Blogspot is looking a little strange this morning - don't know what that's about - so I hope this post goes through.

this morning I spent some time cleaning off my encaustic wax work table. It really wasn't too bad - just a little dusty - which is not a good thing of course.

I am itching to make some new stuff for my upcoming show in July. I just need to settle down a little and try to focus.

I constantly fight the urge to go in a million directions... I love working with many kinds of media - and thus it can be hard to pick just one.

Still, I have been looking at books and stuff on the internet - which is both good and bad I suppose.

On the one hand it offers up lots of inspiration - on the other it can make one down one's own abilities and then that ugly monster in the head says 'oh you aren't a REAL artist'.

which is, of course, complete nonsense. And intellectually I know this. Just gotta settle down Amy....settle down.

Holy crap! I can't believe it's been...9 months since I posted here last! bad girl! no cookie for me!

so...what have I been up to? In a word - not much. It's been cold, dark, snowy, rainy and just generally not conducive to creating. I know that 'real' artists work all the time - like a job. HA! Well, that may be so, but it doesn't work that way for me. I have too many other distractions and commitments.

I did take a 3 day class from Dan Carrel. dan's a great guy and his technique is pretty cool and I can see why people like it. BUT it was a landscape class. I wanted to push myself to do something I don't normally do. I wanted to see if there was anything I could apply to my own work. I just had a really hard time connecting with my subject. went back to my room every afternoon hating nature and trees and rocks and water. HATING IT. OK, not really, but you get the idea.

Of course it was my own fault for not picking out a better picture to work from - I had chosen an inside picture - which was a no-no for this course. "no people, animals or buildings."

well damn.

So I picked out something from the pictures he brought with him.

I am completely ok with not being a landscape painter. I will others do that. Suffice it to say that my end result is rather homely. and NO I will not be showing it here. sorry - thems 'da breaks.

Now that spring is here and hopefully some nicer weather I hope to get heavy into the prep for my show in July. ok - it's not MY show, but a show I am participating in. I want to show NEW stuff, not tired, already seen stuff.

And despite my studio clean-up last year, and despite not acutally doing much painting, my studio is a PIT again. Time for a clean-up again I think.

OK - don't know if anyone is even reading this but thanks for tuning in! I will try to be better from now on!