Sorry about the gap in postings. I am trying to keep my posting to at least two per week. Not always as easy as it seems. I'm up to my neck in office/computer work this week. Trying to get caught up with website updates and eBay store listings. The whole idea of doing it all myself is getting really old! The problem is, as always, having the money to pay someone else to do things for me. I guess until I win the lottery or some such thing, I'm on my own! So, please forgive me if my updates aren't as often as they should be, and my new paintings don't come pouring off the drawing table as much as I would like. I'm a one woman operation here! (Don't even get me started on the fact that I'm trying to work around 2 teenagers who seem to think I am here to be at their beck and call 24/7!)
Up until last week, I was having a very difficult time keeping track of all the tasks I have to do. Until last week, I was struggling to remember what, when, where, etc, etc. So, I spent a majority of last week, cleaning, organizing and making lists. Now I believe I can hold my head above the water and actually feel like I'm making progress. If only I can keep it this way! I still have a ways to go to be totally caught up. Of course, by the time I do get caught up, it will be time for another website update, etc, etc.
Am I whining? I apologize. I truly love my job! (This is where most of my family members say, "You got a job??!!") Perhaps that is part of my problem, I look at my art as a job now. Seriously, I believe it has to be treated as a job or all I would ever do is paint! Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I still have to make a living too. However, when I start getting people signing my guestbook and saying I need to update my site, it's seriously time to get down to business! So, on that note, I'd better get busy!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Thursday, April 20, 2006
New Rock Painting
Finished a new painting in my rock series yesterday. This one is called City of the Rocks I. In this painting I decided to try merging my abstract style with my representational rocks. I am happy with the outcome, so I have already started #2. I have missed working on the rock series, so I decided to revisit it. I believe the rocks will become a permanent category of work for me.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Art Story: 1996
This was a year of new beginnings. Most of the year I walked around in a daze feeling like I was living in a dream. I had never been so happy in my adult life. I had found my soul mate in Aaron. Every morning when I awoke I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Just about every night I had nightmares about my first marriage.
My art business, on the other hand, was in complete shambles. I continued painting, completing La Cueva, Montezuma and Rebirth by May. My step dad held on to all of my artwork; prints and originals, mat cutters and other equipment. Rather than let it get me down, I decided to start over, what else could I do? There really was no choice.
Aaron had already decided prior to our moving in with him that he wanted to leave Las Cruces. He was looking for a University that had a better music program than NMSU. After all the terrible things that had happened to me there in Las Cruces, I decided that the boys and I would follow Aaron wherever he decided to go. We decided on Fort Collins, Colorado because of the Guitar professor and started to plan our escape from southern New Mexico.
So, after Aaron finished the spring semester at NMSU, we packed our things into a moving truck. June 10, 1996 we left for Colorado. We planned to put our things into a storage unit and camp at a KOA while we searched for a place to rent. Unfortunately, Fort Collins was a very popular destination and we had a difficult time finding a place. With a dog and three kids, no one wanted to rent to us. After three weeks of searching with no luck, we were extremely discouraged. Aaron and I both had jobs, but still, no one would rent to us. I found a job right away at a frame shop that had bought prints from me the summer before. Aaron found work as the music guy at the local pawn shop.
We finally decided to return to New Mexico and even reserved a moving truck to take us back the following day. Talking to the owner of the KOA about our situation, we found out he had a 2 bedroom duplex for rent. He said we could move in right away! Apparently, we were meant to be there! We moved in and lived out the rest of 1996 with no problems. While the 2 bedrooms made for very cramped quarters with the three boys sharing one room, we were happy just to be there and be together!
Read previous years by following these links;
1995; Second half
1995; First half
1994
1993
1992
1991
My art business, on the other hand, was in complete shambles. I continued painting, completing La Cueva, Montezuma and Rebirth by May. My step dad held on to all of my artwork; prints and originals, mat cutters and other equipment. Rather than let it get me down, I decided to start over, what else could I do? There really was no choice.
Aaron had already decided prior to our moving in with him that he wanted to leave Las Cruces. He was looking for a University that had a better music program than NMSU. After all the terrible things that had happened to me there in Las Cruces, I decided that the boys and I would follow Aaron wherever he decided to go. We decided on Fort Collins, Colorado because of the Guitar professor and started to plan our escape from southern New Mexico.
So, after Aaron finished the spring semester at NMSU, we packed our things into a moving truck. June 10, 1996 we left for Colorado. We planned to put our things into a storage unit and camp at a KOA while we searched for a place to rent. Unfortunately, Fort Collins was a very popular destination and we had a difficult time finding a place. With a dog and three kids, no one wanted to rent to us. After three weeks of searching with no luck, we were extremely discouraged. Aaron and I both had jobs, but still, no one would rent to us. I found a job right away at a frame shop that had bought prints from me the summer before. Aaron found work as the music guy at the local pawn shop.
