Hello 2015!!!

Happy New Year!!!

I've always loved the beginning of a brand new year. A fresh start. 

Think of the possibilities!! 

I've started off this new year by getting my dreams and goals for my art biz down onto paper (yes I prefer an old fashioned paper notebook and pen) but I'm not going to share that on the blog. At least not today.

Today I'm just going to say 

Thank You

Thank you for stopping by and taking an interest. With all that you have to do, the fact that you take the time, come and visit, and read what I post here means a lot to me. I just want to say all the best for 2015. I hope it brings you health, happiness, and joy.

Is Anyone Even Reading This??

The universe sends us what we need when we need it. Of this I'm sure. If you read my blog with some regularity (Thank You!) you will have noticed that my posts have been few and far between. Of course a lovely long weekend in Chicago had something to do with this, but it's been like this for awhile now. I go through my 'phases' with technology, embracing it at times and wanting to get as far away from it as I can some days.

Most of the time I just want to be in the studio creating. Putting paint to canvas and working on my 10,000 hours so I can become a 'successful' artist. But that's only half of it. To be a 'successful' artist I must embrace the business side of it as well. Marketing myself. Getting my work out there in person via art shows or galleries and shouting 'here I am and here is my art, won't you buy some?' on Twitter and facebook. An artist friend suggested I get on Youtube. Me? Seriously?

And there it was in my inbox this morning. The email from Alyson B. Stanfield. An email with a link to artbizblog and an article titled 'A Simple Structure for Creating Content' (Insert cartoon bubble with the word POW here.) Now I've been reading artbizblog for awhile and I even have a copy of Alyson's book I'd Rather be in the Studio that I borrowed from a friend, but the timing of this email almost floored me.

Perhaps because I spent a good hour last night in discussion with E about feeling overwhelmed and stuck and stagnant in my art career. How I'm tired of having to blog when I feel that no one even reads it. How I feel ready to take it to the next level all the while trying to stifle the nasty voices in my head. The ones that say 'You can't do that' 'You should do this' 'Who do you think you are' etc. etc. Even if you're not an artist reading this, you probably know what I mean.

I've been feeling these rumblings for awhile now. Maybe 'creating content' will mean that I have to share more through this blog. I've always thought that my blog should be strictly business. Show what I'm working on, what influences my work at the moment, upcoming shows, to get an audience and of course to sell my art. But it can all seem very cold and impersonal. I always intended to keep my personal life out of it. And definitely no whining allowed!. I hate that.

So please be patient with me. Changes are happening. The irons are in the fire so to speak. I'll be working on my blogging skills and all that tech stuff. The blog will be changing and my website will be under construction for awhile. I will be reading artbizblog and brushing up on all that business stuff. Apparently you CAN teach an old dog new tricks :-)

See you Next year!

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays

Happy New Year

Things have gotten crazy busy and there's much to do this time of year. I'll be taking a break for Christmas and New Years so I won't be posting as often. Hopefully I can get into the studio to paint at some point in the next couple of weeks. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year. All the best for 2012. See you all next year.

See You in January 2011.

It's been fun preparing for our first Christmas in our new downtown loft. Decorating the condo has been kept to a minimum with a large bowl from Ikea filled with assorted Christmas balls. A smaller dish is filled with a homemade potpourri of anise stars, cloves and cinnamon sticks, and this year instead of a traditional tree, I've opted for a few decorated Dogwood branches displayed in an old champagne bucket. There's also a small tree with twinkly lights on our balcony.

There is just so much to be done now that this will be my last post of the year. I'm preparing for a major show that starts in January. Remember this post? Well I'm finishing up the new paintings that will be part of this 3 month solo show. I've also started a major clean up of my studio in preparation for some mixed media painting that I plan to do over the holidays. Yay!! some painting time just for me is always a treat.

The holidays will be spent close to home this year with immediate family. It's all very laid back and we even get to sleep in on Christmas morning, much different than when we had a little guy running around the house.

December 31st is a very special day as our "little guy" turns 19 this year. So it will be dinner out at his favorite restaurant and then a quiet night in for us after he's off to celebrate the night with his friends.

