And they say that lighting doesn't strike twice. Ha! It did!
As I wrote last week, I spent almost a week without a computer thanks to a problem with the hard-drive and power supply. I got it back mid-week and fried it on Saturday. (Or was it Friday? I don't know -- it's all a bit of a blur.)
I had gone to a website that suggested using the latest version of Internet Explorer, which I can't because I have an older computer. Usually this kind of warning only means something won't work or look pretty. Well, in this case, it froze up my browser to the point I had to physically turn the computer off as opposed to shutting it down properly. Then when I turned it back on, no Windows! Well, actually, it had Windows but kept asking for the key code, which if I entered would basically reformat my hard-drive. So, back to a computer store -- I went to a different one because Mike (the guy who fixed it the first time) was off until Tuesday or Wednesday and I didn't want to wait another week. Well, Ted checked everything out, saved some of my data, and reformatted my hard-drive.
So, I'm back to square one. I lost all my email addresses, most of my photos not on my website, and all the software I had installed. I've spent most of today trying to get my computer to talk nicely to the internet. So far, I can browse and get email. One tiny step at a time. Tomorrow, I may introduce my computer to either my scanner or maybe my website software. Such excitement, huh?
I know I really need to buy a new computer and I'll start looking for one. I also will start backing up everything. (That's the ironic part of this tale of woe -- I was going out that afternoon to buy writeable CDs to save my photos when I had the problem in the morning. 24 hours later and things would not have been lost.)
I'm exhausted! I suppose it's just the stress. Not only do I have to deal with computer issues, not being able to list auctions, and figuring out how to get hold of a couple of clients, but hubby's truck has developed a electrical problem and a transmission problem and Sammy (my cat) now has several more growths on his chest. I honestly feel like just going to bed and waking up sometime this summer!
Needless to say, I haven't done much artwork. I know I should be working on several things, but I can't. I'm too tired. Last time I tried doing stuff when I was this tired, I really messed things up. I know getting back to work and doing some art would help me, but it's hard to not feel like the world is falling in on me. Maybe tomorrow will be a brighter day?!
31 January 2007
25 January 2007
Back to Cyberland
Well, I'm finally back and my computer is now functioning.
As some of you know, last week I had the wonderful experience of burning up a hard-drive. This is the second one in 6 years. So, for about a week, my computer has been in the shop getting a new hard-drive, a new power supply, a new floppy drive, and a CD burner. The last two things were things I wanted for some time, so while Mike was working on my computer, I had him put them in. What was totally surprising was the bill -- only charged me $30 for the labor. (The hardware was a whole lot more since I have an old and somewhat special computer which takes expensive, non-standard parts.) So, if anyone is near Yucca Valley, CA and needs a computer fixed, go to Computer Zone!
Anyway, it was rather interesting to live without a computer and tv for a week. The only computer I dealt with was one of the public computers in the library to let eBay buyers know that I was computerless. Other than that, nothing. And I'm still refusing to watch tv (I should explain why someday).
At first I was panicky and really agitated about not being able to check my email, auctions, etc. I discoverd that my whole day was structured around reading emails, listing auctions, and checking auctions. Without a computer, this structure was gone. But my mind kept saying, "Time to check the auctions." It was an interesting tug-of-war that left me nervous and confused. And I will admit that I was bored at times.
After a couple of days the panic left and I really began to enjoy the extra time I had. I figure that not having a computer opened up 2-3 hours a day to do other things. I read 2 books, watched dvds, cleaned my house, fixed gourmet meals, and started on a built-in bookcase in my studio. These are things that either needed to be done or I had wanted to do, but never had time to do. It was a shock to me once I realized how much of this other stuff I was getting done. I knew I was on the computer off-and-on during a typical day, but I never realized just how much time (and energy) it took up.
But there was another interesting effect of having no computer or tv. My mind became calmer and I felt more rested. It took a few days for this to really become apparent, but then I noticed that not only was my mood brighter, but I felt physically better. I presume some of this had to do with me eating better and not sitting in front of this keyboard, but I don't think it totally explains it. I also had a minor burst of creativity -- the small palette knife paintings easily happened and I came up with tons of ideas.
And then the computer was back from the shop. I confess, the first day back, I overdosed. Not only did I have to deal with some problems (partial recovery of data from the old hard-drive is NOT fun!), but I had a list of things to check on the internet and about 175 non-spam emails to deal with. I would say within 3 hours, my mind was back to where it had been before the meltdown.
So, what do I do now with this interesting experience? I don't know. I would give myself computer holidays, but I make my money from selling art on the internet, so I can't really say, "This May, I'm not using my computer." (Well, I could say that, but I also like to eat!) I think the best I can do is to become more aware of how much I am using this computer and try not to use it to entertain myself when I'm bored. There's a number of other activities, such as reading, cooking, building shelves, etc, which are more interesting (and useful) than putting puzzles together online or playing solitaire on my computer.
As some of you know, last week I had the wonderful experience of burning up a hard-drive. This is the second one in 6 years. So, for about a week, my computer has been in the shop getting a new hard-drive, a new power supply, a new floppy drive, and a CD burner. The last two things were things I wanted for some time, so while Mike was working on my computer, I had him put them in. What was totally surprising was the bill -- only charged me $30 for the labor. (The hardware was a whole lot more since I have an old and somewhat special computer which takes expensive, non-standard parts.) So, if anyone is near Yucca Valley, CA and needs a computer fixed, go to Computer Zone!
Anyway, it was rather interesting to live without a computer and tv for a week. The only computer I dealt with was one of the public computers in the library to let eBay buyers know that I was computerless. Other than that, nothing. And I'm still refusing to watch tv (I should explain why someday).
At first I was panicky and really agitated about not being able to check my email, auctions, etc. I discoverd that my whole day was structured around reading emails, listing auctions, and checking auctions. Without a computer, this structure was gone. But my mind kept saying, "Time to check the auctions." It was an interesting tug-of-war that left me nervous and confused. And I will admit that I was bored at times.
After a couple of days the panic left and I really began to enjoy the extra time I had. I figure that not having a computer opened up 2-3 hours a day to do other things. I read 2 books, watched dvds, cleaned my house, fixed gourmet meals, and started on a built-in bookcase in my studio. These are things that either needed to be done or I had wanted to do, but never had time to do. It was a shock to me once I realized how much of this other stuff I was getting done. I knew I was on the computer off-and-on during a typical day, but I never realized just how much time (and energy) it took up.
But there was another interesting effect of having no computer or tv. My mind became calmer and I felt more rested. It took a few days for this to really become apparent, but then I noticed that not only was my mood brighter, but I felt physically better. I presume some of this had to do with me eating better and not sitting in front of this keyboard, but I don't think it totally explains it. I also had a minor burst of creativity -- the small palette knife paintings easily happened and I came up with tons of ideas.
And then the computer was back from the shop. I confess, the first day back, I overdosed. Not only did I have to deal with some problems (partial recovery of data from the old hard-drive is NOT fun!), but I had a list of things to check on the internet and about 175 non-spam emails to deal with. I would say within 3 hours, my mind was back to where it had been before the meltdown.
So, what do I do now with this interesting experience? I don't know. I would give myself computer holidays, but I make my money from selling art on the internet, so I can't really say, "This May, I'm not using my computer." (Well, I could say that, but I also like to eat!) I think the best I can do is to become more aware of how much I am using this computer and try not to use it to entertain myself when I'm bored. There's a number of other activities, such as reading, cooking, building shelves, etc, which are more interesting (and useful) than putting puzzles together online or playing solitaire on my computer.
16 January 2007
Better Late, than Never
Yes, I know on Saturday I said that tomorrow (Sunday) I would explain what I had plan for next month. And now it's Tuesday. So, I'm late. Give me the tardy slip and I'll go to the principal's office!
And yes, I'm in a rather happy and therefore totally obnoxious mood.
I can't explain it, but I sold 6 things out of my eBay store, got 2 commissions for bonsai paintings, and someone wants me to build them a website. It really is strange to me that all this is happening at once. Hubby says, "It's about time you get noticed!" (He's a tiny bit biased!) I don't know if it's the listing 3-5 items a week or just that half the country is stuck inside because of nasty weather. Only problem with the latter explanation is that the lady who bought 5 store items is from Australia, where it's summer!
