More Work

I'm on a roll. I bought some more wood to make panels and started  2 more paintings.  I'm going out today to take more photos of landscapes. The colors are beautiful.

I'm back

Well anyone following my blog may wonder if I died or fell off the edge of the earth. I was distracted. I haven't been able to do any new paintings I was so depressed. I also helping a friend get her house ready to rent. It took me time than I thought it would. But I finally fee like painting again.
I also did three Healing Art workshops at the Dempsey Cancer Center in Lewiston.
Here's the new painting.

New Job

Well I'm tired of looking for a job so I'm going to create one for myself.  I'm trying to do healing art workshops at the local hospitals and eventually work full time at one or more hospitals.  It's very effective helping with pain and emotional stress.  The trouble is that they don't even know who I should talk to. It's hard to sell something when no one knows who's responsible.

New Work

I can't believe it's been this long since I lasted posted anything. Well I have been busy doing new work for Art in the Garden. I just did the first Friday Art Walk for August. I wanted to have some smaller pieces. The more I use my paint sticks the more I like them. Everyone tells me not to feel discouraged it's the economy not my paintings, but still it is disappointing when people look, tell you how great your work is, and then don't buy.  

I'm really excited about then new work though. I feel I'm finally getting a style that is recognizably MINE. 

It isn't easy getting a show together, even just  few pieces for something like Art in the Garden. I think that panels are the way to go for me with the paint sticks. I like a firm surface to work on. I can get

1/4" birch plywood panels fairly cheaply, then I cut them  to size and back them with 1 x1 pine. They can be hung as they are which makes everything easier. I went up to my friend Kevin's frame shop in Lewiston to cut and mount the pieces. I had to go TWICE and still I need to  glue two panels together.
But I think next year I might do a couple of art shows in the summer. It depends on money, time, and how much work I have done. Also I'll need a new car. So keep praying I get a better paying job. Till next time. I'll try to post more frequently. I promise.

Birds

   These are the two paintings

Getting yourself known

There are so many ways to get known and I'm always reading or hearing about people who are making a living selling their work.  But I haven't  found the magic formula yet.  Still I keep trying. I just started trying to sell my work on Esty. But then again so aren't 3000 other people. My daughter set up a website so I could get students. I don't think I'll get rich that way.
 I started another bird painting. It's only just beginning I'll post a picture later. I bought some smaller canvases so I could do some small paintings for "Art in the Garden". Next time I show I hope someone buys something. It isn't easy but I'm going to keep trying because  I can't stop creating. That's who I am. And now as Jimmy Durante would say "Good night Mrs Calabash wherever you are."

Art in the Garden

Last Friday I participated in the first "Art in the Garden" at the Portland Harbor Hotel. They have the most exquisite his garden. It's a center courtyard that you can't even tell is there from the outside. It's a publicity thing for the hotel but could also generate some much needed cash for me. I'm going to do some small paintings which I think will sell better. I'm also looking for another job. So I've been pretty busy.
I really wish a fairy godmother would wave her wand and all my dreams would come true.  Unfortunately I don't seem to have a fairy godmother so I guess I'm on my won.  I also put 2 paintings up on Esty I'll see if they sell. Everyone tells me they love my paintings. To which I think " Well if you like them so much why don't you buy one!" Oh well.
I'm going to try to do a calendar this year. I used to sell them and did quite well. I have today off so I'll work on my bird painting and do laundry.

New Painting

Sorry I haven't added anything new lately but I needed a rest after the big push to get the show ready.  I decided to abandon the other painting and start a new one. I saw this bird a while ago and have been wanting to paint it for a few weeks. I've made a good start. The leaves need more work and the sky needs to be evened out. The bird is almost done too.
 I'm still looking for a new job.
I've also decided to do a calendar for 2012. I used to do calendars every year and they were quite popular but then I got busy and didn't have  time. Now I think I'm ready to do another one.

The Opening

I bet you're all waiting to hear how the opening went. There weren't as many people  as I would have hoped for. But still some of my friends showed up so that was nice. Everyone liked the paintings. I hope I sell most of them. I saw someone  haven't seen in years. So that was exciting. Right now I'm feeling blah. A reaction to all the tension of getting everything ready on time.  but in general I'm really happy with the way things went.

As you can see I haven't done very much to the painting. I'm not sure if I like it or not. But if I really hate it I can always sand it down and do something else.
My daughter and I drove up to Norway to deliver my show. She drove! It's always stressful for me to be passenger but when you're driving with someone who has their learners permit... well...Enough said. We got lost and drove around in circles for over an hour! I started singing (to the tune "Charlie on the MTA")  "Did they ever return. No they never returned. And their fate is still unlearned. They may ride forever round the streets of Norway. They're  artists that never returned." Finally Bruce called wondering where we were and talked us to the gallery turn by turn. Ahhh!!!!  But everything is there. We are all set for Friday. If anyone is in Maine you're welcome to come. Go to the Frost Farm Gallery for directions.

