| Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel. ~ Eleanor Brownn |
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine. I don’t know about you, but my todo list only seems to grow longer – there are two tasks added for every item that I complete. Sometimes I have to sneak in items that help aren’t directly productive but help to improve my life in some way. Perhaps I’ll give myself a reading assignment to make sure I’m reading something that isn’t for work but for fun. Maybe I’ll schedule a plein-air session on my way home. Or I’ll just add in a walk at lunch time to get some fresh air during the day.
- This week’s artist – Teagan White – whose work I recently stumbled across and it caught my eye. Teagan’s work “merges plant and animal life in delicate scenes that focus on the interconnectedness and beauty of the natural world, through goucache, wtaercolor, and colored pencil.” Be sure to check out their website and instagram for more!
- The Durango Art Brigade has some open art calls. Applications due by April 30th. Check out their website for more info.
- It’s time for the Methodist Thrift Shop’s Annual Spring Turnaround featuring an Open House this Saturday, May 1, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the thrift shop, 986 E. 2nd Ave. Stop by and check out the newly painted and cleaned store, browse new items and meet the new director, Suzanne McMillen.
- If you need an excuse to go to Animas Chocolate, Cindy Coleman‘s pastel paintings will be on display from May 2-31.
- This is a great conversation about an artist’s self-education journey between James Gurney, Marshall Vandruff and Stan Prokopenko.
- The Paint an Abandoned House Challenge is still open for entries, if you’re interested.
- The application for the Durango Autumn Arts Festival is open! If you know of anyone who’s interested in participating, here’s the application. They’re also looking for volunteers, if you’d like to help the DAC make it happen.
- Interested in painting animals? Here is a list of recommended resources to help you.
- As creatives, we have so many ideas for our art and our businesses, and we often have a difficult time choosing between them – between what’s most important now and what can wait for later. Alyson Stanfield’s Artist Planning Sessions can help! In the sessions, she walks you through a multi-day process to help you find a plan that is a perfect fit. Whether you need a plan for marketing, art-making, social media, increasing your income, or just staying on top of your projects – Artist Planning Sessions can help! If you sign up, it doesn’t cost anything extra and you’ll be helping the Art Supply House with your purchase.
- The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has made its collection available as digital images for free online. You can download high-resolution files and use them however you want. All you have to do is set up an account with your email and a password.
- We are looking for a new framer. If you know of someone who might be interested, have them bring a resume and portfolio of work by. Everyone who works here is an artist of some sort. They need interest and enthusiasm – we can teach the skills if they don’t have any experience.
- Does sketching cure inattention blindness? I know that I observe more when I pause to make art by hand.
- It’s been a couple of years since I shared Ben Sack’s art. Here’s a neat time-lapse video of one of his drawings.
- Here’s another short time-lapse video. This one’s an abstract mural by Manuel Skiri. It’s mesmerizing to watch unfold.
- I recently read this article about plein air painting with open acrylics. With the weather trying to turn nicer, it’s definitely worth reviewing our materials for plein air work. I really like my open acrylics – they provide a longer working time, more like working with oils than acrylic. If you’re happy with your acrylic selection, you can add in slow-dri or an open thinner to make your acrylics workable longer.
I’ve read that you can’t create from an empty well. The act of seeking out inspiration via reading, looking at other art, going on walks in nature, or other acts of self-care serve to refill the well and thus allow us to draw from the well again in the future. If you’re struggling to find your inspiration, perhaps your well has been drawn down too much and it’s time to do something to refill it. Self-care is vital and allows us to keep going. Here’s a quick reminder to take care of yourself and to refill your well. The world needs your art!
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew
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