WIP actually stands for Work In Progress, referring to unfinished items or items, in varying stages within a larger production process.

I always have several projects going on at one time. In my line of work, I usually don’t have the luxury of being able to take on one project at a time, finish it, and then stand back and reflect on it (deep sigh…), before taking on the next project from the very beginning. But, there are blessings in having many projects going simultaneously.

For one thing, I can always be doing a task. Sometimes projects get delayed or put on hold for various reasons. Having several projects on deck is a good way to ensure that I am keeping my cash-flow flowing, as this is my source of income. Of course, the other side of the coin is balance. YEAH that. Balance is terribly difficult for me, but I do try. If I am not balanced, I run the risk of getting burned out or falling too far behind.

Secondly, sometimes my brain gets tired and unable to focus (like at 3 o’clock in the morning after too much coffee). If that happens, having a variety of tasks to choose from is helpful. I can either choose to do something requiring little or no refined small-motor skills (like priming or sanding) or, when my mind is sharp, and I’m feeling uber-creative, I can pull out all the stops (and my size 000 brush) and paint something as detailed as the reflection on a snail’s eyeballs. (And even if snails don’t have eyeballs, it’s called “Artistic License”.)

Extreme detail; not for the faint of heart.

I thought I’d share just a FEW of the WIPs I have going on right now.

I have two large mural projects, one in production and one in proposal stage right now. I always make a full-color, to-scale painting prior to each mural job. It only makes sense. To me, the several extra hours it takes to create this painting in my studio, working out all the design problems, returns 10-fold in both setting the client at-ease with what the final mural will look like, and also with cutting down on valuable on-location work time. Murals, especially commercial murals, often end up being long-term projects. Rarely does anyone call and say, “I would like a mural. Can you be here at 9am tomorrow to start?” Throughout the design phase, many other projects are accomplished.

Preliminary paintings for murals are my S.O.P. (standard operating procedure)!

I am also working on custom-illustrated party decorations (did you even know there was such a thing! Yes, there is!!). These will be for an artist event hosted at the Lower Mill restaurant in Honeoye Falls on February 12th called the Mad Hatter’s Tea! The event is sponsored by Talulah’s Fancy & Friends, a gorgeous local gift boutique which features some of my work. You can learn more about the event by clicking here and downloading the poster!

Mad Hatter's Tea: 2-12-12!

I will be posting much more about this here on my blog and on my facebook page this week as the event approaches. The designs are going to be colorful, funky, and inspired (of course!) by Nancy Wiley’s Alice in Wonderland characters. She is one of two artists who are featured at the event. The other artist is Goff Creek Pottery. Rumor has it they will have a life-size chess set on display! Not to mention that these new party decoration products I’m creating will also be available and customizable for your OWN party at the Lower Mill through Talulah’s Fancy and friends. The truly exciting, AMAZING news does not stop there! But I will hold off on that for now… you will have to stay tuned! Meanwhile, please make your reservations by calling the Lower Mill at (585) 582-1830!

AND If you come in costume to the Mad Hatter's Tea on February 12, you will be awarded a prize!

New illustrations for the Illustrated Alphabet Letter Plaques are being cranked out like crazy right now as I am continuing to build the Young at Heart collection. There are already 34 illustrations in this collection, and about 10 more that I am in the process of painting now. This alphabet is so different from the previous ones I’ve designed. You really need to check them out if you haven’t. Totally adorable. It makes me want to change my name to “ZYXSEPBCFL.” They can be purchased through my Etsy store, by clicking here.

This illustrated alphabet letter plaque is in the Young At Heart collection. It features "n" for nurture.

This alphabet plaque is also in the Young at Heart collection. It is "K" for knowledge.

Inventory for retail is something that I am always working on. Each piece begins as a one-of-a-kind “lost treasure”, which I usually end up scavenging from the local thrift shops or barn sales. I never know what I will find, or what it will end up being. It’s an adventure right from the beginning.

The pieces in this photo are sanded & primed, and ready for illustrations. Through the magic of blogging, I can show you the progress in just seconds.

