I think I want to move that reflection on the glass more to the left.
30.7.11
28.7.11
Canvas panels aside for now, I wanted to do something of my own today, something I can possibly sell. I started a painting of a distressed adirondack chair on a beach, its large.... 55"x 60". I can see this over a mantel in a Florida home. Not sure what I'll add at this point, still thinking about it.
27.7.11
Lovely........today's mail contained my shut off notice from the electric company, looks like Monday is the magic day, and the first bill from the hospital stay.....the hole just keeps getting deeper.
I started on the canvas panels today even though the client won't be around until September....I needed to get lost in something. It isn't finished.
I started on the canvas panels today even though the client won't be around until September....I needed to get lost in something. It isn't finished.
26.7.11
Well, little good news to post about today. Still no new mural work and no sales of my paintings or things I've listed on Craigslist. The potential hospital job told me today that they are not in a position to commit to anything right now and the powder room job (for the large painting client) is now in question as she's undecided now on what she wants to do. So........its a pretty daunting feeling not having rent money and I just got my doubled up utility bill which puts me in jeopardy of having that cut off. Still as I've said before, if I do have to leave I won't owe anyone anything.....my landlord has a security deposit and the utility company does as well. I've got eight days left on my phone service, but hey....I use email mostly anyway, luckily I have free internet. Oh gosh.......then there's the car insurance the first of the month.....ah maaannnn!
I wrote to dailypainters dot com this morning to see what was involved in listing with them, hoping obviously to get more exposure for my work. Silly me.....I don't know why I didn't expect that there would be a fee involved, so although they like my work, I don't have money to join. So I remain hidden.
So...........some good news....it looks like the hospital bill will be taken care of, it will go down as a charity case. I will still however be responsible for all the doctor bills involved with that stay.
A charity case....wow....its so strange to hear that. I know I have nothing, but I never thought I'd be a charity case....it doesn't seem real.......from once painting murals for multi-million dollar mansions to being a charity case.....now that's humbling indeed..........damn.
I wrote to dailypainters dot com this morning to see what was involved in listing with them, hoping obviously to get more exposure for my work. Silly me.....I don't know why I didn't expect that there would be a fee involved, so although they like my work, I don't have money to join. So I remain hidden.
So...........some good news....it looks like the hospital bill will be taken care of, it will go down as a charity case. I will still however be responsible for all the doctor bills involved with that stay.
A charity case....wow....its so strange to hear that. I know I have nothing, but I never thought I'd be a charity case....it doesn't seem real.......from once painting murals for multi-million dollar mansions to being a charity case.....now that's humbling indeed..........damn.
24.7.11
I'm too distracted today to try painting so on today's agenda.....cleaning out drawers. For someone with so little, I don't know how I manage to collect so much paper work. Yesterday I took inventory of all my furniture, photographed it and got it listed on Craigslist.....things I can live without.
I'll also email the client who had talked about more work and see if that's going to happen or not, that way my direction will be decidedly clear......I hate not knowing and I don't want to sit here and harbor false hope. I need to be able to tell my landlord whether of not I'm going to be able to pay the rent, I don't want to hold him up from beginning his search for a new tenant, especially in the current market ......its pretty slow here this time of year.
Alright then........things to do.
I'll also email the client who had talked about more work and see if that's going to happen or not, that way my direction will be decidedly clear......I hate not knowing and I don't want to sit here and harbor false hope. I need to be able to tell my landlord whether of not I'm going to be able to pay the rent, I don't want to hold him up from beginning his search for a new tenant, especially in the current market ......its pretty slow here this time of year.
Alright then........things to do.
23.7.11
5:15 a.m., can't sleep. This morning I just feel sad......ok.......sad and defeated. When I started this blog it was with the intent of helping young artists who were new to this business......what a laugh. Now?.......I'm wondering if I should sell the only thing I have left of any value, a twenty year old car with no AC and a power steering leak. I'm picturing my possessions all quivering in their spots waiting to learn which one is going to be offered up on Craigslist today.........there now, that gave me a giggle.