The week after Christmas and before New Years Eve has become a favorite time of year for me. All the craziness of shopping and preparing is done, Christmas celebrations are over and after the clean up there is time. Time to reflect on the year that's past and to anticipate all the possibilities for the new year ahead. Out with the old and in with the new. So I finish this last post of 2010 with a big

THANK YOU

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays

Happy New Year

See you all in January.

2011

A Giveaway Celebration.

It happened last week right after I returned from Vegas. Very quietly without any fanfare. I reached 300 posts on my little blog. So today I celebrate. I never imagined this day back when I started blogging. I felt so out of it and out of place diving into a sea of fabulous bloggers with so much to say and share and so many beautiful images. But it was the perfect way for me to share new work and my thoughts about being a working artist in my own little corner of the world.

Some days it's been hard squeezing in a post and there are times when I just can't get to it. New paintings have to be painted, galleries calling with requests for new work, commissions, keeping up with my Etsy shop and doing art "just for me". Add to all this daily family life and it can get crazy. I am truly grateful to be doing what I love.

And I am truly grateful to all my readers. Yes you!! Today I celebrate all my beautiful blog friends. Those that have stopped by from the very beginning and those that are just joining me.

Pink Sky 6x6 Mixed Media on board.

I'm having a little giveaway and here is the original mixed media painting that you can win. "Pink Sky" is from the series of mixed media paintings that I feature in my Etsy shop.You can view more of the series here and here and here. My poor little Etsy shop has been sitting empty for awhile and is long overdue for some new mixed media paintings. That's where you come in and how you can win this giveaway.

Leave a comment with this blogpost and tell me what sort of imagery you'd like to see in my shop. Nature-birds and trees, industrial-urban, retro, still life objects, steampunk, travel etc. I have definite ideas for a new series but I'm curious as to what sort of imagery you are into these days. I have a friend who is so obsessed with owl imagery it fills her home. So go ahead, leave your comment and you could win. Feel free to pass this on and tell your friends. The more the merrier at a blog party. Comments will close Sunday at midnight (east coast time) and I'll announce the winner on Monday October 18.

"Wind Lost" A New Painting

Wind Lost

40x40 Acrylic on Canvas

Today I wanted to share with you my newest large painting. If you're a regular reader, you know that I work on many paintings of various sizes at once. That way I can move from one to the next. Last week I finished 5 paintings and Wind Lost was the largest of the bunch. It was the only "skyscape" as the others were more land than sky. I must have my head in the clouds again as I'm finding that it's the subject that's calling to me lately.

I cannot take credit for the title. Wind Lost. How perfect is that title??? To me, it suits my painting beautifully. Wind Lost is Terri's beautiful blog and is turning 4 very soon. Check it out here. Wind Lost is one of the very first decor blogs that I started reading and fell in love with immediately. Such beautiful photos and eye candy. Terri shares bits of her home, decorating, her photos and her travels. She even blogs for HGTV.ca (way to go Terri!)

Wind Lost is 40x40 and acrylic on a thick gallery canvas. If you're interested in purchasing or want to know more details about it or my art just drop me an email.

Blossoming

Blossoming 40x40 Acrylic on Canvas
$2300.
Email me to purchase.

And so we've passed into a new year and a new decade. The winter solstice has come and gone and the daylight hours are getting longer instead of shorter. The promise of spring is near, although it's hard to believe on this incredibly frigid morning. I woke up today with my heart full of gratitude and a renewed spirit.

Last night we watched Julie and Julia, the Meryl Streep, Amy Adams flick about the French Chef Julia Child's start in the cooking industry and the turning 30 Julie Powell who cooks and blogs her way through Child's cookbook. I found it to be not only a delightful story, but quite an inspiring one as well. Find and follow your passion, don't let criticism and negativity slow you down, keep a positive attitude, and finish what you start, these are all the messages I got out of this story.

And so I began this morning with a coffee in hand and a brand new journal. I've started (and stopped) journalling a few times throughout my life and have never really given it the time and energy I could have. It wasn't what I needed or wanted at the time. Today, after a few chats about the process with a friend (Thanks Sherry!!) and a few weeks of thinking about what I will do with this year, I believe it's something that will be a useful tool for me. A new year, a new day, a new tool to help me on my journey of self discovery. After all, today is the first day of the rest of my life, right??

