last year vs this year

A year ago I was unmotivated, easily depressed, giving up on most things, frustrated with life and most people.....

This year I am making new goals, excited about upcoming shows and events, and staying very busy!

Amazing how things can change when I get off my butt and do the hard work to generate some positive energy and be more disciplined!

Just had to share that.  LOL

motivated

The creative block has definately passed! Thank God for that! I have so many projects, new goals, and most of all: I have finally published my first book! I have tried to write my life's story again and again, but never seem to be able to finish it.... So this book is about the angel paintings, and some of my story is included. See the side bar for the link.

I don't remember ever being so excited about anything. I have even started planning the next book!

Hope you will check it out!

inspiration

I have been uninspired for the most part for a very long time. So I am taking inventory, trying to find things that will get me out of this creative block.

A few new foals were born next door to my house, and that kind of sparked some desire to get back into painting. I got some fantastic photos of one of little colt taking his first run around the paddock! perfect lighting, dust flying, and so much energy.....Wish I could have just a fraction of that little fire ball's energy!

Then I did a paintout, plein air paintings out on location, So many cool birds and interesting sights....I just loved it. I think I am back now, have gotten up early to paint, and wanted to work on some older projects too. I hope this dry spell is over now, it has been a few months of struggling to find myself again!

I go tomorrow to bid on some murals, and I have a couple of sales pending, plus I opened a new show in town, so things are looking up that is for sure!

I think the slow economy has gotten to everyone these days, and I finally let it get me down too. That and the fact that my son is in Afghanistan getting bombed while he works on the jets for the US Airforce. That has been very depressing as he and his wife just had their first baby.

So I must take it one day at a time, look for the good and try to get lost in my art again.

motivation

So hard to find inspiration lately. we have had several hard freezes already this winter, and it is just January! This is the second year in a row that we have had very cold weather in November and December. I live in South-Central Florida, about 2 hours south of Orlando.

We usually get a hard freeze or two in Jan. or Feb., and then that is about it, if we get any freezing weather at all. This winter has been cold, staying in the forties and fifties most mornings, and some mornings in the thirties and even the upper twenties......Needless to say, everything is dead around here!

Not too big of a deal, I know, but for me, as an artist, it has been very hard to get back to painting. I haven't been out in the field much, I haven't been taking nature walks, I haven't even wanted to sneak out of bed early like usual, to get a jump on the day with painting a new idea, or finishing up the details on one I have resolved.....

Not sure what happened to my passion for it all, but I am trying to find things to get me motivated again. A trip to the gallery in town, ordering some new supplies, attending some charity functions and donating to the cause.....

Please let me know if you have some suggestions!