10.29.06

I (Heart) Publicity

Posted in Uncategorized at 12:39 pm by April

Yeah, okay. Fine. I’ll admit it… I’m kind of an attention whore. So when a television crew wants to do an interview (last month, but I never did see it on tv or I would have recorded it) or (like last weekend) a newspaper photographer approaches me and asks to shoot me for the paper, I don’t exactly say no.

When I found out yesterday while I was at the gallery that the article was going to be in the Sunday Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (our state paper) today, I wasn’t exactly shy about my hopes that I would be included in the article. (The photographer had plenty of shots of me working to choose from, so I figured my chances were decent at least). Of course it would be my back, but who cares? The important part is that it shows my work and says my name.

Anyway, so I’m off to the gallery again today… Stop by if you’re around!

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10.26.06

Back on Impressionism (for a few days, anyway…)

Posted in Uncategorized at 9:18 am by April

Yesterday I painted at the Starving Artist Cafe (check it out here at: www.starvingartistcafe.net). I decided to paint a scene from inside the cafe. While I was painting, Jason (one of the owners and a fantastic chef!) came up and told me that I was the first person to do that since they’ve been having artists in! What??? I thought that was the most obvious thing to do. I didn’t do it the first time in because I thought everyone probably does it! Crazy. Anyway, finished it up last night, and I have to say, I’m very pleased with the way it turned out. So pleased, in fact, that I’m going to do some more impressionism today. It sounds fun, and when painting something sounds fun I have no choice but to follow my gut and just go with it! That’s the way the best work comes out!  

“Wednesday Lunch”
24″x24″
10/25/2006
Painted on location at the Starving Artist Cafe, and finished up in studio
$500.00

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10.23.06

Weekends at the Arts Scene

Posted in Uncategorized at 1:11 pm by April

Pretty much every Saturday and Sunday I can be found at the Arts Scene Gallery on Broadway and Maple in North Little Rock, Arkansas. All the works i have in the Arts Scene are available for sale. When I finish whatever I happen to be working on it goes up and (once it’s dry) is immediately available. If you’re in the neighborhood, drop by and say hello! I’d love to chat with you!

Here are some photos from last Saturday:

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10.20.06

Oh, no… Back on the quizzes again.

Posted in Uncategorized at 8:54 am by April

Have I done this one before? Hell, I don’t know. Maybe. I buy most of this, but there are a few things that I think are off, but for a 2 minute quiz, it’s pretty close.

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have high extroversion. You are outgoing and engaging, with both strangers and friends. You truly enjoy being with people and bring energy into any situation. Enthusiastic and fun, you’re the first to say “let’s go!” Conscientiousness: You have high conscientiousness. Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life. Most things in your life are organized and planned well. But you borderline on being a total perfectionist. Agreeableness: You have high agreeableness. You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly. Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone. You give people the benefit of the doubt and don’t mind giving someone a second chance. Neuroticism: You have medium neuroticism. You’re generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic. Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy. Your life is pretty smooth, but there’s a few emotional bumps you’d like to get rid of. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is high. In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas. You’ll try almost anything interesting, and you’re constantly pushing your own limits. A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

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10.19.06

30 of Me?

Posted in Uncategorized at 5:04 pm by April

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 30 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

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10.12.06

Are These Prints or Posters???

Posted in Uncategorized, Bitching at 7:20 am by April

Well, the new gallery preview party is tonight. Am I nervous? Nah. Not particularly. Not yet, anyway. I have 12 hours to wrap up the last bits and pieces. Let me tell ya, I think this thing looks freaking awesome. Very museum-like. Very high-brow. Perfect… Well, almost.

One thing that bugs the hell out of me… There are two photographers that have pretty large completely unframed prints attached to the walls of their spaces with binder clips! That’s right. I said binder clips.

Now, let me ask you something. Say you’re an art buyer (which you very well may be reading this blog in the first place), are you going to spend $400 on a (limited even!) print that’s been attached to the wall like a damn poster? No. Of course not. You want a frame. And if it’s not in a frame, you want it in nice packaging with backboard, don’t you? Of course you do. Frankly, it looks shitty. I mean, it’s a good idea in theory, because the binder clips don’t puncture the work, but you don’t hang unframed prints up in a gallery… You package them and have them in a sort bin. Have I mentioned already that they look like posters? This is not your teenager’s bedroom. Plus, I noticed a couple that were already damaged!!! The gallery isn’t even open yet! See my point?

Come on, people. Get with the program. I know. I know. Framing is expensive. But let’s face the facts and realize that a photographer who deals solely in prints needs to have the proper presentation for said prints. If you’ve spent thousands of dollars on photographic equipment (which, by the way, is the standard, not the exception), I think you can spring for a few hundred dollars in frames. Then, by the way, you just tack that cost onto the cost of your prints. Art buyers know how much is costs to have stuff framed. They understand that.

Maybe I really should be a manager. Some people have zero idea what the hell they’re doing. Wake up artists… this is a business, and as such should be treated as one. If you want to be treated like a bohemian starving artist, you’ll never be anything else. If you don’t take your shit seriously, no-one else will, either.

I’m probably just a total bitch, but if I were in charge of the gallery, I’d tell them to get some frames or packaging or take their stuff home. Period. Okay, I’m done. It’s just tacky. That’s all.

Oh, well. What are you going to do? Less competition for me, I guess.