For more views of this item, please go to my Facebook page. There is a link to my Facebook page on the right of this page, under my photo!

There are at least a half-dozen other things on my plate right now, but I am only giving you a tiny glimpse of the ol’ workbench.

I have to go… “Crack that WIP.”

Yours truly,

-Amy

Confused yet? Read on!

There are lots of buzz-words that folks are throwing around this Holiday season that are designed to guide you to where best to spend your Holiday cash, and feel really good about it. I am going to attempt to clarify just three of the most popular categories: Local, Handmade, and Made in America. Here is a brief glossary about what these terms mean, and how they differ from one another:

***BIG DISCLAIMER***

Being an artist and blogger, I am faced with the fact that I simply cannot give you a comprehensive list of vendors (I’d be here for days), and yet, I do not want to leave any of my dear, hard-working, ginormously-talented artist friends off the list inadvertently, either! So… I will give you a few suggestions, but I want this list to be compiled by YOU the READER! PLEASE consider commenting below (right on the blog, under this post!!) with your thoughts, suggestions, online shops, brick & mortar shops, and links to your favorite artisans and small businesses from which we can ALL shop!! Shameless plugs encouraged!!

I am not great with graphs, but this was my way of "illustrating" how some gifts fall into certain categories and how they sometimes overlap.

LOCAL: It means to keep your money in your own or neighboring community, in an effort to have more of an impact on the economy in which you live and work. It is also designed to lessen the overall environmental impact of purchasing something that then needs to be shipped to a store, or shipped to your door. The reason it’s good is that it saves money, saves fuel, saves pollution, and also, in turn, if enough people participate, can have a positive boost to your Town’s economy creating jobs and more income for the people who live and work there. Ask about incentives and customer-loyalty discounts at your local shops, they love their customers! They want you to keep coming back! Also, many local shops host events where they serve refreshments. Some will also keep “wish lists” on file!

I have a variety of products, including my handmade illustrated letter plaques available at local gift shops!

Ideas for Local: If local to YOU means the same as it does to ME, then here are some local shops that will not disappoint!

Talulah’s Fancy & Friends, Honeoye Falls, NY (handmade and vintage gifts)
Olde Homestead Country Store, Canandaigua, NY (home décor and gifts)
Finger Lakes Gallery & Frame, Canandaigua NY (fine art, custom framing)
Unique Toy Shop, Canandaigua, NY (toys, games and books for kids)
Craft Company No. 6, Rochester, NY (fine crafts, home décor and jewelry)
Memorial Art Gallery gift shop, Rochester NY (variety of gifts, books, art and toys)

Resources for Local: Search Google using your municipality in the search string. (i.e. gift shops Rochester, NY) or ask your friends for recommendations!

HANDMADE: It means to buy something from someone who has created the item themselves, rather than have it manufactured or mass-produced in a factory. This could be art or crafts, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be things we purchase regularly for daily living like soap, clothing, greeting cards and furniture. Also, art comes in many forms. It could be music, recipes, fiber art/knitwear, jewelry or sculpture. The reason it’s good is that it supports creative individuals and allows them to further create their art and/or grow their business. It also has less negative impact on the environment.

Ideas for Handmade:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CityChicCountryMouse (for the home)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LisaJaneSmith (illustrated wall art, note cards)
http://www.earthangelstoys.com/ (hand-crafted folk art)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlealouette (organic wooden toys)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sacredsuds (hand-crafted soaps)
http://www.ginaholsopple.com/ (singer/songwriter)

Resources for Handmade: Etsy.com seriously has THE most extensive database of uniquely hand-crafted and vintage items for sale in the world, IMHO. There are dozens of ways one can search for items, even if you have no idea what you’re looking for. There is a “search handmade” feature, and lists (called Treasuries) already curated for you, in a variety of categories, by people with incredibly good taste. They even will (if you allow them) dig through your Facebook friend list and suggest gifts for your friends based on their “likes”. Amazing!

I can also create custom-painted pieces such as boxes, canvas paintings, or child's furniture. This crate that I hand-painted is for sale at Talulah's Fancy & Friends in Honeoye Falls, NY. Please email me if you would like to talk about a custom piece!

