Day 2, One of my favorite Things

Jan 2, 30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

Day 2: 2 hours,  Monthly Total: 5.5 hours

One of My Favorite Things.
About two years ago I started painting at a local coffee shop in Rockford. Actually, I have to give Leslie Saeta credit for this one. I was listening to her weekly podcast show, AHA, Artists helping Artists and she suggested painting in public. I decided that I would do this in connection with my local art guild as a social program.  So every first and third Monday I'm down at Katie's Cup sipping tea and painting.

My thank you to Katie's. It now has a home by the fireplace.

Open studio at Katie's Cup was started as a service but I quickly found the benefits. It took awhile for it to catch on. Sometimes I sat there and painted alone. But, I instantly loved it. There was always someone who would approach me and ask me about my work. Not only was I learning to paint in front of people but I was learning how to talk about my art. Slowly, I started having people show up with whatever they were working on and join me. This is one way that I began getting to know my fellow art people better. This is were some wonderful friendships were built. 

I've learned that art is not only about creating work and hoping someone likes it well enough that they buy it allowing  you to paint another day. There's many components to art. One is of sharing.... sharing your time, your opinion, your friendship, your skills.

Open studio is so important to me that I plan to 

keep it going after I open my own studio in Rockton.

Today, I had plans. I needed a few friends to try out  a design for a class I'm doing at 317 Studio & Gallery  on January 26th. Sign up here 

 Winter Visitor

Alcohol Ink and Pen

6 x 6

NFS

When we got to Katie's it was closed.( Honestly, Dee and I asked two weeks ago to see if they'd be open.) We went to Mary's Market instead. Who know it was BOGO day on breakfast entries. (Thanks for the yummy quiche Laura.) We had a great time talking, laughing and painting.

I got just what I needed, some tips for my class and a great morning with friends. Isn't art wonderful?

 

 


 

Playing with Plates and Alcohol Inks

A friend from the guild told me about some 

plates she saw painted in alcohol inks.

 We had to try it! So we got a bunch of friends together at Katie's Cup last Monday and played.

 
I was surprised at how well the ink worked on the plates.





We had a great time.























At home I kept on painting as I'm trying to come up with a project to do at 317 Studio.


 












 It's a bit addictive.




On Monday, November16th we'll be back at Katie's cup. Next time ...ornaments.

Art Hanging at Karie's Cup

My work work is hanging at Katie's Cup during the month of April.

As most of you know, I paint at Katie's every first and third Mondays of the month. I have really enjoyed painting in such a warm, friendly atmosphere. So, when I was planning on what pieces to hang I wanted to include a painting of Katie's from the vantage point of my seat.

Katie's Cup

Alcohol Ink 

14" x 20"

  Come on down to Katie's and paint with me sometime.

(First and third Monday of each month.)

Thank you John, Anne and Gordy for your help hanging this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Amanda Janet's Dahlias, Best Friends, Diane's Irises

Over the Fireplace: Greenwood Chapel, Ristorante
                                Pizzaria, Katie's Cup

Below: Beth's Tulips, Samantha at Four, Mary's Peonies

Katie's Cup, an Alcohol Ink

My newest piece is also my largest alcohol ink yet,

 a 14 X 20 of Katie's Cup. 

Katie's is the coffee shop that I paint at twice a month. Turns out, that sitting at a table, painting away with my headphones on while the world goes on around me is something I really love to do. There is always someone who stops by and talks for awhile. Funny, you find out that you have much in common with the stranger sitting next to you.

My works will be hanging there for the month of April. I am hoping to get this finished and framed by Saturday so it can go over the fireplace. I'm cutting it close but there's an awful lot going on this month so I'm cutting myself some slack.

This will be the fourth in my Drive By series of Rockford, although this is the only interior I have planned.

The Business of Art or is it the Art of Businses?

I've been busy with the business of art.

I'm having been in the studio for three days and I'm dying to get back there today but the truth is there a lot more to an art business than painting. I want to make some negative comment about this fact but the the variety of  chores keeps me challenged and engaged in other ways and I'm grateful (I guess). Besides the daily marketing done on social media there is much more to keeping JR Finally Art up and going.

