Art Plunge

  This was the year I got rejection letters from every open call I applied to. Granted, it wasn't very many I applied to because I am very picky about what I sign up for AND I am also very jaded about these things of late.  However, this was my best art year to date and I kinda love that it was all rejection notices this year and I STILL HAD THE BEST ART YEAR EVER. Takeaway: Today's open calls are very "agenda based" and the jurors they choose to judge have their agendas. Some want more millennials and younger artists and shun the older artists, some want you to tackle race, gender identity, politics, feminist, pro this or that.... And my art does not. I'm going to stick by  my "Nature is more important than most bullshit" stance till I die because the very atom of life and Nature is more important in my eyes than most of the stuff humans do to feel more important than another group.  But I digress! I did not get into the velvet rope clubs and it was gre...

Sometimes it just takes one little action to get things rolling in the right direction. For me the action was ordering a giant roll of bubble wrap I didn't even have space for and when it arrived I had to figure out where it would live because my cats were already trying to hug it with their teeth and sharp little claws.  Also, why bubble wrap? What for?  I'm a big believer in taking some sort of action, big or small to make yourself move in a certain direction. I also believe in productive manifesting and the bubble wrap symbolized shipping. Shipping art out. Shipping lots of art out. Shipping out so much art I was justified in living with a big roll of bubble wrap for awhile!  So step one: order the bubble wrap and step two was the fun task of... Making a place for it to live. So manifesting was already happening and I decided I needed a designated area for shipping supplies and hell.. My printer needed a proper home too. I had a very messy shelf with an old printer on ...

  Just had a birthday and with that the gift of remembering AGE IS REAL 🤣 I laugh but it's not really funny. Or fun! But I'm a positive soul and can only stay on course. My recent "throwing out of the back" happened right before my birthday and had already brought me to the realization I needed to do something about my literal structure falling apart.  I'm the homeowner of this body and haven't considered my body a very nice home so I wasn't treating it as such. First things first - peace must be made with my enemy. My body has been my enemy for a long time. It betrayed me with this thing called endometriosis which stole my good years, my ability to work for years, created financial devastation and left me always with a million little broken things I needed to fix. Currently it's hormones, weight gain and high blood pressure. See what I mean? Some friend right? I extended the olive branch first. Be my friend again please. I said this as I sat cross le...

  Skip navigation  little backstory I was totally working for myself as an artist and you know what? It was HARD! Harder than hard and harder than any job ever. But it was the most rewarding experience and I learned so much about so many things and I want to share that knowledge with you guys... My VIP art club. I didn't get a fair shake from the very beginning of my art career. I suffered a back injury at my "muggle" job which required a lot of physical therapy to get over and which I will have with me forever now. It was actually the impetus for me to quit my job and start being an artist! So I turned my bad luck into fuel for my fire. I saved 5k (painstakingly while enduring all the BS at a terrible job) and then I made the leap. I was so excited and optimistic about working for myself! I had sold little pieces here and there and was sure it was only upwards from there. 2 weeks into my freedom- my Dad died unexpectedly. What came next was indescribable DEPRESSION and a...

Ah Rockford files, a comfortable and silly way to unwind after work. Yes, I am completely aware that I've turned into my Dad and watching Dad shows totally cements that theory. I had to start looking at the handsome James Garner in a new light though... He was a rich and famous star in his time and every evening spent curled up watching Rockford Files was an evening a painting wasn't getting worked on. No painting, no art show material. No painting, no galleries. No painting, no money. Would James Garner be watching TV every evening in a tired drowsy ball and not getting stuff done? Probably not.  So I pulled myself away from TV land in the evenings and devoted at least a little time in the mornings as well. Even if it's just ten minutes. Even if you are just filling in all the blacks, blues or whatever... It is progress. Something is better than nothing. I'm proud to say this little habit tweak has totally kicked my butt into gear and I'm producing at a rate I'...

  Lately I've been thinking about my place in the arts and I have come to realize a few things... Early on in my art journey I did the "group" thing. I felt I needed help, encouragement, direction and opportunities. I soon realized that groups put a bad taste in my mouth. Despite me playing well with others- there was always someone who was "in charge" because they were controlling, had ego issues, enjoyed being a bossy bitch but still unhelpful. These people usually couldn't take any constructive criticism to make their relationships with others better and really soured me on the "group" experience. Add into the fact the GOSSIP that comes with groups because that's what groups do. Henpecking parties. I thought I was supposed to be creating art - not fighting off drama and feeling like I'm on a particularly terrible episode of 90210.  And if you were labeled a bad egg because you didn't do the sheeple song and dance to appease their ego...

