Countdown to Marin

Time is whipping by me as I prepare for the Marin Art Festival, June 21-22.

To be my guest at the most beautiful art festival in the country next weekend, print this free admission ticket to save yourself $10 per person.

There are paintings to finish, prints to make, and giclees to stretch. My list is always a mile long preparing for these shows, but I have the hang of it now. The trick is to do what is absolutely needed first. If the rest doesn’t get done, it will be ready for the next show!

I’m going to post a few I completed last month, since they never graced the pages of my blog. New paintings are in the works, and I’m so excited to finally feel the gates of possibility opening up once more.

30x40" Quincy Jones, a commission.

A few more of the continuing mini series:

Goldfish #7 -sold

Daylily buy

Petals buy

White Dress #4 buy

Minis are Love

I’ve been working at a manic pace, painting 5-8 hours a day. My poor brushes are disintegrating at an alarming rate. The first results of my mini painting series are finished, with more on the way.

My last large painting, Marilyn, went into photo-realism more than usual. Painting this way is technically challenging, but leaves me feeling stifled. It’s nice to have a break from all that, and explore. There’s nothing I love more than a bold brushstroke, unusual color mixing, or the odd drip. The big canvases are benefiting, and I'm having fun again.

Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned.~Mark Twain

Paintings can be purchased for a reasonable $55 from my website. Proceeds go toward the festival fund.

Not Without a Fight

As many of you know, it’s been a difficult few months. In fact, the last nine months have been some of the most trying in my life, but I’m determined to make this work. In betting terms, I’m all in. Despite all the hardships, it’s been my best year yet as a full-time artist. There is no turning back, so I keep pushing with my career, hoping for better times.

A week ago, I was accepted to the Marin Art Festival. This is one of the top shows in the county, billed as “the most beautiful art festival in the nation”. With just 92 spots available, and over 900 applications, I was accepted!

I’m struggling right now just to pay rent, and can’t afford the booth fee. The folks at Marin were kind enough to give me two weeks to raise the funds. I have even more acceptance letters coming in, and I'm doing everything I can to do these shows.

To help me accomplish my goals, I’m turning to my Internet friends and family. Over the next month, I’ll be creating mini oil paintings to post in my Etsy shop. Subjects will focus on food, flowers, and whatever else catches my fancy. They will be priced at only $55 each! If you have a request, post it here, and I’ll make one just for you.

I’m also offering a $25% discount on all my Etsy prints and necklaces and (discount refunded after checkout). Just make sure you mention my blog.

One more thing-I’ve added a Paypal “donate” button to my blog. Even a few dollars will help make these shows happen for me. Every bit helps, more than you know, and I'll continue to do my best to help others learn through my experiences.

I'll have the first few paintings up within a few days. In the meantime, here are some examples of mini's I've painted in the past: