ABOUT Cradle of Life: The Treasures of Jordan
In my first and second blog entries on creating a collection, I spoke to you about my trip to Jordan and the impact it made on my art. I was inspired to reflect my impressions of the journey through a collection of oil paintings.
The first decisions made concerned quantity and size, and the number of paintings for each site I visited. My next task was to sort through all my photographs, pulling out the ones that stirred my heart and took me back to the emotions of the moment.
Then I spoke about how I began the creative process. Taking the time was the most important, overarching mindset. Part of the process entailed learning how to mix new colors that described my vision for the collection. In addition, using new tools and the cold wax medium needed to become second nature, so, therefore, practice! I had to know in advance what these instruments and medium could do to enhance my art.
Today, I would like to talk about painting and finishing.
The roadmap was laid out before me. I had my reference photos chosen. The color palette and added medium were established and practiced. All of the panels and stretched linen were in the studio. Just follow the yellow brick road and on to painting!
At first I painted four prototypes or small works to verify that I was expressing my own vision of the collection correctly. Then I moved on to the first grouping of three major paintings. These were all 18x24, two based on my prototypes. And, then, on to the 20x20s and other sizes.
I immersed myself in the love of the painting process. This is where it took discipline to ignore the calls for art and resist getting caught up in art related activities and opportunities. 2020 being the year of self quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was easier for me to handle being sequestered in my home studio. I was on a mission to create a collection of paintings.
There were times throughout the year that I pivoted to a few commissioned paintings and art therapy/intuitive paintings. These projects were refreshing and helped clear out the cobwebs periodically. Tackling them was a joy and made returning to the Cradle of Life Collection a joy as well.
With the first three major paintings complete alongside the prototypes, I made my framing decision. The entire collection would be framed in the same color and style to maintain a consistent look. A shout out to Franken Frames. They are wonderful people to work with!
And then I kept painting until I completed the last work of art on February 9, 2021.
A few pieces in the Cradle of Life: The Treasures of Jordan Collection have been shown locally in person and nationally virtually as a way to leak the news.
But the best news is yet to come. Stay tuned for my announcement in the coming weeks.
Conclusions
When an artist creates a collection, whether 2-D or 3-D, there is a sense of accomplishment. To have a body of work that is specific, tangible, and can be shown as a collection lends itself to solo opportunities. Are you ready for that?
I found that discipline was required to hold the collection back until its completion. I found out the hard way. One piece sold early on. I was still painting and, all of a sudden, I had one less painting in the collection. On the other hand, anytime an artist sells one of their works, we do a happy dance. This type of positive feedback confirmed that the collection was appealing.
The focus and discipline needed for me to create Cradle of Life: The Treasures of Jordan has made me a better artist. I have painted my best work to date. As I have stated in social media posts and YouTube videos, the experience has expanded my vision and directed me to take a path into unexplored territory. And what an extraordinary trip it has been. I highly recommend it!
In case you missed the first or second blog entries on creating a collection, click here
View the completed collection at https://youtu.be/h95OmbazfPs
and watch for exciting news about Cradle of Life: The Treasures of Jordan in the coming weeks.