Here is an image of the painting. I am so greatful to have had the opportunity to paint this for the Alaska Railroad. I have learned so much this last year and am looking forward to painting on a regular basis now. With the holidays and such I will not continue my daily paintings till January and you can expect to see me hard at work from then on. So please log on and check out what I will be painting. I still have the signing event in Fairbanks this Saturday at the Fairbanks Train Depot, the public response to the print has been so encouraging. Thanks so much for the support.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Alaska Railroad 2009 Print "Clearing the Way"
Here is an image of the painting. I am so greatful to have had the opportunity to paint this for the Alaska Railroad. I have learned so much this last year and am looking forward to painting on a regular basis now. With the holidays and such I will not continue my daily paintings till January and you can expect to see me hard at work from then on. So please log on and check out what I will be painting. I still have the signing event in Fairbanks this Saturday at the Fairbanks Train Depot, the public response to the print has been so encouraging. Thanks so much for the support.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Can you believe it's the holiday season? Where does the time go?
Yesterday I spent most the day in Anchorage signing my name on the limited prints for the Alaska Railroad. My first experience at 750 signatures in pencil all done in a 5.5 hour session.
Helpful hint to those who get cramps in hands and wrist, run your hand under some cold water so they don't swell. It really helps!
I will post an image of the print soon as I can.
Yesterday I spent most the day in Anchorage signing my name on the limited prints for the Alaska Railroad. My first experience at 750 signatures in pencil all done in a 5.5 hour session.
Helpful hint to those who get cramps in hands and wrist, run your hand under some cold water so they don't swell. It really helps!
I will post an image of the print soon as I can.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Jumping in with all I got!
Well, I did do it! Just not the conventional way of going about it.
I have to share to all or if any other artist out there who are trying to get a door open for there artwork, don't be afraid to turn in submissions. If I would have waited till I had the confidence and experienced to do advanced work, than I would never have gotten chosen to do a paintiing for the Alaska Railroad. I know my ideas and compositions are fairly good, but I haven't paid my dues on mastering the tools and techniques needed to express whatever it is I wish to say. Therefore I also lack the confidence in expression. I kept saying to myself while in the middle of the painting, I wish I knew what I was doing. My husband had overheard me several times saying this and was bewildered. He thought that since I have used oil paint before ( a total of maybe 7 small paintings) I should already know what I am doing. Keep in mind I have 25 years experience painting with totally different mediums as a commercial artist.
I laugh at myself alot, but honestly when you have a deadline and you are on a technical learning curve, it sorta dampens the creative spirit.
Another thought, I am not exactly pleased with the end result of my painting that I turned in, but really deep down in my gut I know it is all relative, because two years down the road as I continue to keep growing in my Art Studies and become more skilled with the techniques and such it doesn't matter. I hope to always be improving on what ever level I have obtained, so therefore, every painting should be better than the one I did before.
The Alaska Railroad have excepted my finished work well enough and I am sure I am my own worst critique. The print will be available on Dec. 6Th. All I can say is I am very humbled and looking forward not behind. What's done is done and I look forward in an Art Spirit Way. To pay my dues to endless maturing hours of painting. If it is painful, so be it, if it is joyful, I'll take it too!
I posted on my painting a day blog today, and now am setting up to serious apprenticeship study using John Rayboulds Virtual Art Academy. I also hope to study some intaglio printing this winter.
Hopefully i can encourage anyone who does not have the means to study conventionally. I my self have six children, a husband who works seasonally and a raspberry farm I operate in the summer months. My Art Studio is set up to work in the long Alaskan winters.
It's a great set up- About 500-1500 people come for my raspberries who will also be exposed to my art work and art Studio. Kinda like creative Agri-Art- Tourism.
Galleries are also in the future, but I am not quite ready yet.
Structuring my time is pretty critical for me right now for family responsibilities, and studio Work. But God is with me and I have faith this is what I am suppose to be doing.
So with that in mind I am going to end these thoughts,
Happy Art Musing!