Besides the sales, I also finished a portrait -- well, actually I'm setting it aside until I put in the final details.
And I did another little palette knife painting, which came out quite well. So, needless to say, I'm a happy camper!!!
Okay, back to February. February has 28 days. The alphabet has 26 letters. Hmm.... That got me thinking. What I came up with is this: In February, I'm going to do birds from A to Z. One a day. In a variety of sizes. In a variety of media. It's going to be a lot of work, but why not? The birds have been a good seller. And doing something weird like this might get me a bit more attention. Sometime in the next week or so, I need to send out emails to everyone on my mailing list and promote this project. I'm also going to create a special page in my eBay store to feature this project. It'll have small photos of each with the ones up for auction listed below.
The only problem with this project is I work slowly. When it comes to larger pieces, I'm just going to have to start those a day or two in advance of when I'm doing that letter. Also, I have to think what to do about oil paintings. While I can paint them a day in advance, so they will be dry enough to scan, I can't varnish them for a month. Guess I'll just have to say something in the listing about it either being unvarnished or I'll hold it until it can be varnished.
Oh, then there's the ablatrosses -- the backlog of portraits. This bird project is strong motivation to get those &#^$*$ portraits done NOW! Since I got one done, that's only 3 to go. I'll finish another one by Friday, so that leaves two for next month. I can do it!!!
Hmm, and somewhere in here I have to work on the bonsai commissions. I'll figure it out.
And in the meantime, I'm off to have a cup of warm tea. It's still cold here -- one degree warmer last night. It could do better and warm up at least a couple of degrees more!
And yes, I'm in a rather happy and therefore totally obnoxious mood.
I can't explain it, but I sold 6 things out of my eBay store, got 2 commissions for bonsai paintings, and someone wants me to build them a website. It really is strange to me that all this is happening at once. Hubby says, "It's about time you get noticed!" (He's a tiny bit biased!) I don't know if it's the listing 3-5 items a week or just that half the country is stuck inside because of nasty weather. Only problem with the latter explanation is that the lady who bought 5 store items is from Australia, where it's summer!
Besides the sales, I also finished a portrait -- well, actually I'm setting it aside until I put in the final details.
And I did another little palette knife painting, which came out quite well. So, needless to say, I'm a happy camper!!!
Okay, back to February. February has 28 days. The alphabet has 26 letters. Hmm.... That got me thinking. What I came up with is this: In February, I'm going to do birds from A to Z. One a day. In a variety of sizes. In a variety of media. It's going to be a lot of work, but why not? The birds have been a good seller. And doing something weird like this might get me a bit more attention. Sometime in the next week or so, I need to send out emails to everyone on my mailing list and promote this project. I'm also going to create a special page in my eBay store to feature this project. It'll have small photos of each with the ones up for auction listed below.
The only problem with this project is I work slowly. When it comes to larger pieces, I'm just going to have to start those a day or two in advance of when I'm doing that letter. Also, I have to think what to do about oil paintings. While I can paint them a day in advance, so they will be dry enough to scan, I can't varnish them for a month. Guess I'll just have to say something in the listing about it either being unvarnished or I'll hold it until it can be varnished.
Oh, then there's the ablatrosses -- the backlog of portraits. This bird project is strong motivation to get those &#^$*$ portraits done NOW! Since I got one done, that's only 3 to go. I'll finish another one by Friday, so that leaves two for next month. I can do it!!!
Hmm, and somewhere in here I have to work on the bonsai commissions. I'll figure it out.
And in the meantime, I'm off to have a cup of warm tea. It's still cold here -- one degree warmer last night. It could do better and warm up at least a couple of degrees more!
13 January 2007
Frost on the Pumpkin... And Then Some
Okay, I live in southern California. And yes, I live in the desert. So, why is there snow on the cactus?!
Yep, snow. Yesterday it snowed and then, unlike normal when it does snow, the temperatures dropped so the snow stayed. I can look out my windows and see snow. It's really weird, since the purple mountains are now white. And the weather people are saying it will stay cold for several more days. Tonight is suppose to be the coldest, although last night it did get down to 17 degrees F. For here, that is VERY cold.
So, I stay inside and drink lots of hot cocoa.
Lately, I've been spending my mornings working on 2 different portraits and I'm almost done with both. Thankfully! They have been like a huge weight around my neck and I would like to finish them off soon. Then finish the next two. Then the final one. And finally I'll be done with my backlog.
One reason I want to get the portraits done is so I can do more of my own stuff. I presently working on a small series of palette knife paintings. So far, they have been all still lifes, but I won't guarantee that forever. (I feel bird and floral paintings coming on!) Just so we know what I'm talking about, here's one:
Yep, snow. Yesterday it snowed and then, unlike normal when it does snow, the temperatures dropped so the snow stayed. I can look out my windows and see snow. It's really weird, since the purple mountains are now white. And the weather people are saying it will stay cold for several more days. Tonight is suppose to be the coldest, although last night it did get down to 17 degrees F. For here, that is VERY cold.
So, I stay inside and drink lots of hot cocoa.
Lately, I've been spending my mornings working on 2 different portraits and I'm almost done with both. Thankfully! They have been like a huge weight around my neck and I would like to finish them off soon. Then finish the next two. Then the final one. And finally I'll be done with my backlog.
One reason I want to get the portraits done is so I can do more of my own stuff. I presently working on a small series of palette knife paintings. So far, they have been all still lifes, but I won't guarantee that forever. (I feel bird and floral paintings coming on!) Just so we know what I'm talking about, here's one:
This is a small oil on masonite. Instead of brushes, it was painted with palette knives, which saves on brush cleaning! It also give the painting a vibrancy because it is only slightly mixed. This Sprouted Onion is one of the better ones. I did ruin a couple pieces of masonite because I just wasn't used to handling knives. But the one I did yesterday, which is still drying, is the best so far, so it looks like I'm learning.
Now the point of doing these palette knife paintings is to get faster. Because I can't add all the tiny details which I tend to want to put in, I have to focus on the main points. I'm hoping that after another 8-10 paintings, I'll actually be a faster painting.
And giving what I have planned for February, I had better be fast! But more on that tomorrow. (Assuming I don't freeze to death!)
08 January 2007
Ugh...
I'm sick. Hubby came home on Tuesday and brought us a present -- a cold. Either that or we picked it up on Wednesday when we went grocery shopping. In any case, both he and I didn't have a nice weekend. He's back on the road and is doing better than I am.
I did manage to do a tiny bit of work. I sent out some emails. I gessoed some masonite for new paintings. And I planned a few paintings. Not exactly what I planned. I had hoped to get one portrait done and then work on another small oil or two.
Although, after this weekend, I'm thinking larger pieces. There are tons of people that are now doing small pieces. In fact, I know of at least 5 eBay groups that are dedicated to small paintings and one dedicated to minature sculptures. This all happened because several people mentioned that they were selling well with small pieces, so everyone ran to do them. This weekend, however, I sold a 16x20 and a 11x15. While these aren't large, even by my standard, they were larger than my normal offerings and larger than a lot of artwork on eBay. I do have another large bird painting planned but I need to stretch some paper, and then there's the landscape with moose, and then... So many ideas, so little time!
Well, I've got a terrible headache and I still need to list something tonight. I'd better get better soon, or I'll run out of older stuff to list!
I did manage to do a tiny bit of work. I sent out some emails. I gessoed some masonite for new paintings. And I planned a few paintings. Not exactly what I planned. I had hoped to get one portrait done and then work on another small oil or two.
Although, after this weekend, I'm thinking larger pieces. There are tons of people that are now doing small pieces. In fact, I know of at least 5 eBay groups that are dedicated to small paintings and one dedicated to minature sculptures. This all happened because several people mentioned that they were selling well with small pieces, so everyone ran to do them. This weekend, however, I sold a 16x20 and a 11x15. While these aren't large, even by my standard, they were larger than my normal offerings and larger than a lot of artwork on eBay. I do have another large bird painting planned but I need to stretch some paper, and then there's the landscape with moose, and then... So many ideas, so little time!
