Focus

Stratus
11 x 14 inches
colored pencil on pastel board
©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

While last year was about experimentation with my art, this year I want to focus. Focus on simplicity. It's something I would like to do in all the parts of my life, from decluttering our home to decluttering my daily routine. I have been into so many things at once that I now feel the need for more concentrated focus as some things are just beginning to feel like distractions getting in my way. So my art goals for 2009 are are really quite straightforward. Most are some type of continuation of my goals from this past year, only distilled down to much more simple terms. Some I can implement right away, while others will require a longer process to get there. However, keeping focused should be a part of that process.

So here is what I have planned for 2009 -

~Continue with drawing practice and keeping a sketchbook including doing Everyday Matters drawing challenges.

~Study artists from history and contemporary artists that I respond to in relation to what I am trying to do with my own work. I have been working on a list of artists to pull from for this study.

~Develop works in a series. This past year I have been all over the place with subject, sizes, and process, (part of my experimentation). I would like to focus on working in a series this year.

~Continue with this blog, of course, but evaluate the various venues I have explored for sales, perhaps streamlining my efforts over time.

~Put together a gallery submission package. This has been on my to-do list for a while. Now with the economy the way it is I don't know just how practical it will actually be to submit work to retail galleries, so I am giving myself a little more time to work on this one.

~Enter 3 exhibits. Notice I lowered my expectations from last year? There were a couple of shows last year that I considered but couldn't talk myself into entering what with paying an entry fee, then the possible cost of shipping and framing, it can really add up. Entry fees alone can really eat up a budget. So three is the goal for this year.

The piece above is drawn from a photo I took while we were at Edisto Island last fall. There were some amazing clouds creating a lot of drama over the ocean. Sorry the image of my finished work isn't better but we have had some dramatic weather here the past couple of days, making photographing art a challenge, to say the least!