Year in Review - 2010

I feel like lots has been accomplished this year, but that I also have so much undone stuff from this list that embarrassment is heading my way. So here you have it, my year in review!

Art-Related

I set out to create:

5 new 7 x 6" paintings

20 new 16 x 13" paintings

20 new 18 x 14" paintings

15 new 24 x 20" paintings

This is difficult to review, because of the fluctuations in my sizes, which I can never seem to get under control. I will put it like this:

small paintings - 26

medium paintings - 11

large paintings - 5

extra large - 1

So that brings me to a total of 43 paintings in 2010. The only problem with that figure is that it only accounts for paintings that got to stick around to see the light of day, it doesn't take into account for the...ahem, not-so-great paintings. My goal was 60 works and I think I may have hit 50-55 if I had counted the scrapped pieces. So not bad. I suppose I will give myself a pat on the back for that number.

Business-Related

Send out a large (researched) mailing of brochure/cover letter packets

Major fail here.

Send out 3 larger packets each season

Fail here as well. I think I sent out packets to a grand total of 4 galleries. I can and will do better than that. Which brings me up to the next point which is...

Receive representation at one gallery

As mentioned above, I only sent out 4 packets, which to no one's surprise, brought me no galleries.

Update mailing list quarterly

Check!

Schedule 2 solo shows for 2010

Yes, I am counting this item as a major success. At the beginning of the year, I had the exhibit at the Federal Building and the fall show at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley (which, due to the fact that I displayed 44 paintings - my largest show ever, will be counted for this category, even though it wasn't a solo exhibit)

Have 30 brochures printed quarterly

I had one printing of my brochure done, and have recently run out. There will be a new brochure coming soon!

Have 100 business cards printed

Check!

Update website at least once a week with new paintings and current events

Check!

Update blog at least once a week

This one isn't 100%, but I would give myself a solid B

Enter at least 3 juried shows within the year

Check. Fingers crossed for New American Paintings....I would need all the luck in the world for that to ever happen! I can't believe I even entered.

Improve upon my record-keeping system for inventory

Fail. This is definitely going at the top of my list for 2011, no doubt about it.

So there you have it, my 2010. Soon I will post my 2011 goals and a new painting(s) post, so check back soon. Happy New Year!

New Painting!

December 4th. oil and acrylic on canvas.

December 4th was completed after our 2nd snow of the year, I've been late to post it. It's been so unbelievably cold lately. I honestly don't know how people live in colder climates than mine! All I've wanted is to stay home and drink coffee all day long. So I've just been settling for espresso (and chocolate) in the evening. My husband makes the best:

I'm still developing small 8 1/2 x 10" paintings as I look ahead to the April exhibit at Slingluff Gallery. Seems to be slow but steady production, as I am still working full-time, and Christmas being around the corner and all. Which I am still not ready for - although yesterday was spent baking way too many Christmas cookies! I'm really looking forward to the new year, because January 1st will be my official start date for the new, 1/2 time day job! I daydream about it constantly, all the possibilities that two whole additional days will provide for painting - only a few weeks away...

Grantwriting Workshop/Gallery of Gifts Reception tomorrow!

November 1st. 9 x 12" oil and acrylic on canvas.

(one of several paintings on display tomorrow)

Just an FYI for anyone interested, Arts Monongahela is hosting a free grantwriting workshop for state art grants on Wednesday, December 15th from 3:00-5:00 at the Jackson Kelly Gallery, 201 High Street, Morgantown, WV. Presenting the workshop is the WV Division of Culture and History and the WV Commission on the Arts. For more info or to pre-register, contact Debbit Haught, community arts coordinator for the arts section, at (304) 558-0240, ext. 714 or email at debbit.r.haught@wv.gov.

Also, speaking of Morgantown events, a reminder about tomorrow's Gallery of Gifts reception at the MAC - a great place to pick out gifts (I bought the best ornaments there last year!) and grab a snack, refreshments will be provided!

Shame...

