Birthdays: The BIG 4-0!

Tomorrow is my 40th birthday! OMG! When did that sneak up on me? Today is the last day of my thirties! Seriously, I’m VERY happy to be turning 40. I’m right where I’ve always wanted to be in life. My husband is handsome, sweet and smart. My 3 sons are all grown, well almost, my youngest son is 17. Did I mention my sons are extremely great looking? I’m not just biased, really. They will all be here for my birthday party tonight, finally I can get a recent picture of all of them together. I’m a full time artist and gallery owner. The good part is just getting started, dreams have come true, now it’s time to enjoy the dream life. Tonight I am going to dance my ass off! No regrets, just many lessons learned. I have a LOT to be grateful for. Tomorrow I get to spend the entire day in my studio PAINTING on all the new canvas I just bought! Life is incredibly awesome and beautiful, even if I do still miss my dad. It gets better every day.

Time in the Studio!

So, today I turned off the phone, closed my studio doors and painted all day! I have vowed to get back to my 3 hours minimum every day in the studio. Today I finished a painting that I started at least a month ago.

Love Flower, 16 x 16", oil on canvas, SOLD!

Finding Balance

I’m working on finding some balance in life right now. Now that we have the gallery/studios/performance space, a 15 year dream, it’s as if I’ve gone back to having a full time job again! I’ve been finding it difficult to make time for my art again. So, this week I’ve worked on getting my studio clean, doing more organizing, in hopes of having some motivation to get back to painting! I have done a bit of painting over the past month, but it’s sporadic at best. It’s been very difficult to carve out dedicated time to spend in the studio, I’m really trying to get the gallery going strong, taking lots of time out helping other artists, etc. But I find myself feeling somewhat resentful towards all the people taking up my time. I don’t like that feeling. I love the feeling of helping others achieve their dreams, but not at the expense of shelving my own. What to do?

Luckily, my kids are taking up less and less of my time. My youngest son turns 17 in November and he hates it when I baby him too much. The older two are out on their own, going to college, I see them mainly when they need to do their laundry or if they are out of food and money! Next month I turn 40! I’ve actually always looked forward to my 40s, kids all grown up, empty nest time(hopefully!) and now, all my life dreams have come true! We got rid of the cable TV at home, so we are watching Netflix exclusively now. More time for my art right? Should be. I guess I need to just put my foot down and lock myself up in my studio, turn off my phone and computer and get back to it! OK, fine! That’s what I’ll do, NOW! Bye, thanks for reading this all the way through and being my sounding board.

Time got away from me!

It’s been far too long since I’ve posted a blog here! Shame on me! I’ve been so wrapped up in the gallery, I haven’t had time to work on ME in ages. I really need to remedy this situation. There just isn’t enough time for it all. I don’t know what to do about that! I have done some painting, but definitely not enough. Anyone have any suggestions?

New & In Progress paintings

Finally back in the studio this week, feels so great to have paint on my hands again. Hopefully, this last dry spell will be the last one for a looooong time to come!

 

Painting on stretched framed canvas, in progress, 12 x 12" oils

Centering Myself, acrylics on vinyl LP, $70

Back to me, maybe? Someday!

I’ve been so busy with the gallery, it seems to be taking over my life! Not that it’s a bad thing, I’m really enjoying it, I just have been neglecting my art and myself because of it. Time just keeps speeding by me at the speed of light. I’m living in a dream world, everything is going so awesome right now! Chroma Studios won an award for the Best New Business in downtown Albuquerque last Saturday night! How cool is that? I didn’t even know there was such an award until we got the notice of nomination. The awards banquet was awesome! All kinds of local celebrities were there, news people, politicians, artists, business owners. I spoke with the mayor and invited him to our gallery opening this Friday, got a call from his office, so apparently he will be attending!

Everything is so awesome, wish my dad was here to see it all! I’m so overwhelmed at how quickly everything is happening, I’m convinced dad has something to do with it all. Wherever he may be now. Every so often, I still feel his energy around me. The other day when Michael Jackson died it was extremely strong. We both loved Michael’s music. Thriller was an album that brought us together at a difficult phase of my life, I believe I was 13-14 when it came out. We were both heavily into MTV at the time. Dad LOVED the Thriller video, especially the part where Vincent Price did the voice over and laugh. I was really affected by MJ’s death. Death has a different effect on me since dad died. It’s like all the emotion of losing dad comes back to the surface again. I wonder if it will ever go away. I feel bad for MJ’s kids, they are so young. 

Funny how I can go from being totally happy and content, to sad and empty in an instant by thinking about that loss. I guess it’s a good thing so many great things are happening to keep my mind off it. Life is good and life goes on and I have so much more of it to live! I’m grateful for it all. It’s so cliché, but it’s all these things that have made me the person I am today.

Last night I had a wonderful talk with my oldest son who was feeling down and doubtful about his life right now. I heard words coming from my mouth that I remember hearing from my dad years and years ago. All that wisdom that I brushed off as bullshit 20 years ago, makes all the sense in the world right now. I’m grateful that I had such an awesome dad and that I can now pass that wisdom and advice on to my sons. Maybe someday when I’m gone, my son will hear the same words coming out of his mouth for the benefit of his children. I hope so. Thanks Dad!

New Work: Painting on Vinyl, 45s!

I’ve been back in the studio the past couple of weeks, feels so good to get back to being creative! I’ve been concentrating on expanding my series of paintings on vinyl. This time, they’re all on 45s. These are going into my etsy shop sometime this week, only $25 each!!

 

Lovely Flower, acrylic on 7" vinyl (45 record)

 

New Mexico Sunflower, acrylic on 7" vinyl(45)

 

Peace & Love, acrylic on 7" vinyl (45)

Southwest Spirit, acrylic on 7

Finished, Really!

Same guitar I posted the other day, worked on it a bit more. It is now officially finished!

 

Baby guitar with green, purple and orange

New Work at Last!

Not sure this is done yet, but at least I finally got to work in the studio today. It felt so good to be back at one with my paint brushes. Started with this little guitar that I’ve had prepped for months now! It was fun and helped warm my hands up again. 

 

10 1/2 x 7 1/2" baby guitar

Almost Back to Normal…

After a couple months of craziness, life is almost back to normal, a new normal with our new gallery. I may even get to go back to my studio tomorrow. I MUST get back to my studio tomorrow! It’s been since March that I’ve touched a paint brush, actually…I should clarify that….it’s been since March that I’ve worked on my art. I’ve painted plenty…walls, floors, the reception desk in the new gallery! I can’t complain though, life is so wonderful and I’m happy! My lifelong dreams are coming true all around me! I have to pinch myself on occasion just to make sure I’m not dreaming. It is all quite dreamlike. Most of the heavy work is done, though we do have several projects still on the back burner, at the moment I can get back to some semblance of a regular routine. I can unpack and organize my studio! Yet…here I sit on the computer…I promise myself to get with it….once I post a blog to my poor neglected website! I have art sales picking up again, a good sign! I sold two of my LP record paintings this month! I’m very, very grateful for my life. Life is good.