I ventured out today by myself.  First time in over six weeks.  The boot came off two days ago.  I'm taking it slow and cautious.  As instructed I am swapping the boot from the now healed broken foot to the other bad foot in an effort to alleviate some of the pain by immobilizing it.  We'll see.  Not very optimistic about it.  Doc is pretty certain it's nerve pain and arthritis.  MRI and x-rays show no reason for the kind of pain I'm having in that foot. 

I Can Do This!

I've be forced to re-evaluate my activities - which is the last thing I wanted to do once getting out of that boot.  You should see the to-do notebook list I've compiled.  I'm reducing the 7-9 outdoor art shows (which has been my regular routine the past four years) to only 1 in 2012.  Only one.  O-N-E.  It's an easy one day event nearby with lots of help.  Physically I just cannot take on what I have in the past.  Because of the orthopaedic issues, I also had to give up keeping my angel/granbaby girl full time.  That was spiritually excruciating.  I mourned.  I grieved.  I finally came to accept it (sorta-kinda-in a way).  Then, she got to stay with me Friday ... the day after the boot came off.  I never realized how tired I was each day and how much energy it took the last two and a half years.  Maybe it's because I've had a low activity level the last five weeks recuperating (along with the fruit salad mix of other issues).  I know I'm not 100% yet ... and may see-saw between good days and bad days.  I'm hoping for more good than bad.  I will pace myself.  Save up the energy for get-togethers and pressing activities.  My glass is half-full!  My heart is even fuller!  I ♥ my family and look forward to regaining a familiar pace!

Anywho!  I ventured out today and had lunch with my sister and then made a ever so slow walking tour stop by the garden center at Lowes.  The seed-starting trays had arrived.  I bought a couple to go with the ones I already had.  As well as another two long, narrow planters for shallow things (i.e. chives, green onions, lettuces, etc.) to grow on my back porch.  I also acquired two very large pots to grow a couple of potato varieties in.  Tomorrow I will get the seeds I've been gathering in their respective containers and place them in my little greenhouse off the dining room.  I'm hoping all the seeds will germinate into healthy, strong transplants for my spring garden. This will be the first time I've tried to plant a garden without buying transplants.

 

There is so much to be done.  Inside and outside.  My studio is a complete wreck.  I can't even begin to think about returning to painting before that declared disaster site is cleaned up.  Before that happens, the overflow from the pantry must be dealt with ... thanks to my canning projects that require the more sturdy shelving location.  The guest room is also a declared disaster because of the orthopaedic apparati (is that even a word?!) occupying the room ... most of which can be put in the garage, which in and of itself has it's own micro-chaos.  Not as bad as it was before my husband took advantage of my clumsiness on crutches and took over the much needed task of, shall I say 'attempting to organize' MY garage?  A very valiant attempt at that!  Add the dining room table where all my business records are scattered ... not to mention the back porch where gardening chaos reigns because I had the metal shelving on the porch relocated to the greenhouse for my seed starting.  Did I just come full circle?! 

I'm pacing myself.  This will take awhile!   I'm extending grace to myself. I'm venting using y'all as a therapeutic release!  And, BTW,

Another art event behind me!  

Not planning on participating in anymore this fall. 

Gearing up for the holidays!

We had a great time seeing old friends and fellow artists (some met both criteria!) last weekend while participating in the National Annual Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores!  Sales were decent even though the crowds were off (per the artists' opinions) regardless of what the newspaper headlines said.  The volunteer staff did a bang-up job getting us in and out, as well as providing occasional assistance and refreshment!  Speaking of "refreshment" (weren't we?), I devoured a Cajun Pistol from Red Wagon Concessions first day out!  OMG!  I love those things!  It's seafood bisque pumped into a soft homemade roll.  Heavenly!  Be careful!  You'll be wearing it with the first bite!

The weather was beautiful ..... a little windy a couple of days ... a bit hot on others!  We were able to stay nearby ... within walking distance.  Below is what I saw first thing every morning out the living room window!  Kinda creepy, huh?!  It's the octopus over the retail store in adjacent parking lot!

