Art resolutions for 2010

Today I wanted to say a little something about art resolutions. I didn't really make any art resolutions for 2010 until now because we had just finished moving to our house and I hadn't even got finished unloading all the boxes much less sorting through and throwing out a bunch of stuff. And typically right around the first of the year I actually do my Art Income and Expenses so I don't hold up my tax preparer. This year I didn't do it until 2 days ago thus I didn't get around to my resolutions.

What I'm really trying to say is that I have a much better idea now what those resolutions should be. I've already done an Encaustic demo, had an exhibit of my mixed media "Legacy of Trees" work. Watched the recession recede somewhat. Recovered from the worst of the winter flu season. And tried to find storage space for my painting finished and unfinished that are not in shows.

Drum roll please......the only art resolution that is possible after looking at my supplies and materials and unfinished paintings is .....To finish all unfinished paintings and use up all canvas', boards, paints, wax, collage materials in an envelope pushing kind of way and to make them exhibit ready artwork!

Here's an example of what I mean. On the left was a painting with potential that I got too detailed with and started "fixing" then put away because it was a sample of the worst thing an artist can do, then I picked it up at the end of last year and gessoed it over totally and did a new painting which then promptly sold. If I can do that with every half finished painting I have then I will have the work I want for 2010!

And lest you think I've given up on encaustic - NOT SO. Its just that my garage studio is ccccooooolllllllddddd right now and windy and the wax will work much better for me when it warms up so I've pretty much settled myself to doing my encaustic work only on warmer days, ie mostly summer.

So have a happy Easter to you where ever you are!

January 2010 - the resolutions

Well as part of my first blog of the new year, you all will note that I have changed my blogging name to Waxing Rural which just seems a lot more fitting to where I am both physically located and where my head is.

It seems like all the blogs I look at have great resolutions for the new year and I applaud this. Jokingly at first I have been emailing friends and family with my top 3 resolutions of the year and these follow directly from our recent move.

1. Eliminate printing everything out on paper which not only is bad for the environment but means you have to save and try to re-find those pieces of paper and they are just impossible to find when you are 59 years old as of December! So my alternative is to create some directories on my computer to save things and we'll see how this works in 2010

2. Get a cell phone for god's sake so people can get me - this is a problem for my husband as well as for friends and clients since I am rather reclusive and elusive at the same time. (By the way, this one is done as of 2 days ago, breaking a long standing vow never to have a cell phone -the most demonstrable item of my former and hated life)

3. Simplify my life by dis-accummulating material things that I have to keep track of, dust, move and make room for. I always had this goal when we moved here to coastal Washington, but the reality of getting rid of stuff that filled a 2,500 square foot house and fitting in to a 1,200 square foot house is still daunting.

Now these seem like very worthy resolutions but here a couple more that I found out there in the ether that I especially liked:

Start everyday from a "yes" point of view, meaning get up everyday willing to embrace the positive spin rather than the negative or crabby spin. It's surprising how easy it is to fall into the negative but negative doesn't help you find or seek answers,or joy, or acceptance. So this one is one I'll adopt.

Become healthy self - not a thin self, not a certain weight self, not an athletic self (all of which deny the many years of dieting, running, walking, low carb and low fat foods I've done or eaten) but instead be as healthy as I can be, as pain free as I can be, as benign as I can be right here and right now. I think this is worthy one too.

And then finally I really will blog nearly every day and put up plenty of photo's and painting. I'm also going to update my website more often too so folks can link to that and see all the work. I PROMISE!