...How To Be a Successful Failure and a Really Cool Loser All At The Same Time...

Become a fine artist!!! 

Yes friends, you too can learn how to gain respect, notoriety, lots of friends all the while earning next to nothing!!!
All kidding and joking aside, it's been a challenging couple months of stress and anxiety over where am I going to find the money for this and that.....
It's been difficult trying to fight off the depression while trying to stoke my creative drive. 
My solution, hole myself up in the studio for that short dose of dopamine bliss interspersed with moments of leaky eyes and thoughts of 'why do I even try?'....

So today I am telling myself to take a huge dose of ------------------------------->
buck up and quit yer crying you big friggin baby!!!!
Crying and complaining doesn't earn praise or create progress!!
Nobody wants to hear your whining and woe is me carrying on!!
So how's my self deprecating pep talk going so far? Good, good! I'm feeling better already!

Here is what I love about people who try to cheer you up....most honestly have no experience for empathy so honestly, trying to 'discuss' things with folks who don't understand, only makes you feel even worse......so time to BUCK UP!!! And now I'm done....I feel better... I really do!  No honestly, I do because I know some artistic,  self deprecating sap might possibly read this and say YES!!!!! So there you go...I too feel what you feel...now let's paint!

...Art News...

Elkhart's Midwest Museum of American Art (photo accredited to their website)

I received an email on Friday from Brian Byrn, the museum's curator, inviting me to be one of the guest speakers at one of their signature 'Noon Time Talks',  held each Thursday afternoon over the lunch hour. It's open to the public and museum members alike. Looks like it will be sometime in the month of June.
I've been invited to speak on the art of the 'still life'. I am excited to do this! I have some non traditional methods that I think some folks will find enjoyable and educational , at least I hope so anyways.
I have a couple months to prepare something so I promise it will be worth your time to attend and participate. I will also bring some new work and a few works in progress so as to show/explain my techniques. I'll chat about how I start a project, from conception to birth, so to speak.

...In the Studio...

   Well, have been working on quite a few things lately. I have a series of smaller works that I have been doing to try and create some affordable works geared  towards average folks like me who don't have a gazillion dollars to spend on art. 

I am calling it the 'IGBTP Series'...that's an acronym(which means another term for) for 'I Got's Bill's To Pay'. It's a tongue in cheek way of saying, yea, I still have to pay for the water bill, phone bill, gas for my car, deodorant, soap, etc....and I have to sell art to do it! ;)

Seriously...it's good work for a fair price....because after all, when I am famous, cold and dead...some unsuspecting person is going to make BANK!!! I'm just sayin!!!

So here are the small painting's I created for the IGBTP Series (and I have sold a couple so you better snatch them up while you can).

 

All of the paintings shown above are all 3" x 3" except for the last one, 'The Boats en Miniature', it is 7.5" x 5". Out of this group, 'My Rose', 'Tea Time' and 'Sushi Anyone?' have all been sold. The rest are available on my Etsy page.

...Works In Progress...

I actually have a few things near completion and one that are in full mid-progress mode at the moment. I feel like I am creating some of my best work at the moment. I have some great ideas in my head for some upcoming still life's I'll be putting together. Anyways enough talking...here is what I have going.... 

This is what I am currently in the middle of right now. It's pretty good sized too.   I actually have it quite a bit further along that what is shown here but I didn't see the point in boring anyone with more unfinished photos. Right now I have pretty well defined and shaped all the grains of rice, knocked them back with tonal grays, started bringing forward some highlights, amping up some colors and knocking others back.

I am also almost done with 'MOoo' here. I still have more work to do on the leaves in the background. I have started softening the lower branches and the treeline in the far back. Need to add a bit of soft opaque color to heighten the illusion of atmospheric distance. The cow is pretty much done save for a few small tweaks here and there. I might heighten the value in her eye to give it a a more wet, reflective quality.

I finally finished 'Smartie Smartie'. I have already given it a coat of intermediate varnish and have been letting it dry enough to give a final coat. This photo was taken pre-varnish so the colors are a bit sunken and flat. Let me tell you, this thing POPPED with vibrancy right when I applied the retouch varnish! WOW does it look good! I did take a photo but I had to take it at such an angle to reduce the glare. It was still hard to get it to accurately portray the depth. So once it's dry enough to take a better photo, I'll post it up.  I am actually VERY proud and happy with this painting. My husband hates it but his opinion really doesn't count anymore IMO... ;)  (I've stopped showing him what I'm working on so as not to get depressed)

...Cool Stuff Not Art Related...

Oh yea baby!!!! Garden 2015 has begun!!!! I even dug the snow off the garden 2 weekends ago and put up my cold frame!! I already have kale, spinach and tomatoes sprouted...soon it will be time to transplant the kales and the spinach into the cold frame so that I get a great harvest this year.

This year's tomatoes are 'BlackSea Man', a Russian heirloom variety(medium large beefsteak type) that is purplish-green when fully ripe. These are the BEST tasting tomatoes I have ever eaten in my life...swear to GERD!!! This will make the third year in a row that I have grown them. I also planted a new heirloom paste tomato. This is the first year I have grown the 'Sheboygan' variety, which also happens to be a Russian strain. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one does. I kind of like the Russian strains because they tend to be more cold tolerant. Our last two summers have been craptasticly cooler so that's why I'm leaning towards those strains.

As far as what hot peppers I am growing, or trying to grow, this year: Mucho Nacho jalapenos(hybrid), Trindad Scorpian peppers, Bhut Jalokia(Ghost) peppers and Medusa (ornamental/edible hybrid). (I decided not to grow a schitload of peppers this years for a change)

I also have a bunch of other stuff like squashes, greens, beans, cukes, rhubarb...but those don't count as much as the tomatoes and peppers do!!!

Oh and this epic tidbit!!! FINALLY going to go see Primus in concert after all these years of being a devoted fan!!!! Can't wait to see Les Claypool and the rest of the freaks at the State Theater in Kazoo on April 11th for the 'Primus and The Chocolate Factory Tour'!!!!!! Going with my brother Tim and my nephew Bill....should be a GREAT time!!!! :D

OK, so yea....I'm about tired of writing now! My work this weekend updating the blog and completely rebuilding my website is now done, thank GOODNESS!!

I think I want to drink a beer now, turn on a movie and relax....been a busy weekend filled with computer work.... 

Now I need to chill and gear up for how much fun painting that sushi is going to be tomorrow because THAT will be the most favorite part of my day tomorrow...good coffee, good music, no distractions and paint, glorious paint!!! :)

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading...

Kath