that could help others understand their work.

Understanding the audience you are aiming to attract is important, especially if you are hoping to engage with galleries, curators, and collectors who have high professional standards. We do need to be ourselves in interacting with people interested in our work, which after all is personal, and where our ideas come from are impoirtant. But in public contexts erring on the side of being more formal, more reserved, and more dignified is a good strategy. If you are showing your work, selling your work, you need to have a bit of remove from the work, an objectivity, and that is best expressed by knowing the boundaries around professional behavior.

Episode 215: Being Vulnerable

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 14:45:00 -0500

Situations in which we feel unsure, insecure, and vulnerable are a common experience for many of us. As an artist, that feeling of vulnerability may come with exhibiting your work, promoting yourself, explaining what you do, and even when you're alone in the studio making art. Today we will share some thoughts about what it means to be vulnerable as an artist. Is vulnerability something to avoid --or tolerate-- or even embrace? What can you learn from situations in which you feel vulnerable?

Feeling emotionally vulnerable means feeling uncomfortable, exposed, or having your feelings open to attack or damage. It applies to situations in which you acknowledge your shortcomings and insecurities, and when you fear that someone else is seeing them too. It can also mean that you are speaking your truth to skeptical people who don't know anything about art. Vulnerability can happen anytime you are not putting up defenses around your true self, either because you can’t just then because you are taken off guard, or you choose not to.

Your art is extremely personal and in the best case it is also authentic and honest in representing your true self. Being open and vulnerable in that way can lead to valuable feedback or meaningful discussions, and iit allows you to seem approachable. But other times you may find you have exposed yourself to an emotional attack that serves no real purpose, and these situations should be avoidedif possible. For example, you can control who comes into your studio or refuse to defend your work to someone who is hostile to art.

Finding ways cope with vulnerability is important in negotiating an art career. If you constantly avoid the risk of exposing yourself, you may miss opportunities. At the same time, taking risks that may make you uncomfortable can end up being positive. For example, being vulnerable to your own feelings about your work can help you undertand how to proceed. Other aspects of vulnerability are negative--they can stall you or distress you in ways that are not productive, and you need to set boundaries to preserve your dignity and sense of worth. Learning to distinguish these different kinds of vulnerability can be tricky, but ultimately give you more confidence in your career.

Episode 214: Emotional Territory

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 15:00:00 -0500

Creative work involves a myriad of emotions. In a single day in the studio, an artist can cycle through excitement, frustration, despair, relief, pleasure, and hope. Sending a finished piece into the world can bring on anxiety and feelings of vulnerability, along with more positive emotions like anticipation and satisfaction. Emotional involvement comes with the territory of our work-- but we do need to stay on track, focus, and show up in the studio. Today we’ll talk about coping with the tangle of emotions that can challenge artists and other creative people.

Emotional involvement in your work is part of the territory of creativity. Positive emotions help us stay motivated, experience satisfaction, and feel connected ot our work. These positive feelings are evidence of our passion for our work.
Without them our process can feel flat, boring, rote, and mechanical. But along with more negative feelings, the range of emotions connected to your work can be exhausting and confusing and get in the way of productivity.

Feelings of fear, inadequacy, and pessimism can be very discouraging. These are generally rooted in your personality, and if so, you also face them in other areas of life. But as an artist you do have a path to working through them. The process of making art or engaging in other kinds of creativity is a way of feeding and nurturing positive feelings. Art and other creative endeavors teach us so much about ourselves--about trust, patience, and persistence. Just by engaging in your work, by overcoming the challenges that it presents, there can be a shift over time in attitude and how you cope with negative emotions.

We all differ in how intensely we experience the emotions connected with creative work, and this can shift over time if it is intense, as you better recognize how to cope with ups and downs and understand their role in your life. Art can become your steady anchor no matter what kinds of emotional upheavels you may experience.

Episode 213: Artists as Entrepreneurs, with Jerry McLaughlin

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 20:00:00 -0500

For many of us in the art world, making art is only part of what we do. The other big role most of us play, that of businessperson, can be one that comes less naturally. Many artists resist getting involved with art as a business, seeing it as something that dilutes creativity and true voice. At the same time, most of us get a lot of satisfaction from exhibiting our work and would like to be able to make a living doing what we really love, and it is gratifying to provide something that enriches the lives of fellow humans. Can we learn to see the business aspects of art in a more positive light, and bring to our art business the same skills we use in the studio?

Today Rebecca and her partner at Cold Wax Academy, Jerry McLaughlin discuss the exciting possibilities of integrating art and entrepreneurial ventures. As artists we have passion, commitment, focus, the willingness to take risks, and ability to make decisions and move forward with projects. All these qualities can also help us create income streams as related to our core identity as artists.

As a term, entrepreneur may be more appealing than businessperson because we may associate the idea of business with something restrictive or overly structured. Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, implies a more creative and expansive focus and can include other people on an informal basis as well as more formal collaboration.

Examples of entrepreneurial ventures for artists include writing, teaching, mentoring, developing products and materials for artists, creating studio/living spaces for artists, licensing artwork in various ways, working with the film industry or real estate staging, and starting a small gallery. None of these need to be entirely separate from your life as a studio artist. Though they do require commitment and focus, they can also help you grow creatively as well as providing income.

Our advice is to welcome the idea that other ways of generating income can be exciting and rewarding and can play a very positive role in your creative life.

Special Guest: Jerry McLaughlin.

Episode 212: Imaginary Friends and Critics

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 23:00:00 -0500

When an artist creates, the people that the artist images viewing the work often are unseen presences in the studio. When we are deeply involved in our work these may fade away, but they tend to reappear when we are uncertain or involved in self-critique. A legitimate and important part of evaluating our work is trying to see the work through someone else’s eyes. But who are these viewers, exactly? Who are we creating art for, besides ourselves? Today we talk about those who view our work, how we imagine them and how much power to give them.

Most artists say they do their work primarily for themselves, that it is a compulsion or inner drive, and that they work the way they do because it feels right to them. Whether or not others like what they do may seem secondary. But a basic aspect of art is communication. We want to give our viewers something to respond to, to get involved with, and to bring out some thought or emotion, and perhaps respond enough to own the work.

From the artist’s perspective, working alone in the studio, this communication can seem very one-sided. We don't have an actual person with us to be another set of eyes, even though we are aware that people will eventually be in that position when we show the work. As a result, we often create viewers in the studio who are imaginary. And as such they tend to be an inconsitent, vague conglomerate with shifting opinions and advice.

The best advice has always been to make your best art for yourself and If it is good work, it will attract viewers who appreciate it. Thinking of it first as your own expression means that your work will be meaningful and authentic to you. But given that it's hard to avoid thinking of imaginary viewers as you work, it's also helpful to form a positive image of who they are. And rather than letting this be only a vague idea, it is helpful to get specific about the characteristics of your ideal, imaginary viewer. This viewer may be quite similar to yourself, but also enough removed to be able to offer constructive advice.

Many of us deal with invisible presences in the studio, and at times they are confusing in what we imagine them saying. And as with many aspects of the creative process, awareness of how you are affected is key. When our imaginary friends and critics are not useful, we need to be careful not to give them too much power. Inviting your imaginary ideal viewer into your studio can provide guidance, inspiration, and truly constructive criticism.

Episode 211: Meaning in Abstraction

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 15:00:00 -0500

Abstract art --especially the kind that has no identifiable imagery-- may appear to have little meaning to the viewer beyond its purely visual appeal. Certainly, we can admire and respond to abstraction without needing a story or an explanation, as long as our eyes are intrigued or delighted, and that is an important way it can be appreciated. But in fact, ideas, emotions, and other points of reference lie behind even the most purely abstract work. Today we will consider the ideas that compel abstract artists and guide them in their work.

While a painting can never be fully explained, and can definitely be over-analyzed, understanding the general realm of ideas that lie behind an abstract work adds to your experience as a viewer. In reading artist statements and biographies, we can see that their sources of ideas in abstraction can be surprisingly specific and autobiographical. The process of interpreting ideas, images, emotions, information, and memories in visual language is challenging and requires a balance of intuition and intellect.

Abstract painting requires abstract thinking for both the artist and the viewer. Avoiding literal or illustrational approaches when working from specific ideas means being open-ended, flexible, and treating specific references more as jumping off points than as something you insist the viewer take from your work. There is a huge component of interpretation in all types of abstraction, and an abstract artist needs to allow guidance from ideas but without a need to dictate how others respond to the work.

Finding and expressing meaning in your work, however you create it, is key to having passion and involvement in the studio. For abstract artists there are special challenges in interpreting their ideas, and for viewers it means entering a world without labels and strict definition. A very different kind of conversation happens outside the realm of easily identifiable imagery. Intuition and imagination are important to both seeing and appreciating abstraction.

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What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry are busy planning the Summer Quarter of their membership program which begins on July 13. These exciting sessions will explore Personal Voice and Composition and continue the topic of Professional Development with some special guests. Member Critiques and Painting Clinics, Cold Wax Academy's new feature, are ongoing. You can join the membership program anytime and catch up with past recorded sessions at your own pace. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information

Episode 210: Interview with Jason Matias Part II

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Today we are excited to welcome Seattle-based artist, author, and educator Jason Matias back to the Messy Studio. We published the first part of this interview back in January, which focused on Jason's approach to the business side of art. We recorded a second interview that same day so that he could tell us more about his own art, and what it takes to make his striking photographs of the natural world. We are excited to share this second interview with you today.

Special Guest: Jason Matias.

Episode 209: Abstraction and Visual Ideas

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 18:00:00 -0500

Abstract artists are known for getting ideas for their work everywhere. If you notice someone taking a photo of a crack in the sidewalk or staring at a piece of rusted metal, chances are good that’s an abstract artist at work, collecting ideas for lines and colors and textures. Even if we don’t depict objects realistically in our work, we are constantly observing the world around us. Today we are talking about the process of gathering and using visual ideas in creating abstract art.

What do we mean by a visual idea in abstraction? It starts with observing something and then using that visual information in your work—not in the sense of literally reproducing it, as you might with realism, but translated into aspects of your abstract work. A visual idea can be thought of as a distillation of something you have observed that enters your abstract work in a way that is removed from its source. Visual ideas can spark imagination and serve as a point of departure into new ways of using techniques, composition, and the visual elements.

Many times, we take in visual information in an unconscious way, gazing at things without mush awareness or analysis or focus, and sometimes these images do come through as we work intuitively. But to use a visual idea consciously, it helps to observe consciously. In abstraction, visual ideas can be taken from any situation you are in—whenever something strikes us as visually interesting, if we have the time and focus to and intention to really examine it.

You are most likely already working with visual ideas if you are observant of the visual world. But it can be interesting to become more conscious or analytic about what you are staring at, at least every so often, and seeing what changes that may bring to your work. Nurturing visual ideas so that they grow their original source or in seeing how they appear in your work and that of others can be exciting and deeply creative.

Episode 208: Counterproductive Habits

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0500

Being productive in the studio means different things to each artist--but wanting to grow and achieve new levels in our work is basic to the creative process. Yet there are many practices and attitudes that work against productivity, causing frustration and creative blocks, and wasting valuable studio time. Today we will talk about some of these counterproductive situations and how to challenge them in your own studio practice.

If we consider that the definition of counterproductive is “tending to hinder the attainment of a desired goal” it makes sense to try to get a sense of what your own goals are for productivity. For example, some people work consistently for a certain number of days a week, while others are fine working in shorter spans of time that are available to them. Having a good sense of your own goals for productivity helps you recognize any habits that work against that. Counterproductive habits include procrastination, wanting the studio to be in perfect order, or failing to finish work. Overthinking is another major issue for many people, inhibiting their decision-making process, and getting in the way of intuitive flow in the studio.

An interesting perspective on these habits is that you don't have to be the same person in the studio as you are in the rest of life. By making your studio a refuge, separate from the rest of life, you may be able to shed personal counterproductive habits. When you walk into the studio, if you can leave the rest of life behind, shutting out the demands of normal life, you may find that you can better maintain your focus and do what feels exciting and right to you.

Anything that hinders your creative flow can be frustrating and slow your overall development. If art is a big part of your life, it makes sense to challenge attitudes and behaviors as they relate to what you do in the studio.

Right now Michael Harding Artist Oils are 25% off, and Blick disposable palette pads are also marked down!

Episode 207: Art and Aging

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 15:00:00 -0500

Many of our listeners to this podcast are in their older years, and the rest of us can only hope to find ourselves there one day. Aging brings with it many challenges—these are as specific and diverse as our own personalities and yet as common as anything else shared by millions of people. While physical abilities and stamina may decline for older artists, aging can also contribute to creative work in positive ways.

Many artists have the drive to keep going despite physical limitations because art is so central to their lives. They adapt to issues like fatigue, aches and pains, the need to be conscious of posture, or coping with sensitivity to the physical aspects or materials of studio work. Repetitive motions required by the art process and lifting and carrying heavy, awkward objects can be problematic.

But there are many very positive and healthy aspects to making art late in life that include not only the great satisfaction of creativity itself, but that support brain health and other aspects of aging well. These include the mental flexibility required to create, a sense of purpose that is part of a commitment to a studio practice, and the personal connections with other artists in the creative community. Artists often tend to connect across generations and other social barriers, recognizing what they have in common and learning from one another.

Art transcends many of the emotional problems of aging in ways that can balance out the more difficult aspects of aging. It is a way of connecting with the reality of the experience of aging. It can help us rise above a potentially negative situation, that of our bodies becoming slower, more painful, and restricted--and to express the more profound and beautiful aspects of a long life.

Right now Gamblin Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits are 25% off, and Blick disposable palette pads and artist tape are also marked down!

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Our Spring Quarter membership program is well underway with lots of information about working with Form and Content, and tips about Professional Development for artists at all stages of their careers. We are now looking ahead to our Summer session which begins on July 13. We're excited to be focusing on Personal Voice and Composition and we'll also be hosting some special guests to share more information about Professional Development. Member Critiques and Paintings Clinics, our new feature, are ongoing. You can join anytime and catch up with past recorded sessions at your own pace. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information

As always, members have access to recordings of all previous sessions including everything from the first year, so it's easy to join anytime. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for details about membership levels and to sign up for a year of exciting learning experiences.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Episode 206: Dealing with Hard Times

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 14:00:00 -0500

We are really happy to be bringing this podcast episode to you this week, the first one after a long hiatus due to a very difficult situation in Ross's personal life. Today we’ll be talking about how the past few months have gone for us and offering some thoughts about how reconnecting with your creative practice is a solid and healthy step toward getting your life back on track.

Since late January, Ross has devoted all his time and energy to caring for his wife Kara during a long, difficult illness as well as caring for his newborn son, and he was unable to focus on anything outside of this. Like so many people who have had to deal with illness, family losses, job losses, and other challenges especially during the pandemic, he found it hard enough to cope with daily life, let alone do anything creative for self-fulfillment. In today's podcast we talk about these difficult situations and the importance of connecting again with your creative self.

Some suggestions for getting back on track in the aftermath include finding a way to fit your creative practice into a schedule, being patient with the time it may take to regroup, and finding it within yourself to commit to your practice again. Your creative work is so essential to your own strength and self-image that its important to not let that slip away completely.

There are many ways that negativity can impede getting back to creative work, though. We can get so used to living with ongoing difficulties and trauma that it is a huge emotional step to lose that outlook and move into a more positive future. Financial issues can also add to the overall pressure of the situation, especially if your income depends on your creative work.

Everyone and every situation is different. But the core idea here is commitment to your creative work. You can weather so much if you hold to the idea that in time, you will get back to doing what you love. Art has great power to heal and to sustain us in hard times.

Right now Gamblin Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits are 25% off, and Blick disposable palette pads and artist tape are also marked down!

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Episode 204: Jason Matias Interview - The Art of Selling Art

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 15 Jan 2022 13:00:00 -0600

Today we are excited to welcome Jason Mathias to the Messy Studio. Jason is an experienced professional artist, an author, and an educator, who lives in a loft in the woods outside Seattle, Washington. Following seven years of military service, Jason pursued a bachelor's degree in business and a master's in organizational leadership and began to apply what he learned to his passion for photography. These days, in addition to his creating his own artwork, Jason runs the online teaching platform The Art of Selling Art, a membership site that teaches business skills, strategies, and practical approaches to the business side of art practice. His aim is to demystify the art world so that artists can sell more art. We're going to find out much more about what he has to offer other artists in today's episode.

