2/28/08 Winter...
Well, I finally gave in and decided to make my first blog page. Although I can't see myself being a heavy blogger (after all I do have to paint!) I thought this would be a good way to share with the art internet peeps what I am doing, where I hope to go, and what my art is heading.
I normally dislike the winter months-I hate cold weather in general but to be honest it is the only time I take for painting. I have two advantages actually- first my job allows me free time in the winter months as I end up only working 3 nights a week (at least until mid March early April) and since I don't like going out anyways well-it is a match made in heaven.
The winter is also the time when I start to decide what shows I am doing, re-designing my booth, working on stock for the summer and marketing myself as well. The shows I have picked this year are what I think good venues, and I have decided to do more pow-wow events as well. My art is mainly native themed and I thought it would be a good way to expose myself as more of a contemporary native painter.
My art is not traditional by most standards, I use colors that can be hard on the eyes (but oh so FUN!) and I do enjoy painting women in little to no clothing which is viewed as a HUGE no-no by native people. I suppose I take that liberty due to the fact that my own people ran around basically naked and we saw it as a natural way of being. I have the upmost respect for Native American tribes and have taken part in many of their ceremonies, so I make it a point to cover up some of my ladies when I get inspired by them.
Back to winter...
Much to my husband's dismay I decided this year to go against his advice and do more acrylic paintings, putting aside the watercolors for a while. It isn't that I don'e enjoy watercolors-I really do, but I just enjoy acrylic so much more! I find myself lost in the colors, the challenges of laying down the paint, and marvel at the outcome whether it was good or not. I enjoy the texture of paint and the patterns in the paint that the brush gives and I can tell you that it is easy for me to forget food, time etc when I am painting. The food part can be dangerous as I am diabetic (currently working on reversing this bad habit!) but it happens every time I take a brush into my hands.
This year what I hope to achieve is: a spot in Native Magazine as an upcoming artist, a few gallery shows (already have one prospective show in Ca), and to make more of a living off my art. My biggest dream is to paint all the time and call it work, not that I have a terrible job-most people would kill to do what I do professionally and I consider myself extremely blessed to have such an awesome job, but my passion is really my art. I think about it all the time, think about paintings, colors, compositions, even driving into work I look for ideas!
So that is my winter's story-one of laying down low but building huge dreams for the future. When the summer comes all I will be thinking is Coronas, beach, sun and picnics by the ocean-after all who as time to paint? 
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