Leaping, leaping, lept!

Well, while I was planning and working toward leaping, life took care of it for me. My "day job" evaporated and so here I am! Ready or not, here I come.

Since I saw the day job collapse coming, I ratcheted up my marketing a month ago. What worked for me like a charm a few years ago has resulted in a few nibbles and then..silence.

So I'm thinking that while this economy settles down more, and I have a bit of a buffer moneywise til I have to earn my own keep again, I'm going to take a step back and really work on upgrading my skills and networking.

I am going to take some life drawing/painting classes this week, that are drop in and pay for the day. They are offered by the historic art clubs in Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Sketch Club and the Plastic Club. I think they will help me enormously. My son who is a trained artist insists, and can your kid be wrong? :D

Second, I am going to paint, paint paint. Acrylic or oils? I've done both, like both, but haven't done either enough to feel comfy. I think I'm going to revisit them both since I have the supplies and make a choice and run with it.

Third, I am practicing my children's portraits. I have already begun with a double portrait of my nephew's gorgeous daugher and her cousin, two little princesses. There are enough kids in my life now for me to get lots of practice. I think I have to be a full-service portraitist for me to survive in this economy when I go back to commissions.

Fourth, I am going to take painting classes. I just missed getting into them for the fall, so for sure in the winter.

Fifth, I'm keeping my online presence going so I'm not starting from scratch when I restart commissions.

Sixth, I'm going to do a newsletter. I have hundreds and hundreds of people who have either bought my art or expressed an interest in it. I have never taken the time to recontact ppl who have expressed an interest in my art!

Seventh, woodcut prints. I really enjoy doing them and have a lot of ideas for that. I have some on Etsy, but have never sold. I think it's because I have so few of them. I have the time to do more with them and more of them. I'm hoping to progress to getting them juried into shows.

Eighth, I am working hard to regain my stamina that was totally zapped by sitting in an office every day for 3 years.

So those ar my plans for now. All of them need to be done, but the priority is definitely in the art, not the marketing.

I'm also looking for a part time job. I'd like to mix it up a little, but I'm not sure it will by typing for lawyers again. I just don't think I can drain my soul again doing something that does no good for anyone. What I did was try and make sure insurance company "A" paid less for the accident than insurance company "B". I would like my efforts to do SOME kind of good, not to just make money for a lawyer and insurance company. I'll see.

Of course, my biggest enemy is wasting time. I can't use the excuse that I'm too tired, I have all day. Of course, all day is an enemy, too! It's easy to goof off early on when you have ALL DAY to accomplish something.

Those of you who are already fulltime, professional artists, know that all of the above are necessary, other tips are welcome!! I can use every suggestion I can get! Robin

Gearing up

Hello fellow artists! I hope everyone's having a great summer. I'm still relaxing, doing my house stuff, walking Otto a lot, and doing more thinking about art than making it although I am making it.

I'm gearing up for what I hope is a big leap. I've been reading some books and thinking a lot...the most helpful of which was Seth Godin's "The Dip" to think about where I am and where I want to go.

Some things: He talks about being the best at what you do. Is that possible for me? Can I be the best pet portrait artist? The best printmaker? Better than everyone else?

Well...I doubt it. I am better than a lot of people. A lot of people are better than me. Do I have to be better than others or just ... better? Again, the quest to move ahead hitting me right between the eyes. I have to jump up in commitment and skill.

And not just in making the art. I've been really lax in learning how to photograph my art and present it online. For instance, I have a horse I painted on gallery wrapped canvas. I think the galley wrapped part is important, and if I showed the sides and showed it hanging up, it might help sell. But I don't really LIKE to take photos so have let myself slide with that.

Second: Why should someone in the market buy from me and not from the other 10 pages of pet portraitists in front of me in a google search? What makes mine unique? It's not price anymore. One thing is my backgrounds. Many of my "competitors" are afraid of them, and I love them. My past clients always mention it. What else is it about MY art? That I really love it counts. That I love working with clients counts. How do I convey that?

