Open studios night was on Friday night; last night. I cleaned out my studio, then hung what I thought would work well in relation to other student’s studios. I hung a couple ‘hits’, some newly arrived at works, and a couple dozen sketches; mostly recent. I had my screen printed shirts for sale draped over the back of a type of bentwood chair, and I wore a suit that my dad bought me for Christmas. The night went off well. I played defense mostly, and tried foremost to make people who entered my studio feel welcome. Visitors brought energy, and I got a nice high throughout the night. Some good advice was given. I feel like I have a lot of work to do.
I have been modeling up some stuff fro 3D printing, and printed four of one design of kind of humps on a plinth; something simple. The idea is a procession of rocklike forms, to be used as a mockette. Thing is, once printed, I’m thinking of painting the objects themselves. I would like to design a project and outsource the painting. I’ve long wanted to outsource. It’s clear that many arts are taken for granted (as they are irrelevant craft) and relegated to hobby. I’m thinking of adult coloring books, and warhammer figurine painting mostly, but now I’m thinking of background painting for traditional animation etc. (largely extinct, but I think of the Korean animation houses from time to time). Point being, if I could get an audience; people that buy everything I make, I could have a good foothold on a large an proficient labor pool, and be a good boss. I would like to be a good boss. For the 3D printing stuff. I’m thinking having the printers running all the time, and mixing the colors for a dark-to-light painting scheme, premixed a la old school Disney cel painters, and again, outsourced. That suit must have had an effect on me.
Something else I’m thinking of a lot now is style. Something that Alex Katz said in one of him interviews is that style is all that matters. It’s true. Also, I need to love myself, because when someone likes my style, I shouldn’t pretend I’m on my way to somewhere else. I am where I am, and it comes with its influences.
I ought to do some painting, Brave painting; willing to knock some things out entirely. The work is not worth much.
