Answered Prayers

Thanks to Mel, Ben, and Molly for the recommendation - because of you guys, I got in touch with a totally awesome (and local) printing company that specializes in fine art reproductions. I didn't know about them because they don't advertise, so thank you! Artist's best kept secret: R4. They currently have my files and are in the process of creating proofs. They have large-format scanning abilities too, so I don't have to spend extra money going to a photographer. :-D Hooray!!!

Art for Sale!

I'm so frustrated!!! Last night I got into a big fight with Steve. His argument?..

"I see you farting around with all this art crap - it's wasting an exorbitant amount of your time - and yet you have YET to make a dime off of any of it. When are you going to GET REAL and stop this art nonsense!? It's not making you any money!! I have never met a person who struggles as much as you do - it's not like making money is hard, anyone can do it. Except you. Put the dream away, Kristina. It's just a dream. You have more important things to think about."

Now, I understand where he's coming from -oh "Mr. I-make-5-figures-per-month-plumbing"- but I don't know how to change the circumstances to prove that what I do has any value! I'm told MAKE MORE ART by teachers and artists, but I get YELLED at every time I DO because I haven't even sold any of the ones I've already made!!! ...And he gets REALLY mad when I run out of materials and I have to buy more. I took art class, yes, and granted, I learned some cool applications I hadn't thought of before, but what they didn't teach me was how to SELL ART. I don't **want** to stop creating art! I wish I could do it all day, every day!! I wish people **liked** my art enough that they wanted to buy it, so I'd have proof that I ***COULD*** do it all day, every day and actually survive!!!

Do I need to stand outside, and shout to the mountains in order for anyone to hear me?!?!

What can I do? Seriously. This is quite the pickle. I'm pretty torn up about this.

Lost and Found

Yesterday evening I retrieved my very first chalk pastel painting from the TAFA studio so I could present it to my mother for her birthday. Mind you, I haven't actually *seen* this painting in over two years. Upon having it matted, I realized -someone- I don't know who, CUT around the edges of the Canson paper... most likely so it would fit into the previous frame it was put in during my absence from the academy. As it doesn't disrupt the actual pastel itself, I suppose it doesn't matter, but I was a bit angry about discovering this anyhow. I mean, I DID pay for the paper and positioned the still-life exactly where I wanted it. I LIKED the excess of smokey gray background! Oh well.

At any rate, Rachel, the awesome framing manager at Michaels hooked me up with a great mat to fit around my own frame, which I promptly assembled before leaving for my mom's 53rd birthday-party dinner. She cried when I presented it to her, lol..

She will be giving it back briefly sometime this week so I can take it to my photographer's studio and get a digital copy made, after which, I will be returning it to her for safe keeping.

The pastel, if you're wondering, was/is a still life of the Horse of Turino. I forgot how amazingly brilliant it is for being a plain white statue. My lighting layer really shows through brilliantly in just the right spots. My mother loves horses, so there you go.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!

This past weekend I FINALLY went and got digital copies made of my sirens!!! It's about time, eh? Boy that was expensive. The thing is, I've been nit-picking and changing parts of both girls for the past two years or so, and it wasn't until just last week that I was actually satisfied. The hours put into them, if I were to condense the time, would probably be about 3 months from start to finish on each. Alas, there are times I just can't bear the thought of even picking up a brush.

I need to Photoshop off my blue tape marks [that held the Canson paper to the board, 'cause I'm lame and don't have a real artist's easel w/ a clip.] and few stray hairs/lint I noticed, but that shouldn't take too long and then they'll be ready for print. Now I can finally get my originals framed and under protective glass! Hooray!!! Having them vulnerably propped in my dining room this whole time has made me super jumpy anytime someone gets near them.

The next immediate goal on the list is to set up an online shop somewhere. Anywhere. Purely for the exposure. Does anyone have any suggestions? So far I've looked into the following selling sites:
Ebay, Amazon, Boscov's, Etsy, AllPosters, and Art.com[s] so if you've used any of these, let me know how you liked it/didn't like it. Likewise, if you've got a great site you'd like to rave about, by all means.. TELL ME ABOUT IT! My brain is a sponge and I'm trying to soak up as much advice as I can. I'll even throw in a favor if you need persuading... I don't know, cookies or something. ;-)