Progress Comes in Different Forms

  I'm already halfway through my art week and although I'm making lots of progress, none of it has come in the form of new paintings or new photographs of my art to post on the internet. Mostly it's been cleaning, computer tinkering, music organizing, trying to think of new approaches of promoting my work. Not nearly as much art production as I would have liked. I suppose it'll be alright. I have been painting all afternoon. Trying to finish another commission. It's been a struggle. It's not coming into it's own like my really good paintings do. As long as I'm moving forward it's okay with me.

"Graceful Beauty"

You should go check out my Etsy store link. I'll be posting more art for sale soon. A painting or two sold this week would really give me a sense of progress ;)

Here's Some Thoughts....

 Here's a few things I have on my mind:

• How could an artist ever run out of inspiration? I have enough ideas and reference photos that I'm not sure I could paint all of them, even doing ten paintings a day. I think I could really enjoy putting that last statement to the test.
• Why is it that artists have the reputation of being flaky and unreliable? I've had more trouble with regular, average American, business owners than I have dealing with artistic types. For example, I've been negotiating painting sales and then just have the other person just completely forget everything and not respond to me. I also wonder how it is that anyone would do business with someone like that. Maybe it's just my experiences.
• It's always a lot of work to sell your artwork or get someone to let you hang your art on their walls. I get that. If you can't get the appropriate exposure for you work just by getting on the internet, you are even trying. You can spread your art all over Facebook and God's green earth without spending a dime. 
• I wonder how much attention some people pay to my art when they ask me to paint something for them that has no relation what so ever to my work. If you've ever thought about asking me to paint a vase of flowers in bright colors, you are part of the problem. If you thought that statement was funny, you're someone I need to hang out with.
• I wonder what people in the mental health professions think about the works I paint. I'm sure anyone with the least bit of training can peer right in to my soul. Kinda freaks me out sometimes
• I read that Bob Ross didn't hang any of his own paintings in his house. How can you live with yourself knowing that you think your own work is that bad? How can you paint for that long and not just say "screw it, I'm gonna paint this one for me, the way I've always wanted to paint"? Seems sad to me. Don't get me wrong, I loved Bob Ross, and still watch him every chance I get. Just seems sad.

                                                                         

"2B1"

Am I Doing The Best I Can?

  I always feel like I waste a good portion of the three days a week I get to e a full time artist. Dragging my ass, being sidetracked by household chores, napping, running errands...it always seems to suck up so much more of my time than I'd like. I was sorting reference photos in my studio today when it struck me just how many paintings I've done in the past few weeks. Very likely more than 90% of my fellow artists. I guess I'm just never satisfied with my progress, always beating myself up that I should have done more. I blame some of it on my day job. It just seems to suck the life out of me. I sometimes feel like I'm coming to the end, that full time art is just around the corner. Sometimes I feel like I'm gonna be a waiter until I die. Anyway, here's a painting:

"Baby Louise"

Taking Stock of my Situation

   I've had the feeling lately that I'm at another crossroads. I'm trying to just keep my head down and make progress where ever I can. I'm not happy with my work situation, but I'm not sure a change would do much good. I had a fellowship deadline pass before I got my application in. I was hoping to get some money and take some time off work to work on the business of art full time. My money is looking to decrease as well (I'm probably not allowed to say why) which only leads to more stress.
  I feel like I'm very close to breaking through. I reopened my Etsy store and linked it to my social media sites. I made some progress on DougBaltz.net, a project I've put off for over a year. I'm getting all my internet stuff linked together and I feel like I'm doing well on my marketing. I could make more progress but I'm always so tired I have to fight not to sleep the day away.
  Mostly I'm just painting and drawing. I've got over a dozen paintings I need to photograph and post and I'm painting more every day (well, every day I don't have to go to my day job). I'm just trying to keep the momentum going this time.

"Make A Choice"

Cheers for Every Man

   I've been sketching before I go into work. It helps me relax before facing he chaos. I used to look at something and draw it when I did my sketches, then I started drawing cartoon-ish people and faces. My sketching has now morphed into what I call "Every Man". It's a face with only three lines to represent the eyes, nose, and mouth. A little curve on the side for an ear and I've got a finished face. I've been practicing putting emotions on them and I'm happy with what I'm doing. I can whip out a face in under a minute and move on to the next one. My book is filled with page after page of face after face, often with the barest suggestion of a body. I brought the Man over into my paintings recently. I had a box full of stretched canvases that were 4"x2", always too small for me to do anything to until now. I found some that were already coated in paint, waiting seemingly in vain for me to do something with them. After finding a black and a white paint pen my "Every Man" series was born. I posted three of them on my Etsy store ( link) and they were all sold in less than 24hrs. I've posted more in hopes of supplying art to my fans that can't afford a bigger piece. Whether I sell any more or not is beside the point. I just enjoy creating.

"EM1304"