Yes, a self employed artist DOES work on a weekend!  If it is not a show, it is meeting a client, marketing at a local gallery or painting our commissions.

It is very nice to be off the road for a bit! The deserts of the west have made this North Carolina spring seem LUSH!

Today, on this lovely sunny Saturday,  I bundled up a pastel that I had started to work on at the California shows and headed into the city to work at a Gallery. When I started this pastel of two sisters while in California, I had to  put it up when the winds became too strong at the outdoor show.

My client, whom I was to originally meet, was ill and rescheduled for Monday.  But not to worry. I had the pastel to work on and the Gallery is located in a busy mall.  Malls are a great place for people traffic. I first started working in front of a large clothing retailer ack in 1996. It was great money! 2 years later I went to an fine arts gallery but when they closed down, I moved a few doors down to a framing store. It’s been a win win situation since 1998. I have examples hanging in their place of business and I send my clients to them for framing! I try to be there once a week. Obviously I had nor made it the past  few weeks because of our California trip.

So from 10 am until 3:30, I worked on (and completed) my pastel. All the while I chatted with passerbys and made several great contacts. That is the whole point. To be where the client can find you!

While I was at the mall, Steve drove to a farm where we have completed a number of different pieces for the client. Now she wanted Steve to paint 5 of the old barns as they stood now befoe the renovations took place. So he set up his easel, oils and completed one plein air painting. He photographed several of the others as it may rain tomorrow and this way he can work in the studio.

I don’t have a photo of what he completed today but below is one from last year of the same client’s old indoor ring.  There is nostalgia in the old places even as we embrace the new!

View from inside the old barn

Theresa