Here is what will probably be the last piece of personal artwork I do in 2011, since the remainder of today and all of tomorrow will be spent making things for the January issue of The Monthly Muse. It’s a four inch canvas, painted with acrylics, and then layered over with a four and a half inch tape transfer of a digital collage, made from photos I took in Fort Worth and New Orleans, and then over-painted a bit with more acrylics. It’s an insane process.
I did this piece for a swap on FreakWerx, which has reformed itself on Facebook. I haven’t swapped much this year. I just don’t have the time to organize projects, and I’m wary of joining projects hosted by others. I’m sad to see my perpetual swapping and round robin-ing fall by the wayside, but perhaps it’s just time for that part of my creative life to take a back seat to other things.
On the plus side, this is the 54th Weekly Thing post of this year, which means I more or less did keep up with the idea of making something to talk about every week. Although, just as it has been for the last six years, one my creative resolutions for 2012 is still to make more time for personal artwork, I feel like I’m finally doing a little better at managing that aspect of my life. Perhaps it’s due to spending less time on work for swaps and exchanges, and more on work that helps me stretch—like starting the year with art journaling classes on the Strathmore site, which I’m doing again this year. Perhaps it’s because I’m starting to develop online classes, which are based on the type of work I do when left to my own devices, and give me the extra financial boost I need to allow myself more time away from doing things for Ten Two Studios.
Anyway, here’s my commitment to maintain this weekly creative blog for yet another year. One thing a week, whether it’s personal artwork, photography, or collaborative project work. Onward to 2012!