Let's get Art-ing!

Hey all!! Welcome back!

             I’ve got some updates on some events that I mentioned in my last post (and if you follow my FaceBook page, you may already know), but I wanted to start with something new that I felt a little inspired to share with you all!

A friend of mine who’s much more established in the art world than me was recently accepted into the Oil Painters of America Association and was invited to attend an event for them this past March. She was kind enough to bring “circes” (a fancy word I had never heard of which meant goodie bag) for a few of her friends, and she kindly gave me one. It was full of great things, but one of the things in there really peaked my interest: A Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. Now, I’ve never been into subscription magazines, so it’s not really a surprise that I hadn’t heard of this one either, but the art on the cover was enough to draw me in. So, a couple days ago (on a beautiful, sunny, 86-degree SC day), I decided to lay outside on a blanket and spend some time reading the Fine Art Connoisseur. Although I haven’t finished yet, I can definitely say I already am blown away and feel so inspired to start pushing myself and my artistic abilities.

"Weeping Rose"

               A goal of mine to help me improve as an artist is to learn more about influential artists from the past as well as ones that are active today and seeing what I could learn from them. This isn’t a revolutionary thought or goal, but it’s one that I think some artists (or maybe just me) need reminding of. When you’re busy trying to paint often, improve techniques, and grow your business, it can be easy to forget how much you can learn from what other artists are doing and what drives them. More so than simply scrolling through social media and absorbing content – even that can be overly stimulating and hard to retain – but reading about them or watching interviews and seeing why they paint what they paint can bring a new perspective to you too.

               What further blows my mind is that these artists could be more local than you realize.

"Sleepy Fox" - A new addition!

               I took two weekend long oil workshops from two amazingly talented artists that live in Charleston – Laurie Meyer and Robert Maniscalco. Laurie’s an oil painter who paints a variety of subjects, but she won me over with her beautiful and vibrant landscapes (as well as her enthusiasm to art and to life); Robert’s a crazy skilled portrait artist who learned from his father and taught me a whole new way to look at values by how he set up his painting palette. Those were just two artists who inspired me and helped me get better, and now I’m reading about more artists from around the country (even one in Easley, SC!) who are just as talented, and all driven by their own type of inspiration.

              Something else that helps is being part of a community where you can “geek out” and talk about art with people who are just as passionate about it as you. I’m part of a Chapin art community (the Crooked Creek Art League), where there are so many artists that are less than an hour away from me that I can learn from. It can feel intimidating to put yourself out there or to ask for help or guidance, and being introverted doesn’t always help with that (especially when you’re surrounded by people you don’t know). The payoff, however, is worthwhile. It’s nice when you get out of that comfort zone and get close to people who are all striving to do the same thing you’re doing, because then you feel less scared to ask for that help and advice. In fact, they’re probably just as willing to help you as you are to ask for that help. You develop a sort of family with people who all just want you to do your best and we all end up a part of each other’s journey.

               Speaking of being a part of each other's journey... This just so happens to be a great transition into the exciting news that I wanted to share!

               A few artists from the Crooked Creek Art League (CCAL) and I have been accepted as artisans in this years Ag+Arts Farm Tours in Newberry and Richland! It’ll be my first time ever “attending” – as well as my first time ever officially selling my art in an art booth/art fair type of event – but I’m very excited about! My fellow CCAL artists and I are going to be at the West Ridge Farm (a cool cow farm) for the Newberry tour, and then One HubCap Farm (a beautiful flower farm) for the Richland tour. They’re insanely talented as well, so you’ll be seeing art in a variety of genres. If you haven’t heard about the Ag+Arts Tour, here’s a link of their website where they tell you more about what’s going on: https://www.agandarttour.com/about

"Sunset Path"

Another new addition this past week!

               We’ll be getting more updates as the dates draw close, so I’ll make sure to keep this updated the more I find out as well. For now – check out my events tab where I’ve already provided the location, dates, and times that I’ll be hanging out at each spot for each county. Also follow my Facebook page and my Instagram where I’ll be able to update with news more frequently. 

I hope you all are able to make it – and don’t forget to mark your calendars! Also made sure to add some pieces that I'll be bringing to the Ag+Arts tour! I took them from my sketches that I posted in my last blog - so if they look familiar, that's why!

Until next time! Happy Earth Day - Go enjoy some good ole nature :)

S.Y.