How To

Karen, with Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center welcomes my delivery of artwork

 “You’re doing it!” said a friend I hadn't seen in awhile. 

Huh?

“You’re doing the artist thing! Lookatchyoo! Exhibits! Galleries! Sales!! What‘s your secret?”

Does anyone ever say to their banker, “Hey! Way to go on that whole money thing! How’dja do that?”

Or to their shoe salesman, “Wow! These shoes fit! What’s yer secret?”

I have just spent the last 3 hours writing clever and charming ways to let you in on my 10 fun secrets to “doing it”.  After 3 hours of pounding my keyboard and wearing out my delete button, this is what I’m left with:

Sorry to say, there are no 10, 8 or even 2 easy steps. There are no secrets.

Paintings at Crane Trust Nature and Visitors Center

And that's the hardest thing of all. No shortcuts, no quickies, no magic. 

What's left then? All toil and trouble? Don't be silly.

I get to wake up every day knowing I'm my boss, and I like working for me. I'm a good boss. I let me wear painty jeans to work.

I get to create. 

I get to talk to people about things that make them happy; color, shared experiences, memories.

I get to share what I've learned with some really great people.

 

I get to  make people happy. Really happy.

And I'm happy to tell you that The Crane Trust and Visitor Center on Interstate 80 at the Alda interchange, has invited me to share my work for the next six weeks. No secret there; they asked, I said yes. Show's up now until February 24th.

2014 Sandhills Gale 8x10 oil currently hanging at Crane Trust and Visitor Center

I'm also sharing my magic at The Burkholder Project in Lincoln, Ne. in the Corner Gallery, where I've got my very own wall to hang my paintings on forever. 

Come to think of it, that's how it's done.

Happy Dancing

Greetings Dear Reader-

Hooooo-ey what a week its been!  I have had more fun the last 7days than a person has a right to, and  the exciting thing is I'm not done yet. 

Wednesday I was interviewed on NTV's Good Life, a morning news program featuring local folks doing fun and interesting things.  Since I am both fun and interesting (at least in my world) I spent a few minutes with hosts Carol and Roni visiting about my Land Marks exhibit, and other upcoming events.

(An admission:  After spending entirely too long trying to embed the video of the interview, I surrender and provide links.  It worked once and has since refused to cooperate.  I had hoped to impress you not only with my interview skills but with my internet tech skills.   My feet are firmly planted in reality now, thankyew very much.)

Surprise, NTV's videos are only available for a few days! You'll just have to imagine how fabulous I was... 

The first part of the interview:

And then we retired to the set "kitchen" for some painting fun:

On Saturday I shared a 3-hour pastel demonstration at Crane Trust Nature Center.  Visitors from far and wide have been stopping there to witness one of nature's great migratory events so there were lots of interesting folks to visit with.

Painting in front of an audience is always a challenge. Part performance art, part education,  it involves accessing both halves of my already sizzling brain at the same time, thus causing a traffic jam of epic proportion. It's a bit like two fat people trying to squeeze through a doorway at the same time going different directions; with a little thought and preparation it can be done, but a a certain point there's just going to be some shoving and pushing and someone's gonna look a little silly.

Even got a little television action from local Channel 5 in Hastings....

And the fun continues.  Next weekend I'll be teaching a one-day pastel workshop at Stuhr Museum, and the Sunday after that I'll be doing another demo, also at Stuhr.

I'm living my dream. I'm grateful to you, Dear Reader, to Handsome Husband, to the fine folks at Stuhr Museum, Crane Trust Nature Center and Nebraska Arts Council for helping it become a reality.

I'm all a-grin and doing a happy dance across the room.

What kind of happy dance are you doing?