A New Studio Tour

Well, I have totally rearranged and organized the studio. I didn't make my six day goal of having it ready to open to the public. I just couldn't do it all, especially with out of town guests, and a slew of late online orders that came in. The most important thing was to enjoy the holidays with my family. My personal goal of getting the studio organized is 98% fulfilled. I just have a few more boxes to unpack and it will be done. I'm taking the rest of the year off, and I'll open the doors in January. I hope you enjoy the tour of the new, improved studio by my aspiring actress six year old daughter, Logan.Pin It

what can I do in 6 days?

That's my question and challenge for myself today. Wine Husband wants me to open the doors to the studio on Dec. 21st. Yikes! There is so much to do and he's in Atlanta until next Tuesday...so I can pretty much count him out. Besides...even if he was here...he'd be busy with wine business stuff and not much help. So... it's up to me to turn this place around. It is in complete disarray after preparing for the Reserve Art Event. My biggest problem is lack of organization. After moving, things got unpacked but not put in logical places. I spend half my time searching for things. I'm also not liking the flow of the work area. I need to change it to accommodate a larger shipping area, and still make it look nice. I am a terrible decorator. I think it's the artist in me that can find beauty in just about everything. Even if it looks bad, I can still find appealing things about it. So starting today, and not counting the weekend (reserved for kids and house cleaning) I have 6 days.

During these 6 days, I need to get current shipments out, print and embellish giclees, completely re-do the work area of the studio, organize everything, clean, get work in frames and hung, bag giclees for sale, price all work and label it, and get a business license. Plus still continue to sell on Etsy and eBay, to have income coming in. And for my own sanity, I need to add some "creating new art" time in there. Can I do it? I feel like I'm caught up in some bad reality TV show. I might need some help and ideas from all of you.

So, for today...I'm going to rearrange furniture in the work area, and get a new shipping table set up. I'm also going to get all my shipments packed up and taken to the post office.

I took some pictures to show you what I'm tackling. I was shocked when I looked at the pictures....it's worse than I thought.

Here's the gallery area...it needs some clean up and straightening. It's not too bad. Wine
Husband helped me hang stuff and decorate before he left for Atlanta. This room is getting there.

But, the real mess is where I create. The work area is completely unacceptable. There are no words for how bad it is. I'm ashamed to even post the picture. I had someone write me after watching the messy studio video and say that they would run away if they came into my studio and it looked like that. She is right. And you know what...the bad thing is that it's worse now than when I made the video. It was really hard for me to get a large body of work completed for the Reserve Art Event...and not be messy. So, here it is...please don't give me any grief about it...the lady's comment already devastated me for a couple of days. (really it did...I'm too sensitive, I know)

It looks like a hurricane went through here. But, this is my challenge. My 6 day challenge. I know I can do this. All of this. I'll turn this place around and make it beautiful again.

Now time to get to work moving furniture. I'll keep you posted.Pin It

thinking too small....

Thanks to all who attended and especially purchased artwork and jewelry at my online Reserve Art Event. You guys are the best!

It's funny how you think things are not going right for you...but it turns out that they were going right all along. The Universe does that to you....kinda like April Fools! I worked so hard on the Reserve Art Event. I put in so many requests to the Universe for a sell out event. I sold a a good bit...but not a sell out. I wanted to prove to my family...especially wine husband, that I could do it. I wanted to pull out the big girl shoes and show just how well I could do as an artist. (Those of you who know a little bit about me, know that this comes from never having the support to pursue my art from my adopted parents.) But...I was thinking too small....

Anyway...the whole time I was putting the sell out event, out to the Universe...what I unconsciously was thinking about was how I could develop a technique, a style that was unique. I admire those artists who have spent hundreds of hours researching and discovering new ways of doing things that we are so in awe of....that magazines write articles on, and books are published about. I always felt like I didn't have the time. Well...the whole time I was preparing for the Reserve Art Event, working on my paintings...the Universe was giving me what I wanted. That technique. I was laying the stepping stones in my paintings for the event...but only after the event was going on...did I get the rest of the bridge.

I hate to seem too overly whimsical...but the new technique was revealed in a dream I had. I jumped out of bed, and immediately started making notes of what I needed. A trip to the local art store in Jacksonville...and a few hours later...it was coming together. The painting above uses the new technique.

I promise I will reveal more about the technique later. But, for now....this is a mixed media painting. It uses collage elements and acrylic paint on ultra smooth claybord made by Ampersand. I wanted to achieve the look of a collage without the built up texture. In the paintings for the Reserve Art Event, I experimented with collaging napkins. It worked good, but I wanted something even smoother. So, I used translucent Asian papers. I'm really thrilled with the possiblitlies...and can't wait to do more.

So...if my Reserve Art Event had of been a sell out...I would have been so happy and bombarded with shipments...that I would not have had the time, or thought, to look at things a little harder.

Thanks to the Universe for knowing what's best for me and answering the right requests.Pin It

THE RESERVE ART EVENT

The Reserve Art Event is on! Click the image above to go. It's a special weekend preview sale of my new work for my online customers. It all comes down on Monday!Pin It

The Reserve Art Event Dec. 7th

I apologize for the quality of the video. I'm using my son's "kiddy" video camera for now. Maybe Santa will bring me a Big Girl video camera this year. Anyway...I really appreciate the comments and even the critique that I got yesterday on my video skills. ;) I'm new to this...and those of you who know me outside of blogland know how quiet and shy I really am. I'm trying....and know I'll get better with this in time.

Thank you to all the bloggers out there who have taken the time to write about my special event on your blog. I really appreciate you! I have a special gift for anyone who writes about the event in their blog this week. Send me an email or leave me a comment!

And, if you would like a reminder sent to you by email for the event (and any future events) please send me an email at wyanne1 at aol.com.

It's going to be fun, different and exciting. I hope you'll join me. Hugs to all....now back to work.Pin It

My Very Messy Studio

This is my first little video that I made with my son's video camera. It's a glimpse of my extremely, messy studio after a few days of frantic creating and not cleaning up. It's not a pretty site. :) For those of you who have been there in person, this is probably the worst it's ever been! Unfortunately, I think it will have to wait until after the Reserve Art Event on the 7th before it gets cleaned up.Pin It