Playing with Poppies and Cherry Blossoms

Still no sign of the big brown truck with my painting supplies, although the postal service delivered today so that's a good sign.  Here are my latest glass pieces for the challenge #6,7, &8 (the last one I did before the end of the year, Bonus!)  I will be listing them all for sale on my Daily Paintworks page.

I have been working on a larger piece that is ready for it's final firing once I decide what color glass to back it with.  This is enamel and fused glass

Happy Belated New Year and #1-5 in the 30 in 30

 Winter Birches 8x10 In Progress #5 of 30

Spring Forest 8x10 In Progress #4 of 30

 Fall Forest #3 of 30 SOLD

Spring Trees #2 of 30 5x7 available

Frozen Forest #1 of 30 4x6 Available

Well, I knew I would be a bit behind sharing my start to this year's 30 in 30 challenge, but I certainly didn't think I'd be almost a week into the New Year before my first post.  Good thing I planned ahead in creating some artwork in the last week or two before the end of the year, as past experience has shown that it's best to get a few paintings done before the challenge even begins! 

I've had lots of year end activities and visitors (still have kiddos home, and was very excited and surprised that my middle son Jared was able to come home from the Navy for a week after the New Year!) 

The weather has not cooperated much in terms of getting back going with oil painting yet, mostly due to the supplies I ordered in late December being delayed by the recent storms, and now the bitter cold.  Expected delivery date was moved up to Jan 6, but since the temperature is going to be -17 with piles of snow that is drifting into huge piles, I won't hold my breath.  Besides, since my studio is in the barn (even though heated), temps that low make it difficult to paint.  I am expecting to be painting by the end of the week though as I have many commissions and promises to keep!  If you are one of them, stay tuned!

In the meantime, my temporary studio has been in the basement, which is great for keeping up with the laundry ;) and I've been working on glass painting and experimenting with techniques I began playing with over 6 years ago.  I have used enamel with glass fusing since I first started fusing, but this past summer was introduced to some different techniques by a jeweler who uses enamel on her silver jewelery.  I haven't had any time since the crush of the summer shows and then the gallery that was opened through December, but I am excited to try to use my painting skills with my glass skills.  I'm sure my initial attempts will be "interesting" but what I love about the 30 in 30 challenge is the ability to just experiment and share and get feedback from others.  

I've been experimenting with my favorite subject matter, Birch Trees, using a combination of powdered glass as well as enamel, among other things.  When I went to Portland last May, I had the privelage of going to the Oregon coast and visiting a town that had lots of impressive galleries.  One of them had artwork by a regional glass artist whose work I admired and I am just now getting around to really exploring her work.  I hope to visit sometime soon for a workshop as her techniques are very fascinating and complex.  In the coming weeks I hope to explore some of these techniques in between oil painting.  The great thing about being both an oil painter and glass artist is that I have something to keep me occupied while impatiently waiting for the kiln to cool!  Stay tuned for day 6 and 7 as the glass is in the kiln as I type!

A Street Called Home

2013 "A Street Called Home" Fused Glass

Wow what a year.  30 paintings in 30 days in January FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW!,  Portland, Oregon for an adventure of a lifetime in May,  a whirlwind of art shows all summer long, a priceless gift given to a worthy family on Veterans Day, 

"Sacrifice" Gifted to the family of Danny Dietz GM2 KIA 2005

 all culminating in a dream of a lifetime, FiYA Pop up Gallery. 

  So many of my fans and followers supported this goal, and once I hit the ground running, I haven't had the time to properly thank you all.  I hope in the coming year, I can make that up to you.  For now, trust that I haven't forgotten your support, and I am sharing a letter I wrote to the artists that first signed up and believed that the gallery would be a success.   There's something to be said for faith, and all of the artists had it.  I hope we did not let them down.  (Note: what we asked of the artists was money up front, not commission.  We needed to pay the rent and utilities to secure our building.  This is not an easy thing for artists who live painting to painting, trying to support a family, so every penny that came in was so appreciated.  It spoke volumes to the fact that they believed in it's success, so failure was not an option to me.) 

There was snow and flood, but we overcame :) 

 Needless to say,  I burned the midnight oil, lost a lot of weight, and aged a bit.  But I wouldn't trade a second of it for the world. :)  I love you all!

