Studio

Remarkably I am spending at least six to eight hours a day painting. It is glorious. Nothing has been better for me than my studio space. When I left this evening it was only because I need to give it a rest. Myopia is sometimes not a good thing. Tomorrow I will go to work and see the two paintings I have been working on simultaneously with new eyes. Even though I wanted to start the next two, I said to myself get some rest and start fresh tomorrow. That is very hard to do when the paint is flowing, or should I say fusing in this case. There is a certain obsession that follows the passion for art making and as many experts have said....keep your balance. Very hard to do.

So here is a snap of my studio. That's Joanna whom I have mentored since she was in Kindergarten. She is a joy to work with and a gifted artist headed for a successful career in art someday.

Thank You

I had a great email this week from a client who purchased one of my paintings from Griffith Gallery. It was a "thank you" for a painting that he placed in his office. It's so rare when I know where a painting finally ends up and I was very grateful for his message. Not only did he hang it in his office but he planned the interior decor based on the painting. Now that is a dream client! I am the one who is thanking him.

It's been a great August (and still is). I'm working on commissions, have great people to mentor, am joining fellow encaustic artists in a local group of the International Encaustic Artists, and meeting and working with a group of artists at the complex where I have my studio. In other words, I'm having fun.

Is it fall yet?

Amazing to me that in two short weeks school starts in Georgia. It is so hot right now, I can not imagine teaching or learning anything. What happened to summer? In another sense I'll be glad people will be back in town. Either vacations or the economy is keeping people from the galleries. I would hazard a guess that it is the economy if all the financial pundits are correct.

On the other hand life goes on...I paint...that's what I do no matter what the financial markets do. I ask myself once in a while, why would I choose art making for a career. The answer comes very quickly, that's what I do. It's my passion, my vocation...but don't tell me that I am following my bliss. To be an artist is sometimes blissful but that is a rare indeed or so it seems to me. When a painting really works, I mean really works to the point that you shudder with delight as you stand before it, then blissful it is. How many times does that happen? May I say again, rarely. There is truly nothing like recognizing that I have created something and I do not know how I did it. I mean literally I do not know how it came about. I guess if I did know then I'd be turning them out one after another. Quite a search goes on for that image I look for all my life. It takes a lifetime of work and I will never be sure I will find THE image. Good luck.