Listeners who are struggling with pricing their work will find his comments on identifying and pricing to a target audience especially helpful. Jason offers other advice about remaining objective in marketing your work, and not allowing self-esteem issues, or other self-defeating habits and perceptions to interfere with your success.

This interview is available as both audio and video on our Facebook page.
Jason's website; https://www.jasonmatias.com/the-art-of-selling-art/home

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy? Rebecca and Jerry have an exciting Winter Quarter planned with a focus on working with cold wax medium using both abstract and realistic approaches. Members will enjoy opportunities to participate in portfolio reviews and critiques, and of course, engage with the ongoing weekly live sessions that explore featured topics in depth. Cold Wax Academy is the only online teaching platform devoted exclusively to deepening and developing your painting practice in every aspect. Lessons are centered on the range of uses for cold wax medium, but also include important insights and information about all other aspects of art practice. For information about joining this vibrant, international community of artists, and to learn more about cold wax medium, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

As always, members have access to recordings of all previous sessions including everything from the first year, so it's easy to join anytime. Winter Quarter begins January 5th. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for details about membership levels and to sign up for a year of exciting learning experiences.

Special Guest: Jason Matias.

Episode 203: Moving Forward in the New Year

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 16:00:00 -0600

The New Year is a traditional time to reflect on the past, set goals for the future, contemplate your current situation, and identify ways to move forward. Even if you are not someone who makes formal New Years' resolutions, most of us feel an underlying urge to take stock of what we’d like to improve upon or work toward in the coming year. Today we’ll talk about evaluating how things are going in the studio and in your art business, and what role your goals and insights may play in 2022.

Goals or intentions tend to fall into two categories that evoke quite different emotions and involve different approaches to reach--things that are problematic and need to be improved, and things that are basically positive and exciting. The first category-- issues and situations that you know you need to work on---can make you anxious and self-critical if you fail to improve. This can lead to a self-defeating loop if you believe you really are not capable of doing better. Instead, realizing what you've accomplished in the past to make progress on these issues, along with small steps you can take to move forward can be helpful.

The other type of goal involves ideas and plans that are exciting, that will help you grow and develop as an artist. These tend to feel energizing and motivating and are the heart of a dynamic art practice. Yet these ideas can also be easily neglected if we don't take them seriously. and implement steps to make them happen. Consider what projects you have abandoned despite your initial interest. What threads in your current work could be pursued in more depth if you give them time and focus? Is it the year for a workshop, artist residency, or a collaborative project? Are there ways you can improve your time management or studio set up to facilitate some new projects?

We all have things we can work on going forward, whether or not we take the New year as that opportunity. As much as anything this is a good time to consider your individual approach to setting and reaching goals, how it works best for you to make changes, in addition to any changes themselves. It is easy to fall into an all or nothing approach with goals and intentions and then feel discouraged and frustrated if you fall short. A middle way in which you accept some change even if you don't entirely succeed can keep you on track and moving forward.

Episode 202: Are You Overthinking?

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 08:15:00 -0600

We talk a lot on the podcast about the importance of thinking about your work—of identifying intentions, strategies for developing your ideas, describing your work, researching other artists, and practicing self-critique. All of these are important, but we never want to neglect the more intuitive side of an art practice. So much of what we do is the result of hunches, impulses, and flashes of insight. And the bottom line is that as visual artists, whatever we do needs more than intellectual underpinnings. Today we will talk about the balance of thinking and overthinking when it comes to making art.

Our intellectual function is very different from intuitive response. It's necessary to a point, and there is much to understand about art theory and practice that can enhance your work. But we need to remember that if we are visual artists the primary impact of what we do is visual, despite current trends in conceptual art. After all, we aren’t writing essays, arguing political points, or presenting purely intellectual ideas. The visual impact on our senses, emotions, or thoughts has a very long history in art as its most important function and is basically nonverbal.

Overthinking also can become a problem when we are actually making our work. To be open to intutive responses is especially important during the process of creating, when our productive flow is vulnerable to being interrupted by overthinking. How do we find some kind of balance of trusting our vision and impulses without second guessing and becoming stalled by too much thinking and analyzing?

Finding a rhythm of thinking and doing that works for you is key. Many artists work in a basically intuitive manner for the majority of a studio session, but pause periodically to step back and consider what is working and being expressed. Deeper thinking and intellectualizing may work best in those moments when find a natural point of separation—that is, before a session, afterward, or completely away from the studio. Taking time to play and experiment is also important and as much a component your work as anything more planned or time consuming.

As with many topics about art that we present on the podcast, overthinking is not as easy to avoid as it might seem. We do need a degree of thought and analysis sand finding a balance is a very individualized process. And we also need to accept and celebrate that much visual art is purely or predominantly visual in its impact. If your own work is not based in conceptual concerns, there is no need to make it seem so in how you describe it.

Episode 201: Social Media: Friends and Followers

Rebecca Crowell — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 21:00:00 -0600

Many of us enjoy social media as a convenient way to share our art with others, for the sense of community it offers, and the easy way it lets us keep up with people we seldom see in person. But artists who are not enthusiastic about social media can feel pressured into participating because of the benefits it offers, yet squeamish and awkward when they do. Today we’ll talk about the role of social media in art practice and how to find a comfort level with participating if you’ve been avoiding it.

Most artists have many friends who are much more like followers because this is how we tend to connect with an artist we like. Even though many artists have professional pages on Facebook, we don’t always think first of following them there when we are interested in an artist's work. Sending a friend request seems to be the default mode to connect.
As a result, your artist page, if you have one, may not really be getting nearly as much traffic as your personal page where you may have thousands of people listed as friends.

Our session today emphasizes the idea that you can consciously use social media to enhance your image as an artist. It is probably wise to exclude anything that may weaken the impact of your artwork. In fact it may discourage people to connect with you if they find your posts either uninteresting, too revealing, or in some way off-putting. ideally, you don't want to post things to your thousands of friends --many of whom are followers rather than personal connections--that will conflict with your image as a serious and focused artist.

Crafting a social media personal to emphasize your work is not presenting a false impression if what you do say is authentic. It's fine to keep large parts of your life private and when you do that, you allow your work to take center stage. It also relieves you rown anxiety about maintaining privacy.

How to navigate the world of social media is a personal decision, and there are plenty of opinions about how to do this. But in terms of enhancing your presence as an artist, consider that is may be best to treat it as a useful tool rather than a platform for a wide variety of topics. You can do a great deal to enhance your professional image of an interesting and thoughtful artist by being conscious of what you post as visible to everyone, especially if you have a lot of followers you don’t know as perosnal friends.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are excited to be launching year two of Cold Wax Academy's membership program, which began in October of 2020. In the coming year, live online learning sessions will feature an entirely new set of topics---beginning with a deep dive into technique and the steps involved in developing a painting. Other topics for year 2 include professional development, abstraction and realism, principles of design, and expanded uses for cold wax medium.

As always, members have access to recordings of all previous sessions including everything from the first year, so it's easy to join anytime. Fall Quarter begins October 6th. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for details about membership levels and to sign up for a year of exciting learning experiences.

Episode 200: Our Milestone 200th Episode: Behind the Scenes

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 16:00:00 -0600

We have reached a milestone here at the Messy Studio that we are excited to report. We recently surpassed half a million total downloads of our episodes, which we first published in late December 2017. This week also marks our 200th episode, and we are also coming up on our 4th year anniversary as well. We’re proud of our podcast and grateful to our many listeners, and to celebrate we decided to talk today about the podcast itself—how it got started, how it has grown, and the challenges and rewards of this project.

We began with the simple idea of an art-related podcast that would be a conversation between the two of us and would also branch out into the other areas included in our tagline: "travel, entrepreneurship, philosophy, and life in general." We wanted to put our focus on art but allow for other topics that would come up as we talked, or sometimes to allow those to take the main spotlight. We've covered many topics having to do with art business, content about finding your way as an artist, bringing meaning to your work and general attitudes for healthy living. While we've interviewed fascinating guests in various fields our main intention has always been to express our own thoughts about these topics.

Here are some facts and figures about our listener demographics: On a consistent basis, about a quarter to a third of our 2500 regular listeners tune in from countries other than the US. These come mostly from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland but there are almost 40 thousand listeners grouped as an unspecified “other “category. Our most downloaded episode to date has over 8000 downloads. This is Episode #13, Diving into Abstraction. The topic of abstraction has always generated noticeable interest; we have discussed it in many episodes and featured it in about ten. Another very popular topic has been any topic relating to art business. Other very popular episodes have covered elements that help make strong works of art and engage an artist in growing and learning.

The Messy Studio is an exciting collaboration that we love doing together. It gives us the opportunity for in-depth conversation every week with each other and to our listeners. We’ve both learned a lot in the process and have benefitted from talking about many topics in a deep way. Knowing that so many of you are listening, connecting, and hopefully taking some ideas away with you and into your studio and life in general is very rewarding.

Episode 199: Staying Adventurous

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 13:00:00 -0600

As children, we all explored constantly—the world was new and we needed to try things out, push boundaries, and make discoveries in order to grow. Most of the time we were totally absorbed in these activities and found them enjoyable. Artists in their beginning phases often show a similar attitude—they are willing and eager to explore, play, and experiment in an open-ended way with few expectations. But once artistic maturity sets in we tend to settle into more predictable practices and may lose the urge to explore. There are important benefits to finding your groove and sticking with it, but how can we keep an inventive and adventurous spirit alive at the same time?

Achieving artistic maturity is a goal for many of us, reaching a point when we have something to say and the ability to say it well. It means having an authentic voice and consistent work. Yet staying open to change and engaging in experimentation and adventures into new media and subject matter are important to keeping our work fresh and exciting, and avoiding rigidity. These explorations are entirely legitimate ways to spend time and resources.

Trying new things takes acceptance that you may not always produce anything worth saving. It also takes self-confidence that others will appreciate and follow your adventures, and that your voice will continue to come through even with change. There can be a wide range of expression that comes from your core self. Countering the tendency to stick to the tried and true may take the form of attending an artist residency or workshop, travel, or simply setting time or place aside in your own studio for this practice.

So, let’s avoid being stodgy and unadventurous in reaching artistic maturity. Attitudes of play, experimentation, and non-attachment remain important to your work even as you mature. While focus and intentions are essential to doing deep work, adventure and childlike enjoyment are also aspects of mature work.

Episode 198: How To Make Mistakes On Purpose - Interview With Laurie Rosenwald

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 14:00:00 -0600

Many of us live lives based on habit and predictability--we aim for expected results, and generally avoid uncertainty and disruption. But our guest today, Laurie Rosenwald, challenges us to steer away from the tried and true in order to bring freshness and spontaneity to our lives and work. Laurie is a New York City-based illustrator, artist, designer, and book creator whose work is a mix of collage, drawing, painting, and storytelling. In addition to her many editorial illustrations for a wide variety of publications, Laurie has created animation, product design, and leads an ongoing workshop, "How to Make Mistakes on Purpose."

Laurie talks about her unconventional life and what led her into her current work with encouraging people to open up to random occurences and unplanned situations. She believes in surprise and in taking people out of their expected outcomes and fear of being judged.

Join us for a fun interview, which will be available as video also on our facebook page.

Check out her stuff at:
https://rosenworld.com
https://www.instagram.com/rosenworld/?hl=en
https://societyillustrators.org/event/make-mistakes/?fbclid=IwAR0yVygsI866CpDnfbDam9gA5sRaCXRqEVqLCke7Y6hdsrbwGSaAgNH2Zuo

Buy her book:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Mistakes-Purpose-Bring-ebook/dp/B08YCY93YP

Attend her workshop (I misread this link in the episode):
https://societyillustrators.org/event/make-mistakes

Black Friday/ Weekend Offers:

Also, there is a Black Friday special offer available at Cold Wax Academy, now through Sunday. You can get a free Starter Kit with the purchase of a Full Membership, or half off the price of a Starter Kit for becoming a Core member. That Starter Kit is normally $399, so this is an incredible value and a great way to begin your membership with all the supplies you need on hand.
www.coldwaxacademy.com

If you are doing your Black Friday/ Cyber Monday shopping at Blick then please remember to use our affiliate link so that they will donate 10% of your purchase to the show.
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Special Guest: Laurie Rosenwald.

Episode 197: How Praise Can Paralyze

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 14:00:00 -0600

When we think of the kinds of reactions to our work from other people that cause a block in creative flow, most people think first of negativity, indifference, or misunderstanding. All of these can undermine our self-confidence and cause us to feel incompetent, uninteresting, or simply off track. They can lead to anxiety and avoidance behavior towards our work. But what about the opposite—positive remarks of praise and admiration? These can create a blockage of a different kind that may be harder to recognize and acknowledge. Today we talk about the rather odd fact that praise can stall us as much as criticism.

Praise can certainly feel supportive and energizing, helping you see aspects of your work that were hidden from your own eyes and clarifying your ideas when you successfully communicate with another person through your work. And of course, praise brings about general good feelings relating to recognition and a sense of accomplishment.

But receiving praise can also be a complicated dynamic, with the potential to stall us in our progress in ways that may be hard to recognize and acknowledge. The basic issue is that art is subjective; although there are standards of good composition and design, and good use of media and visual elements, opinion also plays a big role when someone offers you feedback. When what you hear is positive, it can be harder to recognize its subjectivity. You may be steered towards aspects of your work that aren’t quite right for your own vision, but which the person viewing your work prefers.

This often happens in a classroom or workshop situation, meaning that those who teach need to be careful not to shut down students by only praising work of a certain type. But the detrimental effects of praise can also be a dynamic among friends and family. Many people find a role for themselves in advising and influencing others even when they know little about the subject. Their positive comments may be well meaning but be somewhat manipulative or controlling, in effect asking the artist to create according to their own preferences. You as the artist need to be strong enough in your own mind to recognize whether praise is truly applicable to your own intentions, and resist being steered in a direction that is not.

Learning to evaluate the feedback you receive allows you to gain from positive feedback that relates to your own intentions and to remove yourself from comments that are off track. Failing to do this can lead to losing your way or being blocked by inner resistance to fulfilling someone else’s desires for your work. Being self-reflective and in touch with your own ideas and intentions is key to understanding positive feedback and pulling from it what is useful and supportive to you.

Episode 196: Open Studio Events: Pros and Cons

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 07:00:00 -0600

At some point in their art careers, many artists are offered the opportunity to take part in an open studios event or art tour in their communities. These events can be lucrative and exciting --and provide many new contacts to help spread the word about your work. They also entail a lot of preparation and time taken away from normal studio life ---and several intensive days of meeting the public and handling all the details of selling work directly during the event. Today we take an inside look at this experience and consider the pros and cons of participating in an open studio or art tour in your own community.

Although many times these events are very positive experiences, there are legitimate reasons you may hesitate. You may view your studio as a private sanctuary and not open to the public for any reason. Or you may not be comfortable selling your own work, or you may simply not anticipate an appreciative audience of your type of work in your area, and dread having to explain what you do. The physical accessibility of your studio and the preparation and time commitment involved during opening hours are also considerations. You may also want to be sure that there are other artists on the tour who you regard as peers, who have a similar approach in terms of pricing and professionalism.

On the other hand, in evaluating whether to join a studio tour or open studios event, there are some positive signs that may persuade you to say yes. It is very helpful if there is a density of artists in your area, and if the event is locally well known and well established. As for your own work, it is good to have work at various price points so that people who are not prepared to buy larger work can find a piece that works for them. It is also good if you can line up some help for the event, maybe someone to participate in the set up or direct traffic, or just be on call if you need something during the event.

Your attitude during the event is important. While it's fine to have expectations to keep you motivated, realize that you will have many people who are simply checking out your work or enjoying seeing your studio and are not there to purchase. That is fine, and you never know what might unfold later as the result of people having had a good experience. It's important to greet everyone, answer questions, and show a friendly attitude.

A studio tour can be a very successful event, provide connections, and help in your involvement with the art community where you live. On the other hand, it’s not a good idea to join just because you feel it is expected by other people—there is too much of your time and energy at stake. Deciding whether to participate means considering the pros and cons for your situation, but once you decide to join, a wholehearted attitude will bring the best rewards.

Episode 195: Our Many Hats

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 20:00:00 -0500

The behind-the-scenes aspect of almost any job is surprising, and that of a working, professional artist is no exception. So much goes on that has little if anything to do with making art. Maintaining a studio, tracking inventory and expenses, photographing work, keeping up a website, engaging with social media, answering email, staying in touch with galleries, and handling countless other details of art practice—all of these tasks are time-consuming, and each requires its own skillset. Most artists do all of this on their own without assistance, learning as they go, and over time they find what works for them. Today we look at the frustrations and rewards for artists as they constantly change out their many hats.

