Naples, FL

We arrived in Naples last night and were happy that the weather is warm here. Since our show is outdoors, that is good news.

Spent this morning packing some of my eBay artwork that will be shipped today. Today will spend resting up for the grueling show setup tomorrow morning around 2 am. I guess that is the glamorous (NOT) life of an artist. We are hoping for an enthusiastic buying crowd this weekend. This will be a short show as we will be closing at 3:30 pm on Sunday so the restaurants in downtown Naples can get ready for their New Year's eve crowds and we will be off the street.

I was able to sketch some new aceo artwork while my husband did the majority of driving from Houston to Florida. I won't be able to start painting until next week but at least I was productive. I will try to upload some new artwork latter part of next week .. just to decorate the blog and keep you all looking...if you are looking. Are you there???

Have a Very Happy New Year...Let's keep some of those resolutions we have been repeating for the past few years... I am mostly talking to myself. Read my bible daily, get exercise - Any exercise will do at this point - and watch the carbs. Be kinder to all of those I come in contact with. Be patient with friends, family and others. If someone is out of sorts with me, let me be kinder to them, since they may be going through a very difficult situation. We do not know one another's struggles so I pray that I will go the extra mile when someone is less than kind to me.

Enough about me....Love God, love your family, love those you don't know, love your pets, and love yourself.

Twas the night before Christmas...

I didn't really think I would post anything today but thought it would be fitting to upload one of my previously sold paintings of mother and child. I used the image to create a print on tile and put a hanger on the back. It is 4"x4". I wanted to see how the transfer to tile would look and it turned out okay. Unfortunately, the company I used shipped things poorly and I had to have some reshipped.

Today was spent at the studio, but not painting. Instead we (artist husband) selected our artwork which will be displayed New Year's weekend in Naples Florida. This exhibit is outdoors so we are hoping for balmy weather.

I also spent several hours wrapping all the holiday gifts that didn't need to be shipped. All is well, all is done.....finally. Tonight we are going to visit some of my husband's brother's relatives. This is a big event for them and they are always kind enough to include us. We don't cook...almost NEVER, so we picked up some spicy Jamaican meat patties for appetizers... I tested them out and they were great.

Again, best wishes, and Sayonara. Japanese is not my specialty but that is a word I learned.

Yesterday was quite a hectic day. Many of my eBay auction items sold and I am organizing the miniature artwork to send out before I leave Texas. Also I was busy listing all my new artwork too which I will have to ship from Florida as they sell.

Today I posted two new items I put up for auction... They are nostalgia from our summer trips to the Colorado mountains when I was living in Denver. I thought they captured the flavor of the area...from memory of course. They are impressionistic, certainly not photographic.
Hope you enjoy looking at them.

Today and yesterday I had two young visitors to the studio... 2 of my grandsons. They are great and we see so little of them because of our schedule and travels. They brought their bikes to the studio so they could ride up and down the parking area and let off some of that youthful energy. We saw a movie with them last night called Aragon. I wasn't excited to see it so I was surprised I enjoyed it..the dragon slayer.

I will probably post around or after Christmas...This year will be spent at home for a change. Then I can visit the rest of our grandchildren -- Asia, Austin, Andrew and Ashlie. Of course Aaron our grandson is always around. Those are the 5 "A" kids. Tami had a sense of humor about her when she named them all.. I think it is great! Tami, if you are reading this, please smile.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to all and a Very great new year. I probably already said this, but I want you to enjoy the season and each and every day. e

Today I got some good news. Someone other than my daughter Tami has read my blog...Hallelujah! At least this way I feel I am talking to others who may be out there.

I have been finishing up some new miniature aceo artwork...I did these with acrylics on watercolor paper just to try a different textural finish. Also, I used a thin gold metallic pen to gild around the edge of the art - no larger than 1/16 inch. It looks kind of cool. I am not ready to upload a preview today because I didn't have time to photograph my newest pieces. I should have them up on Ebay tomorrow or Friday. They are all figurative. I just paint what I am in the mood to do and people were on my mind this week. So those of you who love the landscapes or florals, they will be coming soon...

I probably will not put new items on eBay for a couple of weeks after the group of 10. I will be travelling to Florida for some outdoor art shows and will work on my small eBay items in the extended stay hotel during the week. The shows are only on Saturday and Sunday, so I have Tuesday through Friday to do art. Monday my husband and I definitely rest or take in a movie (also resting).

Perhaps I will bring some mailing supplies and figure out how I can ship my items from Florida. If so, I may post some new pieces from Florida.

Hope you all will enjoy this holiday season...whether it be Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, or just Seasons Greetings. I wish you all many blessings.

Guiteau's New Work and other items

Well, today was very exciting as I am starting to sell my small ACEO artwork on eBay and getting a very enthusiastic response. The joy of creating artwork for me is to connect with the viewer and collector and, even with these miniatures, it is starting to happen. Of course, it is not making a lot of money, but who said artists were supposed to get rich..... or NOT.

