Genesis Art students often have an enviable problem. They become prolific after months of making intuitive art the Genesis Way in live and Zoom classes.
What could possibly be the problem with creating so much art? It often happens that you don’t love everything that you’ve drawn or painted. There is a lot of experimenting with unfamiliar art medium like Caran Dache Neocolor crayons, Holbein oil pastels, and Fibrolo pens. Every medium has it’s strength and challenges. For instance, pens are great for linear work but not to great for filling in shapes. The reverse can be said for Neocolor crayons. Quickly, you learn what works for you.
One student created works of such complexity and harmony that her finest work took us deep into an interior world filled with light and vision.
But she couldn’t see her achievements when buried amongst experimental art and doodling. From time to time, we all need a serious — or playful — purging of the old to make way for the new. And what better time than now?
Here is how I recommend doing it. Start by making piles. The following are only recommendations, and you can create as many stacks as you like.
- The Keepers — these are your favorite artworks, your masterpieces, the works that you would want to hang on your walls or give away to cherished friends and family.
- The Works in Progress — now let’s face it. We all have these. Works in progress are the pictures and paintings we haven’t completed but want to. Only the works that you are excited to complete go in this pile.
- The Art We Can’t Relate to — It’s so much nicer to say you can’t relate than say you don’t like it. So take all that art that you can’t relate to, put it into a stack, get ready to say bye-bye, and a) give it away, b) throw it away or c) cut it up.
- Cut Up Your Art – Seriously, this is a joy to do. Use a Holbein or other company (Dessin Scale — 4.5 x 5.5 inch (11 x 13.5 cm), or you can make your small frame from construction paper. The beauty of this frame is that it’s got a transparent grid in the center so that you can look at your art in detail through 16 mini squares. When you do so, a work of art that you thought seemed overall ho-hum can be cut down to size to preserve exquisite detail. You may be surprised just how many gorgeous details you can cut and keep this way for future use in collages.
- In Bracha’s case, she created quite a few works of her art that would be ideal for a children’s book. Although she hadn’t thought of doing so, she agreed to set aside the artwork in this genre for future use–if and when she decides to create a children’s tale for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
I hope you’re getting excited by the potential of this project. It’s terrific fun to sort your art into stacks, then into big envelopes or shopping bags or portfolio cases, labeling them for future reference. Most exciting of all is to see that Category Number 1–your absolute favorites will reveal to you a consistency in your style that is instantly recognizable as yours. Don’t be shy to hang your art, and if you can, to mat and frame your favorite pieces, and enjoy living with them. The energy that went into these works’ creation will add touches of love, warmth and joy to your home.