One of my hobbies is painting. When I do it, I really enjoy it. But it's expensive, time consuming, and takes up quite a bit of space. I'm just not entirely sure what to do with this one.
I decided to try to dedicate more time to it for awhile. A couple of my friends have asked me to create pieces for their homes, so I'm going do do that and then reevaluate in a few months.
Do you have any hobbies that you really love, but just don't have time or space for? What are you thinking about doing?
Brain, go digital. Get Corel's Painter 11 and a Wacom Intuos tablet or one of the less expensive Wacom ones if the Intuos is too expensive.
No mess, no smell, no cleanup, and you have a zillion more options. You can have a printer print out a file on canvas or watercolor paper suitable for framing. There are cheaper art programs out there but if you really want to replicate painting, plus some, go for Painter. It's
the benchmark program.
I ditched all my art supplies except a few pastels and small box of watercolors which I've kept mostly for sentimental reasons.
Go to the Corel website and check out what's being done. Look at the art of Jeremy Sutton which should be there, and he's also got stuff on YouTube. Will give you an idea of what can be done and how it works.
Your whole art studio sits inside your Mac (or windows). How much more minimal than that can you get?
You can paint in Photoshop, too, but Painter offers more for straight painting.
Thanks for the suggestion, Lilliane.
I do have an Intuos that I use for photo retouching, and I've used it occasionally for creating paintings on my desktop. There's just something different about putting actual paint on actual canvas that I just can't get past.
LOL, I sound just like the people who tell me that my Kindle isn't like reading a physical book.
But you're absolutely right that it would solve the problem. And it's certainly better than giving it up altogether.
Brian, I've been crocheting since I was a little girl. I have baskets and baskets of yarn and approximately one jillion lost crochet hooks. I used to crochet with my mother, and still might, but in the last couple of years, I haven't crocheted much at all. I'm thinking about ditching all of my crochet supplies altogether---that'd free up a half-closet of space--but I have so many warm memories and vague hopes associated with the stash that it'd be pretty tough on me. On the other hand, if I were to get rid of all of my old skeins of yarn and never-completed projects, that'd give me a chance to buy new, interesting supplies when I start again in the future. So, I dunno. I'm thinking about it--I'm sure there are lots of half-measures I could take as well.
I paint too. Just yesterday my husband started working on turning our office closet into a art place for me. He is putting a work surface with shelves above. I can hardly wait! The closet is only 8' X 2.5", not big but I think big enough and I can close the doors when I'm not using it.
Brian, You'd get used to it. At least you've already got the Intuos. I assume you have photoshop? Play with the brushes in photoshop first. You can download Painter free for 30 days so you don't have to make an instant commitment.
It's sort of like driving a new car? Painter's brushes act much more like real brushes in feel as well as movement. Plus with layers you have much more freedom. No more scraping off canvases, or parts of, with palette knives, etc.
I briefly got into Stampin' Up for card making (scrapbooking was too much of a commitment, lol). I bought TONS of stamp sets, and paper, and ink, and..... Then last March I just stopped. I didn't make anything for several months. I moved in May, brought my stuff with me. At my house, I had it all out on a desk where I could easily get to it. At my apartment, I didn't have the space for that (smaller desk) so it all went in the closet. I still never used it. So, I gave it all to my mom, who scrapbooks and has a bunch of stamp stuff as well. I told her if she doesn't want it to get rid of it.
Every once in a while I get the itch to make a card for someone, but it's so rare, and the supplies take up so much space, I don't think I'll ever go back to it. Too much space and too much money spent on stamp supplies. I'm happeir not having it cluttering up my space, and not spending the money on stamp sets I JUST HAVE TO HAVE but then never used.
Oh, jsights. I hear you; I hear you *so clearly*.
Painting digitally can produce some great stuff, but it's very different than painting with real paints. If he likes creating art, that might be an option, but if he likes painting, I don't think it is.
My problem is that I have too many hobbies. So I don't have time to give them all the attention I'd like to, and I have that much more equipment/supplies taking up space.
But I love them all and don't want to give them up. :(
jsights and Ava Lind - I'm hearing you both! I used to make beautiful cards and there is no reason at all why I stopped. I just did. The expensive rubber stamping supplies caused me guilt for years, then recently I gave almost everything to a friend's young daughter, who was ecstatic.
My sort of compromise is that I've kept a very small selection of coloured card and some white card blanks, and now when I come by a nice picture that could be used to make a card, I put it in my very small box of supplies. When I've got four or five pictures, I make the cards. All I need is scissors and tape, and possibly a ruler, and four or five nice cards emerge. They're not as impressive as my former masterpieces, but my life has changed and I'm learning to be happy with less than perfect. I'm sure you'll agree that a really good picture double mounted on appropriate coloured card/paper can look really effective. Before I always felt like I ought to use the expensive stamping supplies, but because it was such a big deal to get it all out and clear up later, I just didn't begin and ended up buying cards. My new method is so easy and simple and GOOD ENOUGH!!!!
I think it possibly could be the same with the painting - could you compromise in some way to make it less expensive and time-consuming? I certainly think it's worth looking at the digital options, but if you want the feel of real paint on real canvas, could you go smaller, or stick to one medium? I'm not a painter, but I can understand the appeal of the real thing.
I have been toying with the idea of learning to sew. I have never been crafty AT ALL so the fact that I'm considering this is a little out of the ordinary. I like the idea of choosing my own fabric for things like throw pillows, curtains, tablecloths, napkins, etc. and being able to change things out seasonally. I hesitate though because of the investment of time, space, money and all the supplies it would bring into my home. I can't decide if I think I would really do it or if I just like the "idea" of doing it. Anybody have experience with this? Most of the people I know that sew or knit have been doing it forever. I don't know anyone that just took it up all of a sudden and stuck with it.
ExpatTX - I've found that it really helps to have a "support group" - a group of other people interested in the same hobby who can give you pointers and ideas or teach it. If you meet regularly, say weekly or fortnightly, you may be more encouraged to invest time in the activity between those meetings.
This has applied for me regardless of the hobby (learning the saxophone, quilting, album-making - all of which I took up as an adult). When I move, I tend to not spend time on those activities until I find another "support group".
While I wait for existing things to come out of storage following a move I will at times dabble in some other craft activity but they generally don't last. I've also learnt enough to only buy a few things, not buy loads of supplies that will just get given away / tossed when I next move if not before. I'm currently paring down my craft supplies in anticipation of another move in a month's time.
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