And my website..it's a mess. It is dated. Back when I created it, I had to convince people go buy online. In a few years, that has become commonplace especially with my target audience, so I don't have to be so folksy and comforting and wordy on my site. My other blog does that job. I've known it for a year at least that I have to update but haven't. So...time to do that. Here it is so you know what I'm talking about, my pet portraits site: http://robinzebley.com

And fourth, even if I WERE the best in the world, who knows it? I'm going to invest MONEY in myself and my marketing and no longer rely strictly on free advertising and word of mouth. And have been kicking some ideas around about how to get the word out.

And finally, Seth says to write down what exactly it takes for you to take the leap you want to take. I've done that. I know what it is and when it is. I just have to do all the things I mention above and if they work, I'll know it's time. Wish me energy, luck and focus? Thanks!! Robin

Puttin' in the Time

Several of you are joining in with the 20 hour challenge, that is, setting an hour goal per week and striving to meet it. We are keeping track very casually on the American Artists forum.

What I have learned from puttin' in the time, is that it frees me from avoiding work that is too big, too tall, just too much to fit into the time I have available. RAther than worrying about what the priority should be, I have found that the hours take care of the priorities themselves. It's time...not rearranging a to-do list...that really matters.

It also helped me to see what are the black holes my valuable, precious time gets lost in. Trading carving a new print for arguing online with some egomaniac know it all? Trading working on a colored pencil portrait to watch a Seinfeld episode that I know every word of? I've done it!

Inertia is a powerful thing!

I am taking a vacation from my personal art challenge for the next 6 weeks or so to work on some house projects I've been longing to get to. These are all HUGE in my mind...making new curtains, organizing closets, restoring some windows, etc. But what I have learned from the 20 hour challenge is the size of the project doesn't matter, I just have to put in the time.

A hill looks huge until you start walking up it. Then you look back and see how every step, every minute, gets you there. Don't over analyze it. Don't avoid it until you feel you have the optimum opportunity to tackle it. Just put in the time.

I'm still going to do my art for the next 6 weeks. But on "summer mode". But what I'm determined NOT to do is waste my time with activities that don't result in anything and NOT to let that procrastination because it just seems too much to overwhelm me.

I'll let you know how I make out! Meanwhile, PLEASE. Examine what wastes your valuable time and keeps you from reaching YOUR goals, whether art goals or otherwise. Let's move ahead together!

I'm American Artist, Robin Zebley. My pet portrait site is http://robinzebley.com. My other blog, enjoyed by artists and non artists, is http://ArtAndAnimals.blogspot.com. Thanks for visiting and I hope you'll comment! I love to hear what other artists have to say!

A Step Backwards, but Okay

I just finished printing my second version of a woodcut portrait of a really adorable white bulldog. I was 95% happy with the first one I did, everyone I showed it to (including the artists in my life) thought it was super, and my client probably wouldn't have noticed the little things that I didn't like...but I'm so glad I redid it! It's so much better. Those little things that weren't quite right the first time made all the difference in the world. A much stronger piece.

I'd love to BE the best at what I do, but DOING the best I CAN at what I do has to be my standard. I just think a little sloppy or accepting less that my best is a baddddd slippery slope. I have to go forward, get better, not fall backwards.

And let me tell you, dear fellow artists, it was so tempting to just say "good enough!" In fact, I thought about it for two days before I finally decided that morally and "artwise", I just couldn't accept 95% of my personal best.

So even though it seems that I took a step backwards, having gone back and started from scratch, I just feel it moved me forward a notch because I learned and improved. So one step backward and two forward, not a bad outcome.

I hope the same is true for you in your art life. I hope you're really striving for YOUR 100% and not settling for less than you're capable of. Our runway is short, we just have to take every opportunity to grow!

