A Work In Progress

My Mother

2012-01-18T08:44:00.001-05:00

I have not been anywhere near the steward to my blog, art and business as I have intended to be over the last few years. I can say thet I have been much better with stewarding the relationship between me and my mother over the last five years. For me the relationship I have had with my mother over the last five years has been the most unconflicted mutual relationship and experience of my life. "One True Thing", though not the same story as the book. If you feel you know some of me and a little of her, look at her memorial http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Martha-Siegrist&lc=6774&pid=155512001&mid=4959204&locale=en-US

I did enroll in a painting class, but have a demanding "part time" (ha) paid job (don't know if I can keep doing it -- know I don't want to) and my camera is malfunctioning. So this is all I can do here for now.

Thank you for stopping by. Angela

Hello 2012

2012-01-02T20:02:00.002-05:00

When I look at myself and my life in the past and future, I am constantly struck by the need to concentrate on gratitude/thankfulness. I am thankful for the people in my life that I love and I am thankful to be able to love art and critters so much and have both in my life . My number one goal for 2012 is to savor every moment the best I can, to constantly redirect myself to the present and what I am greatful for in every moment. (I can be such a worry wart and grudge holder -- often focusing on what I am scared of or resentful of --- this is not a good way to live.)

I am thankful for my family. Here is a follow-up to "The Way We Were" . My brothers came to the exhibit dressed as close to the picture as they could be (I did not have the slightest inkling they were doing this, though I was very happy they were planning on coming to the exhibit opening) and insisting we take a picture like the picture, LOL. I was so warmed by this experience. Here is a photo from the opening:

I am thankful that I am able to connect with people and finance my art through commissions. Here are a few commissions I had this year, that did not get posted to my blog.

I so much enjoyed taking a drawing class at Denison University this year. I felt totally absorbed in the drawing process and also feel I renewed confidence with drawing from life and various media within myself. Here is a little bit more of the 100 drawings project I mentioned in a previous post:

I did a 100 page flipbook which is on the stool on the right, but I would have to video it to have it make any sense.

I may post a few more drawings from class, in the future. Also, I am planning on taking a painting course from the same instuctor during winter semester.

I have already started a series of drawings looking out at my pasture from the back of my house and I will post one of these in a day or two (some troubles with my camera and must wait for sun).

I have a commission on my drawing board (which I can't post until it is gifted) and I am focusing on gratitude.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

A Lovely Anniversary Present and Drawing Class

2011-10-18T20:06:00.002-04:00

This Bear and Dove was a fun and very touching commission. A man contacted me about a present for his first wedding anniversary. His wife called him "Snuggley Bear" and he called her "Lovey Dovey". He wanted to know if I could do a bear hugging a dove. I did several sketches and after we collaborated on picking out the preferred features of the sketches, this was the result. It is 12x16, colored pencil on hardboard panel.
I think I mentioned that I am auditing a drawing class at Denison University this semester. At any rate, I am and it is really stimulating to be using other media -- conte crayon, charcoal, ink, markers and to be drawing from life. Though alot of my in class drawings are currently stored at the university and I have not yet taken any photos of them, I though I would share some homework. One of our assignments is to pick an object and incorporate it into 100 drawings. This wooden horse I have had for several years is the object I picked:

Here are drawings 5-11. I am using conte and it is on two sheets of 18x24 paper, so the final here is 24x36. I may add more to it later. As I said above, feeling very stimulated drawing from life (though it is still). His arm fell off while I was workig on this, so I have not included it for some of the drawings.

Two Works

2011-10-12T07:20:00.002-04:00

My piece, The Way We Were, Coshocton - 1972 did get into the Johnson Humrick House Museum Exhibit. The opening is October 22, 4-6 P.M. A convenient time for some of my family to be there and we can have dinner afterwards -- looking forward to a good time! I did change the year in the title from 1971 to 1972 -- I thought about it some more and that is the year it was.

Here is a portrait of Riley, a clipped and wet Portuguese Water Dog, that I finished last month. It was a surprise gift and was well received. I enjoyed the challenge of the water as something new in this one.

I am having fun but also kept busy with a drawing class I am auditing. I am working more from life and using other media -- I am enjoying it very much. I keep alot of my work at the university, but will try to snap some photos for the blog. Also, I will be posting some other commissions soon,also. After a disappointing Christmas season last year, I have had steady stream of commissions starting in June of this year. YEAH!

Thanks for stopping by.

The Way We Were, Coshocton, 1971, still a Work in Progress

2011-08-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

I have been putting hours and hours into this one. Deadline Sept. 1, (see previous post) if that isn't a post mark date, I will drive the CD there. At any rate I started with the faces, and felt they were fair enough that I could go on. Now finishing the faces is all I have left and it is getting out of wack some. Hope I get a grip and finish this with some satisfaction. It is 16x20, colored pencil on panel. In case you haven't guessed, I am on the far right and the other two hip characters are my two younger brothers. As well as faces, which I am close to overdoing now, I wasn't sure about the car or blending in the background the way I wanted, but I am fairly pleased with both of those two issues at this point. That car was my beloved first, a 58 Chevy that I worked and paid for myself.

Two Portraits Finished and a WIP

2011-08-24T10:56:00.001-04:00

Here's Sassy's portrait finished. It was delivered a few weeks ago and Sassy's mom and dad were happy. I got to meet this beautiful kitty, on this rug also! She is a sweetheart! 8x10 colored pencil on panel

Here is a portrait of Bungy. Bungy has also been delivered, but he was to be a present to the owner. The client was quite pleased and I am still waiting to hear how this present was received. 5x7 colored pencil on panel

My home town, Coshocton, Ohio, is celebrating it's bicentenial.
There are many events happening in relation to this. One event is a juried exhibit at the Humrick-Johnson Museum, deadline September 1. The exhibit is titled "Inspired by Coshocton" and is open to artists with a connection by work or residence to Coshocton. The subject matter is open. I have taken lots of photos when visiting my mom in trying to come up with a composition or two to enter. In the end I have been working on a family snapshot. I have been working on this all month. Here is my first WIP photo, I will show more WIP photos this week. It is 16x20 and I am thinking about calling it "The Way We Were, Coshocton, 1971"

Hope you are enjoying your week! Thanks for stopping by!

Finished Dog Portrait and a Cat Portrait in Progress

2011-06-28T11:10:00.001-04:00

Here is a second portrait of Allie completed. It will be delivered some time this week. I enjoyed working on at at the Graniville Art Affair held a couple of weeks ago. It is a 912 in colored pencil.

Below are some work in progress shots of Sassy, a really gorgeous cat. The proud owners (or ownees, whichever the case maybe) commissioned this piece at the the Granville Art Affair. I started it yesterday and got this far. I am looking forward to working on her today. The size of this portrait is 8x10 inches.

And Now Something Different -Virtual Paintout

2011-05-22T19:13:00.003-04:00

I discoverd this blog, Virtual Paintout, about a month ago. Love it -- love seeing what people pick to do and how they interpret it!

There are animals to be found by traveling various localities, but when deciding to participate this month, I did not find any. So I picked this scene:

Hotel LaPeRouse, Nice, France

I started this in watercolor pencil -- an attempt to experiment, perhaps be looser and quicker, but alas, I ended up using alot of colored pencil and put in over 12 hours on this little 5x7. It scanned a little brigter in the red area than it actually is. I sure did enjoy this, but spent way more time than I planned.

Here is the Google Streetview link for this scene:

View Larger Map

A Month of Sundays - Two Commissions

2011-05-14T15:44:00.001-04:00

Well, it seems like a month of Sundays since I lasted posted. Thank you all of you who still checked in once in awhile. It is only in this past week that I have felt like I have had some time to myself for gathering my toughts and concentrating on art. Mainly other work and some family needs have kept me away so long.

Here are two commissions I just finished:

This is Allie, I used both of these photos to develop her portrait.

This is Casey, a German Shepherd mix.

Both portraits are 9x12, colored pencil on pastelbord.

Columbus Arts Festival Jury Experience

2011-02-09T15:41:00.002-05:00

GREAT OPPORTUNITY

I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend the jury proces for the Columbus (Ohio) Arts 50th Annual Festival. This festival is a national festival with a high ranking among arts festivals in the United States. It is celebrating its 50th annniversary. I have attednded, as a patron, at least 30 of these 50 over the last thirty-three years. This was the first year that there was an Emerging Artist category for artistist applicants.

Though I made the first round of jurying, I did not make it into the show during the second/final round of jurying. I am waitlisted number three out of eight accepted openings.

Getting in or not, it was an invaluable opportunity to be able to see the jury at work and to be able to get some one-to-one feedback from the jurors.

Personal Feedback

Though the jurors said they admired my drawing skills/talent -- they felt that some of the subject matter and style was not personal, interesting, unique or "expressive" (I add this word as I felt it was implied, if not exactly spoken) to make it stand out and be eligble for a fine arts show of this caliber. I was advised to draw more of what is in my everyday life instead of hawks or tigers -- overdone subjects, they felt. Above are my submissions, if I had not submitted "Ruby and Roscoe", the dogs, I would probably have been passed over in the first round -- this was the only work out of the above that the jury found compositionally interesting and personal. The jurors were very supportive that everyone in the room keep on working and keep on trying.

General Jurying Process and Concerns

The technical aspects of making a photo of the artist`s work and booth were very important and could eliminate an applicant in less than a second. Three-D objects in particular need to be up close, no white background with good contrast between the object and the background. Also, booth slides were often looked at for the similarity of the display and the work submitted. There were some concerns intermittently expressed about whether or not reproductions of work should be allowed if they were not shown in the booth slide.

The vast number of slides forced the jurors to work very rapidly. The average of their scores ranked the applicant in each category. Often there was little discusstion, just computerized scoring as the projections of the applicants works and booths rapidly passed by on large screens at the front of room. I did not see the scores, but the accepted applicants were shown to the jurors and audience at the conclusion of the jurying process.

Summary Thoughts

I need to think about what it is I want to say with my art. If I want to be part of a fine art venue, I may need to narrow my focus more. I am not sure where I will take this yet, I do know that I do not have the time yet for my art that I want. I would like to experiment more, but this does not always seem compatible with my needing to make some money and maintain the farm. At this point in my life, the goal is to make art more central to my life. Doing pet protraits and creating a body of fine art may be two divergent goals.

I did note that there was alot of animal related 2-D work, much of which was accepted into the show. There seemed to be more animal than people related work. This seems somewhat surprising and ironic to me. Nobody that had a wolf in their presentation was accepted -- the animal artists who were accepted mainly had dogs or farm animals. Also, perhaps not so much of a surprise, more paintings, than drawings seemed to be accepted. There were some preferences for larger 2-D work - over 36", it seemed to me, also.

My main problem at the moment is cultivating the time to regularly devote to my art, no matter what my goals or purpose for doing it are. I thought retiring from my day job would cure this problem, but after a few years, it has raised its head again. I see my future productive time as consisting of fewer and fewer years. I believe I need to seriously rearrange/priortize my life in some major ways to devote the time remaining to art in a more meaningful way. It remains to be seen whether or not I have the courage to change my life and my focus.

Columbus Arts Festival Jury

2011-02-05T18:11:00.000-05:00

I am excited about going to watch part of the jury process for the Columbus Arts Festival tomorrow. The jury actually met 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. today and will meet 9:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. tomorrow. I applied in the Emerging Artist category, open to all media, which will be juried tomorrow. All applicants were invited to attend the jurying process. In addition, the jurors will be giving artists in the Emerging Artist category advise as to how to improve their application presentation at the conclusion of the jurying tomorrow. I will write about my experience when I return home.

Tax preparation work as been in excess of 40 hours a week, alot different for me than it was last year. I have not had much time for myself -- art or writing here.

I have been thinking alot, however, about my art business goals for the year. My art business goals for this year will include talking with a consultant. I am planning to apply to some local outdoor art venues that set up regularly during the summer and fall, but only for five hours. My set-up is quite cumbersome for such a short time, I may get an Easy-Up for these short venues to make set-up a little easier. Other than the applying to the Columbus Arts Festival, I do not plan to expand my art festival applications this year. I am thinking I will spend less this year on outdoor shows by working on my local exposure and improving my set-up as I learn more at these local venues.

I also plan to really work on getting my brochures out to animal and art related locations. I plan to get many of my prints and advertising about commissions in my loacl art organization galleries.

This is not a complete list of my art or business goals, but some of my current plans for this coming year.

I have been toying with what word to come up with to focus on as an intention for the year -- and I think for this year it will be, "trust". For me that means trusting each step I take, though it may seem small as well as trusting myself to experiment more with my art media without looking for immediate quantifiable results.

A print of my work below, "Bath Five Cents" recently sold on Fine Art America.

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon, Angela

Hit the Ground Running in the New Year

2011-01-19T07:48:00.001-05:00

I have hit the ground since the new year started, but not necessarily running in the direction I would like to go. This is the morning of my third day off since starting tax preparation work on Monday the third. Was not this time consuming last year. I have been in a shock about it. But, for now, I am rolling with the punches and thinking about my art goals as I run along. I have made a list of the art festivals to which I want to apply and their deadlines. The Columbus Arts Festival is a really big one, I did apply in their Emerging Artist category, the jury is public and I am looking forward to attending on February 6.

I do plan to make a list of goals and a business plan for this year as well as picking a word for guiding my intentions this year. I know one of my goals will be to work with a consultant/advisor on the business of art. I do have someone in mind, but still mulling it over just a little bit. I will formally look at my goals from last year and see how I have done, but I do know that though I met some of them, the results were not what I had hoped for. I had hoped that going to more festivals, even if not lucrative in sales, would help with commissions, this was not the case. I do think that perhaps becoming a regular at some of these shows could help with that, but that is something I may be consulting about.

On this glorious day off, I am running to the big city to get the last three feral kitties spayed/neutered. They are five and half months already, must not have anymore. It will be a relief to release them tomorrow, hopefully healthy, as well as infertile.

