Making Progress

A rocky creek in southern New Hampshire

A set of circumstances and feedback from friends has created a desire for me to build my business. Those of you who read this blog regularly would be surprised to hear that I've been lazy. I've relied on one major client, and accepted any other work that came my way, but I haven't been marketing or trying to increase the volume of business at all. One reason that has become very evident is that my small workspace makes everything more difficult. With the advent of moving into commercial space, my ideas are growing with the huge size of the new work area. Two clients this week have asked if I can do high volume resin casting for room art. I would have said an emphatic "no!" before, but now that I have the space for it, more things become possible. I'm excited!

I'm busy this weekend. I have printed and varnished eight large canvases for the hotel in Myrtle Beach, and now I'm working on an abstract painting commissioned for a residential client.

Summer Time

Time moves slower in the summer. Days are long, sunshine prevails, and it seems that I accomplish so much more in a day than in winter. I painted six commissioned paintings yesterday, from start to finish. Not small ones, either, they were 12" x 24" photo paintings. They dried overnight and I rolled them up, stuck 'em in a tube and shipped them off to Ohio ten minutes ago. I couldn't do that in the winter. Too cold, paint takes too long to dry.

And today I've been out at the pool in my swimsuit, sanding a cast resin piece in preparation for painting. This one was cast very shallow, because I'm going to mount it on matboard and frame in a shadowbox. It's another image for Verity, located in Texas Clinic. I got that powder all over me, but I just hosed off and jumped in the pool! And it's no problem since I have tile floors in my studio. I've been going in and out regularly since it warmed up.

One problem I have in summer that I don't any other time of year is my watermelon addiction. There's a big juicy one in the fridge calling me right now. It's best to sit outside and eat it so that when that juice runs down your chin you can jump in the pool to clean up.

Meeting Deadlines

I have often talked about how deadline-oriented I am. So when I got an email from my client to set an installation date for her project, I accepted the challenge. The framers did a great job on all 30 pcs. Installation was Tuesday and went perfectly. The installers were on time, measured correctly and everything was level. They were fast and efficient, and took the trash out with them. My client is very happy, and that's my main goal, always. I'll have to get back there and take some installation shots.

I have a design meeting tomorrow to discuss a grid painting that I have been working on for awhile. Since it's commissioned I want to make sure to include everything they want and nothing they don't. I always submit digital mockups for this process. Best to get the design approved before the paint goes on. So far I have painted the background only.

Today I am working on another commission for five photo paintings from a new client in Ohio. And yesterday I got a purchase order from a seldom heard from client in Atlanta. Guess the economy is not affecting the hotel market!

Delivered and Moving On

I couldn't have been happier to deliver the 6 1/2 foot long double-sided resin box on Tuesday. I started it before I went out of town so the resin would have a chance to completely cure, and that's what saved me on that project. But the last step was pouring resin on the top, and I'm afraid I got a little cocky since everything had gone so well, and poured too much resin on the top, and it started running down the sides. I cursed loudly while grabbing a roll of paper towels and a bottle of alcohol. I caught it before it did any damage (thank goodness), but I was terrified at that point, thinking how close I came to ruining the whole thing. I was much more careful after that, and once the resin was spread, I closed the room up in plastic, and left it to cure. I applied car wax on it before delivery, and it looked really great.

There were five large paintings for that project, too, but they were photo paintings that I can do with my eyes closed now that I've done so many. Now it's delivered and invoiced I feel much better!

So it's on to the three other commissions I have in the studio. One is a 7' x 4' grid painting for a construction company. I've got the background painted, but haven't finished the design work. There's a second grid painting for a suite at Texas Clinic, it's a little smaller, 36 x 60. And the colors are completely different, as is the subject matter.

The third is a commission I finished yesterday, a 30" x 30" in the Glorieta series, for a law office downtown Dallas.

Also have been working on a lot of concepts for two large hotel projects. Developing new images is really hard. I have to create something from nothing in order to differentiate myself from other artists. I want to stand apart, but in a good way. There's a fine line. But I always love a challenge.