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and all I have left is shame. Since my day job is at a college, I had last Thursday and Friday off from work, plus both Derek and I took a vacation day yesterday to make for an extra long weekend. I had the best of painting intentions! The days leading up to the vacation I had prepped several canvases. Despite my preparation, most days were spent eating the most beautiful brownies and Christmas m&ms, playing Sonic the Hedgehog on Derek's old nintendo, and cleaning/decorating the house (for Christmas). I did not touch a paintbrush or palette knife the entire time. Ouch. So now I am feeling fairly guilty and desperate to paint. Yesterday on the vacation day I did take down the display at Barnes and Noble and dropped off four works at the MAC in Morgantown for their Gallery of Gifts exhibition that runs from December 4th - 22nd. There will be a Holiday Reception for the show on December 4th from noon - 4:00pm with refreshments provided. So all was not lost, at least I got that taken care of, but I still have the lingering shame and unpainted canvases....

New Painting

November 13th - Prickett's Creek. oil and acrylic on canvas.

8 1/2 x 10"

This weekend, I prepared to say goodbye to gorgeous fall weather - I think we have had our indian summer, sad to say. (Unlike last weekend, where we received our first snow, as you can see from the painting below!) Went out to Prickett's Creek for the day, and above is my best. It's fairly different, but I was really into it all weekend and seeing it today, even in jpeg format, it still stands up for me. The weekend was just all-around good. I received a really kind email from someone who recently purchased a painting. Unexpected and totally made my weekend, so everything has been good. There is just nothing better than when someone really relates to your work and they make space for a piece of yours in their home. I was very lucky with the last show, over half of my 44 paintings from the exhibit found new homes! Amazing and I thank you all.

November 6th. 9 x 12" oil and acrylic on canvas.

Grumblings/Barnes and Noble

February 28th. oil and acrylic on canvas.

Currently at Barnes and Noble!

I'm already tired of Daylight saving time. Grumble grumble grumble....I don't like coming home from the day job, only for the sun to be setting. Nothing drains my energy faster than not getting an ounce of sunlight all day long and then coming home to darkness. (I'm very excited that my new desk at the new day job will be situated near a window - a window! I can't wait!) Not to mention, no possibility for painting outdoors in the evening.

I suppose I didn't write this post purely to whine about Daylight Saving. I wanted to mention that I have a small little exhibit up at Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Morgantown, WV. I had been looking for something small to do in between exhibitions, especially since the Sleeth Gallery show has been moved. This is perfect! So if you are in the mood for a book, cup of coffee or tea, and some art, it will be up until December 1st.

Etsy Renewals

November 1st. oil and acrylic on canvas. 15 x 13"

Just an fyi to let everyone know that all unsold works from the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley exhibit are now relisted on my Etsy website! I will also be listing a few more over the next few days. Have a look, you know you want to! http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurenadamsart

Changes

Everything seems to be changing right now. I have a rundown of things to mention and I will do so with a bulleted list:

• First, exhibition update. I spoke too soon....the dates have changed for the Sleeth Gallery group show. It will now be taking place August 30th to September 22nd, 2011.


• Next, pricing changes. There will be an increase in my pricing at the beginning of 2011, so if you are interested in purchasing a painting (Christmas is around the corner! http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurenadamsart. Just saying...), you would be able to save some if you do so before January 1st. This change is in part due to the next bulleted point which is....


• My day job is changing. At the beginning of the year I will be taking on a new position that will allow me to reduce my hours, which will free up 2 days during the week to concentrate on painting, marketing, etc.! I'm absolutely thrilled about this change and just can't wait to see my productivity increase with all the newfound time. Yet, at the same time, I will need to make sure that my pricing reflects a decent wage, since I will be more dependent upon the income it brings in. I've been struggling to keep up with demands for exhibitions once sales are taken into account, so this will be a huge boost. I've gone back and forth over this issue and agonized over it more than I probably should. After reviewing my pricing, I realized that it is not comparable to other artists who are in a similar position to mine. I also realized that when I sell my work, I need to really make sure that I will be paying myself a reasonable wage. Of course, pricing is always a difficult decision for artists, and I am certainly not immune to these worries. I really want my work to be attainable by as many people who would like to enjoy it. Wow, this is a pretty lengthy bulleted point, yikes!
• Last, I may change the title of this blog. I don't care for it anymore and I think just sticking with Lauren Adams Art will do, for simplicity's sake. I will still keep updates on upcoming opportunities or anything else that may be valuable to other artists but the bulk of it will continue to be about the progression of my work.*

So that about wraps it up. I cannot believe I made it through this entire "Change" themed post without making a corny, Bowie Ch-ch-ch-changes joke. Unbelievable.