It was pretty cool to see one of my larger prints hanging on the wall at the Shrimp Basket too!! 


Half Shells - 12x36


And, now, as is the usual case, I'm down with a head/chest cold.  I'm functioning ok ... just at a slower pace.  It seems after I do an event, I come down with something within a few days.  Must be stress and fatigue getting the best of me!  I'll bounce back!  Too many things on the to-do list to lay around for long!
ttfn!

What's on  your Plate Palette?



My Favorite Project!  My Granbaby Girl,
Keller, strikin' a pose!



Square Foot Gardening!!  Labor, creativity and prayer!



Knitting is another palette I'm experimenting with!



And a bread baking palette!



Still Juicing too!  Maybe not a palette thing,
but creative combinations!



Add to all that, and I'm also busily preparing for an art event. 
The National Shrimp Festival is less than two weeks away. 
My dining room is in chaos with prints and originals everywhere
 ..waiting to packed in the trailer for the haul to Gulf Shores! 
Y'all come by and visit my booth!!  Would love to meet you all!



image from itsgettinghotinhere.org





Sooooo, to get myself outta this

'can't get away from the computer' itch,

I'm gonna challenge myself. 

A thirty day challenge beginning August 1st. 

Complete an art project!  

Start a new one or dust one off from the shelf! 

I have plenty of those!



My studio .... when it's clean!

 I hope to accomplish two things!

1) Break an addiction!

2) Prepare for an upcoming art show!

I need to spend August doing this so I can spend September

to have prints made and package them and tackle the rest of

the art show prep to-do list!  I will be Shrimp Festival ready!!! 

Stay tuned!

Update:  Am I kidding myself?  Yeah!
This challenge is not feasible with my current commitments, health and to-do list!
Get Real!
I am not Super Woman (not right now!)!
I don't need this self-imposed pressure!
It sucks the joy out of creativity!

http://www.tkellerart.com/

FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS 2011

I shared the festival booth with Jennifer Keller White,

Ardith Goodwin and Denise Inge, all local Mobile artists. 

 We had a great selection of watercolor, acrylic,

collage and photography, along with Jen's cool new frames! 

Sales weren't exactly thru the roof this year.  But laughter prevailed throughout the four days!   The weather-man caused a little anxiety and the booth next to us drove us a bit batty with the sounds of crickets and croaking frog toys.  The hospitality of the Festival staff was far an beyond any other art event I've participated in!  Thanks guys for looking after all the vendors!  We were refreshed often by water and colas and an occasional jaunt over to the TCBY stand though they ruffled the vendors' tail feathers by increasing their prices from $3 to $4 by mid-afternoon the first day of the festival.  Shame on you TCBY! 



Kudos to my dear husband a/k/a my Tentputterupperer! 

He ran a cable around the top of their tent to secure our walls

 and set up a fan and overhead lighting to keep the dampness

of the evening at bay to protect our works under glass!   

You, my dear, get the blue ribbon!!!

http://www.tkellerart.com/

It's that time again!   I have five outdoor art events lined up for the spring!  My favorite Steele Magnolia's quote applies right now .... "I'm gonna be busier than a one-armed paper hanger" for the next three months!  Looking forward to meeting a lot of new folks and sharing my new pieces (when I finally have some new pieces to share)!  

Schedule of events: 

February 12

Church Street East Art Festival

Cathedral Square, downtown Mobile

March 24-27

Festival of Flowers

Providence Hospital, Mobile

April 8, 9, 10

Arts Alive!

Cathedral Square, Mobile

April 16

Arts & Crafts Festival

St. Francis Episcopal Church

Dauphin Island

May 7 & 8

Art in the Park

Foley


http://www.tkellerart.com

Art Market

Eleven local artists, including myself, are all set up and ready for Christmas shoppers during the Art Market at the Mobile Botanical Gardens' Annual Poinsettia Show. We will be open Friday 12/3, from 9:-4: and Saturday 12/4, from 9:-12: with a large variety of original artwork, jewelry, assemblage art, handpainted furniture, clayworks, scarves and much, much more! There are also three Open Studio events in the area on Saturday.

