Since I'm pursuing art as more of an outlet than a career, I think I'm mainly "curiosity-driven". I wonder what an idea might look like, or how useful a certain skill, tool or gadget might be, then I follow that curiosity into trying or learning whatever the new thing is, and experimenting with it with no expectations, which is kind of the opposite of having a goal, but I totally get how in your pursuit of art as a career, goals and milestones are necessary.
Oh, that's a good point, I think for my art itself, putting aside the career concerns, I'm kind of like you, mostly following my curiosity and experimenting.
Great video and congrats on 2023. I think goals are very important, but I think it is important to break them down to steps, so they are actually goals and not just wishes.
Thanks for sharing your 2023 and 2024 goals! I’m relating a lot to your goal of becoming more connected with your local arts community - it’s so important to build your community and being inspired by other artists. And your thoughts on how you hope to balance achievement with being mindful and present really resonated with me. I’m also someone who is very goal/achievement oriented and I have to remind myself of the bigger picture of enjoying painting and being part of a creative journey. So excited to see where 2024 takes you!
I think it's good to have goals, and important not to beat yourself up if you miss them, which I've been guilty of. Having structure is also good, as long as it's achievable, I find too much rigid structure and the thing becomes like a job, and less what you enjoy as well as being your job. I find that true of a lot of things Ive done. Basically, finding the right blend of both makes all the difference. Great video, all the best.
Yes, I have also been guilty of that... one reason why I am trying to hold my goals more lightly this year :) And I agree, too much structure can be stifling.
The fear you faced with large scale was awesome, because you facing that fear resulted in some magical pieces of art. I have enjoyed all the uploads. You are quite genuine and kind. I think i have seen almost all of your videos. i hope at some point i will be in the place where i can just go to SanFran when you have a show next. but who knows when i will be at that point. i want to though. Very cool that your work is in a Interior Design space. That must feel special. I love your larger work. i hope you get more comfortable with it. imagine trying to get a larger view into a smaller canvas ( painting huge views in a tiny way.) I am glad you shared that you don't have an MFA, because you are doing a lot of great things. so it is nice to know it is possible. Artists posting on youtube is my only connection. I hope you get more connected. You did awesome this year! The biggest thing i need to do is to get over my lightfastness fear. i do want to learn the best canvas's to use and paints for longevity, but i realize that i need to just let myself make art and be happy again. because i am stifling myself for not wanting to create art babys that fade. so i am noooot happy lol. so thats my goal mostly. Thank you for sharing your soul with us Christina. I say that all the time, but i appreciate it.
Thank you DeVerne! I'm so glad you are liking my recent large pieces. For the lightfastness concern, I think if you buy quality materials and treat the painting well, they will not fade until long after you are gone. And if some do fade, I think it is better to make a painting that fades then to not paint at ail!
Love your goal setting process! Your goals are so specific and measurable! It makes me think of how we do goal setting in tech companies for our projects. Does your day job inspires your goal setting?
Thank you! Actually, I think my goal-setting comes from back when I used to do long-distance running. That taught me how to take an impossible goal and break it down into a bunch of specific, measurable steps. I also like to read books and listen to podcasts about goal-setting, probably the same ones that are popular among tech folks :)
Thx for sharing your career goals. I understand if you don’t want to share your art goals (eg what you want to achieve or explore in your painting, apart from canvas size), but it would be interesting to hear about. I find that can be rather hard to answer 😊.
That's a good question! I don't know if I can put it into words. My path up until now has been just to "follow the inspiration," and it's taken me to some pretty cool places. So I think I might keep doing that! What about you, do you set specific art goals?
@@christinakentart interesting, I do have goals but not ”smart” goals, perhaps vision and aspiration are better words for it. What I want my images to be like. It’s a huge driver to keep learning, perhaps I’ll never get ”all the way.”
The paintings are priced by size and whether or not they are commissioned. For example a 48in x 48in non-commissioned painting is $4000, and a 48in x 72in non-commissioned painting is $6000. Commissioned paintings are double the price because I work closely with collectors to design the painting and make sure it is exactly what they are looking for. If you are interested in some of the large paintings from my solo show, you can find more information on the gallery's website here: pencegallery.org/exhibitions/current-exhibits/
I'm curious if you are still working at your day job? I am a full time elementary school art teacher and part time painter. I dream of being a full time painter, but the time and energy I have to devote to my day job makes it seem impossible to really further by painting career. BTW I love your work so much! You really inspire me.
Thank you! I know what you mean about struggling to have enough time and energy to further your painting career while also working a full-time day job. When I was working full time, it felt like I could never balance work, art, and everything else in life. So, I've been reducing my hours at work as my art income has grown, until finally last month I quit my day job. I'll have a video on that coming soon! I know it is not always possible given our circumstances, but I hope you are able to get more time and energy for your art as well.
