Back to work ...

... reporting on Show Your Work! chapter 7.

AND "the Triptych - Day 3"

So, when last I posted about this great book by Austin Kleon, 

way back on May 24th, 

I demonstrated (with still photos ... lame) how to stretch canvas over stretcher bars. I love doing that and maybe one day I will teach a little workshop to show people how to do it themselves. 

It really is very satisfying.

Chapter 7 is "Don't Turn in to Human Spam".

Exactly what does that mean? A.K. says simply 

"Shut up and listen."

His book (page 125) shows

 a diagram kinda like this:

 

< Hoarder            Contributor            Spammer >
^
---------------- sharing --------------->

(Hey, not bad for not drawing it out!)

 When people whine and complain, don't share and think the world owes them something, these are what he calls human spam.

A.K. sees that forward-thinking artists of today are happy to collaborate, co-conspire and think of innovative ways to create because "good work is not produced in a vacuum".

One excellent example of this sharing is Leslie Saeta's podcast, Artists Helping Artists (nicknamed The AHA Show!). 

Leslie and a guest host interview artists, talk about materials, discuss how to BE an artist, and so many other topics - 
it is easy conversation, 
it is funny, 
it is informative! 
Go check it out! You will not be needing another podcast for a long time.

(btw, this isn't the first time I have mentioned Leslie Saeta. 

I participated in the September 2014 30 Paintings In 30 Days Challenge!

AND I think she is going to do it again ... are you up to the challenge?)

Another cool thing in this chapter was something A.K. calls 
"The Vampire Test" ... ugh, don't google it because it actually gives you sites that you can check to see if you are one! No, the one he is talking about is the kind of person that saps your energy. You will read a good little Picasso story that relates when you read the book.
There are three more chapters left, next post will review a very important lesson, "Learn to take a Punch" - nope, not about boxing.

 Trying to keep my palette in order.  
Top row: 
Titanium white, Cad Yellow Light, Cad Yellow, 
Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Violet, Ultramarine Blue (UB), Black (made with UB and Burnt Umber), Dioxazine Purple.

 On the left side vertically from White: 
Yellow Ochre, Terra Rosa, Olive Green, 
Greenish Umber and Viridian.

Most of these are M Graham oil paints. My medium is Walnut Alkyd mixed with Liquin.
 
I put my paints in a sealable box to keep the paints from drying as much as possible. If I'm away too long, I will put the box in the freezer. I want to get some clove oil that is supposed to help keep the paint from drying out as well.

 The triptych is coming right along.

Love the green on the beach that just showed up!

Thanks for hanging in there with this long post, prob the longest I have ever written. I don't want to make that a habit ...