Looking Back and Looking Forward

Well, it's Wednesday again. My last day off this week. I've had a pretty good three days off this time, but it never seems that I get enough done. I feel like I have to cram all my art time in to one or two days instead of being an artist a few times a day, every day. I can't really get into a flow if I know I have to go to work later and it's usually always so late when I get in from work that I usually just shower and head to bed with my wife. I don't mind the way things are set up now, but I really wish I had my own studio in a separate building, somewhere I could get away from the distractions that I encounter here. I'd like for the job of artist to be the one that pays the bills so I don't have another job stressing me out and getting in the way of my creating. I've been there before, and I plan on getting there again. I've been hitting Facebook hard with my artwork lately. I'm getting a lot of good leads on art sales on there and getting a lot of people to see my art. It's a great way to get seen, but I've got so much going on internet-wise that I can't keep up with all of it. I've got a lot of my social media sites interconnected to save time, but sometimes I also get posts repeating at times. I really need to tear it all down and redo it now that I know more about what I need to do, but I doubt that would be possible. Instead I'll just keep building my internet presence and promoting my work as best as I can. My big break is just around the corner.

"The Redbird and Another Canary"

New Year, New Attitude (?)

I know, it's been a while. I was doing pretty good at regularly posting on here, right up until the holiday season got into full swing. I managed to make it through with my mind still fairly sound. I had the day to myself today and spent it painting and rummaging through thrift stores for inspiration. I've finished five paintings today, plus fixing one that I did last week. I'm in my studio, music playing, paints and brushes handy, motivation coursing through my veins. I've also sold quite a few paintings in the past three weeks, with several more people showing strong interest. I'm hoping to build on this momentum as the year progresses. It's not my new years resolution, it's just the smart thing to do (which may explain the shocked expressions on some of your faces as you read that last sentence). I'm typically more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda guy that a plan-ahead guy. I am doing better though and I expect it will only get better. Anyhow, here's a painting for you to look at:

"Something About A Bird"

I Wish

Well, here it is almost Christmas again. This seems to be the time of year that I evaluate myself and the direction my life is heading. I suppose it's been a pretty good year. I sold some paintings, I get my studio cleaned and (semi)-organized, and I was on an uphill turn producing artwork. I just feel like there's more I should be doing. I'm not sure what. I'm working as much as I can stand and I make pretty good money, but it seems there is never enough left over for the promotion of my artwork. Considering I have several hundred followers on a couple social sites and that I am selling art and engaging my fans by showing my creative process, the fact that my promotional budget is pretty much zero seems quite impressive. I do think that if I had the means to find more people interested in my work my sales would definitely increase. I'm just not sure how much longer that's gonna be. Medical bills really suck. I wish there was a better way. I wish I could see myself making more progress. I wish.

"Hellhounds On My Trail"

Uphill All The Way

I haven't been able to update on here in a while. I also haven't been creative in almost two weeks. We were trying to rearrange furniture in our house and tried to move our piano to a new location. Unfortunately it stuck and wouldn't budge in a most unfortunate location, right in front of the door to my studio. I can squeeze by between the piano and dining room table, but it really hampers me getting down to work on making art. I hope we can find the time and energy this week to get it moved out of the way. I have a commission piece that I need to finish by Wednesday. It's almost done but it needs a few minor corrections and some color to get it finished.

"Crazy Faces", a little something fun I did a month or so ago

It's So Hard To Make Things Easier

I've spent the past few days trying to link up all my social media sites. I thought it might bring more people into the inner circle that gets to see paintings in progress and hear my daily (well, a few times a week at least) rants about life and art. I've already been linking Facebook and Twitter, so I figured adding Google+ should be pretty easy. It was fairly easy to get them all together after a few Google searches. I was happy. Then I thought maybe I should try to get my Tumblr account in the mix. I really like Tumblr but I post less on there than any of my other regular sites. I've spent countless hours trying to get this one figured out. I think I have it, but I need to check in a fwe minutes to see if things are posting correctly yet. The first linked Tumblr message included a long paragraph from Google explaining that this message had been sent to a non-Google+ account and trying to convince someone (me?) to join up to receive updates on Google+ instead of their email inbox. I find all this to be link spinning a web (no pun intended) of connections all over the internet. I also noticed that, although most sites, ie Facebook and Twitter. will let you connect in and out, Google+ can only be connected outwardly. This means the original post must be made there in order to get it out to all. I've put this struggle on hold for a while and sat in front of a new painting on my easel. A few strokes with the brush and all my tensions start to melt.

This is pretty much what I looked like last night around 10 o'clock

Sometimes Things Pop Up Out Of Nowhere

I was fooling around on Facebook today, mostly browsing through pictures for amusement, entertainment, and inspiration. I looked at a picture of a friend of mine and noticed something in the background...one of my old paintings. It was an abstract that I had done in a series in the early Nineties. I had actually forgotten that I had done them. As I stared in amazement at my blast-from-the-past I thought I might search a little further. I went to the album that the picture was from and found another containing that painting and another from my Southeast Missouri State days, one of my cubic shadow paintings (the second one that had popped up to remind me of it's existence). Maybe experiences like this only happen to me and others who can't remember all they have done in the past. If that's true, then it's a shame. It was like running into an old friend.

This Is What Happens

I'm off for three days now. I've been itching to paint since last Thursday, when I started my work week. I've got lot's of paint and more ideas than I could ever paint in a lifetime, and more roll in every day. So, this is what I do when ever this happens and I have no fresh canvases to paint on. I go through my stacks of paintings, looking for those that aren't finished, those that I now think look like crap, sometimes even one that doesn't hit my right that particular day. When I find a painting that doesn't pass muster anymore I pull it out and put it aside. Once I've got a few in the reject pile I take them to my studio and paint over them. I didn't think about it at all when I started doing it, but now sometimes I feel bad about it. I have had people look through my portfolio and comment on a painting that no longer exists. I wonder if other artists do this as often as I feel like I do. Have far back in history does this process go? I guess I don't care all that bad, I've never done a Google search to find the answers to those questions. I do wish I could use a fresh canvas every time, but until my sales pick up I can't afford that. One advantage of this is not having to worry about anyone seeing a painting I'm not proud of. The bottom line is I'm gonna be painting for the next few days. That's all I really want.