*update. So I changed the title and provided a fresh new banner - done!

New paintings, new sizes

Valley Falls - October 9th. oil and acrylic on canvas. 8 x 10"

October 16th. oil and acrylic on canvas. 8 1/2 x 10"

These are my newest works, on my new 8 1/2 x 10" canvas. I am doing away with the 7 x 5" size, it's just too small. These will replace that as my smallest. So far, I like it a lot better and it gives me a bit more freedom. I've been progressing along, so new sizes have become a necessity. I need the paintings to grow in scale. In the near future, I will need a new easel or a way to adjust my current easel to accomodate larger canvases. I'm no carpenter, so this will prove a challenge, but it will have to be resolved. Derek has been working on ideas! But for now, everything will be okay.

Upcoming Exhibition

I have a quick update on my exhibition schedule for 2011, although it is short on details! In February, I will be exhibiting in a three person show (yet to be titled) at West Virginia Wesleyan College's Sleeth Gallery. The exact dates are yet to be announced, but I will also be exhibiting with Derek Overfield www.derekoverfield.com. As more information becomes known, I will post another update.

Hiatus

I'm back from my wedding hiatus - the day is over and so is the honeymoon - and that means back to work! I told myself I would not work during my vacation, that I would take a real break and try to recharge. Not one of those "breaks" where I take a day off from my day job, only to install a show, ship a painting, prep surfaces, deliver works, or do any assortment of wedding-related things, but an actual break where I slow down and catch my breath. It was wonderful, but I am looking forward to getting back out there and painting. I have changed my standard sizes again ( I know, I know, I'm terrible about this!), more on this later, but it is a necessary change. Also, the Southern Alleghenies Museum exhibit is going really well, I'm getting a lot of great feedback - lots of thanks to everyone who has or plans to check it out. The exhibition will be up until the end of October.

Art Scam Alert

Lately I have received several emails from "buyers" who are basically trying to scam fine artists. It is a very obvious scam, involving someone from a foreign country who is moving and wants to buy several pieces, but will not pay shipping, and is in a rush. Please look out for this if you are an artist. For more detailed information, Lori Woodward on Fine Arts Views has written a post about it:
http://canvoo.com/blog/22852/ignore-this-scam

Upcoming Opportunities

For anyone interested, a reminder about the Historic Buildings and Structures juried exhibition at the WV State Museum! Entry submissions are around the corner, for more info see: http://www.wvculture.org/museum/exhibits.html

Brian Ferrell and Lauren Adams: The Aesthetics of Nature

Just checking in to say that the reception for the exhibition was absolutely wonderful. So much thanks goes to Sommer Toffle for all her hard work - and for letting me be able to show in her beautiful museum with such a fantastic artist, Brian Ferrell. Also, thank you to everyone who made it out to the reception (!) and to everyone with Vallozzi's, the food was amazing! Below are some pictures we took of the evening, if anyone missed the reception but still wants to see the exhibit, it will be up until the end of October.

Brian Ferrell and Lauren Adams: The Aesthetics of Nature

Whew....the work is delivered (although I do have one last small painting to mail tomorrow)! I feel relieved to have completed over 44 paintings for this exhibition (I'm not sure what the final total was, considering sales and not-so-great paintings) and it is all over. All that's left is the reception on August 14th, 6:00 pm - everyone should come, I'm extremely excited to see all of our work installed. Check out the press release for more info:
http://www.sama-art.org/info/press/2008/2010-07-23-a.html

Getting Closer...

I am so close to being finished with my upcoming two-person exhibition! The delivery is next Saturday and I'm really pumped. This Saturday, the last few frames are going on the last few works. After that, all I have to do is make sure every last piece is wired and ready to go and then bubble wrap each work and box them up for the ride. That's not too much to do in a week, right?

I haven't done any painting recently, since all of this last minute preparation has been happening. Next month, I hope to get a few paintings in. Also, I hadn't seen any ducklings this spring, and a few weeks ago when Derek and I were out taking photos of me for the catalogue(!), we came across these little ones...

New Painting!

