I looked out this morning and the sun was gone...

Nothing like a Boston song stuck in your head for weeks!  Everyone! "it's more than a feeling..."

I was going to post the video but didn't want to startle anyone. 

It's raining again here in Portland.  Yesterday was soooo lovely!   I did my Business Foundations homework, or tried, outside.  Did my daily marketing, some yard work, and rearranged an ef-ton of furniture.  Rearranging the entire house isn't exactly fun, but nessessary.  Granted the house is only 780 square feet, not counting the garage(aka my future painting studio) but I have a LOT of items.  Too many items.  The goodwill pile is growing.

Anyway. I say all that to say, that I'm organizing and de-cluttering my life. From house to brain.  Spring cleaning for the soul, if you will. 

What do you do when you feel disorganized and cluttered?

More Changes Here,There and Everywhere!

Yesterday was a hard day.  I was really struggling with what I'm doing in my life.  Primarily around the business/job area.  Taking these business classes and listening to the negative voices in my head and around me regarding making a living off of art was getting to me.  I may yet decide that having a day job is the best option, and I am looking for that perfect day job.  or I may decide I have a better idea for a business.  But for now, my business Almost Monday and my oil painting need to be the focus of my site/blog energy.  I've been given the greatest gift of time and I should not squander it on doubt and depression.  I've been really productive over that last 6 months and will continue to do so.  But I am allowing myself to enjoy the summer weather while I can!  Any small business is a lot of hard work!!
And I'm not afraid of hard work! 

The changes - My domain name will now point here, instead of directly to etsy.  I'll be using this blogger page as a website until I'm at a place to have a "real" website.  I'll be practicing some different marketing techniques and also expanding my general knowledge of business and art.  I'll be focusing less on unemployedness and more on the making of art and business.  

Suggestions are always welcome!  I love hearing from you!  It makes me know I'm not just talking to myself!  I really appreciate each one of you as you listen to me ramble through my life changes and struggles!

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope the sun fills your yards and warms your heart this weekend! 

The Busiest Unemployed Person Ever!

Summer is almost here in the Pacific Northwest!  This will be my first summer unemployed for longer than I can remember - early ninety's maybe?? I'm excited, sad, and BUSY!!
You may or may not not what I've been up to, so I'll recap!

• IIDA VP of Fundraising and Sponsorship - Interior Design professional organization board member

• Painting - Have another commission piece that I've started.  Wait till you see this request! 

• Printmaking - Etsy, print of the month, rephotographing project, typical etsy stuff

• Print/portfolio Exchanges - Multiple!!! 

• Atelier Meridian -  Marketing/Social Media in exchange for studio access!! It's a wonderful Space!!

• The Falcon - Still running the Tuesday night painting group - this month we have the lovely Mila! 

• Drypoint Workshops -  I need to schedule one soon!  Debating of switching venues...

• The Art of Action - and online course "Wish there was a plan for turning your dreams & ideas into ACTIONS?"  

• Mercy Corps Business Foundations: A Comprehensive Course to Build Your Business.   

• Mercy Corps - Social Media Workshop 

• PAN - Print Arts Northwest - Just volunteered to be on a committee.

• PAN - Print Arts Northwest - Emerging artist program - I'll be applying for this program!  

• Travel - Trying to figure out how I can take a long vacation this fall and travel around eastern europe & down into Istanbul. And also visit a few friends! but if this is going to happen I need to figure it out quickly!!!!

Last but not least, lots of kitty petting and cheese eating!  And yes, I am looking for work as well while I try to figure out how to be what I want when I grow up! 

What are you up to??? 

Brushes down!

After a few minor changes and additions, I placed Mona in her frame today.  She makes her way to her new home tomorrow night! 

Forgive me Leonardo.

My dearest Leonardo,
Please forgive me.  It's hard times out here in the 21st century.  An artist has to do what an artist has to do.  or does she?
Yours truly,
Serena

I was approached to paint my interpretation of a "slutty Mona Lisa" reproduction.  I thought about it for a few seconds and agreed.

Need less blurry photo!

