I Am Not on A Porch Overlooking An Expansive Landscape

 I spent a large part of today going back through my listings on Etsy and taking additional photos for the postings.  This involved rearranging the living room,and taking down the existing artwork to make space for a photo area, followed by dragging out all of the works into my living room.  I struggled a bit with lighting - I used a combination of natural light and an adjustable floor lamp...this is not exactly what experts suggest.  One can tell when looking at the photos that they were not shot in a fancy studio, but it's what I had to work with.  I did the best that I could for the day, and actually I don't think they turned out half bad.  It's definitely better than just having one photo per listing.

Some artists have a photo studio to photograph their works, others just make space.  Some have money to get professional photographers to photograph their pieces, while others do the best they can. 

The Haves and the Have-Nots.

It would be great if we could be judged among our peers in more of an equal manner (if we have to be judged at all), but this is not the way the world works.  It's easy to see on Etsy.  Some artists have awesome photos of their work and these stylish banners that look so professional.  They have done amazing jobs with representing themselves and they do it with such ease...or at least it seems that way.

Artist websites vary greatly, but some really are works of art in and of themselves.  They can be absolutely beautiful and sophisticated.  They are often easy to navigate with a simplistic style.  They scream, "I am a REAL artist.  I am a TRUE PROFESSIONAL."  Maybe they are not so crass as the capital letters I used, but there is a powerful professionalism about them before even browsing through their work.

Equally, there are some pretty terrible ones out there too.  The ones that annoy me the most are the ones that are simply CVs with a few photos jammed between the lines of information and links.  They lack any charisma, despite the oversized signature at the top of the page.  Judging by the CV, these artists are quite accomplished.  Maybe they are too busy traveling the world from gallery to gallery in their clean white, flowing clothes to bother with the web.  I also picture them drinking wine on porches looking down over an expansive landscapes of olive and cypress trees with a slight breeze.  This is what my art history books have done to me.

Anyway, I am not one of them.  For now, I do not own any white clothes except for a couple of blouses, and I do not stand on porches overlooking expansive landscapes.  However, I do not feel sorry that I'm not one of them who can afford luxuries of a professional photographer, a studio that is only a studio, a brilliant web designer, and plane tickets to gallery shows around the world.  For now, I can honestly say it's kind of fun not to be one of them.  I get to try to learn all of this stuff on my own, and by trial and error.  It gives me much needed time to experiment with my work.  So far I believe that I have only errored, but there will be a time when I get it right.  Eventually.  I hope.  The challenges allow us to learn.  My struggles with the format of my website (yes, I'm redoing it AGAIN) will eventually make sense and it will look professional someday.  Maybe not this time around, but maybe the time after that I will get it right.  I am making measurable progress and that's good.  I am still trying, and sometimes, even though I'm not getting it right, that says a lot.

Take a Walk in Portland

Today I had a meeting in NW Portland and decided to take my camera along.  There are so many times when Matthew and I are down there and wish we would have brought our cameras to capture what our eyes love so much about this city.  Today I didn't miss out on the opportunity.

The walk started out innocently enough, but then I began to think of it as collecting textures.  The brick, the moss, the rust, the old buildings as remnants of the not so distant past still persevering against the shiney new giants beside them...I quickly realized that I will probably use these as reference points for future works and to strengthen the aesthetics of what I am currently doing.

The weather was chilly...I rushed out the door this morning without putting on the sweater over my long-sleeved tee, but it didn't matter.  I was so enthralled with the city, I hardly noticed.  It was a day well spent in Portland.  I love this city.  Here are some of the photos of the day - just click on them to get a bigger scale and more detail - enjoy!

Enjoy your day!  Love to all!

Going Forward

Today I've been continuing the de-clutterization of the apartment...all seems to be going well, but I am realizing that it's going to take a bigger chunk of time than I expected. 

I also took the opportunity to photograph the painting that's currently in the works.  I like to photograph my art while it is in progress sometimes because it distances me from the work itself.  It seems that I can evaluate the progress and think of different solutions when I see it in a different manner than just standing in front of it.  I like to think that it makes my evaluation a bit more objective.  Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. 

This painting is quite a departure from what I've done before.  I can see hints of this in earlier works - I took the things I liked from earlier works and am trying to get it all inside one work.  I'll keep you all posted!

The Especially Kind Rejection

"Hello Krystal

Thank you for submitting your work to the ____ exhibition at ____ University. Unfortunately, your work was not selected for the exhibition.

We wish you well in your artistic endeavors and encourage you to apply again next year.

Thank you for introducing us to your work.

Sincerely,

________

Director, Art Gallery

_______ University"

I have to admit, out of all of the rejection letters I have recieved, this one was the most enjoyable.  It has a polite and kind tone to it...and at least it is addressed to me. 

