Pencil Shavings

A Strange Notion

As an artist I am used to spending time with myself, in my head, facing my canvas, listening to my thoughts on what I want to create.  As an artist who is not represented by a gallery I need to be outgoing, talking myself and my work up, in order to sell my work to support my ability to make more art.

It's like having a split personality.  If I didn't enjoy spending time with myself I doubt I could make it as an artist.  Talking to others is not my strong suit, and talking about myself to others, well it makes me stammer, blush, and feel incredibly foolish and arrogant.

But, I must market myself.  There is no one else who is as invested in my success as I am, and no one who is motivated to promote me, except for myself.  There are friends and fellow artists who will link to my site or mention me in passing.  But it is really up to me to do the legwork of getting my images out there where the right buyer might see it.

That is another difficult reality of being an artist.  Very often I am waiting for a singular, unique person to whom my work whispers, to be inspired to own it for themselves.

So I am utilizing social media.  I Tweet.  I Blog.  I hand out cards with my web address on it.  And now I have created a Facebook Fan Page.  It really goes against my nature to have a "fan page".  I mean really who do I think I am that I might actually have fans?  Maybe it is the Canadian sensibility that I was raised with, that says that calling attention to yourself is arrogant.  Perhaps it is the humility, that my  mother taught me, as a virtue.

But the reality is that unless people get to know me, they will likely not want buy into my view of the world.  So there it is.  The "fan page".  It is with a great deal of blushing and stammering that I even mention it to you.  What happens next is anyone's guess.

Chaos, Panic, Disorder.... You Know, The Usual!

I know it sounds so elitist to say it, but I love my laptop and the fact that I can write my blog while lying in bed!

Why am I in bed on a beautiful sunny day?  Well this is the last few hours I'll have to myself for many days, and it's also some of the few hours that I have had for myself in weeks!  And I'm worn clean through.

I haven't updated this blog in a long time, mostly because I either have nothing to offer, or because I'm so tired at the end of the day that I can't string words together in any meaningful way.  Although a lot of interesting (and weird) things have happened recently, I really can't write about them without exposing my family.  I'm OK with exposing myself to critique, but my family and friends don't need that in their lives.

School is winding up and I've been busy helping out at the school, and winding up all the paper work that will set the kids up for next year.  I've been finding books, and socks, and papers.  I've been sorting and fussing about things, and going on a lot of “end of the year” field trips with my girls' classes.  I did get confirmation that the teachers do give me the more difficult kids on the trips “because we know you can handle it”.  Which makes it mighty tempting to “misplace” someone occasionally.  But of course I would not do that (as tempting as it might be).

So here are the highlights:

My buddy, who I paint with once a week, hasn't seen me for nearly a month.  At least she is understanding and is giving me 21 days to get my act together and get back to work with her!  Which is good, because I need the deadline right now.

I am working on a project, but I'm not sure how it's going to turn out, so you will just have to wait and see (I'm such a tease).

I discovered that two-bite brownies spread with peanut butter is an excellent treat (and may have saved my husbands life last week when I was feeling particularly stressed).

And finally, for those of you in the art world, I will be starting up a product review section of the blog over the summer, and let you know the results of some of the new things I've tried recently and how they worked for me. ( I'll even put in pictures, how's that for a deal)

But today.  Well today I'm going to put on some fresh coffee, lounge about, read a magazine and maybe work on a poem or two.  Tomorrow the chaos begins again!

While the Paint Dries

The worst thing about being self employed is your boss.  My boss is constantly bugging me about getting stuff done, and is really on my case this week because I haven't knocked the things off my to-do list that I wanted to get done, but I did play a lot of games on Facebook.  No wonder she thinks I'm a slacker.

 I am participating in the monthly painting challenge at WetCanvas, and my painting is long way from being finished (I thought I would be done last week... but I'm sitting here looking at my painting and wondering if getting out the hairdryer to hurry things along might be a good idea.

On the upside I did a few things that weren't on the list, like making some “lenses” on Squidoo about art.  That was very satisfying. 

I didn't get a painting of the week again this week (once again wondering about the hairdryer) but I did finish five scrabble tile pendants that I listed in my ArtFire Studio.

Uh-Oh my boss is wondering when I'm gonna wrap this up and get back to work... better get going!

