Endlessly Tweaking

If a painting stays around here past it's time, I keep painting on it. That's not always a good thing. Sometimes I regret the "additions" but it's not digital and I can't go back or use the "history brush". Yes, there's a painting in my studio like that right now. The one above. It's still not finished, I have to add one more photo in the bottom right hand corner. They just decided that today. This is for a construction company, and I used photographs of elements in their yard to create the abstract patterns. There are three photographs, but everything else is painted. The eagle in the top left is an award they won. It's a sculpture, and I painted it from a photo I took.

I really need this painting out of here. It's BIG and I need the room. Plus, it's distracting! I can't stop painting on it!

I'm going to have to push back a deadline for six paintings for a hotel in Detroit. I'm going down to south Texas to visit my dad this weekend, and consequently lose three work days. But, hey, it's just art, right? Problem is, I got the purchase order when I was in California, and I'm already late. I'm doing the best I can!


This is one of my photos from California -- such an inspiring coastline.

Remaining Calm

Travel is anxiety producing, whether you're coming or going. I've already been home a week (today) and I had to be reminded that I hadn't blogged in awhile!

I came home to three purchase orders from three different clients. The dates are tight, and I'm struggling, since they are all paintings. Then I got another PO for five new paintings for the Ritz Carlton hotel in Dallas. That project also includes 12 large scale photographs.

I still haven't finished the 8 ft painting that I started before my month in California. Yikes!

Also, the PO for my huge project in central Texas has come through! I think I have til the end of the year to get 900 castings made in China, and print 2700 images for guest rooms. woohoo!

And for some reason I have loaded myself up with extracurricular activities. I'm going to the gym with my neighbor in the mornings (when we both can), I have Belly Dancing class on Saturdays, and I've joined three local photography groups and a hiking group. I'm reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. I really took to heart what Scott Ginsberg said about getting out of the house. But since I'm me, I'm overdoing.

My Dallas client has asked me to produce a sample 3d installation piece in a size small enough to take to presentations. I've been doing so many mixed-media pieces that photographs can't capture that they need some samples. And I agree -- but how the heck do I work that into my schedule?

Yes, you, too can have these problems. Here's how. If you are an artist, say yes. In fact, what would happen if you said yes to everything? That's what I'm experimenting with right now, which is one reason why I'm so busy all of a sudden! I like it!

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!

I'm Off

Now I need to quit answering my telephone. I've already had three requests, for today! One, print a giclee on canvas 44 x 60, come in and sign four paintings, what color spray paint to use to create a deep cherry brown, and a digital file. Now when I answer the phone knowing it's my client I just say "no". I'm off!

I finished a painting in the photo painting series this morning, one of five that I have a PO for, due a week after my return.

I've made sure I have everything I need on my laptop, I'm packed, dressed and ready to head out to the airport. I will have email, but no phone, yay!!!

Taking My Time

Invariably I am swamped with projects before I leave for a trip. This time is no exception. I'll be gone for three weeks, and there are several deadlines during that time, which means I'm working like a madwoman! I have projects in every room of my house, not just the studio. I am printing on metal in my second office for the large registration installation, printing original photography for public spaces for another hotel in my main office, the front studio is full of platforms in various stages of completion, my slant wall holds an abstract painting commission, the table in the living room is covered with sketches for another carving, the kitchen holds glass bowls of colored water where I'm adjusting color recipes for the cast resin pieces, my back studio table holds the printed metal photography which is being coated with layers of clear varnish. So when I got another purchase order yesterday afternoon, I almost went over the edge! But how could I say no to this? It's the hotel in Arlington that I did etched glass for back in the 80s.

This is the original glasswork that I did in the 80s. At the time the wavy pattern matched the fabric on the chairs.

Door to the lounge, I sandblasted the logo back in the day! Soon to be replaced.

This is the colorboard for the new space.

This is the drawing of the photographs and installation of artwork for the new space. The photos are mine, black and white, which will be printed on 44" x 44" plexi and mounted with standoffs. Cool installation.

It's just so very odd that my work would be featured so prominently in the same hotel I worked on twenty years ago! I have original photography in every guest room, and according to the PO I just received, twenty large scale photographs for public spaces. Amazing.

The good news I received after that PO was a phone call that one project's deadline has been pushed back two months. Yay! I can finish it up after I get home, and can go visit my Dad in South Texas without worrying.

Today I'm in yard, it's time to plant flowers!

Planning Ahead

I thought it appropriate to title this post "planning ahead" when my last one was "be in the moment". How can a person do both?? To anyone who has a busy schedule, you just do it. While I am waiting for paint to dry I scan through emails. When I plan a trip I think ahead to that time off and plan work around it, both before and after. While I'm gone, I'm in the moment.