Yes, I have recieved rejection letters for other people, but with my name on the envelope.  I was puzzled if I should find a way of contacting them to let them know the bad news and revel in our rejection together.  teehee  Is there an ethical way to go about that or some code of conduct?

"Hello, is this Sally Jo Bob?  This is Krystal Booth and I'm calling to let you know that you have been rejected by the such and such gallery for an exhibition.  I was too.  You may or may not know that already depending upon the letter you recieved.  Shall we meet for ice cream?"

In the Studio

A peek at what I've been working on and what's been staring back at me in the studio.  I'll be working to finish this drawing this weekend.  There's always something so pleasing about working with charcoal - the directness of that rich, dark mark.  It seems like it is indulging that 2-year-old inside that just wants to make marks appear on a page through simple movement.

What's Better Than Watching Paint Dry? The Runs!

This morning I came across this video on the Huffington Post site.  It's a timelapse video of artist Amy Shackleton and I quickly became mesmorized by it.  There is something so fantastic about paint running down a canvas - and what a great end result!  Love it and it's a cup full of inspiration for my day of drawing.  Enjoy your day and each other!  Love to all!

America's Most Wanted Painting

Why is this painting titled "America's Most Wanted"?  George Washington standing among children, deer and a hippo on the bank of a blue landscape...what is this?

This painting was created by Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid based upon their research of the most wanted and least wanted art in different countries around the world - this one was the compilation of what Americans wanted to see in paintings. 

I just started reading The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution by Denis Dutton and already by page 18, it has my attention.  It is a great mix of my loves of anthropology, art, and sociology.  In short, I will be geeking out until I turn the last page of this book.

Komar and Melamid turned their extensive research into somewhat of a prank - what is not to love about that?  They turned the favorable variables into paintings that no one would want to buy and hang...but I don't know.  The more absurd something is, the more I love it.  I would buy it because it's so ridiculous.  How about you?  Why do people think art always needs to be so darn serious anyway?

For more paintings that they created for this project and their data results, check out their site at http://awp.diaart.org/km/usa/most.html

Cheers to Komar and Melamid!  And I guess if I would like to sell more art I should make blue landscapes or calendar art?... or George Washington petting a puppy in front of a river with mountains? Perhaps I will leave that to others...

"Did You Have Fun? That's all that matters then."

Did you have fun?  That's all that matters then. 2011

Oil on Canvas.

24x18"



In the Studio: Saturday, September 17th 2011

This is the current painting - did I reach my Friday goal? - Nope. However, I'm not too far off.  Tomorrow will be a day filled with painting and this will be finished.  I still have quite a bit of work to do, but it will be great to see it done and be onto the next!

Have a great weekend!

Little Mountians to Climb: New Studio Goals and Schedule

http://youtu.be/2XwSFHciGs4


The link above is a short video about procrastination that is a bit drastic, but so honest in some ways!

I am currently redoing my studio schedule yet again - I needed to accomodate for a new job that will be taking up quite a big chunk of my time.  SO...from now on I'll have 3 hours of studio time in the morning from 10am-1pm.  Most of the time I favor doing creative work in the evening, but for now that isn't possible.  We must do what we must in order to get things done, right?

I have to say that at first I only could come up with 2 hours of studio time per day, but I did some re-arranging in order to milk another hour's worth into my daily schedule.  Prioritizing...every little bit helps.  Two to three hours a day is much better than zero.  I've been doing zero for about a week now, and it's driving me crazy.  All work and no play makes Krystal an insane lady.

I have set some little goals into place for this week - I want to have my current painting finished by the end of my session on Friday.  I'm hoping that two complete sessions and part of today will help me reach that.  On Saturday, I hope to begin another that I will be able to finish throughout the next week.  Little mountains to climb.

Over all, I'm trying to create another body of work by December.  If a painting is accomplished about every week, it will be around 10-12 paintings, and that will put me into good shape for this December goal.

I've also decided to apply again for graduate school in January/February.  I would love to teach at a college level and having my MFA would allow me to do that and gow in my own artistic development.  I CRAVE graduate school.

GOALS,  GOALS, GOALS.  Now it's time to work!!

New Self-Portrait - A Drawing

Self-Portrait 2011

 Graphite and Charcoal on Paper.

6x6"

One Lump or Two?

The Time Traveler's Tea Party, 2011,

Oil on canvas. 24x36"

So happy to finish this!

Finally Published my Book!

Fragility: by Krystal Booth | Make Your Own Book

Hooray!  I can cross this off the list of goals.  This is only a few pages from the book (the book is around 38 pages) that can be purchased on Blurb if you are interested.  I'm excited about another opportunity to share my work with others.  Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe.

The End of Dumb Diary Wednesdays for now!

