Painting For The Public

Lately I have been painting in public and offering my paintings as the prize in a draw. Of course donations are gratefully accepted.
As an artist the only ways to make money these days is by teaching art, creating something practical and painting in public using this method.
Everyone loves hand painted scenes but no one can afford a painting. Not your average joe anyway.
For a $5.00 donation you could own a piece of original art. Spreading the cost and selling by lottery. Sort of like the penny pulp novellas that the great writers of the past used to write.
Hmmmm some feedback please. Maybe the Internet might be an interesting vehicle for this!

Springing

Sorry
Had a busy time
Baby Corbyn born and visited in FSJ
Need to get back to life and painting in between working
Yes we are going back to Fuel Polishing and we have done two jobs already
Equipment is just about ready and just finishing up the boat for polishing

Howard has been working non stop

Dusty is busy getting logs out of the bush
He blends in really well
Buster is still retired
Leaving Ladysmith at the end of the month!

Happy New Year Everyone!

It has been an interesting year for el Vencedor!

Rebuilt -- no heating system, no more auto pilot…..new wiring, led lights all the way through, new inverters, new hot water tank. Big changes to the boat.

We are still in Ladysmith but not for long. We are both getting itchy feet and are ready to roll in the New Year. We will definitely leave here by March…lol.

New Years party on the dock tonight! We will bring in the New Year with friends and maybe go visit Lincoln and Leila.

I redid Justin’s portrait. I just couldn’t like the first one!

My Children! They liked their portraits. Next time I will go bigger than 6” x 8”.

I have discovered over this past year that I love doing portraits.

I have done seven over the last month and am starting the New Year with a commission for a portrait!

In addition to that we are going to go back to Fuel polishing but stick to the Marine industry.

My friend just emailed me and told me it is the year of the Black Dragon! A water Dragon! I am looking forward to seeing how that will effect the two of us who are both ‘Water Dragons’!

So those are my plans right now--- Happy New Year Everyone!

Changing Realities

Applying for a position with a company is a weird experience for both me and Howard. We have many realities in our life which given one word for each might be retired, semi retired, cruisers, business owners, boat owners, artists etc.
When you go to a 'job' interview and someone says, ' tell me about yourselves' what reality do you want them to know about? 
Knowing the answer to that question determines whether you get the job or not....

I think we didn’t get the job. Honestly, I got tongue tied and really forgot that the only thing a person really wants to know is, ‘What's in it for me’ which should have prompted me to say that I was the perfect person to look after his private resort and that my husband was so talented that he was in hiding…lol

I think that it probably wasn’t the best place for us anyway since he was really looking for someone full time and we really want to cruise in the summer !

Ah well….

Here are some portraits of the Grandchildren for Christmas presents:

Three Brothers!

Kendra & Wish almost done!

Now this is how I would love to make a living instead!

Brush Strokes…

It is snowing today. On the water it is very peaceful when it snows.

We do still have to shovel our boat off but most of the time it melts away.
It does seem early this year. Maybe we are going to have a crazy winter…
I am doing commissions lately. Portraits
I truly think I have found my ‘thing’.
On the website I have put up a page to show some of the stuff I have done lately :  http://www.ArtoftheCoast.com/Portraits
I love doing portraits.

 

 

This is 3 year old Miles. He is a lively spirit.
The funny thing is that I don’t know if people will pay to have paintings of their children done. I hope they will. I have seen the portrait ‘caricature’ artists in Victoria doing lots of pictures but that is not where I want to go with this.
I have sent my stuff out on Facebook and did get one commission which I am now working on. I just have to work on some composition issues but I think I have got it figured out.
We can make lots of money fuel polishing but both of us would rather paint.
Of course Howard is a shy painter. He doesn’t try to sell his art much. I on the other hand am always trying to find a way to keep painting instead of ‘working’.
I guess it will all come out in the wash.

BuzzNet Tags: Painting,portraits,childrens portraits

Mattress or Market

I woke up today thinking about money.
We are going back to work as you know. We expect to make money. Usually we make a fair amount when we put our minds to it and have a reliable business tool.
So where do we put our money? Hence Mattress or Market.
Before we had money I always fell for the government line about rrsps being a great way to save - tax free etc.
I have some problems with that way now. After having experienced the results - I am not a fan.
You get like that when you watch
$ 5,000 disappear from your account.
If I had put that in my mattress I would perhaps have that money now or at least the assets or experience(s) that $5,000 could bring. I have instead the experience of seeing my money- vanish!
Another vote for mattress is that mattress does not charge me $2,000 a year to look after my money. I can instead take that $2000 and go on a trip.
I have many - actually thousands of reasons to choose mattress.
What about you?

Sent from my iPhone

Winter cometh!

Today I started wondering when they will cut the water off on the dock.

Luckily we have lots of water capacity on our boat but it always comes as a surprise when they do cut the water off. They do that because the water system is exposed and even close to the water like this the water system can freeze.

Some days I wonder...Why do I live on a boat? Its not the most convenient way to live! Water must be watched. Electrical must be managed whether at the dock or on the Gen set. 

 Most of the time I enjoy the people we meet on the docks and on the water, the no fuss lifestyle, the freedom the move when we want to....There are lots of things.

Now speaking of winter...my friend just had his 64th birthday. That sounds like winter!

I recently was thinking about death. I think that is a hazard of being close to 60 years of age. I dont feel old but reality is that I will be leaving my daughters and son behind one day. I would hope I leave first since that is the natural order of things.

Anyway, I was thinking about what I need to tell them. Stuff like passwords for my computer. Where the insurance papers are but mostly mundane stuff like what happens to my stuff. I heard on CBC about a site called Death Switch.com where you send an email after you die. I think that might creep my kids out. It would creep me out. Facebook pages where you can write on peoples walls creep me out. As if you can talk to someone who has passed over.

Another thing is --- why do we think of death so much after you reach 55? I dont know about you but I think about it alot. Its almost as if I have this feeling of impending doom. I read obits now for Gods sake! My father did that and I thought it was weird. Now I am doing it. What is with that.

Comments are welcome. I would love to know I am not alone with my morbid thoughts.