Well, I've got a terrible headache and I still need to list something tonight. I'd better get better soon, or I'll run out of older stuff to list!
02 January 2007
PAAO Theme Contest
Like I said yesterday, I've entered the PAAO Theme Contest. Actually I have 2 entries. PAAO stands for Professional Animal Artists Online and is another eBay group. This month's theme is animals which begin with "T".
My first entry is this watercolor of a ruddy turnstone.
I personally think this turnstone turned out to be one of my best watercolors ever. I was a bit surprised that it turned out so well, as it was done on printmaking paper and not watercolor paper. That means the watercolor sinks into the surface a bit and can't be corrected at all. Anyway, the part I like the most is the fading out. It gives the piece a light feeling. I'm just hoping that some birder will buy it and appreciate it. If not, I'll be glad to live with it.
My second entry is this acrylic painting on canvas of a trout in a stream.
I did this one similar to a demo I saw in a book. While I don't normally use acrylics, I'm more than a little intrigued by how well this one turned out and have plans to do several similar pieces. Since this was acrylic on canvas and since I have no idea what to price it at, I put it up for $9.95 with a reserve. This is the first time I ever did a reserve auction, as I personally won't bid on a reserve auction. I just like to have an idea of how much I'm going to have to pay. But since I'm weird, I figured this might be the time to try a reserve auction. So far, so good -- 2 bids and lots of visits.
I'm really a bit disappointed in the quality of the other entries in the contest. Some are truly amateurish and some are okay. I wish the quality was better, so I'd be pushed more. Then again, I'm basically doing this contest (and their other ones) to get a nomination and maybe win a precious Artists Choice Award.
My first entry is this watercolor of a ruddy turnstone.
I personally think this turnstone turned out to be one of my best watercolors ever. I was a bit surprised that it turned out so well, as it was done on printmaking paper and not watercolor paper. That means the watercolor sinks into the surface a bit and can't be corrected at all. Anyway, the part I like the most is the fading out. It gives the piece a light feeling. I'm just hoping that some birder will buy it and appreciate it. If not, I'll be glad to live with it.
My second entry is this acrylic painting on canvas of a trout in a stream.
I did this one similar to a demo I saw in a book. While I don't normally use acrylics, I'm more than a little intrigued by how well this one turned out and have plans to do several similar pieces. Since this was acrylic on canvas and since I have no idea what to price it at, I put it up for $9.95 with a reserve. This is the first time I ever did a reserve auction, as I personally won't bid on a reserve auction. I just like to have an idea of how much I'm going to have to pay. But since I'm weird, I figured this might be the time to try a reserve auction. So far, so good -- 2 bids and lots of visits.
I'm really a bit disappointed in the quality of the other entries in the contest. Some are truly amateurish and some are okay. I wish the quality was better, so I'd be pushed more. Then again, I'm basically doing this contest (and their other ones) to get a nomination and maybe win a precious Artists Choice Award.
01 January 2007
Another New Year
Well, 2007 is finally here, but, quite frankly, I'm not done with 2006. I had planned on getting all the commissions done, but I didn't quite make. I have several that I am working and these are a priority for this month. I had also wanted to do more experimental stuff, more marketing, more....
But that was last year and this is this year, so I get a clean slate.
And I have big plans for 2007. Here's a few things I'm planning for this year:
But that was last year and this is this year, so I get a clean slate.
And I have big plans for 2007. Here's a few things I'm planning for this year:
- Start doing some detailed wood carvings for shows and galleries
- Do some larger pastel pieces with the idea of entering them into pastel shows and perhaps getting some precious initials after my name (I'll explain this some day)
- Keep doing smaller but quality work for eBay and list 3 pieces minimum a week
- Contact interior decorators and see if I can find one on the East Coast to represent my botanical watercolors
- Maybe contact some magazines or book publishers and get some freelance illustration work
- Blog nearly daily
In terms of artwork itself, here's few things I'm planning to work on, which I never got to last year:
- Detailed wood sculptures
- Larger oil paintings of wildlife
- Highly textured still lifes
- Maybe a new print every month, but more realistically, one every other month
Yep, it's quite a lot to do. So, I'm planning on major rearrangements in my personal life to give me more time and mental energy. The main two things will be to cut out 95% of all tv and internet surfing and follow the FlyLady routines. (I'll explain the latter some day.)
Anyway, I had better get working on supper. One of my personal resolutions is to eat decent food, rather than whatever is quick and easy. Tonight is winter root gratin! Tomorrow, I'll post the two pieces I list for the PAAO contest.
30 December 2006
Contests and Awards on eBay
Despite my best intentions of writing some each day, I blew it. Actually, part of the problem yesterday and the day before was that I was working until about 7pm and then I was hungry so I ate rather than write. Hey, my stomach comes first!!!
I'd show you all what I was working on but I'm too lazy to scan the new paintings in. I've got 4 new paintings done, so that's a lot of scanning, tweaking, and uploading. I need to work on my web site tomorrow so I'll do them then.
Also, tomorrow is the last day to enter another contest sponsored by another eBay group. I think just about every group has some kind of contest. Usually the winner is the one with the highest number of bidders. This contest is by the Professional Animal Artists On line (PAAO). Since I can start the bidding at any amount, I don't have to worry about a nice piece going for $3 (like my Nibblefest one did this month). Also, since critters are one of my main areas, this contest fits in nicely and gets me out of my cat/horse rut. The theme was animals which begin with "T", so I did a turnstone (shore bird) and am working on a trout.
Okay, the real reason I'm doing this contest is to get my fellow artists to notice my work so that next year, I get nominated for the Artist Choice Awards. See, I know those awards are meaningless -- an unmitigated popularity contest. Unfortunately, the general public doesn't seem to know this and people that winner have better sales. So, one project for this year is to "be nice" in this animal group and hopefully I'll get a nomination for next year. I may have to join another animal group just to be sure. It's not something I enjoy doing, but this how the eBay game is played.
Maybe I should make my own group and hand out my own awards???
I'd show you all what I was working on but I'm too lazy to scan the new paintings in. I've got 4 new paintings done, so that's a lot of scanning, tweaking, and uploading. I need to work on my web site tomorrow so I'll do them then.
Also, tomorrow is the last day to enter another contest sponsored by another eBay group. I think just about every group has some kind of contest. Usually the winner is the one with the highest number of bidders. This contest is by the Professional Animal Artists On line (PAAO). Since I can start the bidding at any amount, I don't have to worry about a nice piece going for $3 (like my Nibblefest one did this month). Also, since critters are one of my main areas, this contest fits in nicely and gets me out of my cat/horse rut. The theme was animals which begin with "T", so I did a turnstone (shore bird) and am working on a trout.
Okay, the real reason I'm doing this contest is to get my fellow artists to notice my work so that next year, I get nominated for the Artist Choice Awards. See, I know those awards are meaningless -- an unmitigated popularity contest. Unfortunately, the general public doesn't seem to know this and people that winner have better sales. So, one project for this year is to "be nice" in this animal group and hopefully I'll get a nomination for next year. I may have to join another animal group just to be sure. It's not something I enjoy doing, but this how the eBay game is played.
Maybe I should make my own group and hand out my own awards???
26 December 2006
Boxing Day Update
Happy Boxing Day!!!
I'm finally getting back into the swing of things, after hubby has left. While there was a holiday, I just kept plugging away, trying to get some portraits done. And getting new things for eBay. And beginning some new major projects. Besides, like I said last time, I'll celebrate Christmas when hubby gets home. Hopefully, I'll have his present finished by then!
One of the new projects I'm starting on is returning to sculpture. While I do enjoy most portraits and I have fun doing the little paintings for eBay, neither is artistically satisfying. They are great in terms of building skills, but not in terms of creating deep, meaningful work for different reasons.
The problem with the portraits is that I do them from photos that I don't take. If I was in charge of taking the photo and could do some non-traditional poses and I had total freedom on how the portrait was done,... well, I'd be getting $800 for a pencil portrait and not $80! As it is, I basically draw the photo. I hate to say this, but it's almost mechanical.