And this brings me to no commissions right now. I have done pretty well this spring, and am looking forward to a summer of some goofing off, and lots of working on things I've been wanting to do for a while. I'm going to take a few weeks off of marketing, as well. It's vacation time. We're going away, sitting in the garden, and hanging out. Time to refuel!

The In-The-Home Studio Nook

In my recent efforts to produce more, (and always,of course, better) art, I've had to face that one of my obstacles is poor studio practices. My studio used to be a whole room, where I had plenty of space to leave things a mess in one area and just do a clean up every once in a while. I did myself no favors working that way.

My studio right now, is now a nook in my dining room, and just like those of us who have had large kitchens and small kitchens, the same kind of meals can come out of both if you organize and run things right. I've been thinking about how I have gotten so much more efficient because I now run things right in my tiny, but productive studio nook!

The worst thing is when you are all ready to make art, go to your studio area and get so discouraged by the looks of it that you just turn right around. We are here on earth to make art, not watch t.v. (and of course, there's some other reasons we are here, but making art is what we all have in common, right? :D )

Here are my suggestions for a small, but efficient studio, learned from experience:

1. Don't "borrow" equipment from the studio. It's just not that expensive to buy another pair of scissors. I have had to search high and low...in the bathroom because I cut my bangs? In the kitchen where I was cutting string? Same with rulers, tape, packing tape, razor blades, etc.

2. Don't stash non art stuff in your studio. Organize your "other life" in other places. You shouldn't have to root through drawers past the bills, family photos, notecards, etc. to find your art stuff.

3. Remember the 80/20 rule! I read somewhere long ago that we use 20 percent of our spices 80 percent of the time. So naturally, put those 20 percent in the front, accessible. Don't have to get past the peppermint oil to get to the parsley. Same with your art supplies. Okay, if you're reading this, you're an artist, and I KNOW that means that we buy...overbuy...all the time. That's a good thing! It makes us more creative. But even if you have a large space, 80 percent of your time is going to be at your art nook within your studio - your easel or table, so keep the stuff you need the most there within reach.

Those with a nook, like me, see if you can find another place to stash all those media you're going to learn to use someday. Is there a cabinet you can clean out in the basement for the stuff you are not actively using? Big tubs in the garage? I store my large sheets of paper under my bed in a cardboard sandwich and hang my large paper ripping straight edge on a nail behind the basement door. Don't put away in an attic that's not easy to get into, or behind or under things so you can't get to it. Just not in the prime real estate of your art nook.

4. Keep "jobs" together. I keep all the tools I need to rip paper for printmaking together in one spot. I keep all my printmaking supplies and equipment together in one box. I keep all my art marketing materials together in one box. I keep all my mailing and matting things together. All of these activities take place on my dining room table, right behind my easel. I just have to go retrieve them from their "other spot" in one trip, do the work, and back into the box for one trip back. In a small spot, I think it also helps to gang up jobs as much as possible to make for easier clean up. I often have more than one commission going at a time, and I prep as many as I have at the same time.

5. A place for everything...and everything in its place. Yeah, yeah. It saves soooo much time. Blindfolded, you should be able to put your hand on anything you need.

6. A large enough trash can within reach. Since I'm right around the corner, literally, from the kitchen, that's easy. When I had a whole room, that made a difference.

7. Clean up every time. You wouldn't cook and eat a meal and not clean up for a week would you? (Don't answer that!). Seriously, if you ever have had that life experience, you know how it is...there's less and less counterspace, less and less sink space, less and less correct tools for the job, you avoid it forever and when you finally get to it, it's a HUGE job, you're scraping what should have rinsed off. Same in your studio. You can get away with it in a larger one. In a nook, no way. And the bright side is it will save you money. No thrown out brushes, dried up paint, etc. And if you are literally using a part of another room, leaving your art debris around just makes the rest of the room look messy.

8. Keep a nice dog bed in your studio. Now, this is the most important part. Nothing like a little company of the very best kind!! If you don't know me, I am pet portrait artist, Robin Zebley, and my website is http://robinzebley.com.

