Forgotten

I've been busy updating my Etsy shop,  rewriting titles, changing tags and decreasing shipping costs all in hopes of bringing in more traffic to my shop.  I just can't seem to figure out Etsy.  My shop has been open for 2 years and I've had 10 sales.  Pretty sad isn't it?  Anyway, today I found an image that I thought was listed and wasn't.

I painted this one back in July or August.  It was one of the few paintings I did this summer.  Inspiration definitely went on summer vacation, somewhere far, far away I think.  (luckily she did return this fall feeling refreshed)

                                                                        "In the Thistle"  available here

 So while I didn't paint much this summer, and choosing not to fight with inspiration not being here, I chose instead to focus on getting back in shape and socializing.    I finally started going to our local bike shops (Blue Dog Cycle) women's ride, which got me totally hooked on mountain biking and loving it.  Every Wednesday we would bike and then go to the wine bar afterwards.  How awesome is that?  Besides biking I've finally gotten into a wonderful running groove.  I've always ran, but its been so hard to have any kind of exercise routine since having kids, but now that they are getting older its becoming a little bit easier.  (it still takes some will power though, like getting up at 5am today and heading out into the very cold darkness to get my run in before the kiddos get up for school)  So while it bothered me once and awhile that I had zero inspiration this summer, there was plenty of other fun things to do this summer to keep me occupied, cookouts, picnics, bonfires, late summer nights with the kids and neighbors.    For the most part I just accepted that I wasn't inspired  and knew it was for a reason and it would of course return and it did.

Have a wonderful weekend, I hope you find something fun or inspirational to do.   I've been busy sewing a little birthday present for Amelia and have also started some holiday crafting that I'll share next week.

Inspired, then uninspired, but now inspired again!

Recently I picked up a few copies of  "The Artist's Magazine" from our library for  50 cents and I am totally loving them.  I've read them from front to back.



 A lot of the work seems to be in oil, but there is some watercolor, acrylic, pastel,  and a bit of mixed media.   Much of the work is figurative, but there is also landscapes and still life.   Reading about all of the artists, techniques, styles, art school and inspiration makes me long for art school again and almost makes me want to paint a still life, but not quite, but  oh how I would love to take life drawing again.



By Robert T. Barrett



So even though I've been totally loving this magazine, I think partly why I haven't been too inspired to paint lately is because of this magazine.  It has made me rethink what I'm doing, questioning my style, my talent, my own inspirations, where I am going with it all.  It is so hard not to look at all of those talented artists and feel a bit inferior and compare myself to them, that I may not be a real artist because I paint "cute" things or because I don't paint in oils or I don't have an art degree, or my artwork isn't serious enough.  So while I've been enjoying this magazine, it has also brought up all of these issues within me.

I've realized this is all part of the growing process as an artist and also as a person.  I'm learning that it really doesn't do me any good to compare myself with others, it gets me no where but down.  I know much of it has to do with gaining confidence in myself and with my artwork.  And I'm slowly learning to do this.

I feel like I'm slowly coming out of my little funk.   I'm realizing there is no need  to compare myself with others(it definitely doesn't make me feel good),  but I can learn from them and incorporate that into my own style and growth.  I love to paint and draw, and I especially love to cut and paste too.  I know I could never be patient enough to work on a realistic portrait painted in oils, I'll leave that to them, but amazingly I'm patient enough to cut out hundreds of small petals and glue them down to form a flower.  This is what makes me happy, this is what makes my little heart sing,  this is what I know I love, learning to be me and expressing "me"!

                                                                                                      "In Bloom"  by me!