Considering the range of tasks we deal with as artists, it's natural that most of us are deficient in some areas, whether those are record-keeping, organizing, being active on social media, creating a website, consistent gallery correspondence or other tasks. While it may appear that other artists are on top of every aspect of their practice, few conquer all tasks and at the same time make good art without having help.

To be realistic we need to let go of perfectionistic tendencies and accept a standard of "good enough" for some of the demands on our time. We can also delegate tasks to others if they can be outsourced, although many cannot. Sometimes we do have to face things that need to be done by ourselves, but with which we have no experience or background. In those times, a positive attitude about learning new things is helpful. You may surprise yourself with newfound abilities --for example being able to handle new technologies or teach your first workshop. Asking for advice from a friend with experience is a good first step when faced with a new situation that requires action.

As artists our main role is to make art, and that is the most important hat to wear, always. The rest of the demands on our time that support our art practice need to be dealt with as best we can. When feeling overwhelmed by tasks and things to do, a good way to shift out of stress is to go and do your art, even for a little while. It will remind you of what you love about the life of an artist. The rest of it is simply what needs to be done to support this opportunity.

Episode 194: Our First Year: Reflections on Cold Wax Academy

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 22:00:00 -0500

A year ago, Rebecca and her teaching partner and co-author, Jerry McLaughlin embarked on a new project to meet the needs of artists during the time of Covid. With in-person workshops canceled, they turned to online teaching as a way to continue to offer instruction to artists interested in using cold wax medium and oils. Faced with this challenge of offering deep learning in a new format, Rebecca and Jerry developed a structured curriculum of online sessions for a worldwide audience of artists. Cold Wax Academy has evolved to be the leading online resource for mastery of both technical and artistic skills required for painting with cold wax medium.

Online teaching offers its own rewards and challenges, and Jerry and Rebecca reflect on its many aspects in this episode. Content for online sessions is prepared ahead of time with very specific focus, allowing for an in-depth exploration of various topics. Learning takes place in concise pieces of information, with time in between to process. When combined with actual workshop experience the impact of both foms of learning is especially noticeable.

With so many artists involved in online teaching and learning as a result of the pandemic, the advantages of online learning are becoming increasingly evident and to be involved in this new format is exciting. Cold Wax Academy membership provides deep, structured learning from two experienced, professional artists in the context of a supportive online community. If this sounds right for you, please visit www.coldwaxacademy.com.

Special Guest: Jerry McLaughlin.

Episode 193: What Realism Teaches Us

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 11:00:00 -0500

It can seem sometimes like artists and art lovers fall into two camps—those that adamantly prefer abstraction, and those who feel the same way about realism. Of course, this is a very simplistic view of art --and the fact is that these two approaches meet and mingle in countless unique ways. But it can be demoralizing for an abstract artist to be dismissed out of hand as lacking seriousness and skill, and the same for the realist who may be criticized for lacking imagination or unique vision. In fact, all artists who have gained mastery at what they do have something to teach others.

Thinking of abstraction and realism as a simple duality is misleading; it is more useful to think of various ways of depiction as a continuum, with extremely realistic work at once end and completely nonrepresentational, pure abstraction at the other end. The line in between filled with various departures from either extreme, and any kind of art is an interpretation, and there are always limitations to the medium an artist uses.

While each way of working has its strengths, too often abstract artists don't consider or exploit the depth and nuances that can be observed in the real world and that realist artists are by necessity very aware of. These can bring more intricacy and complexity to abstract approaches. Realist painters learn skills such as creating visual texture through subtle shifts of value and color, and to edit their work carefully to create good composition that are applicable to abstract work as well.

On the other hand, realism may also include approaches that do not interest abstract artists such as depiction of deep space and perspective, and there are interests that are unique to abstraction such as a focus on materiality and visual elements for their own sakes. So, while there are distinct differences, it's worth paying attention to how these various approaches overlap. All forms of art have more in common than they do differences, and it can be very beneficial to understand other approaches to the visual world.

Episode 192: Your Life & Your Abstract Voice

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0500

How do abstract artists focus on specific ideas in their work? How can personal voice be discovered and followed given the endless possibilities of abstraction? Today we will talk about one path that has proven to be a rich vein of ideas for many abstract artists—that of pulling from their own experiences in life to create a meaningful, personal visual language. Today we’ll talk about ways to access ideas for abstraction from what you know best, your own life.

Many artists, especially beginners with abstraction, tend to be a bit disconnected from personal expression in their work. Maybe it's because they believe that abstraction is always about lofty concepts bigger than any individual, or maybe they consider abstraction to be mainly an intellectual /conceptual exercise, or that it is mainly about process and technique.

All these approaches are satisfying to many abstract artists., but others want a more personal or emotional connection to their work.

if you haven't considered your own experiences, situations, and emotions as pathways to this connection, it may be because you worry that this is too self-involved or somehow self-centered. But there is wisdom in the idea that the more personal a subject is the more universal its potential. Your interpretation of your own experiences can strike a chord with others and thus be more widely meaningful. Work based on your own life and experiences is perfectly valid and is a long tradition in art.

Discovering personal sources for your work is challenging. It requires self-awareness and observation of what moves you and what abstract elements you connect with your experiences. Specific memories of moments and emotions connected with them are most potent, and journaling and sketching can deepen your awareness of these and help you focus.

There is no formula for working abstractly from your own experience, it is by nature individualized and personal. But to realize that your own life is legit subject matter and worthy of your attention is liberating. So go ahead, express your own experiences, be quirky, be open, be a little mysterious, mine your own memories, and feelings.

Episode 191: The Messy Stages

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0500

We named our podcast The Messy Studio for a reason that goes beyond the physical working space. We also mean to imply that the creative process itself is rarely neat or clearly defined. It is more often confusing and convoluted. This aspect of creativity can be frustrating, but it’s necessary each time we find a new path in our work. Today we talk about the importance of the messy stages of creativity and how clarity can be achieved as we move forward.

One of our listeners, Max McConkey, recently commented that the stages of a painting can be compared to stages of life, and that some parts of the life cycle are a bit wild and chaotic leading up to a mature painting. Using this analogy, its clear to see that each stage of growth is important and necessary for resolving each work of art. The messier stages can be frustrating though and tempt you to reach for the easiest solution possible. But in doing that you may miss some new ideas and solutions that could be gained by working with the mess you have rather than giving up on it.

On the other hand, it can be a trap to spend endless time making small tweaks and changes that aren't making any real difference. The real mess in the piece may be a larger issue, like the color palette or composition, or wanting your medium to do something that it isn't made for, and to see bigger issues you probably need to walk away for a break and return with fresh eyes.

There are times when a fresh start is the best move but take a little time to identify what has gone wrong. The creative process is rarely straightforward and linear, even though we somehow seem to expect it to be. Maybe it is human nature to think it should be easier than it is. But inside, most of know that our work would never grow and change if we never had to power through messes, chaos, frustration.

Episode 190: Letting Go

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 13:00:00 -0500

A couple of weeks ago-- during our first episode after the break that we took for moving this summer--we talked a little about the emotional side of letting so much go from our former lives. This seems to have struck a chord with listeners—we received quite a few comments about the experience of moving, its difficulties, and the anxieties it creates. A need to shed possessions of any sort is a challenge, but to let go of very personal objects like works of art is especially difficult. Today we’ll focus on Rebecca’s experiences of clearing out her studio and some thoughts about letting go in general.

Using the three categories that are common for decluttering of keep, sell or give away, and discard is a very helpful approach. At first the task of moving a studio can seem overwhelming, but like a lot of things, this focused approach gets easier with practice. Over the eight weeks it took Rebecca to move it became easier to make decisions based on these categories.

Selling work is a great solution if you can pull it off but may take a dedicated stretch of time and quite a bit of organization ahead of time to be successful. Donating and giving art away is another way to reduce the amount of inventory prior to a move and can be very gratifying. Looking for venues to donate art to that will display it publicly, like a hospital, can be especially satisfying. And of course, in terms of getting rid of art, discarding it is the most challenging emotionally, but it can also feel freeing.

Keeping artwork when you move can make sense for special pieces that you want to keep, or anything you see potential for selling in the future. But it's always important to consider storage strategies in the new studio.

The emotional aspects of letting go are clearly part of the process. as a whole. Along with a sense of loss can come feelings of lightness, clarity, and relief in going forward with more simplicity.

In this episode, Rebecca shares many stories of her own experience of moving, in the hopes of offering ideas and hope for others in the same situation. Everyone’s experience of moving is different but there are also lots of similarities. No matter your own situation, it's important to acknowledge that it is a big upheaval in your life, and you need to take things step by step with faith that it will work out, and to appreciate the rewards that will come.

Episode 189: Interview with Jim Scherbarth

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0500

James Edward Scherbarth was a dear friend, colleague, and teacher, and artist who developed profound and personal ways of working in just a few years following his retirement in his mid-60s. Today we share our interview with Jim near the end of his life in which he discusses his life, work, and teaching philosophy. Jim passed away a few days aftert this recording, on June 22, 2021. We are very honored to have had this opportunity to hear what he wished to share with our listeners.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Rebecca and her partner at Cold Wax Academy, Jerry McLaughlin are wrapping up their Summer Quarter and have announced their lineup of topics for both the Fall Quarter and into 2022. Their weekly live, interactive sessions this Fall will focus on Techniques and Processes involved in developing a painting and on expanding ways of using cold wax in such areas as printmaking and photography.

All sessions are recorded and fully accessible in the Member Library, and you can watch and rewatch at your own pace. In addition, joining at any time gives you access to all the perks of membership and the benefits of being part of a growing, knowledgable community of other artists.

Special Guest: Jim Scherbarth.

Episode 188: We're Back!

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 15:00:00 -0500

Those of you who follow the Messy Studio know that we have taken time off this summer because each of us was involved in a major move from the family home in Wisconsin. The process of moving is no fun, as anyone who has done it knows—it’s hard work physically and emotionally and there is plenty of stress. But now that we are each settled in we’re happy to be back with producing the podcast. Today we join you with thoughts about changing situations and what Rebecca has been seeing in her current work in the studio as a result.

Moving is often included in lists of stressful life events, and even a move for positive reasons is exhausting. While it is freeing and cathartic to let go of possesions it can also be accompanied by feeling of loss and awareness of aging and the passage of time. What was involved in moving from a home and studio occupied for decades was far more involved that we could have imagined at the beginning, and once the project was underway there was nothing to do but give it total focus.

Today's episode is a casual chat about the experience of moving that many of our listeners who have moved or plan to move will relate to. We are happy to be back to podcasting now and have some exiciting episodes in the work for the months ahead.

Episode 186: Decluttering: Can A Messy Studio be Too Messy?

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 16:00:00 -0500

Artists are always given the good advice to be productive as they can, to make lots of work, to go to the studio nearly every day. That’s because only by doing a lot of work can you really progress and explore your full potential. Yet the results of all that creative output will inevitably pile up in the studio and in your home, leading to storage problems and other more personal issues. Today we will talk about the challenges of dealing with the accumulation of your own artwork.

Few of us are able to sell or give away everything we do as we go, if we are at all productive or have been making art for any length of time. We all have different amounts of storage and wall space so for some people it is easy to hang onto things if they have room. Yet for all of us the day will come when we want or need to downsize our past work-- if only to make it easier for others to deal with it when we no longer can.

This is an emotional and demanding task. But athough it is often tedious, there are also some pleasurable aspects to reviewing your work over the years and choosing the best pieces to keep. Some of this work may end up in your own collection, and some may be offered for sale or given as donations or gifts. While selling or gifting may sound easy, the reality can be complicated. What is the best way to run a sale of your work? Do you need to take your local gallery into consideration? Can you find a place for a donation where the work will be on public view?

The mediocre work, bad work, or repetietive work that you cull is also challenge to dispose of. Some artists choose a ritual buring, others brace themselves to fill a dumpster. Probably the best strategy is to avoid massive accumulations of work in the first place by purging your stacks periodically.

PS: if you are interested in the older work that Rebecca is offering for sale from her own studio/moving sale, please visit
https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/rebecca-crowell

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

A new quarter is underway at Cold wax Academy, the online learning program developed by Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin. This summer, the weekly online sessions focus on Mark-making, Setting and Following Intentions, and Composition. All sessions are recorded so that you can learn at your own pace, and there are supplementary assignments and other opportunities to participate. Join Rebecca, Jerry, and current members to take part in this exciting international community of artists. Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com to sign up and start taking advantage of all that Cold wax Academy has to offer its members.

And just in --for a limited time, Jerry and Rebecca are offering a new membership level that provides access to their extensive video workshop only-- the cost is $249 for 6 weeks of streaming access, plenty of time to watch and rewatch all the in-depth content provided in this unique video.

Episode 185: Approaching Galleries and More: Interview with Jason Horejs:

Rebecca Crowell — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:00:00 -0500

We interview Jason Horejs of Xanadu Gallery and RedDotBlog.com on the best way to market yourself and your work to galleries. This interview was conducted using Streamyard and went out live on Facebook. Once again we aren't able to produce the highest quality audio right now due to the move, but we still want to put out some great content. This is one of the most valuable interviews we have ever done, so don't skip it! Thanks again to all of the well wishes from listeners pertaining to the move and recent announcment that Ross's wife is pregnant.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Rebecca and her partner at Cold Wax Academy, Jerry McLaughlin have wrapped up an exciting Spring Quarter and have announced their lineup of topics for Summer quarter which begins July 7. Their weekly live, interactive sessions will focus on Mark-making, Composition, and on Setting and Following Intentions to create strong, cohesive work.

But you don't have to wait for the new quarter to join the Academy--All sessions are recorded and fully accessible in the Member Library, and you can watch and rewatch at your own pace. In addition, joining at any time gives you access to all the perks of membership and the benefits of being part of a growing, knowledgable community of other artists.

Special Guest: Jason Horejs.

Episode 184: Ask Me Anything LIVE #1

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 18:00:00 -0500

This is the audio recording of our very first Ask Me Anything on Facebook Live. We opened up the session to listeners who had questions and chatted about the challenges of moving. Rebecca also talked a little about her background as an artist, and we touched on returning to normal life post-Covid including travel), and simplifying and downsizing. We hope to do more session slike this in the future as a way to get to know our listeners and engage in an interactive way.

Episode 183: Our Powerful Words

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0500

Words that we say and the words we remember being said to us can have impact that goes far beyond the moment in which they are spoken. For better or for worse many of us remember things said to us decades ago, And we have all said things that have lodged in other people’s minds in an equally powerful way—and most of the time we don’t even realize that has happened. While we may say and receive words that are meant to have an impact, other times it is a casual remark that looms large in retrospect. Today we look at the ways we are influenced and can influence others with our words, including how words can affect our creative selves and others.

Words that impact our personal lives, both positively and negatively, play in role in our lives as artists. They can help us feel self-confident, which helps us to be focused and committed, or they can undermine these important aspects of our creativity.

Those of us engaged in teaching, writing, mentoring, and in other ways consciously directing others have a huge responsibility in choosing words carefully. That responsibility can feel heavy, since you cannot know how someone else may react to things you say. You may touch on someone's insecurities without any intention of upsetting the person. Young people or those new to art may be especially vulnerable and liable to misinterpret things you say.

Yet by worrying about responses and treading too lightly you can miss great opportunities for communication. Words spoken from experience, with good intentions, can be extremely helpful to other artists.

We all need to take responsibility for our own reactions to what others say that sound to us critical or negative and to realize that we can choose what to credit and what to brush off. We can also try harder to say the right things that will encourage rather than discourage other people and be more conscious of expressing empathy and appreciation. There is no way to always say the right thing at the right time, but we can treasure the positive words given to us and attempt to give more of those to others.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating, and special thanks to Mary J Kelly for her donation! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.

When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Rebecca and her partner at Cold Wax Academy, Jerry McLaughlin are wrapping up an exciting Spring Quarter and have announced their lineup of topics for Summer quarter which begins July 7. Their weekly live, interactive sessions will focus on Mark-making, Composition, and on Setting and Following Intentions to create strong, cohesive work.

