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Dear Subscribers,
Greetings!
I won 2nd place still life category in The Artist's Magazine 2012 Annual Competition.
Winners are in the December issue, on newsstands now.
 
Reminder: STUDIO Gallery's "Tiny" show begins this Thursday, with the opening reception on Sunday (11th).
I mentioned a failed still-life painting last week. The trend continued: this week I started and scraped out two more still-life paintings. That's three in a row. Damn. But I kept trusting the process. Creative speedbumps call for a workman-like mentality.
I knew that if I just kept grinding away, eventually I'd claw myself out of the funk.
THE PROFESSIONAL DOES NOT WAIT FOR INSPIRATION
We're all nothing without the Muse. But the pro has learned that the goddess prizes labor and dedication beyond any theatrical seeking of her favors. The professional does not wait for inspiration; he acts in anticipation of it.
He knows that when the Muse sees his butt in the chair, she will deliver.
(Stephen Pressfield, Turning Pro, p.99)
THE SUPREME VIRTUE
Someone once asked the Spartan king Leonidas to identify the supreme warrior virtue from which all others flowed. He replied: "Contempt for death."
For us as artists, read "failure." Contempt for failure is our cardinal virtue. By confining our attention territorially to our own thoughts and actions--in other words, to the work and its demands--we cut the earth from beneath the blue-painted, shield-banging, spear-brandishing foe.
(Stephen Pressfield, The War of Art, p.160)
Now I'm thankful for that shitty stretch. It pushed me into some different territory.
It was like pulling teeth, but eventually the Muse showed up and gave me an idea to get excited about.
New miniature!
The setup (Thank you Gabi for letting me borrow the awesome kettle):
First stage:
Next stage:
Next stage:
Next stage:
And the finished painting, "Pulling Teeth" (6x6):
(Click through the image above to Like it, Pin it, Tweet it.)
This mini will be available at the Schuler School of Fine Arts Holiday Exhibition.
I started a new figure painting. More on that next time.
Until next week,
David A. N. Cheifetz
www.davidcheifetz.com
Still-life Class Info
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