MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I have posted my 2008 Christmas card that I designed and created. The two cats on my card are my cats, Maynard, the beautiful Maine Coon (left) and Bonzai Pete, the Birman (right).

If I had a Christmas list, I think it would be to go to school full time and forget having to deal with a part-time job!

Because of the holidays, I will probably not be blogging much until after December 27th. So to everyone out there, I wish you a very Merry Christmas! May God bless you and give you a time of holiday fun, peace, and love with your families!

Follow My Heart????

Have you ever had a week where someone is demanding too much of your time, attention and focus, and you really aren't interested anymore, but you have no choice in complying? Well such is the case with me and my job situation. I am burnt out doing custodial work. I am burnt out physically and emotionally. The job that started out as a mellow, low-stress job is turning into something a little more intense than I want it to be, mostly due to change of management.

My heart's focus right now is on spending time with my family and friends during Christmas, enjoying the wonderful music and the message of giving to others and celebrating Christ's birth. This is where my heart is at. Instead, I am having to force myself to focus on new ways to vacuum, new ways to clean, etc., etc., etc., because management says that some of the old ways just aren't working and they are probably right, but my heart just is not in it and I just don't care that much.

I find that my heart is longing for teaching art and creating art, but I am forced to spend more and more of my emotional and mental focus on cleaning--something that I really don't consider that important in life. It is dull and it is unfulfilling. I want more from life than this! I have to pretend to care about and be motivated towards something that I do not really care about. When what I REALLY care about and am motivated to do (art and teaching art) gets ignored because I'm too tired or limited in time.

This is NOT ME! I am seriously going to consider moving towards something else--possibly being a teacher's aid. That way I can get a chance to help with class art projects from time to time and it would at least be more in line with my career goals. But first I need to research this and make sure it would be the right step for me. I have to make sure that I will not be moving from the frying pan into the fire! I talked to Vocational Rehab about this and they said they may be able to assist me in finding something that is better suited to me physically and is less wear and tear on my neck and back. I think I am coming to the realization that I may not be able to do custodial work for as long as I thought I would--like all the way through college and until I graduate. (At least that was my original plan.) I am asking myself, "Do you really think you can do custodial work for that long?" Eventually, I am going to have to find something else.

I Got Funds For College!

This week has been very, very intense and crazy and I have not been able to do any blogging until now. This week has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. Things have gotten rather crazy at work and I feel totally burnt out. Thank God my last day at work is Thursday and then I have a two week vacation and don't have to come back until January 5th! Yay!

There hasn't been any time for doing any artwork and I am in need of some "art therapy" right now! Most of my spare time has been spent with Christmas preparations of decorating, getting presents, sending out cards, etc.

Today I got some really great news! I am going to receive money from Vocational Rehab for college next year (in Spring)! And I will get the money in time for the payment deadline of January 15th. I will get enough money to take at least one class, maybe two. I am taking a class on Art Education methods for elementary school. I wanted to also take an English Literature class, but I'm not sure about that one. The classes are all closed and I can't find any that don't conflict with my work schedule.

Today I feel that I have moved one step closer towards my dream of becoming an art teacher. It has been slow and frustrating, but at least now I am seeing some results!

BSU New Student Orientation

Last Friday I went to the Boise State University Orientation for new students. Above is a photo of my official Boise State Bronco Card. Is this cool or what?! This is just one more step in my quest to become a certified art teacher.

I enjoyed the orientation and found it very helpful. However, it was a bit like a puzzle or a mystery maze that I had to figure out. Several of my classes from previous colleges did not get transferred over and accepted as credit towards my degree. This made it difficult for me to be able to decide which classes I needed to register for. The biggest problem I ran into is when I tried to register for classes, most all the classes were filled or I couldn't find any that were open and that did not interfere with my afternoon part-time job at Hillcrest Elementary School. New students have to wait until they go through orientation to register for classes. Returning students can all register early, leaving next to nothing 0pen for us newbies. It was frustrating to be so close to getting into school at last and yet so far!

Anyway, I got a terrible headache trying to figure everything out and felt sick, so I just went home without being able to register for any classes. I took the advice of another advisor at BSU and called the BSU advisor that handles Art Education degree students and made an appointment with her this week to try and straighten out some of the confusion about the classes that did not show up as being transferrable for credit. I only want one (maybe two)classes in the Spring, but I may have to show up at a class without having registered and attend class until someone drops it and then I can be put in. Trying to find an opening into a class is like trying to get to the best sales on Black Friday. I hope I don't get trampled on like some people at Wal-Mart did!

The other piece of the puzzle that has to fall into place soon is getting the funds for college from Vocational Rehab. I have an appointment December 17th. I was told that this appointment will help to facilitate the funds that I will need, but I don't know exactly when they will come. Do you think I will get lucky and get the funds by January 15th (when college classes have to be paid for)?

Oh well.....The saga continues. If there is one thing I have learned is that rarely does anything come easy that is worth while and you have to be persistent and keep trying. My heart is worth fighting for!

Festival Of Trees Photos

Above are some photos from the St. Al's Festival of Trees that I went to last Saturday. I posted some of my favorite Christmas trees and decorations along with a photo of the group of friends that went with me to this event. (I'm the third one to the right with the glasses.) This exhibit was like an art exhibit and I loved seeing the artistic and creative decorations that other people had thought of. The fish in the photo above were actually made from cut up plastic water bottles that were painted. Not only was this event a blast to go to, it also helped me grow as an artist. Maybe I will use some of these ideas for some of my classes at BSU.

Festival of Trees

Well, I have had five days off during Thanksgiving weekend and I took advantage of the free time by getting my Christmas cards done, most of my Christmas shopping and decorating the house for Christmas. Except I didn't put up the Christmas tree yet. Since this is the most time I will have off from work before Christmas, I just wanted to get most of it done while I had still had the time and the energy.

Last Friday I went to a very artistic exhibit called The Festival of Trees at the convention center in downtown Boise. This is an annual event that features all kinds of elaborately decorated Christmas trees & wreaths. The trees were just magnificent! There were all types of decoration themes trees like a rustic country Christmas tree, 1940's style tree, a Hollywood movie theme tree, a Peanuts character/Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and even a Pirates of the Carribean theme tree. I love to see what people come up with and how imaginatively these trees are decorated. I went with a group of friends from my church, the Vineyard.

I really haven't spent much time doing art work because I have been concentrating mostly on Christmas preparations. However, on Thanksgiving day I did do some work on a new piece I just started. This piece is actually going to be paired up with "Walking Through Fire" which is based on Isaiah 43:2. This new piece will illustrate that part of Isaiah 43:2 that says, "when the waters pass over you, you will not be swept away."

Vocational Rehab Art Show & Floating Gallery

In December I am going to be exhibiting my artwork at a downtown Boise coffee shop called Dawson's Downtown. This is an art show that will include about six artists from Vocational Rehabilitation that have various disabilities, and who are either professional or amateur artists. My disability hasn't been officially declared yet. It may be connected to my chiropractic problem or it may be connected to the chemical imbalance I was diagnosed with in 1991 that can trigger depression. (A condition that runs in my family.) My rehab counselor, Debbie, started this project along with the owner of the coffee shop. Debbie hopes to turn this into a floating gallery that exhibits in various places all over the Boise, Idaho area. I think this is a great idea and hopefully there will be plenty of other future shows. Debbie and the owner of the coffee shop, along with all of the artists who are participating in this show, had a meeting at the coffee shop last monday to plan the show. I am going to help with the preparations for this show doing things like printing title cards on my computer to use for the individual pieces of art exhibited. This floating gallery doesn't have a name yet, but one idea was to call it "disABLED artists." I will probably have about 5-9 pieces of art there. Set up day is December 1st.