How do you keep your studio, large or small, organized? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Twittering for fun and prospects!

Tweeting has been driving a signifant number of new viewers to my art sites! Of course, the more eyeballs that hit my pet portrait sites, the better my business! It takes a while, I think, to figure out how to do this, but this week I felt like I'm getting it:

I followed ppl who I think will be interested in following me. Animal people. I follow who they follow.

I then decided to follow those who aren't really potential customers: other artists, online market experts, tweeters who inspire others to go for their dreams, organic gardeners, crafters. And their followers. Although not "blatant" animal ppl, lots of folks who are organic gardeners, crafters and inspiring people also HAVE pets and might consider a pet portrait for themselves or for a gift. And I noticed some interesting things about how those who have a lot of followers tweet:

What happened was that twitter became a more interesting experience for me, I followed links in tweets that seemed interesting to me, and started following blogs that will help me.

So I learned what makes a reader take that more active step of clicking on the tweeter's profile, going to their website, etc., which is exactly what I hope to accomplish and HAS been happening...a lot...this week. What did I learn that I brought into my tweeting?

First, I respond with @ responses. It's so nice to know that someone is paying attention. Which means I skim through nonsense tweets to find something interesting so I can respond in an interesting way. With twitter, you gotta find the meat fast.

So, I am culling out who I follow. I am culling the animal rescues. What can I say? I know they're all great folks with desperate situations, but I can't adopt them all. I cull those who tweet every few minutes. I culled those who tweet stupid stuff, like "going to get coffee", "coffee is so strong, going to get more milk" "I'm back people! This is good coffee". I cull those who market...and only market...obviously and desperately. I cull those who only talk about the weather, follow fridays, etc.

This leaves me with more quality tweets that I can engage with. My belief is that once I have a quality exchange with someone...sometimes humourous and teasing, sometimes "way to go!", sometimes a comment on a link they gave...that they are more likely to remember me as someone they like and want to really follow. I know that as a tweet consumer, that is how I reacted. It's not that every tweet I read has to be profound, I like the casual and silly stuff, too. But not if it's all silly stuff.

Second, I leave space with my tweets. Better to tweet once an hour 4 times a day than 4 times in 10 minutes. For one thing, I'm likely to hit more people...those who's habit is to be at the computer at different times. The only time I've been deviating from that is when I really want to say more but can't fit it in, and that's been once, I think.

Third, I kinda backhandedly mention my portrait business only in an appropriate way, for instance when someone @ s me with a compliment. I'll say, "rt @nice_person, thanks for the compliment on my colored pencil pitbull portrait, you made my day!" I check those @s first thing, because I miss them, generally, real time.

I also mention when I've updated my blog.

Other than that, I try to be more of a responder, and I got that from someone else's tweet. That successful social networking is more about giving. The getting follows!

Third, I send direct messages to anyone following me that I want to follow me (and block the salesmen). I thank them, tell them I'm looking forward to their tweets and tell them what I generally tweet about.

And yes this has been timeconsuming. But I have been doing the culling and following, and direct messaging during tired, down times when I can. So before bed, "watching" the Phillies, too tired to draw, I have been doing these tweet chores. Also odd moments when I go to my tweet home, I'll see some culls and get rid of them.

Hope this helps someone else make a little sense about how this can work for you. Hit twitter often, but just a short time. Make meaningful return tweets. Cull the herd to make your tweet home more interesting. Become a consumer, as well. Direct message. It's working for me!! (BTW, I tweet as "robinzebley") And hey, while you're here, buy something, huh? :D

Ratcheting up the marketing

In addition to my pledge to make art for 12 - 15 hours a week, I'm pledging a half an hour a day = 3 hours with Sunday off - to marketing. I've relied on word of mouth and if I want to make this leap, I've got to get more eyeballs on my work.

