Exploring Portfolio Possibilities & Photo Prompts

During my mini retreat, I discovered a new treasure trove that seemed to come along at just the right time, the inspiring website of UK artist Milliande Demetriou. I've felt a bit stuck lately as I try to put together a more cohesive portfolio. So I stumbled across Milliande's site while looking up information about portfolio creation. Back in January, she started an informal class called CAPI, which stands for Creating Art Portfolio Ideas. 

It's designed to jump in where you are, and to work at your own pace. That sounded perfect, since I didn't discover it until mid-September! The first step is creating SIX...yes six, different portfolios. These are used for a variety of purposes: Gathering ideas and Inspiration, Observational Studies and Experiments, Pondering Ideas, etc. She explains this here and on her Youtube video here. 

I will admit I'm still trying to get all of these put together, as I'm in the process of moving. But I've already completed some pondering exercises. I look forward to incorporating her lessons to add a bit of fun and a little structure to my day. This is ironic, since Milliande says this in her introduction (which makes me smile):

"TO CLARIFY ::: for those people who know me, I do not WORK in a structured manner ...I do not plan ahead either..."

I joined the CAPI group on Facebook, and she invited me to join her Photography group as well. I'm enjoying the photo prompts particularly. Here are a couple prompts from September:

"Bugs in My Backyard"
photograph critters encountered in your garden/backyard or house 

"Childlike Joy "
take some snapshots of joyful activities that remind you of your childhood

Something about Milliande's spirit is contagious, as well as the lovely people on the groups. The prompts are simple, and yet they are the perfect invitations to help me to be free and live in the moment. The stress of trying to put together a "perfect portfolio" is melting away and the prompts are helping me to loosen up. There are many things converging right now, at just the right time, to propel me into a more satisfying life as an artist and earning a living at doing what I love.  I believe Milliande's world is part of that converging of influences and I'm grateful for her generosity. 

Inspired by the Backyard Bug photo prompt, I snapped some shots over the course of a few days, and added them to my new Behance portfolio. You can view the project here. 

My grasshopper picture, inspired by Milliande's prompt, is currently for sale on Fine Arts America. Find out more by clicking the picture below or following this link. 

Grasshopper on Dahlia #1, available at Fine Art America

I encourage you to check out her site. (Please note, the CAPI class is no longer active on Ning, but you can still connect with the links I've mentioned in the entry above.)

Artfully yours, 
Sandra