Athena Dreams Design

11 Weeks In

• Our cat had never been outside until she came to live with us, she is now an indoor/outdoor cat. She, like many cats, hates the rain. Today she tried to go out, and a raindrop splatted in her face. Her response? Hiss at the raindrop and run back inside. I am right with her on this.

• The house we used to live in leaked. Leaked a lot. Leaked in many rooms. Many things were damaged. I worried every time it rained. And then we moved into the house we're in now and the FIRST thing I had checked out was the roof. Was it going to leak? Answer: No. But I still worried in the back of my head. And 2 years into living here the roof does not leak, BUT the window in my painting studio? Yeah, it leaks. This goes under the heading of be careful what you worry about, it might end up coming true.

• The more I go into my studio to paint, the more energy and excitement I have about painting. Funny (and not so funny) how that works.

• Wisdom thought today: Don't go to sleep and fall back into old patterns, you might miss an opportunity to see things differently.

• When on a spending budget, don't go looking at the new spring shoes from Keen. It's temptation. It won't end well.

• Inspiration begets inspiration.

• Talking about the things that excite, inspire and remind us why we do what we do are lifelines to further inspiration. Details? Go here, and here.

• I have some great wind in my sails right now. I write this to remind myself the next time I hit the doldrums that the wind always picks up again. Always. (see below)

• My grandfather used to tell me that the only thing we could count in this world is change. (see above)

How We Work

This spring and summer my studio has seen a lot of activity - painting for a few different shows, and working on illustrations for a big project, and through all of these deadlines I have found myself pondering my work habits — specifically my lack of cleaning up at the end of a day.

This week though I came to an important realisation: I am not neat when I am in process. In fact, I am the antithisis of neat. All my tools: brushes, paint, rags, pens, paper, xacto knives, and on and on, need to be out and within easy reach. When an idea strikes, or a problem pops up that I need to solve quickly, I work best when everything is right there ready to use.

And so this week, I declare to myself that when I am in full create mode my space is a mess, and truly I like it that way. I know so many people who clean up at the end of every day, and I have always so admired that, but I feel so free declaring that I, in fact, do not work well that way. Oh the freedom that comes with a realisation...

SO, how do you work? DO you pick everything up at the end of a day, or do you leave things out till a project is finished? Do you never clean up your creative work space, and leave it always in flux? I am always so interested to hear about how other people work, so please share . . .

Signs & Symbols .:. My Kind of Language

s

ym·bol

   [sim-buhl] noun, verb,-boled, -bol·ing or (especially British) -bolled, -bol·ling.

–noun

1.

something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign.

2.

a letter, figure, or other character or mark or a combination of letters or the like used to designate something: the algebraic symbol x; the chemical symbol Au.

3.

a word, phrase, image, or the like having a complex of associated meanings and perceived as having inherent value separable from that which is symbolized, as being part of that which is symbolized, and as performing its normal function of standing for or representing that which is symbolized: usually conceived as deriving its meaning chiefly from the structure in which it appears, and generally distinguished from a sign.

Oh, for a reason to delve into all these books (and more). I just love the beginnings of a new project idea.

Okay, here comes the weekend, and some sun and warm breezes, and in between painting and digging in the garden, sitting on the porch and picking up a book or 7 and finding the nuggets, the seeds, the jewels of a new series.

How to Talk about . . . Myself

As a self-employed artist and designer, part of my job is to market and/or talk about my art, show my design portfolio and share my work with others. And truthfully, I have always been uncomfortable about how to do this. 

And so I ask myself: Is it because I was raised by stalwart New England stock who implied that talking yourself up was just not the thing to do? Not sure . . .  Is it because I want to avoid rejection? Probably . . . Does it work for me to feel so very uncomfortable about talking about what I do and not try to change it? Not at all.

Recently I had an e-mail conversation with a friend about this very topic and her take on it was: "It's sharing with others and inspiring them with beauty. One of the loveliest things we can do for one another.

I share this story with you because I think I am probably not the only one that struggles with this. I write this post because I hope that someone will read this and begin the process of re-calibrating how they approach talking about their work, their art, their writing, their music; talking about things in their lives that they are excited and proud of, and just sharing in a real way who they are through what they do.  Being real. Being authentic. Being our truest selves.

