Surprising Changes

Competitions and Shows

I have settled in to Sequim, WA and it is definitely an artist's community. There is an Art Association (AA) here which I have joined and I am going to be doing their newsletter. Because I joined the AA I get notifications about the goings on here and have had the opportunity to enter in some competitions and shows.

OVER 60 COMPETITION TO APPEAR IN AN ART MAGAZINE
These are my entries:

Flowers and Pearls

Floating Blue Garden

COLORED MEDIUM COMPETITION TO APPEAR IN "THE ARTIST MAGAZINE"

My entries are:

A Rose and pearls

              

Plus the piece above entitled "Flowers and Pearls"

SHOW AND SALE AT THE PORT ANGELES LIBRARY

My entries:

Brown Earth Creature

Blue Forest Creature

Circus of Life Woodland Creature

SHOW AND SALE OF THE ART ASSOCIATION MEMBERS OF SEQUIM

My entries:

The Lady

 I'm also entering the two colored pictures above with the flowers and pearls.
















I recently participated in a 5"x7" show. Each piece sells for $20 and the money goes to the local school children for supplies. I had two entries but didn't take photos of them. They are still in the the Sequim Art Supplies store gallery and will be there until the end of this month.

I love these opportunities to share my art and to be involved in my new community. On top of those things I'm also doing three Bazaars before Christmas. The wonderful thing here is that there are opportunities to show and sell you art all year long. I've started looking into getting prints to sell so I don't lose my art when the original sells.

Here's hoping that you get to do something that you love at least once a day!
Janie

An Artist's Thoughts....

As an artist I put myself "out there" for the general public to like, appreciate, and hopefully purchase either for themselves or as a gift. Essentially I, and many others like me, create from within ourselves for others to enjoy and to find meaning in our creations to enhance their lives. Oh, yes, we do have other reasons or else our basements, garages, or attics would be full of our creations. Those reasons usually include earning money either to afford our passion for creating or to subsidize our income.

When someone purchases even the smallest item it also makes me feel like someone cares about what comes out of my brain and heart and helps me feel like what drives me and that my creative passion is worthwhile and has some value in this world.

In the years I have been doing bazaars, craft shows, and more recently the Jefferson County Fair, I have had one day where I went home with an extra $1,000 in my pocket and at least one day where I sold nothing.

Today I'm asking myself "Is it worth it"? Is it worth sitting and smiling and saying "Thank you for stopping by" for 10 hours to go home with $29 in my pocket? The answer my friends is 'blowing in the wind'. I don't know.

It is hard lugging boxes of my precious creations, setting up a booth, and eventually re-packing my boxes for the trip home and eventual storage. I get anxious before each show and so, so tired. Again, is it worth it? Today I do not think so. Oh, I'll honor the commitments I've  made for this year but after that I'll probably sell my supplies and take up reading more. I'll always draw for me but just little things that when the time comes my children can toss out. I'll take my drawings out of the frames and sell the frames and store the art in a box so it won't take up so much room.

I started this blog last night and thought I would feel differently today but I don't. I feel almost certain that today will be the same as yesterday but there is always hope, isn't there?

Janie
www.ZenArtWorks.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Two Weeks in My Life

Going Out of My Mind

So, we are buying a home. Every single day last week and the week before we were busy doing paperwork and then faxing it here and faxing it there. If I never fax another form, letter, or bank statement it will be too soon!!

Then came the big day. You know the one where you get a bottle of champagne, get out the special glasses, and drive the three hours to the new town of your dreams....making sure you drive by the new house that in a just a couple of hours will be YOURS!! Then you go to the title company and sign so many papers that you get cramps in your hand. Well, part of that was true....the house is still there, still has a nice yard with beautiful plants just about to bloom, and has daffodils (my Love's favorite flower) just out the back door. BUT, even though we signed all the paperwork required and even had to go back to the office to sign some more papers, by close of business on Friday the house was still not ours.

Now you might ask yourself how this could happen. And you would be right. That's exactly the question I asked myself. Well, if all the people you are depending on to do THEIR jobs actually DO their jobs then things happen as you would think they should.

BUT NO!!!

 

Some one person along the path of all that has to happen when one buys a home didn't follow through with their specific job and at 5 pm on Friday we looked at each other and shook our heads in bewilderment after my Love spent the afternoon on the phone trying to track down the money that was supposed to be wired to the Title company. It wasn't in his account. It wasn't in my account. It appeared that it wasn't at the bank and it certainly wasn't at the Title company. So where was it?

So we have been wondering all weekend if we will actually be able to let the cleaning crew in to the house on Wednesday morning, the carpet cleaners in on Thursday morning, and be able to have three trucks of household belongings delivered on Friday and the following Monday. I have already had to move these appointments once because the Title company didn't get some of the needed info in time and we had to do an extension for another week.

I'm thinking that it is cruel and unusual punishment to mess up a very important transaction on a Friday....in fact I'm thinking it should be considered criminal...LOL Well, that might be a little extreme but right now we are sitting here not sure if we should be packing or not. 

Ah, life....up one minute and down the next. That's what it is, a roller coaster with twists and turns and occasionally a person even falls off and we are stunned.....but that is for another blog.

May your Monday and mine be as we are hoping it will be or....perhaps even better,

Janie

Dream on a Moonbeam: Been a Long, Long Time....

Dream on a Moonbeam: Been a Long, Long Time....: I don't know why I get distracted about one this or another and forget about doing important things, like writing here on my blog. I was...

Been a Long, Long Time....

I don't know why I get distracted about one this or another and forget about doing important things, like writing here on my blog. I was reminded by my friend Susan about writing on my blog and I'm so glad I am here today.

As I write this the sun is shining. Last night we went to a special gathering for a new online sales web site called, Zaarly. We have been purchasing the most delicious gluten-free bread and cookies from two people on that site for a few months now. It has been awesome for my husband who can't eat the regular flour stuff. Well, last night we found more gluten-free goodies for him! The gathering was held at the Space Museum here in Seattle and part of the museum was open for a short time so we got to see some of the exhibits. It was really an awesome place to hold something like this.

My husband isn't very fond of the "big city", but here in the "big City" he can get a gluten-free pizza delivered to our door and get cookies and bread that he can eat delivered to our door. Why yesterday he even found some lactose-free Chocolate ice cream!!! We are hoping that when we move to our new home in Sequim that these same options will be available to us.

Sometimes it's the little things that make life more interesting and fun. Like hearing the birds chirping even though there is freeway background noise. I'm so thankful for each and every day and even though I waste some days I always rededicate myself to making life be important!!