Incompatible Materials

As a mixed media artist I have tried a wild assortment of materials to create artwork. Some work together and some don't. I try to think it through, but without being a chemist I don't always succeed.

This time it's the resin box that's the problem. Most varnishes work better on a horizontal surface. I found that out on the last resin boxes when I varnished the sides and made a big mess. This time I sealed the paint with a Golden UV polymer varnish, which worked great but did not give me the high gloss shine I was looking for. So I tried polyurethane over the top of it. Wrong! It's mineral spirits based and the surface immediately alligatored. I was able to remove it (quickly), clean with soap and water, sand, repaint, re-varnish with additional coats of the Golden varnish. Whew!

Today all the sides are varnished and dry. Two sides have resin, and the top will get resin today. And I'm done!

Also have five photo paintings with this project, and I'm on number five right now, so I will meet my deadline of next Tuesday with time to spare.

It's a good thing, too, since I have been the victim of identity theft.

Since returning home from three weeks away I've slowly been going through the big sack of mail. I pay all my bills online so I don't usually get anything high priority through the mail. This time I was surprised to find six new credit cards and four letters from credit card companies asking for more information in response to applications. I did not apply for any credit cards, and apparently have really good credit, because the companies happily set up new accounts for me. Yesterday I spent mostly on the phone with credit bureaus, the police, and each and every account that was opened. Also discovered four fraudulent charges on an existing credit card and had to cancel it, too.

I don't see the benefit to a thief of setting up new accounts and having the cards come to me. They sure know a lot about me, and that has me nervous.

Losing Track of Time

I didn't realize so much time had gone by since I last posted. I've been so-o-o-o busy!

I am still working on the Pensacola project, with large scale photography printed on canvas, and three very large photo paintings. They measure 44"w x 58"h. In order to print on that size canvas I had to figure out a way to get it through my printer, which I did, thank goodness. My normal process is to complete the painted areas first, then run it through the printer, but with so much room for error in the printing phase I did that first this time. All three printed okay. Not great, but good enough.

I am painting them now, and wherever there's a little printing flaw I'm touching up with paint. No one will ever know once they are framed and on the wall somewhere. I've got two completed, and I'm working on the third, should finish today. I hope so, because I want to spend some time in the yard tomorrow when it hits seventy five degrees!

I thought I had the whole month mapped out, but I'm in the business of creating original art for commercial projects. All those designers work on deadlines, and I never know what purchase order might be headed my way at any given time. This past week while doing my best to complete the Pensacola project, I got another order for three original abstracted landscapes on canvas for a hotel in Charlotte. They are big, too, 44 x 44.

On top of that I got one of those "art emergency" phone calls asking for more concept images for a new Ritz property. I didn't know this, but I'm doing model room for that project. I pulled some of my recent photography from Yosemite and submitted that, but also booted up Corel Painter and made a few digital paintings. It was great fun, and very satisfying when my client called me up with a big "wow!".

AND, the client I did the double-sided resin boxes for called. Her client loved them, wants more. Yikes. I SWORE I wouldn't do anymore of those, so we're talking large scale wall hung panels this time. Much easier.

Now I'm stressed again, because I have a trip to New Orleans scheduled for Jan 17 - 21. It's a photo shoot with my friend Nancy.

Color My World

I did something yesterday that I bet nobody else did - I cooked a turkey dinner! I used my new knives that Santa brought me, and my silicone spoon, and my gourmet salt. I slid navel orange slices under the skin of that big bird, buttered the outside and powdered it with fresh ground pepper. I fried fresh apple slices in butter in a hot pan, then added cranberries, diced orange and spices. Acorn squash was halved, buttered and sprinkled with pecans and praline flavoring then popped into the oven. Pureed cauliflower was made much more festive by the addition of roasted beets. It was a lively fuschia color. And of course it was New Years, so I cooked a batch of black eyed peas. Not content with the same old thing, I added dried tomato pesto, which added a warm smoky flavor. And if all that weren't enough, my friend came by with fresh tamales! What a feast. Obviously I didn't start a diet.

