Shiny Object Syndrome? | Switching Gears

Sometimes an opportunity arises and I leap at it. Afterwards I question whether or not my desire to pivot is warranted, or is it a case of ‘shiny object syndrome’. Have you ever heard of that phrase? It’s the habit of chasing one thing after another without staying focused on a larger goal.

Switching Gears

I’m putting the Kings River Series on hold while I paint a different subject.

Why? Because I was invited to submit work for an exhibit, and none of my current paintings will fit. It’s for Gotahold Brewery’s third anniversary, and the theme is ravens. I have a really cool concept that I’m very excited to attempt.

The deadline isn’t until the end of June, so I have time to get it painted and dried long enough to frame it for hanging. Maybe with Gamvar I can actually get it varnished, too.

Not Shiny Object Syndrome

If chasing the trends or jumping around outside of a focus defines shiny object syndrome, then I think I’m safe this time. To do this painting is not detracting from my larger goal at all. Rather, it actually will add to it. However, it DOES add another iron to an already crowded fire.

A few series are in progress already, and I *am* moving around between them. First, the raptors. Some of the holdup on that one is due to needing reference photos. And some of it is because the birds of prey take more time than any other subject I paint. And yes, the raven is a bird and it will take time, too. But it will have far less intricate details than the raptors have. Then there is the finale to the Down at the Creek series. That was is still percolating and I’m not ready to paint it yet.

While I’m working on the raven, I will work on the Autumn scene of the Kings River series. The raven will need drying time between layers. I’ve found that working with these oil paints is an exercise in patience. So having a second one to turn to while the first is drying a bit works out nicely.

The excitement I’m feeling about the raven painting does feel a bit like the dreaded shiny object syndrome excitement, though. Conveniently, it is still a project that fits with my larger goals, so no worries. So even if it is, it isn’t.

What will the new painting be?

I can’t tell you yet. It’s for an exhibit at the Gotahold Brewery for their 3rd year anniversary. It will feature a raven. But I don’t want to say any more than that until it’s underway. Then I’ll post my progress and you can follow along! The best way to do that will be on Instagram, or once I get the progression page made here, you can check the website every so often to see how it’s going.

Super-Sized or Small?

I’m torn between painting something small that might sell easier, or painting something large. At the last exhibit at Gotahold, I sold two small paintings and that was awesome. But, I’ve only painted one large painting before, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to try again. The verdict is… I’m going large. 37″ x 29″ large. Not super sized, but far larger than my usual work.

There’s already a large frame tucked away in one of the cluttered corners of my office, so I’ll do this painting in Ozark oil pigments on a birch board that fits it. Hubs will cut the board to size tomorrow and I’ll get the gesso out. It’s going to be a little bit of a challenge to keep this somewhere out of the way while on an easel, though. I may have to work on it in the guest room and if the kids come to spend the night, I’ll just move it. Where, I have no clue, haha. There’s not much unused space in our house. This is why I’m so excited to finally soon have a real studio space.