Crunch Time

Isn't that always how things happen? In bunches?

Last night was a big mess at the Dallas voting precincts. Who's idea was it for voters to have to go to the polls twice anyway?? Everyone who watches the news knows that there was unprecedented turnout, and I was certainly glad to do my part. The Democratic fight isn't over, though, so we have more months of political propaganda before the convention. The message sent by Hillary is "don't give up", and it worked for her last night.

Anyway, back to business for me.

I've gotten approval for a 31 pc project for a suite in a medical facility, the purchase order for the 15 cast resin shells, a meeting to decide design specs for a 20 pc hotel installation, four large commissioned abstract paintings for the same hotel, and an internet sale of a 30 x 30 commission in the Glorieta series!

None of that would bother me except I have a 3 week trip scheduled leaving April 22. Talk about some stress!

And tomorrow night is the Grand Opening of Texas Clinic. Apparently it's a really big deal. There will be a band playing on each floor, lots of wine and snacks, and of course some high level hobnobbing for me. I think I will hand out postcards instead of business cards this time.

Inspiration of the Day: Hillary

Missing the Forest for the Trees

Sometimes I get so busy I completely forget what I'm doing. Case in point, did you know that I joined a brand new group of encaustic artists here in North Texas? I missed the first meeting, and Saturday is the second meeting. There's also a photography convention on Saturday and I had signed up for an all day workshop on enhancing photos using Photoshop and Painter. When Deanna Wood, founder of our new wax group announced that guru encaustic artist and author Joanne Mattera would be here for our meeting I promptly canceled my computer class.

One of my goals has long been to get more involved in my local art community and this is a great way to get started. Texas WAX (including me) will be holding an exhibition next week in collaboration with the weekend meetings of CAA and Women's Caucus for Art. My friend Cheryl McClure will also be showing. It will be nice to see her, too. We last met up when Nita Leland was in town for a workshop. The three of us had dinner.

I've been printing most of the day. I will be SO glad to deliver these huge prints (4' x 5') on Monday. That gives me the weekend for the ink to cure and three coats of varnish.

Lost out on a project this week, but it was so fast I barely noticed. I think it was a 5 day turnaround between the day I submitted concepts to today when I found out we lost. That's amazing in a world where I have submitted for projects that are under construction and won't even be completed until next year! Historically the hotel business has a long lead time. Unless somebody messed up and there's an art emergency. I've certainly benefited by that a few times.

Got another hit of that "is this my destiny" question when I found out that a new project is a local Embassy Suites. If it's the one on Stemmons, that would be too coincidental, since I did stained glass ceilings for that hotel in the early eighties. And I didn't even live here then. I really must be in my groove. Those years as a commercial real estate paralegal and contract administrator were just a side path that brought me right back here. Funny world.

Building a Foundation

Years ago I had an artist friend whom I admired greatly. We were friends for many years before she lost her fight with cancer, before I ever picked up a paintbrush myself. She was an educator, a teacher in the art department of a local college, and as such belonged to many organizations. One that she touted highly was the Women's Caucus for Art. She always wanted me to join, but I never did. Back then I didn't think of myself as an artist.

Then a couple years ago I met Helen at an artist's retreat of a online group of artists, sponsored by Gwen Pentecost of Joyous Lake Gallery, located in the White Mountains of Arizona. Helen and I found that we had a lot in common, and we've seen each other quite a few times since then. It's Helen's in Berkeley where I housesit.

Helen is an active member of the WCA. With all her talk about it, and with my desire to set up a foundation of artist friends here in Dallas, I've just joined the Dallas chapter. There's a couple current calls for art that I'm going to try to beat the deadline on, and there's a national convention here in February. So that's a start.

Today I'm printing images for resin boxes, and I have a new canvas on the studio wall. The painting is just something that I am doing for myself, inspired by my foray around San Francisco's Chinatown a few weeks ago.

Networking

I had a big plan to attend the vendor fair yesterday at Healthcare Design 2007 at the Gaylord here in the Dallas area. Seems the exhibitor show doesn't even open until this afternoon which seems like crazy planning to me. Over a delicious dinner at Cool River last night, my giclee publisher Carl from ArtXP. com and I discussed trends in the marketplace. He is really setting himself up to be a premier source for large scale giclee prints. And he's always looking for new art! Plus he's a great guy and easy to work with.

I hauled him over to the DFW Grand Hyatt to show him the 44 paintings I have installed there, but I can't find most of them. Behind closed doors I guess. I did discover that all the art in the lobby level restaurant has been replaced. It was mine so I'm really wondering where it went and why. The replacements look like digital abstracted photography printed on plexi. See? Just what I said a month ago, digital is hot. And if they would have asked me I could have done something similar to what they've purchased. --hmpf--

I'm printing handouts right now, in preparation for self-promotion at the Design conference. Got to get there early before everyone is tired of the whole handshaking-nice-to-meet-yous.