Cho and I at Picture Salon in Madison, Wisconsin

Friday I was notified that two of my pieces were chosen for a show at our local museum. (Yeah!) These along with pieces to be hung at Katie's Cup and Rockford's Art Scene all need to be framed. That means a trip to Hobby Lobby for mats and Michaels for frames. In the event that they may be sold, a trip to Madison for scanning is in order. Each piece will need a description. Why I painted it. What I was thinking at the time I painted it.

7 new prints will be available soon.

And...

It's almost April 15th. Then of course, there's taxes. I use Quick Books for my record keeping. I like math but accounting in not something that comes natural for me. Although it should all be pretty straight forward at tax time... well, for me, it's not.

Katie's Cup

These are the months to sign up for the summer art shows. As invitations and rejections come in it's time to scurry and find shows for the weeks that are still available, make reservations and plan the summer schedule.

But my heart is in the studio today working on the Katie's Cup alcohol ink  - for Saturday. I have it drawn out, that's it, so I need to move on it.

An idea for Unforgettable Art

I'm also working on tester paintings for Unforgettable Art on the 18th of April.








So there's lots to do today! 
Where does your business lead you?
What do you do on the days you're not in your studio?

My New Series - Drive By

One of the reasons I want to do a series on Rockford is so I will have several pieces to choose from when it come time to submit paintings for Rockford Art Museum show. Only one piece will be chosen but I decided I could use this series for several upcoming shows.

My work will be on display at Katie's cup in April. I love going there twice a month to paint and always find myself in conversations with someone who is interested in my art. Yesterday, it was a gentleman who was a graphic artist major in college. He spoke about all his fraternity brothers who were going into business or law and didn't understand why he'd go into art. Wild flowers were his big interest so we had a nice conversation. I'd like to have at least one Katie's Cup painting, large enough for over the fireplace. But I'd also like a few more paintings of Rockford there also.


April 10th is the Spring Art Scene where I'd also like to hang several of my Rockford pictures done in alcohol Inks. So I think I'll need several paintings and this time I want some large ones say 23" x 35".

Yesterday, after the above mentioned conversation with Kyle, another one about labs which hopefuly will lead to a comision and the conversation with the two guild members who introduced me to Dr. Ph Martin's watercolors - a must try, almost bought them today- I drove around Rockford collecting photographs of some of the wonderful buildings Rockford has to offer.  I never left my car and must have looked quite silly hanging my I Pad out the window. Some pictures I took while I was driving - I know, silly and I did stop doing that, but I adore some of these buildings and wanted a shot. The result was some pretty wild pictures, but I think I got enough to start my series. Some of the pictures I'll have to piece together but that may be a fun challenge. My name for this series? What else but "Drive By". What do you think?

Rockford used to be the second largest city in Illinois until about 14 years ago. From about 1850 to 1970 it was a  thriving industrial city with a lot to offer including a wonderful a college. At the turn of the century there was a lot of money around to build some beautiful mansions and gorgeous buildings, many which are still in service today - several which are just too costly to bring the buildings up to code and they have fallen into disrepair. When industrial jobs went overseas a lot of these companies moved out leaving a lot of people without jobs. Today Rockford has plenty of problems with crime and gangs but it continues to be this city where one can have access to wonderful concerts by top performers like Elton John or see traveling Broadway shows along with wonderful orchestras, several gardens, an arboretum and museums.

Day 22, Watercolors, My Day in the Garden

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.


What a wonderful day I had yesterday. It started with painting at Katie's Cup, just me, Pandora Radio, the fireplace, and the view of the snow falling outside the window. There were other people around  too, having their business meetings or working on their computers. I realized that I just love painting around people, not as a voyeuristic thing, but more as an inclusive thing. It's like I'm in my own little world but still apart of the crowd. It feels right.

My Day in the Garden

Watercolor

5 " x 7"

$65

 I love painting my garden in the winter. It's my way of reminding myself that the warm weather is coming. It made yesterday all the more special. Being my birthday, my husband took me out to lunch and made me a wonderful steak dinner at night. I loved getting all the well wishes during the day and I couldn't help thinking just how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful people and loved so well. How terrific it is that I got to spend my day just perfectly... painting and with family. 

How blessed we all are, that those we love from so far away are visible on Facebook or other social media or just a Skipe call away.  

Thanks for helping to make all me dreams come true.