MADE IN AMERICA: It means exactly that! Made in America. However, it does NOT necessarily mean something handmade! There are many manufacturing operations that are mass-producing things right in our own country. The reason it’s good is the same reason buying local is good, but on a larger scale. The theory behind this movement is that if more money is spent buying American-made goods, then the job rate will improve and the jobless rate would go down, improving our nation’s overall economy.

Resources for Made in America:

http://www.americansworking.com/webstores.html

MADE BY YOU: I am a huge proponent of simply making my own gifts.  Because I can. And I truly love to!! Each gift I make truly comes from my heart, which most people like better than a store-bought gift anyway.

Resources for “Made by You”: Here are some great blogs for inspiration, patterns, recipes and ideas for handmade gifts:

http://handmadebycarolyn.blogspot.com/ (knitting and needlework ideas)
http://lisastorms.typepad.com/lisa-storms/ (crafts for all ages)
http://olderandwisor.blogspot.com/ (wrapping ideas, crafts and décor)
http://www.farmgirlgourmet.com/ (recipes)
http://www.indygojunction.com/ (sewing patterns)
http://gauchealchemy.wordpress.com/ (collage art)

“WRAPPING” IT UP: I also really like gifts that are practical and relevant on some level, that aren’t going to end up in a landfill come January. I am not even opposed to re-gifting and buying “previously owned” or re-purposed gifts, as these are highly effective “green”, Earth-friendly gift-giving techniques! It’s often times HOW you “present” your “present” than what is behind the wrapping. If you put your heart into it, the recipient will feel so grateful, and so will you!

Resources for Wrapping: I have a Pinterest board called Pretty Presents & Wrapping that has lots of ways to dress up your gifts! Whatever you give (even if it’s a gift card!), make sure you wrap it in style. If you have a similar board, post it below in the comments!
http://pinterest.com/acolburn/pretty-presents-and-wrapping/

If you do not have a Pinterest account, it is free, but you have to be invited. Please let me know if you would like me to invite you to join Pinterest.

Happy Gift-Giving!
~Amy

Jo Packham, me, and Tiffany Kirchner-Dixon

Jo Packham is an author, publisher, entrepreneur and artist. She is not only a powerhouse in the art and craft, and how-to book publishing industry (over 1,000 titles to her credit), but in the past few years has added two very innovative and successful magazines to her repertoire. These magazines are called Where Women Create and Where Women Cook. The focus of these magazines is to highlight women – working, cooking, creating – in spaces that uniquely reflect their creativity and personality. There has also been an unbelievably supportive network which has evolved, from the magazine’s loyal followers. Jo also created the event I attended in September, the Creative Connection Event, which I blogged about here. She has so much energy! And yet… it’s usually directed at lifting other people’s spirits…

Pick up the most recent issues locally at Barnes & Noble, Michael's, JoAnn's, and A.C. Moore.

Tiffany Kirchner-Dixon is an artist; an incredibly talented photographer, who joined Jo on her trip here to the Finger Lakes. Tiffany happens to be The Fancy Farmgirl. So, you know right from the get-go that this woman is extraordinary! She lights up a room with her personality! And truly, she’s got the talent to back it up. Tiffany has an impressive commercial/editorial photography resume, and she can also rock out amazing portraits. Yet, you’ll never meet someone more genuine, humble and down to earth. She’s truly a pleasure to work with! (There was some discussion of future adventures between Tiffany & I… once we discovered our mutual love for scavenging {heavy? rusty? underappreciated?} treasures from barn sales. Stay tuned for future blog posts!)

The Tiny Studio looking pretty spiffy. This is my snapshot; Tiffany's photos are SO much more professional!

