Day One of My Favorite Decade

This is not really a list of goals, or resolutions, more like a broad outline, but I wanted to get something down on Day One of My Favorite Decade. To see how I fared last year, go here.

First on the list is my health. According to the Holmes Rahe stress scale, I'm skating on thin ice. For some reason, there's a two-year window on these events. Therefore—

I am grateful for my health, but I've been lucky. I was totally erratic with any sort of exercise routine this year. The YMCA is literally around the corner from me and I still couldn't drag myself over there with any sort of frequency. When the pool re-opens on January 4th, I will be there. My mom, bless her heart, thinks tossing the ball with her dog is exercise. I need to be diligent, lest one day I find myself rationalizing that walking from the studio to the espresso machine constitutes a cardio workout. It could happen.

I went to a yoga class yesterday, possibly my first in over a year. Goda Yoga in Culver City. I've been going there on and off since they opened. Being the new decade and all, I used my KCRW membership to get 15% off a package of 10 lunchtime classes. Yesterday's class was 1. 5 hours. It was heaven. Not coincidentally, the focus was on balance poses. Still not coincidentally, I was a little rusty with some of the seemingly simple balance poses. I need more balance and flexibility in my life. I'm committing to two classes a week in January along with a daily practice at home.

I have 4 canvases stretched and 3 paintings in various stages in the studio. One flower, two pool.

I continue to be engaged with the small-scale abstractions. Toward the end of 2009, I began working with new imagery that is extremely personal- the abandoned pools, and possibly flowers, though not so engaged with flowers yet, we'll see. I'm still using abstraction, but pushing it a bit more toward representation. I'm working with some of the same themes, (architecture, landscape, memory) but the melancholy factor is fairly high. The titling department went on strike last last year, but we negotiated a salary and I think we've found a number we call all live with. I anticipate re-titling the paintings that the scabs have titled, Untitled. (Slackers.) I have no idea what's in store for next year. Just when I start working with a limited palette and representational imagery, I become even more enamored with gestural abstraction. Wendy White, Kris Chatterson and Jered Sprecher are three artists whose work I'm currently digging.

At some point in time, the word creative got a bad rap and I tend to associate it with soccer moms who scrapbook, but nonetheless, I am thankful that I am creative. I have several ideas for new paintings, an installation, a book, and a large-scale project that can best be described as an enterprise. I would also like to write some essays. Never mind, I already do that. I would like to publish some essays. Never mind, I already do that. I would like to get paid to publish some essays. In addition, I will continue to experiment in the studio. As Churchill said, "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." He also said, "We are all worms, but I do believe I am a glow worm." I like that one too. Churchill, my man for 2010.

With regard to exhibitions, I've got a few shows lined up for 2010, and was recently asked to juror a National Watercolor Society exhibition next spring, but I'm already looking to line up shows for 2011 and beyond.

Which brings me to—

I'd like to exhibit the new works in a show outside of Los Angeles. I'm thinking an island somewhere on the east coast would be great, but other areas of the country would do nicely as well. The paintings are small. They're spectacular. They ship easily. I estimate an entire solo show could be shipped for under $30 anywhere in the USA. Email me. Let's talk. I'm still working on a succinct statement and titles for the new work that's not voyeuristic or uncomfortably personal, but something a little meatier than, "I like to paint," which I might add, is what it always boils down to. I mean seriously, I'm riding the motorcycle on the 405 today going about 80 mph and I'm thinking about brushstrokes. I shouldn't be thinking about brushstrokes at 80 mph. At 80 mph, I should be thinking I'm a ninja road warrior.

Here's hoping everyone has a healthy, prosperous, and productive New Year!

I love you 2010 and we just met.

Goals: 2009

(Well, it wasn't deleted after all. The post time was set to January 1, 2008, instead of 2009...)



I'm listing some studio goals I'd like to accomplish in 2009. Personal goals are personal, though finding balance is high on the list. That and exercise. Whenever I get a wee bit depressed, I think I'd like to let it all go and eat myself into a sugary slothdom. I don't, but it crosses my mind. Then I envision myself in a fat suit and snap out of it.

Art, Exhibition, Project Goals:

1. Lining up a solo showor two of new paintings. Sure, I'm disciplined enough to work in the studio without a fawning audience, but why torture myself. I thrive best on flux. (Yes! One down and possibly a group show. 1.07.09) √ Solo at Kristi Engle schedule. Four group shows already scheduled. Had to turn down another solo show due to scheduling.
2. An installation project in a project room. Artmaking, freestyle. It's like being able to flowchart and parse away to my heart's content using anything and everything I see fit. This would segue with the book project listed below quite nicely. (see 2010)
3. Continue to make connections with galleries, curators, museums and exhibition spaces, both here in L.A. and elsewhere. See #1, #2 above. √√√
4. Making a book, limited-edition magazine or accumulation of stuff into a compact, bound object and making it available for sale. This has been on the list FOREVER it seems. The Series 100 cutouts have been waiting for this, as have some of my collages and ephemeral drawings. Kind of like Richter’s Atlas. Would segue nicely with #2 above. (see 2010)
5. Making a font of my handwriting. I already have a name for it, but I’m not telling. Nope. Not yet.
6. Take some time to write about the work. Things shift. I might be surprised. Oh boy, did they.
   