Is It The Best Of Both Worlds?

I love writing.  I am actually not bad at it either.  I was going to apply for a job writing columns for a daily art blog, because I thought that it would be the best of both worlds.  But it turns out that they wanted columnists for specific topics only, and that I needed to turn out a large number of columns monthly (at least 9).  Now, I have to admit that my attention span is pretty short, and the idea of writing 9 columns a month on the environment and art, or art techniques, forever, well it leaves me a little cold.  I am not interested in reading 9 columns a month about those things, why would I be interested in writing them?  Also, 9 columns a month is lot of time that I wouldn't be spending making art, which is my over-riding passion these days.

That being said, I was really excited about writing on a regular basis again.  I love writing my blog, and I love writing other things.  Writing isn't always easy for me.  Sometimes I find it physically difficult to sit down and write.  Sometimes I find that the demands of my day job (aka being mom) are such that I can't write as much as I would like.  But I do like to write and I would like to write other things that are more challenging than baring my soul, and my personal life in this blog.  You know, I'm not a bad writer, I've received honourable mentions in three writing contests. 

I think this is something that I would like to do again.

So when I stumbled upon Squidoo this week I thought, now this is something I could do.  It's not a column, I can write about the topics I want, when I want to write them.  It's not a blockbuster money maker either.  But, it is a wider audience, that is as diversified in it's interests as I am.

So, I'm going to start creating lenses on Squidoo.  I actually worked very hard on making one today, that is a demonstration painting of a technique I like to use.  I would really love it if you went to have a look, and even more so if you would give it a rating.

If I make more, I'll link them up here so you can have a look. 

In the meantime it's back to the pendants that are flying off the shelf at Artfire.  My second job!

Chaos, Tears, Anger, and Butter

Well it's been a weekend for the record books.  The kids had some very physically active days that left them really tired, and occasionally cranky.  (The occasions being about a half hour apart all day long).  I had my first experience of one kid actually hitting the other over hurt feelings.  And we had some discussions about that, but I'm pretty certain that the discussion was falling on deaf ears at the point.

I did manage to swoop in like SuperMom and save the day at one point over a lost pair of scissors (can you hear my cape flapping in the wind?) and was foiled in my efforts to have fresh baking ready for school tomorrow by the Forgetful Shopping Husband, who despite having the item on the list assured me with great sincerity that I had not told him to get it.  A review of the tapes gave me the win on that one.

I was lead to discover Blip.fm this weekend.  What a glorious time sucker that one is.  I played with it too late last night and early this morning at the cost of getting a few things tidied away for my business, which I'll have to make up for tonight.

I did list something on Artfire today.  I actually really like this one.  It's a miniature painting on a wooden scrabble tile.  I am going to try to do a few more of these for the summer season... I think they would look so pretty as an accessory with a summer dress.

It's not exactly a painting of the week, but it's what I've got, and frankly after this weekend I'm glad to have anything at all!

Geez – You Guys!!!

I have to say that I'm totally blown away, again, by the huge jump in readers I had again yesterday.  I don't know what is bringing you all here, but I'm delighted, and feel an inordinate need to write something worth reading.

Of course it never fails that when you feel the need to write something great the only thing that comes to mind is Fred Flintstone talk “Yabba frabba nabba, Rabba!”

Deeper introspection tells me that I shouldn't try to change what I'm already doing, since you are all here now, why get all dressed up when you've already seen me in my pj's?  But I do want to let you know that I can write a little better than I have been.  Lately I've been writing on the fly as I struggle with the commitments I have as a mom, wife and artist.  I have often let this blog fall to the bottom of my list, and I have taken my readership for granted.

I'm sorry I did that, because having you read my blog and view the things I have to show you is important to me. Not as important as chocolate, but close, really!

The Member to Member Class on Abstract Art is going well.  I'm really happy with it actually, and I hope it continues on with this nice conversation for the next two weeks.

Yesterday and today we talked about creating an abstract painting, and I started this one as an example for the class, it's called Mandala:  Joy and I'll show it to you the final version and list it in my ArtFire Studio as soon as the last touches are on it.  I love the colours of this piece, and it really does make me feel joyful.  Next we are going to be talking about seeing the abstract shapes in the every day.  Feel free to drop in on the class and follow along.