I do have some decisions to make though and actually the timing ......well, I don't want to say its good but......my lease is up for renewal in August, so if I do have to leave I can at least live out my last months security deposit, that buys me a couple of more weeks, but that also leaves me with no money to move on.......what a dilemma.
I think I need to start planning for this.
I finally got the large painting sealed yesterday, prompted by a call from its owner who wanted to pick it up. She was on her way to a clients in Miami from her home north of me.........I had told tell her I couldn't deliver it to her without leaving with a deposit for the next job she had talked about me doing because I had only a half tank of gas left in my car and $2.37 left in the bank, the drive would have emptied my tank. As it is she'll be back down this way again next week and it (and the hippo) will be ready for her to pick up (they were paid for weeks ago)............no mention of my situation or the next job she had talked about.
So today I can get those off the wall and the three panels up for the ocean paintings and get that started. I'm still owed a couple of hundred on those, but this client won't be back in town until September, not enough (or soon enough) to bail me out of my present situation. Still I need to have them done before I would have to leave here......my two options will be to crash with a friend or sleep in my car and either one will not give me the space to work on these three 40"x 40" panels. So that's where my focus will be for now.........getting the ocean paintings done and out of the way.
I do have some decisions to make though and actually the timing ......well, I don't want to say its good but......my lease is up for renewal in August, so if I do have to leave I can at least live out my last months security deposit, that buys me a couple of more weeks, but that also leaves me with no money to move on.......what a dilemma.
I think I need to start planning for this.
I finally got the large painting sealed yesterday, prompted by a call from its owner who wanted to pick it up. She was on her way to a clients in Miami from her home north of me.........I had told tell her I couldn't deliver it to her without leaving with a deposit for the next job she had talked about me doing because I had only a half tank of gas left in my car and $2.37 left in the bank, the drive would have emptied my tank. As it is she'll be back down this way again next week and it (and the hippo) will be ready for her to pick up (they were paid for weeks ago)............no mention of my situation or the next job she had talked about.
So today I can get those off the wall and the three panels up for the ocean paintings and get that started. I'm still owed a couple of hundred on those, but this client won't be back in town until September, not enough (or soon enough) to bail me out of my present situation. Still I need to have them done before I would have to leave here......my two options will be to crash with a friend or sleep in my car and either one will not give me the space to work on these three 40"x 40" panels. So that's where my focus will be for now.........getting the ocean paintings done and out of the way.
20.7.11
A fellow artist (and friend I hope) Janet Nelson got a great write up in her local paper "The Sandpaper' in Long Beach Island, N.J.
I love her work (and own a piece:-) because its just as the paper says....it makes you smile.
Since ebay was a real bust I've turned my attention back to Etsy for my paintings......honestly, I don't know if I'm just a glutton for punishment or someone who refuses to give up. I decided to see if buying a 24 hr 'showcase' spot will make a difference in how many views my items/paintings get, it starts July 28th......we'll see. Thank goodness for 'billing' cause I don't even have the $7.00 it cost to buy this spot.
I love her work (and own a piece:-) because its just as the paper says....it makes you smile.Since ebay was a real bust I've turned my attention back to Etsy for my paintings......honestly, I don't know if I'm just a glutton for punishment or someone who refuses to give up. I decided to see if buying a 24 hr 'showcase' spot will make a difference in how many views my items/paintings get, it starts July 28th......we'll see. Thank goodness for 'billing' cause I don't even have the $7.00 it cost to buy this spot.
19.7.11
Well it looks like I'm no threat to those fabulous daily painters out there.....my favorite painting so far 'radish' didn't get any bids at all on ebay :-( so it will become part of my private collection...........ha...........I imagine along with all the rest of them that are still waiting for no one to even look at them. You're suppose to say that last bit while screaming.