There has been very little time to work on any new art projects. I went to the printers this week and got my Christmas card art piece turned into small note card size prints so I can paste them onto my cards. I have most of the stuff I need for my cards, except envelopes. The inside verse and any other text for my cards are run off on the computer/printer and then I do cut and paste for the rest.

I had an invitation to help with painting a mural this weekend that was being done at the Vineyard and I really wanted to help, but my back and neck muscles were so sore from custodian duties this past week I did not go. I decided I just wanted to give my back and shoulder muscles a rest this weekend.

Both Portraits of Thompson Completed--Another Happy Client!

The client who ordered two 5X7 colored pencil portraits of her nephew, Thompson, finally picked up and paid for her order. (See October 27th for first portrait of Thompson.) Last week she came by and I showed her both the portraits. Well, one was just perfect, the other one, she said was just a bit off and didn't look as much like Thompson as the first one. So I went over the flawed one using tracing paper so I could detect any and all flaws. I found one near the neck and the ear area, so I corrected it. Then I changed the shape of his head just a bit. Those changes seemed to do the trick because today, when my client saw my corrected portrait, she loved it! This is actually the first time I have done two originals of the same person, from the same photograph. I have decided that next time, I am going to ask for two different photographs. I don't really like doing two portrait originals that look exactly alike. I feel like I am doing it assembly-line style. There is something in me, as an artist, that says, "Okay, I've done this one portrait in this style, now I would like to do the other portrait differently." But you can't do that because the client wants them exactly alike.

Getting An Early Start On Christmas--A Handmade Photo Album

Because I am on a very limited budget this Christmas, I am going to either make gifts for people or give them special baked goodies. So this week I have been working on a different type of art project. I have been making a handmade photo album/scrapbook to give as a Christmas gift. (See above photo.) It is for a specific person and is going to be filled with photos of this person's pets. Several years ago I bought a book called 'Making Books By Hand' by Mary McCarthy and Phillip Manna. I also used this book to make my 'Measure of Man' poetry book. I found the directions in this book helpful but a bit confusing and not really complete. I had to fill in the gaps and invent a lot of steps that they did not explain. But it gave me enough of an idea of how to made books that I can figure the rest out myself. I find that I enjoy making books by hand because I can design them any way I want. I use specialty paper with all types of designs and sometimes I also use fabric. I think it turned out looking very professional and it was lots of fun to make.

The Art Gala At The Vineyard

The Art Gala at the Vineyard was yesterday (Saturday night) from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Everything went well and I had fun. I had about about 7-8 framed art on display, some of my Stone Critters, plus a special exhibit that highlighted my illustrated family poetry, "Measure of Man." (See my website at www.chickartisticcreations.com for more info on this.) Several other Vineyard artists also displayed their work, including my good friend, Lisa Marten. There were two poetry readings, yummy appetizers, some interviews (one was with Brandi Swindell) and even an interpretive dance number at the end. It was great to be with fellow artists and art lovers and chat with people about how art has been used as a source of healing in our lives. The evening seemed to end about as soon as it begun and before I knew it, it was time to take down my exhibit and go home.

Setting up my exhibit at this Gala took longer than expected, but that's not unusual. I did not have the right kind of equipment for displaying my art and was not allowed to use my A-frame display stand. I guess it didn't look good enough. I thought it looked just fine, but the the director of this event did not. Fortunately, Lisa Marten's dad had brought some extra display panels that Lisa was not going to use, so it worked out fine. I would very much like to invest some money in those same type of display panels that I used that night. They would work well with my EZ-Up Canopy that I use in my outdoor art shows.

"Walking Through Fire" Based On Isaiah 43:2

I have just completed a new piece of art. I call it "Walking Through Fire." (Posted above.) It is based on a verse in the Bible, Isaiah 43:2, "....you will pass through the fire, but you will not be burned." I got the idea for this from a photo from the 2008 calendar hanging in my computer room. This photo doesn't give the location of where it was taken, but I have a feeling it is somewhere in Utah or Arizona. I found another photo of fire and combined it with the unusual red rock cave photo from the 2008 calendar and viola! I embellished the beam of light in the photo by expanding it and giving it some waves at the bottom. I don't think I have done anything before with such an intense color palate of yellow, red & orange.

I wanted to complete this piece before next Saturday so I could display it for the big Vineyard Art Gala on November 8th. I spent much of this past weekend preparing my display for this event because I am one of their on-site artists. (The purpose of the Gala is to raise money for the Vineyard church's art program & the Vine Arts Gallery.)

Update on Going Back to College

I thought I would post an update about my journey towards going back to school (Boise State University) to get my bachelor's degree and applying for funds through Vocational Rehabilitation.

I have applied for admission to BSU and my transcripts from other colleges are in the process of being mailed to them. I have a student ID number, which is cool. After my transcripts/records have been transferred, I need to find out what my plan of education will be. I have no idea what classes I need to take to complete my degree.

After several cancellations due (Vocational Rehab's fault, not mine), I finally had my first VR appointment on October 27th. They are going to set me up with some doctor appointments. This is necessary to qualify me for rehab funds. My next appointment is December 17th. By then, they will have an idea of when I can expect some funding. My rehab counselor said that they can't guarantee that the funding will come by January 2009, when I want to enter school, but they will try. I have decided that whether I get the funding or not by the time I need it, I will go anyway--even if I can only afford to take one or two classes.

My counselor said that Vocation Rehab has more clients then they can handle and the government won't authorize funds to hire more rehab workers. So that causes a backlog of delays and red tape. It has been my experience that whenever the government is involved you can expect delays, red tape, and lousy management. I just have to be patient I guess--and pray a lot!

Portrait of Thompson Done

I just completed another portrait commission. Okay, it is 95% complete! I got an order to do two 5 X 7 original colored pencil portraits of a little 3 year old boy by the name of Thompson. I have posted the first completed portrait above. The second one is almost an exact duplicate of this, except the background color will be a little different. I just have a wee little bit to do on it, including the background color, and it will be done. My client wants it real soon, so I will finish it this week. She bought the frames for the portraits and gave them to me so I can insert the portraits into the frames and they are ready to go. Then comes the really fun part--my client picks it up and pays for it!

I am almost done with the other piece I have been working on--the "walking through fire" piece. That's a good title, I think I will call it Walking Through Fire. It is very different from what I've done before and so far it is turning out very nicely. I have to be finished with it my November 8th so I can display it at the Vineyard Art Gala. This piece is kind of my statement on what it has like getting through this 2008 recession/depression.

Preparing A New Piece of Art for the Art Gala

The "Leopard In the Tree" has been temporarily put on hold for a couple of reasons. First, the paper I was using was not good and I had to scrap the piece and start all over again. Sometimes when you decide to use a cheaper paper it is not always a good idea! I switched to a Winsor/Newton watercolor paper and it is working much better.

