2011 resolutions/2010 resolutions review

Happy January 1 of 2011!

NB: This digital photo-based image has nothing to do with the post. I just like it.

So...I thought I'd make the first post of 2011 a little look back and a little look forward. Last year, I posted ya-say-ya-wanna-resolution and included my list of resolutions or intentions. The latter might be the better word.

These are the art-practice intentions from last year. Let's see how I did.

• be kinder to my brushes  
• A+  for improvement, not perfection. I've had a few relapses, but I have been cleaning the brushes and CONDITIONING them.
  
• listen to my own voice    
• B+  for the effort, but still sometimes a struggle. Got to get rid of the extraneous voices in my head.
  
• spend more time looking, just looking 
• B   2010 started out with lots of that but sometimes I just forget to look.
  
• trust the process  
• A   but it's a qualified A. I think I have stopped trying to make things happen. Mostly.
  
• get better at knowing when to put the brush down and say it's done 
• B-  Arrgh. 'nough said?
  
• take more chances
• A+ One of my little victories for the year. In the studio.
  
• let the damned paint dry  
• A-  Getting better all the time.
  
• keep my studio a little neater  
• deferred
  
• be unafraid  
• A++!!! Big leap in 2010!!!!

And now, intentions for 2011. Keep doing what I'm doing that's working. These are the areas for improvement.

• listen to my own voice
• spend more time looking. just looking.
• get better at putting the brush down
• that cleaning the studio thing

New for 2011:

• get out of the studio more and be among the living
• update my inventory of paintings
• update my mailing list
• update my website
• update portfolio
• get the work out there

We'll see how this goes...

So, as I did with the 2010 post, I now invite you to share your intentions, resolutions, promises to self, etc. for your art practice in 2011...