Dear FiYA Artists,

I would like to thank you so much for your support, faith, and help during the past 3 months.  There are too many to thank, but from opening week there were artists who just seemed to know what to do without asking and I will be forever grateful. From the artist that brought cupcakes, to the ones that came in to demo, 

 to those that drove 8 hours to paint in the window, 

 

and local art friends who painted in the other window while the other artists mingled and sold their wares......

and there were  others who watched the shop while I made the last minute dash to the stores to shop, I will not forget your kindness.

Then there were memories of loved ones past..... Miss you Scott 

 It wasn’t always easy, but it was a tremendous experience and learning lesson.  I am not sure what 2 artists with no business experience and 8 kids between them thought they were doing starting up a venture such as FiYA with little more than a month’s notice, but it turned out to be far more amazing than anyone imagined, thanks mostly to the artists that believed that a small Midwest city like Findlay, Ohio deserved an art experience the likes of which are seen in the big cities.  Customer after customer would come in and rave about the artwork, and comment on how Findlay really needed something like this.  One customer, who came in no less than 6 times over the past two months, making purchases every time, visited me on the last day.  Her final words as she walked out the door (with more artwork in hand ) were “Thank you for doing this, you gave me hope” I’m still not quite sure what she meant by that entirely, but everybody needs a little hope, right Margie?

I learned a lot about the retail end of art sales over the course of the past few months and it was very interesting to see what people were interested in, what made them hesitate when making a purchase, and more importantly what it took to close a sale.   I am not a salesperson, and as I customer, I also do not like a pushy sales clerk.  However, on Christmas Eve, a gentleman came in, took a few steps in with interest, and then almost immediately started back out the door.  A friend of mine who was helping with the last minute shoppers that day, called out to him: “Wait, don’t leave!” He stopped and turned around, and she engaged him in a conversation about our Christmas Eve special that day.  He clearly felt out of place among the higher priced items, but the special was a free pendant ($12 value) with $10 purchase, an offer hard to refuse.  After learning he had a wife and 5 year old daughter, his choice was narrowed down after only 45 minutes of thoughtful shopping.  He even left with some soap and a nail file as well.  As he paid, he could barely contain his pleasure at his purchases, saying his wife and daughter were so hard to buy for, and he was happy to give them something different.  This is a story I heard over and over during the past 2 months and I wish you all could hear what I did about your work.  I have many more stories to tell of good times with the customers and hope to share them on the FiYa page in the months ahead.    Stay tuned J

Some of you may want to know if the Gallery was a success. How much did the store make, who sold the most, what sold the best.  Those are questions I hesitate to answer for many reasons.  The biggest reason is that you cannot put a monetary value on how your art impacted each and every customer that came in.  It was absorbed, admired, gazed at, wished for, and filed away for future purchases.  I cannot measure for you the enormous success that the gallery was in my mind, perhaps financially for many artists, but mostly the impression your art made upon our customers.  For some of you, the momentum of the gallery inspired you to pursue your work with even more excitement and inspiration.  In my scale of measurement, I was blown away by the success of the the gallery, and it could not have happened without a single one of the artists that participated, because every one of you encouraged me along the way and gave me a reason to keep going when the going got tough.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.    

(However, for those of you gifted with both sides of the brain engaged and would like to know specific numbers, monthly or biweekly sales breakdowns, and the boring stuff, feel free to contact me and I will be happy to share that with you. )

Do I have any regrets?  Yes.  The biggest regret (my fault…. this is one of those “hindsight is 20/20” things) is that many of you did not get to experience the reactions of people when they came into the gallery.  It was of amazement and endless questions and compliments, joy, laughter, hugs.    So many of the customers wished they were shopping for themselves and not others.  Next year, it will be so important that the artists get into the store to experience the customers and a typical gallery day, because it was the day to day stories and interactions with the customers that mattered so much more than the sale. 

Anyway, I have much more to share, but checks to put in the mail!  Thank you so much for believing in this dream, I will never forget it.

Hugs,

Kristen.the artist that brought cupcakes, to the ones that came in to demo,  to those that drove 8 hours to paint in the window:

Inks and Drinks Michigan Style

To buy this painting click HERE

Headed to Michigan this week to do an Inks and Drinks class in Michigan with fellow artist Laurie Mueller.  Stay tuned for some great pics, Inks and Drinks is always a good time!  Hopefully, Laurie will make this a regular event in her home town.  I also have the privilege of being the artist of the month at the community house so I'll be showing my work there until it's time to put it in the FiYa Studios Pop up Gallery for November and December.  Ever have a feeling like you're on a treadmill that's going too fast and can't get off?  Yep, that's me!  