I'm going to stop doing Dumb Diary Wednesdays now that summer is drawing to a close.  It served its purpose of amusement, humiliation, and such.  I hope you enjoyed the entries.  I just feel that it takes this blog away from the intended purpose of an artistic journey.  Maybe it adds another layer, maybe it doesn't, but for now it's done.  I have decided to share more of my sketches in the future in its place. 

Instead of subjecting you to the unpolished and awkward tomfoolery of my old diaries, I will be subjecting you to the unpolished and awkward tomfoolery of my lines.  Love to all, and thank you for reading!

Fear of Finish

Last night Matthew and I planned to paint.  He laid out his canvas, gathered his materials and began to work diligently.  I lingered and simply stared at my current painting from across the room in a silent trance.


Matthew:  What's wrong?  Why aren't you painting yet?
Me:  I don't know...I do this everytime I get close to finishing a painting.  I avoid it.
Matthew:  Okay.  Why?
Me:  Because it never seems to end up as good as I imagined it.
Matthew:  Think about what you always told your students, and take your own advice.


We smiled and laughed at each other.  He was right.  I did need to follow the advice I had given several of my students when they reached this point.  I can hear myself now - "That's alright - hardly anything ends up as we first imagined it would.  Just do your best, and push yourself through it.  If you can change some things to make it more like you had imagined, then go for it.  If not, that's okay - what counts is effort.  Don't let it intimidate you."


It can be so easy to give encouragement to others and then forget the encouragement when it comes to oneself.  Needless to say, I did put myself squarely in front of the canvas and began working. 


I've noticed that this has been a habit within my creative process.  I reach a certain point when it is so close to being done, and then I play the procrastination game.  The procrastination game is not easy - it feels terrible and with each passing day I feel stress building.  So why do I do it?  Why do any of us do it?


I have found that it is my own fear that gets in the way.  I'm afraid that I will disappoint myself with the outcome (not measuring up to what I have in my head), and it will end up being one big let down.  I think that's why a lot of people avoid their own creative work - it's easier to fantasize about the idea of great work than it is to try to achieve it.  But is it really?  Alongside that fantasy is the torture of regret.  The realization that one didn't do what one could have, didn't work as one should have, and never gave oneself a chance to achieve had one simply tried.


With that said, I'm getting to work.  Time to take my own advice and finish this darn thing once and for all!  Love to all!

Monday Madness...on a Tuesday

Hello!

It's obvious that I've been caught up in something to make me miss out on Monday Madness.  My best friend (Samm) and I have began the great quest of trying to get into shape.  We've battled weight issues throughout our lives and after 33 years, it's time to do something about it.  We started a blog - http://www.fatisntfunny.blogspot.com - and this link will forever be listed under my Links list here on this site for your convenience or curiosity.

After a tough year, it is obvious that I need something more intense than painting.  I wonder how artists throughout history stayed in shape and remained so prolific.  Perhaps they were all flab and no muscle, or sincerely starving artists.  With such a sedentary profession, I wonder how so many are so svelt.  I hear about office professionals who make it a priority to workout of course, but one does not hear too many stories about how Da Vinci dominated on the courts, or how Manet was quite the runner.

I would love to hear about how artists today and in history have managed their health.  If you have any info to share, I would love to hear it!  I'm extremely curious about this -

In the meantime, here's a sampling of what you'll expect to find on the fat isn't funny blog, and a happy Tuesday to you!...and Monday.

***Also, on the video there's a typo that I can't fix...fat isn't funny is not a ".com" yet.  Oops!  It's a "blogspot.com".

Finished #5 and Submitted It! Hoorah, Hooray!

I have finished my fifth work in the Huddleston Series and it was a fun one! I loved working on the wrinkles in his skin and trying to figure out the colors. I am really excited about this one- I feel like it is showing a progression of some sort.

I photographed it today, and then instantly submitted it for a show in Cincinnati through the wonders of email. I feel so spoiled by the ease of submitting for shows by email- thankfully, I never had to do the whole slides thing. At least not yet... Anyway, wish me luck! Also, if you would like to see a bigger image of this, just go to my website @ www.krystalbooth.com
Thanks! Gotta go get started on #6!

Life Happens.

Life happens...cliche, but completely accurate at times. I'm not meaning this in a negative way at all. It's just that while I fantasize about spending all kinds of time creating art, the reality is that I have been extremely busy for the past two months with other endeavors that have taken a front seat. If I didn't prioritize in that way, I would have been reprimanded at my job, lost it, become homeless, and I would certainly not have internet access to write to all of you nice people out there. Time is luckily freeing up again now.

Not too mention, I am still stuck on that painting/collage that I posted about having trouble figuring out. I am still figuring it out...perhaps I need to move on a bit and work on another project to get going again. It's time to pick up the steam, and I'm looking forward to it!