I was introduced to Jo through my friend and fellow artist, Nancy Wiley. Nancy and I became fast friends a few years ago by being artists ~ living and working (and having studios) in the same community. Nancy’s previous studio had been published in the book Where Women Create, the book that was the flagship for the magazines. Nancy and I are not only friends and colleagues, but I am also a huge admirer of her work. Suffice it to say that there is no shortage of superlatives one can use to describe Nancy’s innovative style of illustration and approach to sculpture. But ~ she hates it when I gush about her, so I will direct you to her web site where you can oooh and ahhh, and I won’t get in trouble for embarrassing her.

The photo shoot itself was exciting, and I learned a lot in the process! I can’t wait to show you more of my studio, but you’ll have to buy the magazine issue when it is published which will be sometime next year! It is truly magic the way Tiffany captured the Tiny Studio’s personality. I was truly moved when I got a sneak peek at the results.

Local friends will be pleased to know that when Jo & Tiffany arrived in town, we were able to show off some of our beautiful area… we dined overlooking Canandaigua Lake and took a brief tour through the NY Wine & Culinary Center. Jo sure got an earful about how much we love our Wegman’s, but I’m not sure they ever made it to one…? Funny how we consider it one of the “attractions” here!

My daughter Paige, who is 9, also got to meet this ultra-creative Dreamteam. (I designated the day, “Take Your Daughter to Work Day”.) She was truly inspired by the whole experience!

Incidentally, Paige has to write a story each week for her spelling lesson, incorporating at least five of that week’s spelling words. This is a story she wrote recently, which sums up my post pretty well:

Paige's spelling homework, in which the Tiny Studio makes a cameo appearance.

Here’s what she wrote. The spelling words she used are underlined.

“Whenever I am bored or my brother is being very obnoxious, I go to my mom’s studio. I take my homework and my coat if it is cold outside. It is so peaceful in there. I even have my own spot in my mom’s studio to work. I walk in through the big blue door and plop my stuff in my chair. It is so colorful with the big cheerful mural on the ceiling. It looks really friendly with all the bright colors.”

~Amy

1. The kids are off of school that day, and it would be a wonderful opportunity to get them outside and be active, while at the same time helping out my good friends at the distillery by picking grapes for their grape liqueur (yummm).

2. We have to get up RIDICULOUSLY early to get there by 8 am, and the kids will hate me.

3. They’ll get over it.

Finger Lakes Distilling is located on Seneca Lake (one of the Finger Lakes in New York state), and is a stand-alone farm distillery. There are literally hundreds of wineries in this area. Some of those wineries create spirits as a by-product of the wine-making process. However, FLD doesn’t make wine, they only craft spirits. Both their story and their products are superbly unique. Please do yourself a favor and read more about them on their site. Their tasting room is gorgeous. Please stop in, if you’re in the area.

The distillery, as it looks from the vineyard below.

This is the view of Seneca Lake from the deck off the tasting room. My daughter took this!

The sign in front of the entrance to the tasting room reads, "Come on in and un-wine." Very clever!

So, why am I compelled to bring my children to a distillery on a school vacation day? (There are about a million punch-lines that could go here. I’m going to skip them all.) My admiration for this amazing company started a few years ago, when they were first getting started. I was asked by the president, Brian McKenzie to work with him to create a label design, including hand-painted illustrations, for their line of flavored liqueurs. I subsequently designed the label, and created a unique illustration for each flavor. One of the flavors happens to be grape. The grapes my kids and I picked today will eventually go into the liqueur for which I designed the label. Cool, huh??

Busy, bustling volunteer grape-pickers. My daughter is on the right!

Rows and rows of concord grapes, and some other varieties. We don't get very many 80-degree days in October here in the Finger Lakes region! It was an absolutely splendid day.

Buckets-full of grapes!

My boy, helping out.

Me, picking grapes. I wish you could smell and taste these! Mmmm....

Important Side Note: I sometimes take for granted that my kids just “know” what I do for a living. I am surprised sometimes at how little they know about me in this regard. Of course, they know I “paint ALL the time” (That is a direct quote from my son.) Today, I was really able to pull an entire story together, from beginning to end, about my work. I think it was especially fun for them to see my paintings, see the labels, and then see the products on the shelves which utilize my artwork. It is sometimes hard to describe what I do, but this was a really fun way to show them how it all works!

