Tea Journey

In the Studio: Tea Swatches!

         In case you are new to my humble little part of the web, My artistic practice is based on tea and it includes it as a medium at times. Over the past few weeks, while writing a grant, I decided I needed a guide for future works.
      Above is a start to this idea. I feel that I will need to get a small watercolor sketchbook to use just for this purpose. When I have notes like this in a larger sketchbook it gets lost when I no longer am working in that book. Pocket Moleskines are great for this kind of reference. They fit in your pocket, you can have them close at hand in the studio and they take up no space in a bag.
        So, why do I paint with tea? My main medium is Japanese Sumi ink, and it has a coldness to it. Tea warms it up and creates a balance. There are many different colours that can be achieved with all the varieties of tea out there. The only true problems I have run into is using berry/hibiscus based tea and matcha. Both change color after they dry and have been exposed to air for a while. Matcha changes to an odd brown and berry/hibiscus changes to  a blue/indigo.
   In this instance it makes sense why I should have this little reference on hand, especially when working into the wee hours of the morning.
   

20% Operations and 80% sales in Retail AND how it applies to art

       

 “Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead ” Gene Fowler (1890-1960)

 I have been working in retail for almost 3 years now. With the new company and my new position as Manager, we are urged to have a 20% operations and 80% sales mind set. This deeply applies to any art practice. Especially if you don’t have any work to show, HOW can you work on showing it?
   It really has taken these 3 years for me to realize how important this is. The show I was just part of , Toronto Tea Festival, I did not have that much work to show. Even still I made sure the quality was up to par for the event.  I could have maximized the space if I had ordered 3-4 grid panels more in advance and finished the other two works that are on the back burner currently (and still are…).
      I have been reading a booklet I got from a workshop last year, “Self-Mentoring and Creativity in the Arts” by Adam Lodzinski, PhD.  By going over the section on motivation there are many different areas I can apply his points. I can apply it to my pile of receipts that need to be sorted for incom tax, cleanning my room after the “huricane” of getting things done for the festival, getting new works done etc. I can even apply this to work, I may not be in the “mood” to sell something but its part of my job and I need to go do it. The same for my art, I am the only one who can do what I am doing in my style and progression. No one else can replace me.
     As humans we tend to leave time to be lazy for ourselves very often. We may be fatigued but the work is worth it in the end.
     “Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead ” Gene Fowler (1890-1960)