You asked for it and I am listening! I get a lot of people who tell me things about my blog, as much as they like the writings of my sassy adventures and witty encounters, they desire to learn more of the creation processes and the nuts and bolts of the biz. I urge them to make comments on my blog and they say they worry about hurting my feelings, OK… really are you serious? Bring it on – I can take it (I am tougher than you may think!). If you don’t tell me what you would like to see, how can I improve on what you experience here. Soooo with that out of the way….
… I like to procrastinate with the best of them, you might ask “YOU procrastinate?” The answer is simple, “yes, I do, heck doesn’t every artist?” I get inspired by so many things all in such a short period of time that I will pour myself into starting something, then another project comes along and, well – you can guess what happens.
I picked up this really cool table round about three years ago and I started to work on it immediately, So excited to be able to get a fun furniture project to work on, the ultimate aggravation happened- I encountered a small technical problem with one paint color I was mixing up and… Voila! STIFLEVILLE, yup I immediately was placed in a creative void, needless to say the project went by the wayside. This charming piece of furniture instantly became one of the many projects in the back room that was left for dead, just another table where I pile more and more on top of it.
Mixing up the new Color!
In part of my promise and dedication to myself this year, to finish and conquer all of my unfinished projects- the projects that I find myself tripping over, moving from workbench to easel, from easel to the shelf unit, well you get the point. I cleaned off the little round table and gave myself a three day deadline, (pretty crazy huh?). I mixed and mixed some colors until I came up with the best one that represented my feeling, my mood and exactly what I felt this table needed. It was enough to give me the spark to crank it out and get this completed.
Getting unfinished projects done… finally!
Not only was the table a testament to get the fire lit under my butt, but I wanted to have a project fun enough to be able to fulfill the requests from collectors and admirers who wanted to see me more “hands on” action, projects being worked on and more inspirations executed into paintings and products … what IS really going on inside that head of mine!!
Accents to the table legs
Tomorrow the table takes an adventure to get varnished professionally, a heavy duty even coating that I am not confident enough to do myself. I want this table to withstand many years of use and the finish will be stunning. Varnishing furniture is completely different from varnishing a painting on canvas. Once the table is completed, I will blog another posting to show you the final version.
As for the blogging and documenting of projects and artwork, I love doing this and want to be able to include you into the meld of creativity, I need to get feedback from you – what do you want to see, what style of projects do you want to know more about, what matters to you? I know this will be fun and an adventure that we can take together, please comment and tell me your thoughts – Let’s do it!
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So Sonya,
As much as I love art, I’m also a small service related business owner and the question that I have is not so much about your creativity (we know you can create), but rather “how does an artist make it in this industry?”
I hear many parents tell their kids, don’t get into art or drama, it doesn’t pay the bills. But it seems that you are paying your bills just fine.
How did you get inspired to take your art to this level? And what advise do you have for another small business owner who is on the same path?
Hugs,
Doreen
I love that table – so fun and colorful! Thanks for sharing your blog link on Sassy group!
Doreen, thanks for your reply and this is a great question. I get asked this question often and I am working on compiling a blog that will help others and will outline the in’s and out’s of the do’s and don’ts in the art industry.
There are so many facets of this topic. I will be sure to address this as soon as possible!
Thanks for your comment!
Pat, thanks so much, I am pleased that you love this table as much as I do, I will be posting images soon when it’s all finished. Cheers!
I LOVE the table! Thanks for sharing your creative process and for letting us in on your procrastination. It makes me feel better to know that you, too, procrastinate and are still able to create so many wonderful paintings and products. Keep the blogs coming!
Hi Sonya. I love this table as well as your paintings. I especially love the colors. Being a painter myself, I have recently run into some problems with the paint I use. Is there a certain brand paint you prefer? I would really appreciate any help you may offer.
HI there John – thanks for your great note and compliments! What type of problems are you encountering? What type of paints are you using, are you prepping the furniture prior to painting it?
I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for and that is why I use Golden Paints. They are on the pricey side (especially for new artists just testing acrylics who don’t want to spend a lot) but they are indeed the best acrylic in my opinion. I mix a lot of my own colors from their color offering to get the shades and hues that are my palette. There are student grade paints that will ultimately break down and fade/chip over time, especially with furniture. I hope this is helpful and have fun creating!
Hey there John, I don’t do as much furniture as I would like to due to the coverage issues. It takes several coats of paints to cover a table, becasue I like the opaque finish, it may take 5-8 layers of paint. There are dry brush techniques that don’t need as muich application and then you can see the beauty of the wood. Hope this helps and thanks for writing!