Oh what fun!!

Here is my Theme Thursday piece for this week's challenge, "Flourishes." It is a tribute to the one and only Maria Callas, the greatest diva of the 20th C. (And that's saying something!)

I had intended to do a flourish piece that I would also be used for an ATC swap about birds. However, I discovered an amazing site that allows you to play, online, with a veritably limitless sea of images! It's called Polyvore, and it is designed for fashionistas, but I've seen that many people use if for artistic image making. So...today during lunch hour, I produced this work.

Check out Polyvore, but beware--it's addictive!!

Sick cat = day off

(Above:  Rainbow lounging on the patio)

I wanted to do this blog as a way to record my journey of becoming a full-time, working artist, rather than to write about my life in general (not a topic of great interest to anyone but me and my near and dear.) Of course, the two are inseparable--if I have a fight with my mother, or have a bad day at work, or something happens with my adult son (who has the roommate from hell), I get knocked off kilter. But my art is always there for me, no matter what—and that is a fantastic feeling!! Even if I can’t work, organizing my collage files or putting together images for future pieces can take the edge off anxiety or anger.

On Monday morning of this week, I brought my mother home from an early dental appointment to find my cat seriously ill. (He’s all right now, thank goodness, but he really had us scared for awhile!) I ran him to the vet’s, where he had to stay while they figured out what was wrong and began treatment. I decided to take the rest of the day off my job (they are wonderful people, so I can always deal with emergencies) and while anxiously awaiting news of Rainbow, I went to my work table and indulged in serious art therapy.

I try to combine projects whenever possible, so I plan to use my piece from Theme Thursday’s “Girls” art challenge to offer for sale on Etsy and/or use for a printable image on Café Press. Naturally I wanted the piece to be really, really nice! It was a great way to distract myself, but I realized I was working with a sort of desperation, trying not to think the worst for my poor kitty.

Awhile later I was told that Rainbow, who has been on insulin since about last spring, was in hypoglycemic shock with a blood glucose level of 30, devastating for a small animal. It seems that cats can “get over” diabetes, unlike dogs and humans, and start producing their own insulin again, so that day his morning insulin shot nearly killed him! He was coming around with a glucose IV, but they wanted to keep him overnight for observation and would phone if there was anything to report.

So I worked and waited for possible phone calls from the vet's (none came--which was a relief, although the fearful anticipation was relentless) and I ended up working until around 12:30 AM because there was no way I could sleep. I was in a truly strange state regarding my artwork; it was as if my usual days' or weeks' worth of putzing, trying alternatives, tweaking, fiddling, etc, that I usually go through, became compressed, sped up, tossed into a time warp of frantic productivity, and I found that I produced a creditable piece of work in way less time than I would've thought possible even a week ago.

So I posted the “Best Friends Forever” piece here on my blog (SEE previous post) and went to bed.

Rainbow came home the next morning (more time off work, I used up all my vacation time) and has been getting back to his old self quite nicely. But I was disappointed later in the week because my piece wasn’t acknowledged in any way on Theme Thursday’s site, and the new challenge was already posted. I read the instructions again, and soon found I’d not followed them correctly. If I ain't dyslexic, I should be--! I needed to leave a message in their comments box with a link to my blog and artwork. I had merely put a link to TT here on my blog. Doh!! So I posted the link to my work on their site, and today I got a nice comment from one of the TT regulars. (I am such a slut for outside verification of my talent *sigh*)

In the aftermath of all this, I came across a couple of insights. 1) Guilt can hammer you like a pile-driver as you try to outrun it--because I thought I had inadvertently poisoned my cat; and 2) I'll bet I can find that state again that will allow me to tap into this type of energy (without the "frantic" adjective) to move me forward in my self-reinvention from office subservient to "real artist."

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Yesterday I started an ATC which I will use for a swap on Art42, as well as post on TT for this week’s challenge (“Flourishes”) There is a wide, wonderful network of artists doing all kinds of art and putting it on the worldwide web--a dozen times over via linking to each others' websites/blogs--and I feel the urge to continue dipping my toes in this stream. I’ve visited many of the links, links from those links, etc., and it is amazing how many talented artists are online, selling their art and also sharing it with a wider community.**  I really feel the need to nurture this kind of contact and develop relationships with fellow online artists, so that this synergy can contribute to my efforts of becoming a full time artist, of which selling on the internet is a huge part. Maybe opportunities to promote/market my work will arise out of this inter-activity, but it is basking in those good vibes circulating so freely and happily that attracts me the most.

