Exercise takes you beyond your current state, practice is a regular action usually with the intent of reaching some level of excellence. With regards to my artwork, in retrospect, I had never approached it either way with any seriousness. What I lacked was a certain amount of persistent dedication. My approach was rather haphazard. It was more so, what I felt like, when I felt like. And we all know how far that gets us if have a supposed sport regime that we intend to do first thing every morning.
Sometimes, necessity is the best motivator. If I don't produce artwork, I then have nothing to sell, and therefore can not feed or house myself. So it was some time ago, that I found myself in this situation where I needed to produce works. Thinking of new works to create each time, takes time. That was something I didn't have. The end of the month was coming up.
Thus I settled upon the idea to lower bar a little, and choose a theme that I could repeat, but vary so that it did not bore me or my collectors. I chose hands, as after faces, the hands are another feature that fascinates us. So I set to work. While the first attempts were fair, I was also looking at the works of other artists that I respected. I could see that there was certain quality in their work, that I lacked in mine. When I saw their work on any of the social media, I took the time to study their work more closely and attempt to soak up those slight differences of line or shading that made the difference.
Hence, I started to push myself (exercise) out of my usual habits of doing things, drawing, and try other approaches that I normally do not do. This process started to become very instructive. With each artwork, I engaged in the process, repeat and rinse, repeat and rinse... I had started to practice with each drawing that I was producing.
Then a curious thing happened. I started to notice progress. Other people started to notice progress. Then came the aha moment. If I continue with this and relax into it, I will at sometime achieve a level of excellence that I had so long desired, but I will do so with little apparent effort, because, I will do so one small step at a time. This way is actually the path of least resistance. Where as approaching things haphazardly, you may as well bash your head against a wall, hoping to break through, when more likely you'll break your own head or at best end up with huge headaches.
Below is a progress shot of the drawing above.
So, whether plodding along or throbbing headaches are your thing. Enjoy! =)
The original is available on Ebay. Make an offer!
More of my artwork can be found on my website. LeoPlaw.com
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I'm finding a similar growth in my own art form (writing). It's beautiful to behold both in someone else and within yourself.
Thanks for the good words and beautiful hands ( :
Cheers @jayjayjeffery! Here's to pushing our limits. =)
Great piece, I really like this. Moody and dark. I think it has multiple obvious interpretations too. I initially thought it looked like a hand flicking something, but then saw it as a typical mediation posture. I guess the muscular-ness of the hands make it look quite formidable, coupled with the dark tones.
Great work. 😃
Thank you for the thoughtful response @personz.
Yes, there was the awareness of the mundra hand pose. I was looking for interesting shapes and shadows coupled with the pose to create a mood.
Hi Leo, resteemed, upvoted and followed. I wrote you on FB - maybe you got my message. Awesome drawings :-)
Thank you! =)
Do you have the same profile name on FB?
Hey Leo :-) no my profile beginns with Martin David. I am connected with Peter too and went to the VAVA the last months.
Your oil paintings are amazing! Love them!
Ah OK, I was keeping my activities on FB to a minimum already, but now that I've discovered Steemit, this is where I spend most of my time.
I take it you have finished at VAVA. Did you go to Italy this year?
Fabulous
Writing is very useful for me. Regards
Deep... very nice art
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Excellent, Leo! I had already noticed a big leap in your skills in the recent newsletters and I was wondering what sparked this amazing progress... so, seems like it was not (only?) a woman ;-)
Ubung macht der Meister!
Welcome to Steemit Reinhard. =)
I guess you're because of Peter's prompting. Be patient with this platform. It is not like the others. Here's an article with video explaining the voting and reward system. https://steemit.com/steemit/@sethlinson/announcing-steemit-explained-a-new-animated-series
You also earn rewards for resharing (resteem) and commenting. How cool is that? So it pays for you to get involved with other people and their content.
Also, are you aware of a blockchain and cryptocurrencies are? You are now participating in one.
I'm following you here on Steemit. Looking forward to further conversations and posts with you. =)
Thanks a lot Leo, for the welcome and the link. Lots to find out first, I guess.
Yes, I saw Peter's post and thought I'd give it a shot... can't be worse than wasting time with other social media, hehe :-)
The crypto block babalu is new to me, but I guess others have figured it out, so eventually I might get used to it too :-)
Looking forward for a real conversation.. are you coming to Szczyrk?
OK, here's a video I found for Kathrina and her mum that explains (auf Deutsch!) what a blockchain is and how cryptocurrencies are build upon that. But, it is more than that. It is one of the biggest technological and societal revolutions this world has ever witnessed. It is here to stay, so it wall pay dividends (literally) for you to get up to speed with it.
Blockchain genial, einfach und kurz erklärt!
Szczyrk (sounds like sneeze... if you can pronounce the name), Galerie Bator, no, I was not invited to participate this year.
Ahh.. not so difficult, when someone explains it like that. Thank you, Leo :-)
Can't believe Galerie Bator didn't invite you. Otto is there, as well a lot of the other artists from past shows. With the current level of your work, you should at least get invited... should I have a talk with Kasia?
Thank you for the offer Reinhard. But no. I am at a point with myself and my artwork these days that I do not HAVE to be in an exhibition. Of course it is nice to be invited, as one assumes, one's work has been recognised. Kasia is on my mailing list and so would have received a similar newsletter to you.
So far, in my experience, Viechtach has been one of the few group shows that has been worthwhile to exhibit in, also sales wise that is. I'm starting to see less and less sense in large group shows. Galerie Bator certain do a most excellent job with their exhibitions. However if I am making sales elsewhere, and as far as I am aware, the Magical Dreams not so many, and thus far none for me, then, I don't feel like I am missing out. They are wonderful, generous and most welcoming people. So, if in the future they feel there is place for my work, then it is likely that I will participate.
I have my eye set on the New Contemporary / Figurative art scene that is experiencing strong growth with public interest and importantly sales. You'll note this coincides with the change in my work. Most of the artists in this burgeoning scene are trained in academies that teach classical techniques, and technique only (keine andere Fantasie dazu). As a member of Lebellue, I think you would now be aware of the Figurative Art museum MEAM in Barcelona. It is not an isolated institution, but plays a pivotal role in a worldwide network. The change that we all have longed for is here Reinhard. But not in the form that Fantastics or "Visionaries" expected.
We have not talked for a long time Reinhard. There has much that has changed and much to tell.
Interesting! Particularly as I feel the same way in many aspects. Over the past... lets say two years I have changed my course too. Even more so, after I was able to enjoy some of the training you mention at a newly founded academy in Bad Homburg some 2 years ago. They too pick up on the old methods and are quite successful!
I Still like fantastik art, but more in a way Marcel promotes it.. imaginary realism and such. And yes, that new contemporary and figurative is super interesting and I have already thought about talking to Monica about a slight "correction" of or "theme".
All very exciting. Planing to come to Vienna later this year. We definitely should have a beer together.. or two :-)