Art Plunge

Terrible pic of Peter Murphy playing at Granada last night.  I got last minute impromptu free tickets last night to see Peter Murphy and David J playing Bauhaus music last night. It was also a chance to see a friend I hadn't seen in ages...so while the 80 year old lady that already lives inside me was kicking to stay in I knew that was stupid and decided to go. Free tickets, Bauhaus, friends...that's good math. The show was GREAT and I enjoyed hearing all the old favorites and remembering the last time I saw the Bauhaus reunion at Bronco Bowl...before the 80 year old lady crawled under my skin and made residence in my bones. It was a good reminder you carpe fu**in' diem while you can. You make time for friends and fun and music. You allow fun into your life. I'm thankful for the moment. Last day of January and work is in full force- doing tax stuff for one side gig and paint project for another side gig. Buddha will happen tomorrow. So close to the finish line. ...

           Work in progress is growing... The Buddha painting was all I did yesterday-and made quite a bit of progress on it. The collector who is getting it seems pleased 🌞 Yesterday was one of those strange days where luck (or whatever you call it) shifted into my favor. I had no sooner bemoaned the fact that I was very short on rent when a series of beautiful things happened. One was a project approval which will mean a check. The other was the first downpayment on a big mural job I'm doing in Idaho this April. It's officially official now and I can't wait to meet, hang out with and create a beautiful ceiling for my friend in Idaho. 🙌 Now begins the design phase on that. The other things were a series of record and gift card commissions which will have me busy but I need to be busy. After the Buddha painting I can knock those out. Also SXSW contacted me again and I might be in the mix for a new poster design this year. We shall see! So...rent is sa...

                     Work in Progress Work on the Buddha is coming along with me bouncing from corner to corner creating the little environment. Yesterdays work was on the Lotus and leaves and today I do some background foliage and more work on elephant. It feels good to be back in the studio painting on canvas again. This one is a big 48" x 48" and I'm hoping I can complete it this week. The sun's been doing its thing here in Texas and that's great for morale. I still have to earn several hundred more clams to make rent so it's going to be a super hustle week- but I'm staying positive and proactive. Today is workout, tutorials and Buddha painting! Enjoy the start of a fresh week everyone!

                     Work in Progress The Big Buddah painting is in full swing and starting to come to life. I'm having fun indulging in the warm colors and different subject matter. I took pictures after I had lost the sunlight so I'll take better progress shots today. Still much to do on it and a happy way to spend a Sunday. I've been listening to some new finds on YouTube as I paint. What Im working on seems to direct the vibe of my musical choices...and of late I've been gravitating towards NEW (to me), instrumental if possible, trip hoppy- primal- world flavored...if that makes any sense. I'm currently enjoying Tommy Guerrero's stuff- but this one in particular is a grabber: And then yesterday I happened on this little nugget and cant wait to check out the other volumes: And as I happily paint and soak up the new sounds theres a part of my brain-the musical part that is doing some kind of work on it's own that wil...

                     Work in progress Fell into a little wormhole of self gratification and only worked on this small canvas yesterday. Oops! Today is all Big Buddah canvas and actually it was good for me to warm up with that kind of painting yesterday-got some fresh ideas for the Buddha ☺ Being a freelance artist is kinda funny sometimes. You find yourself doing things like waking up in the middle of the night and instead of just watching tv or complaining about insomnia on Facebook you're diligently signing up for other avenues of freelance work and trying to diversify your projects and client base. Yup. Party animal on a very late Friday night! 😅 Now I get to watch tutorials and courses on how to work in a new platform. So much to learn so little time. It's the weekend and there is much painting to do so away I go, go, go! Keep evolving, climbing, growing!

It's Friday and I've successfully knocked out all paid commissions except for Big Buddah. Looking forward to spending all weekend and today working on it. Got a project approved yesterday at long last so a few coins in my "MUST RAISE RENT" fund. Sorely needed! I have quite a ways to go in making the magic happen but Im closer and that's what matters. I'm also closer to getting back into MY paints which is the most exciting news to me. It's very easy to get lost in the land of EVERYONE ELSE...especially when you have to pay rent and bills and it rests on your shoulders to make it happen. So I can't wait to do some painting for me. CAN'T. WAIT. Another chilly weekend in Texas and I've been slowly chipping away at the "DOES THIS WORK FOR ME?" project. Knocking out things that don't serve me and organizing and streamlining. Got a new and cheaper energy provider and yesterday got my internet service at a more affordable rate. SAVI...

