Working in a 12 x 12 Structure

On Thursday night, I went to a reception for the 12 x 12 show at ArtServe.  It's a cool show for artists:  the regulations stipulate that every work must be 12 x 12, but that's the only major limitation.

So, a maker of jewelry could create something and affix it to a canvas or a shadowbox.  Below, in the upper right, you'll see just such an approach:

We saw several interesting pieces carved out of wood:

And there were interesting assemblages made out of all sorts of castaway stuff:

Most of the entries were paintings, along with some photography:

I don't have a picture of the fiber piece that made me say, "Oh good heavens, I could do better than this."  But that response made me think seriously about taking up that challenge.

What would happen if I made a 12 x 12 creation each month?  At the end of a year, I could choose the best and enter the competition.  You get to enter 3 works for $60.  Each work is priced at $200, and the artist keeps $150 of that.  Obviously, the risk is that no one would buy the work.  But you'd only have to sell one piece to pay for the fee and the materials and make some money.

It makes me feel inspired.  It makes me want to break out my art supplies, diminished as they are.  Let me see what emerges in the coming year.