#20for20 Artist Spotlight: Shannon Colvin
Shannon Colvin had seen the #20for20ArtChallenge… but had never done ANY Challenge before. Despite a busy schedule, she decided to jump in. But as part of that jumping in, she was super intentional about how she designed her project. She built something that would work for the time she trusted she could make. And then she got some coffee and got to work.
How did you decide to approach the time side of the Challenge?
I knew that the month of the Challenge was going to be an extremely busy month for me. I was both traveling and preparing to host guests in my home.
I actually debated whether I should even attempt the challenge. I had never done one before, and I worried that it might be overwhelming.
Considering all of these factors, I chose to work first thing in the morning - literally.
I allowed myself my morning coffee, but I then went into my home studio space first thing and worked the challenge. I even worked in my pajamas.
I was so worried that if I didn’t put the challenge first, I would allow other distractions to keep me from completing it.
It’s so easy to think all or nothing when we approach our work. You looked at your schedule and realized you needed to take weekends off. Could you talk about how you came to that retaliation and what it gave you on the other 5 days?
I knew that I wanted to keep a traditional work schedule during the challenge and only commit to art making on Mondays through Fridays. This allowed me the freedom on the weekends to spend time with my family as usual. This type of schedule also helped me stay committed to the approach that art making is a consistent process and not just a hobby to participate in when I feel like it.
How did you approach the materials side of things? How did you decide what to use each day?
I decided to use pencil and watercolors since we would be traveling a lot during the challenge.
Watercolors were fairly easy to pack up and to use while outside of my usual studio space. I just needed a surface, paint, brushes, and water.
Prior to the challenge, I purchased a multimedia notebook and a new set of watercolor pans. I wanted one with more color choices than I already had.
How much did you simplify your set up and materials? How much of a difference did that make in getting in and getting to work?
I have experience working in watercolors, but I prefer acrylics.
My normal set up includes a room that has been converted to a studio complete with a large table and easel.
I have a variety of brushes at hand as well as a variety of paints.
Using watercolors was definitely a change for me, but I found old skills returning as I participated in the challenge. To simplify my process, I had a multimedia sketchbook, an 18 pan watercolor set, two brushes, and a pencil all packed away in a canvas tote. I also packed my ipad so that I could access my reference photos.
This was a great set up. I had everything I needed in one place and it was portable! The set up was perfect for working when away from home.
How did you decide what to paint each day?
Prior to the actual start of the challenge I looked at other 20for20 challenges to see how other artists had designed their projects. Deciding what to do was one of the hardest parts of the challenge for me. I knew that I had to keep my project simple because of all of my outside commitments. Additionally, I was in the middle of an experiment painting the same landscape with different limited palettes. I didn't want to continue this exploration for the project because traveling with that much paint would be overwhelming.
While searching Instagram, I saw another artist’s post in which she had both sketched and done a quick watercolor study of a bird. It was lovely. I was inspired by her art, and I decided that I would try to create a similar project.
To prepare, I found images of animals from old 20for20 challenges, from Unsplash, and from my personal photos.
I made a folder on my desktop with these photos and left them unedited.
I did all of this before the Challenge began so that they would be ready to use. This was helpful to me during the challenge because image searching can be very time consuming.
Once the challenge started, I did find myself replacing some of the images with new ones due to personal preference. At one point, I had painted so many neutral colored animals that I was desperate for any animal that had bright colors.
Also, I realized about two thirds of the way through that I had a lot of dog pictures. I love dogs, but decided that I wanted more variety. Having everything in one place and ready for immediate use was invaluable.
What were you hoping to explore in the Challenge?
During the challenge I had two goals in mind.
The first was to improve drawing skills. Earlier during one of the mini challenges I was reminded of how valuable contour line drawings are to improving one’s skill. Also, their organic quality appeals to me.
The other goal was to simply show up. I wanted to state outloud, if you will, that I was going to successfully participate in this challenge.
