Art Plunge

I LOVE going into the New Year doing what I love...creating. What a life affirming endeavor to approach the new year making something new come to life. So I'll be full on in my studio today working on my wolf and then doing a quick store run for my laid back festivities tonight. Charcuterie 2020! Thats simply how I want to ring in the New Year. Snacks. Cheese. Pajamas. BRING IT! No hangover, smudgy Alice Cooper makeup the next morning feeling like run over poop with a giant headache. That's not how Im rolling into the new decade. I made lots of sourdough baguettes and have a nice baked brie with cranberry sauce that needs to party tonight. I feel like such a disciplined adult. 😂 Im also expecting to be fully asleep by midnight because I don't need a bunch of strangers on TV heralding in the New Year for me. New Year starts when I say it starts and it starts regardless if Im awake to say hi..or not. I'll party with friends another night. Usually I wax philosophic...

          Letting the wolf in my studio Work in progress on a new piece is underway. Still playing with my pink cloud theme but mixing it up and taking it to the woods instead of egrets and cranes. My goal this year is to significantly improve some techniques, learn some new processes and play around with new ideas and elements. Its called growing. I can appreciate having a whole body of work that all looks like it came from the same place but I can also think it gets very boring exploring the same subject matter over and over. So Im flowing where my muses want to take me. It's going to be a busy week of arranging and rearranging and putting plans into motion. New pricing starts Jan 1 and Im also divvying up my time between personal painting, painting for my Shopify and marketing/business/research work. It will fall into place-just takes some adjusting. Now that my health seems to be playing nice it's time to get back in the ring and produce, sell, scout a...

Awake at 1:30 am after falling asleep at 8:30 pm...I opted for just getting up and making coffee and starting early. I used to fight it. Toss, turn, be frustrated...read about insomnia. Stress out that I wasn't sleeping enough. Now I've taken an animal approach. Ok so Im awake and my body won't go back to sleep so...get up then. Take a nap later when youre sleepy. Simple as that. Fighting it is a lot harder than flowing with it. So up and planning the day. Stretches, shower, breakfast and tidying the kitchen then going into the studio to prepare for 2020. Im about to start work on a new body of paintings/mixed media pieces. I have two solos to prepare for. I need to practice with my gopro and get my youtube cranking and also jump back on Patreon. 2020 is going to be a lot of work but it's going to be fantastic. So waking up early to catch the worm...maybe that plays into my favor. Try more flowing and not fighting and see how that works for you. Today I make a g...

One of the most crucial and liberating things I put into practice this past year was TURNING THE VOLUME DOWN on my phone. What? Sacrilege! What if someone needs to get a hold of you?! Sorry but Im of the firm mindset this contraption causes more stress, anxiety, insomnia and depression issues than people realize. I found myself super stressed out and dreading when the thing would PING or ring. It was usually work related, an ad from something or other ...or reminder to pay a bill. None of those things warrants interrupting a nap, my peaceful walk or whatever else Im working on. If its work I'll handle it when I decide Im at a good stopping point to handle it. If Im in my studio painting the last thing that is productive to my work is a pinging phone that wants me to stop and text back and forth. So sometimes (a lot) I don't even have it with me in there. Notifications of any sort are disabled. Especially Facebook-where any Tom, Dick and Harry can message me at leisure wit...

Ready for Hygge time!  It's not cold like I wanted it to be for WINTER but that isn't going to stop me from Hygge time. By now you've heard of hygge and know it means coziness and well being. Today is all about my hygge time. Im revisiting my library of childhood books. Real bound books with golden reliefs on their covers and spines...filled with fairy tails,poetry, French lessons,games,crafts,history and a myriad of brain expanding rabbit holes to fall into. I devoured these ancient tomes as a child and have been anxious to explore them again. Beautiful color plates! Of plant life inspiration no less!             Current view: Hygge Times! So with a cozy flannel on the couch, one of my mom's handmade blankets to cozy up with and my old childhood friends Im embarking on hygge times. The house is stocked with brownies, cookies,pies, casseroles, precooked food,coffee, chocolates and cats...and there is nowhere I need or want to be but he...

