Where Has the Year Gone? I Mean, Really!

I feel like I blinked and 2013 disappeared!

As you can see, it's been 7 months since I posted anything!  Except for being included in a couple of community artist shows, not much happened for me in art.  I've continued to teach some art classes, although not as many.  Also, my mural is still sitting in Santa Maria storage.  Note to self - call the city and see if they have any installation details yet.  After all, they've had it a year.



Still Waiting...    (photo courtesy of the amazing Jill Martin)

My opportunity to be the "Featured Artist" for the Town Center Gallery fizzled when they left their permanent home in January and haven't found another.  So, my plan to spend summer painting turned into months spent up to my ears in homescooling and learning-related studies.  It's just as well - those issues were demanding my attention.  And, in dealing with them, I have found myself in a better place in the balancing of home, school, and art. 

Could it be that I can actually entertain

the thought of pursuing illustration more seriously?

Five years ago, the plan had been to start building a portfolio that I could start presenting by this time.  HOWEVER, then came the unexpected arrival of our 4th child.  This changed the timetable a bit.

My little diversion...

Discovering what's inside an owl pellet...

But, she is now 4 years old and quite the independent, driven, self-directed learner.  Our approach to life and learning makes room for all of us to be more project focused.  So, I see the door starting to open a bit - to pick up where I left off with illustration. 

So, I'm finally looking into joining SCBIW, 12x12, and eventually some online illustrator directories.  Those are things I had decided to put off until I could be more serious about illustration.  I can't do EVERYTHING - time is always an issue.  And, there has been A LOT of prayer this past year in order to discover what God's will is for my time - what, exactly, does He want me to do with the gifts and talents I've been given.  Well, it's time to re-evaluate, reorganize, and discover the possibilities.

So, here I go.  After all, I'm not getting any younger - I hear that clock ticking a little louder now.  I kind of feel like now it's now or never...let's see what happens!



Student work from summer art classes...

"What?!! You Painted Over It?!!"

...screamed my daughter.

Now you see it - now you don't!

No, I've turned all of the panels around and I am currently painting a couple coats of clear varnish on the backsides.  I wanted to do the backs first because I wasn't sure how tacky it would be for and for how long.  The primer we used seemed to always have a certain degree of tackiness - even at this point.  If that was to be the case with the varnish, then I wanted to do the fronts last and make sure they didn't lean up against anything while they awaited transportation.

I've now discovered that the varnish dries quickly and the finish isn't tacky at all.  Good!  Now, I plan to put the panels one at a time on sawhorses and paint a couple coats on the fronts and all edges.

In Loving Memory...

Past Horizons Group During Some Outdoor Activities

I had really hoped to be done by now - I feel like things have been moving at a snails pace.  Of course, we have since had the memorial for my father-in-law, Robert Smith, and will soon be doing much to care for my mother-in-law as we are the only relatives in the area.  We're also 2 1/2 weeks into our school year, now - so far so good!  I have an 8th grader, a 5th grader, and a preschooler this year.  Also, we'll be starting our multi-family, multi-subject co-op called Horizons on Tuesday.  I've had A LOT of communication, organization, supplies, and general loose-ends to tie up. So, I will be "laboring" on that this Labor Day Weekend.

Still, God is great and life is good!  Just keep plugging away...

Considering becoming a hermit so I can draw and paint again!

I can't believe it's nearly Christmas - I've only done a smidge of Christmas shopping, no Christmas cards mailed out, no cookies made, barely have any decorations up, no tree yet, and soccer tournaments every weekend (whose idea was that??).

On the upside, schooling obligations are ending for the year and a break is coming. The co-op class I was teaching ended this last week and I'm cutting back to just core subjects with my kids. Of course, I still have some grading and some loose ends to tie up before I can put it all aside. I just feel like Christmas is going to fly right by and will not have had time to enjoy any of it. Argh!

I'm really feeling the desire to go someplace where no one can find me and just retreat into "drawing and painting land" - it's always an escape and it's long overdue.

All I have to share is a random page from an older sketchbook (sigh).

Kid Stuff Keeping Me Busy...

