Post Number 2...

This seems like progress to already be writing another post. 

The trip to Sweden was intense, but impressive, all weathers and all types of scenery so a few paintings should shortly emerge. The first one has already been created and I have just put it up for sale everywhere, except Facebook, as I haven't technically 'released' it yet.

In other news, I finally put all my missing paintings up onto Artgallery.co.uk as they moved website late last year and I hadn't got round to reuploading all my previous work. The good news was that doing it in one large burst meant the owner of the website took notice and made me 'Artist of the Week'! That was a boost I have needed recently as all seems quiet on the art front at the moment. Sales are slow, even on Etsy, I guess the summer is always slow as people are busy and preoccupied with holidays, but still. 

Never mind. I shall take it as a chance to try and get on top of everything. Work is generally slow at the moment so I hoping to start putting my massive stock of prints together over the next few days. But obviously, because I have said this some urgent work will come in as that is always how these things seem to go......

2020.... what?

 Gosh, well this is horrendous. I didn't realise I hadn't written a blog post at all in 2023! Is it too late to wish you all a Happy New Year? That would be a yes. 

Well 2023 is a mixed bag so far, an amazing, inspiration filled trip to Barbados, at the beginning of the year and a trip to Sweden coming up next week. But also an overload of architecture work, and a horrible cold, once, twice, three times and bam, pretty much in bed for a month dosed up on a cocktail of antibiotics and nose drops and still not convinced I am back to full health 3 months later....

But, I have managed to paint slightly more consistently in the last few weeks, and finally updated all my sites and website to show the 5 whole paintings of this year. I sincerely hope the latter half of 2023 is rather more kind and more prolific. This is the first time since I have started this journey that I have really struggled to stay on track, have wondered and forgotten what I was doing and why. 

But I am hoping it is just a blip, it seems I can still paint, and I still need to as I have felt better for doing the most recent ones. I just need some time and to stop putting it on the back burner.....  

Widbrook Common

 Writing a blog post is on my to-do list and, as I have just had some work come in, it seems best to do it now. I have been having a clearing my mind day before I am trapped at my desk for a while. Working is always easier to do with a clearer head. 

This has mostly just meant posting a reel on Instagram, checking to see what I need to do to visit Cuba in a few months (yes, I am going to Cuba!) and putting a new painting up for sale. 

I am not entirely sure the new painting is completely finished. It seems like it might need an extra focus, either in the form of a sun or some birds, either in the sky or on the fence (the birds that is, not the sun!). I thought I may as well share it as is for the moment, and go from there. After all, if someone wants to buy it as is, that has to be a good thing. I have also just had another commission request approved, this time of Yosemite, so I am looking forward to seeing what view they want me to paint. It should be a good one! 

In the meantime, here is the new, possibly finished, possibly not painting: 

It is of Widbrook Common, which is a twenty minute walk from my house and a view I see often! 

Empire State of Mind

 So I have been busy. 

I have completed a few card and mug orders, painted the Empire State Building and more importantly finally finished my art website! All links are present and correct, the mobile website is working and I have successfully taken some orders so all systems are definitely go! 

Next stop is to try and work out how I can get some more traffic to my site and tidy up some of the settings and how it is registered on Wix if I can work out how to. 

It seems like there is always still something to tweak. Including my prices, postage costs seem to be a bit crazy at the moment, so after completing some orders at the beginning of the week I have had a minor adjustment to a few things. But hopefully that is all done and I can concentrate on painting and generating some orders! 

Speaking of painting, as mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have recently completed a commission of the Empire State Building. It was from a specific photo from the client, so whilst it is just about in my usual style it isn't necessarily a usual composition for me - I tend to avoid putting the main piece quite so central, but it seems to work. So here it is..... entitled Empire State of Mind. 

Times Square

 I thought I would be shocking and make shortly today! I just put the New York painting up for sale across all my sites, the last place being here, so without further ado, here it is!

I have painted this scene before, but over ten years ago, so it was interesting to revisit it. I had an enquiry a couple of months previously about whether I had any paintings of New York still available, by someone who already owns two pieces of my work. I didn't at the time, but thought it was an idea worth pursuing on the off chance that seeing the piece would encourage them to buy it. They haven't seen it yet so who knows. They are clients I know via an online external gallery so unfortunately they aren't the easiest for me to contact.  Either way it seems like you can't really go wrong with a painting of New York and Times Square in particular. Next stop, the Empire State Building. Coming soon(ish). 

Shortly

 I am enjoying the fact that I mentioned blogging twice a week in my previous post. I feel like I must have written that and then forgot about it completely. But this isn't bad as it has only been two weeks since my last post, rather than two months. Progress of sorts. 

There is no major news to report. The half finished painting is complete, and one of the New York paintings has been finished too as well as being photographed in progress, in the hopes I can put a social media reel together with the material. I think I need to try some news things to keep it interesting and to motivate me a bit more. I have been stuck in a rut for a while and need some newness. 

Other than that I am changing my routine to paint in the day rather than the evening, and hoping to start the second New York painting next week. I will share the first one on here shortly. 

However long shortly turns out to be.....

Maybe...

 I feel like my last post sounded like a turning a corner post, but then I obviously turned too many corners and got lost again. I have managed a few paintings since 'The Guitarist' but I keep forgetting to blog about them, or in fact blog about anything. 

My website is back up and running now and almost complete. I just have the cushion and card section left to do and to sort out why it isn't currently registering as a secure site. I am worried about the cushion pages as setting them up seems impossible using the new website provider. It appears that I may need to learn some JavaScript to get them to work; Having only just about got the basics of coding together I am not looking forward to trying to figure this out! Although perhaps I will email Wix first and see if someone there can help me. 

As part of my refocus and getting back on the art horse I have just set up my photography on a secret Instagram page. For some reason I feel as though I need an art thing just for me, with no expectations, no familiarity, no judgement. Not that anyone does judge, except probably myself. So maybe that is why it needs to be lowkey to start with. It is linked up to my Fine Art America page in the hope that I might get some sales via it. Wishful thinking possibly, but I worked out I can do two posts a week for 3 years with the stock I have so I may as well try! I know some social media success comes with consistency and reminding people you exist. It is why I always sell more paintings when I am painting. Keeping things fresh is important.

In other news, I just put a new painting up for sale. I have two paintings of New York to do and there is a half finished canvas that has been sat on my floor for a week. Finishing this off will hopefully be on the agenda for next week when it is a bit cooler and hopefully my architectural drawings are complete. 

I feel like I am getting there, but boy is it slow. I have started yoga every day again, maybe I will try to blog twice a week. Maybe I will be an endless selection of maybes again. But fingers crossed this time I can actually motivate the old me into resurfacing. 

And lastly, the current thoughts are also towards a gallery showing in Maidenhead. Lots of people have shown interest and I am thinking it would be good to get my teeth into something different. I also have quite a few paintings I could show at the moment, and it might give me a kick up the backside to do some local ones which I also get asked about a lot. 

So as usual, a busy, positive blog post full of promises that may or may not materialise. 

Place your bets....