Spring Break 2010
Whoo-hoo! Sacramento is FINALLY sprung into spring, and it's FANTASTIC! I find myself so relieved that it's Spring Break and in a week it'll be Easter. A lot has happened this year, and there is so much more to come in the next two months.
With a week off of school and work, I finally get to catch up on some much needed art and artwork. Some may think that being an artist is just being a hipster that's always hungry and selling stuff. That's sorta true. I am a starving artist, and my fiance' and I get by with what we make. It's not luxury, but we're good. I consider myself a working artist.
I'll explain a bit in order to get to my point. I'm an artist. The statement is that simple. I paint, draw and create artworks that I get to display and people tend to like. The process starts with doodles, sketches and brainstorms that get transferred to canvas by oils, acrylics or other medium. I take a few hours to make these. An ideal day is 8 hours with up to four paintings. This is what I'm doing to get put into shows. Now how I get into shows is where I work the hardest. I network. I'm good at it, and I continue on doing so. I'll do this by "friending" galleries and artists on social networking sites, google local galleries or simply walk into cafe's to get my art shown. I talk to people...a lot. And this isn't easy. I'm born shy, but I'm driven, so I want my art shown, dangit! I talk to people at school, at schools, at churches, at galleries, at skate shops, at diners, coffeehouses, and I carry my business cards, and sometimes portfolios of mine. I go to Second Saturday about every month, and I just talk to people who might be in charge. Not in a creepy way, but simple hellos and "great shows," suffice. I pick up flyers and business cards for contact info and e-mail blast my way into their good graces. My goal is to show at LEAST four times a year. In the mean time, I paint, and if I'm not painting, I'm updating my resume', and if I'm not updating my resume', I'm scheming my media. This years goals and plans are to make STICKERS! And BUTTONS! I tried patches, but they take too long, and depending on the quality, they fall off. I'm re-working the business card concept, cuz I want my art on spiffy cards. I still have some Vista Print ones (which aren't bad) just have about 200 of 'em.
So what does this all mean? With five days off, my day job is to work on this alongside my art. It's a lot of work, and I love what I do. It's very worthwhile to me. So I'll be responding to e-mails, making a phone call here and there, and photographing art work. Did I mention this is not cheap? Paints, canvases, panels, brushes and electricity all cost money, and I don't make anything promoting myself. I'll get a good trade here and there, but nothing like a check. So I work for a non-profit organization that teaches kids how to draw after school. I absolutely love it, and I honestly never intend on quitting.
So this week, it's to the work bench. Paint, draw, write, network, and I'll leave the house every so often to have lunch or coffee with friends. Huzzah!
The main two things I am getting ready for this week are and Midtown Friends Easter Urban Hive party. Fun!
Some things that I will be advocating for (other than human trafficking) is TOM's A Day Without Shoes. This is an eye-opening event; many countries have children who walk to school, do their chores and live daily without shoes. There's no sanitation or protection for their little feet. If you have kids, or or around children, you may not want your child going barefoot in your suburban back yard. Imagine having a dirt road, or a dirt floor home. Or imagine not having the proper medical treatment if your child gets a cut or rash on their foot. On April 8th, I am choosing to go barefoot for the day. And I have A LOT to do that day! I'm hoping to promote TOM's Shoes. What' TOM's? TOMS makes eco-friendly shoes where when a customer buys a pair, a child who doesn't own ANY shoes gets a pair. The motto, "One for one" is what they stand for. They're not the glamourous shoe, but reading the reviews, I've seen that they ARE COMFORTABLE. Awesome!!! I'm eyeing a pair of black canvas shoes. And they have them for kids! How cool is that? Your child is helping another one, and you can tell them that!
I'm excited that this is how I get to spend my week. Arts and advocacy. Not to mention I'll be able to catch up with my friends and be with my fiance' a little more.
God is good.
With a week off of school and work, I finally get to catch up on some much needed art and artwork. Some may think that being an artist is just being a hipster that's always hungry and selling stuff. That's sorta true. I am a starving artist, and my fiance' and I get by with what we make. It's not luxury, but we're good. I consider myself a working artist.
I'll explain a bit in order to get to my point. I'm an artist. The statement is that simple. I paint, draw and create artworks that I get to display and people tend to like. The process starts with doodles, sketches and brainstorms that get transferred to canvas by oils, acrylics or other medium. I take a few hours to make these. An ideal day is 8 hours with up to four paintings. This is what I'm doing to get put into shows. Now how I get into shows is where I work the hardest. I network. I'm good at it, and I continue on doing so. I'll do this by "friending" galleries and artists on social networking sites, google local galleries or simply walk into cafe's to get my art shown. I talk to people...a lot. And this isn't easy. I'm born shy, but I'm driven, so I want my art shown, dangit! I talk to people at school, at schools, at churches, at galleries, at skate shops, at diners, coffeehouses, and I carry my business cards, and sometimes portfolios of mine. I go to Second Saturday about every month, and I just talk to people who might be in charge. Not in a creepy way, but simple hellos and "great shows," suffice. I pick up flyers and business cards for contact info and e-mail blast my way into their good graces. My goal is to show at LEAST four times a year. In the mean time, I paint, and if I'm not painting, I'm updating my resume', and if I'm not updating my resume', I'm scheming my media. This years goals and plans are to make STICKERS! And BUTTONS! I tried patches, but they take too long, and depending on the quality, they fall off. I'm re-working the business card concept, cuz I want my art on spiffy cards. I still have some Vista Print ones (which aren't bad) just have about 200 of 'em.
So what does this all mean? With five days off, my day job is to work on this alongside my art. It's a lot of work, and I love what I do. It's very worthwhile to me. So I'll be responding to e-mails, making a phone call here and there, and photographing art work. Did I mention this is not cheap? Paints, canvases, panels, brushes and electricity all cost money, and I don't make anything promoting myself. I'll get a good trade here and there, but nothing like a check. So I work for a non-profit organization that teaches kids how to draw after school. I absolutely love it, and I honestly never intend on quitting.
So this week, it's to the work bench. Paint, draw, write, network, and I'll leave the house every so often to have lunch or coffee with friends. Huzzah!
The main two things I am getting ready for this week are and Midtown Friends Easter Urban Hive party. Fun!
Some things that I will be advocating for (other than human trafficking) is TOM's A Day Without Shoes. This is an eye-opening event; many countries have children who walk to school, do their chores and live daily without shoes. There's no sanitation or protection for their little feet. If you have kids, or or around children, you may not want your child going barefoot in your suburban back yard. Imagine having a dirt road, or a dirt floor home. Or imagine not having the proper medical treatment if your child gets a cut or rash on their foot. On April 8th, I am choosing to go barefoot for the day. And I have A LOT to do that day! I'm hoping to promote TOM's Shoes. What' TOM's? TOMS makes eco-friendly shoes where when a customer buys a pair, a child who doesn't own ANY shoes gets a pair. The motto, "One for one" is what they stand for. They're not the glamourous shoe, but reading the reviews, I've seen that they ARE COMFORTABLE. Awesome!!! I'm eyeing a pair of black canvas shoes. And they have them for kids! How cool is that? Your child is helping another one, and you can tell them that!
I'm excited that this is how I get to spend my week. Arts and advocacy. Not to mention I'll be able to catch up with my friends and be with my fiance' a little more.
God is good.
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