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!