Episode 182: Dealing with Disrespect

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 13:00:00 -0500

Anyone who cares about the work they perform wants to have that work appreciated and respected. And while certain professions and high-level positions can elicit that respect almost automatically, people in many other fields have to build that regard from others over time. They need to constantly reinforce respect for what they do-- and most importantly, feel it within themselves in order to create it. Those in creative fields may have special challenges in building respect in a society that tends to look at what they do as unimportant, a hobby or sideline, or something they do simply to please themselves. Or their work may be regarded for its commercial or decorative value only. Today we’ll take a look at the ways artists and other creative people struggle to establish respect in the circles in which they move.

Unfortunately, stereotypes about artists are often not favorable. We may be thought of as self-indulgent, irresponsible, arrogant, and perhaps not fully contributing members of society. So, situations in which artists are disrespected, not taken seriously, or valued for their contributions are common. Self-respect is key to identifying and –ideally--reacting constructively to such situations.

Dealing with situations that involve disrespect can be difficult, especially for personality types that prefer to avoid conflict and let things slide. Lack of experience can also enter in, as disrespectful situations can develop because you are not sure what is expected or acceptable. For example, the first time you are in a gallery show or the first time you are asked to teach a workshop you may be asked to do things that are out of line with standard practice. But because for you it is unknown territory, you may accept them as the way things are done.

Most of us, no matter our level of experience or ability to handle conflict, have boundaries that tell us when to object or walk away. It’s important to become aware of when those boundaries are challenged and rely on our inner sense of self-respect to respond. Be alert for manipulation and unreasonable expectations from others that concern your art practice, and practice stating your needs and limits. You can certainly decide to live with some situations that are less than perfect, but that choice should include clear benefits for yourself that you judge to balance the equation.

It’s a difficult reality that we all run into disrespectful situations, and our personalities have everything to do with how we handle them. For many of us, letting things slide works for a while. But a situation that creates an ongoing sense of disrespect needs to be addressed. OPur work and self-respect are top priorities.

Episode 181: Respecting Your Artist Self

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Self-respect is one of the central ingredients for a healthy mindset yet can be one of the hardest to achieve. As artists, we may lose our grip on it when encountering the larger art world. Or lack of self-respect may interfere with our art practice itself, keeping us from dedicating time and resources to our work, or behaving in ways that undermine our success. Is your self-respect as an artist firmly in place or does it waver or fade in some situations? Today we’ll talk about ways to build and maintain your self-respect inside and outside the studio.

In a recent podcast we talked about the passion that underlies so much of what we do as artists and as entrepreneurs, and how that keeps us going even when we have times when the rest of the world does not seem to care about what we do. Part of passion is the respect we feel intrinsically for what we do; in some basic way we know how important it is and honor that. We need strong self-respect in order to put ourselves out there, keep us engaged, help us overcome obstacles, and also to recognize situations in which we are not being respected.

Many people struggle to respect their own creative passion as the result of life circumstances, such as not being supported in their interest as a young person, or the need to have a good income early in life. If you don't have a good base of self-respect as an artist, or lifelong engagement with your creative side, how can you build up this key ingredient in growing your work and art career?

This means placing priority on your studio time, buying yourself quality supplies and equipment, finding a supportive art community, and engaging with high level instruction or mentorship. It also helps to acknowledge realistically where you are as an artist. In may seem counter-intuitive but being humble as a beginner enhances self-respect, and in fact it may be crucial for getting through the initial learning phases and avoiding feeling like an imposter. In the same vein, learning to limit your interactions about your work with people who don't take you seriously is important, as is avoiding comparison with others who are further along with their work.

No matter when or under what circumstances you have started your creative practice, respecting its place in your life is crucial to growing into yourself as an artist. We are the gatekeepers who protect that practice and honor its importance, and if we don't do that, we can't expect anyone else to do so.

Episode 180: When to Settle

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 30 May 2021 17:00:00 -0500

One of the challenges of your art practice is being able to evaluate your finished work in terms of what is excellent and what is just good or all right. Many of us want to be able to identify our best work and also to accept nothing less than this for ourselves. But do we have to push everything we do to this highest standard? Can we allow some things to be less than our best and move on? And are we really able to be objective in evaluating our own work anyway?

This is not about giving up on something that is a learning experience and the struggles you are encountering are likely to lead you into new territory. Here we are talking about your overall output and recognizing that not everything you produce is at the same level. It’s also about acknowledging that some work has already arrived at the place where it has little more to reveal.

You may feel dissatisfied with a piece because it feels repetitive, or you are somehow not connecting with it in a personal way. That feeling is something to accept when it happens occasionally, although it can be a red flag if it happens very often, signaling that it’s time for a change.

But if by all objective standards you can call the work finished and very good, it’s fine to send it out into the world. It’s easy to become so perfectionistic that we deprive others of seeing work that they may respond to very positively. You can think of your own standards as a ladder—the top rung is the work that you objectively believe to be excellent and also love for your own reasons, and the next rung down is still very good if it checks all the boxes for objective self-critique and you may --or may not-- love it on a subjective level. Work on either rung should be considered worthy of being seen by other people.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating, and special thanks to Phyllis Bryce for her donation! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.

When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

Episode 179: Creative Frustration

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 22 May 2021 13:00:00 -0500

It’s an all-too familiar situation in the studio, coping with a work of art that seems to fight against you at every step, making each day with it a struggle. It’s so easy to become obsessed with a piece like this, trying to persuade it to cooperate, just as you might with a stubborn person. It can feel like an exhausting contest of wills, made all the more frustrating by your awareness that you are actually fighting with yourself. Today we’re going to talk about those pieces that make you want to tear out your hair or throw them out the window -window. Because we all know that feeling, right?

Although lots of times our work flows well, and our frustrations are fairly fleeting, other times we experience the opposite. Your work can anger and upset us and feel as though it has its own negative persona. The fact that it is actually your own creation can make it a metaphor for all the ways you think you fall short as an artist. This can lead to a downward spiral in which you beat yourself up for not being able to make the thing work. And from that state of mind, it is also harder to calm down and see your way forward.

How can you break loose from the negative grip of frustrating work? If you can avoid getting wound up emotionally I the first place, trust that the work is challenging for a reason and that you have something to learn, that is certainly the healthiest attitude. It may help to know that experiencing a high level of frustration is very common among creative people and is actually necessary to growth.

But if your frustration feels unbearable, there are a few simple strategies. One is to retreat, walk away, and give yourself some time and space to be able to come back with a fresh eye. If you can gain some distance, you may be able to go over your work with an objective attitude and see what isn’t working and why. The problem with this approach alone is that it can lead to endless small changes and tweaks, without much real progress. So, it may also be time to make a bold, major change in the work. The best move may be to wipe out the previous path you were on with the work and allow for a fresh start.

No matter how you choose to deal it riding out the cycle of frustration and resolution is part of the creative cycle. If your work never presents strong challenges, you are probably stuck in a rut of easy answers and rote solutions. The next time you’re ready to stick a palette knife through your canvas, remember that all creative people experience these feelings and that they do eventually open the way to new ideas and growth.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.

Thank you also to everyone who has written testimonials for Ross's website! Have you enjoyed the audio production quality and hearing Ross's voice? Submit a testimonial by email at rticknor.core@gmail.com or by submitting the contact form at www.messystudiopodcast.com!

When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy? Rebecca and Jerry are busy preparing new presentations for their Spring Quarter weekly live, interactive sessions. The topics for Spring are Shape, Scale and Proportion, and Self-Coaching to improve your work habits and productivity.

As always, there will be plenty of opportunities to interact with Rebecca, Jerry, and other members, along with critique sessions, feedback about your paintings, and of course a deep dive into the three selected topics of the quarter. Cold Wax Academy has been receiving lots of rave reviews from its members; they know it is the best online learning for cold wax painting available and the only membership program dedicated to this medium. Find out more at www.coldwaxacademy.com

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast

For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 178: Sparking Creative Passion

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 15 May 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Passion is a vital ingredient to staying motivated and focused on our creative work. It helps us find our own direction and voice and keeps us going even under hard personal circumstances or times when the outside world is failing to provide validation. Passion is a source of creative energy that sustains and revitalizes us. But is creative passion something we just have as an innate part of our personality? Or can it be nurtured and developed if we lack it? Today we talk about creative passion, and how to nurture and honor its role in our lives as artists.

How do you know if you have passion? It is something you feel deeply, because it is rooted in emotional intensity. It is a source of creative energy that provides consistent motivation, and a way into a flow state in your work. Passion also provides you with self-respect and confidence for ourselves as artists, and when we respect the role of art in our lives, we tend to demand that from others around us. Working from this kind of passion provides a loop of positive feedback for your work, which sustains you during times of struggle.

However, many artists may worry about a lack of passion for their work. But like many things, passion is something that can be nurtured and developed rather than something you either have or you don’t. It starts with commitment, practice, and building confidence. It also involves recognizing any inner issues that are holding back your full engagement with your art practice. Your medium and approach needs to be a good fit, and you need to be as free as you can from other people's expectations and pressures to perform. Negative self-talk can also block passion that is actually there for you under the surface. Another consideration is to seek out support and encouragement for your passion and avoid people who may want to tamp down your enthusiasm.

Passion can seem like something that you simply have, or you don’t, but even people that have it probably did not start out that way. Passion for your work can grow just like any other aspect of your character when given the right conditions and attention. If you do feel passion, never dismiss it, honor its role in your life and expect the same from the people around you.

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Episode 177: Searching for Stories

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 08 May 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Since the beginning of time, artists have told stories with their work. Sometimes the messages are straightforward and other times open to interpretation. Stories can be told with recognizable imagery, with symbols, and even with purely abstract elements. At the heart of telling stories is our desire to communicate and the human love of narrative. Do you think of your work as telling stories? In today’s discussions, we hope to open your mind to the narrative aspects of your work and perhaps enable you to mine your stories for new ideas.

Throughout art history, storytelling has been a primary function of art, using stories from religion, history, and the legends of various cultures. We also find many personal stories, relating to individual artist's experiences. Considering visual expression as stories that record your life, your feelings and thoughts may be a new way of thinking especially in abstraction. But what is a story in its essence? It's something that takes us away from ordinary thoughts and perceptions, shifts our viewpoint, and transports us in some way. This magic happens visually as well as verbally, and for the artist as well as the viewer.

Although visual stories may not follow the conventions of plot development and narrative arc that we find in written or verbal stories, there are similarities, including the dynamic of conflict and resolution. As artists, we manipulate the visual elements on a journey that involves both contrast and harmony A useful term in thinking about this aspect of abstraction is "abstract narrative." Thinking about your own abstract work as a narrative may help you to have patience and trust as it unfolds, much as a novelist allows characters to develop and find a voice.

We can say things visually that go beyond words, but being conscious of your sources of ideas, the stories you want to tell, can strengthen your work. Stories bring meaning to any kind of art but in abstraction this perspective can help you find a voice and personal direction, because we all have stories to tell.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and donating, and especially to Jennifer Smith for her monthly donation! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.

Thank you also to everyone who has written testimonials for Ross's website! Have you enjoyed the audio production quality and hearing Ross's voice? Submit a testimonial by email at rticknor.core@gmail.com or by submitting the contact form at www.messystudiopodcast.com!

When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing! The Blick website works exactly the same way, but we earn 10% every time you buy art supplies.

Episode 176: Visual Ideas

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 01 May 2021 16:00:00 -0500

Artists often worry that their work is derivative of another artist’s work and may be very concerned about being overly influenced by someone else’s style or technique. This problem certainly does exist in the art world and is something to guard against because most of us do want our work to be original and unique. But in every field of endeavor, people build on and respond to the work of others, and this is no different for artists. Today we talk about building on, rather than appropriating, other people’s ideas.

Being authentic in our work doesn’t negate influences of all sorts, because we are never creating in a void. Yet if you’re told your work closely resembles like that of a friend, a teacher, or well-known artist you admire, it can be inhibiting or embarrassing. A strong resemblance can happen unconsciously especially early on when you are finding your own voice, and most of the time it’s a phase that passes as you find your own way. But it is a struggle many artists go through and they may feel inadequate or insecure as they work through that time.

With all the influences artists experience, how can we produce work that is truly innovative and individual? Art history highlights times when new ideas appeared, such as perspective in the Renaissance, the rejection of realism in Modernism, or the embrace of cultural icons in pop art, and we may easily feel that there is nothing left to discover. But while a few individuals stood at the forefront of these movements, many others took also took part, sharing ideas and approaches, and advancing the overarching ideas that were being explored. For most of us, individuality in our work comes not from inventing totally new approaches, but from integrating and synthesizing ideas from various sources.

Working with visual ideas rather than mimicking the look or style of another artist is key to this process. This means going beyond the superficial appearance of other people's work into a more conceptual realm. It means being a fellow traveler with others as you explore ideas in art together. Every artist works with visual ideas having to do with the visual elements, design principles, and subject matter and in that sense similarities are inevitable. But there are infinite variations in synthesizing visual ideas in unique ways, that are the basis of personal voice and direction.

Episode 175: Authenticity

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 20:30:00 -0500

The artist’s life is challenging in ways that go beyond producing strong work, as difficult as that may be. An art practice also makes huge demands of us on a personal and emotional level. Although we love what we do, all of us sometimes feel overwhelmed by these demands, which include the need for constant self-examination, brutal honesty, and being willing to push through difficulties. Yet we know that these challenges come with the territory and are the path to true personal expression. Today we will focus on the challenge and rewards of being authentic and honest with ourselves in our studio practice.

Authenticity as a person means being genuine, willing to show your whole self, not just parts of it. It also means that although you are willing to listen to other people, you are not overly eager to adapt to what others advise or demand unless it feels right to you. But as artists we are subject to various pressures from our teachers, galleries, collectors, friends and loved ones. Our own inner voices can also add to unrealistic or negative input.

How can you separate these distracting influences from who you are authentically? How can you work in genuine way and not be overly influenced by other people? Do you ever take the easy path in your work because it is what will please others? Finding and honoring our authentic voice is one of the biggest challenges for an artist, and one that requires honesty and commitment.

But art also gives us a way to claim our own territory and push back at all aspects of our lives that aren’t genuine. It is a great teacher about our true selves. Authenticity may be hard won and take time to achieve but finding and holding to it in some measure is crucial to honest and confident self-expression.

Episode 174: The Messiest Studio... EVER!

Rebecca Crowell — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 23:00:00 -0500

Did you know there was a well-known artist whose studio was so impressive for its mess that the entire place was reproduced piece by piece in a museum after his death? We are talking about British painter Francis Bacon, famous for his expressionistic figurative work, and whose reproduced studio is permanently housed in a museum in Dublin, Ireland. Today we’re going to look at the story of his studio chaos –and offer words of encouragement for those whose studios may not be famous, but perhaps almost as messy as Francis Bacon’s.

It's easy to think that unless your studio is well-organized, with everything at your fingertips, that you are somehow deficient as an artist. We are often advised to respect our materials and tools and to have systems for storage and keeping things neat and tidy. That may be good advice, but if that isn't the way you work, don't stress. Francis Bacon was regarded in his day as England's foremost figurative painter, yet he worked at the height of his career in a small, chaotic studio up a steep flight of steps despite his fame and wealth. At his death it contained over 7,000 items crammed into boxes, stacked against the walls, and covering the floor. These included--besides over 2000 items for painting such as paint tubes and brushes--some 1500 photographs, 100 slashed canvases, countless notes, books on a wide range of topics, piles of rags, empty paint cans and other debris. It was astonishlingly messy, yet it was what he preferred,

How do we know the details of what was in his studio? Bacon's studio was so impressive in its chaos that a few years after he died, it was thoroughly documented and excavated by a team of archaeologists and art conservators and reconstructed in its exact original condition at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery. Director Barbara Dawson took a huge risk in undertaking this project, which many saw as a worthless effort. But she was fascinated by Bacon's working conditions and was correct about the huge. interest this exhibit would generate for the museum.

Is there any lesson in this for us as artists in our own studios? Bacon's mess leads to questions about our own studios and their relationship to our creative processes. If everything is neat and organized, are you cutting off a channel to creative, free associations and juxtapositions?
In any case, the story of one of the most respected figurative artists of the 20th century may give you some permission to me as messy as you like…

Episode 172: Building A Connection

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Creating art is a way to share our thoughts, the ways we see the world, and experience life. This communication is vital-- even when we’re immersed in our process, thinking only of the next step ahead--our unseen, largely unknown audience is with us. Very few artists work in total isolation, with no desire to connect or communicate with viewers. Yet artists are also encouraged to follow their own vision, to not let other people’s reactions pull them off track. Today we’ll toss around some thoughts about the desire to connect with our viewers, and what this means in the studio.

