Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in jkhsquonk's LiveJournal:

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Monday, September 15th, 2008
4:22 pm	surprising summer sales Summer is usually a slow time for me. I don't do outdoor shows, which is mainly what's available in warm weather, so except for Cold-Blooded Creations, there's not really any sales opportunities for me. But this summer has been different, thanks to modern technology. I recently added my gallery website addy (ebsqart) to my emails & that's prompting folks to take a gander. Two different people have now liked my work enough that they have bought pictures. In July, it was the collared lizard painting, which went to a couple in Texas. And now another person wants 3, count 'em, 3, pictures, including the large coral reef. I'm kicking myself for not adding the website to my signature sooner. Ahk! Whether people buy online or at actual shows, I'm always humbled to think that someone likes my work enough to want to look at it everyday. It's quite flattering and overwhelming all at the same time. Current Mood: happy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
7:13 pm	after Florida The paintings are back from the Cold-Blooded Creations show in Florida. It was the chipmunk/lizard & 3 others, 2 frogs, which have resurged in popularity with the public, as well as zoos. In an email from the man in charge, he said that while it was the biggest show so far, sales were down due to the economy. That's unfortunate, but I'm thinking positive by concentrating on the fact that at least the art got some exposure, people saw it, even if they didn't buy. I've already got some ideas for next year, most notably a companion piece to the chipmunk one, but having a mouse & turtle, done in the same size with a similar forest setting. I have even roughed in the background on the canvas, but the rest will wait until probably next spring, as the winter will be spent working on commissions thata re long overdue. Current Mood: disappointed (Comment on this)
Monday, July 28th, 2008
8:30 pm	near the finish line The chipmunk/lizard painting is nearly done. The lizard just needs a few more details, it went fast once I started it. The chipmunk's face has given me a lot of trouble, not the shape, but the colors & markings. I'm going to place a few flowers on the bittersweet nightshade, it'll relieve the overwhelming green & brown of the picture and draw attention to the lizard's side of the painting. I decided against doing the rattlesnake pen & ink for the show this year. I've been so sick this month that it's taken longer to do the chippie picture and it would be a race to complete another in time. I know pen & inks take less time than acrylics, but I don't need the stress. So I'll send the 1 new painting and 3 older works to Florida for the show. Hopefully by next summer I can get more new ones done for the 2009 show. Current Mood: productive (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
12:55 pm	feeling chipper The chipmunk/lizard painting is coming along nicely. I finished the background about a week & a half ago & began the animals. I've been sick a lot,recently, so haven't made much progress with them, so have only started on detailing them. The lizard, a 5 lined skink, at first appeared simple, grey stripes on a lighter background, but upon closer inspection is more complex. The stripes aren't just grey, but brown & bronze as well. There's red around the lizard's chin, too. I hope I can get it to look natural and not a muddy mess. The chipmunk ought to be easier, as I've painted them before and have seen lots of them lately, which keeps their details fresh in my mind. They run so fast! I wonder if anyone has ever clocked them, because I am curious about what their speed actually is. They are often a blur as the run across the driveway. There was one nosing around the flowers that the lady next door planted along the building. I don't think it nibbled any of the petunias, though. I'd like to finish this painting soon, so the varnish can dry thoroughly before I have to pack it up for shipping. The show isn't till late August, but with the hot weather, varnish can become sticky, especially when it's new. I also ought to start the prelim for the rattlesnake pen & ink. I always feel a bit overwhelmed deciding how to loop a snake's body. There is infinite possibilities, it seems. Current Mood: chipper (Comment on this)
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
2:32 pm	a walk in the woods On Tuesday, a couple friends & I went to Sandy Ridge Reservation, a nearby park that is famous as a bird sanctuary. It has a variety of habitats, which guaranteed seeing lots of wildlife.There's a few small ponds near the parking lot and a trail leading into some lovely woods. I had my digicam along and was photographing anything that looked interesting that I could use for future paintings. Since I'm not fast enough to snap birds, this meant lots of plants, trees and mossy logs. The woods opened into a large marsh, divided by the trail down the middle. One side is open, the other is studded with dozens of dead tree trunks standing in the water. It looks eerie and prehistoric, I could easily imagine a brontosaurus's head rising from the marsh next to the trees. There was egrets and a great blue heron by the marsh, red-winged blackbirds by the ponds, 2 does with fawns grazed in the woods and grass near the trail. A chipmunk raced right past our toes to disappear down a burrow. A flicker, a cuckoo and many other birds perched on the trees and beautiful blue dragonflies flitted by the water. It was a wonderful rejuvenating afternoon, which gave me a ton of ideas for paintings and backgrounds. Being in the woods is one of my favorite things on the planet, filling me with a combination of peace, excitement and reverence. Current Mood: peaceful (Comment on this)