Here's the painting I'm working on. I tried mixing yellow and blue but I didn't like the color so I had to go out and buy another paint stick. These things are EXPENSIVE! But I really needed the green. I'm not sure if I'll like this as much as I did the first one, but it's early stages yet. I'm also having trouble getting the brown of the benches right. It's easier to mix color when they're liquid or semi-liquid than it is by overlaying. In my pastels I have 5 different greens. Oh well it's a "learning experience".
My show is in a WEEK! I just hope someone shows up. It would be nice if a bunch of people I know are there. I also want to sell out. Or at least sell a lot.

I feel like this is where I should have been 2 years out of art school instead of just getting started again. This is what happens when you get married and divorced and have a child and have to support yourself. It gets in the way. It wasn't the time so much as the mental energy. My daughter was very needy. It took all my emotional strength dealing with her, there wasn't any left over for myself. Now I'm in a soul-sucking job and it is hard to keep going. But I have made a good beginning. I just can't loose momentum.  So next week I have to find some time to contact other galleries about having shows. 
I've worked on the painting some more since I took that photograph I'll post another one in a few days.

I love my new toys. I think I'm through working on this one for a while. I'll put it aside and let it percolate. I'm going to start another painting tonight.
In the meantime I'll be looking for more places to have exhibits.

Adding the yellow makes quite a difference. The only problem I have with oil paint is that it takes so long to dry and the clean up is messy even with the paint sticks. But I'm really happy with the way it is coming along

New Medium

I miss the drawing aspect of pastels and  all the "real" artists use oil so I got some paint sticks and they are great! I love being able to draw again but also thin them down and paint with them too. It' so much fun. I have to get a yellow. I bought what I thought was  a pale yellow but it is really a clear blending stick.  That will teach me not to read the labels carefully. This is a very rough beginning. I spent a bout 20 minutes on it last night. New toys I love it! I'm very energized!

Show nerves

Blue Door

Well my show is in a little less than 2 weeks. I'm very excited. My friend Kevin is framing my pieces and I hope that they are done sooner rather than later. Most of the new pieces are on my website http://www.coastalart.biz

I'm trying to tie up all the loose ends. I hope everyone can come to the opening.

Tree Reflections

Finished

Well after many changes the painting is finally finished. I moved the window to the right to set if off center. When I had the wall the way I wanted it I put in the dried weeds in the lower left corner.  There is tension created by the intersecting diagonals; the left to right up sweep of the shadows of the tree branches and the left to right downward movement of the broken board at the top.
 I know I am really bad at updating my blog but I never was one for keeping a journal so I'll try to be better in the future.
 More exciting news. I'm having a show at the Frost Farm Gallery. The opening is Friday June 3 from 5-8 pm. Everyone is invited. This painting is one of the works I'll have at the show.

New Painting

So I've been working on a new painting and taking pictures as I go to track my progress. The first photo shows a very roughed in picture.  I've placed the window and the tree reflection as well as the broken board and I've just started to suggest the tree shadows on the house.
I like to get a sense of what the whole painting will be like when it's finished. By only roughing the main features in I can easily make changes in placement.

Recent Work

These are a few of the newest pieces I’ve done. They were in a show at Delise Decor in January



Orange Sky with Rainbow : acrylic 20 x 20




2 Pink Clouds: acrylic 20 x20




Summer Afternoon : acrylic 20 x 20




Island Sunset: acrylic 20 x 30




Sunset Over Back Bay: acrylic 16 x 20



Web Site Management

I’ve been busy doing those behind the scene things that are so important but boring. I’ve updated my keywords and submitted my site to lots of search engines. No much fun but necessary. tomorrow I promise I start a new painting and will post up dates as it progresses.

Starting Over

I feel like I’m starting over again as an artist; reinventing myself. After I graduated from art school I had a 5 year plan to be a self-supporting artist. I was halfway there when life happened. I got married, had a baby, got divorced. Pretty much that quickly.
When my daughter was little I had a few shows because she took naps. However after she started in school I found out she had a learning disability. I spent a lot of time transporting her to and from school and attending countless parent teacher meeting, plus a lot of homework help.
Now she’s finally out of school and it’s time for ME! Unfortunately earning a living keeps getting in the way. So here I am plunging into the world of Blogging and Facebook and online galleries when other people are planning their retirement.
I was never much of a diary keeper but I promise to keep you apprised of my journey towards being a self-supporting artist.

First steps

I’m working on getting my work out there. This the first step in  what will be a multimedia campaign. I’ve got some work at the Dogfish Cafe in Portland and will have a show at the Frost Farm Gallery in Norway in June. there’s  a lot of work to do so goodbye for now.