Projects

As a beginning artist, I worked hard on drawing.  Refining my skills, learning everything I could and drawing, drawing, DRAWING.  To this day, I tell people carry a sketchbook with you everywhere.  Then, I started to be happy with what I could do.

Next came art shows.  Getting art done for art shows.  Seeing what I liked and what sold.  Refining my skills.  Making certain I could add color to the works I was doing.  Getting 'out there' with many offerings.

I had a couple of shows recently where people asked me 'what are you working on?'.  I blinked, and tried to remember.  Oh yeah....  next show, commissions, comic...  I've been so busy focused on what's loaded on my plate, that I think I have forgotten to imagine ahead.  Charles Vess said that when he was young, he realized that no publishing company was going to beat the way to his door - so he made his own project.

Having just come back from Specrtum Live, I couldn't help but listen to 'the big guys' all talk about the projects they are involved in.  It certainly made them seem exciting and even more successful.   Perhaps, the next level beyond refining and practicing your skills is some project.  A DVD, a book, graphic novel....  something.

So, I'm going to take part of the week to figure out a project to be working on.  I have some ideas.

In the past, I've organized a bunch of projects with other artists - so I could totally add people to the mix if I wanted.

Now, what sort of things lend themselves to projects for artwork?

• art books
• comic / graphic novels
• DVD's / You Tube 
• sculptures
• T-shirts can be pretty normal, yet coats, bandanas, bags

Thinking hard.  If anyone out there has some ideas - I'd be grateful.