Summer is a terrible time, it's traditionally been my slowest time, but experience has taught me that marketing doesn't have an immediate payoff anyway.

I've neglected driving around putting flyers up. It's literally been years since I hit some of them. So, back to that. Time to get some new streams opened up!

And today I'll be walking down to Reading Terminal at lunch, where there's a bulletin board above the tourist info, and thousands of visitors from all over the world. I've been filling that up about once every 2 months, how lazy is that? It's a 10 minute walk, if that!!

Plus there's a great noodle house that has the BEST soup in the world. :D

Today is International Drawing Day!

And I'm working on a horse face in colored pencil. I'll be showing it on my other blog and on the American Artist Forums Drawing forum later today.

Won't you join in and draw today? No matter what your skill level..and if you are skilled, you know the value of drawing...and let's celebrate the most basic building block of our creations!

It's Prioritizing That's Strangles US!

Lori's 20 hour challenge has change my life, I'm serious! I realized that before, it was like, "okay, what's the most important thing I have to do now", rather than, just do it. I know it will all sort out if I just stop thinking about WHAT to do next artwise and just get on with it.

It's also amazing when you pick up a magazine and think...this is eating at my Challenge time... and I don't really CARE what Tom and Katie are wearing!

And it builds on itself. Nothing like seeing how far up the hill you've climbed to want to keep going! So c'mon, join us HERE. Soar to new heights! And pass it on!

The Challenge - it's working!

Committing to a finite number of hours is really working for me! I guess some ppl do well with To-Do lists, but just putting in the hours on any of my art is really moving me along. Since my day job is getting really horrible, it's such a pleasure to see so much accomplished in my art!

If you aren't trying this...I highly recommend!! Just pick a stretch and go for it. Commit to reporting your progress on the American Artist forum site below and I bet you accomplish more than you dreamed!

The 20 Hour Challenge - Join US!

How much time do I actually make art each week? The ongoing struggle for art time...

Honestly though, I can't blame all of my lack of completed pieces on the lack of time. Laziness, is of course, to blame for some of it!! So I'm jumping in with both feet (and both hands) into the "20 hour challenge" that fellow artist Lori Woodward Simons has created for herself and has tweeted about. Only I'm modifying with a more realistic 12 hours a week, being that I can't possibly do 20 hours with my more-than-fulltime day job and family responsibilities. That's still a stretch and I love the idea of us being accountable to our time pledge.

Not 12 hours of looking through art books.
Not 12 hours of chatting online with other artists.
Not 12 hours of blogging, tweeting or facebooking...even about art!

12 hours of hands-on art making. Each of us is choosing the hours we pledge, based on where we are in life and what we realistically can do. And we're going be accountable online, to ourselves and each other, and post our progess every Friday for a Friday Show and Tell on the American Artist Magazine forum on this page

We'd love you to join us, we can encourage each other and celebrate our successes! All skill levels, all media are welcome. Because I truly believe that increasing quantity of time will equal increaseing quality of work, not to mention finally building a body of work. I'd love to take advantage of show opportunities that crop up for me...

So c'mon! Join us! Get accountable! Pledge 10, 20, 30 hours of artmaking and let's see how we can change the world, one art piece at a time!

Gallery Visit at the Print Center

I'm really lucky that I work a few blocks from the Print Center and can stop by to see exhibits.

Today I saw Pulling from History: The Old Masters. Eight printmakers were the first in a series of exhibits the Print Center plans to "explore the ways that contemporary artists are "hijacking" the hsitory of the printed image to create new work".

This really rings a chord with me, I LOVE how I can use the most ancient form of printing and give it life in 2009. Similarly, the more modern old methods were also employed skillfully by the exhibiting artists. However, as a woodcut relief printmaker, I was a little disappointed that only one of the two dozen prints was a woodcut.

But it was a dandy by Andrew Raftery, a chiaroscuro from five blocks in blue and gray. I especially enjoyed the linework in the darkest gray.