This is the liqueur display in the tasting room. At the top are the original paintings I created for the labels, and the actual product is on the shelves below.

Here is a close-up of the blueberry liqueur bottles lined up on the shelf.

This is the final illustration for the grape liqueur; which will be crafted using the grapes we picked today.

As an artist in this region, I think I have probably created ten thousand gajillion paintings of grapes. I never tire of their beauty. Nor do I tire of collecting glamour shots of them. (Admittedly, my definition of “glamour” is not exactly standard…)

Grapes and stems in a basket.

Grapes and Autumn leaves. Love the pop of green and the gnarled-up stems.

My kids met new friends and played “hide-and-go-seek” in the vineyard. That sounds so fairytale-ish, doesn’t it??

Hiding under the vines, eating the grapes.

So, the take-away here is… Anytime you send me an e-vite with the phrase “____-a-rama” in the title, you can count on me to come! lol

Me and my kids with Brian McKenzie, the president of Finger Lakes Distilling.

have a grape day,
~A

Autumn leaf, acrylic on board, 8" X 10", 1998. This was used on our wedding invitations, program, and thank you notes! Our wedding was on October 24, 1998.

Yesterday, my mom gave me a list she found on the internet called “10 Things Artists Should be Thankful For” by Sylvia White. I am linking to her blog post, so you can go check out her introduction to this list, to which any artist should be able to relate!

I am grateful that I can do what I love every day, and love what I do. When it really stinks, (and, truthfully, sometimes it does. Deadlines, compromise, criticism, exhaustion, mental blocks, money stress: these things are not fun.)  Despite all those obstacles, I am still blessed.

Here is the list!

10 Things Artists Should Be Thankful For

1. I am thankful that I am not one of the majority of people in this world that wakes up every morning, goes to a job they hate, just to come home and do it all over again.

2.  I am thankful that when I am away from my studio, my ideas come with me, they keep me company everywhere I go.

3.  I am thankful for this passion that gives me so much joy (and angst) but mostly joy.

4.  I am thankful that when I have left this earth, I will leave something meaningful behind.

5.  I am thankful that I have a mind that can not sleep, I will never be bored.

6.  I am thankful that there is a part of my life that nobody can control, except me.

7.  I am thankful that no one in the world can ever take this gift from me.

8.  I am thankful that I am brave, it takes courage to pursue my gift.

9.  I am thankful that I am never satisfied, it forces me to move forward and grow.

10.  I am thankful I discovered this list!  Pass it on.

{Go ahead, I did! Thank you, Sylvia!}

~Amy

Myself, Tamara Stopinski, and Nancy Wiley at The Creative Connection Event

I went with two of my best friends, who are also fabulous artists who create amazing work. These artists are Nancy Wiley, renown illustrator, sculptor and doll artist, and Tamara Stopinksi, jewelry designer and co-owner of Talulah’s Fancy & Friends gift shop in Honeoye Falls. Please check out their sites! These women have each created a sustainable, successful business by pursuing their talent and craft. They will inspire you, I guarantee it.

We ate meals and listened to keynotes while we gathered in the gorgeous ballroom at the Crowne Plaza, St. Paul, MN

The three of us traveled to the conference together. To put it mildly, we were simply blown away by the sub-culture created from this event. Not only were we surrounded by people JUST LIKE US in varying stages of success and accomplishment in their careers, but the atmosphere was so welcoming, not at all threatening or intimidating.

Panel discussion amongst amazing women! From L to R: Moderator Nancy Soriano, Karen Walrond, Melody Ross, Janine Vangool, Kelly Rae Roberts, Leigh Standley and Susan Branch.

Links to learn more about the women pictured above:
Karen Walrond www.chookooloonks.com
Melody Ross http://www.melodyross.com
Janine Vangool www.uppercasegallery.ca
Kelly Rae Roberts www.kellyraeroberts.com
Leigh Standley http://www.curlygirldesign.com
Susan Branch http://www.susanbranch.com

The thing that really resonated with me is that there were women in attendance who had accomplished many things that would be considered “top” on one’s list of “how one might measure success”.

