I've added another ACEO painting on ebay with a new incentive to sell....I need a new car, 22 yrs is asking a lot of a car and it's time to replace her with something more safe.

You can check out all my ACEO auctions HERE

I've got two ACEO paintings on ebay that are ending soon.

Car update:  I picked it up on Friday from the mechanics, a new EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve was put in and carbon cleaned from the ports and they cleaned the IRC  (idle air control) valve as well.  There may still be some issues with (original to the car) hoses that need replacing (small holes or cracks) not a surprise for a 22 yr old car, but I do believe she's running better her real test will be a longer drive tomorrow.

I was led to an interesting artist blog yesterday with some interesting information on marketing.  Some of the articles are older and some of the links take you to the same article (a little frustrating) but weeding through it some helpful insight/information none the less and I really appreciate the honesty in the writing.

Why am I not surprised....damn!  I got a message from the seller of the chairs today saying the listing was a mistake and it was suppose to be a local sale.  Why would they even bother to list a shipping cost if it was a local sale? If I had a bigger car I'd frigging go pick them up (they're just outside NY City)....like I said.......damn!

Whew Whoo!!!!  I won the six chairs for $1.29 that's one dollar and twenty nine cents!!  And shipping was only $14 and change.
I can't wait to go fabric shopping and re-do these babies :-)

Do you believe this?!.....the car is back in the shop today, damn!.....and I'm out of money til the end of the week.  I was coming home from a job and felt the car idling rougher and rougher, then looked down and saw the check engine light on.  I hope this will finally zero in on whats been bothering her.

Of the eight ACEO paintings I had listed on ebay the Figs and Vase sold but just for its opening bid.....$15

And I've got a little over an hour to go to see if anyone bids on the Eggplant and Mushrooms (there are 3 watchers).... update.....didn't sell :-(

The others I took down for now.  I want to look at them again and make sure that I'm putting my best efforts into the work.  I always second guess myself when I see the work of the amazing Abbey Ryan and what her small paintings sell for.  Her most recent 4"x 6" painting PB&J sold for $701.00 on ebay.  I have to stop looking at her work LOL.

Her work is beautiful and she always sells very well.

I had no luck at ikea as far as finding dining chairs that I thought would work with my table so I'm still looking.  And while still looking I somehow ended up back on ebay with someone selling a set of mid century dining chairs.....a set of six, two arm and four without.

The starting bid 99¢ so what the hell, I bid and so far I'm the only one who has but it wouldn't be the first time someone has beaten me by waiting till the very end and pouncing with a higher bid.  It ends at 6pm so we'll see.  Now you have to picture these reupholstered of course with a bright graphic bold print and the wood either refinished or painted.

So this is an afternoon of waiting.

Great, the car was gone over again and the sensor was replaced and the car is running much better.  There's still a little soft rumbling when she idles but unless I have another stalling situation I'm just going to let it ride.  Right now the car is getting detailed I figured we've had such a frustrating couple of weeks one of us needed some pampering : -)
Next month I start collecting social security, its not much but its enough that I could perhaps add new car payments to my monthly bills.  Since the car's stalling was never for certain determined (could be this, could be that) I no longer feel comfortable driving her and at 22 yrs old (I figure that's about 60 in people years) she's starting to lose parts (don't we all).  The cooler for my power steering started leaking last week and had to be removed it was the original cooler and just plain rusted out.  So as soon as that first check hits my bank account I'll start looking for a new ride.  I've already got a buyer for this car.........my mechanic
: -)

No painting today.  I have three on ebay that end today, some watchers but no bids yet and there's five more that end tomorrow, same thing, watchers but no bids yet : -(  If they don't sell I'll relist them and I don't want to put up anymore until most of these sell.
Fingers crossed.  Today I'm going out to ikea to look for two simple modern dining chairs and a simple floor lamp.  I really like these chairs I saw on the Target website but their reviews were more bad than good, apparently they break easily and don't hold much weight.....those legs do look pretty slim.

They're two for $60.  Anyway I'm hoping maybe ikea has something similar.
I'll paint tomorrow : -)  I stopped at the grocery store yesterday and picked up some fresh subjects for some still life paintings.

Two new paintings up on ebay today.

Figs With Vase and Orange Peeled

I finished these off this afternoon while waiting to get my car back from the mechanics........again!  It was in the shop yesterday and came out sounding worse than when I took it in.  So today that was corrected and the possible source (oxygen sensor) of my spontaneous stalling was also detected and will be fixed tomorrow.  Then I'll need to take her back one more time because I now have a leak somewhere in the power steering system :-(  Well.......she is 22yrs old after all.
Tomorrow another short cleaning job and the afternoon free to paint while the cars at the shop.

See, told ya :-)  I believe this is one of those pot belly pigs.

Finally!!  I've got six new paintings up on ebay

and a couple of vintage thrift shop finds as well

This is the first time I've ever seen Salty and Peppy as BBQ utensils (more pics on ebay).

On a different note I think everyone's aware I've been struggling with whether to move out of this area and I'm 95% certain I'm going to stay in the Philadelphia area, there's just no place like it.  Where else can you find a world class Art Museum and high style living right next to street markets and people who farm their front yards..........no kidding.  This photo was taken on my cell so its void of detail but trust me, these plants/trees are a grapevine, crabapple and apple tree growing right along the sidewalk on a city street....how cool is that.

I drive by here almost everyday just to watch the apples grow.
And I'm continuing to try and get a photo of get this..........someone has a full size pig that every once in a while I see meandering around their (fenced in) front yard right next to there vegetable garden.
And then too I've seen more deer here than I saw living up in the woods of NY.  I saw this while just pulling into the driveway of a clients home.

Yesterday I walked around the corner to a favorite thrift shop and there was a table set up out front with someone who was selling their home grown vegetables.  I couldn't resist!.....fresh corn and check out the size of that zucchini!  Diet or no diet that baby is getting sliced and fried up for dinner tonight!

I just love being around all this nature and lush greenery and having the city too.

I have a new idol.....Wang Fine Art, whose work I will study and hopefully learn from.

I found a couple of bargains recently.  I had been doing my painting from a dining table I had placed by the bay windows in my main room and because of the size of the table it became a magnet for clutter and always made the room feel more like a work place than a place to be comfortable and relaxed.  So I saw this desk ($35) online.......

and knew it would be perfect for a painting space for my ACEO paintings.  I especially like that things can be hidden away when wanted/needed.  My paints are tucked away in the drawer and materials are inside.

Then wanting a coffee table for some time now and always needing more storage (in a two room apartment) I settled on this......

I suspect this may have been a soldiers trunk, its dated 1942 and had bits of remains of overseas shipping labels.
Then I found this and I know its crazy but it spoke to me :-)  she now sits on my dining table.  There's a hole in the top where it looks like a plant should go but I will use her to hold fruit.  Silly and fun.