The artists personal connection to the work, and in making the work is important in communicating to the viewer a sense of humanity, that their experiences and ideas connect with someone else’s, and that there is mutual validation in both artist and viewer when the connection is made.

From the artist’s perspective, the primary impetus for making art may be self-expression rather than communication with others, but as soon as the work is out in public, the viewer’s responses complete the cycle of communication. Most of us feel deep satisfaction in knowing someone appreciates and understands our work.

For the viewer, connection is vital. If no way of understanding the work is evident, even in an intuitive way, impatience and frustration often set in quickly. Ambiguity and multiple interpretations are fine but there still needs to be some basic structure or purpose sensed in the work. Without that, ambiguity is just muddle.

When an artist has clarity and purpose, the viewer senses this and can enter the work as in a conversation or in appreciation of a story. It’s the job of the artist to create this conversation and invite the viewer to participate.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

It's time for an update on the latest news from Cold Wax Academy! Rebecca and her partner Jerry Mclaughlin are now well into their second quarter of weekly Live sessions for their members, in which they explore 3 main topics in deep, interrelated, and engaging ways. This quarter, those topics are Texture, Layering, and Writing and Talking about your Work. Weekly sessions include discussion, slide presentations, videos, critiques, special guests, and the opportunty to ask questions during the session. Cold Wax Academy Members have access to all past sessions, which are recorded each week--so if you're hesitating to join mid-quarter, no worries about missing out. There is plenty for you to explore, and you can watch previous sessions on your own schedule. Jerry and Rebecca offer for a trial month at the Core level for only $29.99. Visit www.coldwaxacademy.com and
and click on the Memberships button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast

For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 169: Overworking It

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 16:00:00 -0600

Artists are often cautioned not to overwork their pieces, especially when the medium is drawing or painting. This advice is meant to prevent work that is too fussy or refined, or otherwise lacking energy. But many artists place importance on fine-tuning their work, and on paying close attention to detail. The art-world advice against overworking may not apply to everyone’s approach. Today we’ll take a closer look at how this advice can sometimes get in the way of creating your best work.

Often instructors and other artists will tell someone, “don’t touch it, it’s done.” In other words, “don’t overwork it.” This is usually said with all good intentions, but it takes away the artist’s decision about whether to keep going. If we don’t test the boundaries of what is done, we don’t discover new territory or learn to control the medium.

There are art media that need to be used in a deliberate, direct way, start to finish, with no reworking. Or you may simply want your work to be very gestural or fresh, in which case you do need to be concerned about an overworked surface. But overworking often hovers as a caution even with media that can easily be reworked and changed as part of the process.

Whether avoidance of overworking applies to you or not depends not only on your medium and style but your personality as well. It may suit you work patiently on a detailed or subtle painting for a long time as you refine and edit. This doesn’t mean you’re too perfectionistic or picky, it’s simply your own approach.

Overworking is one more art term that is used frequently without much explanation—it’s based on assumptions that may or may not be true for your own preferences and way of working. I hope that today we’ve gotten you to question whether this term means anything at all to you, and if it does, how you would define it in your own way.

Episode 167: The Power Of Intentions

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0600

A work of art created with intention is compelling--we intuitively recognize when something is done with purpose and inner direction. Yet as artists we are also seekers and explorers in our work. Our creative path is often wandering rather than straight, and it may seem false or against our nature to state a clear intention or meaning behind our work. How can we work with intention yet remain open and flexible? What are the advantages of clarifying intentions?

Knowing what is most meaningful to you in your work and applying that knowledge in a flexible way is key. Your intentions, if broad enough, allow for unfolding interpretations over time. You can also think about more narrowly focused and temporary intentions within the bigger picture. These might serve the needs of a particular work of art or series, or be about focusing on learning a new medium

But your most basic, underlying intentions, once recognized, can remain unchanged for decades. They are the “big picture” focus that underlies who you are and what you want to say. What moves you? What qualities do you always want in your work? What ideas have always pulled you? Over time, your expression of these ideas finds different forms, but these basic aspects of who you are remain true.

Acknowledging and writing down your core intentions is a powerful tool. Intentions help you to stay on track and to critique and understand your own work. While the idea of discovering these may seem daunting, it need not be done all at once. Setting intentions can be a work in progress until you feel you have found the essence of what is meaningful to you. At that point, they become a guiding and unifying force in bringing strength and consistency to your work.

Right now Gamblin products are 40% off, so this is a great time to buy Cold Wax or Gamblin oil paints!
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

It's time for an update on the latest news from Cold Wax Academy! Rebecca and her partner Jerry Mclaughlin are now well into their second quarter of weekly Live sessions for their members, in which they explore 3 main topics in deep, interrelated, and engaging ways. This quarter, those topics are Texture, Layering, and Writing and Talking about your Work. Weekly sessions include discussion, slide presentations, videos, critiques, special guests, and the opportunty to ask questions during the session. Cold Wax Academy Members have access to all past sessions, which are recorded each week--so if you're hesitating to join mid-quarter, no worries about missing out. There is plenty for you to explore, and you can watch previous sessions on your own schedule. Jerry and Rebecca offer for a trial month at the Core level for only $29.99. Visit www.coldwaxacademy.com and
and click on the Memberships button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast

For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 166: Reinventing Yourself

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0600

Many of go through times in our lives when we make radical changes—either by choice or because of something imposed on us by circumstance. But even if the big change is something, we want to make mixed feelings are inevitable and stressful as we let go of the old and step into the new. Big changes challenge the very idea of who we are and how we operate in the world. How can an art practice help us through a time when we either need --or want--to reinvent ourselves?

Sometimes our art changes as a result of our process, ideas, or other aspects of growth. But changes that comes at us from the rest of life affect our studio practice, sometimes in ways we don’t welcome. And any change, even a positive one, like retirement or moving to a place you’ve always wanted to live, creates stress that can alter our work. How can we approach life changes in a creative way?

Sometimes what is happening in our lives means that we need to take a break from the studio for more than just a few days. As long as you do something to hold onto the art-making part of yourself you can weather those times. That might be journaling, meditation, talking to a sympathetic listener. Or maybe you can keep your work going in spite of the limitations—using more portable or less messy materials so you can work anywhere in short amounts of time.

If you can continue to work at some level during your changing situation, you may find this to be therapeutic in helping you process what you’re going through. Drawing, simple collage, and other direct and quick ways of working can help you through a big transition with your art self intact. The practice of making art is itself a stress reliever, a time away from other concerns.

“Nothing is constant but change” is a saying that proves itself over and over. When big changes happen in our lives, can we sustain our art practice? We probably don’t need the additional stress of NOT making art when it is something so important to our sense of who we are.

Episode 165: Creating A Daily Series

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 17:00:00 -0600

Working in series is usually an involved process in terms of both time and focus. Artists are often known for series that explore ideas in a sustained, deep way. But the intriguing aspects working in series can also happen in a quicker, more spontaneous way, with a new piece each day. Today we’ll look at working in series with a sketchbook, or using other small or quick formats, and explore how this can be an important part of an artist’s practice.

Series of any kind generate and develop new ideas, grow technical ability, and help to organize your thinking and direction. Working on a series in a fairly quick, direct daily practice opens the door to new ideas and abilities even wider. Your process with such a series may be either spontaneous and open-ended, or more conceptual and defined. In either case, completing the individual pieces in a short time can yield surprising and satisfying results.

In this episode we present background on two such series, Rebecca’s Pandemic Sketchbook and James Edward Scherbarth’s Currach and Stone Series. Though they approach their work with very different intentions, these are both very personal and meaningful series to the artists. The work also is created within boundaries that help define it as a series—limitations on focus, format, materials used, and a timeline set by the artist.

By delving into the details of these two series we hope to inspire listeners to try their own practice of recording thoughts, ideas, and moods on a daily or regular basis as a series, and to consider what this might bring to their work overall.

James Edward Scherbarth website: www.jamesedwardscherbarth.com
Eric Maisel's book: The Power of Daily Practice

Episode 164: Abstraction and Your Inner Child

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 17:00:00 -0600

We all drew, painted, and made things out of playdough and construction paper as little children, in spontaneous and unselfconscious ways. Some of us retain those memories, and we may also have children or grandchildren whose artwork we love. The art of children affords an intriguing view of a very different way of seeing and thinking than we have as adults, and many abstract artists have found it a source of inspiration. Today we look at some special qualities of child art and how it may feed our abstract ideas.

Many contemporary artists find kid’s art intriguing, especially art from the very early years before the child has been told how things “should” be depicted. Whether this is done consciously or unconsciously, well-meaning parents and adults present young children with a very different idea of what art is about. Their emphasis is on recognizable objects portrayed with a single meaning, as in “this is a person, or this is a tree” without considering the different perceptions of a young child.

Children naturally follow their own intuitive logic in depicting their world, using symbolic and narrative approaches that may not make sense to an adult. They are fluid not only in their freedom and inventiveness with materials, but also in their interpretations of their own work. The story they tell about a painting may be different tomorrow, showing how intimately they engage with imagination as they create.

We all made this kind of art long ago. If we’ve lost the memory, can we still reconnect with some of its liberating aspects? Consider the power of symbols, the freedom from conventional approaches to space within the picture plane, and the focus on process rather than results that young children display in their work. Perhaps above all, their trust in an intuitive “rightness” about their work, whatever adult rules it may break. We may have left this state of flow many decades ago, but we can reconsider its advantages now from an adult perspective and how they may fit with our current abstract expression.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and to Phyllis Lasche for donating via PayPal. Make sure you listen to the episode we did with Phyllis, episode 160, if you haven't already! If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.

Have you enjoyed the audio production quality and hearing Ross's voice? Ross is building a website for his audio production business and could use a testimonial from you! Submit a testimonial by email at rticknor.core@gmail.com or by submitting the contact form at www.messystudiopodcast.com!

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Episode 163: Abstracting With Symbols

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 14:00:00 -0600

Abstract artists find many ways to bring meaning to their work. For some, this may be purely an investigation of color, line, or other elements. For others—it is the expression of emotion or evoking aspects of the visual world. Today we’re going to look at another powerful way that artists can bring meaning to abstraction—through the use of symbols, whether personal in origin or more universally recognized.

We recognize and use many symbols in daily life—every company religion, government, and organization adopts symbolic iconography, and written language and numbers are symbols also. In art, symbols—both realistic images and abstract ones—have been used since earliest times and in every culture. They may be based in universal ideas or be very personal to our own experience. As artists, how can we bring symbols into our abstract work?

This may be a particularly useful path for artists looking for a way into abstraction and away from literal representation. Symbols that refere to actual objects or figures can be placed into an abstract context and provide a bridge between realism and a more interpretative approach.

The most powerful symbols are simple, strong images that distill meaning and have strong powers of communication. Those that have meaning to you can be pulled from any meaningful source, and discovering which you feel most connection with may be a portal to expression thatyou have previously overlooked. You may even find symbols in your work already but not recognize them as such--colors, shapes, or compositions that recur over time--that may reveal meaning if you focus on them. Symbols have strong connections to our subconscious mind and can make themselves known even when we are not looking for them.

Symbolism is a very large topic and we can only touch on a few ideas here, but we hope that this episode will inspire you to give new consideration to using symbols in your work.

Blurb

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and to Laura Smith for donating via PayPal. If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.

Have you enjoyed the audio production quality and hearing Ross's voice? Ross is building a website for his audio production business and could use a testimonial from you! Submit a testimonial by email at rticknor.core@gmail.com or by submitting the contact form at www.messystudiopodcast.com!

When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing!

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Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 162: When Is It Finished?

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 13:00:00 -0600

Every time we make a piece of art, we reach the point of deciding if it’s finished --yet as common as this moment is in studio life, it is often one of doubt and second-guessing. What are some meaningful criteria for when something is done? Are there questions to ask ourselves in declaring something finished? Do we have to finish everything, or is it OK to abandon certain pieces? Today we will look at this ordinary but complex process of deciding a work of art is done.

Many times, artists look to others for an opinion about whether a work is done, abandoning their own decision process for someone else’s view. It’s also very common for someone—a well-meaning instructor, friend, artist, or a family member—to offer unsolicited advice about something being done. “Don’t touch it, it’s perfect” may seem like a helpful comment, but it can hinder the artist’s own path and vision. In a classroom situation, an instructor’s role may be to push a student who wants to stop too soon, but within the context of the student’s own goals. For all of us, asking for or offering constructive feedback is helpful, but we need to take responsibility for setting our own criteria for finished work.

That involves intuition of what feels right, plus an objective understanding of weak spots and the need for more edits and changes. Coming up with good questions and criteria to decide if something is done is important. And it’s also important to be honest about feeling impatient or being willing to settle for less than you are capable of creating in the desire to be finished.

Often, we need to set a work aside to gain some distance and insight into where a piece is heading. And sometimes, we can decide that we’ve learned what we can and move on. Even with media that can be reworked many times, like an acrylic or oil painting, abandonment can sometimes suit our best interests. It may not be until we start something new that we realize how much we’ve learned in the previous struggle.

In the end, taking full responsibility for deciding something is done and gaining some clarity about your own criteria is the path to excellence in your work.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and to Anne Jackson for donating via PayPal. Check out her website at https://www.annejacksonfineart.com/. We mentioned her in Episode 158, Abstracting With Emotion. If you would like to donate to the Messy Studio Podcast donate here.

When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast! Bookmark this link and then you don't even have to think about it again. This is one of the best ways to support the show. It takes a few seconds and costs you nothing!

Episode 160: Making Stone Soup - Interview with Phyllis Lasche

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 17:00:00 -0600

Have you ever wondered what is it like to be involved in a collaborative project with other artists? What are the challenges and benefits of creating works of art with others who share your aesthetic vision? How could you get started, and what kind of ground rules or boundaries do the artists involved need to agree upon?

In today's episode, Rebecca interviews California artist Phyllis Lasché about her involvement with Stone Soup, a collaboration of three artists--two sculptors and one painter--who develop their work by passing it from one to another. Phyllis gives us an inside look at this exciting process and what she has gained from it in her own work.

Check out these websites to see the work of Stone Soup:
Phyllis Lasché
palasche@gmail.com
www.phyllislasche.com

Deborah Benioff Friedman
dsfaec@gmail.com
www.deborahbeniofffriedman.com

Gina Telcocci
gina1telcocci@gmail.com
www.ginatelcocci.com

Stone Soup
www.ginatelcocci.com/stone-soup-project
Instagram site: stonesoupart

https://www.phyllislasche.com/

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and to Patricia Elly Fros for donating via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

We are approaching the end of the year, which means whoever prepares your taxes is about to tell you to spend money on tax deductable items for your art business... When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast!
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Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Special Guest: Phyllis Lasché.

Episode 159: Lessons From 2020

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 17:00:00 -0600

At the end of 2020, we’re overloaded with reflections in the media about how society has navigated this strange and difficult pandemic year. On a personal level, we all have stories of struggles, loss, insights, and changes. Today we are especially interested in what this time has meant for us as artists. Last week, Rebecca posed the question to our listeners “How did 2020 impact your work?” and today on our first podcast of 2021, we’ll share some of the responses we received as well as our own thoughts.

The responses we received aligned with the same pattern we saw earlier in the year, when we noticed three main responses as the pandemic unfolded. The first group have experienced much difficulty with finding focus and motivation for their work. One described the situation this year as “paralyzing.” While some experienced this mainly at the beginning of the pandemic, for others it has persisted. It’s likely that very few artists have avoided these times completely, with the constant influx of bad news.

A smaller group of artists who responded have kept on in much the same ways and with similar work as before COVID arrived. In our earlier podcast, we speculated that continuing with what is familiar is helpful in making the studio a refuge from all the other changes, a steady and productive place removed from the outer chaos.

The largest number of people who responded to our question, though, experienced positive changes in their work and attitudes. They appreciated the extra studio time due to lockdowns, and looked for inventive ways to use materials on hand and to connect with other artists. Some found new directions in their work—a focus on drawing, launching into plein aire painting, discovering photography as a creative outlet. Several found meaningful connections to their immediate environment when travel was cut off. And several expressed insight into the meaning of their work for them and their gratitude for being able to pursue it.

Many of us are feeling hope that the anxiety, lockdowns, isolation and other difficult aspects of the 2020 pandemic situation will be easing up in the coming months. How will we look back at this time and what has it brought to our work that was not there before? Thankfully, for many artists there have been gains along with all the hardships and losses.