Sunday, June 15th, 2008
5:10 pm	possible project Lately I've been thinking of producing a little book of artwork. I could do the drawings in pen & ink, which could be run off on any xerox machine, then sew or staple the pages together & sell it at shows or online. I've wanted to do something like this for some time, after reading about it in an art magazine, but was never sure what pictures to have. The magazine article suggested small reproductions of one's paintings, which would be nice, but my recent idea might be more original. I know a booklet would need a theme to make it feel right, otherwise it could look like something that was just slapped together willy-nilly. So my idea is an alphabet book, with animals representing each letter. It would take a children's idea up a level. However, instead of A is for Anteater and Z is for Zebra, I was thinking of a rodent alphabet. It's one of the largest and most varied genus of animals, so there would be plenty to choose from. The word rodent makes some people cringe, but they don't realize that squirrels, guinea pigs and prairie dogs all fit into that category, all of which engender friendly feelings. If I put 2 animals per page, it wouldn't cost a large amount to print all 26 letters and would make a manegable sized book that could be sold at a reasonable price. The only drawback is the actual drawing of all 26 letters, which would take quite a bit of time, no matter their size. Between paintings for specific shows, commissions and the mini paintings for craft shows, I don't know how I'd squeeze anything else in. I suppose I could just not set a deadline and do them whenever I could and eventually they would get done, though it might be years. Maybe it wouldn't take as long as I think? In the spirit of possibility, I began making a list of the rodents to pair with letters. I've already got some ideas for the drawings themselves, so it wouldn't hurt to sketch them out. I'm not sure how much of a market there would be for something like this, especially with the word "rodent" on the cover, but it's an idea I'd like to explore further. Current Mood: silly (Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
7:06 pm	excellent art book I recently reviewed this book on the international literary website Vulpes Libris found at http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com "The Private Lives of the Impressionists" There have been dozens of books about The Impressionists, but none so vividly transports you to the France of the late 1800’s as Sue Roe’s masterpiece. Her rich tapestry dispels the stereotype of the isolated artist sitting at the café table before grabbing his smock and rushing to his easel in a frenzy. Instead, we see an entire country in turmoil; not just the art world, but the government, economy and social structure. The very streets were being uprooted in Haussmann’s grand remodeling of Paris. Through all of this, was a group of artists who were dealing with families, lovers and causes, while conveying a new vision of the world. One of the most surprising things was the realization that all of the Impressionists came from well-to-do families. Merchants, bankers, a judge, a politician, they provided an allowance for the artists when they were starting out, but the funds were often jeopardized if the parents didn’t approve of their women or lifestyle, leaving some of them quite poor as they tried desperately to market their art. Several of the Impressionists volunteered to serve in the army during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, even participating in the 4 month siege of Paris. “Terrible cries of the wounded having limbs amputated could be heard from the Palais de l’Industrie, where only six months ago crowds had gathered in the sunshine for the opening of the Salon.” In the end, France surrendered to Prussia, with only Bazille, an early member of the group, killed, providing one of the most poignant stories in the book. In all of the fighting, not only were homes destroyed, but many early paintings as well. Pissaro’s home was turned into an abattoir, his canvases used to catch the blood of butchered animals. The ‘private lives’ in the title is not to titillate, but rather a reference to the interactions of the group with each other and their peers.They provided moral and sometimes financial support to each other in very difficult times. In one instance, when one of Berthe Morisot’s paintings came up at an auction, a spectator shouted nasty insults about her. Pissaro, also attending, went over and punched the man in the face.There was also the romantic attractions between some of the members, such as Morisot and Manet, Degas and Cassatt. It’s details like these, along with vivid descriptions of the settings and atmosphere that make this book sparkle. It’s a joy to read. In this engaging way, we get to know the very real people behind those glorious paintings. Current Mood: refreshed (Comment on this)