Above is one of my last additions to the upcoming 2 person exhibit at SAMA in Ligonier Valley (which I couldn't be more excited about!). It's titled "Marion County - June 3rd", and the work is on my larger size, the 24 x 20" canvas. It's also oil and acrylic on canvas. The picture could be better, but it will do for now. Right now I'm working on getting all of the work framed and wired for the exhibit. It's half way there! I will be so glad when I have it all safely delivered at the end of the month. I've been fairly stressed out lately with wedding planning/new homeowner issues/large, 45 piece exhibit stuff swimming around in my head. I would like to put one of those large things away and have a big check on my to-do list!

Promises, promises

For the longest time, I have been trying to get a monthly newsletter going for those on my mailing list. Well the time has come. I have overcome the technical difficulties and am finally beginning the newsletter today! I've tried to keep it simple, but informative and I'm pretty happy with the results, so sign up now to see what I've come up with!

Email mailinglist@laurenadamsart.com - include your name (and address, if you'd like postcards, etc via mail)

Stop by for a new painting update on Monday!

For now, here's an old painting, one that is on display at Buswater -

February 21st 24x20" oil an acrylic on canvas

Thank you!

I am tired today - it was a hot weekend in Morgantown, WV at Arts on the River. So much thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth and took the time to view work, chat and/or sign up for our mailing lists!

Now I will dive back into painting and preparing for the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art exhibit. The work is done, the paperwork is in and all I have left to do is take care of presentation. It's coming up so quickly...

Our Booth

Updates

Finally...a new post! With some new updates, I'm not sure where to begin. I'll start with this weekend - which is Arts on the River in Morgantown, WV at the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park on the banks of the Monongahela River and along the Caperton Trail . This year I will be teaming up under one tent with Derek Overfield (http://www.derekoverfield.com/) for the weekend. The festival runs from June 19-20th. Hours are 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m on Saturday and noon - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, so stop by and visit. For more info see here: http://www.wvarts.net/index.html

Also, I have had a piece (see below) accepted into the juried show at the WV Culture Center, West Virginia Landscapes. That exhibit will be up beginning June 28th, 2010 with a reception that evening as well.

November 15th. oil and acrylic on canvas. 15 x13"

Another upcoming event is Buswater, an exhibition in conjunction with Festivall in Charleston, WV. Derek and I are both participating (once again, much thanks to Betty Gay - you're the best!) with a few pieces each on display. It is free and open to the public, for more info see here: http://www.festivallcharleston.com/event/buswater-boulevard

New Painting

May 1st. oil and acrylic on canvas. 12" x 9"

A bit of a recap post today, I have my favorite newer painting included above. Also, the reception for the Lynn and Jennifer Boggess show was really nice. I can't say again how wonderful it is for them to be given the spotlight in this way. That night Derek Overfield took a few minutes to say a few words about Mr. and Mrs. Boggess, I enjoyed them a lot and just wanted to include a bit of it here with his permission:

"Lauren and I had similar experiences at FSU, though I graduated in 2003 and she in 2006. But, we can agree that we owe much of our success to our time there. We had a number of excellent instructors, some that introduced us to what it it was to be an art student, but the Boggesses showed us what it was to be artists. Lynn Boggess reinforced the fact that artists are just as learned, thorough, dedicated, intense and valuable as any profession out there. He instilled in us a love of the artistic trade and a confidence in our decisions to be artists, as well as a confidence in our own work. He felt the artist should never cover his tracks, but boldy show his work to the world, which he puncuated by urging us to compete. He showed us, by his own example what hard work is, and this was a valuable experience just to glimpse his immense energy and drive. We'd like to thank the Boggesses for their contributions to our education and their continued support in our professional careers."

If you haven't seen the show and will be in Charleston soon, don't forget to check it out. Plus, congratulations to Mr. Boggess for receiving the Governor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement! I certainly couldn't think of anyone more deserving.

New Painting and Reception tonight!

Marion County - May 1st. oil and acrylic on canvas.

Just a reminder, tonight is the reception for the Lynn and Jennifer Boggess: Teaching Artists exhibition at the Culture Center in Charleston, WV. The schedule looks like this:

6 p.m. Program Starts in Great Hall
Welcome by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith
Secretary of Education and the Arts Kay Goodwin
Governor Joe Manchin
President of Fairmont State University Tom Krepel introduces Jennifer and Lynn Boggess
Lynn Boggess invites everyone to the Balcony Gallery
Gallery talk by Jennifer, Lynn and Students
Reception in Great Hall

I'm a bit nervous but excited all at once.

