This morning Pistol and I ventured out to explore a new park, Wickham Park. While the morning was a bit gray, the park was a pleasure to visit and photograph. There were several other areas that I would like to go back and photograph with blue skies or when they are not in use. One area was all set up for a proposal, with lots of votive candles, a big will you marry me sign, a photographer and a videographer and family and friends hiding in the next garden room over.
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It is that time, Back to school and Fall.
This year I am heading back to school as part of the Trinity College IDP. I am looking forward to the challenge and learning to print from film in black and white.
When starting something new, I am always excited and want to jump in. What is nice about this is that in many ways is a circling back to where I started. One of my early loves was picture taking and I wore my camera as a fashion accessory.
To circle back as I start school has me setting the intention of looking at things with the enthusiasm I had as a girl and bringing the experience I have learned over the years to the assignments.
This morning my eye was drawn to an image for a post I made. The post was about focus. I gave an statement on what I wanted to focus:
I wish to make a living as a creator, writer and artist whose work is based on the principal of fostering uniqueness and creativity in a world that values conformity.
Since I made that post I have moved to a new state and started a new job that is quite demanding. So naturally I began looking into productivity tools to help me manage this demanding overflow of tasks.
One of the first question that comes up about focus and goals, and what the difference is. I was particularly drawn to the definition given by Peter Bregman
“A goal defines an outcome you want to achieve; an area of focus establishes activities you want to spend your time doing. A goal is a result; an area of focus is a path. A goal points to a future you intend to reach; an area of focus settles you into the present.”
Working in an Office, reaching defined goals such as getting the end of month financials wrapped up by a certain date makes a lot of sense. The next action is dependent on that goal being met. This is not always the case. One painting can be left to sit or “incubate” as they call it in project management terms, while another is completed. The process is much more about the journey.
I thinking on this I started thinking about the various kinds of journeys. I have hiked with very goal driven people, who want to get from here to there. I have also hiked with people who were content to sit and sketch or watch a ladybug, or to just stand and watch a fox up the path. I have also been on hikes with some of each type in the group. The two can blend or they can conflict. What I am thinking about is how do I help myself maintain focus while also achieving goals. What tools would you use for this?
While I was looking for a flower picture for a project recently I came across this one of water drops on the tulips. I was struck by the play of the colors and its hint of spring coming. My second thought was that it was not clear to me what I had been intending as the focal point. Usually in a close up with this much variety of focus there is a clear point of interest. This one lacks one so it ends up being more about the contrasting colors and delicate watercolor shades of the tulips. The focus matter, because having that clear focal point is the difference between a good picture and a great picture.
I sat and looked at the picture and realized that I needed focus in more areas than this picture. I have always had the goal to be an Artist, but that goal is blurry and lacks definition. When I have tried to answer the question with more depth “Making a living from creating art”. That answer is still blurry because it still does not create a clear picture of what that would look like. I sat and thought on all I do and how do I bring that in to focus so that I will have a crystal clear image of what I am trying to do. I have many artistic interests and have always enjoyed teaching. I pursue a number of different artist mediums and have always been interested in learning something new. I looked at the tulips again and I was still drawn to the image. Perhaps it was time to define what I wanted, to let go of the single word and find a definition that would be a focus for me.
I wish to make a living as a creator, writer and artist whose work is based on the principal of fostering uniqueness and creativity in a world that values conformity.
What is your focus?
When thinking about getting somewhere, it has always been about setting goals and getting there. But how do I define there? Where is there? My journey has not been a smooth one, and I am still far from where I want to be. I hit a patch of serious depression, where even getting up in the morning was hard. During that time I lost control of the web domains I had been building a brand upon. RennataTropeano and GrowingUnique. Today as I look at this, I could buy growingunique back for only $3695, which is not happening. RennataTropeano seems to have been take over by some alt Rennata, it looks like a personal blog, but with posts by the user gotham. But not me.
So, I loop back and gather myself again and start anew. Creative. No question there, being creative is the thing that keeps the depression at bay. Unique. I have always embraced that term. Different is not okay in our modern society. Conformity is the norm. Unique, however has enough style to be okay, so I have always sought to be unique. What is the direction that my creativity and artwork is taking? A bit of magic and mystical, wandering to faery. This led me to updating my mission statement. “Growing Unique is about my quest for a life that is unique, creative and magical. I enjoy helping people move from dreaming their life, to living their dream.”
I have become very interested in the links between creativity and mental health. I have not quite yet figured out how to fit that into my mission statement, but when I do, it will be there.