**and it also made me realize how much I have to learn about pimping my blog, my site is sooooo BORING. My apologies.

New Art and a Quick Post

I have a lot to write about, but it's been a long, long day (12:36 AM and I have to go to my JOB tomorrow--how aptly named that is *sigh*) But, I'm taking a moment before I crash because I spent most of yesterday and today working on a piece for Theme Thursday. Yes, another site where altered-art groupies can "preach to the choir" instead of marketing their work to potential buyers/collectors. Anyway, I've always greatly admired the talent I see there (see link) and so now--ta-daa!!--I offer my first piece of work inspired by Theme Thursday. This week's theme is "Girls" and I took liberties with a several Old Masters and morphed their august work into some girlie fun and games. This piece was done the old fashioned way--scissors and glue--I hope you like it!

Back to the Future!

Last weekend, I took a look at an ongoing project I haven’t worked on in ages, an altered book that I started in 2007. Well, it came as a revelation, because I realized the book was done in a sort of “proto-signature style.” All the elements mentioned in my previous post are there, mystery, graphic punch, vintage imagery. Plus this work is monochromatic, black, greys and whites, which is a way I love to work and had already decided to resume in the future. You can see the images from the book in the Flickr widget there on the right, click on it to go to the photostream.

In fact, I am thinking I will design a series of images based on the ones in the altered book for Etsy/Café Press, since I already have a visual vocabulary in place, as it were. I don’t know if I’ll ever finish the altered book itself, however! Structurally, it’s a shambles, I truly didn’t know what I was doing. It is built on a real printed book, from which I attempted to remove signatures to allow for the thickness of added materials but didn’t do it very well. Thus, the pages scanned poorly. My favorite spread of women partying on the roof (above) came out badly due to the difference in levels between the facing pages. One side is out of focus, it sits so much lower than the other. The scans also do not show the “mechanics” of pages that are altered with windows and die-cuts, so the fun of actually paging through the book is lost. But regardless of what is “lost,” I have “found” inspiration in my altered book, and there’s plenty of fun than that!!

A Momentous Revelation in a Small Package

Today I posted the “Hearts Afire” ATC as a valentines greeting on my MySpace page. I suddenly realized that that image encapsulates the look and feel of what I want my “signature style” to convey. A little bit mysterious, strongly graphic, and with a vintage look. The matchbox shrines have this look too, I think. So that’s IT! I have found my signature style!!

Let me start off by saying a great big “Thank you!” to the Collagitation Blog followers. I wanted to send a personal note to each of you (which I will still try to do) but being a novice blogger, what I ended up doing was signing on to follow my own blog—surely that’s a no-no in the blogosphere—because apparently I have more than one Google profile (?) Now I have to figure out how to remove me.

I also found out that the name of my blog as it appears to followers is simply “blog.” How creative is that?? It seems the typography I uploaded in the banner that spells “Collagitation” is an image, as far as the blog engine in concerned, and not a word. Thus, not part of my blog title as I intended. So I’ve had to add the word Collagitation in front of the word blog to get the name to appear as Collagitation blog. Even though it messes up my banner lettering design!

I don’t know who coined the term “Snowmageddon” to describe the winter storms In PA (and NY and DC) but it’s quite accurate, as well as witty. I burned through 2 vacation days because of it. Not that I’m really complaining; any day off my job is a good day! Plus, I must’ve lost a few pounds from all the shoveling. But the best thing about it, of course, was that I got to spend extra time at my drawing table. I wish I could say have a new piece of art to post as a result, but this is not the case. I did finish one ATC, which no one will ever see, and thereby hangs a lesson.

The piece was done for an Artists’ Trading Card exhibit & swap to be held in Vancouver and the theme, of course, is the Winter Olympics. I have to say that although Olympics are intrinsically exciting, they do not bring forth an onslaught of artistic inspiration from me. I struggled to complete the first card, then found I was very unhappy with it. For one thing, visually it was a total departure from my usual vintage-driven style, which I guess was a reflection of my inability to find inspiration in the topic. So why did I even sign on for this project? Well, I was attracted by the idea of exhibiting the ATCs in a gallery in Vancouver, in addition to the usual swap. In the end, I contacted the swap host and withdrew from the project. I decided I don't have time to waste prying artwork out of myself based on a theme that doesn't inspire me.

KC Willis, whose excellent Marketing Mindset online workshop I’m taking, questions the minimal marketing payback of ATC swaps and I see her point. Still, they are another way to get the word out once I open my Collagitation shops. Speaking of which, after dropping the Olympics project, I spent yesterday (Wednesday) designing some small collages that I can offer for sale on Etsy and as printable designs on Café Press. Once I have a bit of inventory, I can finally open my long-planned Collagitation shop.!!! I also started working on a logo banner for the shop, which will definitely be in my “signature style”. I feel much better now! Full steam ahead!

