Soul to Series: Step 2
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Welcome to Step 2. Now we are going to focus on the materials you will use to make your art, and what size the pieces in your series will be.
By the end of this lesson you will know whether you want to vary and experiment with materials, or if you will simplify them to create unity across your series. You will also think ahead to important practical issues to avoid problems later when your series is ready to go out into the world. But first, let's explore the tension in making a series - balancing change with consistency. |
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Key Points
- Repetition with variation balances the desire for a consistent, recognizable style with the need for spontaneity and discovery
- Focus on what you love and want to keep doing in your art, setting honest creative limits and exploring your curiosities deeply.
- For beginners, it's important to keep the materials and dimensions consistent across the series to simplify the process and make framing, matting, and shipping easier. Varying materials and sizes can introduce unnecessary complexity.
Repetition with Variety
There is an inherent contradiction in our desire for consistent recognizable style, and our struggle with repeating ourselves and getting bored with our art. Our need for spontaneity and discovery are healthy and an essential part of our art but how do we balance that with our desire for a consistent style? Our art practice parallels romantic relationships. In your art, are you “playing the field” or in a committed, long-term relationship? In a healthy relationship, there is devotion and safety balanced with the need for growth and new adventures. This balance of predictability and novelty is the essence of the principle of repetition with variation. Constantly chasing completely new things prevents us from developing the depth that comes with devotion.
In doing a series you are utilizing the design principles unity and variety. One design strategy that we use as artists is repetition with variation. We will use it not just in an individual piece, but across the series as a whole. We want to repeat and reuse certain elements to create unity and harmony and we want to have variety in how we reuse those elements to avoid monotony and boredom.
You will decide how much unity and how much variety is right for your process and inspiration. It’s a meaningful choice you make when deciding that balance. Some things might be identical across the series. Other things will be repeated, but not in every piece.
Repetition with variation is for more than the look, design and composition of your piece. It is also what you will be doing with your subject. As you revisit your subject in each piece, what else can you explore about it? What will you keep the same? What will you vary? You don’t need to know that in advance - it’s the point of doing the series, to find the answers to that.
One easy way to create cohesiveness across your series is by focusing on what you love and want to keep doing in your art. We feel a little guilty when we want to do the same things over and over, like we are supposed to do something totally new each time. It doesn’t make complete sense really - there is theat contradiction - we want a recognizable style, so we have to repeat something, but if we repeat what we enjoy we feel like we are being indulgent or unoriginal.
Be honest, and frankly, selfish about what you want in your art and the way you work. When we feel blocked or insecure about what we like, we risk becoming reliant on what others want in art. Strive to ignore their opinion - don’t let people (past or present) try to change you into making art THEY want. This isn’t an MFA program, and I’m not here to help you make your work more commercially viable. If you want to “make six figures from your art!” I’m not the coach for you.
We’re making our life’s work here, not products. I don’t think any of us are on the cutting edge trying to define what art is and can be. Our power and contribution as artists comes from using art in a way that makes sense in our lived experience - that is what will build connection with others. Through our art we speak to the collective experience of our times, and you in your corner of life have something to contribute. You contribute the most when you are able to clear all the BS and make art that satisfies you first. Focus on what you truly love and want to explore more deeply. Do indulge your curiosities and loves, just not all of them at once! Set honest creative limits that you can devote yourself to.
If you find you are repeating things more like a bad habit or because you are blocked, or you can’t connect with the art you’re making that is something to notice and get help with. Otherwise, love what you love, and let your interests lead you!
Today we are going to focus on the materials your art will be made from. Later on we will look at techniques, design, subject and theme. For today we will just focus on the materials aspects. You’ll decide whether you will use your materials to create cohesiveness, or if you want to explore and vary your choices of materials. If this is your first series, keep super simple and don’t introduce a lot of variation. Keep all the artworks the same standard size, shape, orientation, and all the same medium and substrate.
If you plan on selling your work and need to transport or ship them, pick a standard size and shape to simplify that process. Using standard dimensions (such as 18 x 24) makes framing, matting and shipping easier, especially if all the pieces are the same. If all the pieces are different shapes, sizes and materials it introduces a lot of complexity - make sure it is worth it and really necessary.
Go to the Insight Inventory Workbook and complete the Day 2 exercises. By the end you’ll know exactly what your art will be made of creating a strong foundation your series will be built on.
Go to Activity
In doing a series you are utilizing the design principles unity and variety. One design strategy that we use as artists is repetition with variation. We will use it not just in an individual piece, but across the series as a whole. We want to repeat and reuse certain elements to create unity and harmony and we want to have variety in how we reuse those elements to avoid monotony and boredom.
You will decide how much unity and how much variety is right for your process and inspiration. It’s a meaningful choice you make when deciding that balance. Some things might be identical across the series. Other things will be repeated, but not in every piece.
Repetition with variation is for more than the look, design and composition of your piece. It is also what you will be doing with your subject. As you revisit your subject in each piece, what else can you explore about it? What will you keep the same? What will you vary? You don’t need to know that in advance - it’s the point of doing the series, to find the answers to that.
One easy way to create cohesiveness across your series is by focusing on what you love and want to keep doing in your art. We feel a little guilty when we want to do the same things over and over, like we are supposed to do something totally new each time. It doesn’t make complete sense really - there is theat contradiction - we want a recognizable style, so we have to repeat something, but if we repeat what we enjoy we feel like we are being indulgent or unoriginal.
Be honest, and frankly, selfish about what you want in your art and the way you work. When we feel blocked or insecure about what we like, we risk becoming reliant on what others want in art. Strive to ignore their opinion - don’t let people (past or present) try to change you into making art THEY want. This isn’t an MFA program, and I’m not here to help you make your work more commercially viable. If you want to “make six figures from your art!” I’m not the coach for you.
We’re making our life’s work here, not products. I don’t think any of us are on the cutting edge trying to define what art is and can be. Our power and contribution as artists comes from using art in a way that makes sense in our lived experience - that is what will build connection with others. Through our art we speak to the collective experience of our times, and you in your corner of life have something to contribute. You contribute the most when you are able to clear all the BS and make art that satisfies you first. Focus on what you truly love and want to explore more deeply. Do indulge your curiosities and loves, just not all of them at once! Set honest creative limits that you can devote yourself to.
If you find you are repeating things more like a bad habit or because you are blocked, or you can’t connect with the art you’re making that is something to notice and get help with. Otherwise, love what you love, and let your interests lead you!
Today we are going to focus on the materials your art will be made from. Later on we will look at techniques, design, subject and theme. For today we will just focus on the materials aspects. You’ll decide whether you will use your materials to create cohesiveness, or if you want to explore and vary your choices of materials. If this is your first series, keep super simple and don’t introduce a lot of variation. Keep all the artworks the same standard size, shape, orientation, and all the same medium and substrate.
If you plan on selling your work and need to transport or ship them, pick a standard size and shape to simplify that process. Using standard dimensions (such as 18 x 24) makes framing, matting and shipping easier, especially if all the pieces are the same. If all the pieces are different shapes, sizes and materials it introduces a lot of complexity - make sure it is worth it and really necessary.
Go to the Insight Inventory Workbook and complete the Day 2 exercises. By the end you’ll know exactly what your art will be made of creating a strong foundation your series will be built on.
Go to Activity