And second, I got inspired to do something else and I want it completed by November 8th for the big Art Gala fundraiser at the Vineyard.) Because this big Art Gala event is about healing through art, I decided to do a piece that illustrates a verse in the Bible, Isaiah 43:2. "....you will pass through the fire but the flames will not burn you." With the recession and all the scary job changes my husband and I have been through and loss of income, this verse pretty much describes my life this year! It is a representational/illustrational piece done in my usual realistic style. I think it is going turn out very nice. I will post it when it is done.

I am almost finished with one of my portrait commissions. The commission is for two 5X7 colored pencil portraits of 3 or 4 year old boy. They are going to be given out as Christmas gifts by my client.

Starting a New Art Piece--Leopard In a Tree

I have decided that I want to re-do my Leavenworth collage (see previous blog entry) and do it in a slightly different style. I think my version looks too much like a poster. I have an artist friend of mine (Lisa Marten) who does really cool collages with oil sticks and acrylic paint and I would like to try that. I will have to get her to give me a lesson.

Now that I have a more physically demanding part-time job at the Boise School District, I am pooped by the time Saturday comes. There is rarely anytime during the week for creating art. However, this weekend, I did start a new colored pencil & turpenoid piece of a leopard in a tree. This will probably take at least a month for me to finish because it is about 15 X 22 in size. This subject appealed to me because I have never done a leopard and the spotted pattern will be different from anything I've done before. Any animal with a pattern like that is challenging to do because it is easier to stylize it as a graphic design piece but more challenging to use a realistic style instead, which is what I want to do.

Leavenworth, Washington Collage

Today I decided to give myself an art day. Well, maybe not the whole day, but at least half the day was devoted to art. I did something different from what I usually do. I did a collage of Leavenworth, Washington. This is another art piece in a series that I am doing about my trip to Leavenworth last year. The entire piece is 14 X 18 and is too big for my scanner, so I have posted portions of it (above). This is a mixed media piece using watercolor, colored pencil and some acylic craft paint. Most all of the artwork on this is actually from Leavenworth and can be found on the buildings themselves. I took some of my favorite art from the signs, calligraphy, and wall murals and put them all together in a collage. I also included some quotes from a book I bought on Leavenworth that describes how it was created and documents the progress from start to finish. Leavenworth inspires me because it was a town that was dying when some people with a dream and not very much money decided to take a leap of faith and revive it, thus turning it into a beautiful Bavarian theme town that has become a very popular tourist attraction. It truly is a miracle town and proves that miracles do still happen.

My Christmas Card Design is Done. On to The Next Portrait Commission.

I have finished with this year's Christmas Card art and I have posted it above. Is this cute or what? It is a portrait of two of my cats, Maynard (left) and Bonzai Pete (right). I call it "Christmas List." In real life, Maynard and Pete hate each other and rarely ever get this close, except to hit each other! But in the world of art you can create you own story and pretend that everyone is one big happy family!

Now that I have finished my Christmas Card design, I want to get started on my next portrait commission. I have been commissioned to do two portraits, both 5X7 in size. A few months ago, a lady that I had previously known from a women's performance choir that we once both involved in commissioned me to do two portraits of her nephew, Michael, who is around 3 years old. These portraits are going to be framed and given out to relatives as Christmas gifts. With this lousy economy, I think I am fortunate just to be getting portrait commissions!

Vine Arts Brochure Features My Art

Just a little mini-blog for Tuesday.

The above posted brochure has some artwork that I and another artist created. The second piece from the top (the hand holding the fruit and veggies) is a mural that I helped to paint and create. This brochure is new and was created to inform the public about the Vineyard's art programs and art outreach to the community.

My First Week as a Custodian--Oh My Aching Back!

This has been an exhausting week but I survived my first full week working as a part-time custodian at an elementary school. It is a lot of wear and tear on my back and I have to see the chiropractor Monday. Then I think I will have to make some adjustments (use lighter equipment) to accommodate my neck & back, but I think it is going to work out all right.

Because of my intense schedule, there has not been much time for artwork. What I am doing right now is gearing up for the Christmas season. Some of the local gift shops and galleries that I work with are getting ready for Christmas inventory. Rediscovered Bookstore is only going to sell my Stone Critters because the artwork just is not selling right now. So what I am going to do is concentrate on selling mostly my Stone Critter rock animals. Of all my art, the rock animals and commissioned portrait seem to be my best sellers, so that is what I am concentrating on. In the next couple of weeks I will go out to some local places that carry my stuff, or have in the past, and ask them if I can sell on consignment for Christmas.

This weekend, I worked more on the piece of art that will be used as my yearly Christmas card. It is about 60% done.

"Re:Form" Vine Arts Exhibit Reception

I survived my first week at my new job. My body is trying to adjust to the physical labor involved in my job, but I think I will be okay. I'm just glad to have another job and extra income! Too bad I have to wait until October for my first payday!

The only artwork I did this week was I started working on this year's Christmas card design. I decided this year I will do a portrait of two of my cats, Pete and Maynard, with Santa hats on, and they will be getting their Christmas lists ready to give mom and dad. It will be cute.

Today was the reception for the new exhibit at the Vine Arts Gallery. The exhibit is called "Re:Form." It deals with the concept of change (spiritual change, social change, etc.) It deals with believing that God delights in doing extraordinary things with ordinary people. I submitted two pieces, "The Lighthouse" and "Elephant Walk." Photos of both these pieces were posted on previous blogs.

They changed the reception of the exhibit to be right after church and I thought that was a good idea because they had a much better turn out than last time, when the reception was Sunday Evening. My mother & father-in-law came to the reception, along with another out-of-town relative--Jon's sister, Chris.

Vevay Portrait is Done

I have posted (above) my finished portrait of "Vevay" the orange and white Cornish Rex cat. This was a commissioned portrait that I got way back in April of this year. It just took me awhile to get together with the client, round up photos and finalize the details. When I started this portrait, it was right in the middle of this mortgage/real estate crash that we have been experiencing, and I got rather distracted and too stressed out to be able to continue with it until last month. Fortunately, there is no deadline on this portrait. My client told me exactly how she wanted the portrait to look, with the light coming from the upper right corner onto the cat's face. I think it turned out very nice. My client will come over in a week or so to see it and pay for it. I hope she likes it.

This week I am starting my new part-time job working for the Boise School District. Knowing that I have this income to fall back on now has been a great relief to me! I may look into taking another part-time job in the mornings, only during the Christmas season. The next step is to work with Vocational Rehabilitation to get government funding to go back to college in January so I can complete my BA in Art and become a certified art teacher.

Creating My 2008 Christmas Card

My life is somewhat of a roller coaster ride right now, but some good news has come. I passed my background test and my employment physical and I am just waiting to hear from the people at Boise School District as to when I can start my new part-time job. This is a huge step forward for me and will relieve some of the financial stress I have been under.

Now that it is September, I realize that the time is approaching to start thinking about drawing and painting my Christmas 2008 card. I always create my own card every year to mail to people and in spite of our economical challenges, I am going to continue with this tradition. So I am pulling out references photos to try get some inspiration.

