All I do is Paint?

The van as it is positioned now and before loading!

Some of my long skinny panels with their first layers of fixative

Although I haven't been posting as often as I thought I would this winter, I still am working diligently. It is just that in addition to actually making art, working on experiments (which, aside from the oils, have not been attempted), taking inventory to new places for display and sale, there is still so much more to do.

When people ask me how long it takes to do a complete a piece, I really don't know how to answer. Do I mention the 4 to 8 hours it takes to complete the drawing part of some of smaller squares? Then, immediately they calculate that if I work an average 2000 hours a year I make "x" number of dollars. Or, do I mention that that is for completion of the art part of it. That those hours do not take into consideration the hours of record keeping, photographing and documenting (which I realize needs definite improvement and should be subject of another post), framing and packing. Then there are show applications, website updates (Rees does a lot of this but I still need to let him know which pieces to put up...), making sure all my forms are in order for upcoming shows, hotel reservations, actual travel to the shows, packing for the shows and unpacking--you get the drift.

For example, my first show of 2011 is in Scottsdale, put on by the Scottsdale Center for the Arts. It is a great show and a pleasure to do. I need a state permit and a city permit. And the first time I got the city permit I actually had to mail my original birth certificate to them to prove I had the right to do business in AZ. I wonder what my Israeli friend, Yoram Gal, does when he wants to do a show in Scottsdale. Or maybe he isn't allowed? Then the center asks for a donation, which I don't mind as their auction has definitely directed new customers to my booth. But, they also ask for digital images in very certain sizes for their website. So, I have to pick a piece for the donation--in advance, find or take an image of it, email the very specifically sized images to the show. Then I have to pull the piece so it is readily available at check-in, before I've unloaded the van. It is no wonder not everyone participates. Then we'll have to file tax returns in Scottsdale and AZ when we return--for the sales tax.

Before leaving, I'll have to decide which pieces to varnish and frame and then actually do this part. This part is actually fun this time of year because I have a lot of new work and definitely not enough room in the booth or the van for all of it. And, while this little glimpse of things to do beside make art is no where near complete, I'll also have to shovel out the van in order to move it closer to the studio for loading......or maybe the snow will melt by then. Ha! And that reminds me, we need to build out the inside of the van again. We dismantled that a while back so we could use the van to pick up a door....