If you are interested in an Inks and Drinks class and are local to the Findlay Ohio area, you can sign up on the website

If you haven't already checked up my latest shenanigans with glass artist Kelly Alge, we are taking on a big venture and could use your help, check it out and share if you don't mind!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2001219873/fiya-studios-a-pop-up-art-gallery-project

Big News and Welcome Fall

ok, here's the big news! My friend Kelly and I have been working hard on a plan/project to open a "Pop" up co-op art gallery for the months of November and December in our hometown.  We have organized a kickstarter to try to offset some of the start up fees and we would be eternally grateful if you take a few minutes to check it out and pass on to friends.  Here's the link to our project.

Big News Coming

Stay tuned......

Dog Days of Summer

I've been terrible about blogging this summer and really have no good excuse other than I'm spending most of the time out in the studio getting ready for art shows and trying to keep up with yard work.  Here are a few of my latest inks. I've decided to try a series.  I have some new oils as well, I'll post them later this week.

Why Bother?

Once in awhile most artists hit the proverbial wall and ask themselves "why bother?"  Am I even getting better? Am I making a difference?  I'm certainly not making a living, yet I feel like I am on a treadmill of create, sell, buy supplies, repeat.  At some point will there be point or purpose, a conclusion, or do I just create day in and day out just for the sheer pleasure of making art?  I don't make art that has hidden meanings, iconography, or social topics.  I just paint what I like, usually things in my life that hold meaning to me, or subject matter in my immediate world.  Hay bales, flowers, horses, landscapes, military scenes.  Often I paint because I know it is a subject that will sell, and yes, I need to sell to get more paint.  It's a vicious cycle.

Today was one of those melancholy days where I miss my friend Scott who could answer lots of these questions for me.  I visited his blog he wrote in the last 2 years of his life, and I read some his final words.

 Shame on me for my pity party while he struggled to deal with life's biggest questions.  Why didn't I see it then.?   I suppose I did, in a way, because I tried to help....but I didn't really see his anguish back then as I do now, 6 months later.   One particular post always gives me hope however, and as I read it today, I have to smile as I hear his ever optimistic voice and grateful spirit.  Shortly before he passed, he wrote the following article "Why bother".  Not only are his words an inspiration, but the comment by a stranger that follows will forever be in my heart, and I know there is a reason to continue on the course I am on.

Often, my friend Kelly and I lament that Scott didn't have the chance to do as much with art as he would have liked, because he was starting to do so well.  Part of me believes I keep going for him, because he never had the chance.  Miss you Scott.

Back From Portland!

(photo taken by Chris Lally)

There are not enough words or photos to describe my Portland experience and if I tried it would be a book, but suffice it to say it was one of the best times of my life and I can hardly wait for a chance to go back. Chris Lally did a fantastic job chronicling the trip daily on her blog so if you are interested in better pictures and more details be sure to visit her blog.  She's an outstanding artist also and her gift for writing just adds to the beauty of her work. Her husband Tim is also an artist and both of them were outstanding hosts and tour guides.  I can't thank them enough.

Here's a little background about the purpose of the trip.  Friend and fellow glass artist Kelly Alge was invited to take an advanced week-long workshop at the prestigious Bullseye Glass Co. located in Portland, OR.  She invited me to come along since she knew I have several art friends there and I could use the time taking lots of photo references for future art. Being a glass artist myself, I was hoping to see some great local glass art (which I did).  After agreeing to come along, I became a little apprehensive as I have in intense phobia of flying.  I almost backed out.  I am so happy that I didn't.  I went to my doctor who told me that many people have this fear and prescribed something to calm my nerves.  Needless to say I slept most of the journey and didn't have one bit of anxiety. So for those who have anxiety about flying, definitely ask your doctor to help you out.  I can't believe I haven't flown for 20 years just from fear.

I'm happy to be back home and get back into painting and art before the summer show rush. I've spent the last few days catching up on housework and yard work and can't wait to plant my garden.   

Portland Bound

8x10 Fused class $400 Click HERE to buy

This is the piece I completed at the glass workshop last month and I'm just getting around to picking it up at the studio so here it is! This technique is very labor intensive but it is so rewarding when complete.   I will be traveling to Portland OR next week and am very excited about visiting the Bullseye Glass Factory.  Stay tuned for updates! To learn more about this workshop, check out this awesome post by Gloria Moses on her blog.

This piece comes framed Finished dimensions are 14x18