Christmas Vacation.

Hello Monday. How did you get here so fast? I could've used a few extra hours this weekend as I'm sure you could have. There's just so much to do now with Christmas in just a few days. I don't know what happened this year but it really sneaked up on me and I'm not prepared. Shopping's not finished, haven't started wrapping or baking and I was hit with a monster of a head cold so I've been in somewhat of a zombie state for a couple of days now. So today it's rest and lots of green tea with lemon and some home made garlic and ginger broth. Tomorrow it's an early start with a list and a smile. I won't be around here much as I'm taking a much needed Christmas vacation. To all my readers, thank you so much for your continued support. It's nice to know you're here. All the best for 2010.

The Pulse The State of the Art and Secret Sunday

If you're a regular reader of my blog then you know that I've been involved in a number of "out of the Box" venues this year. As well as my gallery work, I've been delving into mixed media quite a bit. I've been working with Inner Works on an altered books collaborative which is now winding down and we are each to receive our own books back. My book "Gifts from the Sea" will have pages altered by very talented Seth, Jill, Supria, Roxanne, and Veronica. It's through Inner Works that I got to know Seth, although I was well aware of his blog and his involvement with all things mixed media for quite awhile. So when I heard that Seth was working on the fourth edition of the Pulse - The State of the Art, I jumped right in and wanted to be a part of this online resource.

The Pulse - The State of the Art is a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. This fourth edition has over 200 artists participating. Stay tuned for The Pulse coming soon to The Altered Page. In edition to The Pulse, Seth has created Secret Sunday on his blog the Altered Page. Every Sunday your favorite artists will reveal a secret technique, a secret product, a secret source, a little known website, a hidden shop, an inspiration, just about anything. Bravo to Seth for organizing such a large number of creatives in this event. I'm really looking forward to reading what all the participating artists have to say.

The Evergreen Fair and The Vintage Gardener

I was fortunate to have won a pair of tickets to the Evergreen Fair presented by the Vintage Gardener. Reading so many blogs does have it's advantages as I discovered this ticket give away while reading favourite things blog. I then headed over to the budding gardener blog and left my comment and the tickets were won. Yesterday my friend Gabreila and I went to check it out. The Distillery is the old Gooderham and Worts distillery in downtown Toronto. It's a pedstrian only village and has many galleries and reataurants and shops as well as artist run studios. The Evergreen Fair was in the fermenting cellar, a huge space that's all exposed brick. A beautiful space to hold an event like this. There were venders selling lush greenery all bundled and ready for seasonal decorating. The scent of fir and spruce and lavender filled the room. We watched a demo by Elaine of the Vintage Gardener, and her 2 helpers, her son and Tara Nolan who writes the budding gardener blog. All in all it was a beautiful way to spend the day.

Distractions, Distractions.

Pidgeons 6x6 Mixed Media on Board

Sold Thank You

It's been three days of distractions in my studio and I've not been as productive in my painting as I'd like to be. There are so many things that need to be done that are part of being an artist and running an art business besides the actual painting.

There's the inspiration and creativity. For me, it sort of just happens and when there's a "lull" in this department I start to get worried. Then there's the studio part, the preparation of canvases and getting the ideas down. Varnishing, photographing, listing. and then there's the business part of it. Arranging shows and venues to sell the work, dealing with galleries, managing my on line shop and networking.

It's the networking that has taken me away from the easel this week. I just can't seem to get away from this computer and blogs. I've discovered many new blogs this week and as much as I enjoy reading and sharing it's begun to keep me away from the job at hand. I'll be painting and I'll hear that "bing" that means I have mail. This is how the conversation with myself goes.

"I'll just check it, it might be really important. Hmmm, not the email I was waiting for but since I'm here I'll just check my Google Reader" and then when I resurface I realize the paint has dried on my brush, so I pull myself away and get back to the painting. And so here I am again as I really wanted to get a post done today. Maybe I'll just close this laptop up for awhile and focus! And I'll post a "link love" post soon and share my new faves with you.

