Spring Open House at SAG: 5 '15

It was standing room only at the Seacoast Artists Gallery's Spring Open House 

The community showed up in droves to support the event

In return the exhibiting artists brought out their finest, abstract or representational paintings, and photograghs.

Artwork by Sharon Sorrell

Passover Mini Art: 4 '15

Let's face it; there is always some outside distraction  competing with art for my attention. Holidays are especially distracting, first because they are fun, and secondly because they are an important part of living a full social life,

It is not that I  enjoy the holiday more than painting,  or that I welcome the distraction it offers as an excuse to avoid painting.  The problem is once that I  start sharing my attention with other activities, I seem to fall out of  'the Zone Not only am I no longer able to focus on all the essential elements of a good painting, but I have a really hard time getting started again once the holiday is over.

 My solution to this dilemma,  has been to create  a series of Mini Canvas  paintings  that can bes et out as part of the decor for the holiday.  It doesn't have to be great art, just something fun that keeps me from freezing up.

This month Passover is the BIG Distraction.. It is one of my husbands favorite holidays. The Seder meals are  something he really looks forward to, so I created a little mini canvases showing each of the traditional elements of the meal like:

Kosher matzah,

Fresh horseradish and Romaine lettuce are the bitter herbs..

Hard boiled eggs , salt, and a lamb shank,

Parsley will be served as a vegetable,

And  the dates, an apple, honey and nuts which will be made into a fruit past call Charoset.

By the time the holiday is over, we  will have a completes set of Passover art, and I will not be as anxious about picking up a brush.

SAG Meeting 1' 15

Steven Bleicher Lecturing

The Seacoast Artists Guild Started of the new year with a lecture by well known color theorist, Steven Bleicher.  Mr. Bleicher gave an  fascinating talk on Color Psychology that kept his audience both engaged and entertained. Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned is how serious businesses and governments are about applying the knowledge of Color Psychology. For some insight into how deeply one can get involved in this topic check out Mr. Bleicher's resume at:

 http://www.coastal.edu/marketing/expertise/expert.html?id=49

Paintings to be critiqued.. mine is the abstract on the far left.

As a Senior Professor of Visual Arts at our local Coastal Carolina University, and a national and internationally known artist in his own right,we were thrilled when Professor Bleicher offered to critique some of our paintings at the end of the meeting.  There's nothing more valuable than having someone with Steve's level of expertise give you a different perspective on your work. 

  

A new year, a new beginning. 1 '15

I love New Year's Day.  It always feels like a chance to wipe the slate clean and start anew .  

 We open our appointment books on January 1; all the pages are blank.  We begin filling the pages with resolutions and goals, and ( if you are as obsessive as I am), begin refining those goals into plans.

In truth.,  Hal Borland was probably more accurate when he said that "the  year's end is neither and end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us" One thing I have learned from last year is that whether I want it or not, 2015 will bring new challenges, and whether I seize them or not, 2015 will bring new opportunities.  So my one overriding goal this year will be to paint more and stress less.

Happy New Years Eve 12 '14

Happy New' Year's  Eve Everyone

May  your  2015 be filled with the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it,
Life is tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is life, fight for it."

Mother Teresa

2014 in Review 12"14

2014 was a rough year emotionally; maybe one of the toughest I have had to deal with in quite awhile. It has been filled with sorrow from the loss of family and friends, and many unpleasant personal responsibilities. There were times I was barely able to meet both my business and personal commitments, much less give any attention to  being creative.  There were many occasions that I seemed to take one-step forward with my creative goals, only to find myself falling two back.  At times I despaired of every being able to make any progress toward my meeting my art business’s 2014 plan. 

And yet in review, I am finding that I did meet many of my personal goals as well as almost all of my business goals for 2014).

• ·         I created several new series of paintings last year.
• ·         Painted some larger format oils
• ·         Successfully expanded  into the print market
• ·         Took steps towards a future goal by taking technology training I will need to use.
• ·         And most importantly I kept the business profitable.

Granted, accomplishing all of this was not easy and there were many hard choices to be made. For example I had to drop out of my favorite gallery.  The time commitments and cost of gasoline required to be involved in that gallery, would have prohibited me from producing art, and probably have put the business in the red.

"Sometimes painful things can teach us lessons that we didn't think we needed to know."
Amy Poehler.

The lesson I (re)learned this year is the power of having a solid business plan.  Having one allowed me to focus upon the priorities, and make choices, which will kept me on track through the hard times and  has put me  in position to move forward rapidly now that circumstances  have changed.

 So here’s to the end of a successful, (albeit, brutal) 2014 , and the beginning of a  brighter New Year in  in 2015 

Nice way to end the year 12 '14

Whoop Whoop!

 Just got word that two more prints from my Pawleys Island Series have sold.

Thank you Fine Art America. That's a really nice belated Christmas gift, 

and a lovely way to end this year.