Also, above is a new painting I'm fairly proud of, due to it's enormous size (for me, anyway). Taking a canvas about four feet tall outside certainly presents a new set of challenges, especially since it's been windy lately. Ugh, wind, my sworn enemy. I almost had the painting topple onto me at one point.

"Lynn and Jennifer Boggess: Teaching Artists"

As was hinted at in my "Upcoming Events" section, I have a new show on the horizon. I'm completely honored to be included in the upcoming exhibition to be on display at the Culture Center in Charleston, Lynn and Jennifer Boggess: Teaching Artists. There will be a gallery talk and reception on Monday, May 17th. Derek (who is also a contributing artist) and I will be in attendance, we generally don't miss any opportunity to hear either artist speak about their work.

As an undergraduate student at Fairmont State University, I was very lucky to have studied with Professor Lynn Boggess. Anyone familiar with his work knows exactly what a wonderful opportunity that was and I couldn't be in better company showing with him and his wife (also a fantastic artist, see earlier post). Mr. Boggess has become a full-time professional artist since leaving FSU several years ago. So I'm very excited that this idea has been selected for the exhibition (and not just because it means I get to show, although that doesn't hurt!) because he (and Jennifer still) was an amazing instructor. A million thanks go out to them. Also while I'm on a roll thanking people, I'd also like to thank Betty Gay, Exhibits Coordinator at the Culture Center and the Dean of Fine Arts at FSU, Peter Lach.

For more info on the exhibition and contributors, see here: http://fineartsfsu.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/lynn-jennifer-boggess-teaching-artists-exhibition-to-open-in-charleston-at-the-culture-center-on-may-17/

New Painting and Upcoming Opportunities

Above is a new work, titled April 12th, (9 x 12") done with oil and acrylic. I'm developing a growing interest in using the acrylic paint as a nice way to begin to explore gesture in a piece and then continuing with oil paint. I'm really enjoying the combination and can see this approach becoming a mainstay in my work - the opportunities seem endless.

Also, here are some upcoming opportunities through the West Virginia State Museum. They are hosting 4 separate Juried Exhibits named "Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions". If interested, see here for the application: http://www.wvculture.org/museum/images/application.pdf

"February 28th"

February 28th (24x20, oil) has been juried into MAA Gallery's Exhibit 60 in Morgantown, WV. The exhibition will be on display from April 8th through June 2nd, 2010. Sterling Edwards was this year's juror.

Also, I will have new paintings up soon, I have been very busy lately - feeling the pressure for my upcoming SAMA exhibit!

Accepted...

February 20th. 18 x 14" oil on canvas.

September 5th oil on canvas. 18 x14"

A quick update, both of the above works, February 20th and September 5th have been juried into the upcoming Allied Artists of West Virginia Juried Exhibition. The exhibit will be on display at the Clay Center in Charleston, WV from May 1st to June 27th. Stop by!

Production!

I'm going to be brave and post my updated production list. Right now I'm feeling pretty good about it, mainly because I have either met or exceeded my painting goals for January, February, and March. I've added the little chart beneath to keep track of what I produced each month. What makes me even happier is that the ratio of not-so-wonderful paintings to wow-I-love-this paintings has been leaning more towards the later situation. So I'm pleased. I've left March off of the bottom chart because I still have time left, and I'm expecting to get 2 more which would put my March total at 7. Awesome.

Please stop by....

Two solo shows (myself and Derek Overfield http://www.derekoverfield.com/) at one stop - the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building! Runs throughout April. Check it out...

New Painting

Marion County - March 7th. oil on canvas. 7 x 6"

A quick update -above is one work that I painted yesterday, depicting all the melting snow in our area. It was very sunny and fairly warm! I think I will miss the snow though, it's always so fun to paint (but not so fun to drive in - I won't miss that stuff).

