2019 was a very interesting year. It was full of visits from family and friends. Our grand-daughter Sam moved in with us. Our son Mark and his wife Leslie moved from GA to a house just a few blocks from us. I won two ribbons in art competitions. At this time last year we had no idea any of these things would happen. Now, on January 1 of 2020, I wonder what this year holds for us. We will take it day by day and thank God for all His past blessings and know that He is with us in this new year.
What have I been up to art wise the past few weeks? It is a throw back to when I was a craft artist starting in the 70's. Back then my father's hobby was woodworking and he used to cut various shapes of animals and other things and I would paint them and we would sell them at craft shows. Well, it just so happens, that Mark's hobby is woodworking and he gave me a box full of fairies and gnomes that he cut out. He thought I might enjoy painting them. He was right. I had fun doing these.
There are still quite a few of these cute creatures that need to be painted and I will work on them on and off between canvas paintings.
Here is a photo of one of the craft shows I did in the 80's. This was in OH and Amish themed art was popular.
As 2019 ended I have been thinking back on my career as an artist. It was in 1977 that I sold my first piece of art. I did not take photos of my work back then and did not keep a written record of what I sold so I don't know who purchased the first item or what it was. What I do know is that from 1977 to 2007 I painted functional items and sold almost everything I painted. I also taught painting classes for 15 years in adult ed classes. In 1996 we moved to AZ and my dad came with us and still did woodworking and we continued to sell our work there. He passed away in 2005. It was in 2007 that I started canvas painting and entered my first art competition and won 2 ribbons and the People's Choice awards. I was contacted by a reporter for a local magazine and an article was published about my accomplishment. Because of that article my art career took off. Over the next 8 years I painted hundreds of canvas paintings and sold almost all of them. Since this was in Tucson, almost all of my subject matter was southwest. When we moved to MI in 2015 I changed my subject matter. I had to start all over in a new area as an unknown artist. I won a ribbon in the first competition I entered and became part of an art gallery and showed my work in a restaurant, and was invited to do a one artist show at the senior center. I also did holiday shows through the local artist guild. I was written up in a number of newspaper articles. By the time we decided to move to NC two and a half years later I was finally getting established and getting name recognition and my art was selling. We have been in NC for a year and a half and again I am in the position of having to start over as an unknown artist in a new area. As I get older the idea of having to start over and market myself and my art is tiring. I have put some effort out there and joined an artist league and showed in their gallery for awhile but it required having to take turned working the gallery and because of all the company I had I didn't want to do that so pulled out. I joined another gallery that is commission only and have sold some art there. I also showed in a restaurant for a number of months. I don't know what the future holds,and even though I don't have the ambition to market my art like I did in the past, I still intend to continue painting because it gives me pleasure.
Happy New Year to All!
