My Summer Art Goals (July)

My summer art goals.  May accomplishments.  June. July.

1. Complete work for my African American Black Beauty/Social Justice/Culture show. I would like to have some extra work and then narrow it down from there. Here is what I would like to create (I am not sure what will go in the show yet and these are just ideas )
   a. 5 – 10 poster designs Yes...I think I have 6 or 7 for the show.  Not all are good, but they are there.  I also have a couple in response to Haiti. I think I will be able to use most of the ones I have created.  I also don't think that I need to create more.
   b. A black hair care line I have not really worked on this in the past month.  I think I have a brand name and decent concept....woot (I was going to ditch this idea until last night)
   c. Some (5 - 10, see below) ink and wash drawings or water color paintings – for a challenge. I am not sure that they will be included in the show.  Well I accomplished this by the end of may.  I have many, not a coherent body of work but I have been developing technique and practicing. I have more...Just a few from one series.


 
   d. A t-shirt stencil or some type of graffiti art (maybe ink and wash).  I created one design that could be used as a stencil.  Thought I am not sure that I will.  I have three designs that will work with the current direction I am heading.
   e. C and d can be used in a poster design and will still count.
   f. zines - I sketched out two zine ideas.  One may be more book arts than zine style.  Not sure.

2. Along with having all the work for the show, create promotional materials and press releases given out to the community on time. I know little about this, so it will be a learning process.  This will be good to get going on here soon. I still need to get going on this : /
   a. I would like to find a checklist of some sort and
   b. actually use it.

3. I would also like a part-time summer job related to the arts. If it is not related to the arts that is fine but I don’t want to work more than 20 hours/week (although three 10s would be fine).  Maybe I should say that I don't want to work more than three days a week.  I think that I meant to say 4 days but.  I had a job teaching art lessons with kids two days a week and did a whole bunch of artwork.  I have the best job and it looks like it will be allowing time for some extra projects here and there.  I even blogged about my summer job because I loved it.  I certainly would like to do a residency program with Allied Arts of Yakima Valley at some point.
   a. I want two days to focus on my art and  I guess three made sense, either way it worked. These three days included daily tasks like cooking some darn good meals for the man (and me).
   b. two days to focus on Jim and life and others.  Got it! All of the days have been mixing together, but I have had time to do all three.

4. Work more (see above) on ink and wash/ watercolor and on my photography. The photography may be more for fun than for profit. We will see.  I was able to get a ton of ink and wash in at the beginning of summer. And the middle of summer.
   a. I would like the do 5 – 10 water media drawings that I am happy with (for the show or not).  Done!  I have two that I am happy with and I have some graffiti style drawings (I am not counting those).  I am not sure why I am not counting the graffiti style drawings but I do have at least 5 that I am happy with.
   b. I would also like to complete several (3 - 20) sketches. I'm not sure what I meant by this.  I have been sketching the graffiti drawings.  I still don't know if this counts.  I probably have 100 - 200 thumbnail sketches.  I say this counts : )

5. Email professors to get more information about submitting for the BFA degree.  I might also look into the post back program... I am procrastinating, but I know that I want to make some changes.
   a. Ask about what work to submit.
   b. Ask/find my references to be references.

6. Find an art community in the Tri-Cities and start building relationships with local fine artists and graphic designers. Maybe find one artist that I respect to critique my work, website, or offer advice on ways that I can increase my craftsmanship or professionalism. (Sara Nelson does not count; it needs to be a new person.).  I have not made it to Washington yet.  I do need to get my mailing list started.  Hmm I have found three people, whose work I admire, that I can start building relationships with.  I went on the Art Walk and had a wonderful time.  There were several great artists with a lot of wisdom about the art world.  Working on the artsVan was a great way to connect with some other artists who do art and teach on the side (a couple teach and do art on the side)

7. Find two galleries and start establishing connections. “Connections” include, but are not limited to, introducing myself, volunteering, or submitting work to a juried show.  Really just building connections with those in the art world.  I still need more time : )  Well the Allied Arts of Kennewick and Yakima would be me two galleries.  I work for the Yakima one and submitted work to a show.  I didn't get in but I was proud of the work.  There is also a coffee shop that I might be able to have a show at.  The shop might be a better venue for my work than a gallery.  I would still like to pursue both of the Allied Arts Galleries.  Specifically doing some sort of project in Yakima.

8. For the art lessons that I will be giving, I would like to focus on age appropriate lessons and learn to create better lesson plans for a variety of ages.  I would also like these lessons to be able to be used next school year and for other children.  I have certainly been gathering lesson plans but am not in WA yet.  I think I will start the one-on-one lessons next week and I am learning a bit from the Arts Van teachers as well.  The private lessons really haven't happened yet but I have learned a lot about creating lesson plans.  Today we worked with pre-kindergartners and worked on numbers, colors, shapes and cutting.  It was a great project and helped me understand a bit more about art education.



In the next year (by June 2012)
1. Lead two art workshops or co-lead 4 workshops.  Hmm...I am not sure why I picked these numbers.  I am also not sure what these workshops would look like....I will keep thinking...If lessons count.  This has been completed.
2. Organize my travel art supplies - I think I will just stick to the system I have for inks.  It has been working for camping.  I did make some improvements.  If I keep doing things like Last Thursday I probably will get an easel to work on.  Sitting at crotch level gets odd.
3. Organize my business identity.  As mentioned above, I do need to complete a mailing list and data base and mailing list.  It needs to be started well before 2012.  I am compiling names for my e-mailing list.  I plan to send the first e-mail out at the end of summer and then complete 3 - 6 a year (for now).  I have also started my data base.  I think these will both be ongoing tasks.  Not tasks that are strengths.
   a. This is for websites and social media
   b. Answer the questions below



In the next 2 years (by June 2013)
1. Figure out/organize my online social media and website. Figure out what the purpose of each is. Twitter? Facebook? Website? Blogs? LinkedIn? ETSY? Do I want everything to lead back to an artist website? Do I need to redo this website? What do I want my artist website to look like? Do I want my artist website to be about selling work or just introducing work? What venue is best for selling my work? Should I plan on all of this changing?  My thinking as of now, is that graphic design information should lead to a graphics portfolio and my other artwork (including graphics posters) should lead to my ETSY page...Which also needs to be started well before June 2013.  This may depend on what direction I head with my art.  But I do think that starting a ETSY page soon will be beneficial.  Maybe at the beginning of the school year....or sooner.  I could sell ink drawings, photographs, and posters.  This may mean three ETSY shops or that I need to be more focused before starting the store.  Or the store could morph with me.  No I need to get more focused before starting the store. 


Long term goals
1. Work with “troubled” youth, the homeless, or another marginalized people group. I want to use art as a form of therapy or for spiritual growth. I would also like to be able to lead seminars about the business of art, the importance of art and give basic lessons in a variety of mediums. I am not exactly sure what these goals will look like and there is a good chance they will morph and become more detailed.  I am currently doing this with the Arts Van and I love it.  I plan to do this with AmeriCorps again next school year.


PS The idea for my art goals came from the Art Biz Blog.