Creative Block. Fabulous..

Still bored....and still not sure what I'm doing with this painting.  I haven't had a creative block in a long time.  Ugh.  I bought a book a few months ago called "Thinking Creatively, New Ways to Unlock Your Visual Imagination".  Am going to dive into it tonight, hopefully it will help.  I don't even know why I feel bored because I do have so much to do.  I need to update the Third Friday Medford map for March, adding another street block in perspective and hopefully find a local restaurant that will do some type of green sample food in Vogel for the art walk.  I also met with my friend Jeannena yesterday.  She's my source for all things Jacksonville.  She asked me if I would do the promotional material for Jacksonville Celebrates the Arts.  I'm excited about the project although I've never done anything like that before.  Of course my first question was...."can I use my art in the flyers"?  One track mind...getting my name out there so my business will grow.  Sometimes I feel pushy or driven but others I give myself a break and acknowledge that I'm in survival mode.  I can either figure out how to build my creative self into a business that will support my future, or I can go back to work in an office.  I think I would wither away and die if I sat in an escrow office again.

Who Has Time?

Tonight I realized I was bored.  This is not a feeling I've had very often in my life.  I think it's because my art is a little unbalanced right now.  I've been working on the business side of my art and haven't taken the time to create.  So I jumped in....not sure yet where this is going but at least it's headed somewhere!

Tiara by Cindy Kahoun

I'm planning to go to the Grants Pass Art Walk for the first time on March 2nd from 6-9.  Artist friend Cindy Kahoun, who is the director at Gallery One is a featured artist.  I love her work.  Hope some of you from Medford and Jville will have a chance to head down.

Cindy's exhibit is called "Tiara".  She sent a tiara home from Gramma.  G was thrilled!

This Friday's Art Walk in Medford

This is the flyer for this Third Friday's Art Walk in downtown Medford.  We're trying to build interest by highlighting special events each month.

This is February's map.  I'm making a list of changes that I want to make by next month, but for a first run I'm happy with it.  If you are a downtown merchant and have something to add, please contact me.  The goal for this gallery map is to include any retailers who stay open for the Art Walk and specifically highlight anything that reflects the art in our area.

Finished Display

The finished product.  I like it!  I think chopping off the heads puts the focus on the necklaces.  Now I just need to spend some time in the woodshop building them!

Off With Their Heads!

In the end, I HATED the styrofoam wig heads as displays.  So now I'm trying to cut out a silhouette and see how that works. 

I have two painted.  One is black, one is silver.  I think I like the black one better, although it doesn't show up well in this photo.  I'm still debating on the head, it overtakes the display.  I may chop it off and just leave a partial neck.

So I chopped off their necks in photoshop.  Hmm.....still not sure what I think, but my initial thought is that I like it better.  "Off with their heads!"

Third Friday Art Walk Map

Today was an interesting day.  I've been working on a map for the downtown Medford galleries for the Third Friday Art Walk.  I was at Art du Jour today for my co-op one-day-per-month workday and was able to get outside for a bit, so I took the opportunity to visit the local businesses shown on my map.  The goal was to find out which businesses stay open for the Art Walk, which is 5-8 pm on the third friday of each month.  I met some great people, but also walked into a few hornet's nests.  The good thing is....I hate politics, even small town politics, so was able to plead "new girl in town" innocence....which in fact I am.  I have managed thus far to avoid getting involved.  Anyway, I hope the map helps get people to the downtown area.  I think i will pass them out around the area, try to build some interest.

Styrofoam Heads

Texturizing styrofoam wig heads.  Never a dull moment.  ;)
Today was a good day.  I stopped by a few of my retailers and dropped off the dog displays.  I love the response.  I hope the customers have a good response as well.  I have some new ideas spinning around in my head.  I wish I had enough time for everything I want to do.

I just got my styrofoam wig heads in the mail.  I'm so excited!  This is the start of displays for my necklace/card sets.  

Happiness

I felt so happy today!!  When I started my art business almost 3 years ago, I would go out on the apartment deck, set up my table saw on the floor (it barely fit) and piss off the neighbors by hammering and sawing to build my canvases.  Not only did I annoy everyone around me but it was pretty unsafe.  Today I just finished building a table for my miter saw, a table for Mom's scroll saw and a work table.  The work table is even big enough to build a canvas on top of, no more nailing on the floor!

Not only does this hugely impact my art business, but on a personal level I feel like I'm home.  In the past years, whenever life felt lonely (often) or cold, I would think about working in my dad's woodshop at the Winchuck with the sun shining.  I've often missed how simple life was back then.  Today, standing in G's garage, realizing that my parents and Gramma have given me back my security and peace.  I have a woodshop and studio.  I have sunshine most days.  I have people who love me closeby.  I think the only thing missing is my girls.  I miss them terribly.

I spend so much time in Home Depot with all of my projects they are starting to recognize me (poor them).  ;)  These are Dianne and Brandon.  I forced them to pose for me.  It is people like this who help me build my business, whether they realize the extent of their help or not.

And even while taking pics of the workbenches....what I notice are the vertical lines of the tables and the shadows from the sun.  Cool graphics.

Delivering the Immys

Immy came with me to deliver the first round of Immys.  We had a great response, which makes me so happy.  It's hard to design something and then wait to see the response.  We went to Medford and Ashland today.  Dropped off Immys at two retailers and got orders for 2 more.  Yay!  That means two new retailers!  I'm up to 16 now and my goal for 2012 is to have 25.  Hopefully I will exceed that goal.

Immy needs a fluff cut.  She cracks me up though, so funny.  She was posing, like she knew she was supposed to, but the sun was in her eyes, so most of the shots looked like this.  It cracks me up that she just kept posing but closed her eyes.

Working on the Immys

I have six of them done.  Finally!!  I just need the pet tags, which might be here tomorrow.  Then I will package them, hang a few on the collar and take them to my retailers.  Happy, happy!

Trying to think of everything needed, I made a little box for the back of the display to hold the order forms for personalized tags.  I also put a little bit of information about "Where's Immy?"