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10.09.06

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…

Posted in Good News, Calendar, General Business, Bitching at 11:10 am by April

For some reason I can’t get my photos to upload. I’m not sure why. Probably some bug with my blogging server. I just primed two big canvases and my hands are sticky…ick. It doesn’t seem to be getting on the keyboard, thankfully. Or maybe I just don’t notice it. Ah, who cares, really.

It’s getting down to the wire… the preview party for the Art Scene is Thursday night, (by the way, lots of art free wine and food! you’re invited… when they ask, tell, ‘em you’re with me! Broadway and Maple, North Little Rock, AR… check my calendar for the map!) and I’ve only got 2 or 3 paintings left to do to be comfortably prepared. I have to say, that’s pretty good for me. Thing is, though, that I also have a zillion other things to do for it as well. I’m not stressing over it (for once), mainly because the paintings are the most important thing, all the rest is really just fluff. I do need to get my new business cards soon, but other than that, everything else is pretty much optional.

The big thing is that I’ve been pretty creative the last few days, and I’ve really started to come up with some cool new stuff. (New stuff I wanted to post on the blog, but since I can’t upload it I’m out of luck…nope, still not working). I’ve been doing a lot of geometric abstraction (don’t know what the hell that means? I’ll get it posted soon… you’ll understand when you see it) which is, in my opinion beautifully simple, and a welcome change. As the customer who bought my first one (before it was finished, I might add) said, “the elegance is in it’s simplicity.” I love that. I just started this Saturday, which, I might add, was the longest day ever, but that’s a blog for another day. I don’t feel much like bitching (for once! ha!).

By the way, I did finish the feet. I’m quite proud of the way they turned out (again, I’d like to show you, but…). And thanks, Ms. Kieft, for the lovely comment!

Quick side note… everyone pleeeeeeease sign my map! Thanks!

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10.06.06

I need more ROOM!

Posted in Bitching at 7:34 am by April

At some point I’m going to need to either rent out a big warehouse space or have a several thousand square-foot building constructed. This whole lack of space thing is starting to become a bit of an issue. Galleries are wanting big stuff, (and when I say big I mean 5 feet tall) and when you have several of those babies laying around waiting to dry and be varnished, it starts to get cramped…fast. I finish a painting and my first thought is, hmm… where can I put this??? Oh, and let’s not forget putting the frames together and stretching the canvas. It’s not easy. I suppose this is where I should mention that my apartment is less than 1000 square feet. See my dilemna? Well, I suppose for now I’ll just have to deal with it.

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10.04.06

Inspiration and Feet. (???)

Posted in Inspired, Works In Progress at 1:22 pm by April

Okay, so I couldn’t think of a good title… 

It’s been months since I’ve felt this excited and inspired, and I have no idea whatsoever where it came from. I literally just realized out of nowhere that I really wanted to paint. All of a sudden I have a ton of creative energy. Nice. Just in time, too. I have a ton of things to get done this month. I’m not going to question it too much, though… might screw it up.

Okay… I get a daily email horoscope just for fun and I just checked my email and this is what it said:

“Now is the time to start making your dreams come true. When action-oriented Mars is trine (exactly 120 degrees) with imaginative Neptune, like it is during this period, it is a strong positive influence that can feel like a booster shot of energy.

Timing is everything. If you have ideas, thoughts, visions or dreams you’ve only fantasized about, now is an excellent time to turn those mental images into a down-to-earth plan of action.”

Weird.

Coincidence? Probably. But you’ve got to admit that it’s a little crazy that I was just thinking that and then I read the email…

Anyway, yesterday I started this painting, another completely off the wall thing, but I’m really feeling it for some reason. I’ve been doing practically nothing but abstract lately, and I just wanted to paint something. Maybe subconsciously I’m telling myself to take a break! Ha! Not today. Well, it isn’t finished, and it certainly doesn’t hang with anything else I’ve done, but what the hell.

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10.02.06

My Art is Not Porn.

Posted in Uncategorized at 4:51 pm by April

Recently a good friend agreed to pose for a semi-nude painting session. Those of you out there who are artists as well know the value of working from life. I’d list the benefits, which are many, but I think it’ll suffice to say that it really sharpens your skills. There’s really nothing quite like it. It’s harder than working from photos and sketches and studies, but you really get a feel for the way light really looks in a way you just don’t get with any other method.

Anyhow, I just hung up the phone with her and she informed me that her boyfriend is really going nuts over the concept of her modeling for me. He hates it. My understanding is that it caused a pretty major fight. This, to me, is ridiculous for several reasons, but the main one is this: This is NOT PORN, it’s fine art. There’s a slight difference. Not to mention I would never ask someone to pose for a painting and then dishonor their image, especially someone I consider my friend. She isn’t even going to be nude during the actual session (which would be helpful, but I can leave out straps if I need to) and I only plan on doing an implied-nudity painting anyway (aka nothing showing). 

So if you, the aformentioned boyfriend happen to be reading this, get over it, pal. Most people don’t get the chance to be painted and I’m sure when she’s old and gray she’ll be really really glad she was one of the ones who did. Actually, she’s pretty excited about it now. The truth is, it’s an honor to be depicted in art. That painting will outlive all of us, and when her great great grandchildren can tell their friends that the painting that is hanging in such and such museum is a portrait of their great great grandmother, it’ll be worth your (very childish, I might add) jealousy. Besides, when it sells I’m paying her a decent fee for just sitting for a couple of hours. Just be happy I’m not a photographer.

So nice to be trusted.

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