Realizing a Dream

Me and Shannon with her Alaska three bears prints

My set up ready for customers

The book fair last weekend was very successful. I sold art and books. Met a lot of customers and made some new customers. So many of the visitors had great ideas for paintings. I love being inspired by my patrons and supporters.

This was the weekend that almost wasn't. I kept waiting for my email giving me the details for set up, etc. and it never came! When I called, the organizers admitted they had forgotten me. Fortunately they squeezed me in. WHEW!

Then, as I am setting up I realize I am next to Shannon Cartwright. Yes, THE children's book illustrator for Alaska. Will this help me bring crowds or will I get shadowed by her popularity and get missed completely. My business brain was in full speed. I said hello and told her I was a fan. She was cool and distracted.

The show was off and running. By now Shannon and I were more relaxed and started to chat. We are both from Michigan. She shared some very personal, sad stories of her life. We bonded. Later I am driving home and I realize I have bonded with Shannon Cartwright. She would roll her eyes if she read that line but even though I told her my story she doesn't appreciate what her art symbolized to me.

When I moved to Alaska and started working for Alaska Magazine I was told to go buy art for my office. No problem. I bought Shannon's prints of the three Alaska bears. I would sit at my desk at a job that wasn't what my heart wanted. I went to college to be an artist and yet here I sat working in sales at a magazine, staring at these prints. Staring at the career I was sure I would never have. I hated Shannon, loved her, admired her, was jealous and some day wished I could be like her.

So on that drive home it hit me. I was an artist, a children's book illustrator at an art show sitting across from Shannon. She bought some of my art. We talked business, we talked life. If the 'me' staring at those prints in that Alaska magazine office could see me now she would be whooping for joy. And that is what I did in my car, laughed and whooped for joy.

Dizzy Days

Signore Greve - Imagination

My husband is going to see this post and think, " Why isn't she painting?!" He is right of course. I have a 'to-do' list a mile long and it all needs to be done and dry by Friday. The above Greve is one painting I have created for the Read Alaska Book Fair going on at the Anchorage Museum this weekend.

Cheesy Day

The book fair and art show in the atrium is free and is a LOT of fun. I was excited to sneak in last year and am happy to be there again this weekend. It is 10-6 Friday and Saturday, 12-5 on Sunday. There are so many awesome authors and artists in Alaska. This show does a great job of highlighting so many in one location.

Stop in and see me. You can see the first practice painting for the new book, "Have You Ever Had a Daydream..." Why am I not showing it to you here? Gee, there is no time, I got to get painting.

The Power of YES

Have you ever seen the movie "Yes Man" with Jim Carrey? I watched it on an airplane once. The premise is that through an enlightenment seminar he is told to say yes to everything and his life will become limitless with wonder. The typical Carrey adventures ensue.

But there really is a good point to that idea. Saying 'yes' can often open other doors that your not expecting. I said 'yes' to doing a companion painting for a woman and ended up being hired to illustrate her children's book. I said 'yes' to doing a book presentation at a local school and now have several visits to different schools under my belt. I said 'yes' to karaoke once and am still living down the shame. 'Yes' doesn't always go the way you want it.

There are so many things to do and experience in this world. And saying yes when your brain is screaming NOOOOOOO can really open up wonderful things to you. When I walked in with my portfolio to my very first gallery the 'no' ringing through my head was deafening. My bowels felt I wasn't getting the message so they chimed in. My sweat glands couldn't believe I wasn't listening to the other two so they added their comment. I was a MESS! 20 minutes later I walked out smiling (and headed for the bathroom) with the first date for a gallery show.

Try to say 'yes' this week to something different. Would you like to try our new spam latte? Why, yes, that sounds tasty! Okay, maybe not a great example but you get what I am saying. And NO Ginzee, you may not eat the cat.

Deserted Ideas

When you're an artist at heart it's hard to suppress the urge to create. But I tried to for years. Fortunately things came together and I was able to walk away from the Dilbert world into the world of scissors and pencils. Along the way I worked on a lot of ideas that I thought might help me creeeeep into the art world. Many lay in a file waiting for my attention again. When I come across them I am reminded of the hope and energy I put into finding a way to crack the art door open.