Then there's eBay. Since I'm getting a minimum return on eBay for my efforts, I can't really spend 3 or 4 days working on one piece. Don't get me wrong, eBay has been a blessing and I'm still planning on listing stuff almost daily, but it has limitations. And one limitation is that people want bargains and will not pay a fair price for most artwork. (This problem was created in part by the artists themselves.) So, if I do a wonderful piece that took me 4 days to do, I really can't list it at $250 and expect it to sell immediately. Maybe it will in a few months, or maybe it won't. With a few exceptions, most art sells for $20-60. Until I become one of those exceptions, I can't afford to spend days on one piece and get only $50 for it.
So, I'm going to keep doing the portraits and eBay, but I'm also going to work on some wood sculpture. Besides the fact that I enjoy carving, I settled on the sculpture because it's something that is not commonly seen either in galleries or in art shows. Painters are a dime a dozen, but wood sculptors are exceedingly rare, so my work should stand out and I should have it a bit easier getting into shows and galleries.
The only problem with my plan is that my garage is cold! I plan to do most of the carving out there, because of the dust, but it's unheated and I'm a weather wimp! So, until the weather warms up, I making sketches and planning pieces. I'm still not sure whether to do realistic or abstract pieces as I like both -- or even if I have to choose.
This means that I'll have even less time to do "other" stuff. Okay, it really means that I need to stop playing solitaire on this computer and stop lingering over my coffee in the morning. What I need is a personal assistant. Any volunteers?
I'm finally getting back into the swing of things, after hubby has left. While there was a holiday, I just kept plugging away, trying to get some portraits done. And getting new things for eBay. And beginning some new major projects. Besides, like I said last time, I'll celebrate Christmas when hubby gets home. Hopefully, I'll have his present finished by then!
One of the new projects I'm starting on is returning to sculpture. While I do enjoy most portraits and I have fun doing the little paintings for eBay, neither is artistically satisfying. They are great in terms of building skills, but not in terms of creating deep, meaningful work for different reasons.
The problem with the portraits is that I do them from photos that I don't take. If I was in charge of taking the photo and could do some non-traditional poses and I had total freedom on how the portrait was done,... well, I'd be getting $800 for a pencil portrait and not $80! As it is, I basically draw the photo. I hate to say this, but it's almost mechanical.
Then there's eBay. Since I'm getting a minimum return on eBay for my efforts, I can't really spend 3 or 4 days working on one piece. Don't get me wrong, eBay has been a blessing and I'm still planning on listing stuff almost daily, but it has limitations. And one limitation is that people want bargains and will not pay a fair price for most artwork. (This problem was created in part by the artists themselves.) So, if I do a wonderful piece that took me 4 days to do, I really can't list it at $250 and expect it to sell immediately. Maybe it will in a few months, or maybe it won't. With a few exceptions, most art sells for $20-60. Until I become one of those exceptions, I can't afford to spend days on one piece and get only $50 for it.
So, I'm going to keep doing the portraits and eBay, but I'm also going to work on some wood sculpture. Besides the fact that I enjoy carving, I settled on the sculpture because it's something that is not commonly seen either in galleries or in art shows. Painters are a dime a dozen, but wood sculptors are exceedingly rare, so my work should stand out and I should have it a bit easier getting into shows and galleries.
The only problem with my plan is that my garage is cold! I plan to do most of the carving out there, because of the dust, but it's unheated and I'm a weather wimp! So, until the weather warms up, I making sketches and planning pieces. I'm still not sure whether to do realistic or abstract pieces as I like both -- or even if I have to choose.
This means that I'll have even less time to do "other" stuff. Okay, it really means that I need to stop playing solitaire on this computer and stop lingering over my coffee in the morning. What I need is a personal assistant. Any volunteers?
21 December 2006
Back to Work
Well, it's been a long time since I wrote anything, so I'm not sure what I have said or not. Okay, I'm too lazy to read my blog!
Let's see. I did finish up the 4 portraits that I needed to get done by Christmas. Everyone was very pleased with them and I'm kind of anxious to hear about the recipents' reactions. Here's a scan of the fourth one, which I think is the only one I haven't posted.
Let's see. I did finish up the 4 portraits that I needed to get done by Christmas. Everyone was very pleased with them and I'm kind of anxious to hear about the recipents' reactions. Here's a scan of the fourth one, which I think is the only one I haven't posted.
I'm rather pleased with all four portraits. And I'm especially pleased that I got them done with time to spare!
As for the fifth portrait that I thought I was going to do, well, it never did materialize. I was joking with my husband that the photo would appear on my doorstep on the 15th only to have the mailman leave a large flat envelop on my door. It turned out to be junk mail!
Speaking of hubby, he was home for over a week. He actually just left yesterday. As I had said, his side window in his truck had been shot out. Also, on the way home, his windshield was hit by a rock and a crack began to run across it. So, we had to replace his front windshield. Then we had the side one replaced, but first we had to wait for the tempered smoked glass to appear. Then we had to wait for the glue to cure -- this took twice as long as normal since we've been having highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s.
But we had a good time when he was home. The highlight was that we cooked a huge Thanksgiving dinner! I know the rest of the country is working on Christmas, but we are a bit behind on the holidays. He'll be home in early January and then we'll have Christmas!
Needless to say, I haven't had much time (with hubby home) to do art and I'm anxious to get back to work. Today was the first day back and I made some progress. I worked on two oil portraits in the morning. And this afternoon, I did this bird painting:
I was thinking about listing it today, but I decided that Christmas weekend isn't the best of time. So, I'll probably just list it on Sunday or Monday. There's no point in "wasting" a good painting and having no real chance of a bidding war!
In the middle of all this I started restocking my eBay store. I'd like to have about 50 items in there at all times. I still haven't figured out what to do with pieces that have been in there for a number of months with little interest. I hate to take things out because the search engines have found most of the items in my store and I have no real alternative venues for these items.
Well, I suppose I should go and get to work on my supper. I'm still working on leftovers from our Thanksgiving feast (Tofurky roast), but I need to make another salad.
05 December 2006
Yep, Another One
It's been a long day.
I'm working on another composite portrait -- 3 photos into one glorious portrait. It's really not easy to get the three heads roughly the right sizes. I've drawn and redrawn them several times and I think I finally have it. So, I'm letting it sit over night and hopefully it'll be fine tomorrow morning.
Once I got too frustrated to work on it, I switched over to another portrait. Another trio but this is from one photo. That is just so much easier!
And speaking of trios, here's the other one I got done the other day.
I still haven't heard back from the client on this one. She and I have a communication problem -- her computer doesn't like my emails with photos, so I'm posting this here and then will call her. (Hmm, hope it's not too late -- I forget what time zone she's in!)
I'm working on another composite portrait -- 3 photos into one glorious portrait. It's really not easy to get the three heads roughly the right sizes. I've drawn and redrawn them several times and I think I finally have it. So, I'm letting it sit over night and hopefully it'll be fine tomorrow morning.
Once I got too frustrated to work on it, I switched over to another portrait. Another trio but this is from one photo. That is just so much easier!
And speaking of trios, here's the other one I got done the other day.
I still haven't heard back from the client on this one. She and I have a communication problem -- her computer doesn't like my emails with photos, so I'm posting this here and then will call her. (Hmm, hope it's not too late -- I forget what time zone she's in!)
04 December 2006
Portraits R Us
I know I should be writing more often but I had a miserable weekend. One of my typical up and down rollercoaster rides.
It all started when hubby had a window shot out of his truck while driving thru Alabama. Other than having to try to get it replaced for less than $800, I thought it was more of an annoyance than anything major. (Okay, he'd be cold and if it rained, his bed would get wet, but nothing life-threatening.) Wrong! On Saturday, he calls up somewhat panicked because he can hardly breath and he had a hard time climbing in and out of his truck. Now, hubby had smoked for years and then quit. We know he's got some lung damage as he can't walk terribly quickly for long stretches. But this sudden development wasn't good as he really couldn't continue driving the truck and maybe not even living. And being the selfish person that I am, I figured my comfortable life was over as there's no way I can make $2400/month from my art as it now stands. I'd have to bite the bullet, quit the art, and go get a teaching certificate in math. I was depressed and upset. Then it dawned on me since he was also complaining of a headache and slight fever -- carbon monoxide poisoning! I finally got him to thoroughly tarp and tape the opening. The next morning, he was fine.
