Blog

Hello everyone,

Recently, I read one of my old blogs and I decided that it was time to write another one. Trying to motivate and inspire others has been part of my personality for as long as I can remember. Another blurb.com book is my future, I’ve decided, that will highlight my blogs and the paintings that go along with them. Being an optimist is a state of mind that I strive for, but I have my down days just like everyone else. Not giving in to the temptation for pessimism can be hard some days, but it is a battle that I champion. Please let me tell you what I am doing in my studio to fight the feelings of discouragement that I have right now.

My studio work is three-fold at this point. First, I am working on some little trompe l’oeil pieces in acrylic. A gallery has shown interest in them, and they would like smaller pieces for a show. There is no guarantee that they will take them, but I am used to painting without the promise of profit. Since I am also working on a blurb book on my trompe l’oeil technique, I am going to take more pictures of the process, therefore increasing the chance for synergies. Not many people paint fine art this way, it seems, at least I have not been able to find on the Internet. Perhaps if more people become acquainted with this technique, they might want to try it as well. For me, it is a lot of fun to fool people into thinking my paintings are collages. This process allows me to utilize my knowledge of science and art at the same time.

Secondly, a children’s science book about carbon is in progress in my studio. I have so much fun doing these books! My little granddaughter still comments about her grandpa and I being trapped in the computer when we web chat, so I guess my book about that topic struck a chord with her. [You can find a link to it on my home page, janstommesart.com] One time after we came back from seeing her at her home, she was talking to me about something via web chat when she suddenly told me how much she missed me and vented her dismay that I was trapped in the computer again! Her reaction was so cute… but it does make my heart ache that we are so far away. When she was visiting us recently, her dad was at a meeting for a few days at a city about two hours away. She had a video chat with him on the phone, and when I asked her if I should write about her dad being trapped in the phone, she said, “YES!!” Ah…. the fun continues.

The third project is a large, very impressionistic acrylic painting of flowers that is on the easel in another part of the studio. This one isn’t destined for any venue, I am just trying a new technique. Work on it is sporadic. When I have some studio time left, but I don’t want to start something new, or I just need a break from other projects, I turn to this painting.  Something that is so freeing allows me to break through creative barriers. Will it turn out? I sure hope so, but I am not worried about it. It is a lesson in perseverance and creativity, nothing more. My rules for it are much more open to interpretation than my other painting techniques. These parameters are not as free as my abstract attempts, yet they allow me to express myself in a new way. Sticking my neck out, artistically, is a constant goal of mine.

Whatever endeavor you are involved with, art or otherwise, I hope you are pushing your boundaries. Ignore the ugly doubt monster and fight the good fight. Hard work is what pays off, not talent. Perseverance encourages discipline which is necessary for success. Galleries may turn you down, you may not get accepted into exhibitions and may not win awards in the shows in which your work is accepted. Big deal! That has happened more times to me than I can count, yet it happens way less now than it used to. Please remember that art is subjective, not objective, and that is the key to fighting discouragement in your artistic career.

Best regards,

Jan