          The latest commission project Yesterday I turned over the latest commission project to my client who also happens to be my landlord and my friend. He LOVED IT! And it made me happy because I toiled so hard on that thing! So I'll let you in on a little secret...I am not fond of doing portraits. Dread fills me and I would rather do anything else. Your pet, your plants, your dream. But it is part of life for an artist to get asked to do portraits so I figured I better get good at it. Painting over 500 records got me fairly ok at it but I still didn't like all the background work that goes along with portraits sometimes. This one required lots of detail...that lamp post...the table stuff...the drink with all the reflection stuff and condensation, etc...so much no one even knows goes into this kind of work. But I put my all into it and its one of my better portraits. This year Im aiming for intensifying my "light", colors and composition. I always see...

In 2019 I fulfilled my goal to have actual "stuff" to sell in my Shop. I invested in prints and matting material and a paper cutter and was able to assemble my art prints myself and sell online and at vending events. Some events were fruitful, some were a bust-but they were all good learning experiences and helped me connect with the general public. Heres a short list of goals and also things Im leaving behind in 2019 as I actively try to take my art career and business to the next level in 2020. 1. A bunch of low paying projects to make ends meet. Doing a bunch of low paying projects takes precious time away from doing a high paying project, working on pieces for shows (which fetch triple or quadruple digits) and creating "art art" as opposed to quick sells. My goal is for more meaningful ART ART and Im not interested in making ends meet anymore. Im tired of scrounging, hoping and having to take breadcrumbs. As someone once said "I WANT MILK IN MY CHEER...

 Its the little things- my Christmas present to myself When my little nest is cozy and in its place then my happiness level is UP. This is what allll my money goes to every month after all- so being in an enjoyable space just makes sense. Who pays all their hard earned money to live in a hole? So yesterday I took it upon myself to tackle the living room-which was a source of despair. Everything had landed in there after the storage room unit got unplugged. It was not an inviting space to hang. After much work and putting records away and moving furniture around- now I want to sit in there and read books, watch the Christmas lights not do anything ...and drink coffee. Ive been enjoying all the Christmas cards I've been getting and setting them out to enjoy. After two years of not being hooked up and connected my TURNTABLE is finally back in action and my heart is happy. Records take up my whole house (a lot of them are just for painting on though) and are meant to b...

Another PANDA is in the bag! It was fun to revisit my panda for a friend and collector who commissioned it. It had been awhile since I got to play with spray paint cans, hot pink and easy going panda smiles. 🐼 Now its back to grinding- portrait commission! Im going to do my best to complete it by Christmas -we shall see. I had to turn my brain off because it was overthinking, depressing me. Yep- Im over here with no brain now! 😜 No actually, scanning Instagram and seeing some respectable artists who just toil constantly at their craft was the kick in the pants I needed. Just do it. Shut up. Do it. Get in the studio. Paint it. Just remind me to shut up and paint it please. Completing the panda has taken the rent stress off me and my neck off the chopping block. I finally have enough to pay rent and holiday food for the family. WHEW! What a horrible time sweating over it! But since that just clears me for rent its still hustle time to make extra -because bills will be right behin...

Random Christmas image found online I guess everything is telling me it's almost Christmas. Aside from Christmas cards going out and a few sent my way- haven't really been bitten by the holiday bug yet. I look back on my past Facebook posts and see that I was baking cupcakes for everyone last year. Where is that girl? 😂  She is awake at 2 am drinking coffee and preparing for a full day in the studio and running around shipping. That's where she is. Im experiencing some kind of end of year burn out and everything seems hard right now. Especially painting. But it must be done ...so shake this doldrum I must. More work seems to be on the radar and it is strengthening my resolve for my little business to succeed. Where work has dropped off from the usual sources-new sources are appearing so that works for me. I have to go where the work is. Freelancing means you're a constant nomad with no "home". In all this constant hustling I must remember I HAVE TW...