I took a better picture of the red-tailed hawk portrait when preparing my images for art festival applications. So I decided to share it here.

Thank you for visiting and reading despite my long absence. I WILL be back soon.

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2010-12-24T20:25:00.003-05:00

Frankie, one of the several kittens born in the garage this year, a real sweetie!

Thank you all so much for reading this blog, I truly wish you happy holidays and a great new year. Angela

Tasha and Chiaroscuro

2010-12-18T09:53:00.004-05:00

I certainly enjoyed do this portrait -- loved working on the strong contrasts! I have lightened the dog's right eye more than was true to the darkness of the reference/lighting conditions. I am being urged by a related onlooker to do it more for the recipient's sake. It is a gift, I don't think I will, if the recipient does not appreciate it as is, I will offer to do another and keep this one.

This is only 5x7, but I sure did enjoy working on it. There are alot of colors in it, even if that is not apparent overall. Tasha does have a skin condition which leaves her thinned hair and hairless in places. I have only hinted at it in the portrait, but did lots of layers of colors to capture it.

The use of strong light and dark contrasts in art is referred to as chiaroscuro. If you would like to read more about chiaroscuro, you can click this link: chiaroscuro. I could not recall how to spell this term, but first went to the Wikepedia site to look at Rembrandt, hoping to find the term, and I did. I am surprised that Wikepedia says the Expressionists often used chiaroscuro, I always think of the Renniasance artists, when thinking of this term. Since the Expressionists are my favorite grouping of artists, I will have to look at this connection between chiaroscuro and the Expressionists more.

I am not sure wether or not I will do more to Lokie's portrait. After I do some more getting ready for Christmas tasks, I may do him over if there is time. I have to clean up some dust on Tasha's background, but I think I am calling her done, also. ( P.S. after posting and looking at this a little more, I may be modifying Tasha's nostril's just a little to make it a little more aligned.)

Though busy getting ready for company for Christmas and a second gathering the day after, I am enjoying every day of being home lately.

Have a great weekend, thanks for stopping by!

Two Dobes WIP -- Christmas Presents

2010-12-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

Here are Lokie and Tasha. Lokie is probably finished, but I will look him over while working on Tasha. I think something is a little off with Lokie, but I don't have good reference photos of him, but have met him several times. He had an expressionist quality for a while which I may experement more with. However, I am aiming for realism for the most part because I do not think the gift recipient will appreciat it otherwise. I am enjoying working on the sunlit qualities in Tasha's reference photo.

Lokie - Main Reference

Lokie - Nearly Finished Portrait

Tasha - Main Reference

Christmas Portraits Done & Good Links on Success

2010-12-12T13:49:00.000-05:00

Here are Daisy's, the Collie, and Izzy's, the Cat, portraits finished:

I am enjoying some time at home before starting a tax preparation job in January. I have finished this year's Christmas card, will share it the day before Christmas on the blog. I will be do a couble of small portraits as a family gift. I plan to enjoy beading a necklace for a gift. It is snowy here today and it is doubly nice being home with these two projects to work on.

I have been thinking about how to achieve better art business success. Moneywise, things seemed to go more backwards this year even with more action and effort. I wonder if my ladder is on the wrong wall sometimes. It could be just a step in the process of climbing. I just don't know. I have been reviewing seminars and consulting services -- getting some help is one of my goals for the coming year. I did really enjoy David Barney's post on this subject today. His post refers to two other posts on this subject, all of which are quite good.

Hope you are all having a warm, cozy and enjoyable day!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T12:14:00.001-05:00

Hope you are all enjoying your Thanksgiving holiday! As far as art has been going, aside from commissions, I have been doing alot more surfing, reading and imagining than doing lately. Somewhat enjoyable and stimulating, but also sometimes feeling bloated, like eating too much choclate candy at one sitting. Looking at 3-D as well as 2-D media -- may blog about that later. Feeling a need to do something looser and just for fun.

I have developed a want for more studio space, my basement is a wreck of storage, that has been bothering me anyway -- planning to really work on that this winter, but more motivated to have more space for art making (space to do other media without having to back up all my colored pencil stuff in order to have room), framing (have to use kitchen island now, with no room for storage of materials) and for storage and display. Not that I can't create without all this, but I am feeling motivated to move toward making it a reality for the longterm at this point.

I did buy myself some early Christmas present art books, two by Claudia Nice and one by Carla Sonheim.

Again hope you are having a great holiday, see you later! Angela

Christmas Commissions, Part 2

2010-11-16T19:32:00.000-05:00

Here is the Collie, Daisy, almost done. I am giving it a rest before deciding whether or not it is finished.

I went ahead and started the cat, Izzy. The owners say she is giving her "sweet look" so I am really working on that.

Both portraits are 8x10, colored pencil on panel.

Christmas Commissions

2010-11-08T13:22:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on some Christmas commissions. Here is one of them in progress.

I have a little ways to go yet. It is 8x10, colored pencil on pastelbord. I am enjoying working on it.

I also have a cat to do for the same family.

Thanks for stopping by!

Longhorn Update

2010-11-03T11:35:00.000-04:00

"Home on the Range"
18x24
colored pencil on panel

In between alot of yard work and cleaning the garage, I got to work on this some. I entered it in the The Artist's Magazine online all media competition which had a deadline of November 1st. Unfortunately it was getting dusky when I stopped to take a photograph of it on November first. I seem to have lost some color and contrast. I have darker contrastas and some reflected greens that don't show up. I also would like to do more to it now also. Debating what to do since I also want to get things professionally photographed yet this month in preparation for entering some of next year's art fairs. One deadline is this month. Hard to not touch it until the end of December.

I do have a two portrait commission for Christmas to work on as well as a this year's Christmas card, yet. I guess I could not work on it and leave it out of my near art fair applications --- decisions, decisions. Should have worked more on it so not up against the deadline for the competition.

Thanks for stopping by!

Back from Apple Butter Stirrin Festival

2010-10-19T11:35:00.001-04:00

Facing East

Facing West

Long Horn WIP

My Cosume & Booth

Well I am back, got back yesterday afternoon, played catch-up with some animal care and did not get my camera out of the vehicle until this morning for posting. I feel blessed to have had great weather at this festival. It had good attendance. I got alot of interest and promises for commissions. Did not sell well again though, about six greeting cards. Quite a few men and one lady who said they would buy the eagle or the hawk if they could afford it. The lady across from me selling dish towels with a cloth addition added onto them for draping over a kitchen drawer handle said she made the booth fees (about $100 depending on if your demonstrated or not) several times over.

There was only one other purely 2-D artist. She is on the a national circuit and said not to think it was my art, that things have not gone well for the last two years. She was very upset about people taking pictures of her art and then making her own prints. She posted signs to prevent this, but as they were being ignored, by the third day, she was posting that taking a picture of a work would result in the individual being charged the cost of that work. She was planning on calling the police if necessary. Any thoughts on this problem of people taking photos to make their own print?

I enjoyed getting some folk art animals in trade from another vendor for one of my prints. I gave one to my mom and kept the other for myself.

I have posted the only picture I have of myself to show my costume, I think my expression is lousy, though.

I got a little further on the longhorn than I have shown here by the end of the last day, but did not get a photo, will probably update on that later this week.
I would like to just keep working on that, but vowed to attend to some very badly needed clean-up work around the farm once the shows were done, so will be starting on that until maybe the weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Off to Festival Today, Hawk finished - Demo started

2010-10-14T09:19:00.001-04:00

I finished the hawk, this is not the best photo, but best I could do this morning before I frame it to take with me to the Roscoe Apple Butter Stirrin Festival. I am a little more behind than I had planned to be. I made a kitty rehoming run into the city yesterday that I did not plan. I have had so many no shows for people saying they were coming out to look at them, that I thought it was best to jump on it. I am fretting over him though and will be calling the new home later this morning to see how things are going. I have offered to take any back if not what they expected/having problems adjusting.

My set up is not until 4:00 P.M., but have a lot to do before then and plan to leave about 2:00 P.M. I wanted to work a little more on my demo that I started Tuesday, yesterday, but did not get the chance. I am supposed to post demo times scheduled four times a day for the three days of the festival. I like to do the experimental backgrounds I am starting to do with mineral spirits along with the colored pencil on my own -- I may not get that chance today with backing and organizing. Will be scary to do that kind of thing in front of people, might chicken out, will see. Anyway, here is the sketch of the demo. I had some photos of longhorns I took this summer. I spent hours sorting through them and messing with what composition to choose. My sketch is a little looser than some I do before transfer, but feel o.k. with that (except for adding the background, which I plan to ad lib a bit). It is 18x24, and as long as I don't mess it up, it will keep me busy the three days.

The set-up is until 8:00 P.M., but it will be dark by 7:30 -- so probably have to get up early tomorrow to finish up to be open by 9:30. The show runs 10 to 6 on Friday and Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday. The participants were asked to be ready by 9:30 though when tourist bus sometimes arrive. I still have to work on my early 1800's garb, do barn chores, and pack. Wish me luck and thanks for checking in! I will post pictures of the show when I return, Monday.

Finished Portraits and Kitty Delivery Service

2010-10-06T11:34:00.001-04:00

I emailed a copy of the finished portraits last night and they were approved. Keep in mind they are only 3.5 by 5.5 inches with custom requests in the compositions. This is a size I definitely have not done. I admire those even smaller ACEO artists all the more now.

Great Dane in Historic Home

Great Dane Puppy

I have been busy with tax prep classes and trying to find the seven kitties in the second litter homes. I did mange to get the mother caught and spayed. I have only found two of the kittens homes thus far, but I believe they are good homes and both have promised to update me. I have several other possiblilities with some no shows and not acceptable homes. I would like to be able to get my car in the garage before it snows. Was still doing that with the first litter, but put it outside when these seven began to waunder.

These Orange Tabby Males Are the Sweetest

One of the three Fuzzy Wuzzy Boys

Tortieshell Girl

Cute Tinie Girl found good home

I have a fair, The Apple Butter Stirr'n Festival next week. It will be only the second time I have put up my tent myself and the first time on concrete. I have opted for several "cheap" weight options, though still playing with that. I hope to get there right at set up time so as not to be crowded in my tent set up, do not think there are any voluteers at this one. I am supposed to be dressed somewhat to the period of 1803, have to work on that a little too. At least set up is the day before, no tear down will be another story. My mom nearby, so I will be staying with her. I hope to finish the Hawk and start a really good demo before then.

Art Fair Report, Hawk WIP, Commission

2010-09-20T13:44:00.001-04:00

A week has gone by since the Kent Art in the Park art festival. I had a death in my family and stopped in Coshocton on the way to the festival and then stayed with my mom on the way back.

Here is an image of my booth and an image of the crowds and other parts of the festival. It was a nice laid back place to be. Though cutting the light a bit and also leading to intermittent showers of acorns, being in the trees was quite peaceful. I enjoyed talking to many of the festival patrons. I drew nice crowds while drawing. Some other artists cautioned that demoing can lose customers -- that it is really important to talk with the customers. I never ignored them totally. However, I did draw less and talk more on the second day, it did not seem to make any difference on sales. Total sales was 5 greeting cards. I did expect better from such a big show. Most artists said their sales have been steadily declining the last two years. I do not regret the experience, but have done better at the other shows I have been in, thus far, saleswise. Ironic, in that I really thought this was going to be my best sales opportunity yet.

I am proud that I was able to attend, set up and take down my outdoor display on my own . I did get some volunteer help with it a few things, but know I could do it entirely on my own if I had to.

I enjoyed meeting some other artists. Have promises for commissions, which as usual, may or may not come through.

Below are the sketches for a commission I received at the Zanesville Y-Bridge Festival. The finished pieces will only br 3 1/4 by 5 and 1/4 inches. One dog is a full grown Great Dane and the other is a Great Dane puppy. I am relieved that the customer just approved proceeding after viewing the compositional sketches.

Here is my hawk portrait WIP at the conclusion of Kent Art in the Park.

I still have a little ways to go with it, but am generally pleased with it thus far.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

Abbey, Portrait 2, finished

2010-09-07T08:50:00.001-04:00

Once again time has gotten away with me. Here is the second Abbey portrait, finished. The client is pleased.

I do have another commission to do from the Zanesville fair. Two very small portraits, 3x6 inches, one with full body and background -- so once again I have my work cut out for me. I will not be working on these until after the art fair in Kent, Ohio, Art In the Park, I will be participating in this coming weekend. The set-up is on Friday and the fair is Saturday and Sunday. I lucked out with getting a hotel three miles away at $42 a night (EconoLodge), which is good because I am staying until Monday morning. The show will be having an artist's dinner after closing on Saturday, the first time I have experience such a perk! I went to undergraduate school at Kent State University, but have not been back there since. The art festival is in a park near the University.

I have posted a few things, and will post more, on the Prismacolor gallery website. I currently use mainly Prismacolor pencils. While browsing there, I saw an artist who uses colored pencils very expressively while portraying animals. Her name is Maria Spencer and I admire her style, a style very seldom seen with colored pencils.

I will be working on setting up my tent several times this week before going to the show. I worked on it yesterday, but must become much more efficient.

Feral/garage Kitties Update & WIP

2010-08-25T14:33:00.000-04:00

New Garage Kitties

Before I could get the mommy and her three kitties in for their spay/neuter appointment, mommy had SEVEN new kittens. Six of them can be seen in the photo above, the seventh is an orage tabby. Not a situation I am happy to be in, but I am determined to get the mommy in before this happens again. I do have her eating in the unsprung live trap, but as the little kitties are just starting to waunder, it could be difficult to catch her without trapping them. I will be working on it though. It is frightning to have only one chance to catch her, if the life trap springs and does not catch her, it is not likely that she will go in it again, they say.

Below are some photos of the first three, now about five months. All healthy after their spays and neuter. They are all tame now.

Growing Up Fast - 1 of Original 3

Wild one Now Loving

Only boy of the first three

Below is a work in progress of my redo of one of my commissioned portraits.