Needless to say this how episode really shook me up. The bottom line is that I'm going to continue with the art for the foreseeable future, but I'm also going to explore freelance illustration and I'm going to work on the math teaching certificate (including doing some substitute teaching). I now know how much I want to do this and I will do it to my fullest ability. I have some ideas on what to do, but first I do need to get all these portraits done.
To that end, here are 2 of the latest:
This is Hayley. I've done her brother and her dog, plus I'm working on another of the family's dogs right now. It was a fun portrait to do, but I do admit that blonde hair and fair complexion is a real challenge -- the details are so delicate.
This is Larry and Ericka. I really enjoyed working on this portrait as the contrasts between the dark skin and clothes and the light skin and clothes was a challenge to balance. This is also a composite portrait -- I created it from two separate photos of the two youngsters. The trick with combining two photos is to adjust the lighting and getting the faces the right sizes. Just for the record, both are adults now and this is Larry's Christmas present.
I also have another portrait done, but I'm waiting for the client to approve of it before I post it here. So, there's only 2 more pencil portraits to finish by 15 Dec. With some luck, they will be done by the end of the week. Then I can finish up 2 oils and 2 soft pastels, and start on another two oils. Maybe I'll get these done by 1 Jan, which is what I'm shooting for. In any case, after the two pencil portraits are done, I can go back to splitting my time between portraits and stuff for eBay.
So much to do!
It all started when hubby had a window shot out of his truck while driving thru Alabama. Other than having to try to get it replaced for less than $800, I thought it was more of an annoyance than anything major. (Okay, he'd be cold and if it rained, his bed would get wet, but nothing life-threatening.) Wrong! On Saturday, he calls up somewhat panicked because he can hardly breath and he had a hard time climbing in and out of his truck. Now, hubby had smoked for years and then quit. We know he's got some lung damage as he can't walk terribly quickly for long stretches. But this sudden development wasn't good as he really couldn't continue driving the truck and maybe not even living. And being the selfish person that I am, I figured my comfortable life was over as there's no way I can make $2400/month from my art as it now stands. I'd have to bite the bullet, quit the art, and go get a teaching certificate in math. I was depressed and upset. Then it dawned on me since he was also complaining of a headache and slight fever -- carbon monoxide poisoning! I finally got him to thoroughly tarp and tape the opening. The next morning, he was fine.
Needless to say this how episode really shook me up. The bottom line is that I'm going to continue with the art for the foreseeable future, but I'm also going to explore freelance illustration and I'm going to work on the math teaching certificate (including doing some substitute teaching). I now know how much I want to do this and I will do it to my fullest ability. I have some ideas on what to do, but first I do need to get all these portraits done.
To that end, here are 2 of the latest:
This is Hayley. I've done her brother and her dog, plus I'm working on another of the family's dogs right now. It was a fun portrait to do, but I do admit that blonde hair and fair complexion is a real challenge -- the details are so delicate.
This is Larry and Ericka. I really enjoyed working on this portrait as the contrasts between the dark skin and clothes and the light skin and clothes was a challenge to balance. This is also a composite portrait -- I created it from two separate photos of the two youngsters. The trick with combining two photos is to adjust the lighting and getting the faces the right sizes. Just for the record, both are adults now and this is Larry's Christmas present.
I also have another portrait done, but I'm waiting for the client to approve of it before I post it here. So, there's only 2 more pencil portraits to finish by 15 Dec. With some luck, they will be done by the end of the week. Then I can finish up 2 oils and 2 soft pastels, and start on another two oils. Maybe I'll get these done by 1 Jan, which is what I'm shooting for. In any case, after the two pencil portraits are done, I can go back to splitting my time between portraits and stuff for eBay.
So much to do!
30 November 2006
Plodding Along
Yep, I'm still here. I'm just a bit busy what with 4 portraits to do by 15 Dec.
And yes, I said 4. I thought it would be 5, but no photo, no check, no commission. As I told you, last Friday I received a phone call from a lady wanting me to do a portrait for Christmas. We talked about it and I agreed to do it. I told her that she needed to send me the photo (and a check) by Priority Mail so that I could get started on it right away. That was on Friday and she said she'd send it on Saturday. So, it should have arrived on Tuesday. But now it's Thursday and still no photo. I guess I'm not terribly surprised as she had called me before to arrange for a portrait only to never send anything that time either. Part of me is kind of annoyed, because I could use the money, but another part of me is a bit relieved since I will have less work to get done by 15 Dec.
As for the other 4, I'm working on 2. I do one in the morning for upto 3 hours and another in the afternoon for upto 3 hours. These 3 hour periods is about my concentration limit on a single piece. Beyond that and I start getting sloppy. So I work on one, eat lunch, and then start fresh on a different portrait. For me, it works well. (Other artists will work on one portrait until it's done -- even if that's 8+ hours in a row.) If I hadn't had to go into town and buy groceries, I would have finished both of them. As it is, I'll get them done tomorrow and then put them away for a couple of days before doing the final touch-ups. In the meantime, I'll start on the next two.
I've basically decided that I need to finish ALL the commissions (except one) by 31 Dec and then after that, I will do portraits as soon as I get them. I'm tired of having so many laying around, although most clients are happy to wait especially after they see the finished product. (I'm slow, but I'm good!) Still, they act like a weight around my neck and cause me stress just knowing they are yet to be done. I may even start having a "by this date or 25% off" policy, just to get me to do them sooner than later.
Now all this makes it sound like I don't like doing portraits. And that's not quite right. I love them and I have them. The love part has to do with the facts I know I can do them well, I get paid a decent amount for them, and I don't have to 'guess' what the public will buy. The hate part is the "I don't want someone else telling me what to do" and with repeet customers, I have a fear of not living up to past expectations. I've been working hard on getting over these negatives, and I'm making good progress.
Still, I'm very anxious to get back to doing work which is totally my own. I have lots of ideas for still lifes, wildlife art, and even some abstracts. And I want to do some more relief prints -- but no one has ever asked for a relief print of their Uncle Bob!
And yes, I said 4. I thought it would be 5, but no photo, no check, no commission. As I told you, last Friday I received a phone call from a lady wanting me to do a portrait for Christmas. We talked about it and I agreed to do it. I told her that she needed to send me the photo (and a check) by Priority Mail so that I could get started on it right away. That was on Friday and she said she'd send it on Saturday. So, it should have arrived on Tuesday. But now it's Thursday and still no photo. I guess I'm not terribly surprised as she had called me before to arrange for a portrait only to never send anything that time either. Part of me is kind of annoyed, because I could use the money, but another part of me is a bit relieved since I will have less work to get done by 15 Dec.
As for the other 4, I'm working on 2. I do one in the morning for upto 3 hours and another in the afternoon for upto 3 hours. These 3 hour periods is about my concentration limit on a single piece. Beyond that and I start getting sloppy. So I work on one, eat lunch, and then start fresh on a different portrait. For me, it works well. (Other artists will work on one portrait until it's done -- even if that's 8+ hours in a row.) If I hadn't had to go into town and buy groceries, I would have finished both of them. As it is, I'll get them done tomorrow and then put them away for a couple of days before doing the final touch-ups. In the meantime, I'll start on the next two.
I've basically decided that I need to finish ALL the commissions (except one) by 31 Dec and then after that, I will do portraits as soon as I get them. I'm tired of having so many laying around, although most clients are happy to wait especially after they see the finished product. (I'm slow, but I'm good!) Still, they act like a weight around my neck and cause me stress just knowing they are yet to be done. I may even start having a "by this date or 25% off" policy, just to get me to do them sooner than later.
Now all this makes it sound like I don't like doing portraits. And that's not quite right. I love them and I have them. The love part has to do with the facts I know I can do them well, I get paid a decent amount for them, and I don't have to 'guess' what the public will buy. The hate part is the "I don't want someone else telling me what to do" and with repeet customers, I have a fear of not living up to past expectations. I've been working hard on getting over these negatives, and I'm making good progress.
Still, I'm very anxious to get back to doing work which is totally my own. I have lots of ideas for still lifes, wildlife art, and even some abstracts. And I want to do some more relief prints -- but no one has ever asked for a relief print of their Uncle Bob!
