Focus for 2014

Sometimes we get so involved in doing what we do, that we forget to stop and asses what is really going on. This morning I awoke with the idea that I should spend some time reflecting on what happened this past year and what that means for my art during 2014.

I made some notes about what I want to focus on this year and what I would like to change. Then I reviewed which of my paintings sold well this past year. I was pleased to see that many of the ones I sold, where the ones I enjoyed painting the most!

Plein Air Landscape with Architecture

There was a clear truth - I paint a lot better from life than I do from a photo. My plein air landscapes sold, the studio ones did not. The studio paintings that sold were still life, painted from life not a photo. My best studio work done from photos is figurative because I really love to paint people in everyday situations and you just can't get them to stand still in the situation long enough to do much more that a quick sketch.

Still Life painted from Hydrangeas picked in my garden

Pastel done from photo

What does that mean for 2014?  I plan to make these choices based on what I now know:

• Paint outdoors as much as I can.
• Reread  Hawthorne on Painting by Mrs. Charles W. Hawthorne (Compiler).
• Focus on still life and figurative pieces in the studio.
• Stop over-working a painting when I lose focus by setting time limits and taking breaks. 
• Paint less and thinking more - step back and assessing often. 
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 Wish me luck and I wish you luck with your plans for 2014!!