Hopefully this will remind the owner of his dog, Abbey. I got too caught up in doing what I thought he wanted instead of what I could do best on the first one, lesson learned.

Commissioned Portraits and Hawk WIP

2010-08-18T13:02:00.001-04:00

Above are the last two portraits I did for the seven portrait commission. Below is the red tailed hawk that I worked on at the art fair. The hawk is 24 by 18. I like it so far. I am nervous about getting started on the feathers, but looking forward to seeing if I can get it the way I want it also. I used mineral spirits to melt colored pencil on the background. I may modify the bacground some more after I start the feathers.

As I have a portrait commission to redo and a few nonart obligations to get out of the way, I may not get to work on it for a couple of more days. I try to do the things I don't want to do as much first and use the thing I want to do the most as a reward. This strategy of disciplining myself does not always work though because sometimes I procrastinate and thus lose time that I could have spent doing what I preferred to do anyway. I have gotten alot of chores out of the way recently, though, and may just have to reward myself a little anyway soon, even if all the have to's aren't completely done because I am getting that away from working on art withdrawal/crappy feeling.

Y-Bridge Art Fair Update

2010-08-15T13:58:00.006-04:00

My Booth & WIP

My Booth with People & My Neighbor

Packed

Painting the Fair

I had a great time. The crowds were alot better than last year. Though I enjoyed numerous positive comments, I did not sell as much as last year, though. I do have one commission request to follow up on right away. Many promises -- which do not always materialize. I did enjoy working on my demo, a close-up of a red tailed hawk. You can see it a little better if you double click the photo to enlarge it. It was sometimes too hot to work on it becuase my pencils would start melting, though!

I made friends with my neighbor, Shirley Lumbatis, an equine artist from Zanesville, whose horses you can see a bit of to the right of my booth. She had beautiful landscapes, also. Her work was mainly acrylic paintings, but it had th look of oil paintings. It was great to have her as a friend during the show and I will be looking her up for lunch soon.

There was a best presentation award of $500, but I did not get it, though most artists did not set up a complete booth like I did.

The overall quality of the art was great and fun to look at. I greatly admired the two artists who oil painted during the festival. In addition to scenes of the fair shown above, they did portraits of people on the spot.

When packing, I can currently fit everything but my tent side walls and top cover into my SUV. Did not need the whole tent for this fair, but I am thinking of adding a carrier on the hitch for these.

Since being back I have been way too busy with finishing my portrait commission, some tax and social work classes, as well as getting the feral kittens spayed and nuetered.

I delivered the last six portraits Saturday. I volunteered to redo one of them after the customer feltthat the body (one that was "made up") was not quite like his dog, though he felt the face was right on.

I'll post the last two portraits and my hawk WIP in my next two posts!

Thanks for stopping by!

Art Fair This Weekend

2010-08-06T09:48:00.001-04:00

I am off at about noon to the Y-Bridge Art Festival in Zanesville, Ohio. This is the second annual fair and last year's first fair was also my first art fair. I have quite a bit to do yet to get ready, so this will be short. Will post about it when I get back.

Have one more pet portrait to do in my series commission, a cat. Would have preferred to have finished it before this weekend, but will work double time on it Sunday when I am back.

Trouble with blogger? Pet Portraits WIP cont'd

2010-08-02T12:03:00.000-04:00

I have been working on this blog a little everyday. Getting instructions to change my security settings, etc. I can see my blog when I sign in, but all of my gadgets are still at the bottom, even though the design/layout feature says I have them on the side. I have been told tthis blog is not coming up properly when you try it access it. How is it working for you? If you are reading this and can let me know, I would appreciat it.

I am posting Hannah, completed, tho0ugh I may do a little last minute fussing at any time.

Trina WIP.

Hannah and Trina, thus far, are meeting my expectations of how I would like to render these dogs, more than the the earlier portrait. I did save the best reference photos for last, but I don't know if that is the total reason.

I am going to the Y-Bridge Art Festival this weekend. I would like to have all seven portraits done by Wednesday so I can look for a demo I would like to do and get ready. Of course, I will have to do these things even if I don't get the seventh portrait done before the show. It would just be nice to know I am ready to deliver them. The show and also several appointments the following week will be biting into my time quite a bit.

One of the things on my to do list next week is to take all the kitties in for neutering and spaying, I got some help from a feral cat organization with this and have an appointment. However, momma kittie just had, six I think, kittens on Friday.
OMG! I have tamed two of the three original kitties pretty well and still have hope for the third -- put everyone is saying it is near impossible to find cats/kittens homes around here these day.

Moor later. Please let me know how my blog is working for you if you can.

Hannah WIP and Wilds follow-up

2010-07-28T11:48:00.006-04:00

Here is the current WIP for Hannah, a choclate lab. There is a little more room at the top than I was able to scan. I should finish this one today.

I did take a break Sunday and Monday and went to the Wilds,a wildlife preserve, about 50 miles from where I live, menitioned in an earlier post. Below are some of the pictures I took. I have a few nice ones, but not as many as I would like. I will post some of the others in the future.

We went for an overnight -- was nice to get away from the routine, eat some good food and visit with a friend.

On the way to the Wilds, I took a not so long side trip to visit the Leslie Cope Gallery in Roseville, Ohio. A friend of mine has some of his originals and turned me on to his work. Sadly there is not much on the net or in the literature about him. I hope to go back to this gallery, which his widow runs sometime soon as I did not see it all with the time we had. His last painting in progress was on the easel in his studio there. He is know for his farm scenes and horses, primarily, though he also did coastal scenes and murals. He was a codesigner for McCoy pottery. Roseville and the surrounding towns were once a thriving pottery center. I do not know enough about him, but I hope to find out more in the future. He was quite prolific, I really like his animals, of course, and admire his passion. I do feel fortunate to be able to visist his studio and gallery.

Lastly, I not sure I like this new blog design, I was trying to correct where the gadges (about me, links, blogrool, etc.) show up. I can only view them at the bottom of the page now, but want them at the side. Where do they show up when you look at the page? I know how I am supposed to fix this in layout, but was not working for me, so I go sidetracked in design and ended up with this one for now.

Pet Portraits finished and WIP

2010-07-24T12:56:00.009-04:00

Here is Abbey finished. As I was struggling so much with making up poses, I have decided to take existing photos, though missing detail when enlarged and just make a few modifications. I have finished Cleo using the photo below. There is a tad more definition in the face than I could get with my scanner.

Here is a sketch of Hannah, whom I hope to work on today quite a bit. I think using these photos and a sitting pose helps to have a little more head area to work on, which I like.

Abbey, WIP 2

2010-07-19T08:24:00.003-04:00

This is as far as I got with Abbey, yesterday. I know it does not look like much, but it takes alot of layering to get that black fur. I may refine her nose and bridge of her nose more. I usually like to do the background at the same time, but since I scrapped the first one with alot of background time in it, I just concentrated on the dog first in this one. I will try to do the background the same as I did with Missey so that they are compatable. I did spend some time reviewing the reference photos for the other dogs, yesterday, also. Did alot of editing in my photo programs. And though they will be a little bigger than I orignally planned, I am going to use some existing reference photos more completely than I had originally planned to do the other three. I would prefer to do them a little larger than these first two and I just don't have the time to struggle with what I can't see. I am afraid that my previous sketches are just not detailed enough. I was getting hung up on trying to make the poses "more sophisticated" and all similiar in size.

Missy Portrait Finished, Abbey WIP

2010-07-18T13:26:00.007-04:00

Above is the photo of Missy and the finished 9x12, colored pencil portrait. Below is Abbey, WiP. This is the second one I have started with her. I did choose to do her next because I find blac dogs to be the most difficult, also, she has the least clear reference photos. The first one was a cross between a cartoon character and early American Folk Art (which I like, but did not want for her portrait!) I had a couple of photo sessions with another dog as well as new sketches before I started the second one. I am more pleased with it. Abbey is pictured far right below. I also am doing the left two dogs as well as a golden retriever.

The commission calls for dogs being posed in certain ways. All the pictures are going to hang in the same room, so I am thinking of doing the grass and sky pretty much the same for background, though I wish I could go simpler than that, I feel with these full body portraits it would not work out for me to try to do a monotone background. I am trying to balnce wich way the dogs are facing in accrordance with how many portraits there are, i.e. so many facing to the left and so many facing to the right. I like to do straight on of the head, but am going with the best reference shots for the most part.

Feeling at turns, frustrated, scared, happy, stupid, lucky. Time to get to work, I will post what I have gotten done early tomorrow morning.

Longhorns and Haflingers and Travel Dreams, Oh My

2010-07-08T11:03:00.009-04:00

These are some reference photos I took on my travels to deliver Cracker's portrait. I am not forgetting to take my camera as much now, like I used to, whenever I drive someplace. I will show you some more in future posts. Saw the babies in the Haflinger herd from the road, had a nice chat with owner after asking permission to come on the propertay to take some photos. I just stopped the car on the sider of the road and walked along a fence to take the longhorn photo.

A few weeks ago I saw this artist's blog with writings about the workshop she was conducting in France. I love her descriptions of the food they ate. I dream of taking a trip to France and eating and visiting the art muesems. I also dream about taking Rosetta Stone French lessons before I go (a big pile of pennies). This artist, Margaret Dyer is doing the workshop again next year. I am trying to save my pennies.

I am going with a friend to a nearby wildlife preserve for an overnight stay in the yurts that were recently opened for overnight stays there. The preserve is called The Wilds. It was built on reclaimed coal strip mine land (I remember the horrible devastation strip mining did all around where I grew up). While I was at The Wilds site, I saw that a wildlife artist, A.E. London, was doing a two day workshop at The Wilds (I would like to do that, too, but may opt to not get rid of more pennies after spending some to go on the overnight with my friend). Her promotional video, filmed at The Wilds, is great, check it out!

I am busy working on my future pet portrait sketches. I had one discouraging day -- thinking there was just too much to "make-up" and maybe I should not have taken this on, but with doubled effort, all is going well now.

Portrait of Cracker

2010-07-04T09:14:00.008-04:00

Here is the delivered portrait of Cracker. I had the black and white for the pose in this one and the snapshot for color. I did the portrait, called the client for next day delivery, decided it was horrible and spent most of the night and part of the next day redoing it. It is not as easy to see detail in the reference photos as I initially thought it was. Can you say pressure? I am very happy (and relieved) that he liked it very much. This dog was his wife's dog when she was a child, he is giving it to her today for her birthday -- I hope she likes it. I was exhausted the next day and did not move from the couch much. Since then I have caught up on housework and chores, as well as making a run to go out to dinner with my mom.

I will work daily, starting tomorrow on the rest of the portraits, they will be from snapshots, but the desired poses need to be fabricated. I will be doing alot of sketches first. I iniatilly did Cracker with an outdoor background, but abandoned that. The portraits will all be hanging in the same room, so need to think a bit about their compatibility also. The contract is for plain backgrounds. I am doing these on colorfix paper instead of the hardboard. That, as well as going back to a small size,12x9, have been challenging as well.

I am very happy to have such a huge commission during a fairly uncommitted month. These are all due before August 14. My next fair is

Auguast 7&8.

2010-07-04T09:14:00.003-04:00

2010-07-04T09:14:00.001-04:00

Sunny Bay finished

2010-06-28T11:01:00.006-04:00

I finished this piece Friday and entitled it "Sunny Bay". It is 16x20 in colored pencil. I took it and two other pieces, "Lean on Me" and "Land of the Free I, to an intake for a local juried exhibition on Saturday.

Also, on Saturday, I met with an individual who had picked up my card from one of the post offices where I had placed cards in conjunction with the release of Ellen DeGeneres helping shelter animals stamp release. He has ordered 7 (!) 9x12 pet portraits. He would like the first one before July 4th. I could use an order this size every month! I am supposed to call him Wednesday about the progress of the first one. Luckily, the first one has the best photo references. A couple of the others do not have the best references and will be quite difficult, I fear. I hope he is pleased with them all. Will ask him for permission to post WIP/finished pieces here when I speak with him on Wednesday. For now, I better get busy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Foal WIP 2 & 3

2010-06-23T09:42:00.004-04:00

Here are two more images showing the work in progress on the foal. I hope to get to work on it a few hours today and probably will bring it to a finished point or a point where I need to contemplate whether it is finished or not. I am enjoying working on the contrasts in the piece.

The weeds growing profusely around here are needing work is getting me down, don't get much done on these hot days.

I need to finish applications for shows yet this season. Then I am thinking of expanding my internet presensce on Facebook and perhaps Etsy or some similiar site and E-Bay. My "freedom" from nonart jobs is here (for the most part, except some need to take some classes here and there) for the next six months and I want to really start to make the most of it with some steady working time and perhaps some branching out in media.

Thanks for stopping by!

Foal WIP 1

2010-06-19T16:13:00.004-04:00

Here is the foal I was working on at the art fair. I had the outline on the board when I got to the fair and this is how far I got. The foal is going to be a bay, as it is in the reference photo. I am making the mother a flea bitten grey, though she is also bay in the reference photo. This piece is 16 by 20. I am attracted to the sunlit with contrasts quality of the mother's and foal's coats in the reference photo and am wanting the beauty of this piece to be involved with that. Will see how that turns out. I hope to have some time yet today to get several hours work done on this. Thanks for looking and thanks for dropping by!

After the Art Fair

2010-06-15T12:03:00.017-04:00

Here are some photos of the Granville Art Affair this past weekend. Given the constant threat of thunderstorms, attendance was decent. I had help putting up and taking down the tent. I will really need to practice to be able to put the tent up by myself in a decent amount of time. I did use tent stakes, dog tie 0utstakes with cambuckles (thanks Mona, so much for your helpful Squido lens regarding art fair essentials). My tent weathered a horrible storm Saturday night overnight when all the artist were in bed sleeping. Though I did not see the aftermath when I arrived Sunday morning, I was told that 12 of the 103 artists in attendance lost their tents. There were some not so well weighted tents, though I think many of them survived. This makes me very sad. I did survive intact, even leaving my art hanging overnight (security was very, very good). Thanks again, Mona, and thank you, Trimline/Flourish Canopy, Inc!

