Melbourne

I'm off to Melbourne tomorrow to check out some galleries. Will have some pics to show you when I get back. That is if I don't forget my camera.

This Year's Goals

My goal for this year was to enter some major art competitions, experiment with new techniques and to try my hand at some portraiture. So not a great deal of finished artwork has happened but I have leant a lot both at the easel and away from it. I also have entered quite a few major art competitions but as yet I haven't got into any of' them. I am getting used to the rejection hehehe. There are always so many entries and only 30 or so places. Its really like winning the lottery.

The SALA Festival is well and truly over. Its been great seeing so much art. Some inspiring and some not so hehehe. The thing that takes most of my time is the whole promotion thing *add groan here*. I know art is meant to be made for art's sake but in order to move forward I need to continue to get my art further and further afield. Searching for the right galleries, the ones that suit your style of work, is many hours of research. Trying to get the galleries to respond to your enquiries is hard enough let alone accept your work. A simple "thank you for your enquiries but we are not accepting any new work" does not take that long to email people!!! The energy it takes to stay positive and retain confidence is really hard going. Most of the time I am ok but sometimes I slip and feel sorry for myself hehehe.

The other day I thought I'd better pull my finger out and actually finish a whole painting. I still have a passion for still life painting so more mundane everyday objects will become my models I'm sure.

Mushrooms

mixed media on canvas

50.8x60.9cm (20"x24")

A Day of Business

After going to gym in the morning I spent the afternoon working on my cv, a cover letter and a few images of my current work. One of my goals for this year is to get my work out there so I'm getting ready to contact a few galleries. This is quite daunting but I know its the right step to take. I've checked out some of the galleries but still have some to check out. I might do that on Sunday afternoon. I can check out the galleries and view some artwork at the same time. Its like business and an artist's date rolled into one hehehe.

I've been really struggling with the series of coffee cups. I think I will go back to the original idea. I've been trying something new and its just not working. That happens sometimes. I've put the series away for the time being and did some business stuff instead. Might even do another painting before I go back to them.

The weather has been glorious and mild for this time of year but the forecast is for some real heat next week. On Tuesday they think it will reach 41 degrees celsius ( that's nearly 106F). That means closing all the windows and curtains against the heat, turning on the cooler and hiding away inside. Hope it doesn't last too long :(