But I did start working.

I have been struggling with the size limits for printing. Even though I have BIG printers, the size maxes out at 44" in one direction. I have told my clients this many times, yet they continue to ask me to print bigger. I have researched the costs of those huge printers, and I'm certainly not spending that kind of money.

These particular images are the photo panel series, that have a printed element at the top, and the rest is painted. Sure, I can print to the edge of the canvas for 44", but then there's nothing left to stretch. So, I took a large piece of canvas, folded each side under and stuck it down with double-sided carpet tape. At this point I taped off and painted the appropriate part of the canvas with inkjet receiver and let it dry. I had a little trouble getting that whole thing (44" x 64") to feed through the printer, but finally had success just this morning. I've untaped it all now, and it really worked! I love a challenge. Two more to go.

I love the beginning of a new year!

Inspiration of the Day: fuschia

Working in the Rain

It's typical winter weather in Dallas. One beautiful 65 degree day and five days of rain and forty degrees. I'm having trouble with the resin, I'm late on my deadline and my client is unhappy. I sent her a list of everything I have done on the boxes each day since I started. Today I sent a "resin report", and will do so everyday until I deliver. The weather is not my fault. I did, however, go to Home Depot and buy two new heaters to place under the tables where I am working. That should help warm things up and dry out the air a little.

Yesterday was "art emergency" day. A client had forgotten to send me a purchase order for some photography. The framer went looking, and there's nothing to frame. Backtracking led them to the unsent email. Lucky for them I was in town and could drop everything else and print five large photos at the very last minute.

I'm almost finished with the six photo paintings for my West Coast rep, will be able to ship on Monday. The weather has interfered with that process, too - nothing will dry!

I got a call from an art consultant in the town where my father lives, Harlingen, TX. What a surprise to know that there are commercial designers down there. Seems there's a project at the airport where they are interested in commissioning my work.

Christmas is coming, presents are wrapped, the air smells like gingerbread (scented candles), and I'm taking off early tonight to put on my flannel jammies and snuggle on the couch (maybe with a dog). Rain makes me feel that way.

Artist's Communities

When I was in Berkeley last week I was moaning about how I didn't have an artist community to belong to in my hometown of Dallas. When my phone rang at 6:30 last night, it was Linda Rowe, one of my former partners in Artist's Showplace. They were having their five year anniversary party, and she wanted to invite me. I was there within thirty minutes. At the end of the two hours I remembered what I had missed most about leaving the co-op gallery. My artist friends! It was a delight to reconnect with the others who were there in the beginning of an optimistic effort to establish a retail gallery in a north Dallas neighborhood. We worked so hard! It's paying off now, as the present partners were happy to tell me.

I don't regret leaving, because owning a retail gallery and all that that entails was really not part of my business model. But I tried. I did it, I gave it my all, and I decided it wasn't for me. More power to all those wonderful artists who are continuing to make it a success.

I got a nice big purchase order on Friday, so it's back to work for me, just what I like. I'm actually in the studio today, finishing up a commission for a photo painting. And I'm doing some internet research on a new process I want to try. I'm always up for a challenge dontcha know!

The Pain of Arrogance

I paid little attention to the order for three small (8" x 12") photo paintings for the large hotel project. I've done hundreds of those paintings, so there was no challenge for me at all. Their significance was further reduced by the drama of the carving, and an intricate layered digital construction for the same project. I forgot about those paintings, actually.

So I rushed through them, tried to skimp on the paper size, changed my process entirely, used a different printer, and basically ruined them at the end. They're trash.

I had to start over late last night, and today I'm following established processes and paying more attention. It was my own fault.

More Digital Fun

Now that I'm winding up the Texas Clinic project I am not so stressed. I'm taking some time to develop new imagery for the project instead of filling the place with straight photography. I love the look of photographs layered with paintings, and now I'm pleased that I spent the money to have so many paintings digitized.

