Even when you're bunged up, things flow

I've realised its been a while since I last did a blog post. And its been at the back of my mind for the last couple of days to do one. I hadn't realised that it has been a week since I last wrote. And in that week I've had a cold. I wouldn't normally mention it, as I've had colds before and they are usually an annoyance rather than anything else. A cold is a cold......your nose is full of snot and your head doesn't work properly.

But when I think back over this week, and remember that I kept thinking I've got "nothing to write about", I remember that I've been working hard on the "living flame" erotic couple painting which is almost finished, I've attended a meeting for one of the art groups I'm in, looking at the years exhibitions and poor sales (due to the recession) and have looked at ways to find exciting new venues, and have other artists on the waiting list wanting to join the group and hopefully will benefit from any future associations with them. I've had some lovely chats with some of my artist friends, and have benefited hugely from a couple in particular, I have exhibited at two local exhibitions, one a weekend one, and the other a month one, and although I didn't sell anything other than a small print - IT IS A SALE, and proof that someone likes my art enough to want it hanging on their wall. Ok, I may not be feeding on caviar for the next month from the sale, but it is a positive step forward and one that I appreciate and am grateful for.

And I have also been on a shopping spree. One that I thoroughly enjoyed. One where I bought some exciting blank canvas's (when I think of the wonderful paintings I'm going to paint on them!), some mounts, and a large amount of industrial velcro......................

...........................now, why would she want velcro, and not just that, but INDUSTRIAL velcro, in large quantities...........?

HMMmmmmm..............................

Well..................I'll let you ponder that one for a while, and maybe I'll tell you, if you can't guess.

And I shall be very very interested to know if you can................ :)

Socialising with the Erotic Guild

As usual the sun shone brightly on the Guild of Erotic Artists event day, the car park was full, (always a good sign) and a few new faces joined the familiar ones.

There was quite a bit of diverse entertainment for the day - starting with the Jade magazine awards for the top three articles of the year. The next part of the entertainment was a couple of raunchy songs from one of the female Guild members dressed for the part, who then stayed on the stage to have her elegant foot body-cast as part of the days fascinating demonstration. Her foot was angled on a triangular wedge of stone to give it a more appealing shape whilst the body caster explained that the stone would become part of the foot in the finished sculpture to add interest. He explained the procedure as he went along and answered various questions from the audience, although mostly from one source I noted!

During the afternoon, everyone took the chance to be out in the warm sunshine as much as they could and during one conversation with the Guilds official videographer he told me about the 24 minute video he had produced of Erotica at Olympia for the last two years that would be featured in the Guilds next DVD. I was fortunate to get the chance to view it later on, as I am exhibiting again at Erotica in November but this time in the art gallery and wanted to see the layout there to remind myself of the placing of the stands. It was also good to see myself and my "Fantasy Fannies" stand of last year on the video. I discussed with the Guild Secretary where my stand is going to be this year and I picked up a lot of helpful advice and suggestions regarding the show.

It was good to see another particular Erotic Artist again, I've not seen him since last October but I enjoyed the chance to have a chat and hear how his career is going. We discussed the recession and how its affecting us all with lower sales than we'd like.

Towards the end of the day, the Guild Secretary asked me if I'd be happy to write an article about the Guild for "Milk Cow" magazine (featuring the 1940s and 1950s lifestyle) and after a little discussion of the best way of tackling it, was happy to agree. It looks like I've got the job as the Guilds journalist now as well as the the report writer, but that's fine by me and I was delighted to be asked.

It's not possible to talk to everyone as these events but its always nice that even in saying a brief greeting to people that it's done in an affectionate way and that indeed was the case with one of the artists as he gave me his customary warm hug and friendly grin as he passed me as I carried on my conversation with someone else regarding art shows and his experience of them. We talked about doing demonstrations for them and how much the public like them, and how the artist benefits from it.

I only managed a brief hello and goodbye with a couple of the other artists but they were busy chatting to others every time I was hoping for a chat. But these social occasions are like that and hopefully I'll catch them next time.......

And start again

I've been working on the erotic couple in the living flame style of painting all week, solidly. It took me ages to find a pose I was happy with, and then I drew it out, and checked that I was happy with the drawing. Started the painting................ was happy with the way it was going, worked long hours on it, and then when it was almost done, I took a break, stood back.............. and started seeing the things I wasn't happy with........... the woman's arm was too thick, the colours were too strong, her head wasn't right, the hair was too dark, his hand didn't look right, his bum didn't look right. There were some good bits, but too many bad bits for me to work around. Nothing else for it................I'd have to start again. Sigh.

So, again I started looking at other images, but there was nothing I liked as much as the image I'd got. Ok, then. Start again with the image and make it so that you DO like it, before starting the painting. And that's what I did. And made sure I was happy with it before starting the painting. And made sure the colours started off pale so that they could build up in the subtle way that they are supposed to. And you know what? It looks SOOOoooo much better than the original one, already! But that's the way it goes sometimes - that the first painting has the thought processes in it, but the second one is the better one, the one that has the problems dealt with, so all I need to think about is the painting. So much better!!!! its flowing..... and that's how it should be...........................F.............L......................O.....................................................................W