When artists get to the point where they have steady sales, then a new set of challenges arises. How will you keep up with sales? What if you run out of ideas for paintings?
Here are some thoughts I have about being a productive artist.
It starts with finding a subject that inspires you to paint. The most exciting part of the process, for me, is going exploring with my camera. I think of it as a Light Safari, since the light aspect is most important to my work. I have to be in the right place at the right time, which takes some planning. It is so exciting when I find great light and match it with a good subject, and I can't wait to turn all that gold into paintings. Here is how that process works:
Once back home again, I am pretty much painting every day. I am most productive when I have many pieces in various stages, so there is always something I want to work on. This also allows for dry time between stages. Some days, I might not want to tackle a whole bunch of details, and I might feel more like placing the composition. I also take frequent breaks, not to rest my arm so much as to rest my brain! I find it is mentally exhausting to focus my concentration on painting, as it is really hundreds of small decisions:, like “what is that color? No, I need to adjust it: is it more blue or violet? Should I tone it down with gray?” Etc.
In addition to painting every day, I am also constantly working on developing my ideas and photographs into future paintings. I use Photoshop Elements on my desktop computer and have folders for various subjects under the heading “Art Ideas.” After a trip with my camera, I enjoy looking through the photos and noting which raw photos have potential for paintings. The next stage, days later, will be starting to edit the photos, cropping and composing to various canvas proportions, which I save. I know from experience that no matter how excited I am to begin painting, it is best to wait and go back to look at these ideas with fresh eyes. Something that seemed wonderful before might have lost its luster, or I can more clearly decide whether a square composition is better than vertical for a particular subject, etc.
In summary, to maximize productivity:
-I have as many as six or seven paintings going at once, in different stages
-I have many future painting ideas in development
-I have systems in place for storing, finding and editing my reference photos
There are times when I wish I could explore variations on a theme, but I have to balance that with the priority of keeping my galleries supplied with new work. I don't think I will ever run out of things I want to paint, and I hope these tips will inspire other artists to be more productive.