Art Interiors and Style at Home

Spring's Promise
Acrylic on Canvas 30x40, Sold.
As seen in Style at Home Magazine, October 2007

Birch Series II
Acrylic on Canvas 12x36

I dropped off 4 new paintings in my Birch Series to Art Interiors yesterday. I've noticed how these new smaller panels have evolved from the larger original painting seen above in a past issue of Style at Home Magazine. I've added more texture to these pieces and they have a much more abstract feel to them. It's through Art Interiors that I've been fortunate enough to have my work included in Style at Home Magazine 3 times, including the cover. Thank you Art Interiors and Style at Home. Major gratitude here!!

And yesterday I was re-introduced to Style at Home Magazine's online version. (Thanks Natalie!!) These Are A Few of My Favourite Things has been added to my daily must read blogs. Yes, I've visited the site many times before but couldn't take the time to really get into it. Besides, one of MY favourite things is taking a break from my studio and heading to my nearest Indigo. I purchase the newest issue of Style at Home Magazine and my usual latte from Starbucks and spend a good hour or so flipping through the pages. There's so much in every issue and the eye candy is the best. So now it looks like I'll be curling up with my laptop and and catching up with Style at Home online as well. I think I'll enter the makeover contest going on right now. Check it out here. I'd love to win a $2000 gift card from The Home Depot. OK, so now I'm visualizing how my studio would look after a makeover. I'm thinking built ins on one wall and my own sink so I wouldn't have to use our kitchen sink. New lighting. New storage, new flooring, hmmmmmmm......

Link Love #4

Birds on a Line 4x4 Acrylic on Canvas
Click here to purchase

It's been awhile since I did a Link Love post and it's not because I'm not reading blogs any more. In fact I'm reading more than ever and I keep finding new ones everyday. Sometimes I find it hard to tear myself away from the monitor because there's just one more blog I must read before I get to work. Some are artists that I admire and like their work, fellow Etsy sellers, design and decor driven, and compelling stories of everyday life. So here is a short list of some of my faves lately in no particular order. Happy reading and have a great weekend!!

Kim Hambric Art
Pie and Beach
Yellowgoat
Everyday Possibilities
Heather Smith Jones
Paintblog
Owning Pink
Nest Decorating
Art Esprit
Poppytalk
Decor Addict
Self Taught Artist

A New Year

January 1st in Montreal Canada

And so here we are. It's 2009. Was it not just yesterday that we ushered in a new millennium? Seems so. I have a very optimistic feeling about this year. I guess I'd rather see that glass half full as opposed to half empty. How about you? I started my blog exactly one year ago and I reached 100 posts in that one year. It's coming along quite nicely I think, and is slowly growing in the direction that I've mapped out. I've also met some wonderful blogging friends along this journey. While taking some time off I came up with this little blog manifesto.
1. I started my blog for shameless self promotion. It is to be a vehicle to get my art and my name "out there". To inform my readers, collectors and clients about upcoming events and gallery shows that I'm participating in.
2. This blog works together with my website, other blog(s) and Etsy shop to promote my artwork and (hopefully) increase sales.
3. I will openly and honestly share my creative process as a way to inspire and ignite a creative spark in others.
4. I will share as best I can the positive and negative aspects of what it's like (for me) to be living a creative life as a proffessional working artist.
5. I will share aspects of my personal life and "what's going on in my world" but I will not share all the details of my personal life.

Link Love II

This little watercolor painting is part of my Holiday Collection-affordable, original, one of a kind artworks, matted and ready to frame or wrap. Great to give as a gift or give to yourself. See it and more here in my shop.

Happy Marvelous Monday!! Did you have a great weekend? Saturday was a marathon drive for us as we drove to Ottawa to pick up some of my work from a gallery there. It was about 4 1/2 hours driving each way. After collecting my work we met friends for a very quick lunch and then made our way back. The skies were gray with showers on and off, most of the leaves had already fallen, and we saw lots of Canada geese flying about. All in all a great day.