Stacks of Paintings

I just realized that I do production painting on weekends. When I paint Photo Paintings there is lots of drying time between layers, so I guess I do it on weekends so I can pretend I'm not really working (because I'm doing other things at the same time). Sunday, during drying time, I bought a washer and dryer.

When I first started looking I gravitated towards the beautiful bright red front loader. Then I got my wits about me and checked Consumer Reports. What I ended up with was far different than the lovely shiny red ones. I chose Fisher and Paykel, a European brand revered for it's efficiency. Very low water and electricity usage, they promise. And they are stark white. Very utilitarian.

I missed the gym this morning, since by 7:00 am I was well into painting mode. Once I start production of the photo paintings it's a whirlwind til they are done. Which is now. I've got 16 paintings stacked in the studio, with three canvases up on the wall, and two more commissions in progress. Yep, it's a workday all right!

No Wire Hangers

Who can read that without thinking of Joan Crawford? Clothes hangers are an important accessory in my studio. I hang paintings so they dry from both sides. A fan setup helps accelerate that process.

I haven't posted the past few days because I've had 12 hour painting days. Finished now, with 18 12" x 24" photo paintings for my West Coast rep. These aren't spa paintings, in fact, I mixed it up a little with this bunch and used architectural photographs. I'll try to get a web page up later today.

This morning I have to make a run for supplies. I ran out of 44" roll paper, and have several print jobs to do in the next two days. That in itself is a challenge now that my desktop computer doesn't recognize ANY printer now. I am using my laptop to print from, and that's not an ideal situation. My new computer should be ready today or tomorrow, I can't wait to get my office back in working order.

Taking off this weekend to meet my nieces and nephew in Pennsylvania where we are spreading my sister's ashes. I haven't been back to PA for so many years, but as a child I spent all my summers there, and the family farm was a place where I was totally and completely happy. I am prepared for everything to be different, and I know that this will be emotional for us all, but I'm so happy to do it. My sister and I always talked about the farm and what a positive influence it was in both our lives. I miss her so much.

Inspiration of the Day: Childhood Innocence

Solving Technical Problems

Dahlia I, guestroom art for San Diego hotel, 22 x 22

It wasn't my fault. Trashing so many ruined images inspired me to research every possible solution to my printer problem. I dug through the Epson website. I read blogs. I gave up.

I changed paper, and everything is running smoothly once again. Forty more prints and I'm done with printing guestroom art for a Mission Valley, San Diego hotel. Whew. I'll be returning the two rolls of paper that would not feed through my printer to my supplier next week. They have promised a refund.

Thank goodness I've also been painting during this ordeal, otherwise I would have gone crazy. Painting is so soothing to me, and when my hands were busy my mind was investigating different possible solutions.

The sun came out yesterday for the first time in a long while. Today may be my first day in the pool this year. Amazing weather patterns.

Keeping Timelines

I am in the middle of so many projects I keep forgetting what I'm supposed to be doing. That can't be productive!

The photo above shows, on my wall, bottom layer, three canvas panels which are a triptych I haven't finished. Hanging in front of that (with the white border) is one of 10 photographs that I have printed for the Ft. Worth hotel job. The other nine are hanging in the bathroom. To the right of that is the 30" sq painting that's one of the new ones for Mercury Grill. In the foreground is a giclee of a previous painting that goes with another set of photographs not yet printed for the Intercontinental hotel here in Dallas. What's already put away are the photo paintings. Finished them around noon today.

Then I took a break (but left the printer running) and went to the dentist. On my way home I dropped off a copy of the pricing proposal at the job site for Texas Clinic. whew!

The best part of the day so far has been faxing invoices. Now if it will just quit raining!

Working Weekends

I don't have the luxury of days off right now. After completing the Art Placement and Budget for Texas Clinic, I am doing the physical layout of the project on the floor plans. Everybody likes a visual. This way the owner can clearly see the original concept of 15 pcs and the new one of 79 pcs! Yes, quite a difference.

