A New Year

Wishing you a New Year of health, prosperity, opportunities and hope! 

To start my year off creatively, I've taken a couple of challenges for myself to keep my art juices flowing. 

First, I'm participating in the January 2014 "30 Paintings in 30 Days" Challenge, hosted by Leslie Saeta at Slices of Life. The challenge to myself is to finish as many paintings as possible. I have some nearly finished or backgrounds-started canvases I want to get completed, as  well as some fun ideas for new paintings. 

And I'm also participating in Creative Jump Start 2014. Many instructors with many techniques. I'm excited to get started. You can check it out here: 

There's nothing like a good challenge for the new year! 

Happy New Year, Everyone! 

Resolution?

I couldn't resist showing this as a New Years Resolution. Nothing better than a glass of good wine. I love Story People!  

From Story People

Disclaimer: Please drink in moderation and do not drive a vehicle after consuming wine. 

Peace

Wishing you health, peace and joy in the coming year. 

Miniature 3x3 inch mixed media canvas
by Helen Campbell

It's been a busy week:
wrapping up and tearing down the Holiday Festival booth
Celebrating Christmas eve and Christmas with my husband and son
Appointments with son today and
Working on fitting the leftovers from the booth somewhere "logical" in my studio, so those not destined for my Etsy shop will be organized for the next sale.

Wishing all my Paint Party Friday friends a Happy New Year! We'll see you on the flip side!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas! 

For Tracey

Sharing a virtual cup of tea with Tracey Fletcher King, an amazing artist and strong woman with a fabulous sense of humor who I met through Paint Party Friday. This wonderful lady is beating breast cancer with her strength and humorous look at life. 

Tipping my teacup to you, beautiful Tracey! You are an inspiration!

Dreams

"If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." 

Dream Swallow Ornament by Helen Campbell

I'd like to offer a challenge to address the following questions: 

1) Do you have a BIG dream? One you are willing to say out loud?

2) What are you doing RIGHT NOW to make it happen? 

3) What are you doing RIGHT NOW that is holding you back from your dream?



My answers this moment are: 

1) Yes! Being recognized and supporting myself as a nature artist and photographer.

2) a. Selling at the 2013 Holiday Festival of the Arts and researching additional live venues for 2014. 
b. Selling my art and photography on Etsy (I also have a vintage Etsy shop) and figuring out how to SELL my work on FineArtAmerica, society6.  
c. Making time to make art! 

3) Procrastinating by spending unproductive time on the internet. 


How about you?  Are you willing to share your dreams out loud? I'd love to hear them if so. :)

What's in my Studio

I was surprised this past week with a package from members of atcsforall.com. I'm one of the moderators on the site, and these wonderful folks have been secretly collecting little cards and gifts from a whole lot of the members to thank us for being there. Isn't it fun? Thank you to all the members who sent goodies! You made my month!
If you like trading mail art of all types, check atcsforall out. We're a friendly place to visit.

This week for WOYWW, I'm sharing a bit from my office/studio/mailing center, which is at the other end of the house from the "studio". This is the laptop command center, with a view (that you can't see) of the evergreen outside the window that houses a suet feeder. Many little birds come and visit me daily. I love it!
That pile next to the laptop are books that are in the process of being listed in my Vintage Etsy. They have been photographed and just need me to finish the listings so they can be posted.  You can see my open computer glasses case, and a couple of bottles and some caliper thingies that will also be listed. I can't remember why I had the double sided tape out. The cord is for the camera. Oh, and there's a tiny 2x2 collage canvas there too next to the books.

Once I have the books listed, they will be stored on the shelves in the back bedroom, which has become the Etsy storage and photography room. I actually have two sets of shelves, this is the smaller one.

Etsy books storage shelf

And this pile is some of the old sheet music I bought at the recent Friends of the Library Book sale. (That's where a lot of the book pile came from too! I love libratry book sales!) Most of the music is in very poor condition, so I'm listing them in my Etsy shop as ephemera. I did keep a pile for my art too. :)

Apropos of nothing... does anyone know how to get more hours in the day? :)

Sharing with What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday and  Artist Studio Day.