Still Looking For The "Next"

I continue to work on the series of scratchboard drawings from my collection of vintage photos. Above are two of the completed works. I haven't gotten a show for them yet...I tried a few local places with no luck. Still, I draw, and draw, and draw.
Just keeping my head up in the American political chaos is difficult these days. In my sixty plus years I have never seen anything like this.  I hope we survive. I hope the world survives. It is interesting (and horrifying) to watch democracy play out. Okay. I'm over and out for now. Please support your artists.

What's Next? Damned If I Know For Sure...

"Come 'ere Cowgirl"

Yes, it has been months and months since I last posted here, and I'd love to say that I've been so busy with commissions and gallery shows that I just haven't had time to sit down in front of the screen. The truth though is, I'm at yet another place of change and struggle. My life seems to have an abundance of these moments. From turmoil comes creative change...

These last months I've been more and more a hermit of sorts, which is not a bad thing for me, as it helps me focus more on the artwork.  I've been making art like the above everyday, inspired by, and working from my collection of vintage odd photos.

Last month I made a quick trip back to Austin to pick up artwork from the two remaining galleries that were representing me. (Sorry TX friends, no time to visit, I got in and out as fast as I could...) No major complaints about the galleries, except to say that my work wasn't selling and so, why use them as a storage facility? Both galleries seemed to be splitting their focus from selling art to wine tasting, music events, pet adoptions etc...While I understand the need to bring people into the space, and god knows galleries all over the US have struggled with this, I've found it doesn't translate to art sales for me. So, in spite of my friend here who tells me almost daily that I need to find a gallery closer to NW Arkansas, I'm stepping away from brick and mortar gallery space for now.  I know I have to update my website, redo the etsy store etc, etc....and so forth. Yes, yes, yes...

Adding to the 'leaving old ways behind' theme is the recent death of the 98 year old man that I had been caring for, as one of four caregivers, over the past 2-3 years. While it was time for him to go, still every death is tough.

 I closed my flea market booth that contained the vintage ephemera and collectible items that I had been buying and selling for years. (Many of these things will end up on etsy and ebay, just as soon as I can get it together enough to build the stores...)

This is all to say, I'm growing as an artist, every new piece I finish becomes my favorite, at least until the next one begins.

If you have need of a pet or people portrait I happily take commissions. Or if you know someone who would be interested, send them my way please. If you have old photos of unknown relatives and you'd like me to put my spin on a scratchboard drawing of them, contact me. Leave a comment here or give me a hollar at lcsheets@blue-eyedponystudio.com

Home For Thanksgiving...And it's alright. Really.

For the past ten years or so I've not really had a Thanksgiving (or even Xmas)holiday (read, rest) vacation...I've had to drive here or there to set up and sell my artworks. Blue Genie and Eye of the Dog in Austin and San Marcos, Texas and the past couple of years, the Little Craft Show here in NW Arkansas. This year, due to many reasons; I'm still here in NW Arky.  I didn't get picked for the Little Craft Show, haven't done Blue Genie in a few years because I moved, and my cat got sick, my back is bad and I'm exhausted from my work schedule.  But mostly the cat getting sick threw me over the edge, so I cancelled my annual trip to Austin where I usually have turkey with friends and then spend the weekend in San Marcos, selling and hanging out.  At first the possibility of not going was so strange and foreign I didn't even want to consider it. My younger self would've said, "Oh what the hell, just go and get through it!" Now that I'm somewhat older and maybe just a little bit wiser I thought, "Well, what's the worst thing that could happen if I don't go?" And that's when I realized that while I will and do miss my friends/family there, I'll live, they'll live and I can drive down another time, when I can really spend a good focused visit. It's nice to be relaxing, eating, working on a bazillion pet portrait commissions that need to be done before xmas. It's a good life. I do have some small scratchboard trinkets and art pieces at the Walton Arts Center gallery here in Fayetteville during the holiday season. The gallery is open one hour before events/shows until December 23rd. There are 20+ other artists there with pottery, paintings, jewelry etc... It's a good show, and the best part about it is they do all the selling and smoozing. There is an artist reception this Saturday from 2-5pm. I will clean up and go mingle.  I also have many little pieces of art that were destined to go to Texas to sell...contact me to see/buy them. That's it. The above piece of art is a mixed-media piece from my "Little Houses" series. Happy Thanksgiving! I hope my cat gets better soon. I hope y'all had plenty to eat and good times wherever you spend your turkey day.