There were woodcut prints for sale in the gift shop, along with all other types of prints and photography, and all of it worth a look.

If you're interested in stopping in, hurry, because this exhibit ends on May 16, 2009. The Print Center is at 1614 Latimer, Philadelphia.

My slice of the pie

I think it was Tina who tweeted a post that suggested making a pie chart of how you spend your art time. (thanks, tina!) I've been mulling on this.

It's not just my "art pie" I have to manage (just how much is spent ACTUALLY making art?) but my "life pie".

When I think about how few minutes in a week I can actually devote to art, it's a very small slice, indeed! (If only my slices of pecan pie were so slim!!)

And even when I have the time to make art, the time isn't always quality. If I'm exhausted and it's late...what I make will be awful anyway. I have to manage my days better.

But I am resolved to tighten up my time outside of art to make more time for art. ("No sacrifice is too great for art", as Ray Davies says).

I'm finding a lot of success in not sitting. Truly! I usually like to have a nice cup of tea when I get home, but no more...at least not sitting. If I keep on my feet, I get a ton done, and when I finally do sit, I'm half asleep. Half asleep but happy with what I've accomplished, whether it's from the life pie or art pie or both.

I know EXACTLY when I have to leave the house for work...and I straighten up the house every minute between when I'm dressed and I leave...less to do later when the potential to make art is!

And I'm resolved to never blow a whole day on the 'net...which I've done before. Lots. I wasted days arguing over whether the US should or shouldn't start a war in Iraq. Lots of good it did! It did nothing for my art, didn't move me along an inch, yet somehow since it was on an art site, it felt like "art pie".

So I resolve to look very closely at what IS art pie and what just feels like it. Some people want to make art. Some people just want to be artists. If my life pie can't fit in a generous slice of authentic art making...what am I?

Learning from Everyone

As much as I know I have in common with ppl my age range, I think it's important to remember that there's lots to be learned from those younger than me.

I think disregarding the lessons from younger ppl can be a real tragedy.

My woodcut teacher is the same age as my "baby" son. 20 years ago he couldn't have taught me a thing. Today, lessons learned!

Not only that but the energy and freshness of eye is contagious. I want and NEED to be with artists who haven't hit a rut and stayed in it. I think in that way, I'm kind of young at heart. It's what I disliked about an art group I was in...talented to be sure, but happy to stay in their zones.

And happily, I've found young artists are not ageist! It's the enthusiasm and commitment which matters, not the calendar!

Quiet time

There is so much noise (bad) and sound (good) surrounding us...by choice we often have music/tv etc. on 24/7. We also think we have to multitask, do puzzles to prevent brain deterioration, be productive!

I find I really need some time with zero artifical sound filling my brain in order to tap into my creativity and really think about my art. It's not just a minute here or there, but to clear my brain and have some extended time to let my mind wander and ponder, is absolutely essential.

Some folks find that quietness in prayer and meditation and I do also, but then I'm mostly focused on people, not art. Walking and biking are also good places for me to let my mind wander. But sometimes just sitting quietly, sometimes because I forgot a book to fill my train ride, I get the most amazing, helpful thoughts!

Try it! Turn it off!

Bring the Art to THEM!

Huh?

I saw a post on wetcanvas where someone was doing plein air painting at a garden tour. FABULOUS idea! Bring the art to the potential buyer's area of interest, not try to get them to come to wherever your art is being sold.

For lower and midpriced artists who self represent, this can be a giant untapped resource!

A year and a half ago, I did a couple Halloween doggy parades. The tables were free, I met a lot of nice folks and got several commissions from it. What I decided I needed to do in the meantime, was having something for sale that day. If I do that kind of thing again, I'm going to think about gift cards and maybe mugs...cafe press kind of things, which would have my site as part of the graphic...a semi-permanent business card.

Anyway, whatever you do, think about bringing art to an unusual venue. I read that less than half of Americans have EVER been inside an art gallery...yet they buy SOMETHING to put on their walls.

