Thinking towards fall.....

'Almost Autumn'

Today is Richard's B'day...the big 4-0 lol. I got him a bunch of cool shirts and a funny/sweet card. We went out to eat at O'Charley's and I got a giant margarita that I couldn't even get halfway through lol. Oh, and I got him a lucious chocolate cake that I lit with 40 candles :). Fun. It's always great starting a new decade in your life, this is going to be a good one for him (for us) . We're settled in our house, we have an awesome dog, our kids are getting older (Erik, his son, is starting college this fall). I'm looking forward to all that's to come. I know one thing that has to happen soon - I HAVE TO GET ORGANIZED. I'm sitting at a desk full of papers, empty coffee cups, my camera, bills, and misc STUFF. It's amazing I can sit here at the computer surrounded by all this clutter. Ugh.

I have some good news that's going to contribute greatly to harmony and peace in my life though. I talked to my manager at Cato and told her I didn't want to be 2nd Assistant anymore. Whew! That means I won't be putting in 30+ hours a week there so I can get focused and organized and keep heading in the right direction with my artwork. I'm going to be able to step down the week after next. No more cramming to get ready for the Saturday and Sunday markets after getting off work, or going to work after being in Knoxville all day with my tent. Well, I have to this Saturday :(....but it will be my last. I actually get to have a life now lol. My schedule has pretty much been work M-F at Cato and Sat and Sun at the markets. I've had no creative down time at all. I'm so looking forward to this. Richard is working from home now too so we can get back to our wonderful little life of being home together doing our separate creative jobs. Sigh, I can't wait. I know the next week will go by fast.....

In the meantime, we started getting in some fall sweaters and things so I'm starting to be in an autumn frame of mind now. Here's some of my autumn inspired artwork I've been working on :) :



'Tastes Like Fall'


'That Seventies Summer'


These aren't in my shop yet but I'll be bringing one this week and the other two next week to the markets. I actually bought the lovely sunflowers at the Chattanooga Market. I love them, they're such happy flowers :).

Here are a couple of things I've been working on this week. I'll be bringing them to Knoxville on Saturday and Chattanooga on Sunday :). The above one is called 'Talking to Clouds' and the one below is 'Peachy Keen' which I thought was quite appropriate for the the Peach Market on Sunday :). I really love both of them although they're very different. Talking to Clouds is really neat because it looks like the telephone lines are going through the clouds - I don't even know how I did that lol! It had something to do with the settings on my camera and brightness of the clouds - the light somehow overtook the telephone line in spots so that it looks like the clouds are covering the wires. I tried to think of all kinds of names for it - Stairway to Heaven, How We Talk to God, Communion With Clouds.....I could go on and on - I finally decided on 'Talking to Clouds' to keep it simple. 'Peachy Keen' - well, it's rather self explanatory :). I love the warm, peachy colors and the vintage feel. It's fresh yet old-fashioned at the same time.

Thank you Chattanooga for the warm reception :)

Neighborly

So Chattanooga was awesome, I'm definitely going back this week. I'll probably make it regular Sunday thing now :). All the market goers were very friendly as were the other vendors (with the possible exception of one who will go nameless lol - backhanded compliments anyone?). But it was a great day, I met so many people. I also felt good because a lot of my customers told me their stories and explained what the particular photograph they bought meant to them. That it reminded them of something from their childhood or something that recently happened to them or their wedding day...there were a lot of little stories exchanged in conversation. I love that I can give people something they can hold onto that corresponds with something special in their life or from their past, it's that emotional connection to my work that makes it all worthwhile for me. I truly truly truly think it's important that we don't forget those parts of ourselves that believed in the magic of blowing dandelion seeds, or making wishes, or just laying in grass looking up at the clouds in amazement and awe. I think we get so caught up in our day to day rushing around or our immediate problems that we sometimes forget that all of that is still out there just waiting for us to notice it and believe in it. So when you go outside today, don't forget to look up - at the clouds, or at the birds sitting in a neat row on the wire on your way home from work, or just notice the happy little dandelions popping up in your yard (or your neighbor's yard if you don't like them in your own lol). It will make you feel lighter and happier inside :).

I'll also be at the Knoxville Market on Saturday - I hope to see everybody there!



The Seduction of Clouds (not in my shop at the moment)