This is Mosely the Moose. I did about four different watercolors of him. Checking his email, bear viewing (as you see above) mountain climbing...the typical Alaska adventures. The idea was that Mosely was so curious why the flood of tourist came in every year he decided to be a tourist himself. I actually love Mosely and hope to give him some time in the future.
This is Bella the monkey. I wrote a story with Bella as the main character. She flew from Africa to Alaska and meet all the Alaska animals along the way. I like the story and can really see her as a Signore Greve precursor. I do feel my Greve book is a bit more sophisticated. Maybe Bella proved to be a idea for an idea.

I am an A personality even if I don't want to be. I like finishing what I start but sometimes I have to remind myself that not everything is meant to be taken to completion. Often an idea, drawing and painting is a jumping off point. I look at older paintings I have done and am sometimes shame faced. But those paintings helped me improved.

Today we tip our brush to deserted ideas. To those that got us on our way and to those that feed the fire until we reached our destination. I am now off to make tea for Mosely and Bella.

ZZZzzzzzzzz

Winter is here. Ginzee and I are both ecstatic. No, really. This is the face that currently dozes as I work at my easel. I know, it's hard to get a sense of enthusiasm.

I have a lot on my 'to-do list' today. I am hoping to switch out all my galleries to give them fresh art for the season. This means creating some new work while shuffling around some old work.

Everyday my 'to-do list' has two words, " Ginzee walk". No matter what gets missed Ginzee walk is never one of them. I may try to put it off but a restless puppy never equals creative energy. Never.

Now that the days are getting much shorter I tend to want to put off the walk until the sky is a little brighter. But the last two days Mother Nature has convinced me otherwise. Lightly falling snowflakes in the twilight is too fantastic to miss. The winter,morning hush of the world begs me to play along. And the creative flush it gives me is the perfect start to plow through a busy 'to-do list'.

The above contented face enjoyed shoveling the driveway ( a big hit) and a winter's walk. Our favorite season is here and we couldn't be more enthusiastic.

Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?

Are you humming the tune? I heard that song the other day while driving about. I don't know what year the song was written but I would guess the 1970's. If he only knew what 'time' would really become in the future.

I just spent a week on vacation hiking through the enormous trees of the Olympic Peninsula, strolling the beaches and enjoying the hum of Seattle and Portland. Time on vacation is a different beast. It's an animal you could love. Oooo look honey, it's 9:30 a.m. and we are still in bed. heeheee

But all vacations must end. When it comes to 'time' I have to put on my STICK super hero costume and make a pact. We here by agree to be friends to the best of our ability. I will not see you as my enemy and you will....let's be honest, time doesn't care about me. It mocks me as the red light holds me. It giggles when I leave late for an appointment and it rolls on the floor when a flight gets delayed. Here I am being so nice and yet it's hands just keep right on moving!

I digress. I will shake hands with time and convince myself it isn't out to get me. Projects will get done, maybe late. The bathrooms will get cleaned, maybe a few days later than I hoped. But I do know this, whoever invented our servitude to time should be beaten with a large clock.

Strange Request

Commission paintings are a blessing and a curse. The blessing comes from getting to take someones idea and make it come to life. The above idea went a little like this:

"I would like a portrait of my brother's family."
"Well, I am not a portrait painter but I can put you in touch with some."
"No, I want a portrait of his family as their personalities represented in animals."
"Oh, okay. Wait, what?"

Her brother is the rooster of the family. Her thin, fluid moving sister in law became the lizard and her nephew with his startled expression became a goldfish. I loved this commission. Her family takes turns hanging it in their across state houses.

Then come the curse paintings. The ones that sound like such fun and then as you sit down you realize you have taken on a hard assignment. Recently I agreed to paint a ninja being surrounded by angry ostriches. I know, you laughed right? So did I. But I have to confess my ninja painting experience is limited. Okay, it was non-existent.

It did finally come together and I rocked the ninja. The ostriches, well that is old hat for me but posed with a ninja.....not a request you get everyday.

I am glad I took on the challenge. The client LOVED it. And now I know I can do most oddities that come my way. What's that? A platypus on a moped? No problem!