Tuesday, July 29, 2025

The Fear of Finishing


Over the years I’ve started a lot of bigger artwork pieces but never finished for one reason or another. I usually go back at a later time to see if I get more motivation to work on them again. Sometimes I do continue. Most times I just put them aside again, in a drawer full of other unfinished creations. Sometimes I go back to a piece and get a new idea or perspective about how to proceed in a different direction with the piece. For me, each of my larger pieces are never finished in a single sitting. Each piece is worked sporadically over many months, sometimes years. I don’t know if other artists work this way or not. I don’t know if this is a good or not so good process to follow. I only know this is what works for me. Sometime it is a loss of interest. Most of the time it is because I have some other ideas I want to work on immediately. A lot of times, it is because of fear. Fear that the piece is not successful. Fear that the piece will not be interesting enough for anyone else but me. Fear that I am wasting my time. 


I worked hard to fight this fear. The advice I hear the most from successful artists is, “Just do YOU” and the results will be successful. Or, "Be authentic and genuine” and viewers will recognize that and love the piece. But what happens when you do YOU, be authentic and genuine and still not get a reaction from viewers? This is a hard place for an artist to be in. This is the fear I fight the most: the seemingly counter-intuitiveness of proceeding with something that is authentic and genuine to you, the artist, but may not be well received by viewers.


The most recent large piece that I returned to is the one currently on my drawing table as I am working on the art for my 2026 Kickstarter project. This piece, called (currently) “Where Angels Hide”, was started when I was still working in Germany. It has gone through a few changes over the years. I am pretty satisfied with the most recent evolution of the piece and beginning to see how it would be finished. 


“Release” is another piece I see myself finishing, however, it is really big and pretty ambitious. I would love to work on it one of these days. It will probably be re-titled as well. This piece is about releasing inner turmoil like stress, anxiety, fear, depression, and many other darker thoughts and feelings that plague any of us each day. Creating pieces that represent the inner turmoil and unseen battles I fight each day is my release.


My kickstarter project (now on the third iteration) has taught me a great deal about consistency with smaller pieces. I worked on each stage over all 20 artwork at the same time before moving to the next stage. It has been working so far to keep me on track. More articles to come later about this process

Friday, July 25, 2025

Art Rotation in My Shop - Crew Totem

 

One of the items in my shop, journeyofimagination.bigcartel.com, has rotated out. The new item listed is the art totem “Crew”, a glossed art printed mounted on MDF, complete with a notch on the back for hanging on a simple nail.

Friday, June 27, 2025

Art Rotation in My Shop - Rain Totem


 One of the items in my shop, journeyofimagination.bigcartel.com, has rotated out. The new item listed is the art totem “Rain”, a glossed art printed mounted on MDF, complete with a notch on the back for hanging on a simple nail.

Friday, May 30, 2025

Art Rotation in My Shop


One of the items in my shop, journeyofimagination.bigcartel.com, has rotated out. The new item listed is the art totem “Storm”, a glossed art printed mounted on MDF, complete with a notch on the back for hanging on a simple nail.


https://journeyofimagination.bigcartel.com

Friday, May 16, 2025

A Polling On My Patreon Page

If you’re on Patreon, check out a poll I just created to gauge interest on some ideas I have for a change to my benefit structures

https://www.patreon.com/posts/polling-for-to-129112630

Friday, May 9, 2025

My Art With Poetry In Prints

 

Friends and Fans alike,


I’ve decided to combine my art creation with their accompanying poems on one print. Over the years, I’ve written some poems for my art but never really did anything with the poems themselves. If you have been following my social media, you can see the poems in videos featuring my art. If you haven’t, check them out on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chaotic_abstraction.


The prints are all 8x10 inches, with the poems on the left side and the artwork on the right side. There are 2 where the artwork is in landscape format. For those two, the artwork is on top and the poem at the bottom. I will have 8 different “art with poetry” prints available at the Virginia ComiCon and Balticon 59 print shop. Virginia ComiCon is on May 17 at the Richmond International Raceway. Balticon 59 is from May 23 through 26, at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, MD. Come check out these new “art with poetry” prints.

Here are a few examples of my “art creation” with accompanying poetry videos:


“I Am Me”:



“Awaiting Dawn”:



“Beneath the Crying Moon”:



Friday, May 2, 2025

My Big Cartel Shop is undergoing some changes

 

I’ve revamped my Big Cartel shop to do something I think is interesting to me and I hope will be interesting to you also. My Big Cartel shop, Journey Of Imagination, will feature only 5 artwork. The 5 artwork will be listed for a number of weeks. I have not settle on a permanent number of weeks yet but I’m going to say around 3 to 5 weeks. If the art is not sold, it will be rotated out for a new piece. That way, there is always something new to find on my shop. 


The first items I will be listing are my mounted and glossed printed totems, because I already have the images created and available right away for listing. This way, my shop will not be in maintenance mode for a long period. I hate when that happens. If you are new to me or my totem art, they are simply prints of artwork originally created by me. The prints are printed on archival photo paper. Each print then is glossed and mounted on either black-glossed White Coasterboard backing (my original method) or MDF wood backing. Except for the printing, which is printed in the US by a US company, the rest of the work on the totems is done by me, the artist. The totem comes in a nice 4” gift box.


