Being like a Dragon is Cool but lets not be a hoarder.
As we start learning more and more about our medium and other amazing things we can create, we tend to collect. Let’s see a show of hands of people who have more than one easel. How about more than one drawer of fabric? Do you have more than one type of paint? I can put my hand on water color, oil and even one or two tubes of acrylic (I don’t know why because I denounce that medium). I have soft pastel, hard pastel, medium pastel, pan pastel, nu pastels, pastel pencils and storage containers of different sizes and shapes. Periodically I need to de-stash and I must admit I am not very good at it. Do not even get me started on frames.
It seems that I hit yard sales, Art Salvage, people give me things, and inevitably I purchase new things until I have so much art stuff that I can hardly find everything. Let’s not even discuss the amount of old artwork that I own. I like to give older pieces away and even burn the ones that are so outdated that they no longer represent what I can do. You hit a point that your spouse ends up turning their head away and averting their eyes from the offending area as if recognition will be considered encouragement. My husband and I actually had a “What will you do with this if I die” conversation.
While it is important to expand your horizons, we need to keep our eye on what we have and understand what our spouses and kids (or friends) may be left to deal with when we are gone. I need to be responsible for the mess and chaos that will remain in the end and give some sort of guidance for those who will have to deal with it. I liken artists to Dragons because Dragons would hoard things of value. Not only gold and gems but also knowledge and if you have ever been in an artist’s studio not only is there art, and supplies there is also books…… lots of books. We collect things that inspire us as well; old ballet slippers, bird’s nests, paper wasps nests, vases, wine bottles, baskets…. Look at studio pictures of Picasso some day.
It isn’t wrong to gather the materials of your trade but consider what you may end up leaving behind. How many easels do you actually need? The frames, do you still do that many pieces in all those sizes? Will you use those styles? Why not pass the stuff you are no longer interested in along to others who might actually do something with it? How about a school or non-profit organization that might be able to reach those who might not be able to play with those things normally. So here we are, standing in our studio looking around at all of our stuff. Take some time and consider what you will really use and consider this; if you have gotten it once, you can probably get it again. With that in mind, let some things go. If for any reason, it will make some floor space for you. Good luck and watch my facebook page, I’m going to be listing some things to get rid of a bunch of things, soon.