Flowers Rock!

Sold!! To bidder #21, an artist I don't know but one to whom I'm eternally grateful. Selling a piece is fabulous enough, but, I wonder if I'm the only one who gets an extra thrill when the buyer is a complete stranger... The theme of the event was Floral Freeway (if you can't tell), and the object was to incorporate as many flowers from donated cuff bracelets as possible. 

The event was a charity (silent) auction and the invited guests were a who's who of the regional art scene. I won't pretend that I wasn't nervous, to have my work alongside widely collected artists. It was one of those galas where the hors d' oeuvres were delish, no matter that I had no idea what was in them, and the friendly, popular guy strolling through the crowd with bottles of wine.

On the flip side, I submitted a second piece to Lesley Riley, whose book of illustrated quotes is being expanded for republication by F&W/North Light Books later this year. There were only 30 slots available and she received an overwhelming 230+ pieces of art. No, one of the 30 slots was not filled with my piece. Knowing I had less than a 2% chance didn't ease the sting, but it also didn't slow me down. Not for a minute. In fact, I've painted nearly every day, probably 15-20 hours a week. Rejection is an inherent part of putting your self out there, yet I don't often read much about it in blogland. There was a time when it would have stopped me cold, shut down the muse. That just means I wasn't ready. I doubt anyone welcomes the 'no thanks' but it's inevitable if you think about it, and I believe I'm one submission closer to being accepted.

The fabulous Miz Katie left a comment on my previous post, recommending that I listen to a segment from Artists Helping Artists on Blog Talk Radio. The focus is on finding your signature style, and is an extremely good discussion on a subject about which I've given quite a lot of thought. A statement the artist, Nancy Rhodes Harper, made has really stuck with me. She says you have to put in the hours, do the work, for hours, years even. It's one of those statements that may be patently obvious but heard at the right time, speaks volumes. And it explained my insatiable need to work in the studio (obviously instead of paying attention to my blog), with a relentless, determined, eager - and positive - attitude.  I highly recommend you listen and thanks again Katie!