Meanwhile, I am working on one-of-a-kind smaller originals that will be featured on a rotating basis. At the end of the listing period for each piece, any unsold artwork will be rotated out and might be rotated back into the listing at a later date. So if you see something you like, don’t wait too long. 


You can find my shop here: https://journeyofimagination.bigcartel.com

Friday, April 25, 2025

Convention Appearances for May 2025

 

Hello friends,


This year starts off a bit rough for me. I was unable to get into a couple of conventions I participated in the past. Hope the rest of the year is better. My first convention appearance will be in May. First up is Virginia ComiCon at the Richmond International Raceway, on Saturday 17 May 2025. I will be at booth space H11, at the back of the hall. This is a small convention so you can see everything all in one day. 


After that is BaltiCon 59, at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, MD. This event is over 4 days during Memorial Day weekend, 23-26 May 2025. They have a vendor hall, an artist alley, and an art show with accompanying print shop. I will participate only in the art show and print shop. I will have a number of smaller originals in the art show. The artist Guest of Honor will be Stephanie Pui Mun Law. Come see her great artwork, as well as mine!

Friday, April 18, 2025

Important Announcement About My Social Media Postings

 

My art journey so far has had its ups and downs over the last 8 years. I’m starting to really see my artistic visions and have a better understanding of how I will move forward. One of the downsides of being an artist is having to market yourself. On the one hand, how else can art enthusiasts discover your art besides you publishing it relentlessly on various social media? On the other hand, at least for me, marketing your art on social media is such a huge and complicated task, from researching and understanding the platform’s algorithm to knowing your audience, to just name a few. This takes away from my time to create. 


I want to mostly create art and share them with art enthusiasts who enjoy and share my vision of what my art represents, the story behind the artwork, and the emotion and insight the artwork can convey to the viewer. 


I’ve decided to keep my social media postings limited to just Patreon (patreon.com/chaotic_abstraction), Blogger (journeyintoadream.blogspot.com) and YouTube (youtube.com/@chaotic_abstraction) for art videos. A lot of my Patreon articles are open to the public and can be viewed whether you have a Patreon account or not, or if you follow my page or not, with a few special posts for members only, at all levels of contribution. The members-only posts will mostly cover insights into my artistic journey, including what my art inspirations are, my artistic processes, and my art plans, but not limited to just those topics. The publicly posted Patreon articles are also posted on my Blogger page. My Instagram account will most likely be limited to promoting my Kickstarter campaign before it goes live each January. I believe this will allow me more time to create art and also concentrate on new projects for Patreon and YouTube. More to come of that subject so please stay tuned.


Lately I’ve consider posting on Bluesky. I want this account to emphasize how nature intertwine into my art. If you are on Bluesky, look me up under ChaoticAbstraction.


I hope you will join me on Patreon, whether as a free follower or at any of the contributing levels on my page. These contributions will help me to keep creating. Or you can just read the free articles as a non-Patreon account holder. I hope we can venture on this journey together.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

15 Hours Remain To Support Drawn From Nature - Lotus


It’s less than 15 hours. The campaign will end on tonight, 4 Feb at midnight. There are still a few beautiful lotus left to claim. Did I mention that you can also add on any available originals from my previous campaign? And you definitely can add on the full set of prints from the past campaign.

Kickstarter Make 100 Campaign Page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaotic-abstraction/make-100-drawn-from-nature-lotus

Monday, February 3, 2025

40 Hours Remain To Support Drawn From Nature - Lotus

 

Here we are, less than 40 hours of my second Kickstarter Make 100 campaign to go. I’m very excited about the support so far. The lotus is such a beautiful and magnificent flower and so much fun to draw. I think I have found my calling. I love just drawing things. Being able to bring the photos I take to life through art is truly amazing. The ability to combine images and create something unique is quite exhilarating.

Kickstarter Make 100 Campaign Page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaotic-abstraction/make-100-drawn-from-nature-lotus

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Just Funded! Kickstarter Make-100 2025, “Drawn From Nature - Lotus”

WOW! I cannot believe my second Kickstarter Make 100 campaign just got funded, in half a day. Your support is proof that I am moving in the right direction with my art and nature passion. Five originals are gone. Grab your favorite! 


Kickstarter Make 100 Campaign Page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaotic-abstraction/make-100-drawn-from-nature-lotus


Or just go to the Kickstarter page and search for “drawn from nature lotus”


Always a pleasure to get your support,

Dominique

 

Launched: Make100: Drawn From Nature - Lotus

 

Hello Everyone,


My second Kickstarter Make 100 campaign just launched.


Kickstarter Make 100 Campaign Page:

kickstarter.com/projects/chaotic-abstraction/make-100-drawn-from-nature-lotus


Or just go to the Kickstarter page and search for “drawn from nature lotus”


Always a pleasure to get your support,

Dominique