2007 goal review and 2008 plans
Palm Oasis - 12 x 16 oil on canvas
This time a year ago, I posted the following goals which I’ve tried to keep in mind through the months.
My recap and plans for 2008 are in bold.
1. Stay focused. My primary goal will be to continue painting daily - whether that’s in watercolor, oil, acrylic or pastel.
And I did. In fact, as the years go on I can’t even imagine not painting daily unless I’m really under the weather, like now. Sniffle. The psychologist Abraham Maslow said “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be.” Do you find that this is true for you? It is for me.
2. Keep learning. I am going to take a four month watercolor class starting later this month from a teacher whose style I admire a great deal. If time permits, I’m thinking about also taking either oil lessons or a multi-day oil workshop.
Done. The watercolor class was very helpful and I’m studying oil, ongoing. Strangely, I find some of what I learned in wc creeping into my oil painting practice and vice versa. Education is cumulative and additive and it’s the best investment I’ve made. If I had to choose between buying an expensive easel and getting good instruction, I’d pick the teaching and critique every time. I look forward to perhaps taking a workshop or two this year.
3. Try something new. Like figure drawing. My plans to do this last year were thwarted when the studio lost their lease. They should be relocated this year and that’s something on my to-do list.
This is the one goal that still didn’t get met. That studio never re-opened but I’ve found an alternative instructed figure drawing class and will be starting in January.
4. Challenge myself. Continue entering shows and/or other competitive events.
I entered numerous national and regional shows and found the experience rewarding in every way.
5. Be experimental. Learn how to make some of my own supports for oil and pastel painting and to experiment with new surfaces.
I tried it and it was fun. I’ll be exploring how to make some different panel surfaces this year.
6. Get busy. Produce enough work for a local show, maybe in a location in my town.
Daily painting helped me produce enough work for seven different shows, not including competitions. At the moment I’ve got work showing in six different venues. I’m looking forward to working hard and exhibiting more in the coming year.
7. Make time for travel. Take at least one long weekend or week trip for plein air painting.
We did this several times, traveling to Northern California and the Inland Empire. In 2008 I expect to be traveling to the Southwest US and participating in more paint out and sale opportunities in various locations.
And a few new ones …
8. Make museum visits a regular habit. It’s important to enrich ourselves by seeing the work of masters. This past year we’ve enjoyed trips to The Irvine Museum, Norton Simon, Pasadena Museum of California Art, LACMA, MOCA and other places to be inspired by excellence.
9. Explore portraiture. This is really a sub-goal of life drawing, and it’s an area that I want to develop, time permitting.
So that’s it for now. Good luck, everyone, with your 2008 plans — and may all your art dreams come true.
Looks like pretty good goals. Love your art work. Your oil above is just outstanding! Like the looseness you paint in watercolors. That’s something I’d like to learn to do one of these days. Right now I’m concentrating on learning to use my new PanPastels.
Your work is so beautiful! I admire your goals which are compared with your last year’s list. Happy New Yeawr to you and happy painting!
PamYla
You have been prolific all of last year. You have amazing energy and I like your goals. I’m slowing down these days but I guess my goals are about making something good each day - it’s not just writing/drawing but tring to engage with people in a more postiive manner.
w.
Thanks for sharing these. They’re good goals, and it’s obvious that you’ve stuck to them. Wish you more success in the years ahead.
Karen, you are really an inspiration. Thank you for that. I love your work, and your energy always amazes me. Happy 2008.
Thanks for sharing your art goals for 2008, interesting too to read about how your 2007 goals were met or not. I´ve been following your progress during 2007, and you´ve made an amazing journey. I look forward to following your blog 2008 too! And what a great painting! Lovely!
Loved reading your progress and goals. This year I’ve especially loved your more abstract watercolors - and the pieces that you did that contained some architecture.
Thanks so much for organizing the EDM Challenge. It is a major part of my week and keeps me focused.
Karen, you have just been on fire this past year with dedication and energy and talent! What an incredible transformation your work has undergone. I’m so happy for you—I can tell that you’ve just completely changed your life—very, very inspiring.
Happy new year, dear friend!
This last year has seen such a big change for you in the way you work and how you paint - it just goes to show what having a focus and some goals can do!
Maybe try a workshop with Sally Strand in 2008? She’s near you and although she works in pastels, I think you’d find you’d get a lot out of it.
Yes, your name came up in the conversation when Diahn and I met to do our 2008 goals! You are a wonderful example of how far one can go with commitment and dedication. Congratulations on accomplishing so much in 2007, and I’m sure you’ll go even further in 2008!
I check your blog constantly and admire your work — and I’m usually speechless —- not a lurker (:
I truly wish I could follow in your footsteps and take some special classes and even try some oils or pastels. Maybe this year
congratulations on so many successful resolutions.
Your website and postings are really an inspiration. I do make a plan for the year, but only in my head. Yours on paper and more specific although still general is a real inspiration. I must admit that I love the paintings and comments that you send and I subscribe. Sometimes I can hardly wait to see what you have done that day. I am hoping to get to a point like you where I do something everyday, many things in life seem to get in the way. I think that we let them do that, and have to put others aside a certain times and just concentrate on our art. Lots of luck in the New Year and keep up the good work.
I love this painting! It’s so vibrant and inviting. It was great reading all of your accomplishments this year. You’re such inspiration and proof that dedication and practice pay off. Congratulations on all of you’ve done–the width, depth and breadth (is that a word?) are quite magnificent.