Documenting Artwork and Inventory Links

Post number four in this series. 

Learning about documenting artwork and applying what I learn to my own art continues. As I move forward with this it seems to me that providing links to the articles I find most helpful and reflecting upon that will be more helpful to others than me reinventing the wheel. It is also apparent that this series is better spaced out further. (The actual documentation takes time. More time than one would think.) So from here on out the Documenting Your Artwork series will post on the first Monday of the month. The Writing About Your Art series will remain the same.

Today's great find is GYST (Get Your Sh*t Together), a wonderful resource for artists about the business of art. While there are plenty of fine articles, the two that stand out as most pertinent for documenting your artwork are:

Documentation
https://www.gyst-ink.com/documentation/

and

Artwork Inventory
https://www.gyst-ink.com/artwork-inventory/


The Documentation article has plenty of good information about the visual documenting of artwork. This is particularly helpful to those who are planning to apply for publication, exhibitions, etc. I found the additional tips section had plenty to think about.

As a mixed media artist, I took note that labeling my work simply as mixed media is not very helpful for documenting purposes.

My big take away?

Document very soon after creating your piece. My latest piece includes a strip of plastic that came from the soba noodles I cooked for dinner one night, but it looks like washi tape. The likelihood that I will remember that in years to come is... questionable. The piece I finished the day before yesterday is still fresh enough in my memory that I can jot down the full list of materials.

Here's a picture of a fraction of the items I might use in a piece:

A fraction of the items I might use in a mixed media piece. 

What you see here is gelli print on deli paper, caught color on a piece of packing paper from a fragile purchase, stamps on tissue paper, a yellow, paper crown rescued from a cracker imported from England, a fortune cookie fortune, a prismacolor marker, a Stabilo pencil, two Sakura gel pens, a homemade stencil made from a pasta box, acrylic paint, liquid pearls, washi tape, embroidery floss, lace dyed with ink, and a Stays On stamp pad. 

Do you see how it would be hard to remember all of that later? 

As for the Artwork Inventory article, there's a lot of good information for me to chew on. Honestly, they got me in the first paragraph.  

Inventory number. As a librarian I have been used to ISBN (International Standard Book Number) numbers, Library of Congress numbers, barcodes and call numbers. So many numbers. So many ways to keep track of information, index it, retrieve it, sort it, and sometimes simply play with it. I've also been used to keeping data, tracking circulation, numbers of patrons checking in, checking out, renewing, over dues, collection age, collection value, collection circulation, etc. I am used to keeping this kind of information. 

And yet it never occurred to me to give my work an inventory number, much less assign numbers which would provide information. This is another task for me to consider and employ. Watch that google doc I posted, it just might have a few additions. 

Let me know what you think of these articles and the ideas. Were they helpful to you? Was any of the information new to you? 

Have Journal Will Travel

It seems that the majority of my arting has been done on the go. While I continue to try to get my art desk under control, I haven't spent much time at it. So I'm getting pretty good at creating wherever I am and in mini-bursts. More often than not, time at my art desk is focused on preparing materials to be made on the go.

Last pocketbook buying trip was focused on getting a bag that could not hold the kitchen sink. Naturally, it has become apparent that if it can be stuffed to overflowing it will be. There is space for a sandwich sized zip-lock bag with two mini books and a handful of gel pens. The mini-books have already had a layer of collage or paint and now it is time for embellishment.

Another bag is stuffed with a host of materials for collage, a variety of art pens and water soluble crayons. This bag is taken when there is any suspicion that the day will have down moments or even a visit to a tea or coffee establishment. 

You may have noticed that I have a favorite tea shop to work in. Kung fu Tea in Providence, Rhode Island is my new favorite journaling spot. I go there whenever I have a chance (which isn't nearly often enough.) I love the environment and Oolong Milk Tea is nothing short of ambrosial. 

I still love journaling in Starbucks. I'm plenty happy pasting layers and adding pen in the car. 

Lately I have found that our nearby hospital has a lovely waiting room where I spent some time  while waiting for a family member's tests. Pages were completed there. Callous you say? Art journal pages are a great way to process the feelings you are having whether they are fear, joy or confusion. Art journaling eased my worry and helped me to be more present for others. I'd say that is a win all around. 

I've also discovered over the past few months that I have gravitated to posting on instagram. It suits the out and about nature of my days. Actually it was through instagram that I was inspired to get serious about making art on the go. Jogatheringwild regularly creates art in her car before work. This inspired me to really get started. Check her out. 

What are your favorite tools for art on the go? How do you manage fitting art making into your routine? 

17/100

I am always over enthusiastic about how much I can fit into my life. So when I saw The 100 Project and noticed many interesting people signing on to the party on Instagram I jumped in. I'm not keeping up with the pack, that's for sure. But I made more art than I would have unprompted and I'll call that a win. If you are on Instagram check out #the100dayproject. 
My hashtag is #100daysofbookingit

 The first few books I made were made of one piece of paper. The background fun began on the full sheet. It was then folded and cut so that it would form a book with 8 pages. You might think of it as a greeting card with a lot of pages, a pamphlet or a sparse book - your choice. 

Yes, there's plenty of pink. Why wouldn't there be?

The layout possibilities are endless.

Here's a peek at several I've made. The one on the top includes a fortune cookie fortune that I've held on to for a while. 

The uncharacteristic shock of green in this one makes me smile. Nevertheless pink reigns front and center. 

Perhaps I'll post some more of these. I lost my momentum as Spring appeared. Seasonal allergies, end of the school year (how will I finish everything in time?) and other projects have been a pull at my time, but I hope to get back into the swing of things when we break for Summer. There will be work to do, curriculum to work on, but I think there will be a few more hours for paint.

How is Spring treating you? What delights you these days? Hope to be in touch.

Those days

Some days are for finishing, for forging ahead, for executing visions with paper, pencil and paint. Other days are for starting. 

Today I am thinking ahead. Preparing pages for those days...the bleak and barren ones...the days that there is little energy left and deciding to give up would take but a moment. Those days are days I would not like to loose momentum. I would not like to pass the day without creativity. Yet on days such as those there is not a shred of inspiration, motivation or drive. Those are days that I can pull out a sketchbook with some colorful ink or paint or paper already installed. 

A page that seems begun is a resting place. A place to feel peace. It is a place I can go and stay for a moment until I can see the hint of a shape, the breath of a life. On such days I can pick up a marker or a gel pen (have you heard how I love them?) and add a hint of this and a sparkle of that. Those are the days for such tools. 

On days such as those I will be glad that today I chose to spread ink for future happiness. Storing away the color and the warmth for a day less blessed. Today I felt like banking the colors and inspiration I could feel and invest it for a future which needs this color. Which needs the vibrancy of me on this day. So some day I will look at these backgrounds and see the love that pours through me on to the page and into the blogosphere. 

That day I will be happy I had today. 

Every Day

Sometimes it's increments of the smallest measure. Sometimes it's bigger. Sometimes it's grand. 

A few dots. Several lines. Once started the gel pen moves almost on it's own. Just a few minutes is enough to keep the momentum.