27 November 2006
Thanksgiving Report
Okay, I took a few days off from writing and suddenly several people are worried that I'm all depressed about the holidays. While it was nice to know more than 2 people read my blog, no need to worry. While I spent Thanksgiving alone (hubby was in Ohio to Texas), I enjoyed myself.
One of the things I like about holidays is the chance to cook. Most of the time, I take just enough time to throw something together, whether it's a salad or pasta. Basically, it's a main dish and a vegie. But when the holidays come, I enjoy the cooking part. I know many people dislike the cooking for the holidays, but to me it's a chance to try new recipes and revisit old favorites. So I spent most of Thanksgiving day cooking and created a very nice 4 course meal for myself. Perhaps the best part of the meal was the spiced quince and cranberry compote. Yummy!
Another thing I like about holidays is that I can't do anything (like run errands in town), so I get to work. I'm a coward when it comes to holiday store sales, large crowds, and crammed parking lots. I'd much rather stay home, order from a catalog (or make my gifts), and watch the mess on TV. So, while everyone else was out getting all these bargains, I was working on finishing up some portraits. I finished one, and almost finished the other 2. It was real nice just to work without interruptions or worrying about running to the post office or....
That reminds me -- it was a good thing I was home on Black Friday. I received a call from a lady who wanted me to do a portrait of her parents. Yep, another one for Christmas, but of the 5 I need to do, this one will be the easiest to do. So, Black Friday actually turned out to be profitable even for me!
So, that was my holiday weekend. And now it's Monday, and I feel like I'm back to the chaos. My email stopped working over the weekend. I 'lost' the task bar this morning. I had to run into town for cat food. And my reading light -- with it's special bulb -- burned out last night so now I need a new bulb. Other that all this, I finished emailing the alpaca people, I started on two of the Xmas portraits, and I'm now back to simple, quick meals.
Hey, if you want to feel sorry about me over the holidays, save some for my normal chaotic life!!!
One of the things I like about holidays is the chance to cook. Most of the time, I take just enough time to throw something together, whether it's a salad or pasta. Basically, it's a main dish and a vegie. But when the holidays come, I enjoy the cooking part. I know many people dislike the cooking for the holidays, but to me it's a chance to try new recipes and revisit old favorites. So I spent most of Thanksgiving day cooking and created a very nice 4 course meal for myself. Perhaps the best part of the meal was the spiced quince and cranberry compote. Yummy!
Another thing I like about holidays is that I can't do anything (like run errands in town), so I get to work. I'm a coward when it comes to holiday store sales, large crowds, and crammed parking lots. I'd much rather stay home, order from a catalog (or make my gifts), and watch the mess on TV. So, while everyone else was out getting all these bargains, I was working on finishing up some portraits. I finished one, and almost finished the other 2. It was real nice just to work without interruptions or worrying about running to the post office or....
That reminds me -- it was a good thing I was home on Black Friday. I received a call from a lady who wanted me to do a portrait of her parents. Yep, another one for Christmas, but of the 5 I need to do, this one will be the easiest to do. So, Black Friday actually turned out to be profitable even for me!
So, that was my holiday weekend. And now it's Monday, and I feel like I'm back to the chaos. My email stopped working over the weekend. I 'lost' the task bar this morning. I had to run into town for cat food. And my reading light -- with it's special bulb -- burned out last night so now I need a new bulb. Other that all this, I finished emailing the alpaca people, I started on two of the Xmas portraits, and I'm now back to simple, quick meals.
Hey, if you want to feel sorry about me over the holidays, save some for my normal chaotic life!!!
22 November 2006
What a Wonderful Day
Okay, there's bad news and annoying news, but surprisingly I'm not too upset.
First the annoying news. I'm trying to get started on 2 portraits for a lady this Christmas and despite having sent her 3 emails, she has yet to receive one. So, I tried calling her, and got only clicking -- no rings, no busy signal. It's like the Universe is stepping and preventing me from communicating with her. The only way I can 'talk' to her is via eBay. While I'm not quite ready to start on the final drawing, I'm hoping we can get this straightened out soon.
Now the bad news. I had a wonderful idea for the Nibblefest Contest, but I just didn't get to it today. Since all the auctions must end on the 27th, I'd now have to list it for 3-days which would probably be a waste of time and materials. While I have delusions of people being stunned by my work and mad bidding wars ensuing, reality is more like I'd get 1 or 2 bids and it would end at $5. So, I'll skip this month. I'll still do the drawing I had in mind, but it won't be listed at $0.99!
Usually, these two things would upset me, but I'm not. I had a wonderful day. I played with my 2 tame parrots. I read for an hour with 2 cats sleeping on me. I almost finished a pencil portrait. And I picked out several quince and persimmon recipes for tomorrow. It's really interesting how much I enjoy these small 'boring' things. Someone once said I lived a boring life because I just stayed home and worked on my art. Then again, someone else accused me of being a drama queen -- then why do I so enjoy things like reading with 2 cats sleeping on me?
And tomorrow is looking pretty good too. Yep it's a holiday and nope hubby won't be home, but I'm still going to enjoy it. I get to work on art, play with my zoo, and eat lemon glazed persimmon bars. Pretty nice life to me!
First the annoying news. I'm trying to get started on 2 portraits for a lady this Christmas and despite having sent her 3 emails, she has yet to receive one. So, I tried calling her, and got only clicking -- no rings, no busy signal. It's like the Universe is stepping and preventing me from communicating with her. The only way I can 'talk' to her is via eBay. While I'm not quite ready to start on the final drawing, I'm hoping we can get this straightened out soon.
Now the bad news. I had a wonderful idea for the Nibblefest Contest, but I just didn't get to it today. Since all the auctions must end on the 27th, I'd now have to list it for 3-days which would probably be a waste of time and materials. While I have delusions of people being stunned by my work and mad bidding wars ensuing, reality is more like I'd get 1 or 2 bids and it would end at $5. So, I'll skip this month. I'll still do the drawing I had in mind, but it won't be listed at $0.99!
Usually, these two things would upset me, but I'm not. I had a wonderful day. I played with my 2 tame parrots. I read for an hour with 2 cats sleeping on me. I almost finished a pencil portrait. And I picked out several quince and persimmon recipes for tomorrow. It's really interesting how much I enjoy these small 'boring' things. Someone once said I lived a boring life because I just stayed home and worked on my art. Then again, someone else accused me of being a drama queen -- then why do I so enjoy things like reading with 2 cats sleeping on me?
And tomorrow is looking pretty good too. Yep it's a holiday and nope hubby won't be home, but I'm still going to enjoy it. I get to work on art, play with my zoo, and eat lemon glazed persimmon bars. Pretty nice life to me!
20 November 2006
No Time to Relax
Well, I made some good progress over the weekend, so that now I'm only slightly behind. I finished off the knitting I had to do and shipped it off. I redesigned my alpaca art and portrait page on my website and put up some new portraits. (I still have several to put up, but I could only work so long.) I sent a newsletter to about 1/3 of the alpaca owners on my list -- trying to get me some business and helping Absolute Alpacas sell the Xmas cards I designed. I also worked on a pencil portrait and have it about done. (I need to get it done before I start on the Xmas portraits.) And I am almost finished with 2 oil dog portraits -- again, I need to finish these this week.
What I really would like to do is take a day off and just relax. But I don't dare. I need to finish those 3 portraits so I can work on the Xmas portraits and I need to finish emailing the alpaca owners. And sometime this week, I need to work on more knitting -- at least this bunch isn't a "I really need this now" order. It does feel good to be catching up.
Actually, I'd settle for a good night's sleep. The problem is Sammy and his cone. Since I put the cone on him, I don't dare let him sleep with the 2 boys in the spare bathroom because they pester him and want to eat the cloth strip I'm using to hold it on. So, I let him sleep with Emily and me. That's not bad because Sammy wants to snuggle to me. But with that cone, he keeps bumping into me. And then he decides that 3am is perfect time for a snack, so he tries to wake me up in the hope that I will feed him. He either paws at me or sits on my hair or licks my nose -- anything to wake me up. Now I have tried to lock him out of the bedroom -- Emily likes that idea -- but then he sits out in the hall and meows, jiggles the door with his paws, and bangs around with the cone. This just doesn't work for me. Thankfully, the sore is healing nicely and maybe by next weekend I'll be able to de-cone him and let him sleep with the "Boys".