My Mad Max World

Saturday I worked mostly on a poem illustration that I plan to enter into the next Vine Arts Gallery Exhibit coming up this month. The theme of this exhibit is called Re:Form and is based on the concepts outlined in Pastor Tri Robinson's book called Big Handprint....Small Footprint. Re:Form, it in a nutshell, it is about doing what we feel God has called us to do to make a difference in the world and doing what we can to get rid of certain complexities in our lives that have prevented us from achieving these goals.

Posted above is the final product of what I came up with for this exhibit. The poem at the bottom of this illustration are actually the words from a Tina Turner song called We Don't Need Another Hero, which is the theme song to a Mad Max Movie called, Thunderdome." I just changed a few words around to that instead of saying "...all we want is what we are" I changed it to say, "....all we want is to be what God called us to be."

I didn't have time to create an entire new piece of art in my usual realistic colored pencil & turpenoid style, so I switched to a more graphic art style. I used some metallic and glitter acrylic paints that I already had on hand, which made it nice because I didn't have to go out and buy supplies.

The words of this song are concepts that I have been thinking about a lot, especially this year. With the terrible economy affecting so many people right now, the elections coming, and the housing market crashing and turning into a depression, I have been really thinking about and working on making some serious changes in my life. Sometimes I feel like I am living in one of those "Mad Max" movies! The words of the following poem are typed on the piece of art posted above:

Out of the ruins, out from the ragged edge,

Can't make the same mistake this time,

We are the children....we are the ones they left behind.

And I wonder when we are ever going to change things?

Living under the fear until nothing else remains.

We don't need another hero.

We don't need to know the way home.

All we want is to be what God called us to be.

Looking for something that we can rely on.

There's got to be something better out there.

Love and compassion---that day is coming.

All else are castles built in the air.

And I wonder when we are ever going to change things?

Living under the fear until nothing else remains.

So what do we do with our lives?

Will our story shine like a light....or end in the dirt?

Struggling to Keep My Head Above Water---Glub, Glub!

I have been SO focused on finding a job and trying to cope with this disastrous recession and all the changes that it has brought into my life, that I really haven't been able to focus much on art. I am very, very close to being given the official "okay" for a job at the Boise School District. I just have to pass a background check and a physical and I am in. That should take another week. Whenever there is any type of big bureaucracy involved, especially government, the wheels turn slowly and nothing happens fast. My husband's job as a loan officer has had so many changes that it is becoming impossible to make a living as a mortgage broker. He is seriously thinking about changing careers. This has been a horrendous year for anyone associated with the housing market and the stress is killing me and not doing much good for my art either because it tends to kill my creativity.

I am almost done with a cat portrait commission that I received a few months ago. I have had so many emergencies to handle that my portrait commission work ended up getting postponed. I also need to call people that signed up for a portrait, but haven't contacted me yet. Again, I have been too distracted and stressed out by all the changes in my life lately that I haven't gotten around to doing this yet.

And so the struggle continues....let's hope it is not a struggle for very much longer!

Second Place At The Fair and Another Capital City Market Art Show

"Autumn at Hidden Lake"

Last Thursday my husband and I went to the annual Idaho fair that takes place every August. The Western Idaho Fair is just down the road a few miles from where I live. I think my favorite thing about the fair is the excellent food and the animals that you get to pet. I petted everything from a horse to a baby buffalo and a sting-ray. Cool! I always enter one or two paintings in the juried art show at the fair. This year I entered two piece: "Autumn at Hidden Lake" and "Maynard in Pink Basket" (Pictured above). My piece, "Autumn at Hidden Lake" won Second Place in the Landscape Division (professional category.) I get prize money of $35.00 and a red ribbon. Yay!

Today I had another outdoor art show at the downtown public market in Boise, The Capital City Public Market. We got their well early and set up well before the required time of 9:30 a.m. It was much easier setting up than it was last month. Last month it was a nightmare! We got their a bit late, I felt pressured, we weren't sure where to park and where to unload, and by the time my husband and I were finished setting up, my husband said, "Get someone else to help you set up....I'm not doing this anymore!"

Sales at this show were not as good as last month or the month before, but it was still worth it to me to do this show. This show has a great atmosphere with a big fountain in the middle of the circle grove and a small jazz ensemble that played some excellent soft classic jazz. Plus it is great advertising for my business and lots of people took my card and brochure. People often contact me and request a commissioned portrait or a print after the art show is over.

Agora Gallery In New York and I'm Still Looking For A Part-Time Job

This week I worked on a portrait commission of an orange and white Cornish Rex cat by the name of "Vevay." It is almost done now. I also have another outdoor art show this Saturday at the Capital City Market downtown, so I have to pack and get ready for that. There is not much to be done since most everything is still packed up from last month's show.

I got an interesting email from a lady who works at the Agora Gallery in New York. She really likes my art and has listed my website (www.chickartisticcreations.com) on her website under "links." So we exchanged links and I listed Agora Gallery on my website. She said that she thought my art would be a great addition for the gallery, so I emailed some digital images (jpg's) to the gallery and we'll see what happens. It takes about 3 weeks before they will get back to me. That's okay. I can wait. I am much more interested in getting a part-time job right now and doing what I can to survive this recession. I applied for two part-time jobs at the Boise School District and they need to make a decision soon since school starts the last week of August, so I hope to be hearing from them soon--like maybe this week??? More money in my life will relieve LOTS of financial stress and will mean I will have more options as an artist too, since I can put some of that money back into my art business.

Western Idaho Fair Juried Art Show

"Maynard in Pink Basket"

Autumn at Hidden Lake

Tomorrow (Tuesday) I am going to enter two of my paintings into the Western Idaho Fair. This fair is an annual event that takes place every August and is just down the road from where I live. I will be entering "Autumn at Hidden Lake" and "Maynard in Pink Basket." The "Autumn at Hidden Lake" is the same piece that got accepted into the Art Source Gallery's annual juried show this past June. I have posted a photo of these two pieces above.

I also applied to work at the fair, but I haven't heard a thing from them, so I don't know what's happening with that. It would only be from August 15 - 24, but I thought it would nice little temporary job. If they don't contact me this week, I will assume they decided not to hire me.

Change Is In The Air!

I haven't blogged anything until now because I've been going on interviews and looking for other jobs to supplement or take the place of my current job that recently issued me a cut in pay because the company isn't doing so good right now. (Red flag that may mean "going out of business" sale.) So just about all my attention has been concentrated on this instead of art. Yes folks, CHANGE is in the air!

I have been able to squeeze in some time for painting and creating more rock animals. I have an art show at the Capital City Market in downtown Boise on August 23rd so I am preparing inventory for that. I just have to do a few rock animals and get some note cards printed that I'm sold out of.

I recently received another portrait commission. This one is going to be a 5 X 7 color portrait of a little boy about 2 years old. The main problem I have to solve with this assignment is that the client doesn't want this portrait to be framed and the kind of art that I do really needs to have some kind of protective covering on it like glass or plexiglass. The way they want to display it on a small easel, unprotected. This REALLY is not good for the artwork, which will just getting dirty or damaged. So I have to talk to them about this and we have to come up with a solution that works a little better for everyone.

Tomorrow (Thursday morning) I am going to a Vocational Rehab Orientation to see if I can qualify to get money to go back to college to get my bachelor's degree and possibly become a certified teacher. I am excited about this but I have no idea if I will be accepted or not. If I get accepted, I will REALLY have something wonderful to blog about!

