It's Showtime!

It's another gorgeous fall day her in Carolina! And while the call of the hammock has been quite tempting...I've made the responsible decision to slave away at preparations for my next show on November 10th and 11th.

This work leaves me wondering about the age old artist question, "How do I balance producing what I love with producing what I'm sure (with a reasonable degree of certainty) will sell? Today, I chose the latter. It's not that I don't like what I'm making. It's just not something that makes my heart sing.

When I made the piece shown in yesterday's entry, my heart sang an aria and danced a jig while I climbing the highest mountain and felt the sun on my face. OK...OK! Enough with the cliches. Can you tell that I really...Really REALLY liked the process of creating it?

Dream

What a day! The sun was shining; we had a true Carolina Blue Sky; there were white puffy what-do-you-see-in-them-now clouds everywhere; the temperature was cool but not cold; and the wind was gusting like crazy. It was a perfect fall day for my trip to Raleigh.

I went to the Visual Art Exchange (VAE) in the City Market. I was there to pick up my entry from last month's mixed media show, All Mixed Up, and I also dropped off my entry to this month's show, Text and Numbers. A photo of my entry,"Dream", as a work in process appears here. It's a juried show, so please keep your fingers crossed.

It was the kind of day that tempted me to drive forever; but somehow tonight I'm just happy to be home. Warm and safe in my house with my dog at my feet, I can't imagine being anywhere else.

Blogging...blogging...

Blogging...blogging... I love the concept; but the regularity still eludes me. Lots has been happening here, so I thought I'd try to give a quick update.

In the studio...

• We've been focusing on private parties and group events, and we're having a ball with it. Please consider Art for All Y'All for your next private event in Moore County, North Carolina. We'll work with your specific needs and we'll help you to create memories that you'll always treasure.

In my own artwork...

• I've had a piece in the mixed media show at the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, NC. They selected my piece to use in the email promotion of the show, and I couldn't have been happier. I've even received a request from an arts organization in Raleigh for the possibility of a show in 2007 - 2008. I'll be entering another piece later this week for their text and numbers show. Wish me luck!
• My website was featured in a daily email dose of Artella. Yeah!
• I took an encaustics class from Lorna Wang with freinds Amy Smith and Jeanne Rheaa last week. WOW! is what I have to say. We had a great time, and the class was incredible. I'd highly recomend it if you have the chance. Watch for encaustics to begin showing up in my work soon.
• My eBay store is fully stocked, please visit soon.

Shows...

• In two weeks the First Annual Art in the Pines Show will be held in Pinehurst, North Carolina. I've been coordinating it with fellow artists in the area, and we're hoping for a big turnout. If you're in the area, plan to start your holiday shopping early with us. Further details and directions are available on my website. Please see the link to the left.

Personal...

• My business partner and dear friend Amy just received the deadline for her trip to Ethiopia to bring her beautiful new daughter home to her new family. Woo Hoo!

Well, I'll keep this quick. Thanks for stopping. Yinz'All come back now, said the Pittsburgh Girl from Rural North Carolina.

I've Arrived! .... at Artella

I'm so excited to say that I began working for Artella yesterday. The welcome has been exceedingly warm, and I'm thrilled with the opportunity.

Thanks again to all of you who've made me feel so at home.

Photos You Won't Want to Miss

Here are two long overdue photos that you won't want to miss. The first may be a bit boring to some; but to me it's thrilling to no end. This photo shows the new and improved plastic storage drawers in the studio space at Art for All Y'All. These came as a result of our organizational time about month or so ago, and they've been wonderful!

The second photo is a personal favorite of mine. My business partner in the studio is Amy Smith, and she's a fantastic mixed media artist. Well, Amy hates to have her picture taken; but she and her adorable son agreed to pose for me in this one.

Can you see the family resemblance?!?