Busy werkin...workin, wreken...blah..you know...

So I have been somewhat busy doing some pet portraits, and I have finally been hit by some creative juices that I have to narrow down what I am working on now so that I can get these ideas out into clay and other forms of expression. It has been hard trying to get my creative juices flowing as I have started working a "real" job to get some money flow coming in too due to me and my boyfriend trying to buy a home.  Which in of itself as anyone knows who has bought a house is a very stressful, and at times enraging task to take on. Though throwing thousands of dollars away on renting a house seems so asinine to us that the very thought of doing it for another year is weighing heavy on my shoulders, and I find myself getting nauseous at the thought of literally throwing money down the toilet. Time to really become the foundation that is apart of being an adult and bringing some value to my worldly possessions and equity. (you know what I mean) So that has occupied a lot of my time thus far in the past two months.


My meager efforts trying to become an artist, or what I think is a "working artist" has lead me to this point. Sort of a crossroads on how to move on in so many directions yet keep some sort of semblance of an over all goal in mind. Which is hard considering I honestly cant picture where that will lead me, I can imagine where I want it to be, and how grand of work I want to create, but it doesn't mean I will get to what I picture in my head. I mean honestly...do we ever reach that image we see in front of us? Its always sort of skewed isnt it? Like how you pictured yourself to be as an adult when you were like 10 or 11, yet doing it now as an actual adult you sort of project these jaded perceptions of it and its not ever as pretty as you imagined it when you were at that younger tender and self forgiving age.  I dont always think I am as talented or skilled as a lot of the truly talented people I went to art school with, or even people I admire. The world wide web has opened so many doors for me to peer into and see what is out there and it has made life more intimidating for me, but still eager to become apart of it somehow. In lieu of all that....I am moving on this sojourn and hopefully bring some better work to light, and maybe...just maybe be proud of where my hands and head are taking me. I may not be worthy of it now, or praise for that matter, but taking the leap and effort to do it I know is still better than wishing I had.

Here is some recent pet portrait work for you to admire.....hopefully.

Let the Sculpting Begin....

OK...so the small surprise I was eluding to (thats honestly only really exciting to me)  in the last post...well ...We did go and get it!!! YEAY! I am now the proud owner of a kiln! So I can start sculpting once again like I did back in the day...and by back in the day I mean 1993-1997...so its been a while since I did ceramics...but I was pretty good at it, but was told by a ceramics professor when I went to governors school for the arts my junior year of high school that its hard to make money in it, and set my sights on art school, but concentrate on illustration or design...seriously thats what he said...and since he was a professor at Temple, I took him very seriously, and it stuck with me all through college..though I did take some ceramics classes my sophomore and junior year...but honestly just for fun mainly. I miss it quite honestly and want to see if I am any better at that than I am at painting...and honestly...I am struggling with my painting I feel. It doesn't excite me like it once did...and lets be real...Im not very good at it. I can copy things I see...but I am lacking in inspiration when it comes down to painting something. I dont know if this is just an internal flaw that will work itself out in time as I have only been getting back into doing art work for almost a year...pretty much only 9 months now....maybe I will get more inspired the more work I do...I have been away from concentrating on it for so long it will probably take a lot of time to rekindle those receptors in my brain...I mean when I was younger I became so inspired so easily, just looking at something, taking a walk...poof things just hit my imagination....

....I am going to have to really explore my inspiration and how I can trigger it now or find what excites me...and honestly when we have gone to the Carnegie Mellon Art Museum, or the Cleveland Art museum...the sculpture and pottery and ceramics moved me and suck me in more than anything. So we went and bought a used one from a really nice girl on craigslist....and went to Home Depot and got the proper plugs, wires etc....to set it up. I found a good place online to get clay and some really great glazes...and I am starting to do the research on how to run this kiln as well. So here is to a new adventure, and hopefully new and wonderful inspirations to come.....wish me luck!

Long time no post....

So yea...sorry its been a while...I have been really busy art makin though! So that's a good thing eh? Had a bunch of commissions over the Holiday season...didn't get a ton of feedback on my Etsy page though...not sure if its either one...people don't know how to leave or don't know that they can leave feedback...or they didn't like my work? I dono...odd. Anywho...working on a big commission currently! Doing a portrait of a gentleman's dogs...two cute Shar Pei dogs to be exact. Its quite large too....13x19 inches...so its taking some time but its turning out great! I also have kept up with http://almalusplaceblog.com...and still doing fashion illustrations for that talented designer! I also have some possible exciting news....but I wont know for sure if I can expand on that till after tomorrow....it will lead into the development of new work...and its not the drawing or painting kind either....so you will have to wait on that...not that there is too many of YOU out there...I think only 1 or two people ever look at this blog...but eh...I will try to keep up with it much better....and show more of my work....until then...here are some fashion illustrations I have done for Almalus Place in the past weeks...enjoy!