8th Annual Square Foot Show

The Bismarck Art & Galleries Association 

August 6-30, 2019

The featured image of this blog post is the two pieces I entered into the 8th Annual Square Foot Show sponsored by the Bismarck Art & Galleries Association.  This is the fifth Square Foot Show that I have participated in.  But this is the first time I have shared my work for the exhibit in a blog post.

Sometimes getting an idea isn’t the hard part.  Sometimes it is getting the idea out.  The pieces that I sent to the Bismarck Art & Galleries Association for the Square Foot show were not my original idea.  I had shared my original idea with a friend who is usually very supportive.  Only this time, this person ripped my idea apart and was pretty harsh.  My friend called my idea trite and predictable.  Those words killed my idea.  No matter how hard I tried to resurrect it or tweak the idea so I could use it the words trite and predictable made it impossible to complete.

How do you recover when someone you trust torpedoes your idea?  I know that sometimes when I suffer a creative loss it is hard to get back to work.  In this case, I had a deadline that I had to meet.  One thing that helps me get ideas is to go through my paper collection.  Once again it worked its magic and I got a new idea.

The above photo has the paint and paper that inspired the piece, “Wild Flower Dreams.”  Below is the completed piece.

Sometimes we have to hold onto an idea and keep it just for ourselves until we can get it onto the canvas, write out the story, compose the song or whatever creative work that you do.  Sometimes by sharing an idea too soon, if we get critical feedback, it kills the idea and makes the work harder to do.  But by holding that idea until it has grown into something strong and immune to criticism, we will be able to complete the artwork or creative work regardless of what anyone says.

Above is the paper and materials that inspired the artwork  “Autumn Winds Remember.” Below is the completed painting.

Although I initially struggled, I am quite proud of the two pieces of artwork that I completed and sent to the Bismarck Art & Galleries Association for the 8th Annual Square Foot Show.

If you just happen to be in Bismarck, North Dakota between August 6th through the 30th of 2019, I highly recommend checking out the this exhibit.  Artists from across the United States participate and there is a wide variety of artwork to view.