      "A little throwback" sold yesterday Yesterday I made great strides in overcoming my depression. It's not a shameful or weak thing to be depressed. In fact I think it's as normal as waking up every day. We all, at some point or another, feel this way. My depression will make me think things like *you chose the wrong path, now get into an office somewhere and quit playing with paint *you are not where you are supposed to be *nobody cares so why should you? *you're obviously just not good enough I know that the depression is lying to me and I know I need to kick those thoughts to the curb....but it is a BIG ADVERSARY and its hard. My new routine and some pep talks have me trying to get back in the game. I also sold three little mini paintings yesterday- proving to Depression that my work IS TOO wanted... and the office job will have to wait. I finally started BREAD yesterday....let me shed light on this jump in the blog. My sister left sourdough s...

One of the things on my To Do list was decorate for Christmas. And I only did because Im having my family over for a Christmas meal and they have zero Christmas in their life and I thought it would be nice for a moment. So yesterday I hung little balls on things and even scribbled out some Christmas cards. That's about the extent this year -it's a slim year. I got a Christmas present in the mail from a dear friend and another friend took me to lunch-it was a good day.  I started my new "get out of depression" routine which starts with light stretching and getting back into your body...you know, that thing that carries you around that you've been neglecting? That thing. After stretching its hot bath meditation time. Breathing and clearing away the thoughts. Thoughts like "holy hell-how am I going to make $600 before January 1?" Push those thoughts aside-they are not productive. Breathe and feel your body and be in the now. And give thanks to whateve...

These were some older,tiny paintings I did...well- 12" x 12" each (not too tiny) and I loved what I was exploring here and wouldn't mind incorporating some of the old elements into my work again. I've been thinking about my work lately and the kind of disconnect that comes over you when you have to assume the role of "maker". Like having to produce for vending events totally makes me feel like a "maker" of things and less like an artist. And it's been a very long while since I've felt connected to the art of art. This feeling coupled with being broke even despite my "making of things" , the holidays and another year turning over...well, its made me grumpy cat. Honestly. And constantly showing up on Facebook as the class clown, cracking jokes,making others laugh- meanwhile my life is on fire and no one bothers to share my business posts or buy a print to help a sister out.  Because I am the class clown. Im only supposed to ...

                    "Calyces Hanging" The past few days have been all about  tackling a To Do list before I jumped into work...and trying to feel abundant. It's hard to have the "Christmas Spirit" when all you can think about is making enough to pay the rent and looming bills and realizing you not only CAN'T get gifts for anyone but all your time must be devoted to- rent and bills. And if you are online your nose is shoved in everyone elses shiny tinsel, living rooms with 5 Christmas trees and a bunch of "oh my I have 70 gifts to wrap!" and lots of food and parties you are not party to. 😂😂😂  Luckily I do not care for materialistic things, shopping and spending lots of money on more plastic, polluting, etc. However- not being able to afford basic life things or wincing at the price of a holiday ham I plan to buy for the families Christmas meal- that hurts! So ABUNDANCE PROJECTS because focusing on what you have feels ...

                       "Remix Grotto" 2020 is just around the bend and I've slowly been laying some groundwork to elevate my business and the worth of my art. Meaning that my originals will be worth more for my collectors and therefore a better "investment". I'm sure most of my collectors just wanted the art because they loved it- but there have been at least two cases that I know of that my art got "flipped" or resold to other collectors. At any rate it's time to be a professional now. I've been a professional freelance artist for nine years now and its time to do the adulting thing. Raise prices, invest more in my business and self, hunt viable opportunities and increase my value. I have teamed up with Artistic Transfer LLC located in the World Trade Center and they will be spearheading the sales of certain "collections" in the giclee and fine art printing realm. Their scans of my work are PHENOMENAL and I'm pleased wi...

Really I haven't blogged here since the Fair in September? That's because Ive been a hardworking worker bee, flying to this project and that and doing everything to keep it all together. Sometimes I juuuuust manage to keep it all together and other times I wonder if its going to come together at all. Regardless, December never fails to kick me in the Christmas balls. So I decided to do what always makes me feel more "abundant"....list stuff Im grateful for. From having too much "stuff" that I need to declutter (where others have nothing) to making inventory of my pantry and remembering people live on the street with no pantry. It doesn't take long to feel abundant. Getting in my kitchen and making a sumptuous (to me) dish makes me feel very abundant and not so bad about things. Todays project was my first "tomato bisque" soup using ingredients I had on hand and a blender. Substitute milk for heavy cream if you don't have it and a ...