And so, without too much more over thinking, some things I would like to share with you all:

A few days before I Ieft for holiday in mid-July, Brittni from PapernStitch posted an interview with me on her PapernStitch blog. It was a fun interview with some different and intriguing questions (some quite challenging to answer) and I completely and totally enjoyed the process. You can have a read here, and also find out some more about what Brittni is doing with the PapernStitch exhibition space. The site has grown quite a bit this year, and she is doing some wonderful things with guest writers on the blog, and inventive ways of advertising the exhibition space.

And lastly, I am so honoured to have been added to the goodheARTed: a community of art and craft, curated by Heather Murphy. Have a look, she has put together an ever widening and wonderfully inspiring group of artists, photographers and crafters for you all to visit.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, everywhere you are. 

June to July .:. Monthly Goals with Modish Biz Tips

So June was short and sweet. My focus was working on promoting the etsy shop, and my work. 

JUNE Goals:

1. Look for some more ways to promote my shop that are not the paid for kind. Send out more e-mails to folks asking them if they would be interested in writing about my work.  
2. Website Re-Design, back on again, third time's a charm (?) 
3. Develop editorial calendar with regular column ideas for the blog

#1: I sent out e-mails to 15 blog sites that cover art/artists, and got responses from all but one that they would have a look at my work and get back to me. Nothing for sure, but it was a really good start I think, and I am feeling more comfortable approaching people and writing some words about my art and my work.

#2: Website. Got some ideas together and realised that I want to re-think how I want/need to use a website to show my artwork. There are a lot more questions I need to answer for myself before I jump into a big re-design. And, this is not a stall. I realised as I was sketching up some ideas  that the whole time I was sketching, I was thinking to myself: what is the web site for, and I couldn't answer the question. So, more questions to ask of myself.

#3 Blog. No streamlined editorial calendar developed but a bunch of ideas for topics I want to start doing as series. 

JULY Goals:

1. Send out 15-20 more e-mails to blogs who cover art and artists
2. Work on developing web site that will work for my art as well as tying together etsy shop, and blog 
3. Work up ideas for the 3 different series of posts for blog: goal is to launch first series in early August: So You Want to Be a Freelance Designer 
4. Write and send out my first newsletter by 15 July. Plan ahead, and send out once a month at mid month
5. Create 3 new card sets for the shop.  
6. Update the shop with new prints of paintings 
7. And finally, remind myself in the lulls of activity, that there are so many others out there doing and trying and experimenting and learning and working with their art, with their craft, with their skills and with their full hearts... I may not know them all by name, but they are out there, and there is huge comfort in that.

A Little Renovation Goes a Long Way

More often than not a little cleaning up, dusting off, some furniture rearranged, maybe some new curtains and a different throw rug make you feel completely different about a room that you spend lots of time in. It always makes me feel happier and, lighter. But then this is coming from a girl who as a kid rearranged her bedroom every Sunday morning for many many years.

I have now discovered that blog renovations have the same happy effect on my disposition. And so, in honour of the blog re-design, and the addition of my soon to be new Monthly Newsletter (see button over there to the left), for the month of June I am offering discounts on all the product in my Etsy shop. Sign up for the newsletter, and you will receive a coupon by e-mail, easy!

Hope you all are having a happy start to June!

 

Monday Moments .:. It's Not Done Till it's Done

I have been working like crazy to finish my pieces for the Squam Art Show submission and having some moments. These moments contain most of or many of the following items: 

• Some bumps in the road - india ink that I thought was waterproof, but turns out it was only fadeproof = a mess, oh and lots of cursing (and perhaps a few foot stomps, but I won't say for sure), and washing off and then re-working all the ink on 3 canvases. [Note to Self: read a label, even if in a hurry, it will save time, and limit the stress]  

• Wanting to give up on a canvas [or 3], and then a moment later finding what I had hoped to find in the piece I was just going to give up on, and feeling that pure rush of joy pass through my body. [Note to Self: Re-evaluating is always preferable to giving up] 

• Realising for the 53,679th time, that a sketch can not be relied on once the painting starts, it's going to change a gazillion times from conception to finishing. [Note to Self: change can really be OK] 

• Painting or creating for a deadline is totally different than just creating to create, and each time I am working on a deadline I ask myself to please remember to remember to spend some times creating just to create, but once the current deadline is finished, I have other projects vying for attention and I tell myself I have to get to those other deadlines, and I really just don't have time to mess around in my studio. [Note to Self: look at readjusting that kind of thinking]  

• Knowing and then recognising that moment when the painting is done and allowing it to be done. [Note to Self: Overworking happens when I am not listening to the canvas, and when I am listening to that endless chatter in my head. Turn the volume down on the head chatter, most of it is insecure nonsense anyway.]

