The last weeks have been packed with themes and dates: both the end of the first semester at art academy was upcoming, together with a major milestone in the webproject I am working on these days. Today finally is slower. Winter has returned. A good day to pause to reflect.
Art Academy
In October, I started at the art academy – and now the first semester is complete.
The painting class ended with a highlight: we had a portrait model for the final session. It was a pretty cool atmosphere. We all worked on easels. Here’s a slightly photo-shopped image:
In the next semester we will continue with composition and color theory. I am still doing daily sketches to keep practicing – that was one of the suggestions at the start of the semester. And like with all learning, it is two steps forward, one step back. But I am happy about most of the sketches, and especially about the daily book sketches (more about that, here: winterbirds, daily sketches..). Here’s a recent one:
Photo project
For the photo course, there were single talks with the tutor, to plan ahead for the next semster and the big summer exhibition. It’s good, to get this larger perspective, to have some plans and ideas to work on and develop, and not just walk into a pause. One of the projects I will work on is 2-layer photos, here’s an idea, a combination of ground view and horizont view:
Newsroom
From art academy to freelance media world: there’s an interesting project I am involved in, a new PR Newsroom for Panini. Last week, we launched the website. Here’s the link: Panini Newsroom
This week, the first new press release went online there, the Trading Cards for the World Cup. The World Cup itself will start in June. Meanwhile, the winter olympics are on in PyeongChang. And the Berlinale is on in Berlin! There’s a playlist online: Berlinale 2018 trailers.
The first trailer is a rough start, though. But „Isle of Dogs“ is hilarious. Plus, it connects to another highlight date of this week: thursday was new moon, and the 16th February was Chinese new year. I looked for a year horoscope, it says:
„Do you want to thrive this 2018 year of the Dog? Then do not just stand here, this 2018 year you need to have enough courage to face challenges and be ready to use favourable conditions at any time.“
Which feels like general good advice, and reconnects to my own word of the year: courage.
Progress not Perfection
Together with the daily sketches, I also still join a daily photo / reflection challenge on Instagram. The one in February is called: Progress not Perfection, the hashtag is #PNPF2018.
The challenge is organized by Michelle Vandepol (and now I remember how I know her: she had a Ted Talk on finding time for the important things). She wrote:
„Calling all you goal setters, writers, readers, and planners! Join us for February’s challenge all about progress not perfection. Enjoy the process of hitting your #goals , #wordcounts , #TBRbook stacks, and #bujo pages“
Strange but true: for me, it feels easier to stick to a daily habit (like posting a daily photo) than to a weekly habit (like writing a weekly blog post). That’s also what some „how-to-create-a-habit“ give as advice.
Here are some of my posts that were inspired by the themes, and made me reflect:
„Day 10 of Progress not Perfection… „Good enough„: I took this photo, knowing that the light reflection probably will distort the image, but feeling it is good enough as a memory. Now, looking at it, I feel: it’s the light reflection that makes it interesting, that actually doesn’t take away, but adds to it, making it a more unique moment: I’ve been at this place at a certain time, with this certain light.
#pnpf2018 #light #goodenough#exhibition #watercolors #lightreflectio“
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Purpose... A moment from this week: painting just for the joy of color and shape, without the purpose to create something that is „finished“. Looking at it now, I thought, I should drop the big „purpose“-word more often and instead move to play.
#pnpf2018 #purpose#painting #colorplay
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And a final photo – winter is back:
