Preparing to Show My Art: A Nature Inspired Booth

There is so much going on in my art room right now... 

It's a chaotic mess to anyone looking in.  It's kind of a chaotic mess to me!  Somehow, I'm preparing for my first time selling art in public.  Okay, I must say, it's not really my first time.  It just my first time in over ten years!  Now, I'm ready to jump back in and present my artwork in public again!





In June of 2015, I felt this strong desire to begin exploring my artistic skills again.  I've got my list of goals written down but over time, I've discovered these goals take longer than I'd first imagined.  My family has patiently and lovingly tolerated (and supported) me as I take on the project of preparing to show my artwork in public again.  On top of the framed original watercolor paintings and the packaged Giclee art prints, I've added some other items to my merchandise.  I know I've got to play this out right in order to be successful.  High ticket items are a tough sell next to other items sold at the arts & craft fairs.  I need to have a strategy for more affordable price points for selling to a wider range of people and pocket books.  You'll see that I've been thinking through this thoroughly!  This place has been a madhouse with so many projects going at once.

Gathering items to build my booth displays.

My furry companions are worn out!  They napped for me.

Lucy takes a comfy spot nearby.

Behind the Scenes in My Art Room

Catching Up After Vacation

After a week of family time away in Washington state, I'm home and busy again.  It's time to prepare for my two teens to return to school!  The summer has flown by and now we're buying clothes, shoes, and supplies.  It seems like forever since there was a paintbrush in my hand!  I was certainly in my groove with the cherry blossoms in early August.  Then, while my parents came to visit, they went to work with improvements on my art room.  It's located at the back of our home.  I've been longing for a door to close off the art room from the rest of the house.  My husband and I have been looking for many months; we found the door of my dreams.  My dad worked on finishing the door casing around the sliding glass door and adding trim around the new door.  My mom worked on staining and milk painting the new door and a new back door as well.  My art room was the hub of activity with plenty of dust and house paint supplies.

The new view from the kitchen to my art room...two new doors!

I'm sure there's very little work left remaining for the first cherry blossom watercolor painting to be completed.  I was disappointed that I could not deliver it to my sister while we visited them in Washington.  Soon, I'll pick up where I left off and then I can ship it off to her.  She showed me where it will hang once finished and framed so soon it will have a home there.

I've been thinking on back-to-school this past few weeks.  I remember some of the school supplies that I used in elementary school, like the Big Chief writing tablets and the cardboard pencil boxes.  I can remember many teachers giving the report that I daydreamed too much and I was often doodling when I should be listening or doing classwork.  That seems like it fits an artist, doesn't it?  I remember one junior high teacher humiliating me when he found I was drawing during class.  It wasn't art class...history, I think.  He sarcastically dealt with me and then hung my drawing on the wall.  He lost all of my respect but I didn't let that happen again.  Other teachers were happy to encourage my creativity and it meant a lot to me.  Now, I see myself as someone who loves learning, thinking of new ways to do things, and it makes creativity so much more fulfilling.

During our time away, we were able to get some school shopping done!  This year, we'll have two in high school.  They need new shoes for every day and another pair for gym class.  We were shopping with my son and my daughter was with my sister.  While checking out shoes selection, I took photos and sent them to my daughter's phone.  Shoe selection is a really big deal!  After sending her 4 or 5 photos, she replied, "Can you please come get me?"  How did we do the school shopping before?  It was so much simpler then.

My art room is full of crazy energy and busy activity preparing for my first public display of art in a long time.  I've been getting ideas from Pinterest and local Farmer's Market so I can design my own table and booth for arts and craft fairs.  It's a difficult thing to imagine what my own image and brand should be and yet it is coming along.  I have so much chaos and clutter happening in my creative space!  I'm hesitant to share because I like it neat and tidy best of all.  There's a little voice in my head that reminds me that creativity can't always be contained.  Sometimes the mess is necessary in order for things to get done.

I was able to purchase some shutters for displaying framed art!  I've been hunting for a great way to display my artwork.  I have looked at louvered closet doors but they usually have a solid panel for half the door.  At a yard sale, I located the perfect shutters and then thought I'd lost that opportunity.  I was struggling to come up with a Plan B when I came across the same yard sale again.  Five of the eight shutters where still there and I bought them on the spot!  They need some work but a good cleaning and some paint will make a big difference.  Once hinged together, I'll add some S-hooks and my artwork will have a great display!

I was feeling overwhelmed with all the preparation I'd like to make happen!  I can allow some chaos as long as I can keep it all straight.  There are orders for supplies that won't arrive for several more days so I'm strategically planning my to do list.  Early in the week, I made myself a visual for keeping it all straight and it has helped me so much!

I've been experimenting with fabric medium!  A cloth banner for my table/booth seems so appropriate.  What would instantly communicate who I am and what I do more than a banner that is hand painted with watercolors?  Admittedly, I work very wet in general when painting with watercolors.  This was my downfall with the banner.  I'll share more in a future post...because I have a lot of photos to share and advice to give on this subject.  I had to paint over my first attempt to brighten it up.  It's not quite finished but I'll share a few snapshots for now.  The lettering will be painted today and tomorrow.  While the background is watercolor, the lettering will be acrylic craft paint mixed with fabric medium and extender medium.

My practice run on a scrap of fabric before the real thing.

The first attempt, which faded too much when the fabric medium was applied over it.

Tracing the lettering with permanent marker at the sliding glass door.

My fabric banner, painted with watercolors and fabric medium, ready for black lettering.

With the help of my family, I have Giclee art prints packaged and ready to go!  They'll be displayed in a rustic basket.  My daughter helped me shop for some key display items and I'm so thrilled with what we've got so far!

I've got frames on order so there will be one or two days spent framing originals.  Yesterday and today, I'm also focusing on handmade note cards, which have been my gift with purchase.  These cards will also be offered for sale at my booth.  There's a new item I'm adding to my offering at my booth is a natural lip balm.  I've been making my own for about two years now.  It's got all natural ingredients and I like adding peppermint and grapefruit essential oils.  I've demonstrated making it for a ladies gathering and given the lip balms as gifts in the past.  Now, by request, it will be available at my table, too.

The label design will change after the great suggestions of a friend to include some of my artwork.  With basic ingredients like coconut oil and beeswax, I have come up with my own recipe that I love better than any in stores.  It will be a nice little item to offer for more varied price points at my booth.  

I know I've been away for longer than usual for my blog.  It's been hard to stay away and I really wanted to be here, so much I want to share with all of you!

I know there are so many other creatives, hungry for new ideas and tips.  There's a driving energy to try something unconventional, find a way to achieving another what-if, figure out something no one's tried yet, and make something amazing with your own stamp on it!

With a great commitment to getting back on a regular writing schedule, I will try to inspire you to go try out your creative wings!  If a week passes without a new post, I reassure you, I'm still here, creating something.  I keep saying it and I'll say it again...check out my Instagram and Facebook because it's easier for me to post quick updates to those than here.

While writing a blog post with the best intentions to keep it brief, I fail more times than I succeed.  This is like a fantastic version of show & tell in school.  I have a background in elementary teaching and I love sharing visuals and telling how step-by-step.  That in itself could take up all my creative time!  So if you find yourself wondering, "I wonder what crazy creative idea she's working on today," then hop on over to Facebook or Instagram.  You'll find more connections with other creative people and find some incredible inspiration!

So now, it's time I get back to the note cards!  I need to finish up so I can clean up and then set up for the next project.  My kitchen will at some point become a framing station for a day or two!  As much as I enjoy all this, I'll be ecstatic to be working on the cherry blossoms once more.  The watercolors still rate higher though they wait for my personal attention.

Have a creative and beautiful week!  Challenge yourself with a new adventure in creativity this week.  Buy some fresh flowers for the kitchen table!  Go for a walk and observe the gardens in bloom.  Take a break and fix a cup of tea for sipping in your favorite spot.  Listen to the birds!

For this week,
-Christy

She must make art.

A note from the artist.

It's Thursday.  What's Up?

Well, life is interrupting my artistic schedule for a while.  That's just how it goes sometimes.  Our home has been full of activity, projects, Olympics and other random-spur-of-the-moment things.  I'm so ready to get back to the cherry blossom paintings!  My art room has been the focus of some renovations that will make creating here a more happy experience.  I'm working on some great opportunities for presenting my artwork at a local fair.  It's going to be a busy 4-5 weeks along with preparing my daughter and son for back-to-school at the same time.

There's plenty of artwork-related rambling and photo sharing here, so go explore a little bit!  You might find a post you'll enjoy while I try to catch up behind the scenes.

Thanks for dropping by and come again often!  I'll have more stories, tips, and artwork progressions to bring to you.  Watercolor paintings are coming along nicely and it's difficult to set them aside but that's the way life is right now!  The summer is drawing to a close soon so I'm taking time to be with my family and enjoy some downtime.  I'll be back with an update in two weeks!

-Christy

She must make art.

Art Studio This Week: Baby Lambs and Cherry Blossoms

Ink Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

I am amazed.  The amount of progress made here is a wonder.  We've been going in so many directions this week!  Improvements are being made on my art room; I'm already so thankful for the work done to make this room more beautiful.  That door I had on my wish list...it's been stained and lightly white/gray washed and soon it will be hung back in the doorway.  That is going on plus so much more!  I won't complain because it's all such a gift.  My parents are visiting and they find major projects to complete while here.  They run circles around me, seriously.  I'm the multi-tasking manager and overseer of projects in progress so I'm staying busy, too.  Having the early evening opportunity to add something here on the blog is a tentative undertaking.  I'm not sure how much I'll be able to share before I'm pulled away again.

An artwork completed recently focuses on baby lambs.  The day I took the reference photos (over a year ago), I was sure it would be a watercolor painting some day.  I wasn't sure when the urge would hit to take this subject on.  This past two weeks a pencil sketch and ink drawing have been taking shape at my art table.  What a pleasure it's been!  

There's no way of knowing which art works will flow and which will not...  It's unexpected.  After years of avoiding animals as a subject matter, I may have changed my mind.  It will be several weeks before the sketch will be ready to begin painting with watercolor paint.  

I've been making my preliminary sketches on tracing paper for over a year and it's my favorite way to work.  Once the pencil sketch of the lambs was complete, I laid a heavier weight piece of tracing paper over it.  The ink drawing was guided by the sketch on the layer below it.  The classic quill dip pen and nib with India ink was such a great way to go here!  The amount of control and fine details made this a success all the way.  

The art reference photos were taken at the Snyder place and while telling Susan about them, she lit up!  She's the reason for the ink drawing.  She made arrangements with me to have the finished jpg image for an invitation she's having printed.  I hope to have the chance to share with you how it looks once its been printed!

©Christy Sheeler 2016.   All Rights Reserved.  She Must Make Art.  Lambs Ink Drawing

The cherry blossoms watercolor paintings are continuing with much joy in the progress.  My work space may seem overwhelming but it's all in order, really.  Yes, I really do need that many color mixing grids.  Yes, I do need that many different watercolor pigments, though I use only a third of what is showing on the tables.  

My newest additions to the paints are Daniel Smith and they are wonderful pigments.  I wished I'd tried them years ago!  

I've got five backgrounds done at the present time.  I'm working on the details of a single painting this week.  A few days ago, I began working on layering in for the branch, leaves and flower petals.  With the application of masking fluid for finer details, the piece is taking shape nicely.  It takes great concentration in the beginning stages as I map out areas in the pencil outline.  I can easily feel confused about what is flower and what is background!  With deep thought, I study my reference photo and lay the colors in from one area to another.  I am pleased to share photos of the progression so far!

This summer has been a challenge for me to make significant progress in my art room.  My efforts here on the blog have to be simplified in order to keep up with my weekly posting goal.  Persistence and flexibility are key in my daily schedule.  

So I am still here, making time to be creative on a daily basis, though my hours spent painting are less.  Quite a few changes in the art room have already made me look forward to autumn days spent painting with my watercolors!  

I'm continuing to add new Giclee art prints in the Etsy shop ChristySheelerArtist.  Have you checked out my shop lately?  Check out my Contact Page for all my many art related links!  There you'll find me on all the various platforms where I share my enjoyment of art...we can trade art tips and secrets!

So, for this week...(my weekly posts seem to post later each Thursday this summer) I am Christy, an artist, sharing my artist's journey here, because it's really happening every day.

What artistic pursuits are you chasing after, finding ways to make time, making art a part of your days?  I'd love for you to share here or on my Facebook artist page.

Enjoy the summer evenings, the sunsets, the cool breezes!

I'm aiming to meet you back here next week...someway or another.

-Christy

She must make art.

How Escaping to Nature Can Be a Reset Button.

Water in nature is fascinating.  

Water has a soothing effect, therapeutic and calming to my spirit.  Whether a trickling stream, a rushing river, a delicate waterfall, an expansive lake or a mighty ocean...water just soothes.  Life is busy for all of  us.    We make weekends our time to spend together as a family.  Short little trips are usually our favorite.  The local reservoirs are all low at this time of year.  We readied to spend a day on the water.  The kayaks were loaded in the bed of the pickup truck.  A picnic lunch of sandwich fixins' and chips and Oreo cookies was ready to go.  Our day of adventure required us to improvise as we went along.  We hit the road!  We listened to music and talked as we traveled that day.  When we arrived in Glacier National Park along the banks of Lake McDonald... what is it about God's creation, nature, and our being drawn to these places?  We just soaked it up!  The time spent on the water helped make it a fantastic day that helped us all reconnect with one another.

A nature inspired artist - that's me.  I watch to study, to understand, to remember how it captivates me.  I take it in so I can take it with me...whether the memory, the photo, the watercolor sketch.

Sometimes we all need to hit the reset button.

The kids (okay, teens) head directly to the water, both wading in and then kayaking for a while.  Then my husband takes a turn, heading out with paddle in hands, while our kids swim alongside the kayak.  I watched from shore, enjoying the moments as an onlooker.  I quietly take it all in, everything around me.  I love seeing how they interact with one another.