The year has nearly ended

I can't believe it has been almost 4 months since I posted. I guess that means I am busy (probably on facebook).

This year has been challenging for our family as well as many other artists and various professions trying to keep bills paid and stay healthy. We are blessed with good health and that is something to be thankful. I wish we were more ahead of our debt than just trying to keep current, but we are looking forward to 2010 and new beginnings.

Aaron is working 2 jobs that God blessed him with and Guiteau is working part-time with his brother assisting in his electrical business. With social security and some good shows we will make it through. God has taken us this far in life and He promises He will not abandon us. "He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it."

I put quite a few small items on eBay this month at ridiculously low prices just to see if I could get some activity. I have plenty of activity but it is not amounting to much money. I had to try anyway. Whoever gets the bid will have received a fabulous deal for their investment.

I am wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas - That is Christ in Christmas (He is the reason we have forgiveness) and a Very Prosperous New Year and may God get all the glory!!

Colorado here we come!

Last night we made it past the Colorado border. This is a trip we have taken yearly since 1993.
We do shows here but also we get to visit our family members in Denver. My mother is about 83 years old and it is great seeing her even though she isn't up and about as well as in the past.

My sister, my brother, my niece and her daughter are among family still living in Denver.
Our first show will be in Evergreen CO and we are hoping for good weather and, better yet, good art buyers. The hotels are expensive up here but it is worth not taking our truck up and down the steep grades on Interstate 70.

Right now I am being lazy as I update this out-of-date blog. I would at least like to update this once a month but sooooo much to do and sooooo little time.... or am I just a procrastinator?

During the summer I started painting framed miniatures which I have listed online as well as taking to fine art shows. I will see how they work and whether or not to continue.

Hope you check our my website at www.contemporarypictures.com to see some new postings we have. I don't price them because many of them are already sold or you may be looking for a different size which we can do... Bye for the moment and God bless you richly.

Back in Houston

OKC Festival of the Arts never disappoints me... I love this show. We came home and then went back out to Baton Rouge for a new show "Fest for All". I would only suggest this event if you live in the area and participate in their Artist Market once a month event or if you have crafts (fine crafts). The attendance seemed okay but not lots of buying going on. We made a couple of sales and just covered travel and show expenses with nothing left over.

We are off this weekend to attend Ashley's graduation from Houston Baptist University. I am so excited to see her with her cap and gown...This is such a wonderful achievement which she has worked so very hard to achieve. What a wonderful young woman.

Towards the middle of May and for 8 weeks we have a busy schedule and hopefully good sales. It will be interesting to see how the sales progress this year.

While Oklahoma was down for many people, it was still the best show I have done all year.

May God bless all of you and keep safe.

Arts council of OKC

Just finished the second day of the Festival of the Arts in Oklahoma City. We are never disappointed by the large crowds and enthusiasm of the people that attend this event.
I am posting a small photo of a Mother-Daughter painting for one of my collectors interested in perhaps getting a print of this art. I had this painting last year in OKC but sold it in June in Omaha, NE.

It was extremely hot today so I had to take my afternoon nap in Myriad Gardens Park. It was a glorious 45 minute power nap.....

Tomorrow there will be an artist breakfast for all of us so we will be at the show early. Tonight Guiteau and I reflected on what wonderful neighbors our fellow artists are. It is a great community of which we are honored to share.

Must get some shut-eye tonight for another long but worthwhile day at the festival. God bless you all and thanks to all of you who enable us to continue our love of producing artwork for you.

Home Again

I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted. With all the networking groups, I lost track of this. Just discovered facebook.com, linkedin.com, etc. Facebook is great for friends and Linked In is just wonderful for networking with art professionals. It offers much potential.

Time is flying by. Just finished a show in San Antonio and I have a couple of weeks to finish preparation for the OKC show. I wish the weeks were longer.

This is a stay at home weekend. Finally will make it to my church this weekend. I have been away for several weeks and really miss the praise and worship. I am sure there will be a wonderful Easter presentation reminding us of the resurrection.

Just looked at Ty Kelly's website with his studio clearance sale and we would love to have one GIANT one for imperfect frames, items that don't move as fast we paint, etc. I hope he has much success.

Back in Florida

We just finished the Bonita Springs National Art Festival. It was picture perfect weather and Saturday morning had a wonderful crowd and very good sales. Unfortunately after lunch the crowds slowed way down and not much activity in our booth. Sunday was actually much slower than Saturday and we only made one sale. We have a potential out of town sale pending but time will sell.

