Studio in Winter Part 1 : Sharing

January is a time I use to think about my artwork and consider ways to deepen and expand themes I’m still explrong and how best to find fresh perspectives that let the work deepen or move into new directions.

It is a rhythm that I developed in the nearly 20 years I spent doing fairs and shows from summer through the holiday season. January would come and I could get quiet and think.

I stopped the traveling show life 10 years ago and that transition had me looking for a new path and the support to tread it. I turned to a book from the 90s written by Julia Cameron: “The Artist’s Way”.

As many have, I started to work the exercises in the book and discovered it takes more than an artist alone with her thoughts to apply it effectively.

I called a couple of artist friends and they recruited another, and we went through the book together that winter. It helped me in two ways, I was once more in a creative group and the exercises showed me how I needed to pay attention to the things that keep me working and what gets in my way.

The following winter I partnered with my studio mate the gifted teacher and painter Maris Gilbert and we turned the work we’d done with Julia Cameron’s book into a class by adding 12 art projects to pair with the exercises and readings and launched our Experiential version as winter class.

10 years later Maris has moved her practice to a studio closer to home. And, a core of my winter art rites is to invite a new community of creative people of all experiences to move through an updated version of the Artist’s Way Experiential called Amplified Artist’s Way please follow the link to the dates and description. Besides the basic tools in Julia Camerons excellent book and art projects there are new writers and podcasters to share in our creative search and discussions.

This class keeps my art practice on track as well as moving other artists to paths that work for them.

My facebook class page has stories of artists and other creatives who have passed through this fun and useful class. This year it starts on January 13

Hands on art materials with a community of creative people will move you.