Happy New Year 2019

Wow!   2018 flew by and I painted right up to the end of the year. It was not the
quiet holiday I had hoped for but sometimes that is how it goes.
I trust you had wonderful and blessed holiday season.
It is SO cold here in Alamosa - the temptation is to stay bundled up in front of the TV - but there's no time for that. I am grateful to have several commissions waiting in the studio. Tick - Tock - nothing motivates like a deadline.

If you are looking for some post-holiday motivation, or just an excuse to get away from all of that left over Christmas candy- do something good for yourself in 2019: take a class, get together with other people, learn new skills- or hone the skills that you have.

Painting Classes start up next week here in Alamosa at the Alamosa Family Recreation Center.
The Tuesday Evening Class starts on January 8th, from 6:30pm to 9:30 pm, and will continue through February 26th.  The evening class will focus on birds and wildlife in the landscape.

The Thursday Morning Class starts on January 10th, 9am to Noon and will continue through February 28th.  We will focus on fundamentals while painting landscapes, flowers, and wild life.

All classes meet at the Alamosa Family Recreation Center in the art studio. Beginners are welcome and all classes address foundational skills of composition, color mixing and painting technique.
Call 719-589-2105 for information or registration.

Class Notes: The GIFT of Art

In class we have been talking about giving away our work - using it as a gift. After all, this is the season of giving.
Responses to this idea have been mixed.
It occurs to me that creating "art" that is intended to be a gift - puts the artist into another head space.
It can be the "I'm not worthy" head space.

A first response could be, "my art is not good enough to give away - no one would want it",
but I see art sell out of galleries all the time that I don't think is "good enough".  What does that even mean?

When someone buys art from a shop or gallery- they have deemed it worthy by spending $$ for it.
When we GIVE art - WE say that it is worthy - but because no $$ has changed hands we don't get the benefit of $$ as an affirmation.
I have been selling "art" in public since I was a kid - with no expectations; it was all gravy, - very anonymous,  - but giving art -  is not anonymous.
AND creating ART that will become a gift adds pressure to the act of creating.

The simple act of creating a piece of art, then gifting it - is an act of, what. . . ?
Trust?  Ego?  Generosity?  Is giving ART a good thing? Should we do it?

For most student artists the step between creation and GIVING is as wide as the Grand Canyon.
Or worse, we give our work away with so many disclaimers that the recipient wonders why we are unloading it on them - instead of tossing it into the dumpster.

I hope you are not waiting for feelings of "worthiness" to finally catch up to you, because they never will.  Share your work with joy and you will be surprised how much joy your gift will bring.

This is not exactly a new idea but something I try to do in life and business,  is look for, and think of ways that I can bring art, and crafts, and the joy of creativity,  into areas that don't seem to get enough of it.