Teeny Tiny

Working on those ACEOs was exactly what I needed to do. Once my brain clicked in with working on such a small scale, I was finally able to move forward. Finishing these ACEOs is giving me what I need right now, which is the idea that I am capable of finishing something in the middle of this tornado that is Summer Break!

These are the ones I that finished, and they're up in my website shop ($18 each, including shipping):

Moonshroom

Lights On

Forest Cottage

Cottage

3 Mushrooms

I just had to include the two I took with the mini-easel! I plan on offering these easels for sale at my art booths for the two events I've signed up for. I could do it online too, but I don't know if people would really be interested. Personally, I just love playing with the little things!

I'm still learning about working with ACEOs, and I haven't quite figured out everything I want to. I went with pencils on one, a little bit of watercolors here and there, and then acrylic. I also decided that I like them enough that I ordered some pens and liners to see if I can't tighten up some of the detail work I'd like to add.

My hope is that experimenting with all of this will lead to new things on my bigger works. I've long wondered about using liners, and never have actually done so. Any outlining type of elements you have ever seen in any of my work has been done solely with a paintbrush (and a fair amount of cussing, in some cases.) I also ordered a white pen, which for some reason was always forbidden in my mind (a holdover from those traditional watercolor purist professors I had, I think.) All in all, I'm excited about where this might take me.

Also, it is a relief to get something done while I feel like everything is inside out and backwards. I just feel like I can't focus! I have so much to do that it's overwhelming. It's so bad, I thought about packing up my entire studio and giving up. Like, REALLY giving up. I have tons of thoughts bombard me frequently with things like "You're not good enough. What about being a mom 24/7 like you should? Shouldn't you be out there making this summer something for them to remember? What about the other projects you're supposed to get done? Commitments  appointments, and oh hey, clean clothes would be nice. How's that laundry coming?"

As artists, we all have these nasty little voices run through our head from time to time. The reality is there will always be someone better than you out there, but they will never actually BE YOU. I'm holding tight to that, and trying to ignore the voices that tell me this is all a waste of my time and that I should be doing something productive. Art is a part of me, it's not even a choice. It's just a huge part of who I am, and packing that up, even if I'm not good enough, would be a mistake. I did that once, for several years. It was not healthy for me.

So, I'm here. In a whirlwind, with things flying in every direction, feeling like my head is going to explode and a big part of me waffling between wanting to cry with the covers pulled up over my head, and another part wanting to stomp my feet and get some sort of order restored (neither of which are actually options.)

For now, I'm just going to focus on my tiny paintings. That will hopefully be enough for now!