The headlines scrolled across my TV today as I wondered what the new day would bring. “Recession Looming” is the one that stood out to me and I rolled around the complications in my head. As a person that is trying to make my money in art, I am always watching for economic indicators. Mini skirts, car sales, buttered popcorn, unicorns…. The list goes on […]
It’s a Keeper! Maybe.
I got an interesting question this last weekend, “How do you let go of your art?” It’s easy for me, I told the woman in front of me. I am a “Process Oriented” artist. That means, I find my joy in the creative journey when I paint. Other artists find their joy in the finished piece and they are “Goal Oriented”. I believe it is […]
When to quit
The hardest decision an artist faces is, “When is a painting done.” I am teaching classes and I will literally take a painting away from a student and say, “You’re finished.” Students generally tend to be grateful when I do that because they have a difficult time recognizing the finishing point. Let’s not kid ourselves; figuring out a finishing point is a gut wrenching, mind […]
Going with the flow.
Being an artist is so wonderful at times. It isn’t always but there are serene moments that take my breath away. I get caught up in what I should be doing to the point of losing the perspective of Doing anything. Today for example, I got so caught up in the chores of my craft; I felt forced. It hadn’t been a great day prior […]
Being a grownup;….. yuck.
About 6 years ago I made a conscious decision to be a “Professional” artist. I was going to be dedicated to my craft. I would work towards having things like; Inventory, Customer Database, Mobile Retail Space, Show Schedule and Dedication. I was raised by a Pro, I felt I knew what I was getting into. There was one problem, her footsteps no longer lead to […]
Who wins when we pay it forward?
I got caught in a Starbucks “Pay it forward” chain today. If you don’t know what that is, let me explain. It all started when the company put in drive thru locations. The person in front of you; who is probably much more energetic than a coffee addict has a right to be, decides to share their joy of the day and buys your […]
I am looking for a muse
Remember when I said, “Don’t court your muse”? I must admit it is hard. Creating when you don’t feel like it isn’t ever easy. I am a member of several artist Facebook groups and a common theme is “what do you do when you don’t want to paint” We all have our “go to” plans, I have several. 1) Look at other art. Find some […]
Stampedes and other obstacles
When I was young and had boundless energy, I was involved with a performing troupe. We would create costumes and travel to do performances wherever anyone wanted us. Singing and dancing, we were a merry bunch and there were several of us; male and female. I remember getting sideways with some of the women a time or two and I wouldn’t understand what I had […]
Love is love, but business is business
I lived between a Cop and a Social Worker for 5 years. I had no political opinion that whole time. It wasn’t that they argued, they were capable of having intelligent discussions, but I felt that the détente was fragile and me picking a side might upset the apple cart. They understood my concerns and until the social worker started running for office, my political […]
Success is an Iceberg
I love Facebook pages. I am a member of several for various things (too boring to mention) but I also join artistic Facebook pages. One is administered here locally by Helen Parsons called Spokane Art Calls. Never met the lady but she runs a tight ship as pages go and she posts pictures and memes all the time to keep her page feed fresh and […]
