Hijacked by carrots

The Kiss - work in progress
Acrylic 5 x 7

My plans for relocating my studio have been hijacked by carrots.

The weather forecast is due to get frosty and The Other One (T.O.O.) decided that ALL the carrots had to be picked today and deposited on the kitchen counter. That's all well and good except that then something has to be done with them, like cleaning and blanching and draining and drying and bagging for the freezer.

All I wanted to do was get things into gear and do some drawing and painting, but instead it was carrots. At this point in time, I quite hate carrots. I know that I'll appreciate them being in the freezer later but today they didn't thrill me.

Finally late in the day, the furniture was moved out of the new studio room and the ancient carpet that was there pulled up. I have some laminate wood flooring to go down that should be pretty impervious to damage or spills and I'm gradually replacing all the carpets in the house with wood flooring as its so much easier to clean. I only wish I'd had it years ago when I had small children and animals.

I am also looking at decent lighting for the new room. There is a north window there but it is on ground level and gets morning sun. At this time of year especially, light is needed and I'm to find the most suitable light to use. I will look at daylight tubes perhaps despite their utilitarian look and use a gooseneck halogen lamp that I already have.

Despite disruptions, I made a start on a little painting. This was from a photo that Maggie Steifvater let me use. I've had it since last year but haven't gotten around to it til now. I used acrylics but now wish I'd used oils instead. Acrylics are tending to frustrate me more lately as they dry before I have a chance to manipulate them. There's still lots of work to go into this piece and hopefully I'll find a little more time to work on it tomorrow.

Time to get serious

Chestnut pod
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Its time for me to get serious about my art.

I'm great at making plans, but due to lots of factors, they don't always come to fruition. But like a lightbulb coming on, something in my head tells me that things need to change. (no, I'm not hearing voices...)

So there are a few changes to be made.

1. Location.
One of the problems, besides a full time job, is that I need to relocate my studio downstairs into bigger quarters. Without being able to tuck myself away and really get going with my art, I continually get sidetracked by people, the phone, the tv, the computer and they all eat into my time.

2.Create a body of work.
I know this will take at least a year to do. But to move ahead I need this under my belt. And to move ahead I need # 1.

3. Marketing
I have basic marketing for myself in the form of print materials - postcards, business cards, brochures, etc. I have this blog and the newer sales blog which I haven't marketed as well as it could be.

I also need to market the commission side of me too.

4. Dedicated group art time
My online community of friends and peers is more than wonderful. You have all encouraged and buoyed me through good and bad times and I can't imagine life without any of you. I need to be in the physical company of artists who can come together once or twice a week to paint, sketch, draw or just drink wine and complain about government arts cuts. :)

5. Grant money
I need to access a grant that will allow me the luxury of creating a project, framing it, showing it, learning, teaching ,etc., etc. They are out there, but I haven't explored them fully yet.

These are my wants and needs. Some may be more doable than others. Then again everything is doable if you want it badly enough.

Next time I will explore a plan of how to achieve these goals.

Logy Bay

Straight down - Logy Bay

watercolour pencil 8 x 5

I've been toying with some local ocean views lately and have promised myself that I will start a painting of one this weekend. It will be my treat for a long hard week at work!

Living on an island, I am surrounded by water wherever I ago to the point where I take it for granted and barely notice it anymore. I need to take some time and study it carefully and record it.

I did this sketch of the cliff at Logy Bay, one of the closest towns to me. Its at the entrance to Savage Cove which is quite broad. The cliffs tower almost perpendicular to the ocean and jagged rocks emerge from the surf around the edges. The vegetation is confined to the tops of the rock and only the hardiest survive, usually bent and knarled from n'or easterly gales and salt spray.

Mouths

Study for Pierced
graphite 6 x 8
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Drawing texture is always interesting and mouths especially so. It's this particular mix of tongues and lips, along with the piercing that drew my attention. I want to draw a series of mouths. I started awhile back with a self portrait that involved a tongue. Now I'm spurred on to create more, this time bigger.

I did this study yesterday for a larger charcoal piece. I just can't get the tiny little glistening highlights on this graphite piece that so clearly show the moisture on the tongues but I know I can get this in charcoal - or at least highlights of white charcoal.

How well received it may be is anyone's guess. It all depends on the viewer.

Sold

At the last minute, I put three pieces into my local art association's fall exhibit that went ahead today. There were two charcoal pieces and a coloured pencil drawing. The landscape/cloudscape in charcoal sold late in the day and as I was volunteering on the desk, I had a chance to briefly meet the new owner of the piece. I had a lot of favourable comments on the other two pieces, but the right people or the right money wasn't in the room today.

Elizabeth Scammell Reynolds, a local art appraiser and consultant, was busy viewing pieces of art during the show, deciding on 'Best in Show' and providing critiques of the pieces entered which will be sent to artists at a later date.

I always love having critiques. I know that it scares a lot of people, but I believe, when it is true, constructive criticism, it can only do good. Of course, I may not agree with everything said in a critique, but I will take it to heart and help it move me forward.