It's a new morning and with it another chance at hopefulness and resolve. I remembered a year old gift card to Target yesterday and coupled with a Christmas gift card I received this year I was off to the big red bullseye yesterday to get some much needed groceries 🎯 stocked up on food for cats and humans and am feeling much more agreeable today. I think I'm one day closer to getting paid for work- or should be. Just to set the record straight- I'm not in dire straits because I don't work...in fact I work every day...but the nature of some of this work dictates I don't get paid until someone decides the work is done. And sometimes this can drag on- not through any fault of my own. So I've got to start creating other avenues of revenue and digging myself out of this hole I've found myself in. But I digress...it's a day of gratitude! 1. There is now food! 2. I am in pretty good health right now! 3. I have a roof over my head-right now anyways...

       Work in progress: commission It was a fairly productive weekend in the hive. Made progress on this Buddha commission piece and finished the last already-paid-for vinyl record piece.     Manic Street Preachers commission This week ...no matter what...I have to turn my financial brouhaha into a win. So up early today to post some new stuff in the shop and do some strategic planning. The Buddha is actually the perfect thing to work on right now, it's good vibes and challenge totally made me forget my empty bank account and I had a little break from stress. More Buddha today! Also making sure to carve out time for reading...the latest book I started is this one: Man have I missed reading! This is book number 3 so far this year. Not bad for my first month of 2019! Now if I can squeeze in some music time the good vibes will be in full effect! Should have new stuff posted in the Shopify later so check it out my friends!

     Background of a work in progress A coldish weekend has arrived and my plan is to hibernate and work on a commission that's long over due. When it's complete I'll be totally free of backlogged work and can move forward in life with my own personal work. January is totally kicking my butt. All my design projects are awaiting approval and that means I'm awaiting checks and have been all month. I think I'm lifing wrong. No matter... because my aim is to change all that and some things are potentially in the works to do just that. I'm not redoing last year again-so that means some changes need to be made. There is $50 in my account and bills are becoming late AGAIN. This system is failing me. So this weekend will also be about taking care of business and "looking after number one" as the Boomtown Rats sang. So much to do! But thankful for a quiet shut-in weekend to do it in. Everyone got a kick out of my little graphic 😂 But honestly- I real...

Another commission finished! I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel....not really! 😂 My studio is abuzz with ALL THE WORK...mostly catch up projects from last year. So the money's already long gone-yowch! This was a fun movie and I enjoyed the comicbook style of it. I'm steady in my gym routine and already seeing results...feeling results at least. My lower back pain is GONE and I know it's because I work out most mornings now. The scale is slowly going down and my goal is for GOOD BLOOD PRESSURE and mobility.  Eating more vegetables and making all the meals! Cabbage steaks go fast around here, they are so tasty. It's nice to make you and your health a priority and not let outside influences deter you. The pressures of outside life and work, the stray bad attitude being projected onto you, the disregard for you as a human person....none of that matters if you got your back. You value you. Everything else just melts into the background. It's...

 It was fun to paint this commission and listen to Prince tunes in my studio. It's important to remember to have fun. That even though it's "work" it can still be fun. It's how you approach it. Pushing hard to get records off my plate because big design projects are closing in. Last week was a total beating but I'm proud of myself for pushing through, rising above and not letting others negativity even touch my balloon. Can't pop it. 🎈 Zen level achievement for me- usually I stress and get distressed. My blood pressure issue has me saying NOPE to any negativity and condescending stuff. Mute the negativity is how Im dealing right now.  I'm in control. Its Sunday and I'll be knocking out records today and doing some meal prep for the week. So far so good in the health department- even though my blood pressure is whack right now- no stabbing pains. That alone is GOLDEN. And will be what I hold onto as I cruise into the next week. I've got...

Well hello to you too 2019! This week has been an absolute TEST! Things that should've been easy and smooth....the exact opposite. Pressure and stress rapping at my door and trying to remember everything I've learned with zen. And it's not helping that my new meds are starting to take effect and I can feel a storm brewing in my gut- literally. However one thing is keeping me grounded- I'm in control of my reactions. I am in control of how I respond. And taking a minute to deep breathe and remind myself of this is what's keeping me going. Also seeing these things as a test is keeping me "acing it". Responding to things politely and getting them off my plate immediately is my gameplan. Im in the limbo area of having a full load of work but no money as of yet-and its stressful. But I'll get through it and keep my chin up. Working out has been amazing for my mental health and I've dropped two pounds already. That much closer to lowering blood pres...

Back on track! I had let a bunch of crisis, drama and depression (and holidays) knock me off my stride. I stopped the gym and for about three months  just "took care of life". My back pain became a constant. I did nothing to help it. I was fighting financially to stay afloat-who had time for the gym? Who had time to take care of themselves? Paid all I had saved for rent at the start of the year. Have been coasting off little random print sales and record commissions. One thing I knew I HAD to invest in was...my health. Took the $30 I had in my savings- all my savings 😂 and rejoined my rec center. It was good for my physical and mental health. It gave me a healthy routine and a positive accomplished feeling after each workout. I do a lot of walking around my neighborhood but a faulty knee (and more core workout) needed the machines. As I was beginning to feel guilty for spending my last dollars my doctor told me my blood pressure was trending high because of the medicat...

