Below is the progress I have made in making a tiny 2 x 3 inch art become a larger 36 x 24 inch painting.
Below is the study for the larger work.
To read more about my process please take a look at the full article on Patreon.
My paintings make an attempt at visually introducing the idea of women’s work and unpaid labor into the imagery. In the first of the Painting Talks series of videos I began with the first painting I executed in the Shhh, Say Nothing series—the painting called Tea Cup Face (video below). The work is small at 14 x 11 inches and painted on a wood surface.
To read more about this painting jump on over to my Patreon article.
You can view the video too!
My Instagram handle is: @suzannegibbsart
Imagine each of the empty jars as a mental task performed by women, on repeat. Now double the jars, and triple, and so on…
Read more about my perception of the heaviness of mental load(s) on women. The link will take you to my Patreon platform.
For the past 3 years I have been sharing the finished pages of my sketchbooks. To share what is on the pages of my sketchbooks feels very vulnerable, mostly because the images on the pages are unfinished and unpolished ideas. I draw, doodle, make patterns, and create collage for myself. My sketchbooks are a form of meditation. They calm me. They are a place for ideas to spill over and make themselves known.
I was unsure when I began making videos of the pages how long I would continue to share my work in this manner. The journey has been super interesting!
Thank you to all of you who have commented and watched!
I think that my next video—video #30—could be my last shared video of my sketchbook pages. This sketchbook is already in progress! However, when and if I stop making videos this does not mean I’d stop filling the pages! Heck no. Also, I adore the accountability of letting my fans know that I have completed yet another book! 😉
Oh gosh, I don’t know! Do you love seeing these?
Enough chatter! Here is the video for you to watch!
Namasté
Please join me with Neon Moon in Los Angeles:
Topic: Shhh Book Launch and Art Opening
Time: Nov 7, 2020 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83018771893?pwd=UFByYzUxZ3YrNjFVWU9jdjZCMVFVZz09
Meeting ID: 830 1877 1893
Passcode: Please email me!
Here is the why behind my most recent Book and a Series of Paintings.
If you have already read the Shhh book would you be willing to send me a written review? Thanks! I will send you a sticker as a thank you!!!
Announcing, one month from today:
Enjoy viewing a studio visit video tour and also a sketchbook tour!
Also, a wee bit of vulnerable honesty here. Making art is my passion. Usually I experience a zen-like feeling while I paint. That’s the truth. The other part of the equation is that sharing my work in all sorts online formats is also work and quite time consuming. I love this! I want to share my work with others.
Now for the invitation, if you love what I share and the work I make, will you please consider a subscription membership to Patreon?
For as little as $1 per month you get all sorts of insiders content about my work, process, and thinking. The $25 and above membership levels now include a nifty mug, shipped right to you! Sip your morning beverage with my art. What could be better? 😉
PS. Coming soon. Pre-orders for my third book, The Shhh Book.
As many of you are already aware, I have been working on my third book this year. This time, instead of working alone, I have been working collaboratively with others. Working in this way brings me so much pleasure. Plus the bonus of constant email and follow-up with a diverse and interesting array of women!
I never feel alone! Ever.
Collaborative work is extremely different from the work I do to make my paintings come alive—where I spend hours alone with brush, color, and wood surface listening to countless books on tape, Podcasts, talking on the phone, or streaming music via Spotify. Working collaboratively has also forced me to be very much more aware of how I organize my time and information—two things all small business owners must attend to.
Somehow the balance of the two different kinds of work—collaborative vs. solo—are just the perfect fit for me!
I got to this place of joy in my work by constantly working, trying new things, asking friends and fellow artists, and then even hiring help. A few years ago I went through some art business coaching, and my wise coach said to me:
I kinda think your happiness is—not making your fine art in the studio alone. I get the sense you need to work more collaboratively on everything. — Alyson B Stanfield
It’s great when someone can reflect back at you what you might already know about yourself, but are not quite paying attention to!
The Shhh Book mock-up. The book will be in publication sometime later this year.
I hear you Alyson! This year, even with the horrid pandemic in the background, I have been 100% in the zone, on top of my game, and thoroughly enjoying my work. When I look back at the most exciting times in my life, they have often been when I work in collaboration with others. I have loved every construction project I have worked on because there is a team of people to collaborate with. I love co-teaching and cooperative school projects. I love creative projects where everyone’s input makes for a better process, even if the end results are somewhat wonky.
While we continue to endure the pandemic and the resulting stay-at-home and soon to be go out, but slow and with different rules orders, I urge you to look at how you can work collaboratively even while social and physical distancing. Interaction with others makes for healthier living—even if we need to use Zoom.
Stay well friends. I can’t wait to bring you more news of The Shhh Book. I am so close, and yet as we know birthing a project is a ton of hard work right at the end!
If you’d like to receive more frequent updates from me, and insiders Studio Visits, please consider joining me on Patreon. Patreon works sort of like a subscription to a favorite magazine, with perks.
I use a Mead Recycled paper notebook that I buy in bulk from Amazon for my daily morning writing. Heaven forbid I run out, or the product gets discontinued, I’d be devastated! In 2019 I filled 11 notebooks—almost one per month.
While doing daily writing I also emptied 3 BIC pens! You cannot imagine the thrill I get when I run out of ink! I love BIC because I can see the inside tube of ink. 😉
In fact I have published 2 IGTV films of the momentous occasion of ink running out!!! LOL Links below.
I also ran out of ink this morning recording the vivid dreams I had during the night. I was so busy writing that I was unable to capture the ink running out!
Writing helps me to develop my ideas so they and I feel more grounded, I literally develop roots, and sprout—nothing helps me to feel more me than my morning writing and daily painting. Join me on Patreon to learn more about the work I make and share.