Get to work! (a gentle reminder to myself)

Two new finished works waiting for varnish

Last week I made a list of the basic questions that I thought would help an artist get back on track. Well, honestly I did this exercise about two times in the past week in my notebook. However, I was more mindful, I just wasn't that good at documenting my progress. I am pretty sure I moved more, looked at more new art by other people, took more vitamins and I know I did more art business than I have been doing in quite awhile. I also managed to look at and work a little on my stalled series of paintings in progress. So, while I didn't 100% follow through with my plans, actions were taken. I am going to claim progress. How did you do this past week?

Today is the first day of March and it looks more like winter from my windows and that is fine with me. It is a new month, a clean slate, the month of my birth and the month in which I will be headed back to Edinburgh, Scotland. I fly out on the 13th! So soon!!!

While I was being mindful of things this past week,  I also came to some realizations about myself and my art. I will make note of some of them here.

As I am getting ready to leave, I wanted to get in touch with the galleries that represent me and perhaps get some new work to them. I also wanted to check my inventory in my Etsy shop. I was strangely surprised by what I found. I currently only have eight full sized paintings in my inventory along with only eight of the collaborative paintings by Stewart Bremner and myself. There are also six of my paintings (soon to be more) at Boswell-Mourot Fine Art.

Why does this surprise me you ask? Well, I was shocked at how little inventory I actually have for one thing! I mean besides these full sized works, there are only eighteen Etsy works available as well.

Great problem to have, you say! Oh yes, it is on the one hand. On the other hand, it is quite telling. When I calculate the last time I had an exhibition of my "latest" solo work, Sometimes I love you and other stories, it was Sept 2011 and Dec 2011! That has been quite awhile ago now. I have been busy in the interim, having countless exhibitions since then of that same work and remnants from my falling into sound. I have also had exhibitions of newer small paper works.

The basic fact of the matter is I haven't been working like I am accustom and it shows in many ways. There are plenty of valid reasons and explanations but those don't really matter. What matters is that I realize this more completely than I had before. The numbers don't lie, the gaps don't lie and you can't sell something you haven't created...

There is only one thing to do and that is to get back on the horse and work no matter what is going on or where I am. I have had two years of selling off the old stock, making and selling the smaller Etsy paintings and sharing two strong bodies of work with as many people as I can. I look forward to returning with focus and curiosity to my work in the coming months and I can't wait to share it with you all.

That's all for this week, until next week keep fighting!