The Domino Effect

November?!?! When did this happen? Seems I was just waving my daughter off to sea one warm end-of-summer day and now - time to think about the Thanksgiving gathering...

Usually this time of year I am out and about all weekend on the desert trails in and around Joshua Tree National Park. The weather has been, for the most part, outstanding. Perfect, crisp mornings - cool to warmish days. Beautiful skies with the occasional clouds wafting overhead. But. Other than dog walks each evening, I've been in my cave, making creative messes. First it was to prepare for the Hwy. 62 Art Tours. Now, it is to prepare commissioned works requested during the Art Tours AND for THREE more exhibitions - one beginning next weekend! Wow. Talk about dreams manifesting into realtime. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. It is finally happening.

I am an artist.

I've always believed that owning art and adorning one's spaces shouldn't just be for the "wealthy" and status oriented folks. It needs to be for everyone. Art is an exchange of energy with a life of its own. Healing. Empowering. Entertaining. Creating soothing spaces or bumping up the tempo. Humans are creative and expressive beings - regardless of the economic bracket we find ourselves in. Thus, pricing one's work can be a challenge. There are quite a few discussions in my local art community around that aspect - being careful to not out price your work so it never sells or under price it either. There seems to be this *attitude*, for lack of a better term, that *cheaply* priced art isn't really art or that when an artist sells their works lower than someone in a similar medium, they are trying to 'undermine' others. I find the discussions quite intriguing. The perspectives are as varied as the styles of artists out there. One needs to consider many aspects in pricing artwork, like: the cost of materials; time investments to advertise and network; finances and bookkeeping; take classes and/or read up on techniques and trends that affect ever evolving styles in the art realms;  costs of traveling to patrons and clients for special orders; studio space and upkeep of all that - even if it is one's home; and, of course, the time it takes to create a piece - hours and hours and hours and days and weeks and months...  Then, there's the better known and more popular you become, the price tag goes up. How do you assign value? For such a subjective field - art - there are a lot of rules and judgement. My brother once told me, when I was first getting into exhibiting my works, that putting it out there to the public builds strength and character and a tough skin. You have to be secure in yourself  to let the criticisms and even praise roll off - otherwise, you are allowing the public to influence your artistic vision and sense of self. For me, I am most grateful when someone wants something I've created to look at in their home or work space. And for the rest, if I've shown them something new or intriguing or taught them another way to do something or provided a few moments of a pleasant diversion or even have given them something to debate over, then that is a winner, too. Engagement. Connection. Expression. Shifting and sharing perspectives. Humanness. Priceless gifts.

I am quite digging the transfer process on wood. I found these cool little wooden gift tags the other evening and am anxious to see how they take to the process.

I also bought (another) new toy - a way to take digital photos and print onto analog film, bypassing the polaroid camera. Mine is ailing. Out of one expensive pack of polaroid film, I may get 3 shots that work. A pricey way to play. Now, every piece of film works without getting jammed up and ruined from an antiquated camera. And all this from my cellphone shots. Pretty slick, no? 

Well, I'd better "get to work".... after I enjoy the rest of this glorious Sunday afternoon OUTside on a desert trail. Who knows what my camera might find to *paint*...