Spirit of Christmas Past

Well, Christmas is over, and I'll have to admit: I had trouble getting into it this year -- and for the last few years, actually.

Life as an artist can be hard enough even when the economy is good. But for many of us, it's been extremely difficult trying to survive when no one is buying art. That, in turn, makes it hard to feel very festive at this time of year.

Some are saying things are slowly getting better. I hope so. Hopefully not TOO slowly! I do have plans for diversifying somewhat: more subject matter, maybe even additional styles of working (under a pseudonym, most likely) and approaching galleries outside of desert areas which tend to have extreme ebbs and flows of population depending on the season.

If you're into prayer, I and my fellow artists could all use some of that. It would help to know if I'm on the right road, and if I'm not, which offramp should I take. That "lamp upon my feet" has gone out, and I need a match! Thanx!

Sedona

Sedona, south of Flagstaff, AZ, is a special place. Some believe the area features energy vortices and other stuff I frankly don't understand. But for me, the red rocks of Sedona are beautiful, and yet mystical. I can see why people believe this is a place of magic.

The painting is one of my "Art-On-A-Budget" pieces -- 8"x 10"/20cm x 25cm. I always have to paint these items with a simplified technique to keep the labor time, and therefore the price, down. But I hope I managed to show just a little of what makes Sedona an incredible place to be.

Winter in the High Desert

Winter solstice is still a couple of weeks away. But the weather here suggests winter is here!


We got snowed on ...

...and we have had mornings with dramatic clouds.

While it hasn't been as cold as other parts of the country, it has dropped below freezing at night, and it's been cold and (often) windy during the day.

All of this will lead to making some paintings. But it has been a little uncomfortable these days.

ANYthing for art, right?

Autumn in the Desert

The Big Morongo Preserve is a marshy area in the middle of the desert. It's located about 20 minutes north of Palm Springs, CA.

Lots of cottonwood trees, close relatives of aspens, grow in this natural oasis. Fall arrives here later than in many other places of the country -- the cottonwoods are pretty much at their color peak. Some of the color will linger until Christmas.

There really aren't that many opportunities to paint the desert in a way that uses bright hues. As much as I love the place, deserts can be rather drab most of the year. So the golden yellows of the cottonwoods are a welcome change.

Desert Painting in the Dutch Tradition

It was time for a desert painting that emphasized drama over "prettiness"!

Even More ACEOs

This is a grouping of newly-completed art cards. I showed some to the local nature museum, and they want to buy ten of these!

So I finished up the seven seen here, and they already have three that I showed them when I talked with them last week.

Let's hope sales will continue to pick up!

More ACEOs

A long time ago, I posted some info about ACEOs (Art Card Originals and Editions). I still make these little guys, and I even have some on eBay right now.

Besides eBay, I managed to get the gift shop in a local nature museum interested in buying ten art cards from me! So Ill be busy trying to get these ACEOs done ASAP so I'll have some $$$ to put in the bank!

Above is a sampling of what I've been up to.

In the meantime, one of my galleries asked for a local (Palm Springs area) scene that would be really dramatic. It's a large painting, so I'm trying to get it done, too.

And I must be worn out -- I feel sleepy all the time. What's up with that?

Well, it'll all get finished -- hopefully soon, but eventually in any case.