Gallery Wall

It's been a while since I've written, but it's been a busy time!  I have started a few new ventures with my work. I'll give you a quick run down now, and next week I'll go into more details.

• My favorite restaurant, Sushi Aka (in Suffolk, VA), is displaying five new paintings of mine.
• I have started selling prints on Fine Art America, and have sold three pieces in the past two weeks.  Please visit the site!
• Next week I am going to set up my wall display at Riverview Gallery in Portsmouth, VA to show my work.  I'm hopeful to get some business there.

Here is a couple shots of my latest work:

My First Commission

Well, I did it!  I got my first commission painting finished!  I am excited, and the customer is quite happy with it.  What a nice feeling it was when she asked if I'd be interested in doing a painting for her, let alone finishing it and seeing her joy and excitement.  I hope I get more work soon!  Here's a peek at the painting I did for her.

A Room with a View

Other news for this month:
I was selected in for a Juried Show last week.  It was the "2010 Annual Juried Show" through the Suffolk Art League, showing at the Suffolk Museum, Suffolk, VA.  I had entered three paintings, and one was actually selected for the show.  That is again my first experience with being selected for a juried show, so I was a bit nervous.  But it all worked out well.  The Exhibition Opening was very nice with a lot of artists and art enthusiasts.  Here is the piece that was selected:

Winter Cardinal

Well, that's my excitement for November so far.  I'm back in Watercolor class and getting new ideas all the time.  Next week I'm going to work on painting on a feather.  I'll write about that and let you know how it went next week.
Have a great day!
Bonnie

Going Green

Our natural resources and environment are very precious, and we need to take care of them.  As you may or may not know, recycling and being 'green' has always been important to me.  I have always tried to be aware of waste, and have come up with some ideas over the years to cut down on that waste in my own life.  It isn't that hard at all once you really commit to it.  Some of my habits for helping reduce waste include:

• Reusable grocery bags
• Programmable thermostats
• Composting kitchen waste
• Recycling cans, glass, etc
• Turning water off when brushing my teeth
• Repairing or re-purposing common items
• Bring old magazines to the office for others to read
• Vegetable gardening and canning

These are just a few, but I feel that they make a difference. 

In the studio, I believe that we all need to be creative where possible in coming up with ideas for less waste, environmentally friendly products and reusing / re-purposing.  I was looking around on the internet and found this site - Eco ArtWorks.   They sell all sorts of eco-friendly supplies for the artist and crafter.  I'm sure there are many more out there, as well as blogs on Going Green. 

Other ideas for re-using or re-purposing household items?

• Old buttons for embellishing projects
• Collages out of old magazines
• Plastic tubs from margarine or such for holding water, paint, supplies

I'd love to hear about how you are helping our environment by Going Green.  We can all share our ideas with each other and help further the cause!

Classes

Well, here it is toward the end of October already!  Wow!  In my last post, I was getting ready to submit work for the Tiny Treasures show.  Did I mention this was the first time to submit work to a juried show, and that it's very nerve-wracking!!  Well, I submitted my 3 paintings, and waited.  Unfortunately, none were accepted for this show, however, it was a very good experience.  Going through the motions of getting the work done, framed, etc., and submitting them was a good learning experience.  I also learned some about the 'miniature' paintings that they were expecting. 

So, I'm getting more paintings ready for submission to another show now, the Annual Juried Exhibition at the Suffolk Museum, through the Suffolk Art League. 

Getting Closer to the Shows

Okay, the show is only 2 days away, well the submitting part anyway.  I have my paintings done for the Tiny Treasures, and tonight I will be matting and framing them.  

Another show coming up is the Juried Members Show at the Suffolk Museum, through the Suffolk Art League.  I need to get those paintings done soon.  I'll probably work on those some tonight.  Here's the information on that show:

2010 Annual Juried Exhibition

Goals for the Week

Seems there is never enough time to do everything you want to do.  Days go by quickly, then the next thing you know, a week has gone by, month, year.... where does it go!?!  I have decided that I need to be diligent with making goals for myself, AND meeting those goals.  I am going to put it in writing so I have a bit more responsibility to them.

 

I will be entering the Tiny Treasures Exhibit in October (see below), so the first goal is to get a few new paintings done within the specifications of the show.  This is only my second show, and very excited about it.

 

TAA Tiny Treasures Annual Exhibit at the Hermitage Foundation in Norfolk,

My First Post

Hi Everyone!  Today is the first day of my blog site so I thought I would tell you a little bit about myself.  My name is Bonnie, and I am married to an absolutely wonderful man, Armin.  Between us, we have 4 grown kids and 2 grandkids (which keep us pretty busy!).  Oh, and I can't forget our four-legged kid (cat) Riley. 

This year I have had the opportunity to return to my passion for art.  When I was little, I always had a pad and pencil in hand,