2015 – A New Year, New Outlook and New Works

I'm now feeling like I'm finally back on the horse. 2015 is looking like a brand new horizon and to ring in the new year, I've been back in the studio almost working full time. It's a great feeling to finally have some control back in my arm and painting hand, and I have more paintings in my head than I could possibly paint in four lifetimes.

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10 Stupid Ways & 10 Meaningful Ways To Measure Success As An Artist

YOU are the only one who can answer what success means for you. I'd challenge you to think about that and design your own yearly success measurement...and then celebrate the heck out of it! There are some pretty stupid measurements some artists use to measure their success. I offer up my metric system...

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5 Good Reasons To Quit Your Day Job and Be A Full Time Artist

Solstice 2011 - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!! One year in the studio! One year ago, December 21st, 2010 marked the end of my work in an office and a return to the studio after a 10 year hiatus from full time studio work. (INSERT MANY LARGE CHEERS, SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS, CHAMPAGNE AND THE LIKE....HERE...and yes......you can send me gifts of money.) One year later, do I have any regrets? Hell no...except maybe for what's on my Hell List. Metaphorically, moving out of the dark and into the light with the change of seasons has made a huge difference to our family. There is a right time to make the move to studio work, and that time is always....NOW! Quit making excuses and BE an artist! Get out of that job, away from that oppressing boss of yours and get your fanny in gear.

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The Artist’s Kitchen : 5 Top Priorities for Life’s Studio

I try to make the kitchen a studio that acts as that same life catalyst forty years later for my family and my work. Not only do meals set the tone for the day, but they get all that "stuff" done and out of the way so that I can create, which literally feeds the cycle all over again. It's healthier. They usually involve the family helping out - choosing, making, prepping, etc. They carve out some time together not only in the making, but in the appreciation, the "sit down", the relationship building and the love that underpins it all. I have a few favourite recipes that are a hit, and I'd like to share them with you in hopes that your kitchen can become an artful extension of your Life Studio.

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4 Kind Steps To Green Your Packaging When Shipping Your Artwork

Use old, discarded clothes instead of bubble-wrap or styrofoam peanuts, etc. (ICK for the environment either way you look at it.) If you don't have any, go to your local Thrift Store and get a box. Sometimes, there are even old blankets or comforters people have discarded. Explain to them what you are doing (they may even give you a discount). Create a small tag/note to include in the purchase to your collectors and explain to them what you have done and why. Ask them to take your "recycled clothing packaging" to a Thrift Store near them, donate it and spread the word. Simple. Effective. Human....and kind on so many levels.

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