I want to do more preparatory work on the computer before going into the real painting stage.

Hi Courtney

I feel like we are in the same page... sometimes I would start a painting without taken the necessary time to create a good composition because I didn't want to feel like I was wasting time and the result of course are no satisfying... That has to change if I want to create beautiful and appealing works of art and I thank you and American Artist for all the great inspiration, education and time taken to help all of us to get the tools to paint like the masters.

Melvin Toledo

I definitely agree with the further exploration of color.. sometimes we create a comfort zone of color and tend not to experiment with brighter colors.

Great resolutions, Courtney. I wish I was there instead of having the opposite need. I want to study less and pick up a brush more. I'm not sure what my reluctance is. I'm certainly not a slave to perfection. As Toby Keith would say " A little less talk, a lot more action ..." is what I need. Best wishes to artists everywhere and every media.

Bill

Your column is thought provoking.  I have had a goal for several years to become a museum quality painter before old age takes my skills.  I have seveal master painters I admire, but I have not really assessed what those painters have in common.  Now as I look, certainly each of the design elements and principals you have mentioned is on that list, but even more, I find the master painters that I admire truly create an immense emotional response in the viewing of their work.  I think perfecting the elements and principals of design are the fundemental basis, but when an artist can touch an emotion in me that might bring me to tears or laugh or even silently smile, then I have viewed a master of the masters.

Donnell Morgan- Artist  I feel that rush when i'm about to do a painting, and sometimes i see the mistakes in the painting especially portraits of African Americans, i get frustrated that i can't achieve the results and tend to not want to do portraits, in which i love to do.

Thank you Courtney for all you do. Best wishes in the new year.  J

Hi Courtney,

In January 2009 I took the "Harley Brown oath" although I amended it a bit. Harley suggests that you commit to drawing from life for 30 minutes each day for the rest of your life, and I committed to only the year and not necessarily from life because much of my work involves wildlife art working from photographs. 365 days later, I had made it, each day either drawing or painting for 30 minutes or more. There hasn´t been anything I have done that has improved my art the way this practice has. I highly recommend it to any serious artist.

All the Best to you in 20 11.

Kitty Harvill, www.kharvillarte.com.br  

Upon reading your article, I would like to suggest a few things that work for me.  In the morning, I first take a few minutes to have my devotions which lightens my heart and clears my head so that my day is much less confused.  I then make a list of things which are most needful.  I don't try to get all of these done in one day because they can take you away from your creative side. Then devote my attention to being creative and list the things I want to do in my studio or at my keyboard.  It is important to know that if we let the cares of life dominate, we wll never be creative.  We must all take care of the mundane, but not let the mundane dominate us and rob us of of time to be creative.

We must balance responsibility and creativity and make sure that one does not obliderate the other.

Sue Beyer  

Fabulous comments and blog!!  I am new to this site and have been painting my entire life - anything from acrylics to watercolors to pottery, etc..  I love it all - except I found that oil takes too long (I'm impatient!).  I struggle with pricing my work really badly.  My resolution for this year is to get a grip on pricing.  Also to realize that if folks could paint the way I do, they would do it themselves instead of ringing my phone off the hook!  Finding value in my work is something I am going to strive to do this year, and from every year thereafter.  

Cheers to y'all and HAPPY  NEW  YEAR!!!!  :)

Aloha Courtney;

I want to have more of a conversation with my work . . . more "conversation," less "dictation."  That's just ONE of the things I hope to incorporate in 2011!  Mahalo for Artist Daily!  Lots of aloha from Maui.

Hi Courtney, I completely agree with your resolutions.  I often hear of working moms saying that a career enables them to have more quality time with their toddler.  To each her own, but I believe being there for the child, day in and day out, gives the opportunity to have all those spontaneous moments that cannot be planned.  (I don't want to start a discussion on the pros and cons of career moms.  That is totally personal. )  For me, my resolution is to consistently pick up my art (brush, pen, pastel, fiber, needle, etc.) for at least 10 minutes each day.  By doing so, I have found that I get "quality" as well as some unexpected and un-planned-for results.  We all work so hard to have the lives we have...I want to "work" as hard to do what brings me joy EVERY DAY.  Just food for thought...

Renee

California

My resolution is to be more experimental and take more of an Art Lab approach.  Instead of doing what I already know how to do, or trying to achieve a pre-determined 'perfect' illustration, I'd like to play with many more possibilities and ask myself, "What would happen if I used only one colour? stretched the shapes? Changed the quality of the line?  Tried symbolic space instead of real space?"  I think that experimentation has two effects ... we can expand our powers by learning, and also imbue each work with a sense of fun and excitement because it's been so enjoyable to create.  I always like best the pictures in which I surprised myself somehow.

To be more organized when I work. I clean up my painting and drawing area, but when Istart to draw or paint I make a mess of my stuido.

 To do at least one painting or dawing every other week.

 To spend no less then 90 min. each day working on my art.

I'd like to make more time for art-why does everything else get in the way?  Perhaps because I'm retired I just putter...but I am revamping my calendar to make being in the studio a daily thing.  I also want to do value studies for each painting so I can screw up when practicing and not when painting!  Lastly, I want to loosen up and not be so exacting when I paint.  Those goals should keep me busy!  

Thanks Courtney, and Happy New Year!

enjoy your thoughtful comments. My new years painting resolution is to draw DAILY and paint with more of a conversation with what I'm doing...less reacting.

Bea Gust