I tried for a quieter week, but there’s gotta be a little art in it, no matter what.
Meetings & Making
I am ripping through using my scribble collages, which have been excellent as layers, so I decided I needed a few more of those. Then, promptly forgot! Oh well, here’s a couple.
I’m seeing memories of places and previous projects in them — fun! (Spot the remnant of a Lucky’s Donut bag, our current fave coffee spot.)
In some online studio sessions, I added a few of the previous scribbles, to better effect.
The handmade marks, whether particularly visible or not, add a level of complexity I’m happy with. I’m tempted to leave even more sections obscured, if there are just a few random lines to focus on.
In another studio session, I stayed with simple, adding to the seascapes I worked on a couple of weeks ago, and got to a set I’m happy with.
Though the photos underlying them aren’t current, these pieces reflect memories of summer travels for me. Now that they’re feeling done, they’ll show up here on the site, once I finish all the tracking steps, described below.
Viewing & Connecting
My viewing attempt in person was a flop — the show had already been down for a week! So, virtual it is: Hannelore Baron for inspiration in collage and composition, which came up in an art inspiration discussion this week. And, as always, my Instagram feed continues to inspire. Do you know the trick about only looking at your Following posts? Removes the ads (so far) and is chronological, hurray!
Despite the flop, I did get to a gallery I’d long been meaning to see (Mónica Reyes) and managed a quick chat. This week, I also had a coffee with a neighbour, who knows that gallerist, and several others I’ve been visiting. The dots are connecting, and I might have a new art event buddy, right in my building!
Planning
I have two of my test prints back, from last week’s report, and I’m waiting for a third, and to decide if there needs to be a fourth. Keep staying tuned!
And given that I’m happy with those waterscapes, above, it’s time for some administration. In one of my meetings, we talked about recording our work: how do we track titles, locations, details? I have a complicated system: my website, Excel spreadsheets, a Notion database, and entries in ArtworkArchive.com. Once my pieces have titles, here are my next steps:
- Assign an inventory number. I use the year (24) plus a sequence, for a four-digit index. These are recorded in my Notion inventory database, along with the image, and some details about the piece. Notion is a bit of work to get used to, but wonderful for showing me information in different formats, such as image galleries, calendars, or timelines.
- Save out large and small JPG files from my source files. The large files are uploaded for printing, and the small are shared here and on social media.
- Upload the piece to Redbubble if it suits the product line and is meant as an open edition.
- Create a post for each image, and perhaps an overall post to introduce the group, and the thinking behind the pieces.
- Enter the piece in ArtworkArchive if I submit it to a show, or declare an edition of prints. This database for artists and collectors also lets me track where pieces are, which shows I’ve applied to, and reminds me about upcoming deadlines.
- Add the piece to an Excel spreadsheet if I need to figure out pricing for a specific size, or if the piece sells. Spreadsheets are great for calculating price per square inch, which is what I use for a sanity check, and for giving me summaries of sale history.
But first, I go hunting for title ideas. I like to use books and lyrics as a start, and I try to extract just a few words that aren’t a giveaway, but work for titles. Then I match the phrases up, and the pieces are done, ready for all their administrative steps. Some of you might use a signature as your test of whether it’s done, but for me, it’s a title. Everything before that is all works in progress.
How do you handle the tracking side of art? I hear lots of options, from not at all, to notebooks, to a single file, all of which sound simpler than the mess of systems I’ve got going. It’s all good, but it does need a bit of attention now & then. What’s your preference?