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

A Year Of Searching For What Matters

It's been a month since I've posted here. There are updates about the dog book at the www.dogscratchin.blogspot.com site that you might be interested in. Today I am thinking about what matters most to me. I moved a month ago. I like the house I'm in now, I own a third of it and that's ok. It was a good place to park some money for a while. With this move though I've had a lot of thoughts about the future. Right now I'm thinking that I will be here for about a year and then, I really don't know where I'll be. For many folks that unsettledness might make them nervous. Not me, I've always had a restless spirit. I've moved many times in my 57 years.  I'm amazed and fascinated by folks who live and stay in the same place where they grew up. Obviously I have not and will never have that experience. What I'm feeling now is a need to divest. I'd like to get my personal needs down to around enough to fit comfortably into a 17' travel trailer. I'm thinking that will do. This may change, but that's the current plan.
 I've collected an odd assortment of objects, with the idea in mind to use them for artwork, assemblage, collage, and what not. After the past 5 months of working on the book and almost exclusively doing 5"x7" scratchboards as my daily art, I've decided I don't need all of that other stuff. The things I've been moving, and moving again, have lost their charm, or magical vibe for me. I recently put several large original artworks in my booth at the All My Treasures Antique Flea Market here. I purposely priced them low (really low!) because they were old work, had been in several galleries and not sold, and I was done carrying them around with some idea of asssigned value. Turns out just by chance a local couple who have their dogs in the book, stumbled upon them and were thrilled to get them. I love that. They were meant to have them. And the fact that they were so cheap? It did not make them feel they were less worthy of being hung in the house.
So stay tuned, there will be more revelations and insights in the next year.
When I consider what I value most, I think about how 20 years ago my Martin guitar was the most valuable thing I owned, and it was precious to me. And then, it wasn't. I sold it about 8 years ago, and haven't really missed it. Now I'm looking around and wondering, what is it I hold dear and value most? And what can I let go of?  I'll let you know when I figure that out...I'm going to lighten my load.