Happy New Year

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years with family followed by some time at home getting sorted and tidying up all my stuff. Funny how much I hang out for a break from work yet seem quite ready for it when its time to come back.
My new grandson arrived on Saturday and he is perfect. I adore him already and gave him his first bath. Tom and family are all moving down this week to Wellington which is stressful for them but exciting at the same time. It means I will have a lot more time with my grandsons hopefully. Yah.
Creatively I have a table at home piled with sewing projects and another table piled with writing and business projects and five book cases in my studio - one is for stationery, one for books, one for business stuff, one for art and crafts and one for sewing. It feels good to be organised. I emailed Artisan and told them I definately would NOT be available for any more contract work so as soon as I finish off the two projects I am working on at the moment, that will be it.
I have so many ideas to work on and cant wait.

One more sleep to go

One more sleep til the big fat fella comes down my chimney and gives me presents and drinks my beer...one more sleep til Santa.

I'm at work and not a lot of work is going on. I like my new job though. The people are great and I've been weaning myself off extra work (though still have a bit going on to finish off projects). My work has been more creative than I expected. They had half produced a bunch of resources that need editing, laying out and formatting or 'desk top publishing'. This means I get to do the pretty stuff and everyone has been so impressed. Along with my Yellow Art Awards, I'm now known as the resident artist and given all the arty farty jobs here that need to be done. It's cool. They have even forked out $5000 for the Creative Suite so in the new year I can work with InDesign and Photoshop. Yee haa.

For Chistmas I made a photo montage of childhood photos for Mum and Dad and got these printed on canvas. They turned out great and I think Mum and Dad will be rapt. I also printed off the Yellow Art Award picture and put it in cheap frames for everyone. I still havent got round to painting but I have done a bit of sewing and bought some lovely material for a dress yesterday.

Merry Christmas everyone. XXX

3rd place

Disappointingly for me I didn’t win the prestigious honour of having my artwork on the 2010 white pages. However, a bronze medal is still an honour. I get $500 and go to the Art Awards in March, and will get a certificate or something I presume so that is still exciting and it has been a very exciting few weeks. Congratulations to the other two finalists who got second and third. I don’t know which one won as yet.
Yesterday when I heard I was a little sad and old feelings of only being average at everything propped up. Today I feel better and still validated and appreciate that being selected as one of only three is still a very big achievement.
I am back feeling motivated to materialise a plan I have had for a while now - and thought a lot more about since I got selected as a finalist - to create some more works and have an exhibition and get a webpage and get some of my ideas into production to sell online.

Waiting

I should find out before Friday if my artwork has won the voting competition. Fingers crossed!

Validation

In August 2004 I finally got my very own digital camera and began taking LOTS of photos. Some of these were beautiful shots of Wellington buildings on sunny days where they stood tall, proud and glittering.

I played around with some of these images in photoshop. I had an idea for making tees that would feature these stark contrasted images against bright coloured backgrounds, experimenting with different colours.

When the Yellow Pages Art Awards came round, I entered a compilation of these images but the entry disappeared into the cosmos as all my entries had done in the past. I have no idea how many times I entered. Around 5 times I think.

This year I was just too busy to bother - too much work on to think about spending time being creative. However, the Art Awards people send out reminder emails and when I got the last one - a day or so before shut off, I decided to enter the compilation again and be done with it.

AMAZINGLY enough, it got selected. Out of how many I dont know - but there are only 3 in the final. Its now down to the vote and so I have begun a political campaign to get as many votes as possible. People have been SO generous and have forwarded this on to all their contacts. its been amazing. I have been so humbled by so many well wishes and so many complements. Its been wonders for my social networking too.

I dont know when I find out the results but entries finish on 22nd November. If you happen upon this blog and wish to vote yourself, the link is: http://www.yellowartawards.co.nz/vote.php

The Pig of Happiness

Low profile

I'm head down bogged with work at the moment trying to finish off contracts for my old job while my new job is starting. I spent all weekend working and I HATES it. If ever I needed convincing that I need never do this kind of work again on contract, I have been convinced. I would MUCH rather be sending my art inspired creations around the world like Kim. GO STICKYTIKI.
So I wont be posting much for a few weeks because I didnt want this to be a moan about my work sagas but rather an log of my new creative life.
1 manual out of 5 done. Just another month of slog to go me hopes.
[sigh]