December 2021
What's Your Story?
Getting your unique message out into the world is more important than ever with so many places calling on you to share your intentions, your history, and your work. Your artist statement explains to the viewer what makes your work yours, what sets your work apart, and what makes you different from everyone else—even from artists whose work is similar. 

You need a statement on your website, for social media, when giving a talk, being interviewed on a podcast, requesting funding, or showing your artwork at an exhibition. Even if you are happy with your current artist statement, you and your work are always evolving, growing, and changing and your statement should evolve along with you.  
  
An artist statement invites the viewer to look closer and re-examine first impressions. You, the artist, talking and writing about your work, are in a position to provide language that shapes perception. If you have spent time in the contemporary art world you know that art can be hard to understand even for experienced artists. Your words can help your audience “see” and give them a compelling reason to look closer.
Your art reflects your unique point of view, life experiences, identity, values, and what matters to you. What you create is part of your DNA and there will never be anyone else on earth exactly like you. Your choice of style, skill, subject matter, and medium is yours alone. Your artist statement is an opportunity for you to connect with your audience and convey what you do and who you are as an artist.

Begin your writing process by defining your audience. Who are you writing for?; someone who might buy your art? art show judges? social media? sponsors? museum boards? teachers? students?
How:
How did you make this?
How did you use the medium or combine mediums?
How did you physically engage with the creation?
How is it constructed?
How are you uniquely presenting the subject?
How did accidents or discoveries lead you to the finished work?

What:
What is the viewer looking at?
What is it made of?
What was your process?
What does it represent?
What are you investigating?
What was the initial inspiration?
What could you say that would encourage looking closer?

Why:
What do you believe in?
What belief are you investigating?
How does personal belief/viewpoint/conviction come through your art?
What emotion was primary while you made this artwork?

I highly recommend consulting the book “Art-Write” by Vicki Krohn Amorose for her many sample sentences, jump-off questions, and sage advice. I featured several of her ideas here. She suggests that after you write your first draft, you should ask yourself the questions below and then re-write and revise your work again:

Do my words explain what people are seeing?
Is there a sentence I could translate from “artspeak” to plain language?
Is this the truth?
Do I fully understand what I wrote?
What words might create a better understanding for the reader?
What is my tone? Am I boring myself?
What can I eliminate to be more concise?
Does my statement encourage closer examination of the artwork?
Only you can write your artist statement. Your art reflects your unique point of view, life experiences, identity, values, and what matters to you - you deserve to be heard.  Your artist statement explains to the viewer what makes your work yours, what sets your work apart, and what makes you different from everyone else—even from artists whose work is similar.  

If you would like to delve more deeply into your own inner questions and clarify your thoughts as you create an artist statement for your website, a gallery show, a sponsor, or another project, please reach out, and let’s talk. I have helped many students write compelling statements for AP Art, college applications, and competitions.

Finally, I would like to thank you for co-creating this wonderful year with me. Creativity, change, challenge, and flow showed up in many unexpected and interesting ways. I certainly learned a lot, grew a lot, and tried many new things this year and I hope you did too. I anticipate that we will get to co-create new and wonderful art in 2022. I hope you will join me in my new Thursday evening live group class, my new artist roundtable, my Dinner in Gold, and that you will sign up for upcoming art adventures, workshops, and fun.  

I am here to support you in your artistic evolution. I invite you to allow me to lovingly guide, and accompany you in your artistic growth.
 
With light and delight, 
Susan Convery
P.S. If you didn't get the chance to download your free gift from me: Here is my "Inner Artist Inspiration Package" - a series of illustrated quotes in watercolor based on flower photos taken by family and friends.
Quote:
We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled.
The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over
and
let the beautiful stuff out.
- Ray Bradbury

December Events
Dinner in Gold:
This is our final art adventure for 2021! 

I look forward to welcoming you to my home in Plantation, FL From 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm on

Saturday, December 11, 2021,

for a seasonal celebration of art, food, conversation, and creativity!! We will dress in golden finery and dine on an elegant three-course meal prepared by chef Jack Foltz. 

The menu has not been finalized yet, but I promise you are in for a treat.

The party will be limited to the first 6 guests who sign up using this link on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dinner-in-gold-tickets-216014734887
 
We will eat and discuss the film The Woman in Gold (available on Amazon Prime) along with many other entertaining subjects. 

Please bring a golden ornament for a gift swap at the end of the evening.
 
The cost is $35 per person and if you would like an alcoholic beverage please bring your own.

Please email me with any dietary requirements or limitations.
 
I hope you can join me.
What to See:
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
N0vember 12 – January 2, 2022
6 to 10 pm 7 days/week.

Every night when darkness falls Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden transforms itself into...


an enchanted, illuminated experience full of fantasy and wonderment – where things like the Wise Talking Tree, Archimedes, and Flying Fairies come to life.

Lights of all colors paint the trees and paths. Images of animals and planets appear out of nowhere and then vanish. The colored lights made the gardens appear to be living abstract art.

Activations for the 2021 NightGarden include The Fairy Fog Bubbles, The Bailey Bar, The Spinning Sculptures, Growing Beyond Earth, Innovation Studio, Archie’s Grove, The Conservatory, The Fantastic Children’s Garden, SoFlow SNOW, The Suken Spirit, Butterfly Blvd, Tube Alley, The Savory Circle, and The Rainbow Forest. 