Today I have been at the computer most of the day, and printing almost the whole time. I had three separate art layouts for hotel model rooms to put together for the designer's approval. It's mostly photography so I made prints. Then I printed some marketing materials. I put together a series of photos documenting the carving, moldmaking and casting process. And I printed out the three section layout of the 22 pc installation that I have designed. Busy day, and the printer is still cranking.

I should have a tracking system, but once I'm paid for the originals commissioned for a hotel model room I put the project out of my mind. It's usually a long lead time between model room and purchase orders. And I don't necessarily get a PO just because I did model room. Sometimes the owners don't like it and they change it up and the order goes to someone else.

In case anybody has an idea that I am successful with everything I present, let me tell you it ain't so. Got a really big rejection this week. The second design for the cast piece was completely wrong, according to the hotel owner. I wish I could get a handle on what they are looking for, because I don't see a connection between their very thorough criticism and the sketch itself. I better have a lightning bolt of an idea soon!

I know it's Easter Weekend, but I'm being blasphemous and working the whole time. Some in the studio, some at my desk, and some in my flowerbeds! My poor poppies have been valiantly blooming, but since they've lived here they have had to endure several freezes, high winds, and this week's 7" gully washer. They're still blooming, but they're beat up. I'm going to give them some neighbors and plant begonias around them.

Creative Concepts

Lots of things inspire me, but bringing a creative concept to completion is always a challenge. When I did the carving (above) as a concept for a cast piece for hotel room art, it presented a huge challenge. I had no idea how to even start. So I started with a sketch, did a lot of internet research, bought high density foam and carving tools and went at it. Had the mold made, and we made a casting which was hung over the tub in the model room. The designer loved it. Apparently she was the only one. The owners said it looked too tropical for a resort located in the hill country of central Texas. With that as the only comment, I was commissioned to create a new piece.

It has been on my mind for a couple weeks now. I didn't know what direction to take it. I tried modifying the original design. Didn't work. I thought of other plants and trees located in the area that I could abstract into something cool. I did extensive internet research. I drew some digital designs. Nothing really worked until I got out a pencil and paper and came up with this:


I sent it to my client who replied "that's my girl". Yay! Have not heard from the designer yet, but I'm confident I'm on the right track. Once the design is approved I will go through the whole carving, moldmaking and casting process again. And these are big pieces, 36" x 36". But there are over 900 rooms in this project and that sculpture will be in every one of them.

I am having a similar experience with the cast resin shell project, only it's proceeding much slower. I've had a purchase order for awhile, but getting all the information from my client and the designer is proving to be a real challenge. This is an instance where my client insists on being in the middle, and not allowing me to discuss the details with the designer directly. I don't understand that at all. It's just not efficient, as I talked about in my last post. We are disagreeing on the mounting method. Now I have agreed to make a small sample piece with a cleat embedded in the resin for the designer to approve. I won't even get into what a waste of time I think that is, because the customer is always right -- right?

In other good news, yesterday was Purchase Order Friday -- and this one is all photography for a healthcare project.

I'm rocking and rolling, it's Spring, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and I'm headed off to a Meditative Photography session with a new friend. I'll report back.

Living on the Edge

REMINDER: Texas WAX reception tonight at CAMP, 2631 Commerce, Suite B, Dallas, TX, 6:00 - 8:00 TONIGHT

When I started this art career some ten years ago I knew that I was taking a big chance, and my income would be undependable, to say the least. That has proven true. What I wouldn't have guessed back then is how valuable good relationships are, and how important it is to align yourself with like-minded people. That truly is the secret to my success.

Technology has changed everything in ten years, including the commercial art business. Where once I would have to paint originals to submit as design concepts, now I spend time on my Cintiq monitor, painting on the screen creating digital images for approval. Now, I don't actually paint anything until I have a purchase order. A trend that has influenced this way of working is the popularity of photography in public spaces. More and more I am asked for photography instead of paintings. And sometimes I do mixed media pieces which incorporate both.

Yesterday I got a request for providing photo files to be digitally printed on wallpaper! That's a new one for me, and requires another new pricing strategy.

As detached as I have gotten from hands-on artwork, I was jolted back yesterday when I attended a lecture of ten artists working in encaustic, including Joanne Mattera, at ArtSpace, running during the CAA conference in downtown Dallas. The sincere thought processes that are the catalyst for creating meaningful artwork were shared by these artists who came to describe their personal visions -- the meaning behind the work. These were all artists using the encaustic medium, but were loath to describe themselves as encaustic artists, preferring not be be labeled. For most, the medium provides them the technical properties they needed in order to tell their story. It was a long afternoon of slideshows in a darkened room, but it fed my creative soul, and reawakened the passion for my work.