These are the prototypes for Garden Fairies. I hope to be adding them to my magical and mystical line. Photo originally shared on Instragram. I like the idea of bringing the content I share elsewhere back here to my home.
Originally posted
Today I wandered around Barnes and Noble, picking up various books on topics that interest me. How to books on reworking clothes, Watercolor painting books,photography books, etc. Each one I picked up reminded me of a similar book that I had picked up on a previous visit. Each book was in its own way about living a creative life. If you throw in all the other creative choices, such as cooking, woodworking, gardening, writing, etc., these books have a significant amount of the floor space allotted for adult reading. I realized that there is a difference between reading and learning. Many of these books that I have purchased over the years have been books that I read, but did not learn.
Where I am making progress in my creative journey is in photography, and this is because of the mentorship program in which I am participating. The key word is participating. I am using the camera and talking about it with the other participants.
Week 2 Plus Post-I am participating in the Camera Basics, Beyond Automatic Mentorship by +G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers organized and run by the program directors, +Robin Griggs Wood +Ron Clifford and +Tamara Pruessner Each week I will be posting a Plus …read more
Source: My Google+
It is because of the content. No, not a lot of my friends are on G+, but what I am finding is a lot of people who share interests and passions. Right now I am participating in a four-week photography mentorship. It is free of charge and run by a group of people whose photography work I really admire. This is my weekly post about what I am learning.
I am participating in the Camera Basics, Beyond Automatic Mentorship by +G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers organized and run by the program directors, +Robin Griggs Wood +Ron Clifford and +Tamara Pruessner Each week I will be posting a Plus Post about what I …read more
Source: My Google+
Originally posted http://www.rennatatropeano.com/growingunique/2012/08/08/work-in-progress/
One of the difficulties I have with getting stuff done is jumping into new projects before I have finished the old ones. The other day I was talking about making a public commitment as an aid to showing up and doing the work. I have thought in the past of making Wednesdays a day when I dedicate the post to what is on the easel, the computer, the sewing machine, on the needles, …… The list of where I have works in progress is larger than I thought my list of open projects would be before I started to think about it.
I found myself defending all these open projects to myself.
I have so many watercolors underway because they have to dry or the paint will bleed into the wet area. While this is true, Even the wettest paper on a humid day will dry before I cycle through all the ones I have underway.
The same for acrylic canvases and floor cloths. The same for the bird sculpture. I decided that I need to make a list of all the open projects that I have and dedicate some time to finishing them.
I choose today’s image because it is something on which I want to start working. A triptych of three Merry go Round Horses. I planned on starting by doing some preliminary sketches, as I am not sure of my horse drawing skills.
It occurred to me any number of my painting are stuck at the I don’t have the _____ quite right, and maybe I should have spent some time working on preliminary sketches on those as well. Three seascapes that are just waiting for me to paint in the seagulls spring to mind.
They are all very dry and there is not the slightest chance that the seagull is going to bleed into the water. I am extremely pleased with the way they all look at this point, except of course for those white areas that need birds. So rather than jumping into the horses, I think I am going to commit to creating an open projects list, and studies of seagulls this week.
Originally posted http://www.rennatatropeano.com/growingunique/?p=133
This weekend I attended an art show where I looked at a number of pieces and felt that I should have entered the show.
I didn’t because I felt that my work just was not good enough to enter this particular show. While looking at the show I found myself measuring each piece of art against my own work. I was thinking how similar or dissimilar each piece was in terms of style, skill level, subject matter, color choices and technique. My favorites were the ones that were of a higher skill level in a similar style with similar color choices. The subject matter and technique seemed to be the areas that I was more willing to be open to something new. Not completely open because subject matter also fell into the the area of which I was most critical.
It was the ones of a different color pallet and subject matter that made me look at them and think, I should have entered. I felt that my skill level was on par or better than a few of the artists, but I would know better than to paint ________ in ___________ color.
The truly ironic thing is guess which paintings won. The painting of the _____ and the one with the odd colors.
While the image I choose is grey, it is not because I am feeling down. It is because it is one that I was thinking of doing for a different contest, one that had to be done in shades of black white and grey.
I am feeling very optimistic, and encouraged as I review my works in progress as I feel more confidant in sending them out into the world. WIP Review, the plane is nearing completion, and I have pulled out the pencils and watercolors to work with those media for a bit. I have not put the acrylic away yet, as I want to create some fall paintings, and I may even go ahead with my monochromatic painting.
Rennata Tropeano 