Getting My Act Together – With Your Help

The year is almost a wrap. Last weekend’s Holiday Art and Craft show in Bear River was lovely, busy and a wonderful way to reconnect with many new and old friends, some who are art makers and others who are collectors. I was glad to bring home a few treasures for myself.

A bouquet of Chinese Lanterns wait to be painted.

When I stepped back inside the studio last week, it was with a feeling of gratitude at having this beautiful space in which to work. It was also with a shock at seeing the mess I had left behind or ignored while I harvested the garden, planted garlic, prepped for the final show.

It was time to prepare for my winter painting.

This meant spending days tidying up – sweeping up everything from dead crickets to grass clippings to bean pods from seed saving.

Surrounded by beauty. Beautiful raindrops make jewelled patterns in the wild, brambly roses

I replaced most of the hanging, finished paintings with either unfinished works or with ones that will help to inspire this winter’s painting.

I rearranged the furniture so that I can have a fresh point of view. I wanted the room to feel different.

I brought in wood for the stove and will try to keep a good supply of dry wood on hand.

The wood stove is my favorite heating source.

Many ideas are bubbling for 2020 about painting and printmaking and writing and I will get those ideas onto paper so that I can create a production plan / schedule.

My style in housework, cooking, creating and painting is ‘controlled chaos’. Maybe that comes from my inner child. It usually serves me well, but works especially well when paired with a physical reminder on paper or in a notebook. Maybe that’s my inner grown-up giving directions.

That grown-up also suggests that I need to get my writing act together again by blogging regularly. Writing about what I’m doing and where I’m going helps keep me focused in the studio. It also fills the need I have to share what I know about painting. But I truly need your help with this.

I asked you to answer two short questions about how often you’d like to receive my posts and what you would like to see or read.

Your answers are a big help to move my accountability from the ‘uncontrolled chaos’ to the ‘controlled chaos’ department.

  1. Answers Votes Percent
    I’d like way more videos of the painting process. 8 25%  
    Other: 8 25%  
    I love to read about the actual painting techniques used. 7 22%  
    Show me more finished paintings. 5 16%  
    Tell me more about Bear River, NS in terms of creative inspiration. 3 9%  
    I’d like to have a podcast to listen to. 1 3%  
  2. Please help me with my posting schedule. How often would you like to receive a Flora art post?

    Answer Votes Percent
    Once a week 10 34%  
    Twice a month 10 34%  
    Once a month 8 28%  
    No preference 1 3%  

Thank you so much for your help with this and for sharing this journey with me.

Flora

Late afternoon in the studio.

13 thoughts on “Getting My Act Together – With Your Help

    1. Thanks Barbara! It sure feels good to have a bit of order in the studio…especially sorting out the supplies again…I love discovering paint colours I didn’t know I had. 😉 Merry Christmas to you too

  1. Absolutely love your beautiful studio . It must be a joy to work in. I’m working on my studio this week as well 🙂 it s nothing compared to yours but it’s mine 🙂

    1. Thanks Elizabeth. I love my space and agree with Virginia Woolf’s quote which I also think applies to painting! “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”
      ― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

  2. I completely get the blogging idea. It’s a way of having a conversation with far-flung people about something that matters to you. I enjoy your posts, & I’m not even an artist, just a person who loves nature & color…

  3. I love the pictures of your studio~! You are truly blessed with such a gorgeous work space. And all the lovely amazing artwork! I often think “I can’t only paint flowers” – but obviously I can and could! I love flowers, and painting flowers. So your work is so wonderfully inspiring! Thank you for sharing!

  4. Happy Holidays to you, Flora – sounds like you are all set for a good old painting session, this winter! I love blogging too and I tend to find I MUST stick to doing it at least one day a week or else it tends to slide away from me. Preferably I like to do twice a week one day on a random subject and one day that I call “Work in progress Wednesday” when I show my small but lovely community what I have been up to and what is on the easel. Maybe you could try something like that? As an artist, I like to hear about what other artists are working on, what their process is and how they grow and develop their ideas and I also like to ‘talk shop’ about technique, and the whole business of growing a small art business online and in ‘real life’ and I like to get the sense that artists are real people struggling along in their lives and putting their pants on one leg at a time (authenticity!) Best wishes – have a wonderful creative time in that studio of yours! 🙂

    1. Hi Hilda! I agree with all those subjects that you mention in terms of blogging subjects and I thank you for reinforcing this. It sounds like you have a good writing system going too. Happy New Year to you!

      1. It IS a good system, when it’s working! I am hopeful to get back on the wagon in the New Year, for sure, I have fallen off it several times in the latter part of the year, due mainly to the health issues of my daughter, but, things are looking up and I am hopeful to get rolling again – Happy New Year to you too! I really hope to hear more blog posts from YOU, that would be lovely! 🙂

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