Elephant Art, Vocational Rehab, and Surviving the Depression of 2008

I recently finished a piece that I had about 90% completed, then got stuck and set it aside. I'm not sure what the exact title is going to be, but for now I will call it "Elephants" (posted above). This is my first elephant theme art that I have done in color. I really like the way it turned out.

Things have been in a bit of a "crisis" mode this week. I'm afraid the Depression of 2008 is hitting everyone, including the company I do independent contracting maintenance work for. They are struggling to survive this recession/depression and just cut my pay and my hours. The problem is I can't really afford a cut in pay right now, so I am looking for another job. Working just four hours a week is just NOT helping to pay the bills.

I have decided to change my direction a bit. I am trying to get into a government-run Vocational Rehab Program, so I can get funds to go back to college and get my bachelor's degree and become a certified art teacher. A friend of mine is doing this exact thing and told me who to contact. I have left about three messages with the person in charge of this program, but she will not be back in town until next week. I hope I qualify to get into this program. It would be a HUGE improvement in the quality of my life and it would allow me to be able to make a fairly good living doing what I love the most--creating art! The minute I learn if I qualify and am accepted into this program, I will post this news on my blogsite. Cross your fingers, folks!

Colored Pencil & Turpenoid Workshop

Today, I taught an art workshop on Colored Pencil & Turpenoid at the Vineyard Church. They have their own art department with a place to teach art classes. I had five students. I thought that was a good number--not too many, not too few. I enjoyed teaching the class and I think everyone enjoyed learning about a new method of painting. I also got paid for teaching this class! This was a very pleasant surprise because last year, when I taught this same class at the Vineyard, teachers were purely volunteer. Now they give teachers a small fee for teaching. Now that's a switch, with a bad economy where everything seems to cost more and offer less.

I was going to teach a series of extended workshops at my house on Colored Pencil & Turpenoid, but most people can't come during the month of August, due to conflicting schedules & vacations, so I may postpone this until September or October.

I got a phone call today from someone I talked to at my last art show at the Capital City Market. She is coming over this Thursday to give me photos so I can get started on doing a portrait for her! I usually have to call someone several times and maybe even beg (or bribe?) them to give me a photo(s) so I can get started on a commission, so it is very nice to have someone take the initiative and contact me. I actually haven't even followed up yet with contacting the people who signed up to have commissioned portraits done. I have been distracted with so many other things, including stress, that I haven't gotten around to it. That will be on my list of "To Do's" for next week.

Art Therapy and Another Painting From The Leavenworth, Washington Series

I decided that I needed to work on some art projects just for the sake of my own therapy and not because I am completing a commission or building up art inventory. Creating art can be very calming and centering and that is what I have needed this week--something to calm my nerves as I try to contemplate how to handle my current state of poverty and career struggles and my husband's lack of business as a mortgage broker. So instead of being mad at the economy and sticking my head out the window screaming, "I'm mad as hell and I'm NOT going to take it anymore!" I decided to go back to working on my series of Leavenworth, Washington paintings. I had been "stuck" on a certain area of this one painting I was doing, probably due to stress, and couldn't seem to get past it. Then I decided to use acrylic paint spattering instead of colored pencil and that seemed to work for me. Anyway, I have finally completed another in the Leavenworth, Washington series. It is presently untitled and is shown above. This is actually the view from the balcony of my sister-in-law's back yard. My sister-in-law, Chris, lives in Plains, Washington which is 20 miles outside of Leavenworth.

I have also been preparing for the workshop I will be teaching this Saturday on colored pencil & turpenoid. It will be at the Vineyard Church, July 26 from 2-4 p.m. Although the timing for having this workshop is not so good, I have had fun preparing the lessons for it.

Coping with Recession Really Sucks!

This has been a very bad week. I have been under so much stress that it has been difficult to concentrate on art, but I need to get back to my art because it is the therapy that helps calm my nerves. I look forward to being able to start my third part-time job in September. That will ease the strain of things. How much time I will have for art work after I start this job remains to be seen.

This Saturday I am having a garage sale to help bring more money into our lives. I am getting very close to actually being a starving artist, and believe me, it REALLY SUCKS!

The only art project that I have worked on and completed is the "Molly" dog rock. The final version is shown above. My client will be picking it up Saturday.

Then next week I have to work on preparing for a colored pencil & turpenoid workshop that I will be teaching at the Vineyard Church on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. If I had known that June and July would turn out to be such a crappy month for my husband's business as a Mortgage Broker, causing me tons of stress, I would have postponed the workshop until the following month.

The Colors of Doing an Art Show

The art show at the Capital City Public Market went well. I was happy with sales, although I didn't make as much money as I did at last month's show. I got a few people who seemed very serious about getting a portrait done, so if those go through, it will be well worth it. It was not a real hot day either, so that made it very pleasant. I hate doing shows when it is 100 degrees or more outside. Nothing like cooking yourself and your art in the heat until you are fried to a crisp!
I thought I would explain what it feels like to do an art show, using colors to describe my moods. A new day, A new art show and a chance to make some money. Yay! Color me a happy color like pink. My husband is having physical problems this morning and may make me late for setting up and I can't do this show without his help. Color me red because I'm getting a bit anxious and irritated! We arrived but set up was rough going and we didn't get fully set up until 10 minutes before the deadline. Color me very red and a bit purple. I make my first sale within 30 minutes of being open. I feel much calmer & better now. Color me a peaceful blue. My husband buys some freshly-made mini donuts from one of the vendors. They are so good they melt in your mouth. mmmmm! To hell with the calories--I feel like a rainbow inside! I am enjoying the live music that is at the art show and sales seem fairly good. Color me bright yellow or pink. There is a dead zone in sales. A whole hour and a half has gone buy and nobody is buying! What's the problem here? I'm feeling a bit nervous. I don't want to go home with only $50.00 in sales! Color me orange--a combination of pale yellow (happy but cautious) and red (nervous & irritated). During the last hour to half hour of the show, I get some big sales! Yay! Color me bright yellow again with a smiley face. Right when the bell rings that indicates the show is closed, I get a $21.00 sale. (You aren't allowed to sell after the bell rings.) That's cutting it close!

My husband and I are exhausted after packing up the art, the tables & the canopy and then unpacking it when we get home. We have very little energy or life left in us. Color us black. It's time to take a nap!

Another Art Show to Do & Another Rock Animal Portrait

This has been a stressful week. Because the mortgage/real estate crash has hit us very hard, I have had to think about getting another part-time job to help make up for the lack of business my husband has had as a mortgage broker. So Thursday I did a little bit of job hunting. I already have my eye on one job that may open up in September. Financial stress sucks and it sometimes makes it hard for me to concentrate on my art business.

However, I do have an art show tomorrow (Saturday), so I have had to get my brain in gear and concentrate on preparations for this show. This Art Show is the third one I have done this year in downtown Boise at the Capital City Market. The only difference is, this show will be under the Visiting Artist Program of the Capital City Market instead of the Emerging Artist Show that is sponsored by Boise Blue Art Supply Store, and it has a higher application fee. I also have to set up my own canopy this time.