I only had a few print and card sales. Artists around me did better, but none seemed to be extremely thrilled with the sales as a whole. I got quite a few promises of commissions, as well as promises about recontacting me about the eagle as an original -- which could make all the difference if they come through. It is a newer show and I am sure it will grow with time.

There was a wine festival and polo along with art festival. You probably are not able to make out the polo in the distance in the shot above. The festival is the grounds of Bryn Du Mansion, now owned by the city of Granville, Ohio.

You can probably see the mansion in the distance in the photo above.
Also, though I did not feel my booth looked particularly unfull when I was there, I think it does look that way when I look at the photos and would look much better with alot more work.

I enjoyed talking with and getting to know the artists in two of the booths across from me. One of them, a jeweler, is just starting out this year, but she applied to alot of shows and was accepted, my hat is off to her in her how hard she has been working in her first year with applying, getting in and booth decoration. I got some helpful hints and venue leads to follow up on from her, too. The other booth across from me was being booth attended by the partner of the artist. When I saw the work in the booth, gothic/punk/fantasy style oil paintings, I imagined that the artist/booth attendant would consider me to be a "dabbling, medicore old lady". Well, the booth attender, Eddie, came over to vist me several times. He has done some colored pencil work and has his own artistic aspirations, he was quite encouraging and curious about my work. Given my initial thoughts especially, his interest and encouragement was quite uplifting and motivating to me. The warmth and motivation I got from Eddie's interest and encouragement is probably the most valuable thing I got from being at this show.

New Year's goals aside, I really have not worked as hard as I shoulda- coulda and in reflection, that ole "fear" probably has something to do with it. Living, learning and kicking myself in the butt -- "nothing ventured, nothing gained". You gotta work a whole lot harder, girl!!!!

I did get a lot of work done on my demo foal piece, I will post a WIP next time. Thanks for stopping by!

Art Fair This Weekend

2010-06-10T07:13:00.005-04:00

The above photo is of all three feral kittens that were born in the garage. Have not been able to tame them a whole lot. May catch them next week and if cannot find homes (have been calling rescues about Slim -- they are all full). Then maybe make them into barn kitties if everyone can get along. I have caged Slim, unfortunatley. He was beating up the longer time barn kitties and one of them was staying away for days. I am considering whether or not to make him a house kittie, though I had vowed not to have anymore house kitties. We will see.

My first art fair of the season is this weekend. Will be the first time I put up the whole tent. At least it is on grass and only about seven miles from home. Will be putting up the tent Friday night and then hanging the art before it starts on Saturday. It is running Saturday and Sunday. Thunderstorms are predicted! Wish me luck. I have been busy starting a foal demo piece and matting some more prints and packaging some greeting cards I have recently ordered.

I am looking forward to it, but with the last week of school this week and all, I could feel a less rushed with it. I calm myself by telling myself I am still evolving :).

I went to a two day how to do framing workshop not quite two hundred miles away last weekend. I enjoyed it alot more than I was expecting to do. Met some really nice people. I also got to stay at my brother's and have some great food and see a movie.

Lean on Me

2010-06-01T16:22:00.003-04:00

This piece, entitled "Lean On Me" is 16 x 20, colored pencil. Though, there are some things I would change -- as is often the case, it seems, I had a great absorbing time working on this one. I have entered it in the 11th Annual FMP Membership show on Ann Kullberg's site. I have ordered some prints and am looking forward to seeing how they look.

It is scorching hot and time is flying. Trying to decide what to start as a demo piece. Lots of things I could work on, but not all of them do I want to do as a demo.

Hope your week is going well. Thanks for stopping by!

Memorial Day - Remembering Veterans with Pride

2010-05-31T19:17:00.004-04:00

I took this after visitig my father's grave on Friday. He is buried in the veteran's section of the cementary. The picture doesn't convey the beauty of all the flags flapping in the breeze.

I am having a relatively relaxing day ordering business cards, brochures and prints for upcoming art fair. I cleaned the SUV yesterday -- it needed it, can't remember clearly the last time I cleaned it thorougly. Finished the horses so I could make prints, will post tomorrow.

Hope you all are enjoying the day. Thanks for stopping by!

That Sure is a Big Egg

2010-05-25T09:22:00.006-04:00

I currently have 5 Golden Comet hens, who are the most prolific egg layers I have ever had. They have layed one a day for a year now, right through the winter! Occasionaly there is even a giant double yoked one, like the big one pictured above. They are just medium sized chickens, yet all of their eggs would be classified as large.

One of the assignments in my Counseling Theories class is for students to watch an interview on television and analyze the interactions in accordance with various questions regarding the interaction. As I do not watch much day time television, these assignments have caught me up with some Oprah and Dr. Phil. As I was grading papers yesterday, I was struck by one about an Oprah interview with Charla Nash, a woman who lost most of her face, as well as her hands after being attacked by a friend's chimpanzee. Her optimism despite the loss of her eyesight, most of her hands and her mouth, as well as needing to cover her face due to people's reactions to her disfiguement is humbling, to say the least. I will think of her and her overwelming courage when I worry about the trivial problems in my life.

I will do another WIP of the horses in a day or two, let myself work on it on Saturday and will work on it tomorrow. I am making myself finish my school work, mow and go to the store (refrigerator finally fixed yesterday) before allowing myself to work on it. A summer of concentrating on art and art work, without the distraction of other "make money jobs" at least, is near!

WIP2 -- Where Does the Time Go?!?

2010-05-20T11:15:00.006-04:00

So sorry I have been MIA here at my blog. I honestly do not know where the time goes, so fast. When not preparing for my class, grading papers, mowing, teaching my class, cleaning, doing laundry, did I mention mowing, weeding the garden, cleaning stalls, oh yeah, did I say mowing -- I have drawn whenever possible, but I turn around and see I have not been blogging in over a week. So sorry.

I did send for and received, yesterday, the rest of my Trimline art fair tent. Now to find time to practice putting it up. I may be practicing at the show! My first show is rapidly coming up on June 12-13. It is near me in Granville, Ohio. Remember the poster contest? It's that show -- The Granville Art Affair. Have some prints to order and get ready, clean the SUV for packing, get more brochures and cards, finish the above piece and start a demo and then pack the SUV. My class ends that week. Oh yeah, I am working in a weekend course on framing before then too. Whew. Wish me luck in being ready without a nervous breakdown!

I am absorbed in working on this piece whenever I have a moment, some things about first horse are not to my liking, but moving on for now.

A New Project --WIP

2010-05-11T14:04:00.007-04:00

Well, it isn't Saturday, but I did get to start this on Monday and worked on it today some.

My refrigerator went out on Friday, spent Saturday cleaning it out, mopping up and then cleaning the great room in general. No repair person can come until Thursday A.M., it is only two and half years old, at least I have an extended warranty. Feels like camping out until then.

The above work is 16x20 colored pencil. I liked the poses of these horses so went for it. I usually like to work all over, put am afraid of smearing the foreground, so am working from the back forward on this one.

Kitties Come in the Spring

2010-05-06T10:46:00.004-04:00

A very wild female calico has been eating the food in the garage that is used to feed our two barn cats that Slim has been chasing out of the barn. In the last week or two, have gotten a gilimpse of the three surprises (not really -- could have laid money on it as soon as I realized she was a female) she has provided. Could only capture this one and the back of one other in a picture for today's post. There is this orange, the one with its back in the picture looks like a black tiger, but maybe with tan instead of white with the stripes and an orange and white one. Mommy growls alot when I try to talk to or look at the kiddies. Thinking about trapping them to find homes, but haven't taken action yet. Slim may have to go too, as he just is too mean to the other cats. Difficult decisions and tasks in this cat overpopulated world.

Started another picture, horses, this time, though planning another eagle, too. Still working on the preliminary drawing. Off to teach and be with mom until tomorrow. Hope to have a good art day on Saturday, will post WIP then.

Have a good rest of the week and a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

2010-04-29T06:59:00.003-04:00

Here is a final copy of the eagle. I have called it "Land of the Free 1" , colored pencil, 18x24. I am thinking of doing a series -- maybe other animals besides and eagle, though I think I will do another eagle or two. I delivered it to the gallery yesterday. The owner liked it and is going to contact the customer she thinks might be interested in it. Can't wait to hear!

I also delivered business cards and brochures to a local post office. Four or five local post offices will be distributing them along with the release of Ellen DeGeneres's new stamp. Lucky me -- hope I get some business from that!

Going to mom's town today to teach and will stay with her until tomorrow afternoon. I have several healthcare contacts to make on her behalf, but she seems to be improving daily! I will be making her a special dinner and I hope she is up to watching a movie. It was our habit to have dinner and watch a movie that I have rented when I stayed overnight with her, before she became ill.

I hope to have Saturday to work on art. I need to do school work on Sunday, but hope all stays calm enough for me to continue with art next week until I have to teach again.

Prayers Answered

2010-04-27T09:08:00.009-04:00

Here is a photo of my mom taken about a year ago. The two watercolors in the background are hers -- she did many pieces in the mid eighties, but unfortunately stopped. She did all of her pieces from life/memory. Her father and sister also did visual art, so I guess it is in the genes.

VERY LONG POST, FEEL FREE TO SKIP TO THE COLORED TEXT SUMMARY AT THE BOTTOM. I do not want to violate her privacy too much with this post, but I do want to tell you that the last three weeks have been quite a trip. My mom first became severely short of breath in mid- February. She had recently had several medication changes we both first thought one of her new medications was causing her shortness of breath. Many medication adjustments and a few medical tests later, she was diagnosed with emphasema according to her chest x-ray and symptoms. I encouraged her to purchase an oximeter (device y0u put on your finger to measure the oxygen saturation in your blood). Her O2 sats were consistently below 90 (90+=healthy); however, treatment was not recommended at that time. On April 5, I got a call from the assisted living facility in which she lives, that she was sent to the ER due shortness of breath and dropping O2 blood level (glad she bought the oximeter). Though the ER suspected congestive heart failure (CHF), her diagnosis was changed the next day to exacerbation of emphasema and toxicity to one of her heart medications. She was released from the hospital on April 7 on O2 back to her assisted living facility. I was there most of the rest of the week -- she slept most of the time, almost 23 hours a day. Though I expressed concern, it was thought by medical professionals that she was tired from her exacerbation. She was awake a littel more on April 12, but the emergency squad had to be called that night because her O2 saturation was dropping even with oxygen therapy. I spent the night in the ER with her -- a horrible devastating experience-- to see her struggle for breath and become blue unless the O2 was turned up. I went back to her apartment in the early hours of the morning and wailed with anguish over her condition. She spent the rest of the week in the hospital -- CHF was again ruled out as significant and by Wednesday the doctor at the hospital said her lungs were failing and wanted instructions regarding her end of life care. My brother and I met with the doctor the next day, presumably to discuss her pulmonary status -- by which time this doctor said she had vascular dementia and that that would do her in before her lungs. When we saw her that morning, she was alternatively staring and making strange faces, not responding to questions. We found out she was given an antipsychotic drug, Lord, knows why (something I am currently discussing with the hospital) and it had made her psychotic. The doctor was planning to release her to a nursing facility bed the next day. I had been trying to get her a lung specialist for the last two weeks, without success (I could write a few more pages about the "ifs, ands, buts of that). She had another breathing episode that afternoon, which kept her in the hospital another day, just enough for getting her transferred. I got her transferred to a larger tertiary care hospital the next day (not without a few more difficulties). She was admitted to a critcal care section of that hospital, she was found to have such high CO2 in her blood that it was felt she could die at anytime if she did not take Bipap breathing treatments. These treatments were tried but she resisted. She was found competent at that time to make this decision, though later, as the living will surragate (pull the plug person), I had to maintain her decision. She almost expired Saturday morning -- was comatose, but came out of it! She agreed to wear the Bipap for a little while since my brothers were on the way to the hospital. Several attempts were made to take her to ICU for intubation -- I had to resist these (not expected, not pleasant) as she did not want this. My brothers arrived and we all visited. She refused the Bipap after my one brother arrived. She was expected to die from the amount of CO2 in her blood. My brothers and I took turns holding a vigil until late Sunday morning. The medical team visited at this time an said they thought her health would improve markedly if she were treated aggressively for congestive heart failure. In order to do this and have her survive in the meantime, she needed to wear the Bipap for two hours a day for the next two to three days. She agreed to do this -- though later that afternoon and evening, I needed to talk with her quite abit to get her to follow through. I find out she thinks she no longer can live at the assisted living facility and thinks she is going blind (had hallucinations on the antipsychotic drug ). With hope for more quality in her life, she worked to use the Bipap. I spent each afternoon into the wee hours with her until Wednesday to encourage her the best I could to use the Bipap as much as she possibly could. She improved every day. She went back to her assisted living facility on Thursday, April 22. I have been with her off and on helping with laundry, grocery shopping and bills since then -- alot to catch up on after these last three weeks. She currently has O2, she hopes to get off that and is reticent to go out of her apartment because of it. The next hurdle, I think.

SUMMARY: I do not know why I have posted this blow by blow (though a few other strange things within it have been left out) -- perhaps for myself. Suffice to say I am very thankful to God and and the doctors who last treated her. I prayed for her recovery when it truly seemed there was no hope. I said goodbye to her when it appeared she was dying. It was wrenching to be the person to make decisions about her end of life care. Yet, now, we have the chance to still enjoy time together and I am so thankful. We have become "best buds", over the last three years especially, and I look forward to some more precious moments together. I am afraid for her outlook if she does not get off the O2, but if she does not, I do hope she can learn to enjoy the continued life it gives her. May you all have better trips through the healthcare system. Thank you all for reading and your support.

I was exhausted a bit myself until today and also had a bit of catch-up to do at home. I have finished the eagle and hope to get a good photo and varnish it today.

