How can I come to the conclusions that will maximize joy and goodness?
With World Art Drop Day less than a week away and my sense of inadequacy punched up to 11, I keep waffling between wanting to give away a lot of my work -- my son is talking me down, thankfully -- and feeling like my stuff still isn't good enough. At all. Like... I'm just being a nuisance. Everyone is just humoring me. Why did I think that I could be a real artist?
[Please excuse me while I scream. Thank you.]
So...
Setting aside my neuroses, I still have the task of deciding on what to give away. I hope that the people who find these pieces will just be delighted to have stumbled upon something unexpected, left there in a spirit of goodwill and community. That's ideal. They don't need to be wowed and think that it's high art; they just need to smile and feel warmed by it. With that in mind, I think that I'll let that guide my choices. The fear of well-earned scorn isn't gone, but I'll just take it off of the table for this portion of the process. Let's see where that leads us...
This one is eyecatching with a cranberry alcohol ink
I was playing with proportions on this one, and I don't like it as much as most of the others. However, someone finding it in a park will not know the difference, I suspect.
Include in the drop? Likely
This little guy is just a mushroom without a face, but he is awfully shiny
I made this one with the intention of giving it away. There are two glaring-to-me errors in it, but I think that they look like artistic choices to everyone who isn't in my brain. It's probably fine.
Include in the drop? Yes
This is another mushroom
Despite the lack of description, I really feel good about this one. It's inspired by a type of mushroom that I see locally from time to time, and I've been racking my brain about how best to recreate it. This isn't a faithful reproduction, but it has more life and movement to it than a more accurate one. It's one of those situations in which the deviations from reality make it feel more real.
Include in the drop? Probably not. I might hold onto it a bit longer and bring it to the next show or two
The wicking effect with the alcohol ink is pretty cool
This one is a real mixed bag. I don't know how much the cracking looks intentional (it was) or the underlying colors show through. I don't have any others like it, and I may take some suuuuuuper fine sandpaper to it, so it may not be finished yet.
Include in the drop? Probably not
This one has nice contrasts and lines
On one hand, this isn't my best work. The face was rushed, the bottom of the stem isn't great, and some of the color is too uneven. All that said, I'm thrilled with this effort. I brought the armature and base prebaked to an open art night, and I did all of the work on the skin of the piece in front of other people without having a panic attack even once! How cool is that? I'll tell you. It's very cool.
Include in the drop? Yeah, ok
This mushroom needs to be seen in person
The form and proportions are perfect in that I find myself turning and turning and turning the piece, never finding a side that doesn't lead my eye on. I made it with the intent of giving it away in the drop, but I'm going to be sad to see it go. I hope that I can recreate it, perhaps a little larger.
Include in the drop? Yes (but I'll miss you!)
In addition to the decisions (?) that I made here, I'll be hiding one large pink rose, a grouping of three small white roses, and on large red poppy blossom. We're still brainstorming locations, but I'll be sure to update the blog with hints and photos on the day.
Remember that World Art Drop Day is September 4th. You still have a little time. Go grab your inner demons by the hand and make some art with them!