My thrill was to sell one of my pieces of artwork to a lady named Olga.. Of course, that is my mother's name and my middle name so it was a real treat. She is from Bulgaria and spent some time in Russia where my mother's parents were from. Just thought I would share that bit of excitement.

Now, please enjoy Guiteau's new artwork...it looks sooooo sophisticated.

I am going to start identifying my photos with dates starting tomorrow so people will know when these pieces have been completed... and I can comply with my Daily Painting commitment. Good Night...

Continuation of Monday's blog

Since it is now past midnight i can't add to my Monday blog so will begin anew. I wanted to upload my latest canvas which is one which we photographed for jurying. I love the way the reds warm up the sky and tops of the houses. Then the beige and greens offer a nice neutral contrast to the reds. This painting is one of my largest pieces that is not an abstract. I am trying to create some supersize paintings that won't require a frame. So many of our frames get ruined in transit in the truck and I would love to be able to just sell the art and avoid the expensive loss of picture frames.

Tomorrow I am going to post a couple of Guiteau's new mixed media primitives which I really love and hope you do too. For now, goodnight y'all. (I am officially a Texan after 30 years).

Today was spent photographing Guiteau's and my artwork for future use in obtaining new slides for the juries of various art shows that we are applying for. Nautrally it started to drizzle once we began, but being determined to get this done and out of the way, I held an umbrella in one hand and clicked the camera with my right hand, using the tripod for support. It was almost funny to picture how we looked outside to our neighbors. Nevertheless we photographed over 2 dozen new pieces of art.

Saturday

Today I was able to finish some of my larger landscape paintings and work with Guiteau on mixed media collages....

I have quite a few reproductions of my paintings which I no longer take to shows to sell except for OKC and Ann Arbor's print tent. So, I have decided to use the print as a background for my painting and sell them as mixed media acrylic reproduction... I really did not know how to identify these even though each one is very unique. I will only have 5 of each design (and I may not use them all), but each of the 5 will have different colors, some changes in structures, etc.
But, since I have a base to work with, I won't have to spend quite as much time as if I started from scratch.

I have included one today to see how it looks...they aren't bad..plan to sell them VERY reasonable.

Well, it is after midnight and my lids are getting heavy...so that's all today.

Friday Daily Painting

Today I was able to work on some large landscape paintings....I never finish one at a time. I work in sections and layers and go back. I also created a few mini paintings, one of which i have posted on eBay today.

After this group is sold, gone or given away, I am going to have to increase the size of my art for eBay. It is difficult to paint 2.5x3.5 especially with my expressionistic style...too much going on for that teeny area.... I will create some 8x8, 4x6 and 5x7's.. Those sizes I can handle. I already began an oil pastel with some new water soluble oil pastels which are nice and creamy and look great over Arches black cover paper... (Only other artists will have any idea what this paper is)..

I will not post much today, because I need to chill (my grandson's slogan, not mine)..

If anyone is reading these, my sincere thanks and my sympathies. e

Still working to set up eBay

I am not a very good blogger....no one probably reading except me and I have been soooooo busy lately trying to create small miniature art to sell on eBay. Sold about 3 paintings so far online. This is a real education - just getting people to find your art. Anyway. I am going to upload some of my new recently painted work...

Things are getting hectic as we all get close to the holidays. I am trying to get all my custom orders shipped before Christmas. Six more pieces ready to ship - just getting confirming payment info.

I will try to write some more by next week and show some more of my mini paintings.

Haven't posted for a couple of days due to travelling gastric virus....not fun.
I will be photographing some of my smaller framed artwork in the next few days and listing them on eBay as studio clearance items. My studio is getting crowded and I no longer can carry all the small framed items to my shows. I have decided to just carry matted 18x24 originals and the larger pieces.

So, if you are interested in seeing what is available, they should be up on eBay next week and i will give you a sneak preview in several days.

I am going to show a couple of my new artcards....something i am doing strictly for new young collectors. These are 2.5x3.5 original paintings in a clear plastic sleeve and people save them like trading cards or mat and frame them as mini originals. They are difficult to scale down to but thought they might be fun to do to offset my large work. A couple of them are shown here.

Artist at Work

Today is working day in the studio. After being on the road, it is hard to get up and go to work again even though I am ready to create. Just tried some new liquid acrylics and just experimented with them on some unpainted collages. They flow and have the same feeling as watercolors. I love the washy look and wet in wet techniques I am able to do. It is so different from the heavy Golden acrylics I have been using on my landscapes.

I don't have any pictures to post yet of some of my new pieces, but did post some new prints on my eBay store. So far not much is happening there but I am determined to make this work.

Writing this blog each day even though no one is reading it is like keeping a journal. It keeps me grounded.

Will close off for the evening and go surfing on the web.....