Temporarily out of Commission

2010-04-13T16:45:00.001-04:00

When I think about it, I really don't know if that phrase describes it. Just popping in to say that my mother has been very ill and that has kept me away from art and blogging and home most of the time this past week and into this one. Will be back just as soon as I can.

Eagle WIP 4

2010-04-08T10:19:00.004-04:00

On Monday I thought I would finish this and was hoping to get it to the gallery yet this week. However, my mother became ill and I was with her from Monday evening until last night. I am going back today to teach my class and will visit with her until tomorrow. Time marches on -- I am hoping I can maybe take it to the gallery Saturday, but need to varnish and take a good photo yet, and may not get those things done properly in time.

Thank you for all of the wonderful comments on this piece. I still need to work on the body feathers some more.

See you soon.

Eagle WIP 2 and 3

2010-04-04T12:55:00.006-04:00

Above was where I left off on the eagle on Wednesday after an afternoon of wonderful work. Below is where I left off yesterday, Saturday, after another afternoon of work. For the size, 18 x 24, it is going faster than I thought it would. I am looking forward to getting some more time in this afternoon. Hope to get a little more color in the shadows, definition in the feathers and brown into the body feathers while maintaining a glow to them.

Precious Bullie Babies Posted

2010-04-01T08:07:00.009-04:00

Precious Bullie Baby #1 - Grindle

Precious Bullie Baby #2 - Millie

Precious Bullie Baby #3 - Maude

I am posting the Precious Bullie Baby series as the Canine Art Guild's exhibit, "Dog Gonn-It" will go online today. The exhibit celebrates the Guild's fifth birthday. In honor of that, all entries into the exhibit are 5x5 inches in dimension. I am looking forward to seeing the show. Hope you have time to take a look.

The babies did not come out quite as colorful here as they are in real life-- some of the subtle colors do not shoq. Maybe I reduced them to much in photo editing, if that is the problem, sorry about that. I have decided to keep this series, but my commissions start at $55 for a 5x7.

I have not seen it yet, it is early in the morning, as I post this. I am off to teach my first class today. Will be visiting my mother and then home tomorrow. I finally got in some good time working on the eagle, after I put alot of time organizing and preparing for my class. If I had done art instead of teaching work, I would never have done the teaching work! I will post a WIP when I get back.

Thanks for stopping by!

Beautiful Horses

2010-03-25T11:15:00.013-04:00

Tuckered Out by Mona Majorowicz

Colton by Mona Majorowicz

I just got these two love prints of Mona Majorowicz's wonderful work framed. My picture taking skills do not do the images the glory they deserve, so please go to Wildfaces Gallery to see them more accurately. I do feel very lucky to own these prints. The prints in person are even more beautiful than the computer monitor views. I can only imagine, at this point what Mona's original work is like when viewing in person.

I framed them to match as much as possible, while still flattering each piece individually as much as possible. I hope you find them flattering, Mona.

I am way too busy preparing for a college course I am teaching spring quarter in the human services field. I do hope that I can get down the road a ways and then only devote a very limited amount of time weekly to the teaching leaving clear time to work on art. That plan and my anxiety about being fully prepared has kept me from working on my art ever since I completed the Precious Bullie Baby series.

Teaching is a process much like art -- ideally alot of thought goes into how to convey ideas in an interesting way which is effective in engaging the student/viewer. At this point in my life, I find it difficult to keep this thinking going simultanwously with teaching non art related things with my own art production. Like I said, I hope to get down the road a little more with the teaching creativity and then hopefully put it into a mental compartment which does not interfere with my ongoing art process.

I am sorry that I did not post any of the Precious Bulloie Baby completed work yet. I decided that it would not be fair to the exhibit to do that. I will do so as soon as the exhibit goes online on April 1st. The trio is being framed at the present time.

I am working other jobs right now in order to have extra cash to buy the rest of my art fair display. I am continuing to apply to art fairs for the summer and fall. So far I have heard from two. I am on a waitlist for one near Cincinati in May and am accepted into the Zanesville one I did last yer in August.

Raining too much here now, Hope you all are dry and happy! Thanks for stopping by!

BullDog Portraits Done and Delivered

2010-03-16T17:01:00.004-04:00

Above, Daisy admiring her portrait.

I got to work steadily for four days on the Precious Bullie Baby series for four days in a row. Nice long ten to twelve hour drawing time days! Longest art time I have had for awhile. I delivered them online yesterday. Overall, I am pleased and look forward to framing them. Ironically, the last one, which I was afraid I might be too tired for, turned out the best, in my opinion. Sorry, I will not be sharing them until the exhibit goes up online on April 1.

I am not getting hardly any hours doing taxes right now. However have to prep for a class I will be teaching in the human services field at a technical college starting in about two weeks. I hope I can get down the road with that some and then work on the eagle regularly. Need those pennies for the art festival tent. I have applied to three shows and have a few more to apply to yet this month.

Hope you are all enjoying this lovely spring weather! I hate the mud, but don't miss the snow for sure!

Precious Bullie Babies

2010-03-12T06:55:00.006-05:00

Here are some photos that I will be working from the next few days for the upcoming Canine Art Guild five year anniversary exhibition. I have always meant to do all of my precious bullie bablies and now is finally the time. I have been quite fortunate to have each of these precious bullie baby girls accompany me on my life journey at different times. They are in the order they appear here: Maude, Millie and Grindle. I last lived with Maude, then Millie and first of all, Grindle. I have always loved dogs, however, when I first saw an English Bulldog (just Bulldog, in AKC speak), at age 19, I fell in love. Now not everyone likes them, it seems to be a love or hate kind of thing. They can appear fierce, and when walking down a street with one of them some people coming the other way give a very wide birth or even cross the street! In actuality, they are the usually the sweetest, most lovable dogs you would ever want to know. They sometimes don't like other dogs, but if raised from a pup to be socialized to other dogs, even that is not a problem. I did once read that if not trained to be respectful of people, they can be like "a bowling ball with legs". I raised Millie from a pup, but got Maude and Grindle later in their lives. Only Grindle had a problem with other dogs, but not people.

They all let cats crawl all over them, kind of like the cartoon -- remember that one where the cat "makes bread" on the cartoon bulldog?

They can be quite expensive. I was fortunate to get Grindle from a veterinarian when I was in my early twenties for only $75. I looked hard and long to get Millie and Maude without giving an arm and leg, though I do advocate being aware of breeding, especially since this breed can be susceptile to several health problems.

I love each of them very much and am forever sad to not have them in my life any longer.

For the fifh year anniversary of the Canine Art Guild the exhibit requires that the entry be 5x5 inches and is for sale for an amount with only fives in it. I have cropped these photos to head only compositions for this exhibition. Hope to get all three done, but as the deadline is Monday, the 15th, I will at least have something done. I imagine at some point having all of my dogs this size and then framing them in one frame. May extend this project to cats and then horses.

Stay tuned for updates.

Eagle Work in Progress

2010-03-09T08:05:00.009-05:00

I have a nice groove on working on this eagle right now. It is 18x24 colored pencil on Ambersand Pastel board. I tried some mineral spirits on the background, never have done that before -- a little messier than I expected. Definitely could use some practice with that. It leaves more tooth to work over than using Neopastels I think. To get the feathers realistic yet interesting/expressive will be difficult for me I think. I am looking forward to working on it some more, but have to go to work the next two days. Here is a close up, it does not show the detail as well as I would like. There is alot more color in the eyes and the areas appearing black here than is coming through. Not sunny enough right now to get a good photo. Though it we have had some gloriously sunny, warmer days lately!

I am also hoping to work on some dog art for the Canine Art Guild's upcoming exhibit to celebrate five years in existence. The art work is to be five by five inches. Have not worked that small but have some ideas. It is due by 3/15 -- so need to work on that next.
See you all soon!

Latest Artwork

2010-03-02T12:20:00.010-05:00

Hi everyone, I got out a demo project I had worked on at the Swinging on a Leash pet/dog expo I showed at this fall and worked on it a little. The reference from Wet Canvas looks like a little pit bull puppy to me.

I don't consider him finished, but almost. He is done in colored pencil on 11 x 14 Ampersand pastelbord.

I have set it aside for a little while and started another project. I took some prints and one original to a local art gallery and picture framing shop. The owner said that she would be interested in having a large work involving a bald eagle for display. So I started an 18" by 24" project involving a bald eagle. This is the preliminary sketch work in progress.

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Winter Down on the Farm

2010-02-18T13:57:00.011-05:00

Here I am, finally, feeling 99% healthy at last. After being sick, tending to some medical concerns with my mother and a little tax preparation work, I have at last cleaned up my studio and am going to work on my new year's goal of organizing my pencils according to lightfastness, or at least in a way that I can tell their lightfastness. Will be then having some fun putting in a new supply order, maybe trying some new brands to get certain colors more lightfast. I have several projects mulling in my mind, but not sure which I will tackle next.

Had more snow this week, but thankful to be getting around without incident and to keep having electric.

Here are a couple of shots of two of the three barn kitties, "Ashton" is the lighter grey, more angelic one in the fore ground and "Slim" is the darker grey, crabby Christmas card posing kitty.

Ashton likes to stand on his hind legs, especially when he wants attention.
Lastly, here is me imitating American Gothic. Don't I look lovely?
Take care and stay warm everybody!

ALOT of Snow Now

2010-02-09T13:56:00.007-05:00

Well it has been snowing and it is still snowing. Not really shocking compared to what people in the central plains, west and north experience routinely. Not even as much as the east coast has had this year so far. But it is alot more than we have had for a few years. We may have had this much at the end of winter last year, come to think of it, but it was gone in a few days. This will be around for awhile with the below freezing temperatures hanging on indefinitely. Poor horses, too hard to tunnel out to the pasture right now. Do let them exercise some in an indoor area that has been tunneled to, though, each evening. It is all doable for now, as long as the power stays on -- losing that really makes it miserable.

I have had one of the worst colds I can remember having in awhile. Missed work on Saturday -- feeling bad about that as a newbie to my job. Will be going tomorrow. Medicine would not touch my symptoms until the last day or two. Can barely do a barn chore here and there. Have caught up on my sleep and have made my applications to a few art fairs. House needs cleaned more than ever, but that will have to wait.

Got news on the poster contest, the winner. Dick Close, is the design director of Ionic Communications Group, a brand design firm in Cincinnati, Ohio. So though this compeition did not have very many entrants relative to alot of contests, it did have some pretty tough competitors. The press release for the competition says that 26 artists scattered from Granville to Los Angeles entered 36 pieces of art into the competition. Several design groups entered.

My Baby

2010-02-03T07:19:00.015-05:00

Here is a December photo of my baby, Daisy, a toy fox terrier. (That sawdust from the barn really builds up -- that's why I do art or clean the house - or not as you see here.) She came to me in October of 2007 as a cast off, having passed through at least four hands, the last two rather rapidly. I could not learn about her earlier history. She was a year and half old then.

7x5 Colored pencil on panel

I have enjoyed her. She likes to sleep under covers or whatever garment she can get under, next to me as often as possible. She is a lap dog when I am at the computer. In addition to being catlike affectionate, she has alot of spunk and likes to play as the top photo shows. I like her smallness for ease of transport. Since I spend alot of time with my mother in another city she was great to take along the first year I had her. My mom lives in an assisted living facility now, and many of the residents loved to have her visit. Unfortunately, Daisy is the jealous type and she became very protective of my mother, which did not work well after a while with facillity workers coming into the rooom. So Daisy's visits were terminated. She is protective when anyone approaches me now, too. A key perhaps to why she did not last in some of her earlier homes. I have consulted with a trainer, and of course, I am doing something to encourage her behavior. I will have some one-on-one sessions with her and a trainer when I can find the spare time and money to do this and maybe she can become a traveling dog again.

Winter Blahs

2010-01-29T07:58:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone. Had some warmer weather this weekend and at the beginning of the week. Makes the now one digit temperatures hard to take. We, here in central Ohio, are not terribly snowed in at this point, though.

When not working on my job I have been working lately on orgainzing my business records, website and renewing art related memberships, as far as New Year's goals go. I have learned alot about business taxes, which since small business are most likely to be audited, is in itself worth the time and money I have invested in learning about taxes this past year. I did see this new blog, ArtIsBroken.com, from reading Making a Mark. They offer a free reveiw of your current website and marketing efforts resulting in some marketing advice. I enlisted in the offer yesterday. Looking forward to the response.

Getting some angst about not doing any art this past week, will get on a good schedule with that soon, I know it.

Keep warm and cozy as much as you can! Thanks for stopping by and stop back soon!

Blue Eyes

2010-01-22T07:27:00.004-05:00

Here is one of the commissions I did for Christmas. The large dog is a German Shepherd-Huskie mix. Aren't those blue eyes intriguing! I used three different photos to make this composition of two dogs. It is 12x9 inches, colored pencil on Ampersand pastel board. I heard from the client that the gift was very well received. When asked how I could improve my services, the client replied only that I should keep doing my art because he considered me so talented. A very nice comment. Very rewarding experience all around -- the doing and the happiness of the customer! This customer (a couple who gave the commission as a present to their son and daughter-in-law) saw me a the art festival in Zanesville that I did this summer.

I have been going to work at my job this week -- in between has been taken up by trying to catch up on neglected house work and seeing my mom. So thus far I have not done great in the New Year on some of my goals. But I will follow Mona Majorowicz's example of having faith that putting my intentions out into the universe will help lead me in the right direction.

Hope you are all having a great New Year. Thanks for stopping by, Angela

Poster Finished and Delivered

2010-01-15T15:43:00.005-05:00

Here is a final version of the poster. You can see better if you enlarge it. I have several more shots I took and one of them might be better as this is effected by being tilted back a little. I will have to look at those later. Just picked one quickly to post. I delivered it this afternoon. Ran several errands and am posting before I go to the barn.