  Spring is here even though it's not "official" yet and I say that because I'm on a steady diet of Zyrtec and nose spray and sneezing fits and puffy eyes. Oh Spring is definitely here! Yesterday I finally heard the job I was waiting to hear about isn't going to happen after all, the client decided on something else. Whatever that means 🤷‍♀️ I only know I'm not really sad about it because it was a monstrous lot of work and the time frame to do it kept getting smaller with every passing day the client hadn't made decisions. It was quickly becoming impossible and when it finally just fell apart I didn't really care. I even feel like that happened for a reason to free up time for something coming my way. I really feel like something good is coming my way and am preparing for it. And in preparing for it I've been redoing my whole website and getting things in order. Staying true to my path and journey I've decided on. I'll do a website launch ...

Halfway through March, where has this month gone? I had time to get another original out but not enough time to do my email campaign so I posted it on the fly and it sold before I could travel from Facebook to Instagram and back. In mere minutes! Really feeling such gratitude that the work is appreciated and sought after. And it really makes me question if my day job is keeping me from this important work 🤣  I've been working with Edgefield Arts to get some frames built for these original sizes so that collectors have an easy option to get frames put on these if they wish. I'll keep everyone updated on this as it becomes real.  My studio cat Onesie overlooks a messy start to another piece! I should be hearing back any day now about a big project... but I've learned in this world you follow this advice: JUST GO ABOUT YOUR DAY whether it happens or doesn't you aren't swayed and you are not wasting your time hung up on things. I was fully ramping up with my own busine...

New month and the calendar is popping! Some interesting things have come onto my radar- but since things aren't finalized I'm just going to have to be vague for now. I'm starting to get noticed and found... and fully believe that my mantra of "where you put your efforts is where you'll see your gains" is starting to pay off. (As for that photo up there-Look how amazing these prints came out! Totally love how vibrant and lush this paper is!) I've gotten derailed from my small originals project because of WORK, COMMISSIONS and LIFE. So when I say- collect these while they are there- I mean it... There's almost no time to squeeze those in.  Just finished this up for a client who commissioned it for a friend's gift. The sweet orange boy is a dearly departed friend who needed to be memorialized with my brush. Since the recipients have my frog print framed and hanging- I thought it a nice touch to paint this in similar style and scheme to match. It's...

My resolve was to make LOTS OF UPWARD PROGRESS this year and I have not disappointed myself yet. We are on the second month of the new year and I've successfully gotten back into painting, created a whole new art identity that garners more sales and totally re-strategized my art career. And did I mention I got a raise aside from giving myself a raise in my studio? I have sold out of new originals the same day I post them- repeatedly! How does one do that? You start telling yourself you are worth it. YOU ARE WORTH IT. And you start clearing away all the things that tell you otherwise. You start making time for your work and your business, you start being focused about what you are trying to achieve every day. When you log into social media you have a purpose and a plan. You make your work strong and you show up and show up REAL.  You make hard choices and yep - sometimes you gotta cut the fat and write the goodbye notes. You are looking out for your best interests and your life and ...

  These pieces were sold and collected last week in my second round of posting originals up for grabs. I am really feeling the support right now- which is great because I'm on the cusp of lots of changes. (Another one that was collected, I really enjoyed the color palette!) I started the year totally swamped with other people's dreams and no time for my own. I'm happy to say that this week at least one of those time eaters has fallen away. Now I just have one more to wrestle with. It's good to constantly evaluate what is working for you and what isn't. If it eats up all my time, barely pays and I don't feel valued - it gets cut. If I feel at all like my time or feelings aren't considered- I have no space for it. Because I know I can paint for my lovely people and they can support me- I have the power to kick things to the curb that don't serve me. (All SOLD and collected last week!) So I'm moving forward and trying to focus on my business and art and...