One more thing, tomorrow at Fairmont State University's Jim Brooks Gallery is the reception for Professor Jennifer Boggess. Her new solo exhibit will be up throughout the month of March and it's sure to be fantastic. For more info, see here: http://www.fairmontstate.edu/node/7653

New Painting and Upcoming Exhibition

This Friday (weather permitting) Derek and I will go down to the Federal Building in Charleston, WV to hang each of our respective solo shows. The show will open on Monday, March 8th. There won't be a reception for the exhibits, but please stop by if you are around the area!

Above is another newest painting from over the weekend, February 28th. We've had consistent storms for days, giving me plenty of practice at painting snow. This painting is a 24" x 20" - which I'm always pretty excited about when I complete a successful one.

Update and New Painting

Just a quick update! The two person show at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art that I will be doing with Brian Ferrell is now running from August 6th through October 31st, 2010, with the reception taking place on August 7th, 2010. It's titled Brian Ferrell and Lauren Adams: The Aesthetics of Nature. I really can't wait!

Plus, here's a new painting from over the weekend, February 20th.....It's one of my last (if not the last) 18 x14"s that I will be doing. From now on I will be working on a new sized canvas that will be somewhere between the 15" x 13" and the 18 x14".

Upcoming Opportunities

A few opportunities for West Virginia artists are coming up:

• Allied Artists of West Virginia 2010 Juried Show, our 67th Juried Exhibition, will be held at the Clay Center. The exhibit dates are May 1 – June 27th. The submission deadline is March 10th. See here for the prospectus: http://www.alliedartistswv.org/images/stories/randomimage/aawvonline.pdf
• FestivALL - Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 FestivALL Capitol Street Art Fair. The Fifth Annual Fair will be held on June 26-27, 2010. The deadline is March 1, 2010. See here for application packet: www.festivallcharleston.com
• The Best of West Virginia Juried Exhibition is coming up this spring. The deadline is April 12, 2010. See here for the prospectus: http://www.tamarackwv.com/shared/content/prospectus%20best%20of%20west%20virginia%202010-2.pdf

New Painting

Here is one of my very newest paintings, Marion County - February 10th. I'm pretty happy with it, I think it's my favorite of all the 7 x6"s I've done so far. Everyone probably has heard about the snowstorms that have been hitting the east coast, and the north central part of West Virginia has been no exception. This was painted in the 2nd bout of snowfall that we were hit with yesterday.

Also, just a little reminder, if you are in the Beckley, WV area - I am currently in David L. Dickirson Gallery's new show Emerging Artists. This exhibit features all of the new juried members of the gallery. So have a look!

Goal Keeping

The image above is a sample of my new, really basic way to keep track of my progress in creating enough work. It's very simple, but I'm willing to try it out. It's like having a to-do list (which I love!) for painting. Same principle applies here, each "painting" icon is categorized according to size, and when I complete one, I scratch through the size painting I created that day. It's a small bit of satisfaction that also helps me visualize where I'm at and how far I have to go the rest of the year. I also will total how many paintings I created per month. So month to month, I will refer back to the list in the studio and check in on my production.


I don't want to give the impression that I really don't like painting and see it as only one more thing to check off of a chore list - that's not true. But if I painted only when I felt like it, or on a whim, I would get very little done. I'm hoping this "list" helps keep me tuned in to the big picture. Nothing is more important than staying on the ball and creating lots of work.

Exhibit Announcement

I'm so so excited to announce that in April 2011 my solo show will be exhibited at the Slingluff Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. The reception is April 2nd and I will be in attendance. I haven't been to Philadelphia for several years, so Derek and I will probably have a long weekend in the city. The exhibit is a bit far away, but that's a good thing because it means I'm already booked up for solo shows for 2010! That also means that I am already making progress on one of my big goals for 2011, which feels fantastic! For more info on the Slingluff Gallery see http://www.slingluffgallery.com/

Thanks to Jonathan Slingluff for the photos!

New Painting(s)!

A few recent paintings that will be on display at my upcoming solo show at the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building in Charleston, WV:

January 16th. 18 x14" oil on canvas.

January 18th - Mon River. 16 x13" oil on canvas.

January 23rd. 24 x20" oil on canvas.