We are supposed to hear something by February 1. I am glad I did it. I do have some difficulties with painting in acrylic and the horse is not everything I envisioned, but I had to stop working on it in order to get it in on time. I had envisioned a old timie circus kind of thing, but chickened out on puting the lettering on the picture with the time I had. I think if I could have done that, it would look more like I envisioned. I think the finished picture has some of the qualities I was going after,though. I retouched the horse's eye in photo editing to match what I did on second thought with color pencil just before I ran out the door. It is noticiable and does not blend in as well as it done in the original in the enlarged version here.

Thanks for looking and thanks for you support, Mona!

Poster WIP, Loss of an Artist

2010-01-12T08:35:00.006-05:00

Here is my picture portion of my poster competition entry, thus far. It has lettering on the sides and bottom, but that is currently taped up and so I cropped that out for this WIP. I have a little ways to go yet, but did not get to work on it yesterday like I planned. Will not now have a chunk of time, now, until Thursday -- cutting it close, but doable for Friday hand delivery, I think. I tried to darken the sky a little and made a streaky too dark mess -- will be fixing. I have to work on the horse the most yet, saved it for last. Also, been having problems since I moved him when redoing my drawing to make the table stand out more -- made some mistakes that I did not discover until I started painting. So he has had some redos to try to fix him. Still need to adjust his color and add tack. I need to work on the green areas more, too.

Some of you may have all ready read about the death of Stephen Huneck, but in case you haven't, you may want to look at his art and read about his life. He did hand carved wooden sculptures and wood cut prints of dogs and was known as a dog folk art artist. He wrote some books which were on the New York times best seller list. He built a dog chapel that people from all over the world visted and left memorials to dogs in their lives who had passed on. I have enjoyed looking at his art and reading about his life as an artist. It is tragic and very sad that he is gone and could not rise above a time of dispair. My heart aches for his devoted wife.

Catching Up

2010-01-09T18:09:00.003-05:00

Pony at Winter Pasture, 9x12, oil pastel on grey Mi Tentes

Posting an old one of one of my POA ponies (Pony of the Americas) that fits the season. She looks alot like Buddy, my old man Appaloosa, but she has smaller spots and is a lot smaller, 12.1 hands, with a beaautifully refined head and large eye.

I have been working like mad on my poster, deadline this Friday. Interrupted with training for a job as a tax preparer and getting dressed up like an astronaut to go out about four times a day to do the barn chores. Has been in the teens or lower for several weeks, really tiring.

I will try to post a WIP of the poster on Monday -- my next day with a chunk of time at home. I do hope to get it finshed or 98% on that day as I will be getting a work schedule on Monday that will probably include some working next week, too.

Hope you are all well and warm. Thanks for stopping by!

Poster Mockup

2010-01-02T12:07:00.005-05:00

I am posting the pencil sketch (still not the big one - 18x24) and the color mockup I have done so far for the poster competition. The color mock up is done with Neocolor II's. I toyed with using them for the final piece, but I just have not had enough practice with them I think to do that. I think the final will be done in acrylics. Not that I have a great deal of experience with them either, but at least one can paint over them for corrections. The color mock up is smeared in many places due to too much experimentation. The table cloth in the foreground was more pleasing to me at some earlier point, but I was experimenting with the effects/juxapositions to the point of no return. I will be moving the plate on the table fully into the compostion. Straightning the tent a little more. And the figures, i.e. the father and child walking toward the tents, the woman walking a dog and the muscians, will be a little more prominent in the final/larger composition. I am trying to include representation of the following elements: wine and food, polo (the grounds are known for polo and there will be a polo match on the second day of the two day art festival), art and art festival, the manison grounds, children enjoying the festival, and musical entertainment. I am using a lot of white space, but hope tinting will help with some differentiation. I think the tents will show up better in the larger, non smeared final. I know it is alot of white elements, but hope in the end they work. I am almost embarrassed to post this, but this is what I am up to. Comments/suggestions are welcome. I am going to work on the large sketch today, maybe start painting tonight.

Off to the Races

2009-12-31T18:25:00.009-05:00

Here is my friend heading off to a barrel race event that will go from tonight through
Sunday. I wouldn't want to haul that rig or stay in it in this weather -- but more power to her and Best of Luck in the races.

Below is a before (prepainted panel to fit in a large mural image) and after mural panel I did (one of three for an ill fated horse related project -- another story) in which my friend and her mount, Raz were the inspiration.

I am currently in the design stages of a poster for a poster competition for a local art fair and wine festival. You can read about it here. I may post the preliminary drawing later tonight. I have an idea in my head, but really don't know if I can pull it off. I have done many sketches. Hope to have one finalized, if not enlarged, tonight. I have the next three days to work on it with not too many interruptions.

Accomplishments and Goals

2009-12-23T08:37:00.007-05:00

"Babe" 5x7 colored pencil on board, 2007, "Babe" has been one of my most successful pieces in that Babe's owner was very touched and has become a interested collector of my work.

As 2009 grows to a close I have been thinking of my art and art business accomplishments over the past year as well as where to aim in the next year. Though I have made several handwritten scribblings on these topics over the last several weeks, as I sit here, I have not formalized/finalized anything, so will attempt to do that now.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Improvement in my Art:

As to accomplishments, one of the first goals of last year was to work larger in colored pencil. I entered a magazine cover competition, for that I did my first 18x24 piece. Throughout the remainder of the year I did several 12x16 and 11x14. I did one 16x20 and liked that size very much.

I wanted to prepare my own hard board supports and did. I also worked on velour at least twice.

I worked on doing more detailed backgrounds and worked on a more complex piece which included more landscape and buildings than animal subject matter (My Friend Chicken Farming). I explored using Neopastel II's.

Research colored pencil and lightfastness issues -- joined CPSA and got the lightfastness book.

Expand my Marketing

Early in 2008, I applied to a local art festival and was successful in being accepted. Organizing my work to participate in this festival, and future ones, was a major focus for me in 2009. I got one half of a trimline tent (display walls) and gallery covers for these walls. I have a portable table and a print rack now as part of my display. I framed all of my work. I develped sources of giclee printing, greeting card printing, precut mats and bags. I got a guest book and started a mailing list. I have the essentials (for example, tools, signage for the work, rain gear for myself and the display, change) for displaying my work for festivals packed and ready. I was able to organize myself to demonstrate doing my work at the festaval.

I developed a relationship with a store in a tourist destination and displyed there. I also displayed at a local pet expo event.

I distributed my brochures and cards for commisssion work at at least twelve venues.

I wrote to everyone on my mailing list at least once.

Organization:

I organized my mailing list.

I organized some expenses and receipts and claimed them on my taxes.

I got proper licenses and collected and paid sales tax.

Solicit Feedback and Develop Exposure

I wanted to enter some national competitions -- I entered the Art Show at the Dog Show, the LSU Veterinary Medicine Annual Animal Art Show and recently the Colored Pencil Society of America "Explore This" art exhibit. I was not successful in being acceped in the first two last year, will not find out about "Explore This" until January of 2010. I was accepted for a second time in a a local exhibit and won a first place prize in an animal art exhibit held in an art supply store in Columbus, the state's captial city.

I started my blog and joined the Art with a Bark blog.

I maintained my website and memberships in the Equine and Canine Art Guilds. I joined my local arts organization.

Commissions and Productivity

All of my commissions this past year came from marketing efforts above, whereas the previous year, word of mouth by family and friends was more a factor.

I worked regularly in the studio during the spring, summer and fall. I prepared twelve pieces of new work for the art festival, completed four commissions and three additional pieces.

Participated in Scribble Talk, Wet Canvas and Pet Portrait and Wildlife Art Forums.

GOALS FOR 2010

Improve My Art

Organize my pencils by lightfastness -- get some other brands to add to the lightfastness range and to try out.

Take at least one workshop.

Get Claudia Nice's book on animal work pen and ink and water media and try some animal work in this media.

Try some expressive work in oil pastel/Neopastel II.

Try some water soluable oil painting.

Expand My Marketing

Add the rest of the tent along with some weights to my outdoor display. Improve packing (air float or similar bags) and framing.

Apply to at least six, ideally ten, local art festivals.

Display in person at a minimum of six venues: festivals, storefronts, pet expos, horse or dog shows. Develop a regular presence at at least one monthly art display event, i.e. final Friday in Newark, first Friday in Zanesville or Coshocton.

Place work regularly in the local arts organization shop and local frame and art gallery. Expand to a Columbus gallery (two possibilities for application) and a Zanesville gallery.

Get in the local art organizations annual publication.

Get brochures in more veterinary and animal related locations as well as frame shops in local towns and Columbus.

Get and read Art Licensing 101, consider a licensing course.

Solict Feedback and Develop Exposure:

Keep up my memberships: CPSA, Equine and Canine Art Guilds, and local Arts Organization. Maybe join Zanesville or Columbus affilated arts organization.

Post at least once a week to ScribbleTalk, Wet Canvas and Pet Portrait and Wildlife Forums. Post on the blogs I follow at least once a week. Post on my blog at least twice a week.

Enter poster contest for local art festival (January 13 deadline).

Enter Art at the Dog Show, LSU Veterinary Medicine Annual Animal Art Show and CPSA exhibits. Enter local show at Bryn Du.

Organization:

Organize inventory method business records. Develop for accurate filing and recording of all purchase receipts and utilize them as purchases are made.

Do not miss an opportunity to add to your mailing list.

Commissions and Productivity

Schedule doing art sessions at least three times a week if working a traditional job and no less than five times a week if not doing a traditional job.

Be working on demos at all in person venues.

EPILOGUE:

I am proud of some of my accomplishments over the past year. I do let myself be diverted by traditional job participation and household chores, however, and, thus, I do not believe I am yet giving 100% to my art or art business. I think I have far, far less business success than I hope for as a result.

I lost all of last winter to working as an instructor in non art related courses. I lost part of the fall to taking courses on being a tax preparer. I will find out soon whether or not I will be working fulltime during the tax season and also will be teaching one course in the spring, but at least have the book early, and am teaching one instead of two. So I do plan to be better at giving myself an art schedule and sticking to it. I am rationalizing that this year I will use all of my earnings to improve my display. Somehow other work seems to take more out of me than I expect it to beforehand, though.

The bottom line is that even though I have a secure income from a pension and investments, I still fear taking a risk when it comes to money and the business of art -- something which I have struggled with most of my life. I very much would like to earn the additional money I still need in my life through art. I love working on art more than anything else. I find much personal satisfaction and sense of purpose in doing commissions, also. This is the ultimate goal with which I find myself still sitting on the fence in 2010.

Dressed for Christmas

2009-12-10T10:00:00.003-05:00

Here is this year's Christmas card. It is a portrait of the latest barn kitty to find his way to the farm. He is a little grey spitfire. I thought he was a half grown kitten, but he has only gotten a little plumper with time -- so he is a little cat. He was named "Slim Pickens" because he was so skinny when he arrived. Though he is a little cat, he unfortunately chases the bigger barn cats out of the barn. He better be good at mousing! He likes to playfully chase the dogs and chickens. I will try to get some photos/videos of his antics to share. I made up his outfit--I think his portrait shows a slight bit of disdain for such un-cat-like duds. It is 5x7 on colored pencil on board.

The Christmas Season is fast approaching! Are you ready? I am getting there, slowly but surely.

Giving Thanks

2009-12-01T07:23:00.005-05:00

An 8x10 commission that was a Christmas present last year.

I hope you all had a Happy Turkey Day! I had a nice one with my family. I am most thankful for family and friends along with having my health! Though I worry about my finances -- I feel very fortunate in the big picture way -- I am not worried about losing my house and can currently meet my, as well as critters', every day needs without going into irreversible debt if I am careful.

The coming of the end of the year means I need to review what I have accomplished during the past year and formulate goals for next year. If I don't know where I am trying to go, it is not likely that I will get there. It is important to make art business goals that are specific and measurable. If you are an artist looking to grow your business, do you do this?

Pet Portrait Commissions

2009-11-20T08:24:00.003-05:00

Here is a commission portrait from last year around this time. He is a pitbull mix who was a Katrina rescue. His happy owners live in Florida. I am busy right now with a commission of two dogs, a MinPin and a German Sheperd/Huskie mix to be in one portrait. I do love doing commissions, though there is always a bit of anxiety about whether it is what the customer wants/will like.

There is still room in my schedule for a Christmas commission -- don't hesitate to contact me for a surprising and delightful gift for someone on your list!

Contemplating Winter Finished and Entered

2009-11-17T10:28:00.004-05:00

This piece was entered into "Explore This" 2010 as pictured above. In the eleventh hour I found that scotch tape worked really well for removing unwanted pigment. In restrospect I am not happy still with the foliage around his head. I was too married to giving him a symbolic halo. I will be waiting for the exhibition results, but am likely to change this part further. Any comments are welcome now.

My Friend Chicken Farming - Finished

2009-11-14T12:16:00.007-05:00

Here is the final version of My Friend Chicken Farming which I hope to enter in the Color Pencil Society of America Explore This Exhibition by tomorrow. I am hoping to finish Buddy's portrait by then also. Will be working on it the rest of today for sure.

I spent some time experimenting with whether I could comply with the entry requirements of preparing the photo of the work. Turns out that if I had not had to get a new computer I might not have been able to prepare the photo of this piece as required. The instructions talk about using Adobe Photoshop, I was about ready to give up when I saw that a free program to accomplish the required tasks, Paint.Net was available. Not only was I able to prepare the image as specified, but I now have a more powerful photo program at my disposale for free! It is amazing that this program was available for free! Check it out. It did take me awhile to figure out how to do what was needed, but after spending some time, I was able to do it. I am glad I spent the time early, because I would have been pulling my hair out if it was the deadline day. The instructions do require an entrant to enter all pieces at once, so I am waiting until tomorrow to hopefully enter them both.