Workshop & Design:

1. Making semi-functional stuff for everyday use. I made some notecards. They were pretty.
2. Selling semi-functional stuff for everyday use. Made a half-ass attempt.
3. Working on designs for better living and testing them out in real life. I filed for divorce.

Honing My Skills and Developing New Ones:

1. A printmaking course. Nope.
2. A web design course. I've taught myself some code and a few things here and there and I can read a book, but I think a class might be good. Nope.
3. More au plein air painting on a regular basis. It's good hygiene. iPhone Brushes app. Yes, it counts.
4. Applying for residency. It's been awhile and I love residencies. Opens me up to new ideas and people. √ Accepted to Vermont, but had to postpone.
5. Continuing to apply for suitable public art projects and grants. √√ Applied for Pollack-Krasner and C.O.L.A. grant. First time to apply for either.
6. I'd like to develop some software apps in my sleep. Maybe I did.
7. NEW: Take time to LEARN Aperture properly. ROTL.

The Business Side of Things:

1. Organize my flatfiles and inventory. Implement a better database program. ....maaaaybe.
2. I will use a tripod to document my work. I have 3 tripods. I have been lazy. Sometimes.
3. I will follow through with interested parties and not rely on chance encounters and scraps of paper with numbers. √-. Just remembered two things I did not follow through with.
4. Remember that studio time and office time are not interchangeable simply because the desk is in the studio. Tough call.
5. I will be less flexible, in a good way. This is not as mean or selfish as it sounds. I tend to be one of those people who thinks because I set my own schedule 80% of the time, I'm 'flexible' for appointments, lunch, meetings etc. The problem with this is being 'flexible' with several people within the same week. Not good. Good for yoga, not good for scheduling. Not sure how I fared on this one.
6. I will follow through on ideas, mine and the good ones suggested by other people. √
7. I will entertain not-so-good ideas made by others briefly, and see if I can find any merit in them. √
8. Brainstorm and create opportunities for myself. √ (okay, more like, see 2010 for the big stuff.)
9. Have a studio sale. Novel idea. Technically, I participated in a studio sale, though not at my studio.
10. Update the Smaller Works site every other day, or at least once a week on a regular basis. Um, no, though I breathed life into again toward the end of the year.
11. Publicize the Smaller Works site. √ Only because I got a prompt from Tracy.
12. Remember that blogging, Facebook and Twitter are useful tools, not manacles. √-

Social/Community Goals:

1. Scheduling more studio visits. They get me out of my studio and are inspiring. √√√ Had a few great studio visits this year.
2. Inviting people over to my studio for coffee and conversation. Feedback about the work is great, but what I really like is finding common ground with others. Also, it’s an excuse to bake. √
3. Lunch or coffee with another person. Leaving the house for the occasional low-key social engagement every other week seems like a good goal. It’s similar to #2, but involves me leaving the house and talking to someone other than Fang. Working on it.
4. Openings. I try and support other artists on a semi-irregular basis, but it takes wild horses to drag me out on a Friday or Saturday night. Los Angeles is chock full of openings and I have neglected to get some friends’ openings due to traffic, time constraints etc. It is what is it, but I will try harder this year. √
5. This wasn't listed as a goal, but, it counts.

Bigger Picture Goals:

1. Helping other people. I think I helped a couple of people this year.
2. Be totally self-supporting through the studio this year. That’s a big goal, but I’m putting it out there to see how close I can get. I’ve also got a sneaky suspicion that everything else I’ve listed as a goal might feed into this goal This requires being open to opportunities I might not have taken a few years ago, either out of fear or disinterest. The fear was that I'd get stuck doing something I didn't really want to do. I'm more mature now, plus I've found a way to love everything I do. And it's not freakishly optimistic or mystical, I just do everything as though I'm doing it for myself. If I like it, I'm confidant someone else will like it. If I don't like it, I don't care whether you like it or not. If I like it and you don't like it, I've hit a snag, but will apply #8 above before I open my mouth or stare vapidly into space. I had some moments where it looked pretty good, but some deals went south. (See 2010)
3. Ask for things directly. Sounds simple and yet, I sometimes still have this outdated idea that if someone asks me first, it’s better. Maybe it has to do with where the perception of power lies. I could argue it both ways, but I don’t care anymore. Asking for things is good. (√ in progress)

Other:
Lose those 5 pounds I just put on. Curse that Red Velvet cake. Curse something else- like chocolate.

I will update this list and track my progress throughout the year, adding and deleting things.