Monday, May 19th, 2008
5:14 pm	logging The new painting that I started on the 7th is going well. It's a woodland scene on a forest floor, a chipmunk climbing down a log and seeing a lined lizard climbing towards the log. It's a sort of "fancy seeing you here!" moment. It's one of 2 pictures that I'm hoping to finish for the Cold-Blooded Creations Show in August. Though the majority of my entries each summer are usually older pictures, I like to include a couple new ones just to keep things fresh. The other one this year will be a pen & ink of a rattlesnake, done on that yellowish antique paper. I'm still in the planning stage of that one, though once started, it oughtn't take too long. Anyways, the log one is working so far, I'm starting the plants surrounding the log this week and want a variety of them. The lizard will be climbing a bittersweet nightshade vine on the left side of the picture & the chipmunk is coming down the right side. I'm trying to get a little more sophisticated with my compositions. lol Current Mood: satisfied (Comment on this)
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
10:15 am	rejection, again Well,EBSQ sent out their decisions on the Juried applications last night & I was rejected again. For the third time. I'm not going to go on their board & rant like I did last time, though there is the usual contradictory statements from the panel(one person says take photos of the artwork in sun, another says avoid sun, use shade; that sort of thing). It seems that I only got one 'yes' vote according to the comments accompanying the rejection. That means I'm actually farther away from making it than last time. The major complaint was that the animals didn't stand out from the background, a green frog was surrounded by green leaves, etc. which they said made it hard to find the subject.This was said over & over. It's sort of a backwards compliment, and actually indicates that my work is closer to nature than most. Animals are made to blend into their environment, it's called camouflage. So a frog that lives in the rainforest is going to match the leaves around it. If something as large as a snow leopard has protective coloration, of course a small prey species will. Until today, I never realized how much I match the animal to their background in my paintings. Except for one person who liked my pencil/pen & ink best & suggests submitting only them next time, the rest of the comments amount to what would consist of completely changing my style in order to be accepted. If their main complaint is that the animals blend in too much and that's primarily the way I compose my pictures, I will be rejected unless I change that. Since that's the way I envision my paintings, I don't forsee that happening. So it all seems quite hopeless. I really wish I didn't covet that little Plus icon next to my name. I need to remind myself that there are plenty of really good artists on EBSQ which don't have the symbol, that the lack of it doesn't mean I'm a bad artist. It just feels that way right now. Current Mood: rejected (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
8:42 pm	big weekend The 2 day Nature Fest went well, though the weather was downright chilly and no one earned much money. Previous participants said last year was more profitable, even though it rained part of the time. There was thousands of people coming through the doors, but not all of them made it into the auditorium where the art show was. Nonetheless, I did make a small profit, saw dozens of dogs and got to pet a baby crocodile. It had a great atmosphere, not only all the hikes, lectures & nature activities, but everyone I talked to was nice. The nature center employees were exceptionally so, plus they handed out free bottled water as well as vouchers for lunch each day.What a nifty benefit! I only knew 2 other crafters, so I met a lot of new artists. It was weird having so many other wildlife artists in the same show, I'm used to being the only one or two.There was a great sense of cameraderie and lots of laughter, though nearly everyone was working on a project, or demonstrating. I began a scratchboard of an alpaca on Sat. morning & finished it on Sunday afternoon, pleased with how it turned out. A friend stopped by whom I hadn't seen in years, though we've kept in touch by email & phone. It was great to see her, she hadn't aged at all, it seemed, and was still warm and funny. Though I didn't sell as much as I'd hoped, the Nature Fest was still a positive experience. I had a lot of fun and hope to be in the show again in the future. Current Mood: pleased (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
6:31 pm	loaded The car is loaded for Nature Fest. Tomorrow afternoon I'll drop everything off, I'm not certain how much, if any, that I'll be able to set up, but at least the stuff will be there & I won't have to struggle with all the other vendors on Saturday morning. There's not much to unload this time, but still it will be convienient to have it all on site, with only arranging my table to do. I'm nervous & excited. I've never been in this show, but have wanted to for awhile, it would seem the perfect market for my work.Though a map was sent to participants on where our tables are located, I can't tell if I'm facing the windows or not. The view is of a path along the river, with trees all around, so that would be nice to look at when things are slow. In any case, I'm hoping the weather isn't rainy & that everything goes well. Current Mood: excited (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