New Computer - WIP 3

2009-11-12T11:11:00.011-05:00

Last Saturday my old computer finally died. I was not looking to get a new one just yet, but like TV used to be (maybe still is), -- can't live without it, it seems. It is taking me some time to get used to the new features and to the loss of some programs that I no longer have because they are incompatible with Windows 7. At least the timing of the need for a new computer has allowed me to skip Windows Vista. Also, quite luckily, I have been able to save most of my documents and photos. I have lost some in the previous crashes of my old computer. I am hoping I don't have to mess with this one for quite awhile!

Here is the latest WIP for this portrait of Buddy that is awaiting the name of "Contemplating Winter" or "Indian Summer". I have cropped it, the flank area was too close to the edge (I know better, but plunged on for awhile) and thus not working in the compositition. I have a ways to go on the background. I hope to tie in the yellow foliage better but still leave it as a symbolic halo for Saint Buddy. This is a quick shot from my drawing board, so the details and colors are not as clear as they could be with better lighting and a tripod. Getting a good photo for exhibition entry/documenting will be the next challenge. The deadline for the exhibition is November 15 -- I don't know whether I will make it or not. I will be working furiously the next few days to try to, though.

Thank you, very much, Donna B and Erik, for becoming followers of this blog. I am looking forward to taking some time really soon to visit your sites and learn a little about you.

Buddy, WIP 2

2009-11-06T07:56:00.004-05:00

Here is an update after many more hours Tuesday and yesterday. I am going to work some more on him this morning. The deadline for the exhibition entry is next Sunday -- and between this afternoon and then, there are several things scheduled for me -- I need to see if I can streamline any of the chores and duties that will distract me. I also have to finish My Friend Chicken Farming, or something similiar for the title, for the exhibit. It does not have far to go, though, I think. The exhibition is a juried online exhibition with the Colored Pencil Society of America. The exhibition is called "Explore This". It must have some other media or a support which would make it ineligible for the annual international exhibition also sponsored by the Colored Pencil Society of America. The "Explore This" exhibition is in its sixth year.

Election Day, 2009

2009-11-03T08:29:00.007-05:00

Here is a work in progess of Buddy that I mentioned in my last post, you can click on the image above to see a closer up version. I am working on velour board, 11x22. I am very inspired by the photo I took of him and my feelings looking at him a couple of weeks ago. There will be fall foliage in the background. The wind is blowing his mane and he has a heavy winter coat coming in. His gaze will probably appear inward. I worry about how he will do this winter -- he has had so many health problems this past year. The whooly worms and the horses coats seem to be forecasting a fierce winter. I think about the title as "Contemplating Winter". Maybe more me than him? I could call it "Indian Summer" as it was one of the last days the fall foliage had not fallen due to rain. It was breezy and balmy. The horses were having a great day.

The velour is giving me fits, and though it takes many layers, I still have to be careful to not over saturate it, as their is no taking off the colored pencil or pastel once it is laid on. I do have a vision for this piece, though. and will struggle on with it. It is a good week for working on art for me. Should have most of today, Thursday and part of Friday to work.

I cannot accept any constructive comments at this time as I am planning on entering it in an exhibition. The rules state "no collaborations". I have come to learn from reading on the net that means no online suggestions.

Thanks for Looking!!! To be Continued......

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-30T14:38:00.007-04:00

Happy Halloween Everybody! The above photo was taken at a festival in southern Ohio that my friend and I wend to when I spent some time with her a couple of weeks ago.

Sorry I haven't posted this week until now, sometimes I really don't know where the time goes. I have been trying to get some art in when not doing things for my new job -- I know I have mentioned it before, rather mysteriously, but right now it involves taking classes for a "maybe" job involving, can you believe it, taxes. Nuff said about that for now. At any rate I was working on a drawing this week. I had originally planned to start doing a Christmas card this week. The one I have in my head involves a newer barn cat we have. However, the day I took some reference photos, his did not turn out -- I did get one of my beloved Buddy, that I started working from -- not Christmas card related. The preliminary drawing has taken me quite awhile -- first off I got a head on him that I was quite pleased with, but it was a tad too small -- it has taken me forever to get another preliminary drawing that I am pleased with. I decided to do it on a piece of black Hahnemuhle Velour board that I sent for quite awhile ago. After seeing Mona Majorowicz's work in progress on suede, I said to myself now is the time to get that board out and try it. I had used Hahnemuhle velour paper for the tiger below and enjoyed it. However, since there is no possiblility of erasing, the preliminary drawing must be near perfect. I have barely started to lay in the color -- is seeming quite "sticky". That is the pencil is not going on very smoothly like I remember with the paper. I have tried a little pastel also since I have always been curious about how it feels on velour or suede, since so many artists do gorgeous animals with pastel on suede/velour. It also seems to not glide/go on easily. I am doing an irregular size (I usually do standard sizes) which I cut from the board making it 11x22 inches. Sorry, I am not ready for a WIP -- need to charge up the camera for one thing and also it is not going easily. I am thinking of maybe entering this in the CSPA Explore This competition also. I will tell you more about that in my next post.

Have a Great Weekend and a Happy Halloween.

Catch-up "Swinging on a Leash" expo

2009-10-22T14:00:00.005-04:00

I am delayed in posting. I did this pet expo and then felt ill Monday and Tuesday. I feel better today. Here is a photo of my booth with some expo participants. Also below is a WIP of a puppy I demoed there.

It was not as well attended as I would hope. But these things do have a way of growing sometimes.

I am going to work on my chicken farming piece today, it is almost finished. I hope to start something else. I have an idea for a Christmas card and took some photos earlier today in prep for it. I may start something else, though, as none of the pix were what I was hoping for and may have to take another batch.

Though it was very cold and rainy last week, it has been sunny and gorgeous this week. This is the last week for the Quarter Horse Congress, held in Columbus, about thirty-five miles from where I live. I am planning to go this weekend. I will take my camera, though I have found it difficult to get really good pictures in the past.

My Friend Chicken Farming -- 3rd WIP

2009-10-14T07:23:00.003-04:00

Here is what I was able to do on Sunday. I am having some difficulty on deciding how to develop the light pattern as it is a bit diffuse in the photo. I have a little ways to go yet. I may get to work on it some more on Thursday.

Besides probably visiting with my mother on the weekend, I am planning to participate in a local pet expo with my booth on Sunday. It is outside, so I will have to watch the weather, though. I will not have cover. I hope to continue a demo piece of a puppy which I started when I displayed in Roscoe.

My Friend Chicken Farming Continued

2009-10-09T12:12:00.004-04:00

Here is what I was able to do on Thursday. I forgot I had to be an exhibition volunteer, so was only able to get in a couple of hours. Usually I like to try to work the image as a whole. However, since I am not used to doing buildings or people in CP, I found myself concentrating on the buildings this session. I also moved the chicken closest to the viewer up a little so she won't be standing on the edge or frame. I may work with her some more before really work on completing the chickens or driveway.

I am thinking of maybe entering this in the CPSA "Explore This", so, I can't accept any critiques.

Running a few hundred miles now to see my friend. Do hope to get to work on this some more on Sunday. Catch up with you all next week!

Helping Paws Online Exhibit

2009-10-06T07:36:00.007-04:00

The Canine Art Guild's Helping Paws 2009 Art Exhibit is now online here. I have three pieces in the exhibit, including True Blue, shown here.

The artists are all donating a portion of any of their show sales to an animal related service/rescue organization as specified with each piece.

I have designated FOTAS, "Friends of the Animal Shelter", in Coshocton, Ohio as the organization to which I am donating a portion of any sales from this show.

My Friend Chicken Farming -- WIP

2009-10-05T06:59:00.008-04:00

Here is a photograph of a friend of mine who used to love her chickens. I decided to do a piece based on this photo. The buildings and background in southern Ohio are really interesting, don't you think.

Here is my work in progress. It is 8x10 on cradled hardboard primed with gesso and then green colorfix primer. There is just a tad bit more of the composition to the right than what shows in this scan. I am using prismas only at this point. I started doing it in a higher key than the photo and then subdued it a little. I also decided to not do the blown over red roof in my composition. Though I do think it is interesting. It is really nice to be working after an unintended break. I have another busy week ahead -- hope to work on it some more at least on Thursday. I will get 5-20 minutes here and there before then-- but not my best way to work. I am actually scheduled to visit this friend this Friday and Saturday. Had company this past weekend, also, though was able to start this. I plan to really get structured with doing art after this week of medical follow-ups, part-time job responsibilities and visiting my friend. Whew.

Getting Lost In a Stream of Have To's

2009-09-29T08:32:00.012-04:00

Cold and blustery here the last couple of days. I have not been doing much art lately -- lost in a stream of partime job related activities, some fall (without the spring) cleaning, social obligationgs and helping my mother with some medical needs. I am taking my mom to an eye surgery tomorrow but hope to get to the opening of the Bryn Du Mansion Show in Granville tomorrow evening, though I need to drive back and forth a couple hundred miles to do so.

The Classical Art Forum on Wet Canvas had a project about the Fauves this month. I added my paintings. You can read some more about the Fauves here, if you would like.

I will have some time to myself this weekend -- will get out of the stream and into my studio then. I am starting to feel really depressed/crabby about not getting there.

Thanks for stopping by at my blog.

Artistic Style Part IV - Some Inspiring Realism

2009-09-25T07:53:00.014-04:00

"Cute White Kitten" 12x9 inches, colored pencil on colorfix, $135 unframed, $165 matted and framed with plexiglass.

Giclee Reproductions also Available. Contact me.

In thinking about why I am currently working realistically, I will say the primary reason is choosing to depict animals and very much enjoying the connection with others that comes from a pet portrait commission. I do not seek to be what I consider to be "photo-realistic". I am motivated to bring the animal to life within the best of my capabilities without going down to such a minute/detailed level. Though intrigued by colored pencil when coming back to art, I was at first relunctant to try it because it seemed to be too "meticulous". I feel I currently work somewhere between how a soft pastelist works and traditional colored pencil techniques with my work. I was also taught that an artist needs to be able to do realism before finding/looking for another voice. That is, one must build an ability in speaking one language before attempting to translate that language into another. Or an artist should have ability with the basic tools and concepts and what has gone before in order to develop further in other artistic ways.

I never was extremely fond of the "photo-realism" which (pre-computers) copied a photograph in a very large format by using the squares or pixels. I did look at this art with a type of fasination at times, however. I just find some of these methods too miopic -- I don't feel I could get in a "zone" using them so exhaustively. However I am wondering if some of the works I currently admire wouldn't be considered more "photorelaistic" than "realistic" in style? I would like to know your opinion regarding this question. Here are some links to some contemporary realistic animal art that gave me chills when I first gazed upon them: a horse portrait on Wet Canvas by Linda Jonsson of Sweden,

Pastel Goat by Nutty at the Pet Portrait and Wildlife Forum, Haflinger Portrait-"Nuss" by Sabine Lackner, also at the Pet Portrait and Wildlife Forum,

and last but, certainly not least, all of the work by Melanie Phillips.

I am currently intrigued with "the bringing to life" aspect of realism. It is an enthralling challenge for me to try to get it right. I am experimenting on developing facility with colored pencil techniques as I do this. I am most in the zone when using hand and eye coordination to develop the work as a whole. I think I am in one of those repitious circles of life by improving my work in the basics and going from there in whatever develops.

Artistic Style Part III -- Did you See O'Keeffe?

2009-09-23T08:42:00.006-04:00

A very interesting stallion in a colorful field - maybe a pintaloosa?

So did you get to see the Georgia O'Keeffe documentary on the Lifetime channel? What are your reactions? Mona Majorowicz had mentioned it in her blog, Fur In the Paint. I got to see it last night. I wish they had shown more of her paintings when they were showing her life in New Mexico. Otherwise, I loved getting to see a film about an artist. It drives home the dedication that a true artist has for her for work. She was such a free spirit. I greatly admire how she remained true to her self in her art and in her life. She really did pave a way for women to be more recognized in Fine Art.

I did look at a lot of her work and read about her in the 70's and 80's. Spent this morning earlier looking at information about her on the net. I like the Wikpedia write-up. And here is a less than flattering review of the film, I don't agree with it all, but it does give a little more detail about some facts of her life and I think it is from an unsual blog. I may visit this blog again for a little more reading about other women.

So if you have any remarks about the film or about your feelings about O'Keeffe's art and life, I would love to hear them in a comment here.

Artistic Style Part II

2009-09-18T08:04:00.013-04:00

"Woman Sleeping With A Cat", oil painting, 30x42

As promised here are some of my earlier works in a Fauvist vein. I have picked two works which I still have. Back in these days, I hate to say it, but the 70's, I surrounded myself with people who drew and painted. (Forgot to mention I started oil painting at age 2, LOL). We often drew/painted each other. We traded or gave each other many works. I actually sold a couple back then also. All of my Christmas presents were paintings in those days. I only painted from life or sketches from life. I think both of these works are definitely influenced by my admiration of Mattise. "Madeline", below, seems to be somewht influenced by "Portrait of Madame Matisse", which you can see at this link. and "Woman with a Hat", which you can see at this link.

"Madeline", oil painting, 24x28

Hope you are enjoying my trip down memory lane. I have another painting or two from memory lane which I may share.

Accepted Entries and A Prize

2009-09-15T08:06:00.008-04:00

Last week I mentioned that I was accepted into the Bryn Du Mansion, Granvile, Ohio, "Colors of Joy" Exhibition opening September 30, 2009. Today I am sharing the three images that were accepted. The one which has not yet appeared on this blog before today, is the image above, "Burning Bright" This is done in oil pastel on 9x12 Colorfix.

Also accepted was "Proud Heritage", 24 x 18 inch colored pencil on panel portrait of my Appaloosa horse, Buddy.

"I Am Looking at You", 14x11 inch colored pencil on panel, was also accepted. "I Am Looking at You" also just won first prize at the Animal Picture Show at the Ultrecht Supply Store located in the Short North gallery district of Columbus, Ohio.

Artistic Style - Part 1

2009-09-11T07:38:00.008-04:00

At the beginning of this month, Katherine Tyrrell on her blog Making a Mark, started a poll on style. She listed several categories with definitions -- always a debatable subject -- I think she covers this subject very well with brevity. I marked myself a realist, given the definitions.