In spite of the stress of trying to pay the bills with very little money, I just got another pet portrait order. This order comes from a very good friend of mine and is for a rock animal portrait of a black & white dog by the name of Molly. I have posted molly's photo above. Can't wait to start on it.

My Portrait of Kate Hepburn in Web Digest Weekly

Good News! Just a few days ago, I got a request for permission to use my portrait of Katharine Hepburn in an online web magazine called Web Digest Weekly. (Portrait is posted above.) The publisher, Carey Parrish, is doing a tribute page to the late classic movie star, Katharine Hepburn and is using my graphite pencil portrait of Kate that he found on my website. This tribute to Kate is only going to be up for a week, then a new tribute page goes up and another celebrity is featured. Check it out at http://www.webdigestweekly.com/.

Today I took a brake from landscape and yard work and painted some rock animals that I plan to sell this Saturday at my art show at the Capital City Market in downtown Boise. I am creating a new item--a big "mama" hog rock animal with little piglets. (Okay, everyone can say, Ahhhh....isn't that cute....) I also have to make two beaver rocks because my beaver animal rocks all sold at my last art show on June 21.

Making Money versus Making Art

Lately, I find myself in a situation that has had a very definite impact upon my art. The struggling economy has really been very tough on me. My husband, being in the mortgage business, has been especially hard hit. Every month we watch the real estate market decline as lenders refuse to lend money because of an uncertain economy. The business continues to change and some of the loans my husband use to handle, non-conforming loans, have dissappeared. And although some very good things have happened to help us survive the changes in the market, it has also caused some very hard and uncertain times. I have found myself becoming so distracted by it, that I can barely concentrate on doing any artwork. Lately, I have become consumed with thinking up ways to make more money. Thinking of more art shows, a garage sale, etc. All things that promote and make money, but do not give me time to create art. And that is my dilemna. Right now I feel pressured to make money, which leaves little to no time to create art. In the next few weeks I doubt that I will have much time for serious personal art projects because I have an art show on July 12th and I have decided to have my garage sale on July 19th.

Painting Projects

I haven't had time to enter a new blog until now. My husband was out of town at a business conference, so I was busy doing the chores that he usually does. Then my brother-in-law was in town from Washington, so I was busy visiting him as well and going out to eat with the rest of the family.

Today I went downtown to the Art Source Gallery to pick up my art from that show, "Autumn at Hidden Lake". The show just ended. June sure went fast.

I finished the painting project on the outside of my house. The trim on the front of my house is now a beautiful grayish-blue. I call it Periwinkle Blue. It looks terrific.

Last night I started painting & completed five ladybug rock animals for my next art show, July 12th. A lady bought all my ladybug rocks at the last art show on June 21. Who would have thought those little bugs would be so popular? My next art show will be in two weeks, so I better get started preparing for it.

Vevay Cat Portrait

I started on another portrait commission this past week. I am doing a 9 X 12 size color portrait of a sienna brown & white cat with short churly hair whose name is "Vevay". It is a specific breed of cat called a Cornish Rex. (See March 30th blog entry for a photo of Vevay.) I recently discovered a new kind of drawing surface/paper to use with colored pencil & turpenoid. The client who ordered this portrait of Vevay gave me some illustration board to use because she doesn't use them anymore. Since they are so stiff, I wasn't sure that they would work well with colored pencil & turpenoid, but they actually work better. This board has a very smooth & thick surface and when I put down the turpenoid over the colored pencil, it makes it look even more like smooth watercolor. I think it distributes the color more evenly than with watercolor paper. The only problem is it is very, very hard to cut.

I have also gotten some time in here and there to work on my next installment of Leavenworth, Washington series of artwork pieces. I would say it is about 60% done. June has always been such a busy month for me that it is always hard to get in enough time for creating art. I am usually doing more marketing and selling than creating. Some of my time has also been devoted to landscaping projects, which is a kind of design project in itself, but I look forward to being done with the landscaping so I can get back to the business of creating art.

Another Successful Art Show!

Just a short blog to report that my art show today at the Capital City Public Market in downtown Boise was very successful. I took in about $160.00 and got several orders for portraits. Not bad for only four hours work. I'm glad that people were in the buying mood inspite of the slowing economy.

The only obstacle we had to overcome was my husband's truck decided not to work today, so he wasn't able to get to a business meeting he had this morning. It's a good think I was using the other car to deliver my art, tables and other display accessories.

Emerging Artist Show & "Get Real!" Vine Arts Gallery Show

"Reflection Detection"

"The Struggle: Being Real vs. Being False"

Everything is packed and ready for my Art Show tomorrow. I had a few obstacles. My printer jammed and a piece of paper got stuck and wouldn't come out. Murphy's Law says that the printer will always jam right during preparation for a big project or show. Then I had to clear up some miscommunication at the Sawtooth Artisan's Gift Shop where I dropped off my new inventory for the summer season. The gift shop is suppose to be open during the weekends in June, but it wasn't because they were in the midst of trying to hire a new shop keeper because the old one quit. So I had no one to communicate with and go over the paper work with. I hate paper work! The only paper work I like is the kind that comes out looking like artwork.

I also had to prepare and drop off new artwork for a new gallery show at the Vine Arts Gallery. This show's theme is "Get Real!" I entered two pieces--one is a print of a graphite pencil portrait on beautiful gold and brown decorative paper that I call "The Struggle" and the other is called "Reflection Detection" and is a colored pencil painting of a beautiful Leavenworth, Washington window and the reflection that is seen from that window. The reception for this show is this Sunday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. I have posted above the two pieces of art that are in this show.

Preparing For The Art Show This Saturday

These past few days I have been working on preparing my inventory for the Emerging Artists art show this Saturday. I only have to make a few rock animals, but I have about eight prints I need to matt and wrap. Then I have to assemble everything and pack them into the car. The next few days will be busy preparing for this show at the 8th Street Marketplace downtown.

The only painting I have been doing lately is painting the trim on my house. There is a lot to do around the house right now, including some landscaping, so much of my time has been devoted to that.

Is it Really "All In the Application?" or "Please Don't Bother Me With Questions, Just Read my Mind."

Now that I am back from vacation, it is dawning on me that I have a lot of art-related things I need to do! Yicks! I better kick myself into 'super speed' and start on it. I am preparing an order for a client and getting it ready to be shipped out. Then I need to prepare for an outdoor show at the Capital City Market on June 21. I also need to squeeze in time to continue with creating artwork.

I would like to address an issue that I have come up against lately. Recently, on two occasions, I have run into the problem of show coordinators who send me applications for shows or galleries without giving all the necessary specific information that you need. Then when you ask them, they give you an answer like, "It is all in the application." and they don't really answer you. What is up with this? I tell them that the application does not address these specific quesions and they act like I am stupid or have misread the application. When I try to be specific and ask them specific questions that are not addressed in an application or email so I can avoid miscommunication, they give me an attitude like I am annoying them or I am stupid, and that I should be able to read minds. Maybe they are so extremely busy that they are under stress and it comes out in their attitude. Okay, I guess I can relate to that. The problem is that I have run into too many situations that got all screwed up because the coordinator thought they were being clear and was not and the artist applicant ends up bringing all the wrong stuff to a show or shows up on the wrong day and it becomes big mess.