Well...I at least looked at the Illustration Friday topic and even doodled a few thoughts. But, this just isn't going to be the week to get something like that done.

Every other Wednesday throughout the school year about 30+ homeschooling families meet to share our gifts and teach classes to all the kids. I'm teaching an art class for kids 9 years to early teen that looks at how the portrait has been depicted throughout history. We started with Ancient Mesopotamia and the Abu Temple figures (known for thier huge eyes and stair-step hair and beards).

Today, after studying the style points and the color symbolism, they painted Egyptian-Style portraits on plaster tiles.

We only have an hour together and there's quite a variety of ages and abilities in the class, but I think they're all having fun and learning something at the same time - that's the main point, after all.

Maybe I'll be able to get to IF next week...

A Moment to Regroup and Redirect...

I really don't have any pressing projects. The "class" that I started the painting series for is almost over and I'm nowhere near done (of course, I knew that would be the case - I've planned about 10 illustrations for a 6-meeting class). It's more of a personal project, so it's "to be continued" at my leisure. But, since I haven't exactly made friends with acrylics, sometimes I just don't feel like working on it. I'd rather draw something "for fun" right now.

I've been thinking about a lot of things that have been competing for my time and trying to prioritize. I'll have to start putting together our next year's homeschooling plan VERY soon and get various co-ops in motion that I'm involved in. I think it's safe to say that I probably won't be posting more than once or twice a week (which is more than enough anyway).

I mentioned that there were possibilities for more hours and greater responsibility at work, but that's an area that's going to have to give. Soccer season will be starting very soon and I'll have 3 kids on 3 different teams - adding hours to my work schedule might push me over the edge of sanity and will make me less flexible for those things.

Besides, as much as I like my workplace, my plan is to ultimately move into freelance illustration - definitely what I would like to do as a career and more workable around family needs. I'm not going to quit the bookstore or anything at this point, I'm just not going to increase that load - in fact, I'm going to cut back to 4 nights right now. I think my family would appreciate it as well.

So, I've been browsing online portfolios and have been blessed by advice from a couple working illustrators. I think for starters, I'll finally join the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators - a valuable support network for writers and illustrators (published and unpublished). Along with that, I'll check into some of the free online portfolios. Later, as I'm able to add more work to my portfolio, then I'll look into some of the online porfolios that require an annual fee (but will boost visibility to get my work "out there").

Mainly, I'm reminded of the fact that I can't do EVERYTHING! There just aren't enough hours in the day and, now and then, I realize that I don't have unlimited energy (gasp!).

The picture posted above is obviously from the sketchbook (which is almost full!) - it's a return to the animal field guide studies at breaktime that I haven't done in a while. I'm becoming much more comfortable with rapid observation and rendering - I can work pretty quickly on those 10 minute breaks.

I also decided to do a detailed drawing starting from a random doodle - another thing I haven't done in a while (that's my "for fun" thing). I look forward to sharing that soon. It's always a surprise and a joy to see what comes out of those!

Long Time - No See

Hi Folks! I'm back from the CHEA convention. I thought I'd be able to post something before I left, but I just ran out of time.

Overall, it was a GREAT time - 4 of us made the drive down to Long Beach. I lived there for about 7 years during college and it's changed A LOT! I moved away from there sometime around 1993. However, while I was down there I stopped at Lyon Supply Company where I used to shop during those years and the owner remembered me! WOW!

My friend Kerie and I only attended the leadership day of the convention and it was so nice to see several of the people that I'd known from homeschooling in Torrance. We saw some wonderful speakers including Mike Farris (note the parentalrights.org link in the sidebar - please sign the petition).

The 2nd day, however, we went to the Long Beach Museum of Art. It's a beautiful museum - an older craftsman style building overlooking the Pacific, but with a modern art collection. However, I can safely say that we were not impressed the new work of art looming in front of it, visible over the wall.

I know art can be many things to many people, it comes in many forms, it doesn't always have to be beautiful, yadda, yadda, yadda. But there were many things on display that left us scratching our heads, wondering how some of this stuff makes it into museums while others don't! Well, some are on loan from private collections in some cases. In other cases, I think if you can market yourself, convince others that there's some intellectually "deep" about your work, then...

