Shoes, shoes and more shoes. There’s nothing I’d rather do! No, seriously. Well, except every once in a while I like to throw in a canvas painting or pen drawing to keep my artistic spark alive. I’ve learned that I can experience burnout from my work if I don’t have variety in my projects. Burnout used to be a fear of mine, but I’m learning to attack it head-on by balancing my custom work with my personal work, where I come up with my own subject matter. Don’t get me wrong, I love my custom projects but I’ve found that I can only grow as an artist when I balance where I source my creativity - from a customer’s favorite sports team that he’d like on a pair of shoes to an afternoon at a local museum or a trip to Greece with a friend.
I’ve realized that immersing myself in the art around me, wherever I am, is the key to this creative balance I’m striving for. It’s a blessing to move and travel a lot - I’m able to see the depths of God’s beautiful creation! I’ve seen amazing landscapes from the fiery Pacific sunsets to the majestic rocks of Sedona to the fluffy cherry blossoms of Washington, DC - and I’m trying to capture it all through my artwork.
When I moved back to DC in the spring, I returned to the National Gallery of Art for some inspiration. I was just as amazed as the first time I went years ago. The sheer size of the paintings combined with the level of detail left me in awe. I loved the hyper-realistic paintings of famous national landmarks, like Niagara Falls and Yellowstone National Park. I was only able to see half of what the museum had to offer in one afternoon. I was overwhelmed in many ways, but I loved the feeling of being surrounded by row after row of awe-inspiring paintings. Perhaps this is why I’ve been into landscapes lately. I hope to immerse myself in the DC art culture, and I hope to do the same in all my future homes, wherever they may be.
I have lots of things to balance right now and places to apply such inspiration: I have an Instagram ~ @artbylindsayhuff ~ and a website with a portfolio, shop, and blog, which I try to continuously update. I’m not perfect at it, but I try to let the online world know what I’m up to each week. Something simple I’ve enjoyed lately is adding “today’s palette” stories for my Instagram audience, which offers a glimpse into my daily routine and weekly projects through a colorful and textured visual. Perhaps I could create more posts like this and make them interactive, where I pose a question of the week or ask for advice on what subject matter to paint next. Speaking of, what would you like to see me paint? Leave a comment below! And as always, stay tuned for more of my artistic adventures. I’m excited for what’s to come!
