Sidewalk Chalk Fest!

On November 8th, I had the pleasure of participating in the first ever Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival in Macon, Georgia!

I found out about the event from Facebook and figured it would be a fun way to get out in front of the public eye. I've never done a chalk fest before, and I assumed it would be no big deal. And boy, I was wrong!

I mean, it wasn't a walk in the park...hah, puns! I arrived in a timely matter, planned out my drawing, and got to work. I casually blended colors, working on a face that's become a bit of a habit lately.

This face took an hour. AN HOUR! And I only had 4 hours to work on the entire piece.

And then this colorful border took another hour. WHAT AM I DOING? I thought to myself often. Everything took so much time. 

I finally wrapped it up with a few minutes to spare. The final product measured about 10 feet long and 8 feet wide. Mighty big! 

So pretty! I admit, my very first mistake was not planning out the drawing. I was very busy the entire week prior to this fest, and I just procrastinated too long and then got lazy. Eh, I can wing it, right? No. No, I can not just wing it.

But I did the best I could, and that's what matters. I'm still quite proud of my work.

Here are the other professional artists beside me:

Jessi Queen! A true pro!

Sadly, I didn't get everyone else's names but they're just as amazing. 

I hope to do more sidewalk chalk art. Perhaps I can get a chalk art fest going in my town? 

This Week in the Studio No. 4

Lots of quiet, quiet painting. Finishing up projects, commissions, personal paintings. Good good. Trying to get centered and focused on the upcoming holiday season. All the while, maintaining a clean studio (nearly impossible!). Rearranging paintings on the wall. Planning, planning. List-making forever. 

This Week in the Studio No. 3

Large painting in the works. Covering most of the floor in the gallery part of my studio. Torturing my knees, bent over the hard concrete. Lots of paint fumes. People walking by and wondering what I'm up to. 

Lots of podcasts and quiet reflection. A sort of zen feeling while I'm painting. Good good good. 

Slowly making progress. Looking forward to the final product. Looking forward to seeing it on display next week. Need more paint. Maybe time for one sun painting? Gotta finish up that project asap!

Rededicating Myself to the Art (Let's Get Selling, Again!)

This past summer, as I was visiting family in Michigan, my artist pal Corey Marie posted a Facebook status asking for help during an art fest. She just needed someone to watch her booth while she drew caricatures for the afternoon. Since I had just spent the previous six days rambling between family members I felt it would be nice to get out and be around some artists. I sent Corey a message and we planned on hanging out at the fest.

And of course, this is the only picture I took:

Corey Marie kicks all sorts of booty and she's one of my creative inspirations. Just being a part of her booth set in motion a strong desire to "get back in the game". See, a few years ago I tried the whole traveling-to-art-fest-to-art-fest artist thing and it never really took hold. I think it was a combination of not having a distinct voice with my work and not having a clue what I wanted to do. 

All rookie mistakes, right?

Right. So doing art fests fell by the wayside, and I got distracted or maybe interested in something else...who knows. But here I am now, in 2014, with a new style of art and a renewed interest (obsession, maybe?) with setting up booths in various fests. 

Just in the past few months I've set up a table at Art in the Garden in Griffin, Art in the Park in Thomaston, and then Festiboo in Farmington. 

Photo by my friend, Cris.

It's almost like riding a bike, you never really forget how to set up. Although I did forget tent stakes at one time, whoops! I have now almost perfected a system of what to pack and how to pack it in my vehicle. 

Mazzy and I at Festiboo. She is a great helper!

With a shopping season approaching, I'm filled with excitement about all the holiday art fest opportunities. I've even scheduled a mini-fest at my studio! I've tried my best to not get myself overwhelmed and overbooked. While I'd love to sell out of art at my first event, I know I'm not going to have much time preparing more art for the later fests. So, this season is going to be an exercise in maintaining peace amid the setting up and breaking down. I believe I'm up to the challenge! 

It's good to be back. 

This Week in the Studio No. 2

Growing concern over wrist pain. Still painting away. Another owl, just for the heck of it. Purchasing supplies for a commissioned piece. Cleaning up the studio in time for some classes and hosting a birthday party.

Driving north and stopping at the art store. Coupons and sales and trying to make up my mind on what size canvases to buy. Settle on the small 4x4 tiny ones. Bring the work home so I can stay up late and paint each one a pretty base color.

Many, many episodes of Arrested Development. Adding to the suns and moons project. Smal paintings take more time that I thought. Little paintings, little details. Doggy at my feet, curious cat stalking about. Announcing another project before this current one is finished, perhaps it'll make me work faster.

What's your next project?

This Week in the Studio No. 1

Painting so much that my fingers and wrist are sore. Riding this wave of productivity until I crash. Can't stop, won't stop. Listening to lots of podcasts, inspirational and hilarious. Many little brush strokes. Many colors. 

A dropped and broken iPad. A quick commissioned piece. Planning future art sales. Making a list for art fests and checking it twice. Trying my best to be organized, but still having a messy, messy studio.  