Taffina Katkus
I have to share to all or if any other artist out there who are trying to get a door open for there artwork, don't be afraid to turn in submissions. If I would have waited till I had the confidence and experienced to do advanced work, than I would never have gotten chosen to do a paintiing for the Alaska Railroad. I know my ideas and compositions are fairly good, but I haven't paid my dues on mastering the tools and techniques needed to express whatever it is I wish to say. Therefore I also lack the confidence in expression. I kept saying to myself while in the middle of the painting, I wish I knew what I was doing. My husband had overheard me several times saying this and was bewildered. He thought that since I have used oil paint before ( a total of maybe 7 small paintings) I should already know what I am doing. Keep in mind I have 25 years experience painting with totally different mediums as a commercial artist.
I laugh at myself alot, but honestly when you have a deadline and you are on a technical learning curve, it sorta dampens the creative spirit.
Another thought, I am not exactly pleased with the end result of my painting that I turned in, but really deep down in my gut I know it is all relative, because two years down the road as I continue to keep growing in my Art Studies and become more skilled with the techniques and such it doesn't matter. I hope to always be improving on what ever level I have obtained, so therefore, every painting should be better than the one I did before.
The Alaska Railroad have excepted my finished work well enough and I am sure I am my own worst critique. The print will be available on Dec. 6Th. All I can say is I am very humbled and looking forward not behind. What's done is done and I look forward in an Art Spirit Way. To pay my dues to endless maturing hours of painting. If it is painful, so be it, if it is joyful, I'll take it too!
I posted on my painting a day blog today, and now am setting up to serious apprenticeship study using John Rayboulds Virtual Art Academy. I also hope to study some intaglio printing this winter.
Hopefully i can encourage anyone who does not have the means to study conventionally. I my self have six children, a husband who works seasonally and a raspberry farm I operate in the summer months. My Art Studio is set up to work in the long Alaskan winters.
It's a great set up- About 500-1500 people come for my raspberries who will also be exposed to my art work and art Studio. Kinda like creative Agri-Art- Tourism.
Galleries are also in the future, but I am not quite ready yet.
Structuring my time is pretty critical for me right now for family responsibilities, and studio Work. But God is with me and I have faith this is what I am suppose to be doing.
So with that in mind I am going to end these thoughts,
Happy Art Musing!
Taffina Katkus
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Just do it!
I am so glad I started this blog on art musing. Now I have a refuge to say what I want to say about my thoughts and feelings with the dealings of art.
I am so stuck. I have been struggling with the anxiety of painting- and then feel so guilty for setting myself up for great expectations that I freeze up. I know once I just start doing "it", I will focus more on what I am doing than what I am NOT doing. What a dreadful place to be.
I will post later today to account WHAT I did do. My studio is now all set up except a few supplies that I can not seem to find. ( just a few hundred dollars of water mixable paint)
There is a sence of humility to greatness and purpose in ones life and when my spirit yields to it's presence then, I can begin. I must seek this today. I do not desire to be great, I just desire to do what ever I am supose to be doing. Why do we have to wrestle with our spirit?
O.K., so now I know what I must do to begin,.... humility. I must get myself out of the way. This is a very painful thing when you tend to cling to insecurities and such.
I hope this can help others who may be going through the same painful growing process. I believe I will seek other artist who have dealt with these issues.
I am so stuck. I have been struggling with the anxiety of painting- and then feel so guilty for setting myself up for great expectations that I freeze up. I know once I just start doing "it", I will focus more on what I am doing than what I am NOT doing. What a dreadful place to be.
I will post later today to account WHAT I did do. My studio is now all set up except a few supplies that I can not seem to find. ( just a few hundred dollars of water mixable paint)
There is a sence of humility to greatness and purpose in ones life and when my spirit yields to it's presence then, I can begin. I must seek this today. I do not desire to be great, I just desire to do what ever I am supose to be doing. Why do we have to wrestle with our spirit?
O.K., so now I know what I must do to begin,.... humility. I must get myself out of the way. This is a very painful thing when you tend to cling to insecurities and such.
I hope this can help others who may be going through the same painful growing process. I believe I will seek other artist who have dealt with these issues.
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