My Abstract Art Group - The Chromazones

Just got back from a meeting with my Abstract Art Group, The Chromazones. We are a diverse group of artists who all love to paint abstracts. It's the most unusual group I've ever been in as far as artists go.

It seems that in the past, every time that I get together with a bunch of artists, there are a lot of big egos that try to take over. With The Chromazones, it seems that everyone is in it to support everyone else. The energy is great, and it is fun to show with them.

We are in the process of working out the details on a few upcoming exhibits, and it's amazing how well we work as a group.
I look forward to more shows with them.

GC5 Art Reception

 

Show at GC5 Vintage & Gifts FRIDAY!!!

I am really excited about my opening this Friday at GC5 Vintage & Gifts in downtown Wake Forest. Hope to see a big crowd. For those of you who weren't aware, Wake Forest has a great "Art After Hours" event every 2nd Friday. They have free horse drawn carriage rides and lots of art and fun downtown. I put up part of my show today, and Amanda, who owns the shop is the greatest!

She loved my work (said it made her feel happy). Friday should be a lot of food, fun and "happy art." I'm glad I had such a positive experience there because I was pretty bummed about some other things going on in my life right now. Feel like I'm on a roller coaster sometimes, but I just have to keep focusing on the ups and not the downs.

So a big THANKS to Amanda and all my other supporters out there who keep me going.

I DID IT!!!!

For someone so technologically(is that a word) challenged, I can't believe I finally completed my website and was able to point to old one to the new one. I guess for many people out there, that's a pretty (yawn) boring accomplishment, but it wasn't that long ago that I didn't even know how to do email. Computers terrified me.

Now I realize they are just a tool, and for an artist, one that is hugely important to getting my work out there. I'm learning and trying to keep up with what's popular this week. So I blog, I twitter (not much), I Facebook, and post notices on anything and everything. I think the final frontier for me is to begin to market to a target audience about my meditation art and my expressive art classes. That's really where I want to go with it.

Now I believe the foundation is there and the sky's the limit as far as where I can go. I feel so accomplished, and I'm doing it myself! For a long time I thought the way to go was riding on someone else's shirtails, but I realize I can only be happy doing it the way I want to do it.

So I am following my dreams and things are beginning to happen. I feel a little like Dorothy in the last scene of the Wizard of Oz. Now I know I have had the power all along. I just needed to find it in myself.

Where Am I now?

I am getting ready for another show. This one is at GC 5 Vintage & Gifts in Wake Forest. It's a cool little place with a comfortable retro vibe. Between family health issues, work (the day job) and life's little problems I feel so far behind. At least I have updated my website. I am going to attempt (very soon) to have my old site point to the new one.

Over the weekend, I thought I  had done just that, and in reality I did just the opposite. Luckily my new site was still there and after some "instruction" I was able to get it back. I never knew a website could suck up so much time.

So now it's back to updating the blog, finishing up the last class for awhile and getting back in the zone to paint. There's one piece that I'm working on that is really "speaking" to me. Not sure where it wants to go, but I just keep watching it kind of happen. It's starting to feel like being in a beautiful golden cave with copper accents. Hope I can pull off the finish. I'd hate to screw it up at this point. I'll post it when I get closer to the finish line.

Avoiding the necessary

Funny how we always save those tasks we don't like for the last minute. I am currently hunting and gathering all the receipts and paperwork from 2009 in order to complete my taxes. My goal is to finish it tonight and have a restful night of sleep. So what am I doing? I'm here on this blog avoiding what I need to be doing.

Of course, working on taxes prevents me from working on getting my images up on the blog, but I promise that is next! What hurts the most is having to avoid my studio in order to take care of business. When I don't get in there for a few days, I get pretty cantankerous. It is where I find my solace and healing.  Tomorrow is a new day for painting. I can't wait!

Pardon my negligence

Yes, I know, I have sorely neglected this blog. I am not always the best communicator. I read other people's blogs, and love seeing their progress and hearing about the great things they are doing with their life. I know that if I want the public to see my art, I must get the word out there.

For years I have looked forward to making my living as an artist. I have tried websites and "played" with this blog. I must admit that my marketing attempts have been weak at best. On a positive note, I have worked at developing my own personal style. I stopped trying to please others, and that has allowed me to discover new techniques and find myself, so to speak. I've had some successes at local shows and even got a trip to the White House with a Christmas Ornament that I hand painted in 2008. Impressive, sure, but am I really getting it out in front of people who would enjoy what I do? Not really.

I am no longer waiting for that rich patron to come along and rush me into the New York art scene to be discovered. I realize that if I want to sell art, I need to be the one to do it. So, in the near future, (as soon as I can figure out how all of this works), I will be placing my latest works on this blog and adding a PAY NOW button.

So be watching for some positive changes, and I hope you enjoy the new works I will be posting very soon. Thanks for watching!