Deadline Done

Did it.

Got the work finished, photographed, and submitted to the show. Now I just wait to hear whether I was accepted or not. As I mentioned before, it’s always a crap shoot. And I do not take it personally. Whew, I’ve been rejected too many times to take it personally any more.

Sometimes the stars just aren’t lined up properly.

Or the juror had a bad day.

Or didn’t like my work.

Or……..

But it’s all okay. I like my work, and the path that I am on. And at the end of the day that is what matters most.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic to get positive reinforcement about my work in the form of sales or acceptance letters, but I don’t fret and stew over it. I just keep plodding along, trusting my instincts and knowing that in the end it all works out as it is supposed to.

And on that happy note, I shall bid farewell to each of you on this last day of 2010 and look forward to more conversations in 2011.

Have a happy and safe New Years Eve!


P.S.- All of the work evolved from when you saw them last.  Here is a look at some of the changes.

Patiently Waiting, Kim Radatz©



Patiently Waiting, detail, Kim Radatz©

Wishful Thinking, detail, Kim Radatz©

 

Measuring Up, detail, Kim Radatz©




Shooting at Targets

I like deadlines as they give me something to aim at. They keep me on track and working towards a finished product. Always nice to have a target.

And I have one this week. It helped get me out of bed and feeling better again. Wonderful how life helps me out that way.

This week I have been diligently working on these “skins”. Not finished yet, but they will be for the deadline.
 

Lost Innocence, Kim Radatz©

Patiently Waiting, Kim Radatz©

One Foot in Front of the Other, Kim Radatz©

Wishful Thinking, Kim Radatz©



Back to work for me. I hope you have a productive day too.

And Happy New Year to you. May 2011 be a year of blessings for you and yours.

Show and Tell Sundays-Sick Puppy

My sick as a dog days have morphed into sick puppy days. Not full blown "big" sick like a grown up dog, but on a smaller scale, like a puppy. Sick Puppy, that’s me.

I know healthy days are right around the corner.

While I was sick as one, I had the opportunity to meet some of your dogs, which was so very nice. I much prefer meeting dogs than feeling like one!

May I introduces to you some very special dogs.  They are:



"Cherry ", as in chocolate-covered and sweet.
http://www.studiocb.blogspot.com/

 

Lola, the rescued Greyhound.
http://www.purplecloudstudio.com/



Achilles and his new little sister Pandora.
http://starkimages.homestead.com/pugimages.html




Abby under her blanket
http://artistsjournal.wordpress.com/

  

Delilah, the tried and true traveling D dog.
http://www.moonmaidbotanicals.com/

 
And my contribution to the dog bunch, Duke and Dixie of Dog Days. Still way early in the piece, which I wouldn’t typically show, but I haven’t accomplished much this week, so there it is. I’ll share again once it is finished.


Skinned-Dog Days, Kim Radatz©

 

 Hopefully you have been enjoying lots of wonderful holiday food and conversations with family and friends! It’s that wonderful time of year for doing just that.

Have a great week, this last of the year!

An Artful Life

I think I could cycle back to the questionnaire from Cloth Paper Scissors magazine over and over and still never complete it. I see a question, ponder it, and arrive at an answer only to have it evolve into another answer and then prompt another thought and continue to evolve as the days go by.

The one question I have been thinking about repeatedly this holiday season is:

• Where do you find ideas for your work?

If I could push it one step further, I would ask:

• How does your art find its way into your life?

And this year, I can say my holiday decorations where definitely inspired by the decorations used in the altar the Artist Advisory Committee made for the Day of the Dead show at Tampa Museum of Art this past October. (Whew, that is a mouth full.)

I don’t have pix of the altar, but it is the white pom pom flowers on my tree that were inspired by the multicolored ones we used in October.

Must be a week of dogs; I see a poodle tail on the top of my tree!

May your holidays be happy and your troubles few.

I’ll talk to you in a few days.

Happy, happy, merry, merry!

Show and Tell Sunday-Sick as a Dog!

Well, Show and Tell Sunday was a sick day for me. And a no show day for my blog. Sorry about that.

But yuck, was I SICK!

Sick as a dog.

And I’ve been out of commission for days. Still just plodding along, but I feel certain I’ll be 100% before long.

While stuck in bed the whole dog thing (sick as one) made me wonder, hmmm, do you have a dog? I think so from some of your comments. But just to be certain, I have an idea.

If you send me a photo of your dog (name too, please) I’ll post it for the upcoming Show and Tell Sunday.

Just send it to me at KimRadatz@aol.com with “Show and Tell Sundays” in the subject line, please, so it isn’t mistaken for spam.

And I’ll share with you too.

Really looking forward to meeting your dogs!

Have a wonderful, food poisoning free evening!

