You’re supposed to feel overwhelmed. It means you’re learning. … Give your mind time to adjust.
~ Dan Koe
I recently read the above quote and thought how true that can be. It can be overwhelming to learn something new – it can feel like the proverbial firehose coming at us. It can also feel like play. We can be dabbling with new concepts, exploring new information, testing out new methods and techniques, or experimenting with new tools and materials.
- This week’s artist is – Clara Woods – whose work a friend recently shared with the description, “She cannot speak, yet she understands Portuguese, English and Italian. She paints.” I had to learn more. Here’s her website and instagram!
- Tom Wesselmann would have been 93 on Friday!
- Durango as another artists’s call out – along the River Trail.
- If you have to (or want to in the future) juggle your making and your family, here’s one familyman’s viewpoint.
- And here’s one artist’s advice on becoming a professional.
- Another artist’s views on keeping in practice (so that the rust doesn’t set in).
- On the forgotten history of the chapter.
- A slow (VERY slow) organ organ performance. (639 years)
- Here’s a treasury of Zork maps.
- Maybe you should wait till March to make New Year’s resolutions.
- How Americans came to love mid-century modern design.
- An article on why people love snow (in case you’re one of those people, or know one.)
- A brief history of roundabouts.
Fun Fact: The Night Watch by Rembrandt is not actually set at night. The dark appearance was due to varnish darkening over time, and restoration efforts have shown it depicts a daytime scene.- Southwest Handmade and April’s Garden are officially celebrating their grand opening/ re-opening Thursday from 5:15 – 7:30PM (1259 Main Ave Ste A).
- Head to Union Social House Saturday for a good ole’ fashion Euchre Tournament from 5:30-9. 6 nights Round Robin. Feb 10th/24th March 9th/23rd April 6th/27th. Come single or with a partner. No experience needed. 3 food trucks available.
- Next Wednesday is opening night of the Durango Independent Film Festival – 6:30 & 7pm at the Durango Arts Center & Gaslight Twin Cinema. Seating is first come, first served. Free movie night.
- There are classes/workshops/projects available at the 4 Corners Gem and Mineral Club, the Bayfield Library, Create Art and Tea, the Dancing Spirit Center for the Arts, Durango Sustainable Goods, Let’s Letter Together, the MakerLab, the Scrapbook Nook, Seed Studio, and the Durango Arts Center. There are a lot more things happening that I don’t include – so if you’re ever looking for something to do, start at WhatsHappeningDurango.com.
- If you’ve invested any money into your brushes (which is easy to do) then there are a lot of brush care items that help them last longer. The silicoil and heart-shaped brush cleaner help get paint out of the brushes. The pink soap and Master’s Brush Cleaner are sort of soap and conditioner for the brushes. The brush shaper returns the shape and snap to your brushes. A brush holder is storage and protection for your brushes when you aren’t using them. There’s more, but this is a quick overview of the different types of things you can use on your brushes. If your brushes need a bit more love (or you just need some new ones) swing by to see what’s available.
No matter what approach we take, learning something new (or getting good at something new that we’ve recently learned) is a matter of trial and error. Things won’t make sense to us, until they do. New terminology will be unfamiliar. Holding our pencils in a different manner will feel awkward. Like a kid, we’ll have to persevere. A toddler doesn’t fall down and give up. They fall down, get up and keep going, and repeat (at least overall). Be like a toddler – keep toddling forward and picking yourself up when you stumble. It’s worth it. No matter where you are on your journey, how toddly you might be, the world needs your art.
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew
P.S. – I have a lot of extra tidbits that don’t make it into this email every week – so I’m going to launch a short, daily email next month. Would you be interested in having a daily bit of art-spiration show up in your email each morning. If so – check out Morning Muse.