• Authoring a book
• hosting your own TV show
• designing your own fabric line
• reaching 60,000+ readers on your blog
• publishing your own magazine
• having your art featured in retail stores around the world
• doing what you LOVE. Every day.

And yet, for some women in attendance, the “top” of their list might read more like:

• START making a living with your art or craft
• be able to quit your office/day job
• create art you can be proud of
• pay some bills, support yourself
• carve out some studio space in the spare bedroom/closet/basement
• do what you LOVE. Every day.

I kid you not when I say that both ends of the spectrum were represented, and everything in between. I was impressed by the way in which we moved freely amongst each other talking, asking questions, learning from one another, stopping for photos, and definitely a lot of laughing – and crying – together.

I was visualizing a hill, spanning both wide and high. And we were all there, with a hand outstretched for those climbing after us, and next to us, and also a hand outstretched for those who were farther up the hill, for help and a stronger footing. The whole place seemed to be vibrating with admiration, and gratitude, and hope.

{And of course, on this hill, we are all in our yoga pants and ponytails
and have the “I’ll shower AFTER my deadline” look. LOL!}

There were so many panel discussions that I kind of lost track of what I had attended! If you go to their web site, there is gobs of info on all the different tracks and the amazing panelists. But luckily I kept my sturdy little journal that my friend Julie had given me this summer. Here’s what my notes looked like most of the time!

Never was without my trusty journal, caffeine, and plenty of new cards from networking.

Never before have I received more REAL, HONEST and absolutely invaluable practical advice and knowledge in one place. I truly feel as though this conference has saved me months of research and given me an edge to accomplish my artistic, professional, and personal goals.

Jo Packham, the co-founder of the event, and creator and editor-in-chief of Where Women Create magazine, (among others!) said it best when she addressed all of us early on at the conference. She said (I’m paraphrasing!) “If you do not walk away from this weekend having made a connection with someone in our industry who can help you succeed, and directly get you to where you want to be, it is no one’s fault but your own. That person, that editor, that publisher, that manufacturer, is here in this room. Your job is to keep shaking hands until you find that person.” We are all so blessed that Jo and her partner Nancy Soriano dreamed up this amazing event and MADE IT HAPPEN for us. I truly believe that Jo loves each and every one of us, and wants success for us.

An unbelievable adventure!

In the past 10 years, I’ve been working from home, and trying to make-a-go of my illustration career.  The whole time, I’ve had the goal that someday I will be working full time doing just that and nothing else. Ten years ago, I started working full-time from home for another company doing web design and graphics. I’ve always been painting and selling artwork “on-the-side” but that job, at that time, took priority. I have been steadily decreasing my hours there over the years.  Two years ago, I finally tipped-the-scales, and although I still hold that part time job, it is SO part time that some weeks I don’t put any time in at all. Beginning then, being an illustrator became my full-time job. However, those 40 (or more likely 60!) hours per week were still sliced up into bits and scattered  between daytime, nighttime, and weekends because I also worked around my kids’ schedules. I had part-time day care, part-time preschool… my entire week was comprised of “part of this” and “part of that”. So, now you can see why I am so hopeful that having this lovely NEW schedule will carve a whole new path for me and my family.

There are so many wonderful and exciting things happening for me in the coming months!! And I feel like, because of all the hard work I’ve put in these past several years, juggling my time, this year should just seem a whole lot smoother!

New schedules.

New classes, new teachers, new supplies.

Today I started a new mural, in a new home. ~ One that is being rebuilt from being destroyed in a fire. New beginnings all around for that family.

New goals for our family. ~ If I can spend my time more efficiently, and balance everything better, this will directly effect my relationships, and our family life.

New career goals. ~Actually, my goals are the same as they always have been. I’ve decided to put forth some new procedures to help make me work better as an artist and to grow stronger as a business woman. I’ve also been sprucing up my studio space.

Yummy art supplies!! Image credit: www.dickblick.com

I think I just convinced myself I need some NEW ART SUPPLIES!!
oohhhh yeahhhh

~A