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!