• Designing/Painting/Drawing is work that I quite simply and totally adore, and when I am truly in the moment doing any of the above, nothing else matters.  [Note to Self: How lucky am I that I figured that one out early on...]

OK, back to the painting.... 

----------------

And to any and all of you amazing Squamettes that are working on your pieces for the upcoming show submission deadline. Photos of submitted work need to be posted to the e-mail address on your prospectus by Thursday 30 April. And a couple things I want to make sure you know:

• You are eligible to submit up to 4 pieces of work
• There are NO size limitations on your work, so go big if you are so moved! 

If you have questions, if you have worries, if you need a virtual hand to hold, if you want to wax poetic about how excited you are about your work, please, please, contact me.

And for any of you Squammies who are on Facebook, if I have not found you yet, you can go here and join the Squam Art Show group and connect, read about deadlines and other details.
  

And Just What, May I Ask, is a Pecannoot*?

Jess Gonacha - amazing painter, illustrator, and pattern designer extraordinaire - has started another endeavor that is full to the brim with Abundance and Collaboration and Wings for the Spirit and Dreams in the Daylight .:. Pecannoot.

I know I have spent a fair amount of moments thinking about where the world is right now: economically, politically, socially, environmentally... and all those other ally's, and though I have cut out all the doom and gloom news from my daily fare, and consciously tried to remain positive, tempered with some realism, there are days where the weight of everything that is happening in the world, and in some cases to people I love, get the better of me.

So the goal for me has been

How do I stay positive in a world over-run with negative?

How do I stay buoyant when all the pictures advertise drought?

and these questions lead me back to this shortlist:

• Create for the sake of creating 
• Support my fellow artists
• Reach out and make connections with people
• Write down all my fears on a piece of paper, and then burn it (repeat as necessary)
• Seek out at least one positive, every day
• and then, Create because it feeds my soul.

When I read Jess' announcement about her new blog, I clapped my hands and said Yes (my positive for the day)! Her new site is all about ABUNDANCE and ART, I mean could it really get much better than that? She is looking for artists to contribute work to be shown on the site, so stop by and have a look and submit some artwork. Artists supporting artists - Jess models that ideal with beautiful grace and abundant enthusiasm.

When I read her announcement, I e-mailed her immediately, and sent an image that I had created this past fall, and I am totally thrilled that she posted it on the site today.  It's kind of like being in second grade, and after art period, your teacher puts your drawing up on the bulletin board, and you feel so happy and shy, all at the same time. Remember those moments? Submit some work and recreate a second grade moment . . . I am so looking forward to seeing what you all submit.

  

  

December Views .:. Day 17

Sometimes we are floating in the clouds

sometimes our feet are on the ground

and then sometimes

there are those other kind of days

where anything can happen

and we find ourselves 

taking a walk 

into the new and yet known,

into the beautifully uncertain,

into the steadfastly precarious,

balancing on the gorgeous margins

of a life that we are 

forever creating

and re-creating.

Some Things to be Happy About and a Sale

On the Way to Apple Picking

This painting has a story. But don't they all? It's a story about my nephew at age 3, it's a story about one summer in south western NH, a story about the rhythms of life, and a story about the twists and turns of the road as we travel this life. 

And so, as stories go, this painting, and some others, made it's way from California, all the way back to NH, to stay for a time at a lovely gallery near the sea, called Artstream. My work is hanging in the Equinox Gallery along with the work of Sarah Ahearn - I know, I love her work too  -  we will be there through the end of January.

And so, I thought because my pieces being in this show make me happy, I would enlarge the happy, and have a sale on the  prints in my Etsy shop. Buy any print and get another 8 x 10 print free, from now until the end of the year. There are prints of new pieces awaiting you!

AND here are some other things to be happy about:

Swirly is selling 3x3 artwork mounted on canvas panels, AND is hosting specials everyday until 17 December.

Jess Gonacha is hosting 2, yes 2! Holiday specials in her shop, and you have to check out the most wonderful patterns she's been designing, oh, and alphabets too. 

Sarah Ahearn has some art for your Fridge.

Gypsy Girl has an amazing sale on, AND some new work in her shop!

The Little Room has new scarves, aprons and jewels.

And for some moments of beauty and reflection, check in with December Views.