The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep. ~Paul Strand
Can you believe another year has come and gone? I hope your 2010 was a wonderful one!
For me, it was a year of growth…of stretching, of trying new things, of finding inspiration in so many different places. It was a year to delve more into my collage journal, to gain more confidence with watercolors, to try gouache paint, to sketch more, to brighten up my digital art, to create little story boxes, and to paint with acrylics more and more! And it was a year of wonderful workshops with amazing teachers. I felt so grateful to learn from them…inspiring me to push ahead. I took what they offered, and carried it through into my own art. And I could feel a shift…
I was gifted (by my very loving husband!) with an adorable easel, that easily rolls from one room to the next. While working on my newest acrylic paintings, I felt more like the master artists of old…imagining them centuries ago, sitting in front of easel and palette and creating what they saw in front of them. I’ve taken a lot of time this past year, to research artists and their techniques…particularly the Impressionists. and Post Impressionists. Sunflowers and van Gogh go hand in hand…so, that became a focus for me in the summer of 2010…to capture the outside world, in a thick impasto brush strokes. I fell in love…with painting! I think I was a bit surprised about that, as my first love was collage. But with a paint brush in hand…I felt a certain freedom. It felt pretty amazing.
So, for 2011…I’m moving forward towards more painting. I’ll still continue my education of art techniques and forge ahead with brush in hand. That “shift” that I mentioned earlier, made me think more and more about my Etsy shop. And while I have loved offering my art to others, I want to take some time to really explore what I can do with acrylics. To spend time doing that, I am taking a break from my Etsy shop. I will be closing it on January 15th…taking a bit of an extended vacation from selling online. At the moment, I am not sure when I will open it again. Maybe in the Spring, or possibly the Summer. So, if there is something you see there, that you like, this may be the best time to acquire it. I’ve marked a lot of the items with affordable prices, but I do know that the economy is bad, and people are struggling a bit. So, if you see something there you love, but would like a lower price, just email me with your best offer, or offer a trade of some sort (ie, art for art, art for jewelry, art for ephemera…you get the idea) and I will be happy to consider that option!
I’ll still be around to update my blog, to let you know what I’m up to. After all, sharing this art journey with you, has been a great joy to me!
I hope that this new year will bring some great art adventures for me and you!