Make a List...

Recently KC Willis challenged us in her "Marketing Mindset" workshop to "make a list of the top 5-10 things you want to accomplish in your art business this year."

This was difficult, even after putting thought into it, I kept wanting to add/delete, change, wait, procrastinate, etc. Which certainly gives me a clue as to why I haven’t had as much success thus far as I could wish. Nevertheless, here is what I came up with:

1. Continue to develop and refine a signature style. Thoughts on this: I love doing collages; I love a vintage look, with antique imagery and texts, classical elements like architectural details, flourishes, floral and bird motifs. I also love this imagery in a “dark”, surrealist mode as in Max Ernst’s book “Une Semaine de Bonte.” I also love incorporating my calligraphy into pieces, either as the main work or as a decorative element. I love working dimensionally, as in shrines and assemblage boxes. Want to incorporate more of these into my signature style.

2. Open a shop on Café Press, called Collagitation, to sell print-on-demand art, ie, greeting/note cards, prints, etc, in the style of my “Noel” Christmas card. (I hope to open in time for Easter with appropriate holiday designs.)

3. Open an Etsy shop, also called Collagitation, to sell original collages and assemblages, including the originals of some of the print-on-demand designs on Café Press. These shops are where I really need the marketing skills, especially online marketing/self-promotion.

4. in honor of my 60th year, I want to embark on a project I call “3SIXTY5”, starting in April, and make a collage a day for a year and post them to a website (or maybe I’ll just post them on my blog)

5. Continue participating in online art swaps as much as possible—which may not be much, the way this list is going.

6. I will actually produce work for all these projects!

7. I will keep my Collagitation Blog going to record my artistic adventures

8. I will jury into Pittsburgh Society of Artists and start exhibiting locally again (or not)

9. I will finish setting up a basement studio space to expand my work area

10. I will continue to work on improving my health so I have the energy for all these goals! And I seem to get lots of ideas when i'm exercising : )

My rationale is that if I can get a nice little business going with online greeting cards and other printables, I should eventually be in a position to switch to a part time job (or-dare I say it?-quit a day job altogether!) which will allow me to make more art. Of course, I might be retired by then, and have all the time I need, LOL!

Well I’m a great list maker, always have been, but in my day book there are list items that carry over from page to page with ever-increasing amounts of underlining and trailing ever more exclamation points. In other words, I can talk the talk but too often fail to walk the walk. Ugh! I have literally stacks of sketchbooks filled with viable ideas for work, but only maybe 1% of it ever sees the light of day, if that. I may not accomplish all my goals above during 2010, but I know I well certainly grow as an artist and a person through applying myself to them. Art is a journey, not a destination, as someone said. Anytime I complete a piece, it is a gift to myself along the way (and hopefully to others as well.)

MEANWHILE...
I'll be taking another workshopsoon, this one totally hands-on, through the wonderful Calligraphy Guild of Pittsburgh. the activity is collage, or, as the teacher, Suzanne Moore, calls it, “ko lazh.” I think this will be very interesting.

Slings and Arrows, Scissors and Glue

It is amazing how much insensitive, ignorant and negative people can impact an artist’s creativity. Unfortunately, when the person is also a family member sharing your home, it can be difficult to ignore and leads to a lot of energy expended on recovery of motivation and concentration, as well as anger management. However, this too shall pass. In the meantime, I’m grateful for doors.

Currently I am working small: Artist’s Trading Cards, to be specific. I’ve only lately started doing these, they are fun and challenging and a great way to network with other artists. In keeping with the ATC philosophy, they won’t ever become inventory to sell on my future Collagitation sites, but in spite of that I believe they are well worth the time and energy invested. They're also good practice for my collage-a-day project, 3SIXTY5, which will commence in April. Working small really forces the issue of making choices—this image or that one? This color or the other? These are the same decisions that are part and parcel of all art-making, but on a scale where, if it ain’t just right, well, there’s nowhere to hide! On the other hand, it’s less of an investment if the ATC turns out not to be a miniature masterpiece. So I’ve become a fan of ATCs, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what gems come my way in a couple of upcoming ATC swaps I’ve signed on for.

I will be posting my latest ATCs soon!

Yes, but how will I DO it?

I spent the weekend taking down Christmas decorations and planning my mother’s birthday dinner next Saturday. I made no art, which is rather alarming even though I can claim legitimate reasons this time. But it is scary because I’ve set very high goals for 2010, and I know from experience that transforming my visual ideas (which come so readily) into pieces of art that others can appreciate (which usually happens so slowly) is a process for which I never seem to find enough time. But boy does it feel good when I get it right!

