Demetrios Papakostas: Find Your Balance.

Demetrios Papakostas: Find Your Balance.:       I t's that time of year again when we all start making new plans and thinking about things we'd like to do this coming year. It is a...

Find Your Balance.

      It's that time of year again when we all start making new plans and thinking about things we'd like to do this coming year.
It is always a time to reflect and wonder and start anew for what you want to change. That's the thing about your life and what you do, you can change it in a minute. You can plan to make it better or even different. We can sometimes get so caught up in our daily routines that change is not an option. It's either too much work or we are so settled that we wouldn't know where to start.

workin' it during a live painting/musical performance

Myself, I could say that this past year has taught me to really go for my dreams. One of which is to take my art career to another level by firstly trying to be a little more meticulous in my work. Really take the time to do things the right way, which is not always easy.
Another is to try and plan out my work more. Think and plan rather than just getting to the easel and painting. This won't really affect the spontaneous factor because the spontaneity is usually done on the canvas anyway.

JUST READ THIS!!!

I have to say that being on a path is not an easy task. We tend to get side-tracked and lose focus along the way.
I, personally have to listen less to others who always seem to have an opinion and do more by myself, for myself. I have to trust and believe more and just really go for it. Life certainly seems shorter than we think when we are busy doing and too long when we don't do enough. As my mentor Heather said to me recently, find a balance. Center yourself physically, mentally and spiritually and find what makes you happy.
Peace and love to everyone this coming new year. Make it your best year ever!!
Thanks for your support

Demetrios Papakostas: Feeling Good

Demetrios Papakostas: Feeling Good: I am feeling very excited and also a little tired after the end of my week long exhibition at Galerie Espace. I was exhibiting concurr...

Feeling Good

I am feeling very excited and also a little tired after the end of my week long exhibition at Galerie Espace. I was exhibiting concurrently with Heather Yamada whom I have know since the beginning of my career.
Putting on these exhibitions takes lots of work and running around when you have to do everything yourself. It is however important to know how to put on a good exhibition and something every artist should know, especially if you are in the beginning of your careers or if you choose to take your own path in the art world.

Opening night of the exhibition

The opening night vernissage saw lots of friends and family showing up and giving us their support and overall, I thought the show went really well as there were lots of people coming in to look around all the rest of the week. I always love engaging and talking with all the different people that show up and explaining my work to whom ever will like to listen.
It is inspiring to me when others have something to say about my work, and in artwork in general, both positive and negative. It means that art is as important to them as it is to an artist.  It is important to really listen closely because sometimes we feel we are "Legends in our own minds" and it sometimes takes an exhibition to sort of gently bring you down to earth.

Show looks great!!

All the different comments are both humbling and inspiring to me and gives me lots of incentive to get myself back into the studio and work even harder and to keep moving forward.
It takes many years to get your vision to where you want it to be and to be confident in what it is you create. It is only by doing that you will eventually find your own voice.

Exhibiting concurrently with Heather Yamada

After the show, I spent about three days cleaning up my studio, putting thing away and throwing out all sorts of things that had accumulated and that cluttered up the studio. I am ready and excited to get started on a new series and think my studio is ready to begin messing up again!!!

www.demetriospapakostas.com

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for supporting my vision and to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a happy and prosperous New Year. Please be safe, enjoy your families and see you all next year!!!

Rothko's RED

On Saturday Dec 1st. I went to see the play called RED.
It was set around the time when Mark Rothko was commissioned to create a group of painting for the new Four Seasons restaurant that was slated to open in New York City in 1958.

Four Darks in Red, 1958,

The story revolves around his frustrations and being very tormented with the idea of doing a set of coordinated paintings and being paid good money to do it. Maybe he felt like he shouldn't of accepted the commission because it meant that he had to create something on demand, which sometimes can go against the very fabric of what being an artist is all about.
Throughout the play he is constantly fighting himself and questioning why he is doing it and I think that lead to him finally conceding to cancel the commission and give the money back.
The play was quite enjoyable and I liked that he was very much an artist who was not willing to compromise in what he believed art should be.

Red Skies, 2006

Mark Rothko was I would say one of my first influences when I started painting. I loved his simplistic notion of wanting his paintings to bring colour to the forefront and make it as important as the the rest of the space on the surface.

I sort of understood this complicated and tormented man in that sometimes it can be frustrating to an artist when if they are being told what to paint and the way to paint. Some might consider the advice of an art dealer telling them to change their colour palette or the way they paint trees. I think though, as an artist, your strongest vision is your own and simply painting for someone else is neither satisfying nor productive to your career. No one knows what is going on in your mind or what you see, only you have that vision and it might take years to figure out what it is that you really do want to show or create and that is a road meant only for you. Compromise is good if you're buying tires but not when it comes to painting. Stay on course and good things will happen. Lose yourself and you might end up painting "something that matches my furniture".
Art is meant to connect the artist with the collector. Remember, you are buying a piece of the artist's thought and vision and that is essentially what will set you apart and make you love art more.

Lucky Me!!!

Getting ready for my exhibition which is rapidly approaching. I am doing all sorts of last minute preparations and my studio looks like a cyclone hit it with paintings scattered everything. I still haven't decided what works to bring to the show which I find is the hardest thing to do.

studio, last minute preparations

One thing that really stuck out for me the most over this last little while was how excited I was. I mean, I was finishing off a painting, running around, getting ready for an exhibition and in one split second, I thought about how much I loved doing all this. Being busy, being creative, being an artist. 

The days that lead up to the show are all filled with about 10 different emotions, from sad to happy, to excited to, "I'm not worthy!". I guess I wouldn't want it any other way. I always liked working hard and this is anything but easy. Anyway, this is promising to be a great show and I am really looking forward to meeting new people, seeing old friends and letting everyone know how lucky I am that I am able to do this. See you all soon.