Artists include: Ardith Goodwin, Michelle Leech, Holly Carrigan, Marsha Sutton, Lydia Host, Denise Inge, Provie Musso, Claire Noojin, Bryant Tanner, Gail Wilson and myself, Terri Keller.


There are photo sneak peaks at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066445&id=1248077616&fbid=1478013430813&ref=mf


There are also several Open Studio events in the area! Maps will be available at the Botanical Gardens Art Market! Info about the Open Studio Tour can be found at http://www.artologyinc.com/ . Click the link! When you get to the Artology page, scroll down to this picture:

Another show ....

Busily preparing for an outdoor art show this Saturday on Dauphin Island. I had sworn off fall shows because during hunting season my husband isn't readily available to set up tents. He's gonna set me up on Friday and I'll beg help to get it down after the show. As much as I enjoy doing the outdoor shows, I abhor the preparation. Originals, framing, prints, notecards, checklists of equipment, postcard mailings, and the list goes on and on and on. Mostly, I dislike the mess I make of my home with inventory and the time it takes away from family and, yes! myself. The distraction throws me off-kilter for a few weeks. Imagine the spring shows which are every other weekend! But, I do love meeting the people who purchase my work and getting live feedback. That's something I don't experience with hanging at a gallery. Well, except for Artwalk events, but I think the people mostly come for the free wine! Anyway, if my neck and back continue to deteriorate my future tent set-up events may be numbered. It takes a lot out of me to do these shows. And these days I don't have a whole lot of stamina to give!

On another note, I attempted to do the NaBloPoMo or something like that. It's National Blog Posting Month and in order to get a blog badge you have to post every day during the month of November. I tried. I had issues with posts disappearing or posting out of order. And, to be quite honest, I was boring myself to tears trying to think of something to post. I refused to grab a post idea from the bag such as "What do you think about turtles" or "What was your favorite toy as a child" so I'm done with it. I'd rather post when something meaningful rises up in me even if it isn't every single day.

So, ta ta for now. I have paintings to pack and show equipment decisions to make. Will I take the tables and boxes or just the print bin? Should I just pull what's left in my closet that I'd forgotten about and leave my newer stuff at the galleries? Notecards or 5x7s? It's never ending.

Busy Bee !!

Been in my studio off and on this week preparing for a couple of art events. Off and on because my time has been limited so it's been catch-as/catch can all week. I've joined forces with five other artistic women to open a funky new gallery downtown called Art(Ology). Check out the site at http://artologyinc.com/ . I've also been busily caring for and playing with my granbaby girl, Keller. She's not napping as early in the day as she used to and not as long. So while she snoozes, I paint or whatever project is pressing. Currently that would be pieces for holiday shows. I'm trying to keep several things going at once so drying time is not down time. Yep, doing some multi-tasking.


If you haven't already filled up your calendar, put these two events on it!

November 20/21 Dauphin Island Art in the Park Festival at Cadillac Square.

December 3/4 Mobile Botanical Gardens Artists' Market during the annual poinsettia show.

Also!! This weekend is the Christmas Jubilee at the fairgrounds, Trinity Episcopal Arts & Crafts Event, as well as a couple of churches on the island holding arts & crafts events. Get out and enjoy this beautiful weather while it lasts!


http://tkellerart.com/ (my art blog)

Art Scoop!

Upcoming art shows are looming nearer. I am no not prepared. But! I will be ready. Been busily distracted with higher priorities. My granbaby girl is tops! Watching her grow and develop and learn new things each day is priceless time spent! I switch into overdrive during naptime and accomplish quite a bit ... only if I have a plan.

Been pitching in every free block of time to help a great group of artist women/friends to ready and open a new art gallery/gift shop downtown. Grand opening during next Friday's ArtWalk. It's such cool little space right in the heart of downtown Mobile and the hub of the art scene. Excited about being a part of this new (ad)venture with Art(ology)!

And of course, the holidays are coming up! I have a love/hate relationship with the holiday season! My last art show of the season will be the first weekend in December. After that, I will spend the remainder of the month preparing and creating Christmas gifts for family and friends. Then immediately after the New Year arrives, the cycle will begin again. I'll get crackin again in the studio producing work for sale at Spring shows, beginning in March.