I’ve always had a very dodgy relationship with time. I'm always underestimating the amount of time something will require—after years of which you’d think I’d have figured out how to manage better. But I simply seem to have no innate frame of reference for judging time. So…I have been giving a good bit of thought lately to how I’m going to bring off starting and sustaining an online business marketing my art. I’ve tried to do my homework, heaven knows the information is out there. But living the moment to moment life of someone who successfully operates on that plane—well, that’s another story. That will require a major shift in my habits, as well as my psyche. Still, others have done it, why not me? I see it largely as a question of self-discipline.

Then there is my 3SIXTY5 project, wherein I will make a piece of art a day for a year. Ever since conceiving this idea, I’ve asked myself: if the project were up and running now, how would I make the time, given that my days and evenings will continue to be filled with the same duties and distractions? What will change, to enable me to meet the challenge? I’ve decided preparation is the most obvious key. I’ve been making sketches for the project, assembling materials, looking for inspiration. I want to set up a specific work area just for the project, so that whenever I approach that area, my psyche will hop to attention. I will also need to develop a kind of on-going “art state of mind” that can operate without special props such as that, which looks around it and at all times sees interesting juxtapositions of images and exciting combinations of materials. This is a process that needs to be nurtured and sustained. The more art you do, the more you are capable of doing. It is built up in the eyes and hands as much as in the mind, but always it starts with the mind.

This blog is meant to be another tool to keep me on track. It has no justification for taking up anyone’s time (especially my own) unless it effectively urges me forward and keeps me on track. And if this works, my life will never be the same!

And What Are Yours?

One of the tenets of the Law of Attraction teachers is the importance of writing down what you want. With that in mind, here are my New Year’s resolutions. During 2010 I will:


1. Lose at least 15 lbs.

2. Open my Collagitation shop on Etsy to sell original art

3. Open my Collagitation shop on Café Press (or maybe Zazzle?) to sell print-on-demand designs

4. In April, I will put up a site, 3SIXTY5, on which I will post a piece of artwork (be it ever so humble) a day for the next year, in honor of my 60th year. (Some of which will likely find their way into 2 and 3 above.)


I think this will keep me busy enough.

Another goal for 2010 is taking full advantage of KC Willis’s Marketing Mindset online workshop. So far, this has been really interesting. I’ve interacted with KC and other workshop members in the discussion forums, looked at some marvelous art by members (and got some nice responses to my own work) and I can’t wait for KC’s marketing videos to start! I love being able to ask questions and get responses and comments, not just something to read each week. (If this sounds like something you could use, the intro price is $144 and the workshop runs all year. See the link in my Cool Links area.)

As for my gardens, I plan to put in lots of bulbs, ground covers and flowering shrubs! My knees and shoulders are telling me it’s time to ease up on the farming activities, which coincides perfectly with my artly goals for 2010.

Happy New Year!!

In the midst of a lovely, if hectic, holiday season, I made time to get on my Cardio-glide this morning and start remedying the results of various holiday excesses. While doing so, my thoughts turned again towards my goal of creating my living from my art work, which had taken somewhat of a back seat during the Christmas crunch. As I puffed along and pondered my goals, my mind became more focused, my motivation and self-confidence increased, and my commitment to success with my work grew stronger!With every pull on the handlebars, interest, attention & expectation all soared. What more motivation than that could I want for exercising regularly?

I’ve also signed up for K.C. Willis’s “Marketing Mindset” online workshop, which I know will make a big difference to my plans. Why struggle on alone when I can get a big boost from the expertise of a proven winner, and the support of an online group of like-minded artists?

Creating My "Art Way of Life"

Welcome to my first-ever blog! I decided to start this blog as part of my goal of becoming a Living Artist, which is what I call an Artist who is making a Living from their artwork. I have considerably more experience as an artist than a blogger, so until I get some blog chops, you may find this page lacking. But if you are interested in following me as I re-invent myself as a full-time, working artist, then please come back!

"Collagitation" is the name I've created for my eventual stores on Etsy and Cafe Press. It is a combination of "collage," my current primary medium, and "cogitation" or even "agitation"! I like to do artwork that makes you think, or tells a story, or stirs you up!

Right now my full-time day job, plus the commute to/from the workplace, totally dominate my time, if not my mind. I am very interested in the Law of Attraction principles and am schooling myself in these to help achieve my goals of becoming a self-sustaining artist working from my home studio.

My next step for this blog will be posting some images of my work on one of the photo sites. When that’s done, I’ll link to it so you can see my stuff.

Thanks for stopping by!