That meant showing up and completing my twenty minutes even when it would be easy to put other commitments ahead of it.
I have learned from listening to Kelly Anne that I am an inspirational painter. I want to change this and become an intentional painter. I cannot expect overnight change, but by participating in the challenge and showing up for twenty minutes daily, I am making progress towards this goal.
How did how you set up your Challenge help you reach these goals?
My challenge consisted of using one minute to make a blind contour line drawing of my subject. Next, I allowed myself three minutes to make a modified contour line drawing of my subject. This was all done using a pencil. Finally, I used the final sixteen minutes to sketch, then watercolor paint my subject.
The structure of the project helped me show up. I didn’t worry about what I was going to do or how I was going to do it. had already solved those problems in the preparation portion of the challenge. Knowing what to expect and having set “rules” helped me focus on the actual art making part of the challenge.
What benefits did you find working daily even if not necessarily for a long time?
I learned that I could actually show up consistently. That the world and my obligations in it would continue even if I put the art first. I was still able to complete all of my other non-art responsibilities on days that I was working on the challenge.
Also, I was quite proud of myself for still making time for art when I was experiencing such a busy time in my personal life. I struggle somewhat with calling myself an “artist” but by showing up during the challenge, I became part of a larger community. The 20for20 community is a supportive and positive one. Being a part of it helped soothe my fears of not being legitimate enough.
Any days jump out as having aha moments? Could you share what those were and why those days?
About three days into the challenge I realized that the frustrations I was experiencing during the painting portion of the challenge weren’t due to my skills.
Instead, I realized that even though I purchased a mixed media notebook, the paper wasn’t watercolor friendly. If I were to do a similar project in the future, I would switch to a notebook with watercolor paper.
Also, I realized about half way into the twenty days that I was problem solving for the painting portion of my project while drawing. I don’t know if this is a skill I already had, but I became self aware of the practice during the challenge. I found myself noting areas that would have to be painted first, or thinking about the color mixing before I had even opened the paints.
So often we walk into a painting with a general goal. How did it change the experience to have a really specific goal for painting? What were the benefits of working that way?
My goals were to improve my drawing and to show up consistently. I think I achieved those goals, but I also think that the challenge helped me recognize areas that can continue to improve.
For example, I noticed that the modified contour line drawing was sometimes more aesthetically pleasing to me than the last sketch. This seemed counterintuitive. One would think that after having already drawn the subject twice, that the final drawing would be best.
I think that the final drawing was lacking because I was trying to rush to finish it so that I could get to the painting part. I learned that slowing down and taking my time made a positive difference in my art.
What was the most helpful mindset for you to try and keep during the 20for20?
I think looking at the challenge as self-improvement helped. I was doing the challenge for me. I enjoyed the feedback that the other artists gave. As I mentioned earlier, the 20for20 community is a positive one. I appreciated all of the encouraging and constructive feedback that I received throughout the challenge.
What advice would you give to someone doing the Challenge who finds they miss a few days? Do you think it’s still worth it to jump back in? Why?
I confess that I still have four sketches to complete before I can finally say that I have finished the challenge. I knew that I would be later than everyone else since I was taking weekends off, but I had every intention of finishing in five weeks.
I missed that deadline but still intend to complete those four sketches.
I most definitely think that it is worth it to jump back in. I am a firm believer in giving oneself grace. Life can bring unexpected opportunities as well as unexpected setbacks and sometimes life is just busy. I think that people should do what feels right for them, and if taking some time off is what they need, then they should. The challenges are not graded coursework - they are an opportunity to learn, to participate in a larger community, and to grow one’s insight into his/her art making practice.
What has been the biggest insight to you as an artist (or your practice) because of participating in the Challenge?
I gained confidence in myself. I learned that it was OKAY to put art first. I learned that I had every right to call myself an artist. (I also learned to buy the right kind of paper when using watercolors - haha.)
You can learn more about Shannon Colvin on Instagram here.
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