But for today ... recover this morning from my daughter's 18th birthday party last night. Gather artwork to hang at one of the galleries for ArtWalk followed by a visit to ArtOlogy to help out and a 5:00 meeting for the Botanical Gardens Show.

Breathe. Just breathe!

Pondering . . .

It's "Boo" Season! It's also time for fall art shows!

Shrimp Festival is coming up October 8-11 in Gulf Shores. Grand Festival is the following weekend in Fairhope. Hope to see ya'll there.

I'm looking forward to the fall/winter months after these shows are over to not only prepare for the holidays but to ponder which direction to go with my art-venture. I need to focus on one medium: watercolor, acrylics or oil. I love watercolor. It's the most relaxing of all for me to work with. I love the bright colors of acrylics and the beauty of oils too. But I feel like I'm all over the place. I equally sell each medium but some are more time consuming and cumbersome than others. Watercolors require framing, matting, glass and caution while loading/unloading for shows. Oils take forever to dry and acrylics and oils are both messy mediums and end up on my clothes and everywhere else during the painting process. I'm also considering limiting the outsources I work with. It is exhausting going all over town changing out work and keeping up with the paperwork records of where everything is located. I know I need to become more involved with the art associations I'm affiliated with but for now, my time is not my own. I made the decision two years ago not to allow the art aspect to push aside "life" and not to over schedule myself as long as my daughter was still in high school. I also have a new grand baby to spoil. I hear all the time "if you aren't visible, people forget about you." I watch fellow artist friends stretching themselves thin and well, if it made me "thin" I'd be beating the pavement! Wouldn't we all! Seriously, I remind myself that I didn't begin doing the shows for recognition and fame, but as an outlet to sell and pass along paintings that were lining the walls. The hobby turned into a business and the shows became back to back and the race was suddenly on. Then my mom became ill and I lost my momentum. And the art world kept revolving all around me. Because of lack of time to paint, I've found myself throwing together pieces that don't bring me as much joy to reveal and, knowing I am my worse critic, feels substandard because I know what I am capable of doing. It's only with the acrylics that I feel that way. Maybe because I feel fine detail is expected of/from me because of my watercolors. Hmmmmmm... Have I solved my dilemma by having a conversation with the keyboard? Perhaps. I can focus on watercolors and do the occasional acrylic or oil when inspiration for a fun, fabulous piece tickles my fancy. We'll see what the future brings. I need to build a cohesive body of work for next year. My biggest job, and the most rewarding, is still being a mom and a wife and keeping a peaceful home. During the often frantic pace of being an artist, I miss keeping house, cooking, working in the garden and just being me. The peacefulness is what I miss the most because preparing for art shows causes chaos all over my home because my studio is too small to do it all simultaneously. First things first....clean my studio so I can focus. Time is on my side this season.....I hope.

Gettin the train back on track ...... Toot Toot!

Sometimes you've just gotta let a few things fall to the back burner. For me it has been my art business. And my yard. And my hair-cut appts! And my health. During my mom's illness this past year, especially the last three months, she had to be the priority so there was no painting, or posting or filing. No weed pulling. I've rescheduled my hair appointment five times! Amidst all this, Sammy, one of my "son" dogs got terribly sick too. We got him through that and he's well and joyful again. I've also been taking my 82 y/o aunt for chemo. She's doing great with it. I've been spending every possible minute when I'm not playing catch up or catch my breath....with my precious new grand daughter, Keller! She arrived less than one week before my mom passed away. She is filling the void with happier thoughts! Also trying to get a gallery pulled together at the glass shop. Giving lots of thought to doing a quarterly art newsletter but for now it's just the "thinkin" stage! I may just continue to send new "doodles" on my mailing list with brief updates about what's goin on in my world or just keep that up on this blog.

