The Importance of Big and Small Goals: Esté MacLeod on Learn to Paint and Goals
This is part of the end of year advice series. Guests from the show offer suggestions on how to use an hour a day to get better at painting and share some of their own goals (and how they set them) for the year ahead.
Esté MacLeod’s paintings are informed by the real and the imaginary. Her background in textile and ceramic design is noticeable in the stylised, abundant and colourful forms used in still life, landscape and floral paintings.
On an Hour a Day:
With regards to becoming an artist. If you’re able to work an hour a day, part of this hour should be spent drawing. This could be done in bits and on different themes and surfaces.
Sketching is fundamental to develop a clear creative voice, and can only be reached by practicing. Basic drawings are essential to this process. Doodle, make observational drawings, plan compositions. Drawing can be like keeping a visual diary. Make a point of doing a sketch every day.
Setting Art Goals:
It is good to dream and plan ahead. Goals that might seem a bit ambitious are important since they help drive things into the directions you want to go. Small goals are important to keep focus. It could be as basic as taking time out to recharge daily.
I often take a longer route to arrive at my goals, many of them have been reached in 2020, including a fabric quilt collection, wallpaper collaboration and other interesting design collaborations including puzzles and packaging.
“Sketching is fundamental to develop a clear creative voice, and can only be reached by practicing.”
-Esté MacLeod
In 2021 I will launch my first silk scarf collection. This is something that has taken years to research and develop. I hope to also have a small collection of fabric for homeware with complimentary wallpaper, launched under my own name. Attainable goals are important to keep momentum going, and develop a vision of where you see your ‘brand’ as it were. Where you see your art or creative products.
On a personal level one goal is to have more time to paint. In particular I would like to paint with oil paint once again. I have been teaching many courses in 2020, and this took up a lot of my time and creative energy. I hope to have some short self paced courses available in order to devote more time to my own art practice.
Learn more about Esté MacLeod here:
WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK
Get new episodes and articles like our End of Year Advice series sent straight to your inbox by joining the newsletter list below.