ACSS member spotlight: Me!

For a little over a year I've been participating in the Art Career Success System with Alyson Stanfield. Recently I was the featured artist! I'm reproducing it here as I can't seem to post a link.

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Member Spotlight: Margaret Bremner

What has your attention in the studio these days? 

For several years I’ve been making eco-dyed paper, then seeing what I can find in the markings and drawing on it. I’ve tired of the ubiquitous browns and am adding more color to these. But I’m excited now to be trying other ways of creating random markings for art ‘starts’ and being messier with paint and ink and water!

What is your word for the year and why? 

I’ve tried the “word for the year” thing a few times and forget all about it by March. Currently I have the phrase “for now”. At one point I hated it because everything seemed to be something we were accepting for now, and nothing was being resolved. (We’ll keep it for now. Leave it there for now. We’ll stay here for now. It will do for now.) Then I had an epiphany: Everything is ‘for now’. Nothing stays the same. It reminds me of the impermanence of all things, much like “This, too, shall pass”.

A STORM ON THE MOUNTAIN

Our theme this month is taking charge. When you are feeling overwhelmed or out of sync, what do you do to feel like you're in charge again?

Aaah, my buddy Overwhelm. I don’t know if it’s my age, or because I’ve never been a high energy person, or what, but I often feel that my plate is heaped way too high. Usually, I try to get a firm grip on myself and do just one small thing. One thing. A small thing. So I’ve done something. Then I can do another thing. I’m also learning to say “No” more, and trying to consciously determine whether something is in line with my vision and values.

What lesson from ACSS classes sticks with you? 

I particularly remember working on my artist's statement. I'd written one years ago, and revamped it from time to time. But it really didn't fit anymore and I welcomed the opportunity to write a completely new one. I shared on ACSS, rewrote, shared again, received many helpful comments, and rewrote again. In the end, the whole thing changed significantly from mach 4 to mach 5, and I finally got something I was quite happy with by the sixth writing. It's a lot of work but so worth it!