Thanks For The Love!

Wow, I am so amazed and humbled.  Today has been my best day for readership on the blog.  It's like everyone who ever read me once decided to come back and see what I was doing on Valentine's Day.

Thank you, so much.

I started this blog several years ago, to track my fledgling efforts at being a published writer, and then when writing became too difficult for me, for a lot of reasons, I realized that I could still tell my stories through watercolour and paper, and paint and canvas, and just plain pencil and a post it notes!  Many of you have stuck with me for the journey, and I appreciate it so much, even those of you who only came along to see if my cat would attack me again.

My art career is beginning to bloom now, and I do value your comments, and your readership as you have cheered me along.  My friends, my readers, my lurkers, and my collectors, Thank You, and I hope that we can continue this conversation, even when it is mostly one sided, for a long time to come.

Please feel free to comment, I love reading your comments and I enjoy when we can move the conversation of the main page, and into something even more interesting than me talking!

Oh and this Image is appropriately called Cyber Love and it's for sale in my ArtFire Studio.

I Hate It When That Happens!

I was painting all afternoon, and the good news is that the dragonfly is nearly done!  The bad news is that the witty, insightful, award winning blog entry I was contemplating while I was painting got swept away by the hurricanes that are my children returning home from school!

I think it had something to do with materials.  Or maybe it was something to do with forgetfulness...  or parenting, making snowmen, eating popcorn, or Indiana Jones.

Perhaps it was about crazy cats who attack their food dish for now reason (that I know of) or forgetting your lunch, or drinking too much coffee, or iMix playlists. 

Wait I think it's coming back to me, it was about stuborness.  No, that's not it, hang on I know it will come to me if I try harder.

Gratitude? Chocolate? Shopping online? My Mom?

Dammit.  Maybe it was about fingerprints, or aliens, or bad hair days, or weird weather.  The importance of taking time off, or macaroni and cheese.  Maybe it was serendipity?

It had to be one of those things.  I'm sure.  I wish I could remember.

Oh well.  The good news is that I think I have the shipping for the paintings to New York under control, and I only need 15 more trading cards made up for the class on Friday.  I am very, very close to finishing my fourth painting, and then it's putting the final touch on the fifth for the show and I'm set.

The other news is that I'm bone tired, and going to bed.  Goodnight internets!

Look At Me!

I ran into some friends at the grocery store today and hesitated to tell them about the New York show, but eventually I did. I don't know why I find talking about my art, my successes, is so hard.  It's easier to talk about my failures!  Some people have a real gift for promoting themselves.  I guess I'm very Canadian when it comes to that kind of stuff.  I work under the belief that if you are quiet, and work hard, that people will notice.

It doesn't work that way.  Especially in this age of electronic communities.  I spend a lot of time online chatting with folks, looking up stuff and running my business, but no one will see my stuff if I don't tell them about it.

So here is another plug for me (she says with more than a hint of embarrassment)

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The Magic Word

I'm starting canvas number 4 of the five I need to have ready for New York.  I'm so excited about painting this afternoon that I have butterflies in my stomach.

I found a fantastic image on line that fits my new series wonderfully.   It belongs to photographer Jeremy Wheaton, and it's beautiful.  I wrote to Mr. Wheaton and asked him if I could use the image as a reference, and explained how I would use it, and he very graciously said that I could, and it totally made my day.  Have I mentioned how excited I am to start this piece.  I am... really.... excited!

So far I have been very lucky in asking to use pictures for references.  Despite having well over two thousand images of my own, sometimes the right one just pops out and I request to use it.  So far I have never been refused.  I have been very careful to credit the photographer exactly as I say I will, and I always send a scan or a link to the finished painting to the photographer so they can see how I used their image.

I think that it is important for artists to recognize that everything we see on the internets is not ours to use for free.  People have quite often put a lot of effort in to their work, and most will not request a fee, they mostly would like acknowledgment of their effort and inspiration.  A link from your website and treating their work with respect is quite often payment enough.

So ask for permission.  The worst thing that can happen is that they say no (it has never happened to me but I accept that it might).  If you don't ask, the worst that can happen is that they contact a lawyer, sue you for copyright infringement, put a freeze on your art sales until they can determine what other images you may have stolen, and trash your reputation.

It's your choice.