The Farm Restaurant Show

I just finished hanging my work at The Farm and I think it looks pretty nice. The old building and warm colors on the wall compliment my work well. Almost all the paintings are for sale and will be hanging for the entire month of February. The Farm is located at SE 7th and Burnside in Portland Oregon.

Thank You YRG

Thanks to YRG in downtown Portland for letting me hang my artwork in their office space for the month of January. Now, on to The Farm Restaurant for February where everything will be on sale.

A Commission

Last week a woman emailed me asking for a commissioned piece themed around Florida and using the couple image that I refer to as The Dreamers. At first I was hesitant to try as it is hard for me to find specific imagery that people request. But, after some convincing, I did it. I think it turned out pretty good. I hope my client is happy with it as well.

Spooky Man in Progress

I am not sure where the idea for this painting has come from, but here is today's work so far...

My process is starting to develop which includes the following steps: 1) On canvas, begin by adhering strips of regular paper using acrylic medium or Modge Podge. I guess it isn't critical to use canvas. One could use board. 2) Paint with a base color. Usually something very saturated and dark (burnt sienna in this painting) and let dry 3) Add a crackle medium on top. Let dry 4) Add a pattern transfer to selected areas (under the yellow on the ground in this painting) 5) Add second color over crackle medium (yellow in this painting). 6) Add subject matter (man and flowers). 7) Add third color (white) with a dry brush to pick up the texture 8) Add details (stars).

Art in the Pearl

Art in the Pearl 2009 (the art and craft festival held over Labor Day weekend) applications are coming up soon and I am hoping to particiapate this year. This show is juried and I must have four of my best paintings for submission. Here are two I think will be included so far.

A Full Day in the Studio

This is a picture of a painting in progress. So far it includes 3 of the 4 components that are always in my work. Texture, ephemera (which is a collage term for notes, tickets, scraps of paper, etc.), and vintage clip art. The last component will be a transfered image or pattern. And, then of course, there is always lots of paint.

I am hoping to finish this painting today. I get to spend the whole day in the art studio which is exciting. No interruptions, networking, interviews, meetings, errands, or other. Even though I generally like to multi-task, I find it hard to work in the studio if I don't have a good chunk of time to dedicate. I guess the thought of firing up the heater, putting on my painting clothes, and settling into a creative space doesn't seem worth it unless I have at least 4 hours of uninterrupted time. "Oh boo hoo" you must be saying to yourself at this point.

The Farm

Today I had the fortune to receive a call from The Farm inquiring about hanging my art in their restaurant. I was excited to take them up on the offer. They found me through Etsy and the fact that I had labeled myself as a Portland artist. The time I spent putting together a nice Etsy store has paid off in many ways www.shyama.etsy.com. Eventhough Etsy was created to support the craft movement, it provides a good place to set up a store and promote yourself as an artist as well. Etsy has recieved quite a lot of press and attention lately and the tools they provide are a great resource. If nothing else, the amount of traffic Etsy recieves will put your name high up on a google search.

My work will be hanging at The Farm Cafe (on the corner of SE 7th and Burnside) for the month of February. Come check it out! www.thefarmcafe.net

Here I am. Blogging. Why?

Over the past few months I have been scouring the internet for artist's notes and thoughts about their experiences. I am sure they are out there, but I haven't found anything notable yet. I would like to know how other emerging artists are doing. What is working for them? What isn't? A road map they may or may not be following, and their daily experiences and thoughts. I guess you could say I would like a virtual artist community. Since I haven't found anything yet, I thought I would create something myself. I can't be the only artist out there who could use a place to connect. Maybe my experiences can be helpful for someone else trying to get started. Plus, now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense for me to combine my two lives: online marketing producer and mixed media artist = art blog. Now, if I were a good writer, that would be an even better combo....

I have been keeping some notes on my freelance contractor experience of which I have posted, but I hope to begin speaking more about my art moving forward.

Good Enough

It feels like I am constantly on the tip of something great, but never able to reach it. Arggg...

Here is the latest painting in progress.