Distracted Again

The other day I posted that I was thinking about starting an Etsy shop, but I have decided against it, thanks to your help. It is a wonderful tool for those that want to sell their work on their own. And it is so very gratifying when a sale happens. Plus you have direct contact with the buyer. Etsy is the perfect tool for accomplishing that. But…

But, in order to sell well, one must work at it and that takes time away from actually making art. I would rather make it than sell it, especially since I am not a natural born salesperson. That gift went to my sisters, so why do it? As the song says,
     You've got to accentuate the positive
     Eliminate the negative
     And latch on to the affirmative
     Don't mess with Mister In-Between

Sage advice that I shall take. No messin’ with the in-between stuff. Because in-between stuff is just another name for distraction. I shall leave the selling to the professionals, who are oh, so talented at doing it. And I love them for it.

So…. instead of thinking about selling my work, and having a body of work that is more suitable for sales, I’ve been working on these “skins”. They are far from finished, but I like where they are going.

Skinned-You Say, Kim Radatz©

Skinned-Wishful Thinking, KimRadatz©

Skinned-Wishful Thinking, detail, KimRadatz©

And yes, I know myself well enough to know that I will get distracted again and probably in the very near future. Hopefully I’ll be able to see the distractions for what they are and get back on track quicker.

As usual, time will tell on that front. I’ll keep you posted.

Stay warm tonight.

Do You Know the Secret?

To Etsy, that is.

Periodically I will think to myself, “I should try to sell some smaller works with my own Etsy shop.” And then if I take it one step further and actually log onto Etsy to check it out and try to navigate my way around the site I break into a cold sweat and immediately want to run.

Far away.

And fast.

Is this unique to me? Or have you experienced that too?

And I also wonder, do you buy or sell on Etsy?

If yes, maybe you have some secrets to share on how to do it well?

Please, do tell.  I could use your help.

Show and Tell Sundays

Sundays are a great day for me.

I try to review the previous week and in doing so I am also readying for the one to come. As the Sundays of 2010 dwindle down, I thought I’d do a little thinking out loud and start sharing my Sundays with you. Hopefully this will help me to be more focused and productive too. We’ll have to wait and see on that front.

And this makes me wonder:

Do You Run or Plod?

Neither is better, me thinks, just another way to honor our own quirks.

I have a tendency to do both depending on the situation. Though this week I’ve been plodding along in a BIG way.

I won’t be too hard on myself for doing so with all the holiday obligations, I’ll just let the work roll off my fingers when they are ready to be complete.

I am happy to report that I have finished a few of the 8 x 8’s and some have even found a new home of their own. Always a good thing! But most are still in the works.

Here is a sneak peek of the current works in progress.

Group shot, Kim Radatz©



Good Friends, Kim Radatz©



His and Hers, Kim Radatz©

Carefree, Kim Radatz©

Now it is your turn, do tell about you.
 
And stay warm and creative as you work this week!

Works In Progress

The works are still in progress, most a long way from finished, but I’m plugging along nonetheless.

I’ve had interruptions so I don’t feel I have given these little works their due. But tomorrow is another day and I’ll be back in my studio before the sun rises.

Until then, I hope you have an enjoyable evening!



Group in progress, Kim Radatz©



Good Luck, Kim Radatz©

Two of a Kind, Kim Radatz©

Cover Me, Kim Radatz©

I Wonder What Tomorrow Will Bring

Woo Hoo!  I received my order from Dick Blick today.  Full of possibilities for tomorrow, me thinks.  I’ll keep you posted on how they unfold.

May both of our Wednesdays be warm and productive!

Music to my Ears

I am a water person. More specifically I am a salt water person.

I know I am not alone in this preference and there are songs out there to prove it.

The albatross and the whales they are my brothers...White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean...Sailing.

A few songs among many.  They are all music to my ears.

I imagine my preference for salt water is because I have lived by the ocean most of my life.

Which might explain why salt has been showing up in my work as of late. First with Wishful Thinking, and now with Driftless. There are more salt works in the works, but for now, these two are set up in my studio for me to ponder.

Driftless©, Kim Radatz

Wishful Thinking's salty footprint, Kim Radatz

I’ll keep you posted as the old pieces make way for the new.

Until then, may your day been a warm and creative one.

Revisiting Old Friends

I’ve been blogging.


And that process reminds me of the papers upon papers I had to write while I was in undergrad and grad school. I can hear a collective groan from some of you out there. But not from me. Nope, I loved doing each and every one of those papers. I could have research day and night.

My two favorite books then and now are the Thesaurus and the Dictionary. When I shared that information with a friend a few years ago, she exclaimed, “You really are a geek!”

A geek!?

Me?

I hadn’t considered that. It doesn’t bother me though; I wear my geek title proudly.

Sooooo, this whole blogging process has reminded me that life is cyclical.