New Exhibition on Display at James Brooks Gallery, FSU

Artist Melissa May has a solo exhibition at the Brooks Gallery in Wallman Hall from January 21 to 29, 2010. An opening reception and talk will take place tomorrow evening - January 21, from 7 to 9 pm. For more info have a look at the Fine Arts Tatler blog: http://fineartsfsu.wordpress.com/

Goals 2010

Here goes:

Art-Related
Create:

5 new 7 x 6" paintings
20 new 16 x 13" paintings
20 new 18 x 14" paintings
15 new 24 x 20" paintings

That would bring me to a grand total of 60 paintings for 2010, which averages out to a bit more than 1 painting per week. C'mon I can do that!

Business-Related

Send out a large (researched) mailing of brochure/cover letter packets
Send out 3 larger packets each season
Update mailing list quarterly

Receive representation at one gallery
Schedule 2 solo shows for 2010

Have 30 brochures printed quarterly
Have 100 business cards printed
Update website at least once a week with new paintings and current events
Update blog at least once a week
Enter at least 3 juried shows within the year
Improve upon my record-keeping system for inventory



Okay, so many of the goals for 2009 carry over to 2010. But the most important goals for the year are, as always, getting gallery representation, booking solo shows, and creating 60 paintings. One of the biggies is already taken care of - since I already have a winter/spring exhibit in Charleston and a late summer/fall show at Ligonier Valley. Technically, the later show isn't a "solo" show, but it requires a lot of work, so I am counting it as one!

Right now I am getting ready to go paint, but next Monday I will have a New Painting post. One that hopefully will also include today's work!

2009 in Review...

Like I said, 2009 was very good to me. Lots of great things, both professional and personal, came my way. I have much to be thankful for...Derek and I bought our first home together and are now engaged and I have two solo shows on the horizon!



So, I will go through each goal that I set out early last year and sort of grade myself on each task. First, I put forth a very ambitious painting schedule:

Art-Related

-Create:
25 new 7" x 6" paintings
25 new 15" x 13" paintings
25 new 24" x 21" paintings


I would say that I created about 40 paintings overall this year (including the really bad ones that never saw the light of day after I made them). I suppose that's not too bad, considering we were house-hunting and moving, which is a real time zapper. This year though...it better be a different story.

Business-Related

-Mail out 3 small packets per month to possible galleries (only ones that I have researched)

This one makes me laugh - I didn't come close to meeting this goal. Which creates - Problems. I need to be on this one.

-Try to update my mailing list seasonally

Did pretty well on this one. After every event I added my new contacts into my excel spreadsheet. I include all the pertinent info (name address email) and also how I met each person to jog my crap memory.

-Make sure all work is wired and ready to hang after completion

Eh, this isn't too critical, and I find that as long as I have an early deadline for prepping work for a show, everything works out just fine.

-Receive representation at one gallery (not holding my breath on this one!)


This goal creates a bit of a grey area. I am very fortunate to have been juried into the David L. Dickirson gallery at Tamarack, but I'm not sure I would mark that as full "gallery representation".


-Schedule 1 solo show for 2009

I had not one but three(!) solo shows in 2009. That makes it the one area where I exceeded my goal, but I guess that's a good one to go over and above on....

Have 200 brochures printed


I did have brochures printed, but not 200. Printing in bulk certainly makes it less expensive, but the extra cost associated with printing in smaller batches is worth it to keep the brochures up-to-date.

Have 100 business cards printed


Ditto for the business cards.

Update website at least once a week with new paintings and current events


I would give myself an A+ on this goal, I was hardly ever behind on updates.

Update blog at least once a week


The blog is doing okay, there are only a few times that I fell behind. Not too bad. I look forward to expanding the blog in 2010!

Enter at least 4 juried shows within the year


Check!

Implement a better record-keeping system for inventory


Still not there yet, but I am developing a plan and have kept good records of sales.


So there you have it, my year in review...Up next, Goals 2010!

Happy (belated) New Year!

So I'm really behind on my blog, among other things. Not the way I wanted to start the new year - but I'm okay with it. I want to begin the year with a positive feeling, not one of stressfulness and all the negativity that comes with that. 2009 was a great year for me and I hope that 2010 will be even better. For today's post, I will stick with the New Year's greetings and also post up my newest painting. Next post I will tackle my year in review (which will include revisiting the 2009 goal list...yikes) and see where I went right and where I went...well, not-so-right.

December 30th. oil on canvas. 16 1/2" x 13"