The Joy of Christmas, The Gift of Returning Back to Work

So Christmas is over and Beth and Adrian have gone back to Ohio. The house is quiet although we still have two at home. I'm craving painting the way I crave warm sunny days or chocolate. But first, I feel I need to touch basis with social media which I have ignored for several days. I had to make a choice work or family? I choose the family of course with no regrets but will make a note to self; "Self plan out December's Social Media end of October beginning of  November." (Shopping before Thanksgiving would be cool too. But who gets their kid's wish lists that early?)

With three of my five sisters; Karen, Lynn, Me and Kim

 

I made a lot of crafts this year and did a lot of baking. None of which made it to my web page.

 

Next Year.....

 I know I need to spend some time looking back on 2014 and evaluate how I did on the goals I set but I can't help but be excited about the upcoming year. 

I'll start the year with works on display at Emerson House, then it's on to the Nicholson Conservatory show. The Art guild is planning a moving show of sixty local artist and there will be a show at the Rockford Art Museum (my first museum). In April my works will be on display at Katie's Cup along with the Spring Art Scene. And that doesn't include any of the Art shows I'll schedule for the year.

 It all starts New Year's day with the first day of the January 30 in 30. I also got an early Christmas gift when I won a marketing consultation with Leslie Saeta! My web master and I have a lot to do making the changes we've been planning for the new year let alone the new recommendations we'll get from Leslie. And on top of all that I have several new prints available and am hoping for at least three more in Febrary. 

It sounds like a lot but I absolutely love it and I feel so blessed to wake up each morning and do exactly what I love.

Touching Bases

Hello everyone and Happy December!
 What a great time of the year so full with everything. It can be a lot of fun and also so overwhelming. I'm getting a bit behind in the mix here. My blog included. So I decided to just leave a bit of a note to say I'm still going.

Saturday's show at Midwest Stone Source and Design was so much fun! It included great live music, food and wine all for the great cause of the Rockford Rescue mission. I started carrying a lot of smaller items which did very well. (Although the economy does seem to be recovering some I think everyone's still very careful.) I won a wonderful bathroom sink basin that we'll install in the Union House, a 158 year old house that my husband is rehabbing.

I did a lot of crafts for the event which I will start writing up and posting to the blog.

I'm still painting at Katie's Cup every first and third Wednesdays of the month.
I have found that I love this. That's so incredible, me, someone who had a hard time just showing my work about four years ago. But I love being out around people in a peaceful atmosphere.  I find it keeps me more on track...can't play games on my i Pad while others are watching.

I'm starting to get ready for the Nicholson Conservatory show in February. I have three watercolors that I will be working on for that show. It's so busy but I know I have at least these times scheduled. Actually, I'm dying to just sit down quietly and paint. I'm hoping to get to it this afternoon.

Showing Up and Smelling the Coffee at Katie's Cup

Sometimes just showing up is good enough.  I have been having so much fun painting at Katie's Cup  in downtown Rockford. The whole thing started as a Rockford Art Guild activity but so far no one from the guild has joined me. (I think Wednesdays are a bad day for many who are either teaching classes or taking them at our local Woman's Space.) The original idea was to get together and share some ideas and fellowship. But I have found that I love it! Every week people stop me and ask me about my work. There's always something going on. Today was a kick off for Credit Union Week. The local TV channel was there to get the story.

Andy Gannon of 23 News approached me and wanted to know what I was doing with the crazy plastic table cloth I had spread over the table for protection. By the time my painting session was all over I was given a $10 Katie's Cup gift card, promised a donation of art for breast cancer research and talked to several people. Not bad.

Harry's Flowers

Alcohol Inks and Pen

8 x 12

$75

http://www.jillraefinallyart.com/originals.php

I even got some work done in the process. I had forgotten that I did have some painting started for days 30 and 12 of the 30 in 30. I finished the alcohol ink part the night before and penned it at Katie's. Harry is my next door neighbor, Nancy's husband. He went through a very serious surgery in August. His work sent him a beautiful bouquet of flowers which got dropped off at my house. I couldn't help myself but photograph it. (More future paintings.) Does anyone know the name of these flowers?

I started adding watercolor to this drawing from Madeline Island. All in all I would say it was a very productive day - just by showing up.