One other annoying thing is that today is the beginning of the November Nibblefest Art Contest. The theme is "purple" and I have a good idea for it. I just don't have it done. If I can work on it some tomorrow and finish it on Wednesday, I can list it for 5 days at least. I would have prefered to list it for 7 days but 5 is better than nothing. My concern right now is what size to do it. I'd like to do it 11x14 but I'm back to being afraid it will sell for $5!
Well, I suppose I should go eat so I can do some knitting and still get to bed early tonight. I'd like to get the pencil portrait and the purple painting done tomorrow, so I need to be awake early and get working.
What I really would like to do is take a day off and just relax. But I don't dare. I need to finish those 3 portraits so I can work on the Xmas portraits and I need to finish emailing the alpaca owners. And sometime this week, I need to work on more knitting -- at least this bunch isn't a "I really need this now" order. It does feel good to be catching up.
Actually, I'd settle for a good night's sleep. The problem is Sammy and his cone. Since I put the cone on him, I don't dare let him sleep with the 2 boys in the spare bathroom because they pester him and want to eat the cloth strip I'm using to hold it on. So, I let him sleep with Emily and me. That's not bad because Sammy wants to snuggle to me. But with that cone, he keeps bumping into me. And then he decides that 3am is perfect time for a snack, so he tries to wake me up in the hope that I will feed him. He either paws at me or sits on my hair or licks my nose -- anything to wake me up. Now I have tried to lock him out of the bedroom -- Emily likes that idea -- but then he sits out in the hall and meows, jiggles the door with his paws, and bangs around with the cone. This just doesn't work for me. Thankfully, the sore is healing nicely and maybe by next weekend I'll be able to de-cone him and let him sleep with the "Boys".
One other annoying thing is that today is the beginning of the November Nibblefest Art Contest. The theme is "purple" and I have a good idea for it. I just don't have it done. If I can work on it some tomorrow and finish it on Wednesday, I can list it for 5 days at least. I would have prefered to list it for 7 days but 5 is better than nothing. My concern right now is what size to do it. I'd like to do it 11x14 but I'm back to being afraid it will sell for $5!
Well, I suppose I should go eat so I can do some knitting and still get to bed early tonight. I'd like to get the pencil portrait and the purple painting done tomorrow, so I need to be awake early and get working.
16 November 2006
Catching Up...Sort Of
Well, I had a pretty good afternoon.
I would have had a good morning too, but I had to run to the vet. Some time ago, my cat Sammy had surgery to remove a wart and to sew up a hole he'd rubbed into his cheek while trying to get the wart off himself. The surgery went fine and so did his recovery. The stitches came out and then the problems started. He started to rub it. The vet suggested a couple of creams to put on it to get him to stop rubbing it. Didn't help. He kept working on and opened the sore up again. So, I sewed up a soft muzzle with padding where the sore was. It worked one night. By the second night, he had messed with it so much that he got the scab off underneath the muzzle. Talked to the not-so-helpful vet tech and she suggested making a collar/cone for him. Over the last few days I tried paper, cardboard, and an over-stuffed sock. Nothing helped. So, today I broke down and went to the vet and got a genuine plastic kitty collar.
And now Sammy hates me. At first he ran madly around the house, but now that plastic cone weighs so much he can't hardly move! He's sitting under a bird cage looking totally pathetic! The only time he perked up was when I got out the kitty treats. I'm hoping he will get used to it shortly and that it will actually prevent him from re-opening the sore. (It's now scabbed over slightly, so fingers crossed.) In the meantime, I have to check him every now and then because he has gotten stuck a couple of times!
So that was the morning. This afternoon I worked on 3 different portraits and made some progress on each. All three are coming out well and should be done -- except for drying -- by the end of next week.
And then I had to watch Dr. Phil with my new bird. Cory (the new bird's name) seems to want attention in the morning and in the late afternoon. I suspect that was before work and when his owner came home from work. So, we watch Dr. Phil. Actually, I watch the show and he explores. He has more fun crawling around on and under my shirt than any parrot I've ever had. He also said "hello" this afternoon -- about 20 times in a row. I just can't get over how tame and trusting he is. Getting this bird may have cost me a commission (something about not being responsible and wasting my time while I have other things to do, so give me my money back), but I'm so glad I got him.
Tonight, it's knitting time. I'm suppose to have 3 small scarves, 2 shawls, and 2 hats done by Monday. It'll be close and I might not make the second hat. Non-knitters don't understand that hats, especially with fine yarn, take a long time to knit or crochet. Take for example the wig hat I just finished. I probably took me 6 hours to do. Part of the problem with it was working with double pointed needles -- 5 needles around a 3" diameter circle is NOT fun! It was fun to do one of, but I don't think I'll be knitting these for everyone on my Christmas list! Anyway, here's a photo of the moi in the wig hat!
And just for the record, it's really tricky to take a photo of yourself from the side with a camera photo!!!
I would have had a good morning too, but I had to run to the vet. Some time ago, my cat Sammy had surgery to remove a wart and to sew up a hole he'd rubbed into his cheek while trying to get the wart off himself. The surgery went fine and so did his recovery. The stitches came out and then the problems started. He started to rub it. The vet suggested a couple of creams to put on it to get him to stop rubbing it. Didn't help. He kept working on and opened the sore up again. So, I sewed up a soft muzzle with padding where the sore was. It worked one night. By the second night, he had messed with it so much that he got the scab off underneath the muzzle. Talked to the not-so-helpful vet tech and she suggested making a collar/cone for him. Over the last few days I tried paper, cardboard, and an over-stuffed sock. Nothing helped. So, today I broke down and went to the vet and got a genuine plastic kitty collar.
And now Sammy hates me. At first he ran madly around the house, but now that plastic cone weighs so much he can't hardly move! He's sitting under a bird cage looking totally pathetic! The only time he perked up was when I got out the kitty treats. I'm hoping he will get used to it shortly and that it will actually prevent him from re-opening the sore. (It's now scabbed over slightly, so fingers crossed.) In the meantime, I have to check him every now and then because he has gotten stuck a couple of times!
So that was the morning. This afternoon I worked on 3 different portraits and made some progress on each. All three are coming out well and should be done -- except for drying -- by the end of next week.
And then I had to watch Dr. Phil with my new bird. Cory (the new bird's name) seems to want attention in the morning and in the late afternoon. I suspect that was before work and when his owner came home from work. So, we watch Dr. Phil. Actually, I watch the show and he explores. He has more fun crawling around on and under my shirt than any parrot I've ever had. He also said "hello" this afternoon -- about 20 times in a row. I just can't get over how tame and trusting he is. Getting this bird may have cost me a commission (something about not being responsible and wasting my time while I have other things to do, so give me my money back), but I'm so glad I got him.
Tonight, it's knitting time. I'm suppose to have 3 small scarves, 2 shawls, and 2 hats done by Monday. It'll be close and I might not make the second hat. Non-knitters don't understand that hats, especially with fine yarn, take a long time to knit or crochet. Take for example the wig hat I just finished. I probably took me 6 hours to do. Part of the problem with it was working with double pointed needles -- 5 needles around a 3" diameter circle is NOT fun! It was fun to do one of, but I don't think I'll be knitting these for everyone on my Christmas list! Anyway, here's a photo of the moi in the wig hat!
And just for the record, it's really tricky to take a photo of yourself from the side with a camera photo!!!
14 November 2006
One Thing Done, 20 Left!
Okay, maybe there's not 20 things left on my to-do list. Maybe there's more, or at least that's how it feels.
But one thing's done. I finished the knitted hat for someone. I'll take pictures of it tomorrow and talk more about it, but it's weird!!!
I still have a long list of things to do, but I did make some progress on several items today, so I feel better. I know I shouldn't let commissions pile up and once I'm done with all of them, I will do them as soon as I get them. It just always seems that something comes up and I get distracted.