We finally decided to return to New Mexico and even reserved a moving truck to take us back the following day. Talking to the owner of the KOA about our situation, we found out he had a 2 bedroom duplex for rent. He said we could move in right away! Apparently, we were meant to be there! We moved in and lived out the rest of 1996 with no problems. While the 2 bedrooms made for very cramped quarters with the three boys sharing one room, we were happy just to be there and be together!
Read previous years by following these links;
1995; Second half
1995; First half
1994
1993
1992
1991
Monday, April 10, 2006
At the Library
I'm taking somewhat of a field trip today. I needed to take a trip to the library anyway to pick up and drop off books. So, I decided to bring along the laptop and make a day of it. With my middle son home this week(I'd rather not talk about why), I needed to get away from the house for some good old peace and quiet. What better place than the library right? Wrong! The trip downtown was ok, I rode the city Rapid Ride bus to get down here, enjoying the beautiful weather and the walk through downtown. The first place I chose to sit in the library, there's a homeless guy sitting behind me, quiet at first, then he starts to hum! So I wait for a little while thinking maybe he'll stop. He didn't! So now I'm on the other side of the building. It's better here.
I think what I really need is some time to myself in a far away, secluded location. Preferably in the mountains with a running brook and chirping birds! If only! I guess I can go there in my mind if nothing else!
I'm currently working on my next painting in the rock series. It is a scene of rocks from a great little New Mexico state park called "City of Rocks". I wrote about our visit in my last post. I have decided to mix my landscapes with my abstracts and incorporate some of the line designs into the rocks. I'm excited about the direction my art is heading. Although I must admit I'm a little apprehensive about the change. I want people to like it, but more and more I know it should not matter. What does matter however, is that my art is continuing to grow and will never be boring or stagnant. I would rather stop creating all together than to keep painting the same thing over and over again. I seriously don't understand how some artists do that. My problem with that is there are so many things out there to paint, why get stuck doing the same thing all the time?
I think what I really need is some time to myself in a far away, secluded location. Preferably in the mountains with a running brook and chirping birds! If only! I guess I can go there in my mind if nothing else!
I'm currently working on my next painting in the rock series. It is a scene of rocks from a great little New Mexico state park called "City of Rocks". I wrote about our visit in my last post. I have decided to mix my landscapes with my abstracts and incorporate some of the line designs into the rocks. I'm excited about the direction my art is heading. Although I must admit I'm a little apprehensive about the change. I want people to like it, but more and more I know it should not matter. What does matter however, is that my art is continuing to grow and will never be boring or stagnant. I would rather stop creating all together than to keep painting the same thing over and over again. I seriously don't understand how some artists do that. My problem with that is there are so many things out there to paint, why get stuck doing the same thing all the time?
Friday, April 07, 2006
Home again!
Well, it's now official, I'm working from my home studio again. Only now, it's a new studio! My wonderful husband built our back porch into a new sunroom for me. These photos are taken before the sun hits it. Also, I have only moved in some furniture. I will post more photos once I get everything in and set up. That's the goal for today. I can hardly wait to get back to painting.
It's been over a week since I worked on anything. I have some new rock reference photos from the City of Rocks in southern New Mexico. City of Rocks is a very cool state park near Deming. Aaron and I visited there last week while Aaron was on spring break. My family used to camp there when I was a kid and it had been over 20 years since I had seen it. Isn't it funny how things look so much smaller when you go back to a place you haven't been since childhood?! The rocks are still as awesome as I remember them, only smaller!
I am also currently working on continuing my Art Story. It should flow a little easier now that I'm through the hard part. Until then, I'm off to work!
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Working at home again
I've now officially given up the retail shop experiment. Last week my husband enclosed our back patio for my new home studio. I will post photos once I get moved in and set up.
This past Saturday was the first gallery opening I've had in over a year! I have a few pieces in a small works group show at Third Moon Gallery in Corrales, NM. The photos posted here are from the opening. If you are in the area, please go check out the Third Moon Gallery. It's a wonderful space in Corrales, for those who don't know, Corrales is just north of Albuquerque, in the Rio Grande Valley. They have some great contemporary art and Carol Klimek, owner/artist, is a lovely lady!
This past Saturday was the first gallery opening I've had in over a year! I have a few pieces in a small works group show at Third Moon Gallery in Corrales, NM. The photos posted here are from the opening. If you are in the area, please go check out the Third Moon Gallery. It's a wonderful space in Corrales, for those who don't know, Corrales is just north of Albuquerque, in the Rio Grande Valley. They have some great contemporary art and Carol Klimek, owner/artist, is a lovely lady!
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