I graduated from grad school in 1998, yet here I am these many years later thinking deeply about stuff from then. What I studied, what I made, what I liked and didn’t like, and the reasons why for each.

And it is having an effect on my work.

I’ll remember something, and think “I should use/try/repeat/recycle that idea/subject/concept again.”

Sometimes it will happen without a conscious thought on my part. I’ll be working and there it (fill in the “it” blank) will be.

Interesting. I’m rather enjoying revisiting those old friends again.

And the reoccurring “it” this week has been texture. Rich, juicy texture. Which reminds me of the endless texture and glaze samples that I did while in school. You see, I started life as a potter.

But more on that later.

For now, I’d like to share some texture from then and now. Some are clay, some are mixed media. All are yummy to me. I hope you enjoy them too.

Have a warm and creative day.

Artists Are Not Lemmings

A while back an acquaintance asked how I would describe being an artist. Without any preconceived thought I exclaimed, “artists are visionaries.”

“Hmm, where the heck did that come from?” I thought.

If a gun had been held to my head in the moments prior I don’t think I could have answered the question in the same way.

In hindsight, I feel it was, and still is, the perfect answer.

We artists look at things in a different way. We keep striving to find our own voices. We are not lemmings.

And that explains why watching this clip from The Dead Poets Society still gives me chills. Robin Williams’ character was a true visionary and a great teacher.

Happy December to you. And may it be lemming free!

More on Melanie

I know you have seen this piece before, but it has come up in conversation so much lately that I gotta share it with you again.

Melanie,
Kim Radatz©

Here is how it played out, (pun intended):


I remembered the song from long ago and was inspired to do a dress using the song/title after finding a pair of vintage roller skates earlier this year.

the inspiration

The dress was in a show at C. Emerson Fine Art in St. Petersburg, Florida in September.

A friend of Melanie Safka, the singer that penned and sang the song, was at the opening and told me that Melanie formerly lived in Pinellas County (I don’t remember the exact city, but it wasn’t far from where the gallery is located). The friend took a picture of my piece to send to Melanie, who now lives out of state.

And now, this new HP printer commercial has prompted my family and friends to contact me to say, “Isn’t that the same song…..?”

If you haven’t seen the commercial yet, take a look. It’ll put a smile on your face.

All of this brings me around to say that now, as the year comes to a close, I have been having nice chats with family members and friends about the song, about life, about us in general. From one little song.  From long ago. It’s a good thing. Something more to be thankful about.

I wonder if Melanie feels it too.

Killing Two Birds With One Stone

I just finished my walk, which I love.  I’m meditating and exercising all in one fell swoop.

When I first started walking years ago I didn’t set out to do both at once, it just sort of happened.  Now I do it intentionally.  No iPod with music or books, just wide open spaces for my mind to wander. And that allows the ideas to find a cozy spot to land.  An oh, so very cool thing to watch unfold.

Today this process reminded of the questionnaire I recently filled out for the Cloth Paper Scissor magazine. The one question in particular that came to mind was, “Where do you find ideas for your work?” I can’t remember how I answered exactly, but I know it had something to do with having no control over the ideas, they just come. I suppose I should have answered through meditation, but that might sound too esoteric. And it’s not. It’s just plain and simple walking. And thinking. One foot in front of the other and I am worlds away. It is a beautiful thing.

Naturally there are other ways for ideas to formulate and land; this is just one of the ways that came to mind today.

But now I gotta know; where do you find ideas for your work?

The title of this blog reminded me of these mixed media on cardboard pieces I did two years ago.



mixed media, Kim Radatz©



 

mixed media, Kim Radatz©









Two pieces, two birds, two years ago, lots of twos going on in this blog.

There could be a reason for that. But more on that later.

I hope you have a creative day!

Juried Shows are a Crap Shoot

Guests looking at Grey Area©

The Florida Museum for Women Artists opening went great on Friday. I visited with old and new friends alike, always a good thing.


As I mentioned before, it was a juried show, which is always such a crap shoot. I know quite a few women that were not juried in and their work is FANTASTIC. So why didn’t they make it in?


One has to wonder. It is a question I have had to ask myself when I didn’t get in a show. Was it the work? Was it the venue? Was it me? Was it all of the above?

Inquiring minds want to know.


Which is why I have recently starting reading books, blogs, and attending talks and workshops on art marketing. And it has helped me. Not necessarily by getting into a specific show, but by educating me for the long haul. Again, always a good thing.

So I want to share some of my favorites with you. Feel free to pass along your favorites too as I am always open to educational stuff.

I read Copy Blogger and ArtBiz Blog  on a regular basis as they cover tons of pertinant info on marketing.   ArtBiz addressed the jurying subject specifically back in June.