Once again I was reminded of the importance (on so many levels) of keeping company with like-minded people.

Inspiration of the Day: relationships

Art That Matches the Sofa

My specialty is creating artwork for hotels. A big part of my income is derived from creating and printing guestroom art. My clients are commercial designers for high end properties who don't want to use posters that are readily available. They want something custom that matches the decor of the room. Yes, art that matches the sofa! I am not opposed to creating this type of artwork, in fact, it's a challenge for me. I think it's good exercise in keeping the creative juices flowing.

I get tired of it, though, and that's when I want to paint huge abstracts with wild abandon.

None of that is happening today, though, as I finish up that crazy painting-over-a-giclee process. Then I'll get ready to pick up Helen (from Berkeley) from the airport and visit a few galleries with her. I'm picking up a big purchase order today, too.

Rescheduling

Okay, I'm a wuss. When I went to my welding class on Tuesday night I sat on a metal chair. Since the work area is outside (duh) it was like sitting on a block of ice. It was cold, and I was ill prepared. I'm rescheduling the class to March, when days are longer and it's a little warmer. Jeez - it's not like I HAVE to learn welding in the dead of winter! Interestingly enough the instructor is someone I knew already. He made the brackets for a cast resin installation piece that I did a few years ago. He works with one of my clients.

And I may have someone onboard to redo my websites for me so I won't have to learn Dreamweaver or anything else. Sure hope so.

Final submittals have been made for the Ritz-Carlton project. There are only four pieces of art in each room. I don't even know how many rooms there are. It's not that this is a big money-making job, but hey, its another RITZ! They will commission originals for model room, then prints will be made from those.

I'm painting today, in the middle of a three painting commission for a hotel in Charlotte. This piece is completely geometric. Geometry was the one class in high school that was beyond me. I must have developed that part of my brain since then, because I laid the whole thing out manually, and it worked. So that's something.

I'm also printing. Another purchase order arrived in my inbox yesterday for a project I didn't even know about. All photography, couple hundred pieces altogether, for a hotel in city near me.

Looking forward to next weekend in New Orleans.

What a Blast!

With the fast pace of 2007 behind me I thought I'd have a lull in January 2008, but it's not to be. It's only the 9th and I've got three purchase orders in house already, and have quoted several more projects. And it looks like I'll be doing all the artwork for model room for the new Ritz-Carlton property. I submitted concepts for it last week, and yesterday got a file with all the images that were selected.

In order to shake up my routine, and maybe add a new skillset, I started a metal arts class last night. That's right, welding! I thought there would be a bunch of guys in the class, but it's four women, all artists. Yay!

And I signed up for a web design class that I badly need. My website is pitiful! But I'm having a hard time keeping up with technology these days. I'm hoping the structure of a real class will be enough to keep me focused. Alternatively I'm talking to people about doing it for me.

I've been in the studio the past two days, have paint all over me, which is how I like it.

And I've been asked to quote another resin job! This one is 18 pcs of 3d cast resin. I would have to sculpt the original, make a mold and cast each one. This might be something I can subcontract part of. I'd rather do the original and have someone else do the casting.

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.

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!

Travel Time Again

Tonight I'm packing, tomorrow heading home to Dallas. Wednesday morning the installers come to pick up all the artwork and start installing Texas Clinic. A few months late, and of course they want it when they want it. Which will be fine, but it's been a challenge to organize it from California. By Thursday afternoon it will all be on the walls, and the job complete. I can't wait to see how it all looks together, and if it matches the vision I have for the space.

I have more work waiting for me at home, and received another purchase order from my West Coast rep since I've been here, so it's nice to know that I've been away but not forgotten.

White Boxes

White Boxes, abstract paintings on 24 x 24 x 3 deep boxes

I've finished the three white boxes. In the beginning I looked at them and wondered why someone would want them -- but now I love them! The texture is good, I like the pattern, and once again I'm intrigued by the very minimal color.

I spent the weekend working. I had forgotten how much paperwork is involved in a big project. I've completed six packets for the budget and art placement for Texas Clinic. Ready to present it as soon as I hear from the owner.

I didn't finish the three paintings for Mercury Grill. That's what I am working on now. I did make a lot of progress on the three photopaintings for the Worthington hotel.

And on Monday morning it's always nice to get purchase orders, but unfortunately one of the two I received today was not my image. Darn it all!

Still waiting to hear back from the Ritz. Finger's crossed.

All in all a very busy day. Not quite enough of me to go around.

Inspiration of the Day: wildflowers