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.