Creations: 1st Half of 2016

Creations: 1st Half of 2016

We are almost into June! That means that the first half of the year is almost over. In some ways I don’t like counting down or up throughout the year, always trying to get to the next big event. But in other ways it serves as a great way of checking in with ourselves to ask the simple but profound question:

Am I doing what I love?

I made a vow this year that I would not create unless I felt compelled in some way to do so. That means no more creating because I think I should be, or taking pictures because I need to keep up with social media, or to keep myself relevant. If it doesn’t serve me, I don’t spend my energy on it. I’ve learned, slowly, to value my energy – physically and mentally – so that it truly serves my greatest purpose rather than serving someone else. When we let ourselves be fulfilled, we can better serve others.

Looking at the images I’ve created so far this year (plus three that I can’t share yet!) I feel energized. I don’t think I’ve achieved all of what I wanted to do yet (for instance, creating a more vibrant color palette, and incorporating locations I’ve never seen before). I do see progression though, specifically in “Percussion” and the two images following, since they utilize techniques and visuals I have never tried before. There are some “old hat” images, like three underwater pictures, but that isn’t necessarily bad. Sometimes we as artists feel like if we aren’t changing (often confused with challenging) then we aren’t truly creating art – but to me, sometimes the things that make you happy stick with you, and there is no shame in manifesting that through your work.

How do you feel your portfolio is shaping up this year?
Do you see a clear progression or style emerging for your 2016 portfolio?
Are you creating as much or as little as you want?
Does what you create reflect who you are or does it reflect someone else – a client, peers, etc.?

If I had to describe my work so far this year in keywords I would say: interaction/motion, isolated colors, searching, self-portraiture, ambiance, whimsy, feminine. 

If I had to describe what I want my work to look like in keywords: dark, other-worldly, conceptual…so those are things to work on!

"Withdrawal", self-portrait, May 2016
“Withdrawal”, self-portrait, May 2016
"Vibrations", self-portrait, May 2016
“Vibrations”, self-portrait, May 2016
"Underground Discoveries", model Stephanie Perez, January 2016
“Underground Discoveries”, model Stephanie Perez, March 2016
"The Silence", self-portrait, March 2016
“The Silence”, self-portrait, March 2016
"Revolve", self-portrait, April 2016
“Revolve”, self-portrait, April 2016
"Pierced", self-portrait, March 2016
“Pierced”, self-portrait, March 2016
"Percussion", self-portrait, January 2016
“Percussion”, self-portrait, February 2016
"Mirage", self-portrait, April 2016
“Mirage”, self-portrait, April 2016
"Heavy Hands", model Jen Brook, May 2016
“Heavy Hands”, model Jen Brook, May 2016
"Fleeing, pt. 3", model Sara Silkin, April 2016
“Fleeing, pt. 3”, model Sara Silkin, April 2016
"Fleeing, pt. 2", model Sara Silkin, April 2016
“Fleeing, pt. 2”, model Sara Silkin, April 2016
"Fleeing, pt. 1", model Sara Silkin, April 2016
“Fleeing, pt. 1”, model Sara Silkin, April 2016
"Brittle", self-portrait, April 2016
“Brittle”, self-portrait, April 2016
"Breath", self-portrait, February 2016
“Breath”, self-portrait, February 2016
"Finding Your Place Among the Stars", self-portrait, May 2016
“Finding Your Place Among the Stars”, self-portrait, May 2016

 

All of my 2016 images are available as fine art prints and are represented by the galleries listed on my website. 

2016 Sizes/Editions:

10×10″, Edition of 4
20×20“, Edition of 3
40×40″, Edition of 2
50×50″, Edition of 1

6 thoughts on “Creations: 1st Half of 2016

  1. This is a very impressive set, considering this is only 2016 work!
    I think I am creating just as much as I like, so far the year has been going great. I have been going nuts creating ever since the 30 Days Challenge. Thanks! 🙂

    An as soon as my fortune comes, I am ordering every one of those prints! 🙂

  2. Your words ring so true in my thirsty soul. I’ve been doing a ton of images to build a suitable portfolio. Most of the time, I’m fine with the time and energy I put in because I love what I do and am energized with the motivation to get somewhere. I desperately want to share my images with as many people as possible. I’m actually on 6 different sharing platforms (Viewbug, Pixoto, ImageBrief, Flickr, YouPic and Facebook). While it can be overwhelming and time consuming, I keep thinking of my goals. Everyday, I review them, as well as my concept/inspiration journal. I’ve never wanted anything more than to be a true artist and while my formal training is so little and that affects my confidence, I know that with hard work, it could happen. I want it that bad! You are such a wonderful person and I can see myself in you (the compassion being the biggest similarity) and I have utilized it for the past 20 years in nursing but I want a change, I want to pursue something I’ve always loved but was too afraid to fail at. Keep up the fantastic journey- I will be watching and rooting you on every step of the way! I’m a great listener so if you ever need to talk, I’m here!

  3. Oh, AND… I also just dabbled with vibrant colors too! Just yesterday, I created a sunset/slight silhouette image! I actually kind of liked it!

  4. Always so inspiring!
    I have not produced anything this year. Not one thing. But I plan to change that here very soon.

  5. Hi, Brooke! ‘Percussion’ is my favorite out of yours 2016 pictures.

    This year I took approach to post more regularly. Previously I posted a picture along with the text and that all usually took much of time to release. So I tried to release some pictures with no text at all or with a small text (for instance, https://marininoart.wordpress.com/2016/04/19/1663/). But to be honest, I feel that I need to write more. It helps me to structuralize my thoughts, understand the world and myself better. I released 14 pictures so far. And here is my favorite from my 2016 images: https://marininoart.wordpress.com/2016/03/19/theatrical-drama/

    I think it is good idea to look back and find out whether you go along with your plans or not. I am not fully go long with them. Need to work on that this week.

    Have a nice day!

  6. It’s been a challenging year time wise. It’s flying by too quickly and trying to find time to create art and work on starting a photo business has been difficult. But the more I dive into it, the more I want to do it. So I guess it’s time to find time. I love your artwork, it is so inspiring and amazing from someone so young. You must have an old soul. 🙂

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