If you are interested in buying a 3D Printer this is the best deal Ross could find on an Ender 3. This is not a paid endorsement, just a personal recommendation!
https://www.talkable.com/x/UqZPCK

When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast!
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and to Albi Ulat for donating via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 158: Abstracting with Emotion

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 15:15:00 -0600

Abstract artists are sometimes stereotyped as uninhibited people who slap paint down in direct response to strong emotion. But this idea is far from accurate. While many abstract painters do aim to express emotion and mood, their approaches vary widely --from spontaneous to highly controlled. And even the most intuitive artists need to thoughtfully consider their use of the visual elements and design principles. Today we will look at painting abstractly as an expression of emotion, mood, remembrance, or other states of mind.

While we may think of abstract expressionist painters of the mid-20th c. as being the epitome of emotion-based work, with their bold brushwork, huge scale, and lots of color and contrast,
they may simply be the most obvious. The very name of the movement, abstract expressionism, implies painting with abandon and feeling. But expressing emotion, and working in a very loose, spontaneous way are not necessarily the same. If we think emotional work should look gestural and loose, we may fail to really see the emotion in other work that is much more subtle in its effects.

A restrained way of working emphasizes that as people, not all of our emotions are out there, easy to read. There can be depths of emotion and even spirituality to more austere work. The degree of personal emotion that we express in overt ways is an aspect of personal voice and also of where we are in our learning process. Beginners don't yet have the skills that help open the channels to inner experience.

Creating paintings that connect with your own feelings or inner experience and at the same time with that of your viewers can be very challenging, Over-thinking, shielding our feelings even from ourselves, and settling for half-measures when we could be pushing the expressive aspects of scale, color, and mark-making can all stand in the way. But recognizing what is powerful in our work in subjective ways is a good step toward opening the channels of emotional expression, whether in subtle ways or bold.

Website mentioned in today's episode: www.richarddavidson.com

We are approaching the end of the year, which means whoever prepares your taxes is about to tell you to spend money on tax deductable items for your art business... When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast!
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and to Albi Ulat for donating via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 156: Abstracting with Lines and Marks

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 12 Dec 2020 14:00:00 -0600

Lines and marks in a work of art connect the viewer very directly with the hand of the artist. They can express individuality, add structure, and show evidence of the artist’s process. Perhaps because these visual elements can reveal so much, many artists are self-conscious about using them and when they do, the results can appear contrived, awkward, or random. How can we use lines and marks in purposeful ways that feel right to us? What might more intentional use of lines and marks bring to our work?

Similar to the urge to view a Rembrandt or Van Gogh from inches away to see their individual brushstrokes, we are often drawn in to examine a work up close when it includes lines and marks, and we can sense the artists hand at work. There is often an immediacy and directness in part becasue just a simple tool has been used--a pencil, crayon, or brush. In abstraction, marks and lines as visual elements can be created for their own sakes or for expressing a huge range of emotions and ideas.

As artists using marks and lines, we need to remember that not that every line or mark works or should be retained. As with any visual element marks and lines need to work within the context of the piece. It often takes trial and error, and thoughtful editing to discover the right placement or type of mark. Yet we also need to resist the inner critic who may caution us that lines and marks are too revealing or too quirky. On the other hand, a good way to shake up a painting that is too tight is to apply a spontaneous mark that you then need to react to.

Although there is much to explore with mark-making it is a visual element with which many artists never become fluent. Making marks and lines for their own sakes does not always come easily. Certainly, many wonderful abstract works of art do not include this element, but it is worth asking yourself if it’s one you avoid because it is too challenging, and to consider what a focus on mark-making might bring to your abstract work.

We are approaching the end of the year, which means whoever prepares your taxes is about to tell you to spend money on tax deductable items for your art business... When you buy art supplies at Blick remember to use our affiliate link to support the podcast!
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 155: What Other Artists Teach Us

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0600

As artists, we are also appreciators and often consumers of art. We not only buy and trade for art, we also study the art of others through art books, documentary films, exhibits, and lectures. What can we gain from looking deeply at the art of others?

It’s often said that artists are sponges, in the sense that we look to other artists and their work as sources of ideas and inspiration. We soak up ideas and wring them out in our own unique ways. If we are sponges, what are we soaking up?

One of the first aspects we may notice in looking at the art of others is how a work is made --how does the artist produce particular effects, and what tools, surfaces, and media are used? As makers of art ourselves, we have a unique appreciation for technical mastery and often our curiosity is engaged on this level.

Some knowledge of art history is another important aspect of appreciating the work of other artists. We can draw ideas from a huge range of influences in different eras and cultures. Understanding the basics of art history helps us place our own work and interests into a broader context, to understand that we stand on the shoulders of many who came before us. This can also provide us with a sense of connection to other artists that transcends time and distance.

An art practice can easily feel isolated and solitary. We may connect with a few artists in our immediate circle or via social media, but this tends to provide only a narrow range of ideas and input. We need to remember that we are part of a larger art world and that other people’s art has much to teach us. We belong to an immense tribe of artists over time and distance and this understanding can continually refresh our own ideas and help us feel part of something much larger than our own time and place.

Right now is THE BEST time of the year to buy art supplies at Blick.com! Get your art supplies for your art practice (as well as gifts and stocking stuffers) at holiday discounts, and support the podcast at the same time by using our affiliate link.
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Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 154: The WOW Factor

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0600

Words like “wow,” “stunning,” and “amazing” are music to the ears of many artists. We all create plenty of art that elicits no more than a passing glance or Instagram “like” and that’s fine—it’s part of the process. If we are making art constantly, what we make includes a range of qualities and ideas. But what is it about those special pieces that makes them stand out and really engage the viewer? What can we learn from them and what questions do they raise?

If art is communication, our work that really engage people is telling us something. We are connecting, speaking to other people in ways that they can receive and respond to.

When a piece both pleases us and feels true, and engages the viewer in a strong way, what characteristics does it tend to have? First, the work shows a strong sense of purpose or intention. That may come through in in subject matter, color or other visual elements, scale, or any aspect of the work that has a certain boldness to it. The work also arises from personal meaning—it is sincere, authentic, not derivative--what we call personal voice.

Very impactful work also typically shows a mastery of technique and high levels of craftsmanship, although that alone may not carry the piece, if expression is not also part of the work. Finally, we respond to beauty, in the sense of work that has depth, power, and meaning,

Finding ways in our work to stay true to our own ideas and communicate with others in a strong and engaging way is one of those life-long challenges that we take on as artists. We will have pieces that hit that mark and many others that do not. Paying attention to our work that does fit both criteria is worthwhile—not to repeat it in a formulaic way-- but to try and understand what it has to teach us.

Right now is THE BEST time of the year to buy art supplies at Blick.com! Cyber sales are active all weekend while supplies last! Get your art supplies for your art practice (as well as gifts and stocking stuffers) at a massive discount, and support the podcast at the same time by using our affiliate link.
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 153: 2020 Thanksgiving Spectacular!

Rebecca Crowell — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 05:00:00 -0600

2020 has been a rough year so far for many of us. We don’t need to go into all the ways we’ve experienced anxiety, loss, and other struggles. But today, Thanksgiving Day in the US, is a good day to think about the things we are grateful for and have helped us make it through this difficult year. For many of our listeners that includes gratitude for family and friends, appreciation of nature, and of course, our art practices.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it in whatever ways possible this year. This year we may feel grateful in new ways for even the simple things and things we may take for granted in normal times.

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link. Right now PanPastels are 20-40% off!!
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Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 152: Abstracting Our Visual Experience

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 04:45:00 -0600

Abstraction takes many forms for artists—from working with the visual elements for their own sakes to using emotion and mood as a starting point, to interpreting what they see in the world around them. Many artists combine these approaches to find their own personal voice in abstraction. Today we are going to examine the path favored by many artists who are inspired by the figure, the landscape, or other subjects in the visual world while avoiding literal depiction. What are some things to consider if this is your own direction, or intrigues you with its possibilities?

A starting point is asking in what ways would you want to engage the viewer. Do you want the viewer to identify the source ideas of your work? You can be inspired by the visual world yet leave little obvious evidence of that. Some works of art might not show source ideas in the visual world at all even though they underlie the composition or color choices of the artist. Other artists seek to evoke associations with the visual world without including specific images, while others give more clues to guide the interpretation.

If you are interested in this approach, consider what clues you are giving the viewer and if they align with how you would like the image to be understood. For example, an illusion of space has a lot to do with how an abstracted landscape is perceived. Once there is a sense of physical depth, of looking at a scene, the literal reference become stronger. For example, the inclusion of a horizon line evokes pictorial depth. In abstracted figures, the amount of detail in the face or clothing may be connected to the degree of literal representation. The kind of title, whether open-ended or specific, is also a powerful way to direct the viewer's interpretation.

Abstraction also typically emphasizes just a few of the visual elements, rather than using the full range necessary in realism. Expressive use of the visual elements in a way freed from representation is also a hallmark of abstraction. This can take the form of gestural marks, use of subjective color, simplified shape, bold contrast, and many other approaches.

People often have limited ideas of what abstraction means—that it is just about shape or color or design. But you only have to think about the early modernist artists like Matisse and Cezanne to notice their movement away from realism into abstraction while retaining subject matter.

Episode 151: Breaking The Rules

Rebecca Crowell — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 22:30:00 -0600

The limitations and parameters we place for ourselves in the studio can have both positive and negative effects on our work. Like so many aspects of art practice, the challenge is to find a personal balance that suits us—in this case somewhere between being too rigid and too scattered. What rules do we set for ourselves and how well do they serve us? Are there rules that we accept from other people that don’t suit us, personally? Can our own helpful boundaries shift over time?

We use many words to describe these boundaries, including focus, intentions, parameters, focus, and rules. When we speak about giving ourselves "permission" to go beyond these boundaries it is a recognition that sometimes they can be too limiting. But if we don't sometimes break through what we regard as our own rules, we may not take important creative risks that would be beneficial. At the same time, a narrow focus leads to mastery and depth. So, in the end, the balance between risk taking and staying with a particular focus is an individual balance, and one that changes with our current situations.

It's useful to take a close look at what rules we set for ourselves, where they originated, and how much value they have for you. Some are ideas passed along to us by parents or teachers and represent a one-size-fits-all, narrow point of view, while others from your mentors may be wise and worth following, A lot of rules from others are so integrated into our thought processes that we never even think to question them. Good rules will not feel like heavy restrictions, but instead offer ways forward.

Our personalities also create limitations, and we may rely on them to stay in a narrow comfort zone. For example, we may believe that we need to keep our work to ourselves or that we should not stretch in terms of exhibiting or approaching galleries. Some artists inhabit the other end of the self-esteem spectrum and believe that they need to charge high prices or do not ever need input from others on their work. There are also perfectionistic tendencies many artists struggle with that tell them they are not allowed to fail, to experiment, or spend time at things other than their art.

Which rules that you follow might better be regarded as guidelines or general advice rather than rigid facts? Which ones are helpful and practical?

Episode 149: Nature's Art Supplies

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 12:00:00 -0500

A trip to the art supply store or website is something most of us enjoy. We’re not just stocking up, but entertaining possibilities, wondering what a new color of paint or kind of brush or sculptural tool could bring to our work. Exploring new materials is part of what we do as artists. But there’s also a world of art materials and processes available at no cost, outside in nature. What can be done with sticks, dirt, rocks, feathers, bones, and other bits of nature? Today we’ll toss around some ideas for using natural objects as art materials and tools, and forces of nature as part of the art process.

Many artists enjoy collecting natural objects for their beauty and unique aspects but also for specific purposes in the studios. Using materials from the natural world opens up many possibilities for mark-making, textural effects, and for using processes such as allowing weather to affect a piece by placing it outside or printing from rusted metal.

The impulse to create with natural materials goes back to childhood for many of us when we made snow forts and tiny environments from sticks and rocks, or sealed autumn leaves between sheets of wax paper. The connection to nature we felt then can be extended into our adult practices as an expression of our experiences in the landscape. Many materials produce unique effects that can't be found in commercially available supplies, such as sticks and dried plant stalks for drawing, dried organic material mixed into paint, and unique natural dyes. Sometimes the personal meaning of a work is enhanced by the origin of the material such as sand from a particular beach that the artist visited.

Artists also develop inventive ways of interacting with natural forces as part of their practices. The British artist Andy Goldsworthy uses both objects from nature and its processes to create ephemeral sculptures of ice, earth, and fallen leaves, which he then documents in stunning photographs. Other artists bury drawings or paintings in the ground to let the earth color and erode them or set them in the rain to wash them out. Irish artist Nuala Clarke created an installation piece using bits of cloth that washed up on the beach that were beautifully weathered and worn, titled The Mariner's Laundry.

Expanding our creative vision to what nature and its processes can bring to our work is exciting and a way to bring your own experience of nature and natural processes and forces to your work.

Artists mentioned in this episoide: Andy Goldsworthy, Nuala Clarke, Anthony Crammen painting with fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxwQ0itTCpM

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
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Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Thanks also to everyone who sent kind messages to Ross and Kara on their wedding day last week. The wedding registry is still active on Amazon if you would like to send a gift!

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 148: Thoughts on Creative Process

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 12:00:00 -0500

With all of the ups and downs that we go through in the studio, it may be helpful to know that the creative process involves stages that are fairly predictable and universal--some of which are challenging. Although these stages or steps are usually described as taking place as a linear progression --from initial idea to finished work--most of us find our own process to be more complex. Today we’ll discuss these creative stages as a reminder of what we all go through as artists, while at the same time acknowledging that few things can be described neatly and simply when it comes to creativity.

The stages of the creative process are often listed as preparation or inspiration, incubation, gaining insights, questioning/testing, and finally, the actualy production of the art. Few artists follow these in order, or as isolated steps. But each stage or phase does enter our ongoing working process in some way and it is interesting to recognize these and to know that we all experience these in common.

It can also be reassuring to know when we are blocked or frustrated in our work that some stages tend to take time to work through. During the incubation phase for example, the way forward is not be clear, even though under the surface you continue to work out an answer. The questioning aspect of creative process can also be frustrating, as doubts and challenges come and go throughout the working day. Yet both of these phases are essential, and interrelated with the other phases of creativity.

It seems nearly impossible to explain the complexities of the creative process in a way that would account for everyone's reality. While there is value in understanding these basic phases, taking them too literally or as rules to follow is overly simplified.

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
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Right now you can get a 2 oz container of Gamblin Solvent-Free Fluid Medium when you order $30 worth of Gamblin paints or mediums. Cold Wax Medium is also marked down 25% and paints are discounted up to 40%!

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Thanks also to everyone who sent kind messages to Ross and Kara on their wedding day last week. The wedding registry is still active on Amazon if you would like to send a gift!

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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www.coldwaxacademy.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 147: Confidence

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Confidence often seems to go along with success in the art world—when talking about the business side of things, qualities like self-assurance, decisiveness, and the ability to speak well about your work are important. In the studio, confidence may take a more private form—the ability to try new things, or to carry through with major projects. While there’s no doubt that confidence is a good thing, many artists feel they fall short of having it. Today we’re going to talk about confidence in a somewhat philosophical way that may help see it more broadly.

In this episode we reference a book by a Tibetan Buddhist monk, In Love with the World, by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche about a spiritual journey in which he cast off his status and the trappings his esteemed position and wandered in India for several years without any resources, no money or possessions. He wrote, "To be confident you have to accept impermanent conditions." This is the opposite of the way most of us think about confidence, as a quality that results from knowing what to expect. But really, we do not ever truly know what lies ahead; we are always dealing with the unknown. Past successful experience can give us a sense of confidence but things can always turn out differently.

Many of us have developed aspects of ourselves that show true confidence but may we may not recognize them as such. All of us have met and dealt with adversity in our lives, and the ability to adapt and cope with whatever comes along is important to confidence. Confidence also encompasses a sense of trust when things are rough; going ahead even when you feel anxious. It means being prepared for what you can control but understanding that our personal control is limited. And finally, it means understanding how to support --and accept support-- from others. Confidence is a composite of many qualities that we practice all the time in daily life, rather than something that we either have, or we don't.

As artists, confidence comes through in our willingness to try new things, to be flexible, to remain true to our own vision, trusting in our art process, and to find balance with our goals and expectations.

Book mentioned in today's episode: In Love with the World, by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Thanks also to everyone who sent kind messages to Ross and Kara on their wedding day last week. The wedding registry is still active on Amazon if you would like to send a gift!