I have broken the budget into thirds, 25% due with budget approval, 25% with art approval, and 50% on delivery. Believe me, I need every minute of the next 3 1/2 months to complete this project. No summer vacation or artist residency for me this summer. In all honesty, I much prefer a four month period of constant painting to traveling off to an exotic location trying to think of something meaningful to create. This is better than a residency - I have long walls of public spaces to fill with art!

With Texas Clinic floor plans on the table in the living room as project No.1; I have project No. 2, three more paintings for Mercury Grill, with three layers of gesso hanging to dry; and No. 3, three photo paintings for the Worthington hotel also in progress. Here at the computer is project No. 4, 10 photographs to print for the Worthington, and project No. 5, the digital creation of image #2 for the golf resort, now that the first image has been approved.

Oh, and I have to have something ready soon - a concept at least!- for my solo show in October.

Maybe I'll take November off.

More Self Discovery

Forest Fern, 8" x 16"

One of the things I learned at the workshop in Mendocino is that my work is (generally) very orderly. I wouldn't have described myself as orderly however. My office area is a wreck, and my studio is the same.

This weekend I continued the purge. I dumped out the contents of any drawer that was too full to open, and started throwing things away. If I forgot I had it, it went in the trash. Did you know that up until fairly recently lots of bank statements and medical bills had your social security number printed right on them? Consequently I have several bags of trash that can't be thrown away. It would take me days to shred using my home machine. I might wait until my bank has another "shred day".

So the point of all this is that since I determined that my work is organized there must be something about me that's organized. I think I have discovered the secret. If I have a place for something I can easily keep it there, and labels help a lot. It's all the things that fall into that grey area, that don't clearly belong in one place or another. Those are the things I have to tackle.

With all the chaos going on around here, it was very soothing to work on the new Spa series. I have fourteen paintings completed and ready to send to my rep, Capstone Art.

Less is More

When the bulk trash pickup was postponed from last week to this, every day I had to look at four toilets lined up on the sidewalk across the street from me at the house that's being remodeled. The longer the pickup was postponed, the more I wanted to throw things away.

So out it went.

I threw away huge boxes that computer monitors came in, a five foot tall teddy bear I've had for 25 years, a huge leather chair and ottoman out of my bedroom (too big!). I went through closets, and threw away luggage that's now too heavy for airline regulations, and paintings! Yes! Paintings whose energy I no longer wanted around me. Could I have painted over them, yes. Did I want to? No. Out in the trash!

I went through the bathroom cabinets and threw away a hundred tiny bottles of hotel shampoo and conditioner, cosmetic bags, old medicine, Qtips, bars of old soap. Why do I have six curling irons, anyway? I haven't used one in years!

By the time the trash collectors came around this afternoon I had looked in every hiding place for more things to add to the pile.

What a sight when the toilets were picked up by giant steel jaws, and crushed into porcelain fragments on the way to the landfill.

Besides that I have prepped 14 sheets of paper for the continuing series of photo paintings, maybe more in the Spa series.

No Delivery Today

I shipped my paintings home from Mendocino, and expected to receive them today - but no delivery. I guess Monday will be soon enough to take them down to the Design District and show them to my client. They've already seen the photos, and have sent them off for projects. All in all from my current perspective the Burridge workshop was good for me.

I've started an experimental project. I know this will undoubtedly sound "crafty", but I've just soaked a National Geographic in CitraSolve. It's something that came from the workshop. The orange oil cleaner reacts with the soy dyes and clay paper, creating some interesting patterns. I happened to have both things in the house at the same time, so I couldn't resist trying it. As always, I'll report back.

Sent off a shipment to my West Coast rep, Capstone Art. He had to wait longer than usual since I had the trip to Mendocino. I'm really happy with the photo paintings I sent out. Nice spa colors, and ocean photographs.

Think Spa

The pale blue green tints that came into vogue several years ago are now the hottest colors. A recent order from my West Coast rep said "think spa". To me that describes white-lightened shades of turquoise, glass green, and sky.

Those are the colors I'm using for the current series of photo paintings, one of which is shown above. The photo was taken in Florida, south of Miami in the Keys.