More and More!

Having a good time with these!

More Suns and Moons!

A few weeks ago I posted about painting suns and moons. Turns out they were a hit and I've decided that I should paint at least FIFTY of them...because y'know, I like having grand goals and working towards them. A few summers ago I tried to paint 50 small watercolors of tattoo flash and made it to maybe 46 or 47 then abandoned the project.

Oh well, we'll see how this new project goes! Here's numbers 7 through 11:

They're all painted with acrylics and sealed with satin Polycrylic. They're fun to paint! I don't plan any of them out, just draw the face then start painting. It's interesting to see how each one turns out and also challenging to make sure no two look alike.

A friend of mine said that each one has their own personality, and she could probably come up with a caption for each of them. So, that makes me wonder, what would are these suns and moons thinking about? Hmm...

SkaterAid Auction! Go Bid! Woo!

From the SkaterAid 2014 website:
Purchase a handmade piece of art created from the deck of a skateboard! These pieces of art have been created by professional artists, outsider artists, children, skateboarders and families, and there's something for every taste and budget. All come with hanging hardware included.

SkaterAid, a skateboarding, music and art festival, returns for its tenth year to Decatur this coming fall. The festival features ramps, jumps and contests for skateboarders, and music is provided by teen bands from area high schools. A live skateboard deck art auction is held throughout the day, with a selection of eye-popping art created by professional and “outsider” artists from used skateboard decks. All proceeds generated by the event are donated to families who are battling pediatric brain cancer. The event will be held Sunday, Sept. 28 from 2-7 p.m. at East Decatur Station, a business complex just west of the Avondale MARTA station at 109 New Street, Decatur, Georgia.

Bid on my deck, titled "A Heart on the Run", online today!

The final phase of the auction will be the SkaterAid event on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. SkaterAid will be held at 109 New Street in Decatur Georgia from 2-7pm. Bidding will close by section. Section A will close at 4:30, Section B at 5:30 and Section C at 6:30. Bidders must enter their final bids at the live event or arrange for a proxy.

If you are a high bidder at the time the online auction closes, you will be notified by email. SkaterAid will re-register for you as a live auction bidder. You or your proxy can pick up your bidder number at the registration tent so you can continue to bid.

If you are not a high bidder, you can still win your favorite! Simply register to bid at the SkaterAid registration tent. Use your registration number to continue bidding at SkaterAid.

Celestial Folk Art Series - Cygnus

Next year I will be hanging my art in a nearby coffee shop. Right now I am almost frantically trying to come up with the art that will be on display. I'm calling it a "Celestial Folk Art Series". 

I'm enjoying working with wood, mostly inexpensive plywood, and taking the time to cut out the shapes. My dad's a woodworker, so I grew up with plenty of saws buzzing in my ears. I was super stoked when he gave me a band saw and a scroll saw this past spring. My tool collection has grown with the addition of a belt sander and a jigsaw.

I chose the constellation Cygnus because, well, it's one of my most recent recognizable constellations. And it's been above my house these past few weeks. I'm slowly teaching myself how to read the stars at night. 

These creations require a lot of time and a lot of little brushstrokes. I'm loving how it turned out. Can I admit that I don't ever start out with a specific plan? I can kinda see the finished product in my mind's eye, but I usually just let the paint flow and follow my gut. 

I mean, lots of little brush strokes.

This isn't all the way finished. I still have to seal it and add hanging wire to the back, but I couldn't wait to show it off. 

It's about 3 feet wide, give or take an inch or two.

Check out the other pieces in the series: The Sun, The Moon, and Ursa Major.

There is Always Hope...

Lately, I've been riding a wave of productivity and I'm trying to ride this wave for as long as possible. And I do think the old saying is true: "Inspiration exists, it just has to find you working." (Pablo P.) This painting started as a small sketch, just a blip of an idea for a blank wooden board I had painted and primed and re-painted over again. One morning I sat down, started painting, and a few hours later I was left with this:

I have a to-do list a mile long, but this painting had to just BE, y'know?

I'm really, really enjoying this folk art phase I'm going though. I hope it's more than just a phase, though. 

Right after I posted it on my Facebook, I had a friend buy it. Probably the fastest I've ever gone from creation to purchase. Yay! 

Fizz... Boom... Window Painting!

Every summer I have the opportunity to help out one of my favorite places in town: the Library! The staff just lets me know the general theme of the summer reading program, hands me the clipart, and I get to painting. To be trusted with such an important project is a huge deal, I mean, almost everyone is going to see it so I HAVE to do an amazing job.

I'm quite proud of this year's windows:

Of course, with a science theme I HAD to shout out to Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Check out my previous library windows: 2010, 2011, 2012, and I do believe I forgot to post 2013's. 

Fox Skateboard Details

This piece is one of my favorites. I just wanted to show off some detail shots.

I used paint pens, Sign Painter's paint, and acrylic paint. Then topped it all off with a few coats of Polycrylic.