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast

For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 146: Older and Wiser: Creativity in Later Years

Rebecca Crowell — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 15:00:00 -0500

In many ways, art is a great leveler of personal differences among those who create it. Along with other personal factors like gender and ethnicity, the age of an artist often has little or no impact on the pure, wordless first encounter between viewer and art. On the other hand, as artists we know that many aspects of our personal lives do affect the content of our work and how we go about making it. Today we are going to talk about some effects of aging on artists and their studio practices.

There are many benefits of creative activity for older people. Studies show increased morale and sense of purpose, and lower levels of depression and feelings of isolation in those who pursue forms of art as people age. Creativity contributes to problem solving skills and a sense of autonomy, and this helps older artists navigate everyday life in addition to creating art. Continuing to challenge ourselves into our older years keeps us sharp and involved in the larger world.

In preparing for this episode, we considered input that Rebecca requested from various artists in their 60s and older who have had long careers in art. Some of these artists expressed feelings of gratitude for what art has brought to their lives, and the perspective of being able to look back and see how events in their careers were connected and how they have led to growth and progress. Others noted a decline in stamina, but offset by increased focus and clarity about what they want to express, and a refining of earlier goals and expectations.

According to California abstract painter, Sara Post: "For me, aging has brought huge gifts—mostly in terms of freedom from—family care giving, work obligations but also freedom to pause to think more deeply about things, spend hours walking, and taking uninterrupted time in the studio—the freedom to indulge my curiosity about all sorts of things. In terms of my work itself, I no longer feel obliged to stick to a certain style, to reward the expectations of others or, really, to even give it a thought. Making artwork has steadily become a thing of the moment and of trying, faithfully, to record that."

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.squeegeepress.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 144: Cooking Up Something Good

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 13:00:00 -0500

In our almost three years of recording podcasts, we have often found ourselves comparing cooking and art in terms of process and outcome. Since our podcast description includes “life in general” we thought it would be fun to move away from the messy studio and into the messy kitchen for an episode that explores the ways that cooking and creating art share aspects of creativity.

Many artists excel at cooking and enjoy it as a relaxing and creative activity. The parallels to making art include the sensory aspect of working with materials, the need for creative innovation, balancing of flavors, and patience in letting things reach the perfect point of being done. Experience plays a role in both practices, as we gradually learn better to predict and control outcomes.

There is also the sense of flow that a confident cook can achieve in the kitchen, moving between tasks and responding in the moment to what is needed. That feeling of control and spontaneity being in perfect balance is something many artists love when it happens in the studio.

Self-expression plays a part in both the kitchen and studio, as we look for ways to create unique mixtures and processes that say who we are. Individuality shines through in either process, or two people with the same recipe can produce very different results. Intuition and a playful attitude can bring the spark that both makes food special and art unique.

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and those who have donated anonymously via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions on October 7 at 10 a.m. Central time, as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. The first introductory lesson on Oct. 7 will also be accessible free on their Facebook Cold Wax Community page. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast

For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.squeegeepress.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 143: Quirky Mashups: Mixed Media Ideas

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Working in mixed media, also called combined media, expands creative possibilities, and intrigues many artists. What materials can be used together in interesting and non-traditional ways? How can you approach the overwhelming number of potential combinations? Mixed media involves the joy of experimentation, the satisfaction of discovering new approaches, and new ways of creating meaning and personal voice in your work. In today’s episode, we will sum up some of the comments made on a recent Facebook post about the topic and talk about the reasons many artists love to work in mixed media.

I took the title for this episode from a description by the artist Sara Post about her own work in mixed media. It seems to describe well the mixed media work many artists create; "quirky" in the sense of being very personal, very inventive, and uniquely expressive. One of its attractions is that of play, the sense of freedom and exploration. Working in combined media almost always involves experimentation and the development of techniques. Unless you are following someone else’s process, you’re figuring it out as you go.

A pitfall of working in mixed media can be a lack of restraint or sensitivity to the various materials and ways of applying them. The result can be muddy or confusing, although an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach can work if intentional and appropriate for the idea an artist is working with. Expressing complexity or intense contrast might be well served by this approach.

Some effective combinations of media include ink, gouache, graphite, acrylics and acrylic mediums, gesso, colored pencil, powdered pigment, transfer paper, wall paint, and collage elements for water-based media. Oil based media that work together include oil, cold wax medium, additives such as sand or ash, collage elements, and pigment sticks. The substrates that an artist works on can also be an aspect of mixed media. The results may be surprising when you work on surfaces such as found wood, tar paper, or aluminum. Some artists use 3-D objects as a basis for their work, developing or embellishing with other materials.

Working in mixed media can be an intriguing sideline that informs other work in progress, or an artist's main way of working. It's a way of opening up new ideas and of working freely and experimentally and creating visual effects not possible with more traditional or straightforward uses of media.

Please check out the Messy Studio Facebook page to see an album of mixed media images sent in by liusterners. Thanks! https://www.facebook.com/MessyStudioPodcast/photos

Special thanks to Marian Sommers for setting up a monthly donation of $10. Check out her artwork at her website, http://mariansommers.com/. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.

We would like our listeners to know about a big change coming to Squeegee Press, known for its award-winning book, videos, workshops, and tools - all created for artists working with cold wax medium. Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin have announced that later this month Squeegee Press will become Cold Wax Academy-- and will soon include some exciting new membership features.

As part of this change, their video, Cold Wax Medium: a Video Workshop will become available as streaming content for members only.
This comprehensive video, nearly 7 hours long, covers everything Rebecca and Jerry teach in a 5-day workshop and more. If you prefer to own the video, it's on sale at $250 off from now until the end of September when access will shift to streaming only. To purchase, and for more information, please visit www.squeegeepress.com and don't forget to join the mailing list for updates on all the new offerings from Cold Wax Academy.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast

For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.squeegeepress.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 142: Material World

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0500

The materials an artist uses are one of the first things we notice when looking at art—we may see paint, clay, wood, paper, pencil, or intriguing combinations of many materials and processes. Beyond their visual impact alone, materials can also evoke feelings and ideas that add to the meaning of the work. Today we’re going to talk about materiality in art—its impact and the decisions involved in choosing art materials.

As an art term, materiality refers to the importance placed on the physical aspects of a work of art, what it is made with and the ways the artist works with it. What is expressed via the materials and processes used by an artist? How do these materials and processes alone create meaning and impact?

There are many ways that artists engage with materiality in their work. Sometimes the source of the material is emphasized--for example a sculpture made of found objects that themselves have distinct associations. Some artists choose to challenge the traditional heiracrchies of materials, for example using concrete rather than marble or wood in sculpture, or using ephemeral materials that are not meant to hold up over time. Certain materials or processes that have cultural significance such as women's traditional craft are sometimes elevated into a broader context of social commentary. Other times the materials and processes may be obscured so as to lead to a sense of mystery about how an effect was created.

Many artists choose to work with conventional materials in established ways but even so, knowledge of the properties of their chosen media is important. Choosing how we approach materials and processes are choices we make as artists, whether or not we make materiality itself a focus.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
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For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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www.squeegeepress.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 140: Seeking Validation

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 15:00:00 -0500

As artists, we love knowing that our work is appreciated by other people—whether that comes to us via exhibits, sales, awards, positive comments on social media, or simply from friends and family who respond to what we do. And even though many artists would say that recognition and validation are secondary to making the work, it can be still hard to stay motivated without some positive input. Today we’ll talk about the desire for validation alongside the pure need to create and how they can complement each other in our art practices.

Many artists would make their work even in complete isolation because creating is a compulsion, a psychological need. Most of us acknowledge that pure inner drive that helps us weather times when we are not getting attention or recognition—the times in between exhibits, sales, gallery contacts, and other opportunities. That drive is linked to a feeling of validation that comes from our own inner confidence and belief in ourselves, and that is the basis from which we can seek and emotionally accept outside validation.

But now, during the pandemic, many of the ways we are validated by the outside world are limited. We experience this as a loss and this loss creates anxiety about when the recognition will return. Art is communication and we long for outside validation to assure us our work is still important to others. And too, with a lack of sales, economic anxiety is compounded by the loss of validation we feel when someone buys our work.

The more personal forms of recognition are still available though. Our friends, family, and even social media contacts are sources of support that we can cultivate and appreciate now more than ever. Reaching out to other artists and taking other steps to nurture our work can be very valuable in getting us through these difficult times.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast

For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.squeegeepress.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 139: Those Awkward Moments

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 04:00:00 -0500

In a recent podcast, we talked about the remark often made about abstract artists --” my kid could paint that.” But there are lots of other things people say to and about artists that show a lack of understanding or even hostility toward art. When these happen in conversation, they can create some awkward moments. Most of us tend to feel defensive when this happens, and we can miss an opportunity to elevate the conversation. Today we’ll talk about some of these common remarks, consider why people make them, and ways to handle them gracefully.

As artists we’ve all had these moments. Sometimes, what we hear is an innocent question with a complicated answer, for example, “how long did it take you to paint that?" --when clock time is not the issue. Sometimes a question or remark comes across as aggressive, as when people ask about the price in order to look askance when you answer. Or an observation like “it must be so fun to just paint all day” can come across as “how nice to do whatever you please-- most of us can’t do that.”

Most remarks are well-meant though. People who know little about art are usually just trying to find a way into the conversation, as we all do when trying to understand another person's profession that is unfamiliar to us. But many times, a remark that indicates basic ignorance of our work can seem offensive and awkward. If we make an attempt to move the conversation forward, though, it can be an opportunity to help the other person understand.

It's easy though to feel misunderstood or hurt. Sometimes artists consider remarks critical or insulting but from an objective point of view are simply misinformed or out of context. Many times these remarks are much more about the person making them than about the artist. They are attempts to relate the artist's lifesto their own experience and as such, they should not be taken personally. Take opportunities to educate people when you feel there is an opening for a more elevated conversation and use compassion and humor to do so if you can.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.squeegeepress.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 138: My Kid Could Do That!

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 13:00:00 -0500

Saying that an abstract painting is something a preschooler could do sounds like the ultimate putdown for abstract art. It implies that abstraction is a scam, meant to fool the viewer into thinking it has actual importance and ridiculing the fact that it is sold for thousands of dollars. It also denies that it takes effort, skill, or seriousness to make the work. But can that same remark be viewed in a positive light instead? What do we lose as adult artists that children have naturally, before becoming self-conscious about their work? And is child art really the equivalent of adult work?

We're talking here about gestural, expressionistic abstraction like the work of Cy Twombly, and Jackson Pollock. Obviously, there are many other kinds of more cerebral, controlled, and planned abstraction that would be less likely to elicit the disparaging comparisons to child art. But the idea persists with expressionistic abstraction that it is some kind of joke even though it has been practiced widely for decades and holds a significant place in art history.

Are child art and adult art actually interchangable? In a Boston college study done in 2011, people with no art background were asked to distinguish between child art and abstract expressionist adult art. They answered correctly in numbers significantly better than chance. The conclusion was that most of the time, we can sense intentionality and structure in an adult painting that distinguish it from child art. Children, with their fantasy-oriented, unselfconscious approach, simply have other concerns.

Another question to consider is is why spontaneity and intuition are undervalued in abstract painting when those same qualities are respected in forms of art such as jazz, and improv theater. To be able to respond to emotions and materials in a fluid, natural way is actually a challenging skill to learn for adults. As Picasso famously said, "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.squeegeepress.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 137: Roughing It: All About Texture

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Along with color, texture is one of the most evocative visual elements, engaging not only our eyes but our sense of touch—as well as our memories and associations. Many artists seek out ways of creating texture and consider it one of the most important aspects of their work. Yet because it is such a powerful element it needs to be used thoughtfully, and often with restraint. How can we use texture most effectively in our work, allowing it to take its place with other visual elements without overpowering them? What are the special qualities of texture that can be used to enhance our work?

Texture is problematic when it is an end goal and not a means to an end but created without meaning or intention. Texture for its own sake alone can lead to a superficial and non-cohesive painting. On the other hand, it can work well as a prominent feature but needs to be part of an overall concept. What do the textures you are interested in evoking? How can you use them as part of a larger idea?

Texture falls into two broad categories--actual, physical texture that can be perceived by touching, and visual or illusionistic texture in which we read something as having physical texture, but in fact the surface of the work is smooth to the touch. Each has its own distinct qualities and uses, and the combination of both in the same work can create intriguing contrast. Either kind of texture can be bold or subtle, organic or mechanical in appearance, and referential or not (whether how it is made has meaning in the painting.)

Texture is a powerful element that when used in a thoughtful, intentional way can bring strong meaning and associations to your work. Like any other visual element, consider its relationship to overall design and to your source ideas and intentions.

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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www.squeegeepress.com

Support The Messy Studio when you buy art supplies from Blick.com by using our affiliate link:
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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 135: Are You Curious?

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 15:00:00 -0500

We were all curious as children and many artists retain that trait as vital to dynamic art practice. Yet curiosity can be fragile, disappearing in the face of information overload or the desire to seem knowledgeable and in control. To be curious, to wonder, to explore –all are aspects of ourselves that keep us young, with room to grow. Today we will look at how to nurture curiosity in your art practice and the importance of exploring and wondering, in art and in life.

During our current COVID-related shut-down, many artists are feeling free of gallery pressures and deadlines and are experiencing exciting growth in their work. But others feel stagnant, or reluctant to move on from an approach that has served them well in the past. By not exercising curiosity, they may be blocking ways to overcome these obstacles.

Some of the most successful artists are life-long learners, always curious, investigating new ideas, and reaching out to other artists for reciprocal conversations. They ask "what-if" questions of their work and are willing to take risks in the studio trying out new media and following their impulses. They are open to change and input. They track their ideas over time, sometimes returning to paths that were abandoned earlier with fresh perspective. And they think of ways to integrate new information, techniques, and materials into their current and developing work.

Unfortunately, other people tend to shut down curious impulses, or immediately look to others for answers rather than figuring out what they want to know. Or they may fear looking ignorant or incompetent. As a result they close off some of the true joys of creating--discovery, honoring impulses, and the pride of independent accomplishment. If you sense a lack of curiosity in your own attitudes, consider what is holding you back. It is easy to fall into habits that cut off new information. We may fail to apprecaite what others have to offer, or resist doing our own investigating when we have a question. Curiosity is a muscle that needs to be exercised.

Curious artists have a big advantage in their art practices, remaining energized and growing in their work. Knowing how to obtain new information and recognizing what may impede your own curiosity can be important steps in opening new pathways in the studio.

Our ad break in this episode is from artist Elizabeth Schowachert, who offers beautiful handmade brushes and specialized art tools on her website. Please visit:
https://elizabethschowachertart.com

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
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Episode 134: Editing with Energy

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Artists need to edit, too!. Of course, we’re all familiar with the idea of editing as it applies to writing. It is often said that every author needs an editor to make sure that their writing is technically correct, cohesive, and impactful. But as visual artists we don’t typically involve anyone else in that kind of role --it's up to us to do it ourselves. Today we will talk about editing our work for stronger and more consistent results and point out that it need not be a chore or necessary evil.

Why is editing so important for us as visual artists? Editing brings clarity to our work and allows our viewers to enter without confusion. It is a powerful tool to emphasize our intention and purpose. Editing our work with a clear vision helps provide cohesiveness within a series or a larger body of work.

With all its benefits, why do many artists resist the idea of editing--that is, removing parts of their work that don't contribute, or not pushing on with additions or changes that could be helpful? A common reason is becoming overly attached to certain parts of our work that we see as exceptional. -- a particular combination of colors, a beautiful mark or texture. We hate to get rid of them, even if they are distracting have a random look. Also, settling for "good enough" can seem very appealing, when you know that one small change may lead to many more, and you may find yourself almost starting over. It can be easy to rationalize keeping things that will be difficult to correct. Yet taking the easy way in any of these situations weakens the work and limits your growth.

How can editing be enjoyable, energetic, and exciting? By making it integral to your process and editing with energy and spontaneity throughout your work sessions. Long deliberations, hesitations, and second-guessing yourself are what make it seem like a chore. Listen to your intuition and don't be afraid to make a decisive move, and proceed with positive energy. As with writing and other creative endeavors, early drafts of a project are seldom as strong and satisfying as what you develop through edits and changes.