I saw a woman spend over $300 at Michaels for a frame for a poster. C'mon, we can do better than we are in bringing art to THEM!

I really love the potential of the upcoming spring planting season. Get your gardening friends to pot up perennial clumps, divy up those seeds, root houseplants and overwintered annuals, dig out those old unused containers and get your painter friends over for a "Garden Party Sale". Split your backyard into zones, put the garden stuff on one side, the art on another and paint while you enjoy the morning.

In the meantime, how about making some garden art? I've seen really cute hummingbird feeders, painted bird/bee houses, etc., that will NOT detract from your "real art".

Put an ad in the paper, make some pretty signs for the big day, and I bet you sell art! And you will build up your mailing list and have a great time marketing your art...almost for free.

Class Time Again!

I'm taking a third woodcut class. I love the atmosphere at the Fleisher Art Memorial. It's more serious than the suburban art places I've gone to and yet is affordable.

I miss the company of fellow woodcut artists, for $20 a night, I get studio time, free crits and a lot of motivation and fun!

And it improves my work. Another step.

Getting my ducks in order

Dear Art Friends,

I'm not a list maker, unless it's for things I HAVE to get done by a certain time. Not one to make and cross off things I can see in front of me having to be done. But I am thinking that relaunching my art effort is going to require a loooong list.

Number 1 of course is: Do the art. I've been fairly good about that. And Number 2 is: Improve the art. With classes and every day drawing and doing art as often as I can, I think that's happening too.

The rest of the list is more vague and less firmly in place. Before I relaunch, I need to update my website. I want decent human portrait samples and enough woodcut prints to make it look like I'm serious, which I am. I am thinking of a "subname" too, maybe: Portraits, Pets and Prints.

I need an art show set up. I need to find shows. I need to enter competitions. I need professionally done cards. Lots of needs!

And I want to have more energy which I know is eating better and exercising more. I'm trying to cram all these things into my limited "free" time without losing quality of work or quality of time with those I love. I also know that there's no perfect time, but I know it's not yet.

So...if I were in Candyland, I'd be pretty much a few spaces off of the starting point...and lots of spaces ahead. Where are you? Do you have some suggestions for me that I'm missing? I'd love to hear from you. Robin

Sometimes you just have to walk away..

Yesterday I posted about my frustration fighting support and pencils to do something pretty new. That old "give up" hits...

You know, sometimes you just have to walk away for a while. I think it helps that I have 2 art things I'm doing...the colored pencil/painting work and the woodcut printing.

Yesterday I printed a life sized cat I cut and proofed it and printed an edition of 9 before I ran out of paper! I loved how it turned out and will post a picture on my other blog after I get out today.

It just totally energized me. Now I feel I can tackle the portrait again, which I really want to do for my niece in law who gave me the photo. And it's not the photo, it's me who failed with it.

However, as much as I want to do art today, I think I won't be doing much. It's a real happy week in our house, our son who's a painter and has been getting a show together in Berlin for the last 9 months, is coming home to paint some commissions he has waiting for him here. And he's going to crash here for a bit til he gets resettled, so I'm moving my studio to the diningroom/kitchen. (will be printing in the kitchen, NOT over my rugs!!)

I can't tell you how much we can't wait to see him!! It's also a beautiful mornign out there, Otto is already nagging me for his walk, and I might do a little garden cleanup!

I hate to squander weekend days for house chores, but not only am I happy to for this occasion, I think it's good to walk away and take a break from art sometimes...as long as you come back soon!

Discouragement...sigh

I have worked hours on a portrait of two toddler girls, on 2 different sanded support. I think I'm barking up the wrong tree here. I'm trying to do too many new things at once, and the sanded paper is going to go!!

I'm redoing a third time and this time I'm going to use the Mi Teintes that I am so familiar with. I know exactly how it will behave, so that's one thing conquered!

Wish me luck!