New Art Students , Promotional Mailings & a Portrait Commission

I had two new art students (both under 12 years old) start lessons Saturday (9/29). The class went well with no problems. Things are going well with my other new student who is just five years old. I was afraid there might be an attention deficit issue, but so far it hasn't been much of a problem. This five year old boy has an amazing ability to draw a straight line without a ruler! I find teaching art very rewarding.

I finished a mailing to friends and family promoting the book with my portrait of Diana in it, "Diana in Art." I also called a few more bookstores in the area to see if they would be willing to sell this book in their store, but so far I have only found the one, Boise Book and Gift Shop. I wrote a press release about this book and I think I will see if some of the local newspapers might be interested in doing a story on it. It's worth a try. I think I'm getting use to rejection.

This weekend I finally started a portrait commission that I got a month ago. It will be a 16X20 color portrait of a dog (a labrador I think) by the name of "Pika". It will be a composite portrait that will have three different poses of Pika.

Mural Painting For the Vineyard's Veggie Garden

Today I worked on a mural for the Vineyard Church's vegetable Garden. This garden is used to help feed needy and low income families. The church wanted a design of hands holding fruit and veggies painted on the shed in their garden to dress it up a bit. So at around 11:00 a.m. today my friend, Angie, and I started on this project. The weather was perfect and the garden was beautiful. It was kind of like plein air painting only we were painting on a building instead of paper or canvas.

I remember when I was five years old I would draw on the walls of my house, much to my mother's dismay. Funny how some things don't change. Today I am doing the same thing only this time I have permission and it is not considered vandalism! I wonder if Michelangelo started this way?

Fall Art Lessons Begin

I have my own art school in my home and I have been preparing for another short semester of art lessons this fall. They go from the end of September through the second week of November and I teach lessons. I had at least 8 to 10 people who said they were interested but I have only a few who have actually committed to starting or have already started. How disappointing! I am finding it frustrating when people seem so enthusiastic about starting art lessons, then when you are ready to start and you call them, they cancel. Some won't even return my calls to tell me they can't take lessons this semester. Starting in 2008, I think I may change some of my general rules and require a refundable deposit that students get back after they have completed a series of lessons. I need to think of ways to motivate people to be more responsible and to protect myself from people who "flake out" on me.

This weekend I rearranged my art studio to make it more efficient. I have limited space in my studio and I am always thinking of new ways to make the most of it.

Today, I worked on a winter themed piece of art that will be used in my book, "The Measure of Man." It will be an illustration for my mother's poem, "The Winter of My Soul." It is about 3/4 of the way finished. Here is just a few lines from that poem:

".....Then the winter of my soul set in, life became cold and joyless and bleak. I wandered around in the desert, alone ,weary, afraid and weak.

My beloved was no more so near, though I knew he still watched over me. So remote and blurred was the vision, his dear face I no longer could see..."

Victory at the Boise Book & Gift Shop!

Today I went downtown and did some marketing for the coffee table book, "Diana in Art" (with my artwork on page 97) and to try and book some future art exhibits. I am happy to say that the Boise Book & Gift Shop on Main Street in downtown Boise is going to have this book in their shop! They actually ordered it today while I was their visiting their shop! Perserverance actually paid off. I approached four other places and they all said, "No, not interested." If there is anything I've learned as a struggling artist it is not to settle for "no" & give up. There is a "yes" out there somewhere!

There is a reason why I rarely go to downtown Boise. It is a nightmarish maze of construction zones, pedestrians who cross on a green light, and one-way streets that take you where you don't want to go. But today, it was worth fighting my way through the amazing maze of a badly planned road system to find that one book store that said "Yes, we will promote your book for you."

Diana In Art Promo and New Mural Project

I think I found a couple of places that might be willing to display/promote the Diana in Art book with my portrait of Diana inside. I feel encouraged! After hearing "no, no, no, no....." it is good to hear a "yes" for a change! I am going to visit these places and talk more to the managers and see what I can work out with them.

Another art project has come my way this week. This week I will be starting work on a mural for the Vineyard Church. It will be for their Garden 'O Feedin outreach program that helps provide food to needy families. I will be working with another artist to paint a mural of hands holding produce onto a shed. I have never done anything quite like this before and I'm looking forward to it.

Life Interferes With Artwork

With my part-time job and doctor appointments and various emergencies, I have had hardly any time at all for doing artwork but I am going to get back on track soon...I hope. There has been no time at all to try and promote the book, "Diana in Art" with my Diana portrait on page 97, so I will try and do that next week. Some friends of mine have given me some excellent leads for small local book stores and galleries that might be willing to display this book.

With what little time I had today, I worked a new illustration for an ongoing art project of mine--a book of illustrated poetry. This book will be about 20 pages of poems written by my grandfather, my mother and myself, representing three generations. Apparently the talent for writing poetry started with my grandfather, and mom and I inherited it as well. The book is called, "The Measure of Man" and is based on my grandfather's poem of the same name. So far it is turning out great. I am about halfway done with the book and the illustrations. It's going to be fantastic when it's done! Here is a sample of one of the poems my grandfather wrote and an illustration I did for it.

The Love of God

How wonderful the love of God, so bountiful & free.

He spreads His love over all the earth, He gives His love to me.
And of this love on me bestowed within my heart be found,

A great desire from this time forth to pass His love around.
And now dear Lord from this day and ever while I live,

That of the love that's given me, To give, and give, and give!

--H.J. Gardner

Visiting The Book Stores--Where is my Book?

Today I checked again with Barnes & Noble and Borders about my book, cover picture to the left. They said that the books can be ordered but they have decided not to carry any in the stores. Anyone can go into the stores and order this book, but they will not be stocked and displayed on the shelves because it was decided by the powers that be that is would not sell that well. This sucks! So I gave my card to the managers of the stores just in case they might be persuaded to order a few and display them.

I won't hold my breath for an invitation to set up a table at the book stores and sign autographs, although I admit it has crossed my mind. I wonder what B & N would do if I just set up my own table in their store?

Since the book stores won't market it for me, I guess I have to come up with some ideas. Anyone have any suggestions? (Damn it, I am an artist, not a promotor!)

COFFEE TABLE BOOK "DIANA IN ART"

After a long wait, I finally received my contributor's copy of the coffee table book, "Diana in Art" and it is beautiful! This the first time my artwork has been published in a book that will be distributed worldwide. The portrait you see on the left is on pages 96-97 of the book. The many different artist's interpretations of Diana are fascinating.

This book is compiled by Mem Mehmet and published by Caxton Publishing/Pop Art Books. It should be showing up at book stores soon. I checked with Barnes & Noble a week ago and they said it is in their warehouse and then will be shipped to the various stores throughout the U.S.