Lining up for shows this fall. I'm gonna do the Shrimp Festival! I had pulled out of it cause of my mom's illness and not knowing what phase we would be in. I was already dealing with guilt over missing Mother's Day cause of Art in the Park. She encouraged me to stay in the show .... although we both knew deep inside she wouldn't be with us next year. Now that guilt has reared it's ugly head again. I don't want to live my life with regrets and I know my mom loved me and bragged to everyone about my art. So now I've gotta get back on track and continue to make her proud!

As for myself...I had my first official panic attack at the hospital the afternoon before my mom died. It hit me like a lightnin' bolt. Now I'm taking a mild blood pressure med and increased iron and B12 shots cause all that has either shot up or bottomed out. And, when I feel the anxiety coming on I have a very low dose xanax at hand.....keeps much of the tearfulness at bay and I sleep much better with it cause all those sad thoughts...as well as to-do lists...seem to keep me awake. I need lots and lots of art therapy!

Spending this weekend trying to re-group and plan some new work....after I get some pieces finished for Second Friday Artwalk downtown Mobile at the Cathedral Square Gallery. I am a featured artist for the "From a Child's Eye" whimsical and fun artwork. Hope I can gather enough pieces for the event. Oh yeah! I'll just whip up a few things! But first I have to write/send out thank you cards and make a couple of cakes for birthday gifts and some other treats for all those friends who had my back this last few months! Love you all! t

Art in the Park!

Had a decent weekend at Art in the Park. The venue is very well managed. The Foley Art Center group are really nice, friendly folks and go out of their way to accomodate their vendors. This was my first time showing there. I'm told the crowd was down 50%. Sales were average for everyone. I came away pleased!

I did a live radio spot on WHEP 1810! Woo Hoo! I received a Merit Award ribbon and $100 for watercolor! There was a also a great feature artist write-up in the Pensacola News Journal!!! Of course! I ordered the paper!

My girls spent the weekend with me and we visited with wonderful friends who live in Gulf Shores. Their hospitality was outstanding! Thanks Julie & Merle (Wall-to-Wall Interiors).

Gotta run...I just got a phone call that my mom is being admitted to the hospital with tachycardia and needing another transfusion. If you want to read the journals I am keeping of my mom's illness, go to https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joanjohnson/journal.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

What a soggy mess! First day at the Festival of Flowers was wet, wet, wet. Thank goodness for the volunteers. They spread mulch all day in and in front of the tents. People were skipping my tent after they looked in and saw the three inches of water...."I'm not goin in there" is what I heard all morning! After arriving this morning and discovering an entire box of prints had filled with water, I just really needed to hear a lot of complaining! I even found myself actually apologizing for the water while I was removing tablecloths and easels and elevating everything. I had to bring all my original watercolors back home to dry out from the humidity. It all worked out for good though. We were all in the same boat. I met a lot of great people and received a lot of good feedback on my work. Had a few sales. Sketched a couple of pieces of nearby tents and flowers. Tomorrow I'm gonna have some help part of the day....not that it's gonna be busy cause of the torrential rains expected again. But if I get a break....maybe I can wander around and see what else is there. And I've just gotta try at least one of the gazillion flavors of TCBY in the booth behind me! And, I've gotta get to the Ace Hardware tent! They always have fabulous plants! Miracle of the day.....my feet stayed dry! Don't ask how....I dunno! Tired puppy! Goin to bed! Hope you all get a chance to come out to the festival between showers and visit! I'm sure Sunday we'll get slammed! Later!!

This Life I've chosen ... Part I

For years I've attended outdoor art shows and admired artists of all genres. Considering how easy their lives seemed...charmed. Fantasizing about painting all day or sitting at the wheel making pottery or working whatever the craft may be. Trying to imagine the leisure. The creative ideas that give way to a flourishing existence of balance and serenity and a profitable art business ...... what a bunch of baloney ... as I've realized!

Well, let me clarify first that when it was a hobby, I painted between laundry, gardening, errands, cooking, vacuuming, and the 1002 other things we do to keep a home running. I felt balanced then. Really! I did. And maybe a little serene at times. I even had time to read. I didn't have an outlet at that time for my work though and it began piling up against the wall. I was encouraged by family, friends and even strangers to step out. So I gave the art show idea a try.