I even dared to suggest to one coordinator that they put in their application a certain wording so it would be clearer. She did not take this advice well at all. Her attitude was "Don't tell me how to do my job. The application is worded perfectly and doesn't need revising." I am tired of dealing with people who have this attitude. If I have trouble understanding the specifics of an application, then other people will too. When a show coordinator gives me this type of response it shows that they are more concerned with their own ego rather than trying to help others by being clearer in their communication. I am also learning that part of what I am looking for when applying to be in certain shows or galleries is a good attitude and good communication. I am not just looking for a super great gallery or show, I am also looking to work with people who do not act annoyed when you ask them specific questions and people who don't give me a lot of attitude. I am also sensing a certain amount of "uppity" attitude in some places I contact about shows & gallery representation. This sets off a red flag for me because that is not what I am about and it is not who I am. My work is good enough to be at a high-end gallery, but I do not like to deal with people who have a "high-end" attitude. This is something I realize I must consider in the future. In a way, this problem is good for me to encounter because it helps me to define who I am and what I am really looking for. I think that from now on, I will give higher priority to shows like the Idaho Cat Fancier's Show and the Emerging Artist Show downtown, The Sawtooth Artisan Gift Shop, because the people who run those shows are always kind and considerate, easy to communicate with and easy to deal with.

Art Sales Are Hot at Lifeline Chiropractic!

I have some good news to report! All three of the framed prints that I had hanging up at my chiropractor's office (Lifeline Chiropractic in Boise) have sold! They all sold while I was in Stanley! I drove over there today to replace the art and collect my check. The pieces that sold were "Still Waters" "Otter Odyssey" and "Got Nuts?"

Back From Stanley!

Yesterday, my husband and I got back from our weekend in Stanley, enjoying the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains. After checking into the hotel, we went over to the Sawtooth Artisan's Gift Shop and I spent a couple of hours doing inventory of my art, replacing stuff that is old, putting out new art and getting ready for this gift shop's new season of sales which goes from June through Labor Day. With the business end of things taken care of, the rest of the time was spent hiking around Redfish Lake and Stanley Lake, enjoying some of the most gorgeous mountain scenery in America! The weather was very odd. It was sunny part of the time, but it also rained, hailed and snowed! That is Stanley for you. It has dynamic and very changeable weather patterns.

While we were hiking, I did a few quick sketches of the scenery (posted above). I didn't get to do as much sketching as I wanted because the weather wouldn't cooperate. I am trying to improve my quick sketching skills as well as making a visual journal of some of the plants, trees, & flowers found in Stanley and other areas of the Idaho mountains.

During our drive home to Boise, right outside the main part of Stanley, we saw eight elk crossing the highway! It was SO COOL! We just stopped and waited for them to cross. I tried to get a photo, but they were not interested in posing for my camera. Everytime I go to Stanley I always say, 'Okay wildlife (and I don't mean the nightclub life) come out where ever you are!' Sometimes they cooperate, sometimes they don't.

When I got home I was delighted to find a check had arrived in the mail from the client who requested a portrait of her cat, Smoke. Yay! I will use her check to help pay for the hotel bill we put on our credit card.

Gallery Hopping & Other Related Things

Today was my day to visit a few places around town that hang my art for the purpose of changing out some art and putting up new art. I delivered a framed print of "Autumn at Hidden Lake" to Lifeline Chiropractic to replace the print that was previously there. Then I went over to the Gallery in Hyde Park, which is near downtown Boise, to pick up all my note cards and prints. They had been there for quite a long time and it was time for a complete change out of art. Fortuntely, I am not out of this gallery, I am just going to submit new stuff. At some (undisclosed) time I am going to put up some of my Stone Critter rock animals to sell at their gallery. The owner had mentioned many months ago that he was interested in selling my rock animals at his gallery. At some later date, I will probably also submit some more art prints too, but it has to be new stuff that hasn't been there before. I have had my art at this gallery for several years now and they have always been good to work with. Some galleries give you the old "heave hoe" and tell you to leave if your work doesn't sell very well and consistently. This gallery has a sense of loyalty and sticks with me during times when my art does sell well and during times when it doesn't. They are good people.

During my visit to the Gallery in Hyde Park, they also gave me a check for what had sold during the previous months. It wasn't a lot, just enough to take me and my husband out for lunch somewhere not too expensive!

I emailed my client a photo of her finished portrait of "Smoke" the cat (See previous blog) and she loves it. Another successful portrait commission-mission completed. I think she is using it for a birthday present to her daughter. She confirmed to me that she put the check in the mail, so I'm really looking forward to receiving that. Hopefully, I'll get that check in the mail before I leave for my trip to Stanley, Idaho this Friday. What wonderful thing should I spend this money on? I should probably use it to pay for the gasoline it will take to drive to Stanley & back.

"Smoke" Portrait is Done!

I have just finished the portrait of "Smoke" the Korat cat and here it is above. This is done in graphite pencil with the eyes and the background done in colored pencil. To make the whiskers, I use white acrylic paint and a very thin brush. I find it works better than trying to do it with colored pencil or graphite pencil. Another interesting thing I discovered while doing this portrait. I discovered that turpenoid works well with graphite pencil too. I will have to explore this technique a bit further. This is the first time I have tried to mix graphite pencil with turpenoid.

As soon as I get the check in the mail from my client, I will mail this portrait to her.

The Leavenworth Bakery Building & The "Smoke" Portrait

I have been so busy working doing yard work and cleaning out the garage that I haven't really done much art work until this past weekend & today. Pictured above is another piece in the series I am doing on the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth, Washington. This is the Leavenworth bakery building. I wanted this to be more than just a boring picture of another Bavarian shop, so I made it look like it was inside a colorful colidascope.

I have almost completed my portrait of "Smoke" the grey Korat cat. It should be done this week or next at the latest. I will post a picture of it when it is done. My client said she is going to mail me a check for this portrait. I hope to receive this check next week and I am looking forward to that.

A Sudden Change of Plans!

A sudden change of plans! My husband and I decided to postpone our weekend in the Sawtooth Mountains until the first weekend in June. This was due to bad weather everywhere, including Stanley, Idaho, and due to my husband's hectic work schedule. So I will be staying home this Memorial Day weekend, but I don't mind. Mother Nature often decides to be uncooperative around Memorial Day and I would much rather go to Stanley when the sun in shining. I was fortunate to be able to change my hotel reservations to the weekend of June 6-7 because this hotel is usually booked solid throughout the summer.

This new schedule means that my art reception for my accepted piece, 'Autumn at Hidden Lake' at the Art Source Juried Show will be the night before we leave for Stanley, Idaho. That will be a busy night.

I have some good news. After two months of waiting, I finally received a photo from a client in Montana who wants me to do a graphite pencil portrait of her cat, "Smoke." The cat is a grey short-haired cat with green eyes. Funny but the last cat portrait I did which was just a month ago was also a grey cat. Two grey cat portraits in a row. What's up with that? This commission came from the cat show that I did way back in March. I have a list of about five other people from that cat show show that told me they wanted pet portraits but have chosen to wait a few months until they are in a better position to be able to purchase a portrait. I think everyone was broke in March after the long winter and the holidays.