Also, I recently I attended a workshop by Alyson B Stanfield of ArtBizBlog in Jacksonville, which was great.  If you haven’t read her book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio, I would highly recommend it.

Good stuff, all of it.

And that, my friends brings me to what I am thankful for on this day before Thanksgiving:

to be able to pursue my passion, and continue to grow while doing so, surrounded by loving family and friends, even if at times it is a crap shoot.

I wish you the best of luck in the shows you enter!  May they all be "yeses."

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Do you use business cards?

And no, this is not a trick question. In these oh, so modern times I know some people don’t use them anymore.

But I do, and I recently learned about Moo products from Rebecca Sexton Larson.

Well, I have ordered from them twice now and let me just say, “WOW. I LOVE their cards!”

Wanna know what I like best? Their texture. Yes, the image is great. And the layouts too. But when I give a card to somebody 9 times out of 10 they will gently rub the card with their fingers. Yep, they notice the texture too, even if not consciously. Deliciously buttery.

Try ‘em. You’ll like ‘em. And if you’re a tad nervous about taking the plunge to order your own, you can have one of mine first. Just let me know.

But I think you’re gonna like ‘em.

I hope you have a creative day.

Do you ever get distracted?

I think this might even be considered lost, instead of distracted! Nah, just kidding.

But honestly, I set off last Wednesday to deliver work to FMWA in DeLand and ended up going on to Daytona and spending a few days there. Nice. No distractions, no computer, but yikes, that can cause some problems. Especially when one is used to logging on every day. A forced vacation from the computer due to an impulse. This is also not like me at all. Remember the anal organization on my studio? Yep, the anal stuff runs deep! Organized. Planned out. Etc. So this was a nice.

All of that to say, I never posted the pix of the collages prior to delivering them to the museum gift shop. So here is a quick look.  Thankfully, one sold the day of delivery.  Very nice to get that confirmation.

collages©, Kim Radatz

And this makes me wonder about you, since we've been sharing some Q and A: Do you ever get distracted?  Do tell.

Life is a Highway

Gray Area, Kim Radatz©

And I am drivin' it today.  Interstate 4, here I come.

I am hitting the highway today to deliver my piece, Gray Area, to the Florida Museum for Women Artists in DeLand. What a beautiful day to do so as the sun is shinning and the sky is clear.

I am very honored to be part of this show and really looking forward to the opening on the 19th. Maybe I’ll see you there? I’ll hope so.

Gray Area, detail Kim Radatz©

 

Sunshine and Creativity

Brrrr, it’s cold here. Been cold all weekend. Not what one would expect in early November for The Sunshine State.

But the sun is shining and I’m ready to get lots of work done today. Which answers another of the questions posed by Cloth Paper Scissors that I have shared with you: Does the weather affect your art-making? For me, ABSOLUTELY. I don’t do gray skies well. I go into hibernation, in a big, bad way.

I had SAD (Seasonal Adjustment Disorder) long before it was a commonly known disorder. And now that I am aware of it, I prepare for grey days accordingly. This is why I live in Florida where the sun shines most of the time. And fortunately, while I am in Minnesota, the days are long and the sky is so very big.

I have been inspired to make some small collages today by my friend, Martha. She is obviously never deterred from her studio for any reason whatsoever as she is the most productive artist I know. Check out her blog, An Artist's Journal, and you’ll see what I mean.

Off to work I go. Enjoy your day and I hope that it is a productive one!

Preparation for collages

Stacked up and ready to go.

Selling Off Some Old Friends

You know, I too have been pondering the questions I posed the other day. Specifically, “What’s your workspace like?” and “Are you messy or neat?”

I am pondering these as I prepare for a garage sale we are having tomorrow.

In addition to the regular household items one typically finds, I am selling quite a bit of my mixed media supplies. It’s scary. It’s a bit like selling off old friends. Some of this stuff I have had forever and some items are recent acquisitions. But all are loved by me. I don’t just bring any ol’ thing home; it has to speak to me first. But now I am moving some of them out. And I’ve got to say, it feels rather nice. Scary, but nice.

I have long believed that cleaning out older work gives you permission to make more. But this time, it is more than making space, I am downsizing in a big way.

Maybe it’s because I had a very productive summer in my tiny studio in Minnesota. That probably is a major motivating factor. If I can produce lots of stuff in a small space, just a corner carved out of my bedroom, what can I do in my larger studio if I have wide open space? Make lots and lots more?

Time will tell on that front, and I will keep you posted. But for now I shall enjoy the empty spaces.

Oh, and to answer the questions- full of bright natural light; orderly; messy in the process and tidy between pieces. Some might say anal. I’m okay with that. Here are 2 quick views.

The pix don't look as bright as in real life, but you can get an idea.

East end of studio



one wall of storage

I hope you have a creative day in your studio!

http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/