| Twyla Tharp once wrote “Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is the result of good work habits.” If we want to succeed, we need good habits. |
I’ve been thinking about habits recently. About ways to fit art making into my daily life. Scheduling a sketching session (or some other process that I can pick-up/drop off at a moment’s notice). No solutions yet, even though I have lots of ideas.
- This week’s artist is – Xavier Puente Vilardell – I just ran across Xavier’s wooden sculptures (would that be a wood carving?) and they definitely caught my attention – especially when I realized they’re all carved by hand using traditional tools. You can virtually tour his work shop and see his process in these videos. Check out his website for even more!
- Looking for something artistic to do next month? Join in the 30×30 watercolor challenge for 2020! Paint 30 watercolors in 30 days.
- Thinking about the 30×30 challenge, here are some thoughts on daily practice.
- Here’s a talk about the habits of effective artists.
- Why is everyone afraid of boredom?
- Seamlessly tour 37 artists’ studios from around the world in this video.
- Getting out and about? Play BID Bingo! The usual spring events have been cancelled, so the Business Improvement District has come up with a new one. Win prizes!
- As of today, restaurants can be open. So if you’ve been eagerly waiting the chance, now you can go out to eat!
- This is just 68 bits of unsoliticed advice – I like the bit about attending funerals.
- If you’ve ever been curious how pencils are made…
- In an affectionate tribute to the history of visual effects, filmmaker Michael Shanks imagines a stop-motion skeleton monster named Phil who finds himself out of work in Hollywood.
- Here’s a super close-up of Rembrandt’s Night Watch.
- And here’s more info about the process above and the painting itself.
- I know it’s warming up. If you’re already missing the cooler weather, here’s a video tutorial on painting a winter landscape, featuring the Maroon Bells.
- Need help visualizing 6′ of physical distancing? A Japanese zoo is using stuffed capybaras to demonstrate.
- The book of the week is – Sketch!: The Non-Artist’s Guide to Inspiration, Technique, and Drawing Daily Life by France Belleville-Van Stone. There are a few more days in Plein Air month so I thought that this aspirational guide would be fitting. It’s probably more inspiration than instruction but it offers a chance to craft a ritual of your own and encourages you to devote more time to your art, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. Looking for motivation to move beyond your comfort zone and guidance on turning rough sketches into finished works? Check out Sketch! in either kindle and paper versions.
It’s fitting that I have been thinking about building a daily art habit when so many of this week’s links are on a similar topic! It always amazes me how often that seems to happen, though I don’t plan it. Of course, between yard work and gardening, house-hold chores and taking care of a 5-month old, not to mention work, I have found lots of excuses to not yet build that habit. Even so, I know that art is important, for both me and for you. If you are like me and haven’t started a daily creative habit, consider doing so. After all, the world needs your art!
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew
P.S. – Thanks for reading! If you like this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If you’d like to receive a weekly newsletter in your email, you can subscribe below.