I want to start today's post by thanking Tammy." Thank you so much-you are so kind!!" Tammy had won my last giveaway and posted about it here. Check out her Etsy shop as she's got some very nice Christmas kits available now, along with all her other beautiful items. Through Tammy's blog, I came across Sharon's blog. Sharon and husband Damein of Mana Moon Studios create fantastic beaded and wired jewelery and some awsome chain maille!!! I also discovered Sherry's blog Esprit d'Art. Sherry, I was pleased to find out is a fellow Torontonian and mixed media artist. You can check out her shop here. I've come across so many wonderful artist bloggers that inspire me immensely. I cannot begin to name them all as I'd be here all day and I really have a long list of "to do's" today. To see some gorgeous photograhy and artwork check out Misty Mawn, Kelley Rae, Sophia Barao.

50th Blog Post Celebration Giveaway!!

It's here!!! This is my 50th blog post and I'm celebrating it by having a giveaway of one of my original miniature paintings.

50 posts. Not many I know, but I've met so many wonderful bloggers and virtual friends that I wanted to celebrate in a very special way. "Poppyfield" is an original mini acrylic painting on a stretched canvas. It measures just 3"x5" and is similar to the poppyfield painting available in my Etsy shop. It regularly retails for $50. YOU can win this original painting just by leaving a comment on this specific blog post for up to one week. (closes Sept. 10, 11:59 pm) The lucky person's name will be posted on Friday September 12 and then I'll get the winner's mailing address and send out their prize!!!

Good Luck Everyone!!!!

More Mixed Media and Giveaway news!

Here's another mixed media painting that I finished recently. "Urban Trees" 12x12. This one was really fun to work on. I textured the surface with acrylic molding paste first and then added a small square of Japanese paper that has leaves embedded in it. I painted, and stamped and glazed and painted some more. When I work on my mixed media pieces, the studio becomes a great big mess. I work on many pieces at a time so there are papers and scraps all over. I find it really enjoyable especially when the finished paintings start appearing out of the chaos. I'm not sure where this piece will end up yet. Perhaps in my online shop.

It's almost that time!!! What a great way to end a wonderful summer. I'm having a giveaway!! Back in my blogpost titiled "A Little R&R" I mentioned that you can have a chance to win one of 3 original paintings. The first giveaway will be in the first week of September. I'll post a photo of my painting and just by leaving me a comment, You'll have a chance to win it. So stay tuned!!!

Blogging Class Completed! TGIF!!

I finished my blogging course today. Why a course on blogging you ask? I could've picked it up on my own, I know. Google Blogger makes it so easy that anyone can understand, but I knew it would be more fun (at least for me) with others that are just learning too. One student even brought in her copy of "Blogging for Dummies". Thanks Gabriela for sharing your knowledge. You rock!!

This weekend will be spent enjoying the warm weather, buying art supplies, planning our summer vacation and watching the Formula 1 race in Monaco. The painting above "Misty Lake" was inspired by time spent in the Thousand Islands a few years ago.

Read my blog-Please

One of the newest trends these days is blogging. It seems that anyone and everyone has a blog. Even fictional characters on prime time TV shows have blogs, such as Barney Stinson, the "suited up" womanizer on CBS's How I Met Your Mother. I attended a marketing seminar last night at Visual Arts Ontario. Thanks Kim!! It was a wonderful and very informative talk that you gave. The seminar dealt with online marketing. A very broad topic especially for a newbie such as myself. So much to learn so little time!! We talked about blogging and what an effective tool it can be for an artist. It not only serves me as an online journal, it also connects me with potential clients and other artists and well, people in general. And let's face it, working in the studio can be isolating at the best of times so blogging is a nice break from that.

My blog is a work in progress and will only get bigger and better. I chose Google's Blogger for my blog as it is very easy to use. It will be a place for me to show new works and works in progress, chat about the ups and downs of being a working artist, and yes sometimes even rant. I have signed up for an "Artful Blogging" course being taught by paper artist/designer/instructor Gabriela Delworth and this will be very helpful to get my blog looking just the way I want. I suppose I could do this by myself but I find it much more helpful and fun this way. So, I'm working very hard at this, read my blog-Please!!!