I was mentored in the beginning by another artist who advised me about packaging and applying to shows and artist's statements and dozens of other details. I prepared. My husband gave me a tent for Christmas! The decision was made right then! I had prints made and my girls helped me package them. I bought mesh walls for the tent and print bins and tables and made a sign that read "Terri Keller, Artist" with a crab on it....one of my crabs. We arrived on site before daylight to set up. By the way, I think my husband could now put a tent up blindfolded! Until the show started, we twiddled our thumbs and I nervously rearranged things over and over. My oldest daughter worked that show with me. What a salesperson! I didn't touch money all day!

It was a lot of tired backs, aching feet and sunburned skin, but I had a blast! People liked my work. They even bought it! I was overwhelmed at that first show. By the end of the day I was in tears. Not because I was exhausted...though I was. People were giving me their money because they liked my paintings. Who knew?!! Two weeks later I did another show! I was hooked. And now approaching a year since that first show, I have a full spring schedule and I'm beginning to develop a presence in the area. Sometimes I feel like a micro-celebrity in my circle of friends, although knowing I have oodles of learning and growing to do keeps me humble. I'm not ego pricing .... yet!!!

More to come ... How not to give it away. How I maneuvered the judgment of others. Endless to-do lists.

Poster Entry!

I didn't win but I had a blast doing this! Wouldn't these colors look great on a t-shirt?

Update - post Jazz Festival: The chairman said I was in the top three! Dozens of festival patrons came by my tent and said I should have won! That was worth the entry! I may try again next year!

http://www.tkellerart.com/

Dusting off the TO-DO list and moving forward!

I am beside myself! I found the Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! Guess what you're getting for Christmas?!!! Or, wine. Or, gift cards. Hmmmmm. I still say the cookie trumps all others!

This past weekend was the Shop Under the Oaks event. What a beautiful setting! I did some serious bartering at the end of the show! Fun! Met a lot of people. Made some new friends. Life's good!

I accomplished much today! Finally removed all signs that an artist lives here from my dining room. It has been housing art paraphanalia for nearly a year. Of course, in my guest room there are about a dozen canvases in various states of readiness or unreadiness lining the walls. Fortunately (depending on how you look at it) we won't have guests before Christmas Eve so I have time to clean the garage and arrange living quarters there for the canvases until time to sell. All my framed watercolors are in their own frame boxes, labeled accordingly, and lined up like soldiers in my foyer closet. : )

Next task: the foyer. No small feat. Includes the computer desk area, the piano, cookbook shelf and several baskets of newspapers and magazines and a box of miscellany to take to the island next trip down. And then there is the to-do list in my studio. Another reason the garage needs to be cleaned. There are multi-media projects that need to move out there.

Only one show left this year - first weekend in December - the Christmas Festival on Dauphin Island. The night before that is a book signing event at the ESAC for A Painter's Paradise. The night before that is open house at the Warehouse Market. The day before that is the deadline to get my JazzFest poster to P'Cola. But first, I have to have sample illustrations ready for Prayer & Bed before Thanksgiving! Whew! Are we having fun yet?!

Father, give me the stamina to enjoy my blessings!!

Oh, the aches, pains and bruises the morning after!

Shop Under the Oaks! That was fun. Met a lot of artists. Did some bartering and came home with some cool artwork! Not too many people in the Christmas buying mode yet. The cold wind was howling! Thanks to all those who came by. Means a lot to see your smiling face knowing you made the effort to come. The event was in a beautiful setting. Very relaxed but elegant in set-up and vendors. Thank you Anita for all the hard work you put into making this event a success. Look forward to next year!

My mom was released from the hospital today. She is feeling better as far as the pneumonia is concerned and she's supposed to talk with her doctor next week about continuing the Revlimid. I'm learning a lot about the condition she has. Very concerned. Taking it a day at a time right now.

Moving on to the next project. Holidays around the corner! This week will make seven months in this artistic venture of showing publicly. April will make a year. No regrets! I'm shivering. Gotta turn on the heater! Later!

http://www.tkellerart.com/