Well I didn't make it into Japan, which is unsurprising since they got a few hundred entries and could only accept 15 artists. They emailed me and told me they would like to see my work as it progresses, which means they like it but they know I haven't been doing it for very long!! I was thinking about that yesterday, actually. I haven't been painting for very long. The "painting" section on my site is horribly small, and very very inexperienced looking. I majored in ceramic sculpture and printmaking, and minored in creative writing. I took one painting class in college and that was to round out my credits.
I started painting last August - about six months ago - to make my drawings on wood more marketable, because what I really love to do is draw. I'm learning with every single painting I do; I'm learning more about how to manipulate the medium to get the effects I want, I'm learning more about how to engage the paint to converse with the drawing, rather than just using it to accent the drawing. I'm learning how to bring backgrounds forward to become fully integrated with the forward subject matter, rather than thinking of backgrounds as an afterthought.
I am getting better. But these paintings I'm doing for this show are really my first attempt. I have to remember that when I get discouraged.
I'm getting closer, I think, to the work that is actually mine. The work I'm supposed to be doing, meant to be doing.
I just have to do it more; as much as I can, so I can keep learning. Each painting gets better and better. I just have to keep listening, and pushing myself, past the familiar. I'll be posting pictures soon, I think :)
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