However, once I started painting I felt a bit funny about it.  Embarrassed or slightly ashamed.  Or maybe just irreverent.  This is one of the most well known paintings in the world, done by Leonardo Da Vinci for kitties sake! Shouldn't I be more respectful?  As I kept painting I needed photo reference and in my research found a bazziliontrillion knock offs and reproductions from alien heads to Micheal Jackson in Mona Lisa drag.  Soooo, I decided to embrace it and paint that best damn Mona Lisa I possibly could in the time frame I had.

It's also really hard painting from crappy photos online.  It's also hard to extrapolate breast augmentation.  It's obviously not a direct reproduction, I've made some changes to the clothing that I thought appropriate to her well-endowed and time period.  I have a few small things to touch up, but it's 99% finished at this point. 

Have I stepped on Leonardo's, as well as the feminist toes here?  Probably.  Thoughts?
I'll also post a process blog at a later time.  

Art is a Luxury? *WTF?

I was meeting with my AA group yesterday.  That's Art Accountability group to you!  And a certain someone brought up how her family was taught that art is a luxury. And the 3rd person in our group agreed!!! I was SHOCKED to say the least.  Art is NOT a luxury, especially for an artist.  Art is a *M.F'en necessity!

A little Rococo for ya!

I'm still in shock.  Image, if you will, there is no art. Look around you.  Bare walls, no color, every piece of furniture ceases to have style.  Every house would look a-like, all our clothes would only be utilitarian.  Art is embedded into every nook and cranny of our cultures.  You might not think of yourself as an artist, but every time you arrange your furniture, pick a particular combo of clothes, paint a room, arrange a flower vase, you are expressing yourself.  You are creating a composition.  You are, in fact, living art.  

Horse
c. 15,000-10,000 BC
Lascaux, Franc

Now, if you don't consider
yourself and artist, and apparently even if you are an artist,  you may disagree with me. But you'd be wrong.  :) Art has been an integral part of society.  I'll spare the art history lesson today.

Function without form?  Sounds horrible.  For me, art is a necessity! A staple in life's my diet.  My hope is that it becomes that for you too!  A life without expression hardly seems worth living.  

Disagree?  I'd love to hear why!  Agree?  Do tell!!


*M.F'en is my abbreviation for a shocking offensive pairing of swear words, same for WTF! :) Just in case you didn't know.

Rejection.

How do you handle rejection?  Is personal rejection different than professional rejection? If so do you react differently?
In my case it's artistic rejection, and I do not like it. Today I received my very nicely written rejection email from The American Academy in Rome.  It went something like this:
Dear Serena Van Vranken,

Thank you for your application for a Rome Prize fellowship. When the jury met recently, they carefully considered your application materials. I am writing to inform you, on behalf of the American Academy in Rome, that the jury did not recommend you for a fellowship in Visual Arts.

Academy juries change every year, and a previous application in no way compromises your chances of winning a future fellowship. We hope that you will consider applying again, as many Rome Prize Fellows have applied more than once before being selected.


I guess I was more delusional than I imagined, as I am really disappointed. And was secretly putting off making some decisions until I heard from them. Now what? 


The AAR gets hundreds of applicants each year.  most of the winners are professors or are pretty far along in their careers but I was still hoping. It was a sort of tough application - you must have all the usual stuff plus an essay outlining your project.  Basically my project was painting the modern Roman in ancient Rome.  I'm intrigued by how old the city is and how modern man functions with in it.  I was excited to paint ancient architecture with the everyday modern men and woman interacting with it. Guess I'll start thinking about a stronger concept for a project!  


I haven't talked too much about my oil painting on this blog. Some of you may not even know I'm an oil painter.  Here are the photos I sent for the application process.  http://serena-van-vranken.artistwebsites.com/
I hope you'll take a moment to check them out!  I apologize that I'm not able to post any photos from the computer I'm working on at this time.

Thanks for listening to me whine.  Sweet dreams.

ps. It occurs to me, now that I am posting this publicly, that for me embarrassment follows rejection. But I'm sharing it anyway.  As this is what I've promised this blog is about.  Trials and tribulations.