Ross mentioned Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" in this episode. For more info on the depth and complexity of Stanley Kubrick's visionary horror masterpiece check out the documentary, "Room 237". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL1fTlH81gU

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 133: Creative Collections

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 15:00:00 -0500

When artists collect, it’s often --but not always --related to our art practices. We tend to collect works of art that we’ve bought or traded for, art books, memorabilia like announcements and posters, and of course, art supplies. But what about the more unexpected things we gather in our homes and studios? What do our collections tell us about ourselves and our attraction to certain kinds of objects? Today we’ll report on what some artists had to say when Rebecca posed the topic on Facebook, along with our own musings about the meaning of collections.

Collecting can be seen as a creative activity in that there are connections to our playful selves and to lifelong interests, and what we collect can illuminate our personal interests and character. Visually, we enjoy the similarities and differences in the objects that have a relationship to one another, and enjoy arranging and displaying our collections. Writer Lydia Yee sees collecting as an extension of the childhood urge to bring objects together, to "explore, understand, and organize the world" which artists seem particularly drawn to as an activity.

In response to our query as to what artists collect, the responses range widely but natural objects were the most popular objects by far. These include rocks,bones, feathers, leaves, shells, insects, and more--it seems that many artists can't resist picking up what artist Emely McConkey called "special gifts" from nature. Some artists use these natural objects in their work in some way, while others just like having them around.

There is also a strong attraction for lots of artists to objects affected by natural processes like weathering, such as beach glass, driftwood, and rusty metal. Other collections that artists mentioned are comprised of whimsical, historical, or symbolic objects.

What quirks of our personalities lead us to certain objects? Often there is no apparent relationship to our studio work, yet collections may express longstanding aspects of our interests and personalities. While collecting may not strike you as a creative pursuit,t looking at it in this light may bring insight into your personal hstory, voice, and desire for play.

mentioned in the podcast:
Joanna Kidney https://www.joannakidney.com

Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.

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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 132: The Power Of Beauty

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0500

We often say “That’s beautiful” in response to a work of art, but the word beautiful can have many meanings. Most of us recognize it as a heartfelt compliment when it is said about our own work, but we may wonder what specifically prompted the viewer to use the word. And while we may strive for beauty in our work we may have not thought much about what that means. Today we look at what deeper ideas or responses the words “beauty” and “beautiful” can hold.

"Beautiful" has a strong impact coming from a viewer of your work, but what the person is actually saying or responding to is usually ambiguous unless they go on to clarify. Perception of beauty is subjective and could be prompted by any of various aspects of the work as well as its total impact. And of course, what one person finds beautiful in your work might strike another person as unappealing.

Beauty is powerful and unique in its capacity to satisfy both the eye and the mind, and often the emotions as well. It may be defined as the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction, arising from our senses , thoughts, or emotions, and encompassing depth and meaning. While "pretty" when applied to art is often thought of as superficial, pleasing the eye only, or relying heavily on sentiment, beauty is a wider concept that can address more difficult aspects of the human condition. These may not not beautiful in themselves, but the artist can express compassion, understanding and humanity in ways that are powerful. Beauty can contain wildness, mourning, anger, and pain. It can be dark and moody as well as uplifting and transcendant. In this sense, beauty and truth are connected; both can express any sincere emotion or response.

What does this mean for an artist? What is your own truth, your own beauty? Is it simple, complex, somber or bright, geometric or organic? How can you explore what you find beautiful in ways that will draw your audience in, give them something to think or wonder about, or respond to in unexpected ways? Are you willing to push past the pleasing aspects of "pretty" into work that challenges rather than only pleases the eye?

This episode is sponsored by Multimedia Artboard. Use promo code "MESSY" at checkout for 30% off!
https://multimediaartboard.com/

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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 131: The Power of Intention

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0500

A key aspect of establishing your personal voice is figuring out what is most important to you in your work. What do you want to communicate to other people? What responses do you hope to evoke? The process of defining these intentions can be challenging, involving some basic but important questions, and may take some time to process and refine. But clear intentions are a powerful tool. Today we will look at the process of clarifying your intentions and the advantages for doing so.

Intentions both describe and create our experiences. They express who you are, your core selfas well as the desire to continue with your ongoing concerns. Writing intentions down can be a powerful exercise, helping you to establish and integrate what you most want into your practice. The act of writing can set these concepts in motion even below conscious awareness.

How can you arrive at a list of intentions? This requires some introspection, including deeply observing your own work, that of others you admire, and asking yourself how you would like viewers of your work to respond. The process may take a while; some ideas may come to you imediately, in an obvious way, while others require contemplation. Intentions should be broad and not feel limiting--opening up ideas and new directions over time. It's also fine to have some that are closer to goals than actualities, because intentions are for the long haul. Shorter term goals and intentions can also be developed as an aside for specific projects, but the core list should be something that provides guidance, and allows for flexibility and new ideas over time.

Intentions provide many benefits in a practical sense. As a framework for statements about your work, they enable you to write and speak clearly. They also help with self-critique and to stay on track in pursuing ideas. They can refresh your sense of what you want when you are blocked creatively, and aid in your self-esteem and identity as an artist by giving you a sense of control over your art practice.

We hope this episode will help you create your own list of intentions or--if you already have one--reaffirm its importance in your art practice.

This episode is sponsored by Multimedia Artboard. Use promo code "MESSY" at checkout for 30% off!
https://multimediaartboard.com/

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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 130: Being Authentic

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 13:00:00 -0500

This is a topic that we have considered covering for a while. It dovetails nicely with past episodes addressing what inspires and motivates our work. But it seems especially relevant now given the worldwide pandemic and recent social unrest, which have many artists thinking deeply about the meaning and honesty of their work.

Being authentic in your work means being true to yourself, and unafraid in your creative explorations. During this time when we are experiencing massive changes all around us, examining how authentic we are being in our work can lead to new insights and growth. The more challenges we are facing in life, the more important it becomes to bring our whole selves into our work. This results in better work and a better mental state.

It sounds simple, but understanding our true desires can be difficult and confusing, and forces us to be vulnerable. Being authentic in our work may require us to explore aspects of ourselves that would otherwise remain hidden. At the same time, it's good to acknowledge your natural inclinations as strengths. Work with these impulses rather than against them, but try to recognize when they are holding you back.

This doesn’t happen overnight. Like all processes in our work authenticity takes time and an open mind to develop. You may find yourself wanting to explore work that is a complete deviation from what you have done in the past. Going in new directions involves experimentation that doesn’t always work, and can be frustrating. Sometimes, these are important impulses to follow, and other times they are the result of an urge to please others or emulate what we like about another afrtist's work.

Our lives are dynamic and our work needs to change as we do. Being authentic is an ongoing challenge to bring out what is true and sincere. It means being very honest with yourself about who you are, and what motivates, inspires, and influences you.

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Episode 128: Composition: It's Complicated

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0500

We touched on today’s topic in our last episode when we went briefly over through some important design elements. Basically we were talking about composition—how to arrange the visual elements on a 2-d surface so that they “work.” This is complex because each aspect of a composition affects others in subtle or not so subtle ways. Even a small change often necessitates revision in other parts of the work. In this way, composition can be thought of a problem-solving, whether it is figured out in advance or during the process.

It is important to not settle too quickly on your composition. Poor composition is perceived by viewers right away, causing a feeling of confusion, imbalance, and a sense that the artist has lacked intention. As the entry point for your viewer's attention, a good sense of organization and structure is essential. Although it is often a only minor addition or change that brings the work together, finding that last decisive move may require a lot of patience.

While intuition plays a role in finding good composition—an arrangement simply “looks right”—for strong and consistent work we also need a more intellectual understanding. Having a flexible and developed visual vocabulary and an awareness of design principles are important for creating and evaluating your compositions. Being willing to edit, or remove unnecessary aspects of your work, is vital. Feedback from another person is often helpful too, since we can lose sight of the big picture while immersed in the details.

Composition is so challenging that many artists settle into one approach that works and stay there for years. It can be hard to step away from something you have developed. But remember that compositions convey meaning, and if you don’t allow them to change over time, your meaning becomes overstated.

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Episode 127: Visual Language

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 30 May 2020 04:00:00 -0500

Learning to use the visual elements and design principles in your work is often compared to acquiring vocabulary and then being able to use those words to communicate. It also means being able understand better what other artists have to say in their work. This understanding is basic and contributes to your growth for your whole artistic life. It also grows in tandem with intuitive responses and understanding. Yet many artists do not progress much beyond a limited vocabulary, used in only a few repeated combinations. Today we will give a perspective on the benefits of growing your visual vocabulary.

It’s hard to progress as an artist without a good understanding of the basic concepts of the visual elements and design principles. Although learning about the visual elements and design prinicples can seem academic, a working knowledge of these widens your range of ideas, helps you to evaluate your work as you go, and helps establish personal voice and direction. Basic concepts are vital at any stage, and even very experienced artists benefit from revisiting them often along with changes in your work.

So many aspects of art involve balancing different approaches, and it's important to note that intuition plays as much a role in manipulating elements of our work as does more objective knowledge. Knowledge itself is not inhibiting. It leads to understanding that is implanted in your creative approaches, a basis that once solid you can step away from more easily. Explore what works for you, starting with your natural inclinations toward particular elements and compositions. It is an exciting journey involving an infinite number of combinations and interactions,

As a beginner, you can learn about the visual elements (line, color, value, shape, and texture) and the design principles (which describe ways of combining the visual elements into compositions) in many ways. You can find resources online, in books, and in workshops or classes. But practice and exploration in the studio are essential. Working not only with the elements and prinicples that appeal to you strongly but also those that are more difficult offers a lifetime of creative challenge and oppotunity.

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The Messy Studio is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 126: Handling Critique

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 23 May 2020 02:00:00 -0500

It can be very unsettling to put your work in front of someone else for a critique. We may fear harsh, judgmental comments. Yet the value of critique is exactly that, the chance to gain an outside perspective and insight, and very often criticism can be given and received in a supportive way. Today we’ll talk about the positive aspects of critique as well as handling negative criticism with regards to our work.

First, let's distinguish between the meaning of the words, critique and criticism. The definition of critique is “a detailed analysis”, or as a verb “to evaluate.” This implies an objective point of view, not an attempt to find fault. Criticism has two meanings, One is “the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes.” The second meaning is “the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work.” This meaning when applied to an art form includes positive as well as negative aspects, with an emphasis on judghement on the part of the person delivering it.

The kind of criticism that hurts or stings, seems unfair, or completely off base is not likely to be of value. It probably springs from the other person’s ego or bias, or perhaps from a lack of understanding of your intentions. It is often one-sided and opinionated. Destructive criticism can have a powerful impact and unfortunately we tend to give negative comments more credit than the positive ones.

But if what someone tells you seems true on some level, and has a basis in objective observation, critique can be extremely helpful. And critique is not limited to simply passing judgement. It is a way to delve into what you want as an artist especially if you seek it out when you are ready to engage with it. In addition to pointing out problems, a knowledgeable observer of your work can enable you to see things in a new and exciting way.

Critique is best if it is a conversation and not a monologue in which you have no chance to respond and engage. It is also helpful if you establish some parameters ahead of time--deciding what you wish to show, setting the stage for a proper focus, and giving thought to what you hope to gain from the feedback. At the same time, being open and allowing a critique conversation to evolve and flow in accordance with the other person's thoughts may bring surprising and positive insight.

Today's Episode is Sponsored by Multimedia Artboard:
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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Episode 123: A Call For Change

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 02 May 2020 12:30:00 -0500

Many artists are feeling stuck right now--not only in their homes in the midst of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders but stuck in their work as well. We not only contend with our own worries and struggles but the constant drumbeat of bad news from the media. Our usual ways of working may no longer seem suited to what our lives have become.
Historically, art reflects the times in which it is made. Today, we are considering this aspect of creativity in light of what we are all experiencing. The way in which we handle the current situation creatively can also be applied to other traumas that we experience in life.

Artists usually consider personal voice to be a concentration of focus that carries us along. It helps others understand what it is that we are communicating. A consistent process, point of view, or approach is achieved through a mastery of technique and a deep, ongoing interest in particular ideas. Traumatic events can disrupt this flow, and change our focus. Now may be the time to loosen our concept of what constitutes our crative voice, and allow for different aspects of ourselves to come forth.

Artists may wish to resist this natural change. There is so much disruption in life without having to completely change artistic direction. This change may also feel like a threat to the personal voice that has been developed through years of work and refinement. Or, in a positive light, our ongoing work may be something that can encompass the new reality, perhaps offering viewers something uplifting or comforting.

This may, however, be the perfect time to explore something new as part of our ongoing journey. Art is a calling, and acknowledgeing that helps connect us with our roots, when we first started making art. For many us it is also a therapy, and during difficult times having a creative outlet may be more necessary than ever. This creative outlet does not need to be related to your current art practice, and can be purely an escape. The art you create at this time may never be shown to anyone else, but it may reveal new insights.

Article referenced in this episode:
https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/for-the-love-of-art-alain-de-botton-on-art-as-therapy?fbclid=IwAR3BCqbEobPi7JXmEP_Ym0xYCA1QCVZnAp7xrd2KmyXzZy8kQeqL4QTJdUs

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Episode 120: The Creative Urge

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 02:00:00 -0500

Even under difficult circumstances, humans have always had a strong urge to create, to make things that embody thought, emotion, spiritual and cultural beliefs. Creativity has made us unique as successful as a species and is rooted in our origins when early people first created fire, smeared ash and pigment on the walls of caves, planted gardens, and began changing and controlling their environment.

Those of us who work in fine art media have a drive to create even when there is no practical purpose for what we make. This urge can range from the occasional desire to a very strong passion, an almost uncontrollable compulsion, and often ebbs and flows within an individual. But like the pilot light in a gas stove, it is always there. Sometimes it is nearly dormant or burning at a low but steady lower level while other times, under the right circumstances, it is strong and continuous.

Like so much in art, introspection has a place in understanding your own creative urges and what is true for your work and process. Allow your creative expression to be what it is, rather than what you feel it should be. Sometimes we are distracted by thinking art should please others or play a specific role in our lives that does not ring true. There is no right or wrong in creative exploration or correct path that you “should” take.

Many artists over time have put into words their own understanding of what is important in creativity, and these can provide inspiration and insight. But a range of quotations will also point out the very diverse and personal nature of creativity and how artists find meaining in what they do. A particular artist's words may strike a chord, but they only represent that artist's particular path.

It can take a lifetime to understand our own motivations, but any insight gained can break down barriers and blocks on our creative journey.

Books refernced in this episode:
How Painting Holds Me on the Earth; Leigh Hyams (Black Mountain South Press; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 2008)
The Artist's Voice; Katherine Kuh (Da Capo Press, 1960)

Artists mentioned:
Paul Cezanne
Edward Hopper
Franz Kiline
Helen Frankenthaler
Mark Tobey
Isamu Noguchi
Georgia O'Keefe
Piet Mondrian

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The Messy Studio is a CORE publication MGMT production.

Episode 102: Studio Struggles

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 15:00:00 -0600

As artists, we accept many day to day challenges as part of the creative process. Even though we all feel frustrated at times, we know that problem solving is how we grow and achieve our goals. Solving creative problems can bring great satisfaction, but some studio struggles are also very difficult and soul-wrenching. Artists at every level experience these times of defeat or despair that go beyond daily frustration.

These serious struggles are often triggered by a lack of ideas, but they can also come from too much input, leading to confusion and lack of focus. In this episode Rebecca shares a recent personal experience of creative block of this kind, and the ways she has been working to resolve it. In her situation, impactful travel experiences along with the demands of an exhibit with an entirely different focus led to a frustrating tangle of ideas. It has taken her weeks to find a way forward-- involving introspection, confronting some unhelpful beliefs and fears, and considering the advice of a friend.

Although most of us recognize these struggles are essential to the creative process, we may have to relearn to accept them over and over. It is a challenge to truly understand that they are times of incubation and are part of the cycle that also includes creative flow. We hope that this episode of the Messy Studio podcast will provide some ideas for coping and moving forward during these difficult but important stages of our process as artists.

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Episode 35: Creative Personalities

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 13:00:00 -0500

Another listener suggestion! What personality traits do artists tend to have in common? Rebecca and Ross discuss some typical characteristics of creative people.

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Articles referenced:
The Creative Personality by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi/ Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/199607/the-creative-personality

18 Things Creative People Do Differently by Carolyn Gregoire/ Huffington Post
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/creativity-habits_n_4859769.html

Books Mentioned:

Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art-- by Stephen Nachmanovitch

Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go-- by Shaun McNiff

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Creativity--by Julia Cameron