After being canceled in 2020, this holiday tradition returned for the 2021 season, and I couldn’t be happier! It was crowded but beautiful, imaginative, and inspiring and the full moon enhanced the magic!
Art Basel - Art Adventure
Art Basel - Miami Beach 
Saturday, December 4th from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm


Interested in attending this year’s Art Basel in Miami Beach? Art Basel is a world-class art experience, where museum-quality art is offered for sale and you can experience everything that is happening in contemporary art.

Get your ticket and we can ride together from my house and back again at the end of the day. There is a great selection of restaurants within the venue so we will not need to venture outside for food.

Please email me right away if this is something that would interest you. The group will be limited to 3 people (plus me ) so we can all fit in my car. I have parking reserved 3 blocks from the Convention Center.
Coming in January 2022
Artists Roundtable
The Cr8V Soul Artist book club is metamorphosing into the Cr8V Soul Artist round table. 

Starting on January 10th and then on the second Monday of every month Lark Keeler and I will lead a deep dive discussion of an art topic that we find fascinating and want to share with you

We will critique and analyze important paintings, discuss artists and artwork being shown in our area, read and talk about new discoveries in the art world, things we’ve seen, what inspires us, what puzzles us, and more. Every month will be something different.

You are invited to join our discussion. No research required - just an open mind and a desire to share your thoughts and opinions.

Topics will be posted on my website and in my newsletters. Our discussions will be held over Zoom from the comfort of your own home in whichever part of the world you find yourself.
Thursday Adult Group Class:
Live and In-Person!!

Many of you have reached out to me asking when I will be offering adult group classes. The time is now! Starting January 4, 2022, I will be hosting a group class in my home studio in Plantation. 

We will meet every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

No experience is required and this group will be limited to 6 people. (If enough of you are interested I will open up a second class on another day.)

Whether your goal is to improve in drawing, portraiture, composition, watercolor, oil, or acrylic, the experience will be enjoyable and fun. You will feel nurtured and supported as you develop your ability to visually express your innermost world. You will benefit from the collegial group atmosphere and peer input on your artwork and ideas.

Everyone in our group class will be working on something different which may include different media, different subject matter, different goals, and different skill levels.

Each week we will begin class with feedback on work accomplished and you will have the opportunity to articulate your intentions, successes, and failures
 
The second part of the class will be devoted to supervised art creation and skill building with instant feedback and guidance.

There will be weekly prompts, guided lessons on technique, exercises, and reflections. For the first month, I will introduce confidence-building drawing and watercolor techniques.
 
Since everyone will be working independently, materials are not included. 

Please reach out to me if this sounds like fun to you

Details on pricing for this class are available on my website.
Private Lessons and Events
Master Classes for High School Students
Private, highly personalized classes in mastery for artistically-minded US & international students virtually on Zoom or in person at my home.

If you have a student who is a visual thinker, willing to push the boundaries of their own work, and serious about improving their options for college, I want to hear from you! Schedule a time to discuss how I can collaborate with you to build a portfolio that will give your student the greatest chance for success.

Art Workshops, Critiques & Presentations
Invite me to present or lead a workshop for your school, club or guild.

I can customize a program for your event or present my skills programs on composition, color theory, drawing faces, coordinating light/shadow or understanding the cues for depth. I am available for judging, confidence-building critiques and recorded tutorials.
 
Sketchbook Prompt:
Favorites Grid: Make a grid in your sketchbook. Lines of neat boxes outlined in black marker that are waiting to be filled. Create a theme for your page by thinking of your favorite breakfast foods, cars, book characters, hats, footwear, animal, or type of flower. Now draw a little thumbnail sketch in each box according to the theme. 
This happened in November:
I had the good fortune to participate in Joan Fullerton’s Gold Coast Watercolor Society workshop in November. 

Joan led us on a wildly expressive trek over 4 busy days of mixed media abstract painting.

There were 18 ladies from a variety of art backgrounds and experience levels. Joan’s fearless freedom on the canvas gave us permission to make big mistakes and experiment with our “usual” approach to art. 

By Friday, all participants had a body of work unique to their own style and “voice” that we were proud to show and share with everyone else. 

It felt really great to get outside my comfort zone and try something completely different. 

We had lots of fun with the enormous Gold Coast art supplies flea market (the proceeds provide low-income children a week of summer camp at Young at Art with all meals included) arranged by Tammy Seymour and everyone ended up buying lots of new art supplies to experiment with new colors and media for a very small investment. 

Thank you, Joan! Thank you Tammy and Jennifer for organizing this great event! More of this, please.
Workshop
sponsored by
The Gold Coast Watercolor Society

November 16 - 19, 2021
Fun with Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera
The Norton Museum of Art is hosting a glorious exhibition of Mexican Modernist Art collected by Jaques and Natasha Gelman. This is a fascinating collection of photos, paintings, sculptures, and clothing documenting this period in Mexican history. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are featured in lots of detail. I highly recommend a visit along with lunch. The restaurant at the Norton has a special Mexican menu in honor of the exhibition.

Subscription Information: You are receiving this email because you subscribed to my mailing list, downloaded a resource, purchased one of my products/programs, or opt-ed in some other way.
Thank you for being part of the Cr8V Soul Arts Tribe!

NOTE: Unsubscribing means you won't receive any more emails from me including information about your paid products and programs.