Pagans in Texas

I was in Harker Heights this past weekend for Ostara Fest and a in store signing with the Sisters of Earth and Sea. if you ever in or driving though Harker Heights, stop and say hello to these wonderful people. They made me feel SO welcome, and home and amongst friends.
Ostara fest was in the VFW hall, and it wasn't too bad at all. We did a suicide trip, leaving Ruidoso at 9pm and driving though the night. Thank goodness for the friend who came along with me for this trip, she drove the whole way. We got in at about 8:30 am, unloaded and set up for the day. We had a large space with 3 tables, so it was nice to spread out. The fest began at 10:30ish. The crowd was friendly and wonderful to talk with. Many of the people there knew me as the "I broughted you a Fariy Lady". The sisters picked up a signed print from me at INATS in Denver the previous year, and had the piece hanging in their store. Many came to buy art work, both babies and serious dragons, and Im looking forward to speaking to various people in the future. I traded with a few of the other vendors and acquired many new things, including a fairy door for my art studio...the dragons are pleased by this, they are hungry :P
At 7om we tore down in a flash, wanting nothing more then to get back to the room and sleep. Grabbed a quick bite on the way, and we were out by 10pm at night. Im not sure when the last time was that I was out THAT early. but after being up for almost 40 hrs, I was ready for sleep. Unfortunately, I have been having difficultly sleeping for the past week, so I was up by 2:30am, and the rooms didn't get internet. So, off I trudged to the lobby to surf the nets and play some computer games. The woman behind the counter came out and talked with me for a few hours, and by 6:30 I was back in bed.
The next morning we drove out to the Sisters shop for the store signing. They are not usually open on Sun, and so it was a little slow. A few people came buy and bought more artwork, and I was able to get to know the people who run the shop and their families. It was just too cool. We all had so much in common, and all had the same sense of humor. I think we spent more time laughing then anything else :D
That night they were kinda enough to treat me to dinner and socialization. There was so much laughter Im really surprised we didn't get kicked out of the bar :P
We left TX Mon after lunch and headed home. After another 9 hr drive, we rolled into the driveway by 9pm that night. I was so glad to be home.
Now, I am scrambling to get things ready to roll back out Thurs morning and head to Norman OK for their Ren fair there. I have been in the past, and it really is a great little show (little being 300,000+ people)

TRYING to paint...

Ya know, every once in a while I just hit a wall. I have been working on a new painting, the frost dragon one, and for some reason I am just in no mood to paint it. The only thing I can think of is thank goodness this one doesn't have a deadline! I AM still trying to get it finished in time for the store signing this coming weekend, and ill be working on it tonight. I'm absolutely thrilled with how it looks so far, I just don't think I'm very motivated at all right now. I have been working on new drawing however. Still plodding along on the zodiac babies, and I have started birthstone New Age dragons. Opal is almost finished and Ill begin the background tonight or tomorrow. Im going with a Art Nouveau style from the Birthstone dragons that I think will come across very well. I'm just drawing the heads, draped in the gems and stones for each month. I think I have a hard time getting motived to work when I have so many shows in a month. The stop and start of trying to work is difficult (I know, whine whine, my life is SO hard :P)
But yea, 3 shows this month, so I'm gone more then I'm home. But Its ALWAYS worth it in the end. :D
I have LOTS of great ideas, and I'm excited to start getting them all done. I might start playing with deferent surfaces again to see if I find something I like better then the pastel board. I LOVE ampersands Pastel Board, but there are some techniques that I would like to try that wont work on the board.
I tend to combat the anitflowing with research into some of my favorite artists. Stephanie Pu-Min Law is my choice this time around, and I have just spend the past 2 hrs on her blog site reading...well EVERYTHING. If you get a chance, check out her work, shes simply amazing :)

Busy Busy busy

It never ceases to amaze me just how fast time goes by, more so when your busy.
The shows in the beginning of Feb were fabulous! I always meet the coolest people at shows and make some wonderful new friends. After returning home and relaxing for a day or two (working a week and a half straight at shows can REALLY wear ya out :P) I went back to drawing. I decided to try some new subjects to shake things up a bit. I came out with two nudes in pencil. I love going back to graphite now and again, Makes me feel like a "Real" artist. puts me with the Renaissance artists who spent all their time drawing in charcoal/graphite or painting in Oil, I have tried oil, and didn't like it one bit! I have so much respect for the people that work in oil...Its just a tricky media.
Anyway, I drew two nude and will publish them in this post.
I have also started to work on Zodiac images with the baby Little Wings Dragons... SO cute! I have Taurus, Aries and Scorpio finished in pencil so far. I think Ill get them all drawn up then start the painting process, It should go faster that way and Id like to have them all done by April/May. If they come out the way I like Ill have them done on tee shirts, cards and a Calender in 2011. Im REALLY excited about this new line of baby dragons!
Ok, Off to work on new artwork...I have a week before I leave for Anime Wasabi in Denver, the a week to ft. Hood, and then 4 days and Im in Norman, OK. I have a feeling this month is going to fly by as well!

A thought on Art Suplies...

I received a new batch of art supplies today and it made me thing about all the money that artist spend in supplies just to try new things. I'm going to try and make my own board to paint on. I can get the absorbent surface with the texture that I want, and make it in more sizes then i can get, sounds like a great idea, right? Well well see... the first back is drying right this moment. I did however think back to all the times i have dumped oodles of money into a protect, only to discover how much i hate doing that particular technique, or even just trying to find the "right" supplies.
I switched from marker to watercolor about 3 years ago now, and it was a nightmare. I hate to try all the surfaces you can paint on, and all the different kinds of paint to find one with a texture and brightness that I liked. Anyone how looked into watercolor knows its cheaper then oil or even some acrylics, but still! And you can just buy one color...no, the least you can buy is 5-6, 12 being better, and some of those sets cast up to $200 for 12 colors...that I might hate right out of the tube! Luckly i have had some good advice on watercolor and found some fairly cheap. I do think i might replace the brand that I am using for a different brand though that i find a hair more smooth. Since i use it SO heavy I like the smother paints. I should just go back to acrylic, but watercolor has some really great technique and layering effects that i just love.
Anyway, I'm about to try a different media over this watercolor, and if it works how they say it will, it might just make several of my supplies obsolete in my arsenal. Im really excited about it!

Filming my speed painting is going fairly well. I have almost 8 hrs on tape and will be spending the day on it tomorrow, I might be able to almost finish this piece! Its a hassle to have to stop and start every 20 min or so, but i think in the end it'll be worth it. I doubt ill do this EVERY painting like i was thinking I might, but at least every few...
Ill update with a picture tomorrow. The details on this piece are really nice!