A New Book Came in the Mail....

As I sit in my log home wishing for warmer weather and spring, a delightful surprise came in the mail. During these winter month's it take so little to brighten one's day.

A few days earlier as I was searching for information on the business side of art, I ran into a promo for the book called "I'd Rather Be in the Studio" by Alyson B. Stanfield. I had been to this site before, read about the information and since the book had been published, I decided to order it. It showed up nicely packaged and within a couple of days. I must admit after glancing through the book, it is packed with a lot of excellent information. Most of the information, I already knew about. However, Alyson takes it one step further so that it seems to make it easier and also so that you stand out from the crowd.

As I get through this book and the recommendations, I can pass on what I feel is working for me. Areas where I know that I need work are managing my time, prioritizing, and wondering if I will every accomplish everything on my list. All this is covered. I am realizing that all of this is going to take time, but by taking small pieces everyday, I know that some day I will reach the "tipping point"......hopefully with a lot of work!

For now, I also need to focus on who I am as an artist. Sometimes I feel like I am spinning my wheels trying to figure that part out. I love to paint and draw, but what is my style and who am I. That seems to be still evolving....or is it something that continues to evolve as one progresses.

Today as I grabbed my little list notebook, and I was looking at a small pot of baby daffodils in my kitchen, I did a quick sketch. Something clicked inside me. I had lost some of my spontaneity in my drawings. One can work from real life or photos, but it is important to draw, draw, draw. So I will carry a little sketch book with me, a pencil or some type of drawing tool and draw quick sketches of my environment. One can look at things and think, "oh, that would be fun to paint", but without doing some sketches a person may miss out on an opportunity for a great painting.

So here is my little sketch from my "things to do notebook" that I will use for reference for my "painting a day". It is simple, but I like the composition. Next time I will grab my sketchbook, but I was trying to be spontaneous today......

More later ~ MaryAnn