Yarrow's Blog

So I just finished doing the Historic Bluff Country Studio Artists' Tour and I am wiped out. There were so many people; well it was a fantastic turn out and I'm so glad that people came from so far away. Glad, but exhausted. I wish I could have talked longer to individuals. I dreaded all day the moment of taking everything down and packing it up. By the end of the last day I was so tired, I wasn't sure that I'd make it home. I did make it home safely and I got everything put away. I'm feeling a little let down, a little sad. What is this feeling that makes me want to stop trying to sell my art? Is it just exhaustion or is it something deeper? I'm sure that I'll be fine, but I do feel adrift.

I have my ups and downs as an artist. February started out so hopeful and the paintings were going so well that it was almost inevitable that I would crash and burn. Suddenly all of the hopeful beginnings looked like crap. Nothing I did would make the magic happen. It was looking very grim as I am trying to paint new ones to enter into several shows and I didn't think that anyone would like them because I sure didn't. Then just as suddenly the magic happened and I am hopeful again. I may have a shot at entering these shows after all.

Am I the only artist with this problem? When I want to enter shows I run into such different requirements. One show accepts digital images, another wants slides, and yet another requires photos. Can't we have the same standards? I used to have slides made of all of my work until the photographer at the camera store wasn't allowed to shoot my work on slide film. I say, let's get rid of the slide requirement entirely. I am not a photographer and no matter how much training I get I never will be. I'm a terrible photographer.

Ok, I have entered artistic cyber-space and I'm thrilled and a little nervous. I am getting ready for the Winona Art Center Members' Exhibition and will be delivering a painting on Friday or Monday if I can't get off work. I will be updating my web site to include the blog for others. The life of an artist isn't all tea and crumpets, but I'll talk about that later. That's all for now.