No Small Affair With Paper

I absolutely adore paper of all kinds--crisp brilliant white; slick, shiny YUPO; brown Kraft; fancy, textured fine art--the list is endless. Whenever I find myself seeking a creative spark, nothing jump starts it faster than browsing the scrapbook and fine art paper section of my local art supply store. There are so many color combinations, patterns, textures, and thicknesses--from whisps of tissue thin rice papers to chunky woolen fiber papers--that the closet door to my inspirational creativity is ripped from its hinges and the contents of its infinite possibilities are scattered about for my choosing.

One of my favorite ways to use fine art paper is as part of a mixed media painting. Fine art paper contains visible fibers such as yarn and cotton, and often uses natural items such as leaves, flowers, and tree bark to enhance pattern and texture. These patterns and textures lend themselves to unique backgrounds and provide interesting depth and dimension to pieces. Often, the paper itself inspires the subject of the piece, rather than serving as a mere addition. Though I am just beginning my exploration of mixed media in larger paintings, my art cards (5" x 7") illustrate the use of fine art paper in smaller mediums.

Even my art photography is touched by my obsession with paper. Did you know that aside from being printed on canvas that photos can be printed on museum quality velvet fine art paper--a cotton fiber paper that lends a marvelous texture and visual quality to the image? This paper looks and feels professionally luxurious, and is a great surface for creating prints of my original paintings. When framed, the paper elevates these prints to a unique and professional artwork in their own right.

The beauty of fine art paper is that the creative uses are as limited as the imagination. Fine artists and photographers may use it for mixed media, art mats, or frames, while others may use it for book covers, gift wrap, or even as a way to enhance a piece of furniture. Who knows--maybe one day my paper obsession will lure me completely away from acrylic painting. But for now, I will keep my options open.

Reflection

It is easy to believe in myself as an artist and mother when things are going well. On the other hand, believing in myself when things are less than stellar takes some effort. As an artist selling solely from online galleries, it is important to consistently produce new work to attract potential buyers and maintain the interest of current collectors/customers. Along with this comes the need to market, market, market...not to mention photographing and editing all new work and listing it for each online gallery.

Now in my former "regular" day job career, all of my work resulted in a steady pay check. Easy, right? We are raised to believe if we work hard and do good work, we can get paid and thus make a living. Naive me, I discovered that it is necessary to change this mentality when self-employed. My own self-discipline and drive to succeed constantly motivates me to work towards my artist goals. When buyers are few and far between, or I've entered juried competitions and my work is not selected, it is a challenge not to turn that energy back on myself and question my choices. Am I any good as an artist? Can I provide for my family doing this full-time? And then the big one...Am I being a good mother if my self-imposed work ethics are compromising my energy to be the parent my son needs?

Each day I contemplate these things, and each day I laugh with my son and try to reflect upon how fortunate I truly am. And then I face the easel again.