So here's the short and skinny:
(Or the long and drawn out, I haven't quite decided yet..)
In 2011, I spent 6 months at the Women's Studio Workshop in the Hudson Valley as an intern. Counting that towards the advancement of my art career in 2011, this was super validating. After graduating with my BFA in 2009, there wasn't much to put on a CV except rejections from fellowships and internships. Philadelphia was Netflix, catering 45 hours a week, and half assed oil painting. I can't begin to describe what a fantastic change WSW was, the connections I made, the community that I remain a part of, the new processes I learned, ETC. Cha know, THE WORKS.
So like all great things, you don't want to let them go, right?
However, moving to New York did not continue my fantasy, down-the-rabbit-hole internship life of working with a new artist every 4 weeks, getting paid to bind books, production print silkscreen, hand pull paper, and learn letterpress!
Unfortunately this meant that at the beginning of 2012 I fell back into the old habit of working overtime in a kitchen and forgetting what my priorities are. Paying the bills. Feeding the cats and myself. Not producing any work. Making the biggest lateral move yet of my life. New place, new people, old schedule, old thoughts. Changing everything around you does not instantly change yourself.
2012 RECAP:
Job change in September from full time cook to artist quality paint maker.
Showed one piece in one gallery.
The world didn't end on Dec 21st.
I started biking 15 miles a day round trip for work.
I looked at myself in a way I couldn't before, being trapped by the expectations the people I had grown up with had come to expect of me.
My cats got skinnier.
And then fat again.
All in all.... not very impressive.
A whole year.
I won't say wasted.
I will say slightly misspent.
I will say a new starting ground.
I did start a few random projects throughout the year. None of which have begun to break through the soil towards fruition. I have completed-ish (enough to hang in a gallery without people questioning where the rest of it is) one drawing.
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| "Snackies" 22x30 Graphite on BFK 2012 |
It ended up being shown in November at my place of employment.
http://www.rfpaints.com/
At the very least, counting my chickens for 2012 has lit a fire under my ass in the best possible way. This is the beginning of working and only looking towards the future. Stay tuned if anything here seems interesting.
Or if there are bets on the day I forget I have a blog.
Next time: more about current work, less about me whining.
Oh yea. My name? Steph Bell. Simple enough to remember.