               "My How You've Grown" Back to business! I've just listed three new prints in the Shop and am doing a 30% OFF SALE with discount code: 2019                        "Creating Itself" Time to get your space in order for the new year and some happy color vibes in your homes and offices! Excited to restock the store with new artprints and originals!                         "Electric Eyes" These can be found in my Shopify  The sale ends this Sunday at midnight so go get grabby- just got new fresh matting material in!

A rare treat! A CLEAN DRAWER! This drawer was previously akin to the snake in a can joke. You opened it and a snake jumped out at you...except it wasn't snakes it was a swarm of plastic bags. There were hundreds of plastic bags lying in wait for you to open the drawer. And you'd have to push and maneuver them down to close it again. So as part of my 15 minute declutterring project- I tackled that ish. IT WASN'T WORKING FOR ME. I had some empty nut tins that aren't recyclable. I don't really need a hundred pencil holders around my house so I put these to use to store some plastic bags in. We do reuse them around here for pet clean up and also extra packing material when shipping stuff. But the plan is to collect as little as possible and try not to use more plastic. Luckily most of the grocery shopping is done at Aldi now and we reuse their well made bags. Those were also taking up space so I collected a big batch and will STOW THEM IN THE CAR- that way I nev...

This is what I look like in 2019 😂😜 After three months as a hermit I finally went out. OUT. Out of the house to hang with my girlfriend and fellow Bowie die hard. We checked out Thin White Dukes at the Granada and I even wore my Italian leather boots instead of the tennis shoes I wore to everything constantly. Im a fan of sensible footwear- this was also my year to USE the things I have so boots it was. And wine colored fur collar and a plum velvet riding jacket. I was enjoying the fruits my closet offered up after all my labor with it. Fun night and now I'm tired and resolved to a day of lounging and a hot soak. "Late" nights are hard on this old lady! I don't even do selfies hardly-that's how much I do not care about my appearance on most given days. Its a wonder I still own makeup 😜 So far I've made time for my friends and finished a book and am back on my walking at least 2 miles a day. Not a bad start to the year. Work kicked off with a bang and...

I had gotten into the bad habit of "clocking out"of work for the day- having dinner in front of the TV and then just not leaving. Sleep would follow and then another day would appear. Granted, sometimes you really just need that zone out time and an early turn in. But it was habitual for me and I wasnt accomplishing some things that I would like. Like reading. So now I've taken to clicking the TV off and picking up the book Im reading. I'm happy to say I finished my first book of the year last night. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I will keep a hand written list of my book conquests. How many can I read this year? So replacing "bad habits" or time wasters with good habits. Another area I need to work on is MORNINGS and too much social media time. I can totally do a declutterring project, fit in meditation, read a chapter or check off some business To Do's instead of spending an extra 30 minutes on Facebook. Snipping and tailoring my days...

Yesterday was definitely back to work-right on cue! There were the email inquiries and little spots on the calendar filling up. I was enjoying shifting back into it after a good rejuvenating break. Even though I worked through the holiday on home organization projects- it was still a relaxing project for ME. Got to the post office and mailed off records and prints and then attended to some computer work that needed doing. Ordered new  matting supplies and scheduled a few things. Business as usual! New year and the little business is rolling merrily on. Time to get new prints made, new small pieces worked on and new streamlined processes put into place. Also time for a new website. One thing at a time! Winter has finally showed up-albeit briefly it looks like- but I'm enjoying the bitter cold outside my windows and the fact that my Christmas decorations are still up. I've never been one to rush into and out of the holidays. Truthfully- Christmas day felt like a Spring day...

Finished the year with a good walk in the sun and spotted ...these gorgeous mushrooms! I hadn't seen any in months. They made me so happy and reminded me of how much fun I had this year just stopping everything to look for them. Looking at the small things and finding delight. I thought I would be asleep at midnight but woke up from a great nap just in time to toast in the New Year with my honey. Although we have champagne and wine in the house we opted for some ginger beer to ring it in. Its a mix of laziness and amazing wisdom. No one likes to go into the New Year feeling like crap and I've successfully avoided hangovers all year so why go out like that? I'll save the bottle for my studio opening or small gathering of friends. Sharing is caring. I've become very responsible in my old age. 😛😂 Yesterday I hung up my happy bright panda piece. He will greet you on entering and exiting my house. He feels like good vibes and makes the place fun. HAVE FUN will be ...