Part of the problem is that for most of my artwork, I'm not getting nearly a living wage or even minimum wage. Since hubby's truck had problems a few years ago (blew an engine -- $20,000) and we built up a fair amount of credit card debt, I feel like I can't turn down any opportunity to make money. Hence, I end up doing portraits, logos, websites, knitting, and other art all at once. If I was getting even $10 per hour, then I could pick and choose to some degree. As it is, only on the portraits do I make about $10 per hour. The botanicals come in at about $5/hr, florals at $6-10/hr depending on medium, still lifes at $3-5/hr for the smoothly blended ones, and about $1-3/hr for sculptures. The last item is why I'm not doing any sculptures right now -- I can't work long enough hours to make even a tiny dent in the credit card debt.
On the other hand, I get about $25/hr for logos and websites and about $10-15 /hr for some knitting. (The hat I just finished would be about $2/hr, because it is knitted fairly tightly.) Unfortunately, there are already too many people doing websites and logos to make that the major part of my income. Also, there's my lack of interest in doing either full time.
So, I'm left piecing things together to make a living. While I would rather make my living from selling 4 or 5 paintings a year, I still would rather do 20 different things at once than get one of those "real" jobs.
But one thing's done. I finished the knitted hat for someone. I'll take pictures of it tomorrow and talk more about it, but it's weird!!!
I still have a long list of things to do, but I did make some progress on several items today, so I feel better. I know I shouldn't let commissions pile up and once I'm done with all of them, I will do them as soon as I get them. It just always seems that something comes up and I get distracted.
Part of the problem is that for most of my artwork, I'm not getting nearly a living wage or even minimum wage. Since hubby's truck had problems a few years ago (blew an engine -- $20,000) and we built up a fair amount of credit card debt, I feel like I can't turn down any opportunity to make money. Hence, I end up doing portraits, logos, websites, knitting, and other art all at once. If I was getting even $10 per hour, then I could pick and choose to some degree. As it is, only on the portraits do I make about $10 per hour. The botanicals come in at about $5/hr, florals at $6-10/hr depending on medium, still lifes at $3-5/hr for the smoothly blended ones, and about $1-3/hr for sculptures. The last item is why I'm not doing any sculptures right now -- I can't work long enough hours to make even a tiny dent in the credit card debt.
On the other hand, I get about $25/hr for logos and websites and about $10-15 /hr for some knitting. (The hat I just finished would be about $2/hr, because it is knitted fairly tightly.) Unfortunately, there are already too many people doing websites and logos to make that the major part of my income. Also, there's my lack of interest in doing either full time.
So, I'm left piecing things together to make a living. While I would rather make my living from selling 4 or 5 paintings a year, I still would rather do 20 different things at once than get one of those "real" jobs.
13 November 2006
I've Just about Had It!
What can I say? Last week was a week from Hell! Here's a brief outline of what happened:
- On Sunday, I tore an abdominal muscle so sitting, standing, lying down, walking, eating, etc... are all very painful. It's better now, as long as I don't sit in one position for over an hour.
- On Monday, the local internet server stopped working, so the only way to access the internet was via long-distance. Besides auctions, I had bills to pay so I was really counting on the internet to be there. It finally got fixed on Thursday.
- On Tuesday, one of my parrots died and to say I miss him terribly is an understatement.
- On Thursday, hubby's dog got out just before sunset so we spent most of the night looking and worrying about him. (We have lots of coyotes that find small dog tasty.) On Friday, the dog came home with only minor scrapes.
- Also on Friday, I had the opportunity to adopt a new parrot but I had I drive about 3 hours to get him. By the time I got home I was physically unable to stand up straight or eat for fear of vomitting.
- On Saturday, with great reluctance, hubby headed back on the road.
In the middle of all this, I get 4 portrait commissions and an order for more knitted items (by Thanksgiving). Throw in my sadness about the death my little birdie friend, and I really feel overwhelmed. So, I sent an email out to all those waiting for a portrait, or auction winnings, or knitting, and most people understood.
I said most. One lady replied, "the drama and excuses have run thin. at this point i would accept a full refund...", so I did. I have the portrait of her cat about 1/3 done and I normally don't refund money once I've started, but I did this time. A small voice in the back of my head kept telling me that no matter what I did for her, she wouldn't be happy with the final portrait. I was on drawing #9 or so for her before she approved of the drawing. (Normally it's one or two and that's it.) At this point, with so many portraits to finish, I don't need that kind of aggrevation. So, I cut my losses and refunded the full price. I shouldn't have done that because I'm now out the cost of the canvas and the cost to develop some pictures. (She sent her photos of the cat as one of those disposable cameras and I had to pay to get it developed.) There comes a point when it's better to lose money than deal with headaches.
Needless to say, the painting a day plan is presently way out of the window. I need to get these portraits done and I will -- I might have to stay up some nights, stop taking showers, and eat tv dinners, but they will get done. There's 4 I need to do by Xmas, 2 pastels that should get done by 1 Jan, 2 oils and a pencil portrait that will be done by Thanksgiving, and one oil which will get done in early January (and I'll throw in a bonus for her). I'll be stressed, but I will get everything done. (And then I can get back to painting my stuff!)
And now, off to list something on eBay. It's a pain that I'm so busy now and this is the good time on eBay. Next year, I plan to work hard over the summer and have lots of stuff ready to sell in the winter.
03 November 2006
You Gotta be Kiddin?!
It wasn't the best of days, but I'm feeling slightly better than yesterday. I made a couple of decisions and I bought some cookies! Hey, when I'm blah, baking cookies is just too much trouble, so I bought some.
Decision #1
I need to get these portraits done ASAP. They are hanging around my neck like a huge weight. So, to get them done quickly, I'm suspending the painting a day plan until I get at least 4 of the 7 done. I'm also not going to join another interesting group which does a themed painting on Fridays until the portraits are done. I'm cutting back on listing on eBay for the next week or so. I'll still list 3 or 4 items, but not the 6-7 I have been. I need to be actively painting and producing more stuff to list daily.
Decision #1
I need to get these portraits done ASAP. They are hanging around my neck like a huge weight. So, to get them done quickly, I'm suspending the painting a day plan until I get at least 4 of the 7 done. I'm also not going to join another interesting group which does a themed painting on Fridays until the portraits are done. I'm cutting back on listing on eBay for the next week or so. I'll still list 3 or 4 items, but not the 6-7 I have been. I need to be actively painting and producing more stuff to list daily.
Decision #2
I'm not happy with my life being taken over by art, knitting, and websites. I need some time for myself, for my cats, and for my house. Now, I'm not talking 3 or 4 hours per day -- just an hour a day to do non-art stuff. And then I'm taking Saturdays off from business. I have a lot of little household chores, such as weather stripping the windows, which need to be done, so I'm going to do it. I'm also going back to reading more. I kind of got away from that thanks to the knitting, which I tend to do while watching TV. I need to bring my life into a more healthy balance.
Decision #3
This computer has crept back into my life and has taken over. Yes, I know my web site needs updating. Yes, I need to list auctions. Yes, I need to write this blog (a whole lot cheaper than therapy!). And yes, I need to work on this alpaca farm's web site. But that doesn't mean I need to check my email or auctions 4 or 5 or 6 times a day and then check this group or that web site. Starting tomorrow, I 'll check things in the morning and reply to emails and problems, and then the computer stays off until 5pm (blog/auction time). And my web site will be updated on Sunday mornings.
This computer has crept back into my life and has taken over. Yes, I know my web site needs updating. Yes, I need to list auctions. Yes, I need to write this blog (a whole lot cheaper than therapy!). And yes, I need to work on this alpaca farm's web site. But that doesn't mean I need to check my email or auctions 4 or 5 or 6 times a day and then check this group or that web site. Starting tomorrow, I 'll check things in the morning and reply to emails and problems, and then the computer stays off until 5pm (blog/auction time). And my web site will be updated on Sunday mornings.
Well, I think these 3 decisions will help me be happier and more productive.
Speaking of happier or not, I recently received a Best Offer on a portrait commission. It was an 8x10 pencil portrait which I had for $80. The offer was for $5!!! I just about fainted. I really would like to ask the person if they thought that was a fair offer. Needless to say, I declined it. Definitely one for the "you gotta be kiddin" file!
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