I'm sure there was no shortage of artists doing any variety of work who would love to have something placed in the gardens of this museum. To each, his own.

On a more positive note, I enjoyed a lot of the Gord Peteran work exhibited, however.

The Audition...

It's the eve of the final "major" event regarding education for us this year. It's sign-ups for next fall's multi-family, multi-subject co-op that several of us launched this past year. Then, I can put the "big stuff" aside and slide peacefully into summer break (which consists of home improvement, a teesy bit of schooling - math never ends, and planning for next year).

Well be offering some really neat parent-led classes (we are homeschoolers afterall) - public speaking, art history (taught by "yours truly"), a girls "tween" club/devotion group, volleyball, money management for teens, and some literature-based activities for the younger set (stemming from classic children's picture books).

It's hard to get homeschooling families motivated to think about the fall in the spring, so it was a little hard getting commitment (everyone wants to take the classes - no one wants to lead). But, I've had several moms tell me that they'd like to teach in the spring (something in astronomy, inventors, and a literature discussion group - YEAH).

In the end, it's all worth the headache and stress that goes along with planning such things. Of course, there's always one person who complains about what's offered (all volunteer, by the way) or when it's offered. And, for some reason it's their ONE voice that seems to stick in your mind.



Anyway, enough of that. I'm sure you'd rather meet this talented fellow that appeared in my sketchbook the other day. Yep - you guessed it - one of my random doodles. However, it's one of those doodles that won't ever go anywhere. I can't imagine using it for anything. Don't tell him, though. He's really singing his heart out - I'd hate to burst his bubble.

Just checking in...

This is turning out to be an unbelieveably busy week...

-Our 2nd to last science co-op class is tomorrow
-The last homeschool support group meeting tomorrow night (party + used curriculum sale)
- It's the last week of indoor soccer practices Tuesday and Thursday (in between science and support group)
- Our multi-subject co-op picnic/party is on Wednesday afternoon
- The kids' last youth group meeting and bbq is Wednesday night
- The Presidential Physical Fitness co-op picnic/party Thursday afternoon
- My usual work schedule (5 evenings per week)
- AND I promised the kids we'd see Prince Caspian on opening day (Friday).

It's a lot of fun stuff, but it's a lot of running around and a scheduling nightmare. I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

I'm not sure how much illustration or blogging time I'll have this week (I'm thinking NONE), so I wanted to at least check in with a quick update. I don't have any pictures to post (and I don't like posting on an art blog without some sort of visual) However, I haven't been working on very much except trying to iron out the composition and some details of my chicken drawing.

The composition is proving to be a little more problematic than I originally thought. As I sketched out some roughs, something wasn't working right. I needed to change some size relationships. I'm still tweaking that a bit.

Well, there's a light at the end of the tunnel - if I survive this week, I'll have a little more time to work on my illustration projects. So, check back soon - I won't be gone long.

OK, Here's the Plan...

I wasn't exactly sure what the purpose of this blog would be when I set it up a few days ago. All I knew was that it would be related to my art in some way. However, that purpose became clear to me earlier today. This will be a journal of my experiences as I attempt build a career in illustration. Since this has been a fairly recent decision in my life, this blog will be a chronicle of my efforts from the very beginning to some sort of end.

There are only two possible outcomes to this adventure:

1) Yeah! - a successful career! And, look what it took to get here!
OR
2) Woe is me - can't seem to make it in this field. But, I tried my best.

Time will tell which outcome it will be, and we'll see how it all unfolds.

At the moment, finding time to draw and paint is the biggest challenge I face. My primary focus right now is family and homeschooling my children - that will keep me busy for several years to come. The bulk of my work has to take place on weekends, holidays, and summer vacations. Then, once the kids are older and more independent in their studies, I will have a portfolio ready to shop around (that's the plan, anyway).

So, now I feel like Dorothy in Munchkinland, taking my first steps on the yellow brick road. Either I'll make it to the Emerald City or the witch will get me. We'll see...