Living Well is Some Sort Of Revenge Or Something.

Received the money for the painting sold at Verde this afternoon, which was a little surprising. I didn't expect it until the end of the month, and had just gone in to put up a new piece.

Of course I need the money, but it might have been the first time I wasn't stressing it at all. First time in a long time, at least.

Dealing with some undue stress today, as my ONE employee just quit. I covered for her today so she could be at the cafe, thinking she'd be working tomorrow. I've since come to learn she got a new job and she starts tomorrow. I don't blame her, by any means (she lives in Scottsdale, so the travel alone just seemed a little bit silly), but it's still frustrating. Even still, I'm torn. On one hand, it'd be nice to get some extra hours in and get a little ahead on bills before school starts up. On the other, I have so much work to do in the way of my portfolio and shows and school applications and moving and I NEED A BREAK. My time away from work is spent painting, writing, thinking, analyzing, researching, and planning, and I wish that I could afford (monetarily and time-wise) to take a little vacation. When I get bogged down like this, I just have to keep reminding myself that it will be worth it. It WILL pay off someday.

In regards to art, I'm trying to experiment more. One of my big critiques from SMFA and MICA was that I tend to waver between abstract and reality, and that I need to work outside of acrylic. I've always been drawn to mixed media, but tended to avoid certain media (oil, watercolor, ink, and pastel, for example). My goal for July is to experiment with different media. I started on an oil today, and just like I remember, I fucking hate it. I feel as though there's nothing I can do with oil or watercolor that I can't achieve with acrylic. I've made the choice, though, and I will begrudgingly commit to it. Regardless of my initial frustrations, I think the work I'll be putting out for the next few months (and potentially thereafter) will be unlike any of my existing work, for the most part. My show at Practical Art is already starting to show elements of sculpture and textiles, so I'm confident that the work will be to my liking in the end.

There's quite a few styles and techniques that I haven't taken to for whatever reason, and I fear that I just got comfortable in acrylic. I don't want that complacency in my art, so it's my responsibility to do new things, be it foreign conceptual territory or a medium that isn't my forte. I guess we'll see what happens.