5:24 pm	third try It's time for applicants to submit their works to EBSQ Juried panel, where a group of fellow artists decide if one is worthy of becoming a Plus member on the site, with accompanying icon next to their name.One must have a majority of yes votes from the panel to be accepted. I've been rejected twice, the last time I missed it by 1 vote. Of the 5 entries allowed, all are new to the jury but one which got a good reception last time. I'm thinking positive and hoping the third time is the charm. I'll be busy with preparations with the Nature Fest so won't have time to focus on the Plus stuff. Fingers crossed. Current Mood: hopeful (Comment on this)
Friday, March 7th, 2008
10:57 pm	Happy Birthday Sir Edwin Landseer! Today in 1802, Sir Edwin Landseer was born. Even if you don't recognize the name, you've seen his paintings. A child prodigy, he became one of the premier artists of his time and one of Queen Victoria's favorites. He enjoyed a lively social life because of that & as a party trick would simultaneously draw a horse with one hand & a deer with the other. Sir Walter Scott invited him to contribute illustrations to certain editions of his novels after seeing works influenced by Landseer's trips to Scotland, such as "Monarch of the Glen". Landseer's romanticised images of animals fit the mood of the times & usually had a moral message. Despite the sentimentality, Landseer was an excellent painter & the settings where he placed his creatures were accurate. He suffered from depression & ill health for much of his life and had several breakdowns. In fact, the few years before his death in 1873, he was considered to have "descended into madness". Thankfully, it is for his earlier triumphs that he is remembered, especially the noble lions that grace Trafalgar Square. Current Mood: artistic (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
6:48 pm	gallery possibility This afternoon, after doing some errands in the midst of snow flurries, I stopped at a nearby gallery, Studio of 5 Rings, to see their latest show & give them my new brochure. The show was huge paintings of Picasso-esque bull men. They were startling in their size, which couldn't be guessed at from the website photos. I try to see as many exhibits there as I can, they have an interesting variety of styles & subjects. The owner's dog, Molly, was there too. She is an elderly terrier with a quietly welcoming personality. Big brown eyes surrounded by grey and tan fur with ears that can't decide if they want to stand up or tilt. I'm always happy to see her & lavish her with affection. I'd like to sketch her, but haven't been able to decide if that would be appropriate. The owner looked at my photos and kept my brochure for future reference and said that he was planning a group exhibit in the fall & thought my work would fit in. I beamed. I bounced in place with excitement. I was so uncool. LOL But I couldn't help it, I was thrilled. Nothing definite was set, but he said the show was not until Sept.- Oct. so there's still lots of time for discussion. The impression was that he wanted to think on it to be certain. I hope he says I can be in it..... Current Mood: excited (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
11:33 am	Nature Fest Continuing with my goal of obtaining new exhibits, the beginning of this month saw my acceptance into the North Coast Nature Fest at Rocky River nature center at the end of April. This popular event has lectures, presentations, wildflower walks, live raptor programs, educational displays and in one of the meeting rooms, an arts & craft show. When I've been to the Nature Fest as a spectator, I knew I'd be a good fit for the theme, so in January, I sent a brochure & letter inquiring about participating.The person in charge was happy to reserve a space for me, plus, by drawing during the show, as is my habit, I'll qualify for the demonstrator's rate. Evidently, thousands of people attend the festival over 2 days, so hopefully a good percentage will make it back to the arts room. I'm really looking forward to being a part of this event. Current Mood: happy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
6:21 pm	shortchanged Got an email from the library hosting the small works exhibit that they want me to take it down sooner than expected. When I hung the show, the lady in charge agreed that I could have the display case until Feb. 29th. I even asked if they had anything planned that they might need it for beforehand and she assured me they didn't.As always, I sent out emails & snail mail notices of the show with dates to my customers. Now she says she would like the case for historic postcards before Feb. 24th. After a series of back & forth emails, it sounds as if higher ups may be the ones curtailing the show. I've never had this happen in all of the places I've exhibited, the venue has always abided by the agreed upon dates, whether written or verbal.This is very unprofessional. Not to mention inconvienient to my customers, who will have less time than they thought to see it. It's very frustrating.But there's nothing I can do. So I'll be taking it down the morning of Feb. 22nd, a full week before intended. Grrr! Current Mood: angry (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, January 25th, 2008