Bitter?......yeah a bit. I keep remembering something my first husband said to me once......"your never going to find that diamond at the bottom of a cracker jack box"(wasn't that a line in a song?), and that's exactly how I feel. I keep spinning my wheels online looking for that big break and what I get is frustration and disappointment.
OK.........so I've got some work to focus on so I'll let that go.............again.
Bitter?......yeah a bit. I keep remembering something my first husband said to me once......"your never going to find that diamond at the bottom of a cracker jack box"(wasn't that a line in a song?), and that's exactly how I feel. I keep spinning my wheels online looking for that big break and what I get is frustration and disappointment.
OK.........so I've got some work to focus on so I'll let that go.............again.
Yeah....the canvas has arrived all safe and sound! These guys were so careful in how they packaged them..I was impressed! Now I'm really anxious to get those other canvases off the wall so I have room to start these.
Today I'm going to focus on finishing this canvas up....its still hanging on my wall, the client is out of town until the 23rd. She just wants some palm leaves added in the center at the top, and the foliage behind the giraffes touched with a brighter green, less blue-ish. Then I'll seal it, roll it up, and wait for delivery.
I've also got to make some changes to this hippo done for her. She wants the head in a tilted position to make her look a little more flirty and of course she wants red lips added, so I'll try and tackle that today as well.
And finally the canvases for this project are due to arrive today and I'm anxious to get this started. This is the sketch below that I did for her.
Each canvas is 40"x 40". I'm really anxious for this delivery. I had checked out the canvas at a local shop and each piece was $88+tx.....I didn't want to spend that much......heck.....I didn't have that much to spend! So, online I went and I found the CanvasPlace. They had a listing on ebay, but I ordered through their website because of the quantity I needed. They have a deal, a pack of two 40"x 40" 1.5" deep gallery wrapped for $85 plus shipping of course. But I needed three......keep this in mind if you order from them....rather than them packaging all three together which would have elevated the shipping cost to an 'over sized' rate, it was actually cheaper to send them as two separate packages (saved $16). Even with the shipping I was able to save about $60 under what I would have had to spend had I bought them from the only place they were available locally.
I've also got to make some changes to this hippo done for her. She wants the head in a tilted position to make her look a little more flirty and of course she wants red lips added, so I'll try and tackle that today as well.
And finally the canvases for this project are due to arrive today and I'm anxious to get this started. This is the sketch below that I did for her.
Each canvas is 40"x 40". I'm really anxious for this delivery. I had checked out the canvas at a local shop and each piece was $88+tx.....I didn't want to spend that much......heck.....I didn't have that much to spend! So, online I went and I found the CanvasPlace. They had a listing on ebay, but I ordered through their website because of the quantity I needed. They have a deal, a pack of two 40"x 40" 1.5" deep gallery wrapped for $85 plus shipping of course. But I needed three......keep this in mind if you order from them....rather than them packaging all three together which would have elevated the shipping cost to an 'over sized' rate, it was actually cheaper to send them as two separate packages (saved $16). Even with the shipping I was able to save about $60 under what I would have had to spend had I bought them from the only place they were available locally.
17.7.11
OK.......I just posted another ad on bedandbreakfast.com looking for a live-in position. I did get some response the last time I posted in 2008 but the opportunities were far away from family, so this time I've tried to be more specific.......cross your fingers.
14.7.11
13.7.11
10.7.11
8.7.11
6.7.11
I actually did this painting a couple of years ago and decided to freshen it up and offer it up on my Daily Paintings site.
5.7.11
3.7.11
And Just For Fun
I thought I'd take a break from the bird paintings and do one of something most everyone has around the house.
I noticed that almost all daily painters create paintings of common everyday things like fruits and veggies, eggs are popular too. So, to be a little different I chose the potato :-). Looks like I'd better use these soon...lol.
I noticed that almost all daily painters create paintings of common everyday things like fruits and veggies, eggs are popular too. So, to be a little different I chose the potato :-). Looks like I'd better use these soon...lol.
