Business Day

Today is just a business day. I visited my printer to take a look at the template they created for my cards. The template looks great, but they accidentally deleted the images I sent them to put in it. Consequently, Wednesday will mean another trip over there to look at a preview before I can place the order. I always forget to allow for life's glitches within the schedule in my head.

Once I get the cards back, I can take pictures of them, post them on Etsy, and hopefully start selling. I'm trying not to feel gloomy about all the upfront costs for this project. Up to this point, I am barely recouping what I spend on art supplies and printing. And so, for the four millionth time, I tell myself, "It's all part of the process, mija. Take a minute to look at how far you've come instead of how far you have to go."

Accomplished:
Sold 4 original pieces
Created and sold quality prints
Sold cards, found a greener option for printing
Created an Etsy site
Had my first "official" show
Taught my first art student
Hired a web designer who delivered a great site and logo
Finished two intentional series
Started a consistent blog

Working from home

The hardest thing about working from home is keeping myself from getting distracted by all the other things that "need" to get done. I have to mentally confine myself to the quarter of the kitchen that is my studio. The upside, however, is that all my supplies are always in one place, I can work whenever I want, and snacks are always readily accessible. Today I am resisting the urge to clean up the mess that is driving me nuts, do the laundry that has been piling up, and take a nap in the all too inviting bed sitting 15 feet away from my easel.

To do:
Finalize details of commission piece
Pay printer bill and order cards
Continue working on finals of succulents
Decide on and purchase paper for pattern backgrounds

Patterns and Knives

These are the results of my attempt to combine the inorganic patterns with the desert plants. I'm actually starting to get excited about them. It feels strange to be working on something so less involved than my last series, but I think it will be a nice change. The cutting is almost therapeutic, which means that I might even be able to continue working once I start classes again. Today I need to go buy a new ruler (I warped my favorite one by leaving it in the back seat of the car for too long), and start working on more detailed, colored images of the succulents.

To do:
Visit XPEDEX and buy recycled stock for cards
Buy up a new ruler and possibly pastel paper
Work on succulents

Here are some of the sketches I've been working on. I'm having fun doing them, but still don't have any sense of direction. My plan today is to do some sketches that incorporate both the man-made patterns and the plants. Why do I feel like I'm repeating my very first high school art class? If nothing else, I always feel like participating in the artistic process makes me a better teacher of that process. Cheers to Friday!

To do:
Finalize printing options with Sunset Press
Call XPEDX about recycled paper options
Pay Etsy bill
Work on sketches

USA!

I've been on the edge of my seat all morning waiting for team USA to put the ball IN the goal. It only took 91 minutes...better late than never. USA!

So far I have several sketches up on my refrigerator. I'm still not quite sure where I'm headed, but I'll do some more today and see what happens. Honestly, this is my least favorite part of the process. There's no substitute for the brainstorming and crumpled up sketches, though. And no telling whether it will take me 3 days or 3 months to discover what I want to do next. I wish my art teachers had told me how much patience and discipline is involved in all of this. Or maybe I just wasn't listening ;)

To do:
More sketches from reference photos
Finalize greeting cards with printer
Email about possible commission piece

Day 1 of Summer Blogging

After one week of vacation from school, I am feeling refreshed and ready to take on my "list" for the next five weeks. Top priority: consistent blogging about my new series and the business side of things. So...I raise my glass of lemonade to what I hope will be a productive and rejuvenating break, and off I go.

Day 1:

A new series...where to begin? I think I'll take some reference photos of my two new obsessions: patterns and succulents. Hopefully I can use the photos to start sketching combinations of the two and see if anything resonates with me. My goal is to make the pieces for this next series smaller and more affordable. I'm also thinking about using recycled materials.

To do:
Email printer about a template for cards (decide on size)
Facebook friend about possible commission piece
Begin sketching from photos

Tyler

Ahhh...I can't remember the last time I picked up a brush. Oh well, I guess there is a masters degree waiting for me at the end of all these classes. Today, though, I am in my studio and the sun is shining...thank goodness for spring break!