Since my last post of self-evaluation of my paintings, I have assembled these proactive steps to help myself move forward. No use beating your self up if it does not bring about some kind of improvement
So this time I have taken a more strategic look at what I want to accomplish. Almost like a mini business plan for my paintings.
So what are my goals, objectives, strategies and action plan for my paintings? I won’t bore you with my specifics or try to mislead you with something that does not fit your own artistic pursuits. But I hope to provide you with a direction that you can sit down with and develop your own plan
Goals for me are the things I want to capture more uniquely and noticeably in my paintings. They could be about selling more paintings, but this plan is about improving the work.
Objectives are what I am trying to head towards. I may not get there, but at least with a target I am headed towards something. This can be anything from color to tone representation, shadow areas or subject matter, just anything about the development of your painting.
Strategies are seemingly taking on more of a battle with myself. It may be different for you. I have never been lazy or unable to be proactive or even prolific; I can thank my Mother for this. But what I do seem to struggle with is my inability to focus on an idea till have exhausted all possibilities. I seem to skip and jump more from one process to another. Feeling limited by having to do anything the same way twice. Though funny it may be, I love to make processes and systems about everything. A way of adding order to my Universe. So keeping this paper of ideas before me and constantly referring back to my ideas I have jotted down and to remind me of what I am going to do should be a big help. That is how you do a business plan. You write it down. It adds clarity and focus to your mission.
And lastly My Action Plan, what will be the steps I need to take to accomplish this.
Work harder. Work more diligently and do not take short cuts to get a painting to please someone else. Paint to please my inner yearnings. Paint to the level of understanding that anything I uncover I would be able to teach because I have exhausted so many possibilities that everything is so concrete in my mind about whatever I tackle that it shows up in my work. That I would I know it so well I could paint with my eyes closed.
That is what the early master painters did with understanding anatomy. Leonardo drew everything in such an understandable way to himself. He invented these systems of proportions, many painters did. He even cut cadavers apart to better understand the muscles, bones and structure so that when he painted all of his knowledge was their before you. Not the focus now, but inherently apart of his painting. Even his studies we consider art. He uncovered the master plan of the human form.
Un-cracking something new seems so much better to me than copying another artist style or creating art that just sells. It is me that is represented upon the structure of the canvas for all to see.
© 2011 Daryl Urig, All Rights Reserved