Two New Bird Paintings
Got two more birds done so far today.....a Red Bellied Woodpecker and a Pacific Slope Flycatcher.
Remember if you can't afford to purchase one of my daily paintings, you can purchase a chance to win one for just a dollar :-)
Remember if you can't afford to purchase one of my daily paintings, you can purchase a chance to win one for just a dollar :-)
AND THE WINNER OF THE GOLDFINCH PAINTING IS...........
Edlira from Korsor, Denmark
Congratulations Edlira
Seems we've come into our rainy season here in Florida and it feels like another great day to paint. I'm going to work on a few more bird paintings I think.
Yesterday I pointed you in the direction of the shiftinglight blog and I took another look at it this morning, I really like this guys work. While I was on his site I clicked on the 'book' link to see what that was about and it took me to this really cool app (BookBuzzr) that lets you flip through some of the pages of his book. Curious....I went to the site the app came from......freado.com.
How cool is this.......you can win free books on this site. You just play some fun silly games to collect points and then use those points to bid on books. If you love books, check it out.
And here's the direct link to flip through some of Julian's book.
Here is this weeks painting that you can win.
Westie With Red Ball
5"x 7" on canvas board
Good Luck!
Drawing on 7/10/2011
Congratulations Edlira
Seems we've come into our rainy season here in Florida and it feels like another great day to paint. I'm going to work on a few more bird paintings I think.
Yesterday I pointed you in the direction of the shiftinglight blog and I took another look at it this morning, I really like this guys work. While I was on his site I clicked on the 'book' link to see what that was about and it took me to this really cool app (BookBuzzr) that lets you flip through some of the pages of his book. Curious....I went to the site the app came from......freado.com.
How cool is this.......you can win free books on this site. You just play some fun silly games to collect points and then use those points to bid on books. If you love books, check it out.
And here's the direct link to flip through some of Julian's book.
Here is this weeks painting that you can win.
Westie With Red Ball
5"x 7" on canvas board
Good Luck!Drawing on 7/10/2011
2.7.11
I was up early today and as usual brought my coffee to where I start every day.....in front of the computer. I decided to search for 'ways to sell your paintings'. I'm not sure if that was a good idea or not. Right now I'm feeling like I should be sitting in a tiny child's chair in front of a tiny child's table with a coloring book and a box of crayons.
I tripped onto a 2006 article in USAtoday about daily painters. Useful information yes.....I learned of some art auction sites that I hadn't heard of before. But I also followed some links to look at the work of the subjects of the article. One in particular now has a new fan.............me!
I hope he, Julian Merrow-Smith, won't mind me sharing just a couple of his works here.
A self portrait (I'm assuming ) it was one of many...
Love this........
And this............
And this............
You have to go and look at this page that has every painting he's done since 2005....it blew me away. And scroll all the way down the page first (as he rightly suggests) where his earliest works are and watch as you scroll towards the top how his work progresses. I just found it amazing (and encouraging) to see how his work grew and improved over time......fascinating.
This painting (approximately 5"x 7") just sold at auction for $418......
Yes........I just let out a heavy sigh. Why do I torture myself...lol.
I tripped onto a 2006 article in USAtoday about daily painters. Useful information yes.....I learned of some art auction sites that I hadn't heard of before. But I also followed some links to look at the work of the subjects of the article. One in particular now has a new fan.............me!
I hope he, Julian Merrow-Smith, won't mind me sharing just a couple of his works here.
A self portrait (I'm assuming ) it was one of many...
Love this........
And this............
And this............
You have to go and look at this page that has every painting he's done since 2005....it blew me away. And scroll all the way down the page first (as he rightly suggests) where his earliest works are and watch as you scroll towards the top how his work progresses. I just found it amazing (and encouraging) to see how his work grew and improved over time......fascinating.This painting (approximately 5"x 7") just sold at auction for $418......
Yes........I just let out a heavy sigh. Why do I torture myself...lol.
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