Tomorrow morning we will head to Fairhope Alabama for our next outdoor event. We are optimistic and hopeful about this upcoming event. Fairhope is just a wonderful small city.

From Alabama we drive to Tempe Arizona and are excited to see my cousin, his wife and my nephew Adam. I love when we combine family visits with our travels. It's great to catch up.

I will update this after the Arizona show. May God continue to bless you and keep you in good health.

Back to Florida

Next weekend we will be back in Florida. I will be exhibiting my paintings at the Bonita Springs National Art Festival held at the Promenade. Following that, we will both exhibit at the ESAC Fairhope Fine Art Festival in Fairhope, AL followed by the Tempe Art Festival in Tempe, AZ.

Looks like we are looking at quite a few miles this coming month... we are hoping for some optimistic art buyers. We are getting some acceptances this month for some summer shows and will keep our website and this blog up to date as shows are confirmed.

Keep faith in God and everything will be alright. Amen!

Art Shows in Florida

This will be our last confirmed show in Florida this coming weekend. We will have only one booth at the South Miami Rotary Club Arts and Crafts Festival. I love doing this show. There are only about 100 exhibitors in the middle of Sunset on Saturday and Sunday.

This show is mainly the locals in the area bringing their families to stroll thru the art booths. And, best of all, the sales are surprisingly good here. We are looking forward to seeing our collectors and making some new friends of art.

This week we are also getting all of our applications sent in for the fall season. The work never ends for artists. The money is always going out for jury fees, hotels, gas, booth fees, etc. It is amazing to me that God has given us the means to make a living from this line of work.

After we get back to Houston (home again....), they are going to put a new roof on our house and garage. We will finally get rid of the blue tarp and hopefully no leaks. After that we will do siding and maybe by the end of 2009 we can finish fixing the inside sheetrock problems that need to be repaired.

Just found out how well facebook works to network with family and friends. I love it. The blessing is how fast it is to keep in touch with many people without much time and effort.
Praise be to God.

Take care anyone who might get a glimpse of this. We are grateful for all of your prayers and support. A fellow artist's husband has been in the hospital for awhile for severe pneumonia. Please keep them in your prayers for the Great Physician to heal him and also give her strength thru this ordeal.

ARTFEST in Fort Myers this weekend

A very cold morning for the next couple of days but we are expecting picture perfect weather for the upcoming Artfest in Fort Myers, Florida. Guiteau will be exhibiting for the first time this year and we have booths side by side. We are excited and anticipate a very good show. This is a very pleasant show to do and a wonderful staff.

The next 2 weeks will be spent in South Miami, Florida. Guiteau is wait listed for St. Stephens Coconut Grove and I will be in Booth 131 if you are in the area. The following weekend will be on Sunset and Red Road in Booth 1. We will only have my art there this year.

Just missed a postmark deadline for Belleville IL and I am hoping for mercy to send it overnight to get there before their final deadline. Lost my paperwork and had to reprint everything. It is so hard to keep up even though I have plenty of time on my hands. It is my "head" that gives me trouble.

Will update after the shows ... we head back home to Houston the end of February and hopefully they will get our new roof up.

May God richly bless you and your family and prosper you in all ways.

Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year to all. May you prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers.

This weekend we will be displaying our artwork in the Las Olas area of Ft. Lauderdale. We are hoping for a better weekend than last week's. Our prayers are for good weather and good health.

Everyone we have met is either coughing, sneezing or both. I spent early Monday morning (2 am) at the Naples ER. Not sure if it was allergy, cold or whatever....just kept having trouble breathing. They put me for 3 minutes on a broncho-dialator and "bingo" all is well. What a nuisance. It was the first time I got to use my Medicare card. Thanks for that aspect of socialism.

Next month I will receive my first Social Security check. I can't wait after paying in for over 50 years. It is at least some cash flow during this tight economy. My grandson Aaron keeps asking me why I am so excited about this but I feel like I got a Christmas present. It will be a house payment and utilities so who can complain?

Enough about personal stuff, I got a nice sale from Canada last week on my new Yessy.com artsite. This site lists tens of thousands of art items so to get any sale is a miracle. I put some more higher priced art on line and we will see what happens.

We have a new display for our artwork which is to try to minimize our loading and unloading work at the art shows. Hopefully we will still have great sales.. There is an artist from Illinois who has pretty high end art and he had a great show last week...that tells me there are still buyers out there. We hope there are more to come.

I am writing this just to keep up to date on my blog and to add a link to the Yessy.com website.

Have a GREAT GREAT NEW YEAR in 2009!!