Goals

Earlier this year, feeling discouraged by some professional rejections, I set a goal for myself to paint 100 paintings by the end of the year. I figured there was no way I couldn't get better, by painting that much (10,000 hour rule, right?). Today, I finished my 83rd painting and unless I can somehow squeeze 17 paintings out before tomorrow, I have failed. But! The good thing is, goals don't have to be measured in pass/fail grades. Because what about those months I spent studying and playing with line work? What about the books I read on understanding color and mixing the right one the first time? What about the many ways I discovered to make my work more efficient and enjoyable? What about all those experiments with brushes to see how much paint the bristles hold and to understand how thick/thin, precise/loose I want to lay down my paint? What about all the things I get to keep? To try is to open yourself up to learn, and when you learn, you are always better than you were when you started.  So here's to a new year of trying and learning for all of us! (Available in the shop here: http://www.stephaniehock.com/originals/)