Working in Series - a Perennial Topic

Many of us tend to work in series, whether intentionally or not.  What I mean by 'series' is really just a group of piece that hang together in some way, be it thematically, or in terms of visual vocabulary or technique.  Here is a video I did a couple of years ago about beginning a series:

I am offering my Series As Process workshop at Madeline Island School of the Arts in July.  MISA is a new venue for me, and I am excited about it!  Northern Wisconsin in July, studios open 24 hours, and housing and meals on campus.  Sounds like the perfect retreat!  

This is the one I worked on in the video. The next three are subsequent pieces in the same series.

• Working in series allows you to explore ideas more thoroughly, give them some breathing room.
• Working in series gives you the opportunity to try out different solutions to visual “problems”, and explore multiple possibilities.
• Working in series gives your art practice focus and momentum.  Rather than face the blank canvas with too many possibilities to choose from, the parameters of your series create clarity of intention.
• By considering the series the basic unit of art making, you lose the preciousness of the individual piece, the fear of “ruining” it, which can keep you stuck.  Get un-stuck by working in multiples.
• Committing to a quantity of pieces allows you to push through blocks and discover new solutions.

Below are three more series:

This is an ongoing series of 4"x4" pieces which can be mounted in different configurations.

This is part of a series about edges, each is 12"x12"

A subset of the 4"x4" series I did a few years ago.

 

In this workshop we emphasize the series as a way to format your art practice, rather than a method of creating a group of finished pieces.   Get un-stuck, and give your work new focus and momentum.  It's FUN!