I do wonder why I am currently in this category. My favorite group is "expressionist" or "fauve". For many years, I would say that my art fell in this category -- I will share some of those works in another post. I love the work of Vincent Van Gogh, (who technically is not listed as an expressionist -- but though he is listed as "post-impressionist" in most categorizations - his work has often been considered a precursor to expressionism) Matisse, and with animals in mind: Franz Marc (a representative, but certainly not exhaustive list of artists).

Though I am not currently producing work of this type, some contemporary animal artists who have produced work that I admire and consider to fall into this category are Amber Lowe (she has not been sharing her current work and I do hope she doesn't mind me making this reference to her past work - she knocked my socks of when I saw her work), Marion Rose, and some of the work of Mona Majorowicz. I love the use of color and expressive mark making that these works display.

I think my current selection of medium, colored pencil, has influenced my style somewhat. The majority of currently recognized colored pencil artists are realists. Also my desire to connect through doing commissions does not easily lend itself to a purely expressionist style.

I do not currently feel "capable" however of naturally (as opposed to forced) producing more expressionist work -- I think this has some sort of life history/psychological origins. I am currently reading about style to better understand how life events and personality effect style.

I do like to think that my work has a unique degree of colorfulness and has some indication of mark making (I do not seek to smooth out all of the pencil lines). More recently, Katherine Tyrrell, posted about the Scottish Colorists. I was especially drawn to F C B Cadell from the group and his painting, "The Red Plate", the first in the series in the reference link. One of the reviewers stated that his work was fueled by his joy and optimism.

I think the communication emotionally of joy and optimism in all of these works is what I most admire and what I hopefully also do in my art, no matter how it is categorized.

Ruby and Roscoe Finished

2009-09-08T12:31:00.006-04:00

Here is the finished portrait of Ruby and Roscoe, which I delivered to my brother on Sunday. He and his wife were quite pleased, I am happy to say.

I enjoyed displaying and doing a demo in Roscoe village on Saturday -- there is supposed to be a blog post at some point on the Historic Roscoe Village site about me being there, I will provide a link if this materalizes. Crowds were reported to be low because of the Ohio State University football game that day. I did make some nice connections with shopkeepers and encouragement to return during the Apple Butter Festival in October. I also had several promises from viewers to be in touch about a commission.

Two of my pieces are currently appearing in an Animal Picture Show at the Ultrecht art supply store in Columbus.

Three of my pieces have been accepted at the Bryn Du Colors of Joy Art Show in Granville, Ohio. The opening is September 30, 2009.

Hope you all had a great weekend. I rested some yesterday. I plan to write a post about style later this week.

Finished Cat Portrait and Weekend Gig

2009-09-04T16:24:00.005-04:00

Besides fluffing up the outline like Mona suggested, I reworked this portrait's nose, mouth and eyes. I am happier with it now than I was before. I am delivering it to the client tomorrow.

From the Y-Bridge Art Festival, I was contacted by a retailer in Rosecoe Village -- a restored canal town next to where I grew up and still travel to visit my mother. The retailer is doing a food drive for the county animal shelter and invited me to show my work in front of her store as part of the drive. Roscoe is a touristy place and their is a T-Bird car show there and an Air Show nearby this weekend -- so hopefully there will be plenty of traffic. I got some feet for part of my indoor booth from Flourish Canopy Co. which enable me to set up a single panel which is what I will do along with the print rack and doing a demo.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Ruby and Roscoe WIP

2009-08-26T10:52:00.006-04:00

This is a portrait of two dogs, Ruby and Roscoe, that I started working on at the art festival. The WIP above right is where I was with it at the end last week. I would say that altogether it has about thirty solid hours into it. It measures 16 by 20 inches. Though a bit time consuming, I am really liking this size. My brother and sister in-law will be getting this as a surprise gift next week sometime. They have commissioned a couple of gifts for others, but not their own dogs. I took the photos I am using about a year ago. Ruby and R0scoe were both adopted as puppies from a rescue organization. Ruby is reported to be collie mix breed -- she is a medium-sized dog. Roscoe was also reported to be a collie mix, but my brother recently discovered a breed, Chinook, which he seems to greatly resemble. I have seen this breed dog, with which I was not previously familiar in two movies. in the last couple of years -- The Shooter and Cats and Dogs. He is a very large dog whom I find very beautiful. They are both quite attractive, actually. I am enjoying doing their large portrait.

I am a little under the weather -- developed a very painful infection in my mouth related to oral surgery last week -- an seeing the dentist this afternoon. Feel like I am losing alot of art time, as well as falling behind with housework and mowing once again. Hoping to feel better enough to resume work on all of these things tomorrow.

Cat Pet Portrait Progess

2009-08-21T14:53:00.005-04:00

This is the portrait, colored pencil on Ampersand pastel board, 7x5 inches, completed to this point. I am going to let it sit for awhile. I do not plan to deliver it for another week or two. Any thoughts/comments are welcome. I am going to move on to the two dogs I was working on at the art fair.

New Cat Commission and Feedback about Sanders

2009-08-20T10:58:00.007-04:00

These are the photos I am working from on my current cat commission. The bottom one is a full bodied view. The order is for a 5x7 inch size so I cropped the image to the view in the image appearing at the top. This will be a gift for the client's mother. This cat has also gone over the Rainbow bridge. He used to love to ride in the car, which I know some cats do -- though I have never had one that did. His right eye had a defect, but is reported to still be blue. I will include this in the portrait, but not as prominently as in the photo, after talking with the client. The client said he was silver point, but darkened with age -- I will also use this information to choose the colors for his portrait. He also was reported to often stick out his tongue like in this photo. The client wanted a pose of him with his tongue sticking out; so that also weighed heavily on which photo to choose for the portrait.

I thought about showing a work in progress, but the phone line was no good all of yesterday and part of this morning -- so I had no internet. I have gotten it about three fourths done now. So will hopefully post a finished version tomorrow -- at any rate I will post the progress to-date tomorrow. I had hoped to have a full working day today, but since I did two minor medical procedures this week (Mon and Wed) --wanted to get them them out of the way -- I am much more whipped today, after the second one yesterday afternoon, than I expected to be. Moving slow, having a hard time getting necessary/routine tasks done today. But still may get a few hours in on the portrait.

I was very happy this morning to read the comments I was e-mailed by the recipient of the Sanders portrait, which I posted about yesterday:

"Angela, thank you so much for the beautiful portrait of my beloved Sanders. When Bob gave the present to me and I opened it and saw Sanders, I was so shocked. Unbelievable!!!! I have his portrait hanging in my dining room. I feel like his eyes are watching me. You captured his eyes and everything about him which is unbelievable...It is just a beautiful piece of art, and, of course, my precious Sanders! Thank you so much for putting so much time and feeling into drawing his portrait!!!"

What more could an artist want?

Cat Pet Portrait Commission

2009-08-18T06:48:00.004-04:00

I finished this pet portrait of a cat a little while ago. I had not posted it here or to my website yet because it was a birthday gift and was not being given until this past Friday. Though I doubted it would be seen if I posted it, I wanted to error on the cautious side.

This is a portrait of a cat named Sanders who recently went over the Rainbow Bridge. My photo is just a tad blurry compared to the original. This commission was created as a composite of two photos. I got an email on Friday showing photos of the gift being opened. The recipient looked very touched. It is very touching to me that her boyfriend put the thought and effort he did into having this gift created. The commissioner was very happy when I delivered it to him. Which was a fun experience for me.

This portrait is 12 by 9 inches, colored pencil on colorfix paper.

I have another cat commission which I am happy to work on this week.

My website has details on how to commission a pet portrait.

Mentors and Guides #4

2009-08-13T06:48:00.015-04:00

Can you have a devoted patron and collector following and make a decent living from art living in the middle of nowhere - try Rolfe, Iowa -- using not oil paints but the more obscure media of oil pastel or water color pencils? On top of that make your art about animal images often presented in an expressive, colorful and spiritual way. Maybe you couldn't, but Mona Majorowicz can! (I didn't even add "and have a last name that is difficult to spell")

Follow the link to Wildfaces Gallery to see a multitiude of Mona's beautiful work. Her originals sell very quickly, but you can obtain a print online there, as well as an original, if you are lucky.

Mona not only makes uncontrived, unique artwork that emotionally touches the viewer, she does so with the same high standards that she puts into picture framing, supporting the giclee reproduction business her husband, Mike, manages, participating in beaucoup art fairs and creating illustrated articles for a horse magazine, Apples & Oats.

Read about her life and get down to earth advice on the business of art on her blog, Fur in the Paint. A post there that gives you a good introduction to Mona's success and attitude toward it is "All Good Things Come From Art Fairs, Part 2". Also, to understand the full of care and touching way with which she does all things, read "Customer Testimonial"

Mona has several squido lens that provide information on difficult to find information on subjects such as How to Frame Oil Pastels, Tips and Tools for working with Oil Pastel, About Watercolor Pencil, How to Make Handmade Paper, and Watercolor Pencil Technique.

I really cannot express in words the profound respect I have for Mona Majorowicz. I love her unique animal artwork and I find her to be an outstanding example of how work ethic leads to success in art. I am thankful for the personal friendship she has taken the time to show me. I hope the above photo of a Blue Ribbon Winner -- says some of what I am not adequately equipped to convey in words about Mona as an artist and as a person.

First Art Festival Report

2009-08-10T09:38:00.008-04:00

I'm back -- tired, not much richer, but very happy for the experience. Here are some photos -- one shot of some fun visitors and a few shots of the festival and my booth.

First of all, let me say that the festival organizers worked very hard -- the tents were provided, there were volunteers who were great with helping to load and unload, bottled water was plentiful and provided to artists for free. There was free coffee Friday night and Saturday morning. There were plentiful booth sitting volunteers on Friday (but could not find any on Saturday). The portable restrooms were the best I have ever seen (on a big spacious trailer) and wonderfully clean -- this may seem indelicate mentioning, but it was definitley something that made the experience much more comfortable than it might have been otherwise.

I found setting up the framework exhausting -- much more pressure and less space than the driveway added to this I think. Volunteers were very helpful with helping me hang my artwork and with tear down/load up. I am very glad I took a demo piece to work on, not only did it attract attention like was intended, but it really helped me enjoy those long hours more. I did enjoy meeting people -- all of whom were quite friendly and complimentary to my work. Children, mostly aged six to twelve, were really plentiful and quite interested in looking at the work and the prints -- often much more thoroughly and with more questions than the adults. I had not really anticipated this and found it delightful. Several artists were quite complimentary -- and this was very much appreciated. Some aspiring artists asked for advice, and this was also flattering, and I did realize I have learned alot over the last few years and felt gratified being able to be helpful.

Sales -- I paid for my Friday night motel -- that is better than nothing. I would certainly have liked to have done better, but like I said, it was better than nothing. I sold a couple of prints (one a child chose -- her mother made her look at all the vendors before she was allowed to have it, but she came back for it -- and that was great!) and five greeting cards. The guy selling handmade brooms, six to thirteen dollors, next to me did great. The guy behind me, who came from Buffalo, N.Y. (his daughter lived locally) sold some big ticket watercolors to some doctors (there are two regional hospitals located in this town). I heard him say this, I could not see him once my wall was up. Otherwise, I heard some artists stating that the majority of visitors were lookers and the economy kept people from buying. I really don't know, I could not leave my booth enough to really look at at other people's booths that much, let alone talk with them. I was able to talk to my neighbors -- the broomaker and a fabric artist, alot, though.

Businesswise, however, at least ten visitors expressed an extensive (versus more casual) interest in commissions -- I believe at least some of them may actually follow through. A lady who runs a touring company expressed an interest in me showing and demoing (and she would pay me!) at her regional dinner destinations -- something I never would have thought about. I find that quite exciting and will call her this week. Several people expressed an interest in learning more about colored pencils. I have been thinking about doing some workshops and this really makes me think about pursuing that sooner rather than later.

I wish I could do another festival or two sooner rather than later -- but without a complete tent and most deadlines past I do not think that is possible yet this year. I think I do need some grid like structures for ease of set up though for smaller venues. I may do some farmer markets and animal related venues yet this year, since I have inventory ready, but I think I need a less extensive set up for these. Dunno yet, maybe with more practice, that booth won't be quite so difficult.

There was a little rain, I packed up over night because of it. The guy next to me poked the tent roof with a broom handle in the morning and I got a flood on one wall, after I was set back up -- but salvaged everything o.k. The bugs (we were over water, remember) really gathered on those white walls. I had to work on getting them off in the A.M. and was also glad I packed up because of them, too. I also clamped up the bottom of the walls so they would not get wet. Overall, the weather was great, but I did get a little sense of how fragile one is in the great outdoors.

Well, that is my report. Summary: I am VERY tired, but VERY happy for the experience.

Dog Portrait and The Big Weekend

2009-08-07T06:51:00.012-04:00

This is the dog portrait I finished yesterday. The reference photo was by Daisytree, forum name, from the reference liabrary at the Wildlife and Pet Portait forum. I loved the dog's eyes. The dog seems to exude so much loyalty and faithfulness -- I am calling the portrait "True Blue". It is 10 x 8 inches, color pencil on Ampersand pastelboard. Daisytree did not say what kind of dog it was -- she took many photos at a dog show. It looks like a young Bernese Mountain dog to me, though. What kind do you think it is?

Well the big weekend has arrived -- my first art festival. I am about three-fourths packed. I need to finish packing, do the barn chores, get myself ready and GO! I am leaving about noon. The set up is 2:00 P.M., think I will have lunch and be on the dot, as the town is only about an hour from me. The festival is taking place in Zanesville, Ohio, on the Y-bridge. An artist colony was started in Zanesville several years ago. The Y-bridge was the first of it's kind, and is thus an historical landmark. Pilots once used it as a major navigational landmark, prior to instrument navigation being common. I will post photos when I get back. See you all when I get back!