Anyway, I am a bit relieved that I don't have to rush around like crazy tonight preparing last minute things for my vacation. I am well ahead of the game so now I can relax and actually do some artwork!

Marketing Mania!

Things get busier and busier as the day approaches for my weekend vacation to the Sawtooth Mountains in Stanley. (I head out this Friday.) I haven't found any time to sit down and create art because I have been too busy preparing for art shows and doing the marketing end of things. I just delivered six prints to the Rediscovered Bookstore for their art gallery. I also had another pleasant surprise. During my appointment today with my chiropractor, they gave me some money for a print of mine that sold. I have about 3 framed prints of my art that are hanging up in this office and I change them out every now and then.

I recently joined an organization called CIVA, which stand for Christians in the Visual Arts. I just received my membership packet in the mail this week. This organization helps to connect and network with other artists in the country. It also is a resource for artists to market their art to others. The artwork featured generally has a theme related to Christian ethics and teachings with positive and inspirational subject matter. Their vision and purpose is very much in tune with what I do, so I decided to join. They have an art registry that you can post your art on that is used by others who are looking for artists to commission. I plan on becoming a part of that when I get back from my Memorial Day vacation. Their website is www.civa.org

Preparing Art for the Sawtooth Artisan Gift Shop & Art Sales at Rediscovered Bookstore

I have almost completed preparing the artwork & the paperwork that will go into the Sawtooth Artisan's Guild Gift Shop in Stanley. This coming weekend (Memorial Day) is when I and my husband take our annual trip to Stanley, Idaho and the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains, to delivery my art and to take a weekend vacation. I am really looking forward to this being that I don't get out much these days!

My artwork is selling at the Rediscovered Bookstore in Boise! For a long time, the only sales I made was around the Christmas season. Then because of the sluggish economy, I sold nothing at all after Christmas. But this week I got a check in the mail for $44.00 for sales I had made in March and April. This is a good sign that the economy is doing better. My assignment for this week, before I go on my trip to Stanley, Idaho, is to bring in new artwork and replace what has been sold at the Rediscovered Bookstore.

Barbie Dog and the Welcome Center Sign

The above two photos are projects that I have completed in the past few months that I just now got photos of. The top photo is the completed rock animal portrait I did of "Barbie" the cocker spaniel dog. The client wanted Barbie's portrait to include the pink T-shirt that she was wearing. I was very pleased with how it turned out and so was my client.

The bottom photo is the banner that I helped to design for the Vineyard's Welcome Center. The director of the Vine Arts Program at the Vineyard, Jessie Nilo, helped me to design this and then I painted the artwork for this banner. The lettering and the final composition was done using Photoshop and Illustrator some of the Vineyard Church's graphic artists. Jessie Nilo turned it into a large vinyl banner that is used each Sunday morning to welcome newcomers to the church. The original artwork was done in watercolor because it is a fast medium and they needed this sign in a hurry. Sorry I couldn't get a better photo of it. Some day, hopefully this year, I will get a digital camera that will take better pictures and I won't have to rely on my old fashion 35mm film camera.

Summer Art Shows in Eagle & Boise

This week I have been working on finalizing my art show schedule. I applied to be in a series of art shows in Eagle, Idaho, which is just a few miles away from where I live. If I do these shows, I will be exhibiting about once a month from June - August. I may also have a few extra shows at the downtown public market in Boise. I am suppose to be in a program downtown called the "Visiting Artist Program, but the lady in charge of these shows is very difficult to communicate with and doesn't return my phone calls or send out letters to the artists because she says she is too busy. I guess I am suppose to develope ESP skills. So because it is already the middle of May and I haven't heard anything from her yet about this program, I decided to go down to the Saturday public market and I find this woman (because she works there) and make her answer some of my questions. I am not impressed with how this program is being handled at all. My impression is that this "Visiting Artist" program is operating in a state of chaos and that doesn't give me much of a feeling of confidence. I have decided that I will try to arrange one show and if it doesn't work out, I will terminate my association with this program and this art show coordinator until they can get someone who is more competent and actually has time to communicate with the artists.

The other thing I have been working on is painting lots and lots of rock animals--some of which I will personally deliver to the gift shop in Stanley, Idaho. I have posted a photo (above) of this gift shop. (That's me standing in front of it.) I also have to prepare a few prints for this gift shop. I am excited because my trip to the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains in Stanley is only two weeks away! And with our fragile and limited budget and the horrible gas prices, this may be the only vacation I get this year.

I Got Into The Art Source Juried Show!

Well I am a happy camper! I just got word last night that I got accepted into the annual Art Source Juried Show! This show is an international show and is hard to get into. They accept only about 30 entries out of 250 or more, so it is an honor just to be accepted. The piece that got in is "Autumn at Hidden Lake" (above) which is the first in a series of art works I am doing that document my trip to Leavenworth, Washington last October.

The reception will be June 5th at the Art Source Gallery in downtown Boise on Main Street. I will be there with bells on!

Preparing My Art For the Sawtooth Artisan's Gift Shop (and other projects)

My annual trip to Stanley, Idaho takes place this Memorial Day weekend, and I have been busy making Stone Critters rock animals and prints for the Sawtooth Artisan's Gift Shop & Gallery in Stanley. There are only two gift shops in Stanley and this one has been selling my artwork since about 1993. This gift shop is only open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, but I always sell a lot of my art in those few months. This trip is both a vacation and a tax write-off.

This week I have been involved in another home decor project. I am in the midst of adding some decorative punch to my backyard patio. I have added some blue stenciling to my backyard patio, around the windows. The stencil is a bamboo plant with some Japanese characters next to it, which is appropriate because my patio has a kind of Asian theme to it. I also plan to replace my plastic white patio furniture with the wrought iron patio furniture.

"Stanley Lake" & "Tenacious Tiger" Originals Sold!

"Tenacious Tiger"




"Stanley Lake"

I have some exciting news! I have just been sent payment in the mail for two original paintings of mine! This is rare because I sell about two originals a year, if I'm lucky. Most people here in Idaho want prints and not the original. A lady from Alabama saw my artwork on my website. She is moving to Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband and she wanted some of my artwork to hang on her walls. The pieces she will be buying are "Stanley Lake" and "Tenacious Tiger." "Stanley Lake" is from Stanley, Idaho and the Sawtooth Mountains. My husband and I spend a weekend in Stanley every year, usually in May. "Tenacious Tiger" is from a photo I took. There use to be a small zoo in Nampa, Idaho, which closed a few years ago, and the owners had just purchased two baby tigers. They were adorable and loved to play, just like domestic kittens. I got to pet them and it was a really special experience to be that close to actual tiger kittens.

Emerging Artist Art Show at Capital City Market

Today, I had an art exhibit at the Emerging Artist's section of the Capital City Public Market in downtown Boise from 9:30 until 1:30 p.m. I was on a waiting list and they didn't have enough artists for that day, so they asked me to come. I had to pull things together for this show in only two days because I just found out Thursday that I was doing it. Everything went well and I sold about $120.00 worth of stuff. Not bad for only four hours. This show is the best deal in town for artists because it cost next to nothing to do and the $10.00 deposit fee is refundable. I also love doing this show because I don't have to set up my own canopy and there is usually a good crowd of people that come by.

It was nice to have some action instead of just playing the waiting game.