It's 2020

It’s been a while since I last posted.It’s also been a while since I’ve painted anything worth posting.

COVID-19 has put a stop to all my other plans for this year including doing another Euro Trip, coordinating my 30th birthday, and just overall anything that involves leaving the house. On the bright side I’ve been biking more. I also started an herb garden, wrote letters and am taking time to reconnect with people - virtually.

2019 was a lax art year for me. I didn’t paint much - wasn’t inspired with the many small canvases I bought. Turns out I need giant blank ones that intimidate me enough to do actually do something. So after all the binging on Netflix, Youtube, Disney+ and overall destroying my posture these past couple weeks I finally unplugged and got to work. It feels good to pick up a brush again.

Lake Worth Street Painting Festival and My Legs

The weekend following Artigras I volunteered to be an artist at the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival. It was a gorgeous, clear, Saturday morning when I arrived. I quickly found my spot and got started laying down a light foundation of tempera paint on the Lake Worth asphalt. 

Other artists started arriving, I quickly befriended my neighbors and offered extra supplies if they needed it. This is to ensure that if I leave I'll have someone looking out for me, my work, and my stuff. Plus, I can always use more friends. 

Most of the artists used a grid to outline and map out their design. I had a piece of string and the lesson on proportions I learned back in college in my head. Since I didn't need to grid, I finished my piece a little quicker than usual. 

Don't let the fabulous pose fool you. My legs were sore!

Those past weekends have put a toll on my I-don't-work-out, skinny legs, body and back that made me feel like 83 years old instead of 27.

Today I was treated to an 80-minute hot stone massage and Ohhhhhweeeeee do I feel a 100x better. During the massage the masseuse felt the knots along my back and legs. She asked me what I was up to and I told her that I was at the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival recently. She gasps and says that her sister went and sent her a picture of this awesome red and orange octopus. I smiled and asked if it had a blue and purple background. She said, "Yeah! Did you see it?"  

"I kind of made it." 

I love small world moments like this. You can never know what kind of impact your art can have and how many people it can reach. Just do what you love, and make it your best!

After Artigras

I can't believe it's over. I've been prepping for Artigras since I found out I was accepted and it was everything I hoped for and more! 

Pic of my booth. Notice the empty spaces of sold paintings!

I've had so many people come out to visit and show their support. I wouldn't be here without their motivation and help to always keep moving forward and always be learning. 

I've learned how to be more vocal and animated when I talk about my art. People want to hear about the process. They want to know why they should buy local instead of the Home Decor section of TJ Maxx. The feedback I've received just from eavesdropping on people passing my booth was priceless. I've found out that the stuff I think will be big sellers aren't. Turns out a bull in a tutu will sell faster than a cute little sea turtle. Who knew? Well, now I do. 

My favorite part of Artigras was the community. I know that sounds overly cheesy, but it is reassuring knowing that I'm not alone. I can literally walk into the booth next door and see how sales are going. I can walk down to a more experienced artist booth and asked for advice or what would be the next step. Everyone was eager to help and offered ideas I would've never found on my own searching the web. 

Sure there are some things I would change if I could do it all over again, but that's what next year is for. 

Prepping for the Show

I can't believe I was selected as an Emerging Artist for this year's Artigras! It seems like just yesterday that I started painting for funsies after class at UCF. Who knew that this hobby would become such an integral part of my life! 

I've been painting even more than usual to try and harness my nervous excitement. Check out some of my latest pieces that will be for sale at Artigras.

Flamingo and gold!

Sea Turtle

And this one is being used for my sign!

Octopus! of course my favorite things to paint :)

What a Catch

The night before last night I finished up a commissioned piece for a friend of mine. It's been a while since I've completed something this large. Between moving, losing my job, and looking for a new one it's been a pretty stressful time and painting was stuffed into the backseat of my life.

 Living a life without art starts to age you, but every time I tried picking up a brush I felt defeat even before starting. I just didn't feel the desire or inspiration or whatever whimsical, artsy word you could think of. It just wasn't there. Then I got a commission from someone. 

I've discovered a trick to maintaining productivity: Set a timer solely dedicated to working on ONE project. That's what I did the other night, all I said was "Alexa, set timer for 1 hour" and the next thing I knew I had a finished product on my hands.

This trick works for pretty much anything. Need to clean your apartment? Organize your closet? Clear the kitchen? This will do it. You know me, I work with a sense of urgency, and if there's a deadline (even if its one I made for myself) you better believe I'm going to deliver.

Weekend Plans

So as many of you know I've been flying back and forth between home and Massachusetts for work for the past two and a half months. Fortunately, I get to fly back home every other weekend, but that doesn't give me too much time to paint. I've found a solution, although it's going to cost me a checked bag. Paint in my hotel room!

A quick trip to the local Michael's to buy some inexpensive supplies cost me $20. 

Oh how I missed my good stuff though. It was a bit challenging attempting to paint a Degas while using Craftsmart Acrylics and a 25 pack of brushes for $4. Then I thought of how lucky I am to even have an option to spontaneously paint wherever and whenever I wanted. 

Can I have it's autograph..Oh, Wait.

I get excited for art like a person gets excited about a celebrity. I fangirl and squeal and try to take selfies with inanimate objects. I know. Weird, but spending hours studying art history in college will do that to you. Seeing a piece in person, being in its presence! Like, I can’t even.

Anyway I went to Art Basel 2016 in Miami and saw so many different pieces from well-known artists. One of my favorite pieces was by Louise Nevelson (1899-1988). It’s also worth upwards of $649,000.  I was surprised that there wasn’t a group of people hovering around her work so I took that opportunity and snapped a picture with one of her pieces.

When I get a brand new blank canvas I spend weeks trying to figure out what to create. Ever heard the phrase paradox of choice? If there is too much freedom we become caged within the overwhelming decision to choose that we do not choose at all. Nevelson on the other hand limited herself to two colors: white and black. In fact she immersed herself in the latter and painted the walls of her room completely black.

Nevelson described black as the "total color" that "means totality. It means: contains all ... it contained all color. It wasn't a negation of color. It was an acceptance. Because black encompasses all colors. Black is the most aristocratic color of all. “The only aristocratic color ... I have seen things that were transformed into black that took on greatness. I don't want to use a lesser word.”*

I do recall going through a Goth phase back in high school however; my main reason I admire Nevelson is because she challenged the vision of what type of art women should be creating. Critics thought her work powerful until they discovered her gender, then they quickly took back their praise. Nevelson believed that art reflected the individual, not masculine-feminine labels, and chose to take on her role as an artist, not specifically a female artist.* She took a stand for women and their capabilities and that’s something I will always admire.

*Columbus Museum of Art 2015   *Rapaport,5.