Waxing Poetic

Waxing Poetic • 2011 • 5in x 5 in

Oil paint and Encaustic in a cradled wooden panel with embedded handmade paper

On exhibit at Kendal at Oberlin until May 9th, 2012

Meadowlark

Meadowlark • Oil on Canvas • 2011

On Exhibit at Kendal at Oberlin until May 9th

Process Pictures after the Jump

You are Invited!

I am thrilled to invite you to the opening night of my two-person gallery show at BayArts: Small Good Things.

For this show, ceramicist Sue Kirchgessner and I spent a year developing artwork that reminds us of summer. I created realistic figurative paintings in oil paint and encaustic (beeswax) and floral mixed media pieces that have glowing, gilded accents. Sue made functional ceramic lanterns and beautiful tableware covered in elaborate nature vignettes. The resulting body of work is both playful and powerful and we can't wait to share it with you. Please come celebrate with us.

Friday, February 10th 2012 • 7 to 9 pm
BayArts is located within Huntington park
28795 Lake Road • Bay Village, Ohio 44140
440-871-6543

"Small Good things" will be on display until March 3rd.

An artist talk will follow on Sunday, February 19th 2012 at 2 pm.
Preview our work at http://potteryandpaint.blogspot.com/.

Hope to see you there!

Art Club

Home Sweet Home!

Cleveland is an incredible city to live in if you are an artist. It is large enough to have several thriving art districts and small enough that a newcomer can have a shot of showing in one. More importantly, the people here are amazing. I am constantly blown away by their talent, warmth, and camaraderie and the way that they welcomed me in with open arms. There is a feeling of "we're all in this together" unique to rust-belt cities. It's something special and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Once a month, I attend Group Therapy Art Club at a local wine bar. There, both amateurs and professionals alike come together to talk about what it means to be an artist. We also draw too, but that really isn't the point. As it turns out, we all have the same thoughts, neuroses, insecurities and awe over what we do. Discovering this and having a group available to talk through tough issues has made me a better artist and person.

Here are a few things I've learned:

• The only competition that matters is the one against yourself
• Artist need other artists to thrive
• It is destructive - on many levels - if an artist stops making art
• Everyone has something to teach; Everyone has something to learn
• It is OK to have multiple artistic identities
• Artists in a group have more power that an artist alone
• It is important to help others succeed

Many of these were not easy concepts for me to come to. Like other artists in this incredibly subjective and visible field, I have a problem with competition. Keeping myself positive, supportive of others, and competitively neutral is a challenge and I am happy to have a group of peers that understand that in me and help me work toward my goals.

When recent art school grads ask me for advice, this message always comes first: Find a Community. I will say more on these sacred words in future posts, but the essence of the concept is this: we are all in this together. I am thrilled and lucky to have found my community. Cleveland Rocks!

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Here are a few amazing Cleveland art communites:

• Dr. Sketchy Cleveland (my peeps!)
• Sunday Art Club
• the Rust Belt Monster Collective (my amazing weekly sketch club)
• BayArts
• the Beck Center
• Murray Hill Drawing Group
• the Pretentious Artists of the Literary Cafe

15 minutes

A Serious Artist

I am a VERY busy artist. I do freelance work and commissions, create collections for gallery shows, and teach. Oh, and I also work a full-time job. On the best days, I am on a creative high - delighted to have opportunities to do what I love. On most days, I am overwhelmed and exhausted. Or... at least I was until art marketing consultant Alison B. Stanfield gave me some very good advice:

"Spend just 15 minutes a day checking in with your art."

It is a beautiful idea. Suddenly it is OK to work just 15 minutes a night on your art as long as you do it each and every night. Of course this is not a way to make an entire show or career, but it gives permission for those nights when all you can contribute is 15 minutes. As one who can get overwhelmed by big tasks, this advice is priceless!

In a recent blog post, Gretchen Rubin of "the Happiness Project" fame, also recommends a 15 minute schedule. When facing a seemingly insurmountable task, she tells herself to, "suffer for 15 minutes". Eventually, the job gets done. (Please see that blog post here). As she says, we often underestimate how much we can get done in the short term. So go out there and take advantage of that time!

The 15 minutes can be spent any way you choose as long as it relates to your artwork. For me, this includes anything from creating artwork to marketing to reading art books. It does not include internet time (unless I am researching something specific) but can include blogging time. Usually, the time limit is just the catalyst I need to get my butt in the studio and I end working for longer. However, if I need to stop, I NEED to stop - and that is perfectly OK!

Tonight, my 15 minutes will be spent on sending artwork photos to the gallery for a press release. Did I mention that I have a gallery show opening in almost EXACTLY a month? No? Oh! I have a gallery show opening in a month. Time to get back to work!

One Month to SHOW TIME! Hope to see you there :)

New Year - New Blog

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." - Rumi

Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to my new corner of the internet. I am Erin Schechtman - professional illustrator and product designer by day; art teacher and fine artist extraordinaire by night.

2011 was an important year for me for a number of reasons. This was the year that I started teaching, joined an inspiring art club, and created bodies of work for 3 shows. Through these experiences and others, I have learned a lot about myself and how I make art. Part of that is the discovery that I need to share those lessons.

So, without further ado, I am thrilled to introduce you to my brand new blog, Erin in ArtLand.

This will be my attempt to catalog all of my teaching tools, artistic insights, successes and failings, and the general joy (and often misery) of creating. I LOVE what I do and its time to tell everyone.

In this blog, we will get into the nitty gritty of technical art skills, but we'll also talk about the emotional roller-coaster we jumped when we decided to become artists. I might not post everyday, but expect to see something from me at least once a week. Please join me on this crazy, crazy journey.

Anyway, I'll be seeing you soon - I've got a painting to finish first.