4:17 pm	hopping around The armadillo drawing I've been working on was getting a bit too tedious, all those tiny circles for the armor on it's back was starting to drive me bonkers. Pen & ink takes a lot of patience anyways and if the subject starts to irritate it's not helpful. So I decided to start a new painting to give myself a change of pace. Current Mood: irritated (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008
5:20 pm	art show #2 Yesterday I put up my second solo show of the year at Rocky River Library. It's a nice display case so it required all small work, I managed to get 11 pictures arranged in it. Didn't have as much trouble deciding where each should go, as I did at Fairview and the dimensions of the case allowed me to leaning the paintings in corners, without using mini easels, so that added variety. I was pleased with the end result. Apparently, others were too, because at one point there was a small crowd standing around admiring it. Boy, was that good for the ego. One librarian was startled when she walked by and exclaimed "Oooh, color!" It's weird to have 2 shows going at the same time, as the Fairview one is up till Feb. 6th. This one is scheduled until Feb. 29th. Current Mood: pleased (Comment on this)
Friday, January 4th, 2008
7:29 pm	first show of 2008 Yesterday morning I hung my first exhibit of the year at Fairview Library. Their gallery area is in a large hall on the lower level where their meeting rooms & employee spaces are. There's at least one meeting everyday, sometimes more and there's a book sale this month as well, so a lot more people will be seeing my work than anticipated. A short wall is at the bottom of the steps & then a long wall opposite. It's at least 15 ft. of space altogether. I decided to hang just my large works, an idea I've had for some time. They had a nice mini flatbed(which I coveted) to transport my paintings downstairs, which made it so much easier than expected. Mrs. Wills, the manager, approved all of my labels & signs & explained how the hanging system worked. I'd never used one like it before, which consisted in sticks caught on a ridge at the top of the wall, with square plates that are adjusted with wing nuts. You draped the wire on the back of the picture into a groove on the plate & then the whole thing balances against the wall. Some of the sticks can hold 2 pictures & you can slide the whole thing anywhere on the ridge and thus the wall. It takes a bit to get used to, but not long & it doesn't do any damage to the plaster, nor is there any hammering etc. involved. It took me 2 & a half hours to get it done, as I could NOT decide how I wanted to arrange the paintings. I had part of them figured out beforehand, but apparently it was a small part. Then I'd hang some & take them down & move them. It was as if my indecisive sister had occupied my brain for the day. At long last I finished,putting the shark at the bottom of the staircase, to grab people's attention & the other 13 paintings on the long wall. As I was picking up my stuff, several employees wandered by & complimented the exhibit. One lady really liked the tiger. Mrs. Wills checked it all out before I left & said it looked very nice, especially the colors. Because of the friendliness of the staff and the excellent space, I'll consider this show a success, whether I sell anything or not. Current Mood: pleased (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
1:10 pm	everything is new again Though I don't usually make general resolutions for the new year, I always set artistic goals. Even if they aren't completley fulfilled, they provide road signs for the coming year. The main thing I need to do this year is complete at least a couple of the commissions I have to do. I did start one last year & got it about 1/3 done before setting it aside. And another I was experimenting with the background color, which turned out too light, so now it must be fixed before going forward. It's difficult to do commissions & still get new work done for shows. I'm a slow worker, so it's not as if I'm slapping them up, but it would help if I could work faster. For the other pictures,ones I do for myself, I need to add some autumn settings to my repetoire. I was shocked to discover last year that fall featured so little in my work. It's not only a beautiful season, but the colors would be a nice break from all the greens & blues that dominate my work. I know I can't put a bright sugar maple in a jungle, but why not do some native birds in colorful trees rather than spring or summer as I usually do? Lastly is to get in some more local shows, preferably some that are annual events. With the Barn being in Dec. I'd like to get another holiday craft show, say Oct. or early November. There's a Naturefest in late April at a nearby metropark that I'd like to participate in too. There we have it, my arty goals for 2008. Let's hope I can check off a couple by this time next year. Current Mood: determined (Comment on this)