  The three newest originals, all collected... A long time ago I had time to work on my larger works and my smaller works too. Smaller works are great because they don't take days or weeks to complete and most people have a small space somewhere that they need a little art for.  My goal is still painting the bigger pieces and getting some art shows going again... While providing small pieces that are affordable still for my collectors and friends. The icy shut down gave me some time so I sat down to get some painting done. I was liking the direction and feeling inspired, it felt good to do these intuitive pieces again. It feels a lot like PLAY and also like solving a puzzle.  I posted a teaser shot and the messages came rolling in. People wanted them already. Before I could even put them up for sale. I was happy my collector friends were getting some new fresh work for 2023 and also that I was making my rent money happen since the ice killed my work that week. My people w...

  "Emergence 1" My first painting of the new year is finished and titled. This week I will take it to be scanned for high res photos and printing. I'm restructuring my whole business this year and weeding out things that don't work for me. That's going to include the small prints. I'm hoping my supporters will just buy the next size up since they aren't that much more. It saves me time and hassle for little payoff. The new prints from here on out will be LIMITED EDITION prints on high quality Rives paper. Real fine art prints that will look stunning in frames.  I'm also weeding out a lot of stuff on social media and getting very business minded about my time on there. If entities aren't following me back or art related in some way they are distracting up my feed on my @galleryrodriguez page. That page is strictly art biz. I have so much to do to get things sorted out, my website back up and online shops integrated - forgive me if I'm not as cha...

  The weekend was going well until the very sad event unfolded. I have been taking care of some stray cats, a mom and kitten. They are feral and have never come within ten feet of me... Yet I still felt a kinship for them and worried over them and fed them. Before the holidays I bought the kitten a bag of toys, different things..a ball, a plush elephant, a tiny fish, a crinkly plastic thing... Kittens are kittens and all kittens deserve toys. I was delighted that she loved the toys. I would find them in odd places of the yard. One day a planter, the next a bird bath. I watched her throw the toys up in the air and carry them away. She and Mom were usually together but as she got a little older she wasn't always with mom when mom came to eat. This worried me.  The freezes we had worried me too and I put hot water bottles out and spare blankets were tucked under the shed where they were seen a lot.  They always came out the next morning and I became a little less fearful, ma...

  Back in the saddle finally... Since September I have been itching to get back to this painting but no, no there was work to be done. I was committed to the Fair, committed to the Acura car and hustling because it's my biggest money maker of the year. After the Fair was dealing with the back log of work that had built up because of the Fair. And kittens, new kittens who hadn't had enough attention and bonding yet. Oh and one of the kittens had a problem of peeing on carpet so let me stop down and address my stinky house that's falling apart. Let me rip out carpet when I need to be painting. Oh holidays? Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year triple sucker punch time and all the energy that goes into making sure everyone has a nice one and a big yummy meal, etc, etc It's been one thing after another and in my quest to stay on top of bills I took on a side gig on top of my part time and my other side gig. Painting? What's that? Artist? Not I. I had turned myself back into a...

  Portrait of a gal at work I like to mark the passing of the first week of the new year and what got accomplished. I stretched every day and did work on my plantar fasciitis and the weird tight painful spot in my shoulder that's been plaguing me for over a year... And lo and behold it feels like I'm healing. Focus on healing, put effort into healing and see the gains of your effort. Where you put your effort is where you see your gains and it's true in various aspects of your life as well.  Myofascial massage balls and a Solid Back spine helper When I focus on Woodwork and selling Woodwork- I see sales in that department. If I focus on art and prints, I see sales and opportunities in that department. Channel your efforts and see where your gains start coming.  Week one was healing and rehab and it will continue. I also am being strategic about THINGS THAT DON'T WORK and getting those things fixed. Case in point- this old dryer I've been dealing with for about a yea...

  One step at a time... Even with plantar fasciitis I've been pretty good about not complaining about ailments and financial woes... So I'm not gonna start the year off with that. But yes, I've been dealing with the plantar fasciitis or fascists , as I like to say! 😜 It's no fun having the simple pleasure of walking taken from you and your heels made to feel like they've been standing on concrete for 100 hours straight when they haven't been.  So I'm going into the new year with the word HEALING firmly in my heart. I'm going to heal myself before anything else and make myself priority number one. I'm also doing some major overhaul on my VALUE system and making sure I'm finally getting what me, my time, my art, skills and knowledge are worth this year. I've been undervaluing myself and it's time to stop that nonsense. I'm fully prepared to make this a fantastic year for art and good things and hope you'll follow me along on this j...