outdoor Blue Heron, one of a kind, hand sculpted clay, mounted on treated 2×4 for insertion into the ground, 4′ tall, by Tammy Vitale, $650

There are a number of things currently in the works.  Here are some:

1.  Finished this Outdoor Blue Heron which has been sitting in pieces on a table shelf for months (it was August 07, I think, when I created her).  I discovered that thin set would not set for some reason, so I wound up using Liquid Nails to hold her to the wood.  If that had not worked, I would have had to cut cement board and try again with the thin set – the kind you mix.  The pre-mixed isn’t good for outside.

2.  Husband kindly picked up the screwdriver charger which I left sitting on top of my panel at ArtOMatic.  Have been coordinating the Body Politics  install with Heather, who is doing all the work on that space.  Have had some correspondence with a panel across from us who thinks he may be boxed in – we had our space marked out from day 1 – by ArtOMatic.  His neighboring panel has no 3D space marked out but is doing 3D.  Such is ArtOMatic.  I think we have it worked out for this 10 minutes.

3.  Will load out of the library show tomorrow and into the next Calvert Artists’ Guild (CAG) show at AnnMarie Garden on Friday.  Will be showing this Heron, as well as new jewelry, and 2 new Women  with birds wall sculptures  which are turning into a series of sorts. (Woman with Red Bird, 15" t x 12.5"w $95; Woman with 2 Bluebirds, 25"t x 12.5"w, $300; coral and metal jewelry:  necklace $57, bracelet $25, earrings $22 – each one of a kind, hand made/sculpted).  Saturday will gallery sit there.  Am shepherding friend Dhyana’s piece as she will be at her daughter’s wedding – and may sit some hours for her.

4.  Am waiting to hear from Tricia of the Bead Boutique who may be running a class on Sunday on fusing metal to make link necklaces…that would have to fit in with loading out of the CAG show on Sunday.  She is doing some wonderful new work and assures me that it will "cost less than $100" to set up for fusing should I fall in love with it (like I need anything else to fall in love with.  Still one must move forward in one’s artistic areas, so…)

5.  Am packing the order for Sarah Jessica Fine Arts in Provincetown, MA.  Husband is going to Capitol Heights to pick up bags of peanuts (14 cubic feet each) and boxes (and maybe bubble wrap) for that packaging as 14 cubic feet of peanuts from Diamond Containers costs less than 4 cubic feet at Staples.  One begins to learn these things when one is using mountains of peanuts (recycle! recycle! recycle! and I do! I do ! I do!   It’s financially infeasible to do otherwise!).  That order will be out Friday and is the last of my February Buyer’s Market orders to go out.  I have canceled my show in August (which was expensive but it would be 4X more expensive to go ahead through with it and I just don’t trust the economy and the sales potentials – my gut has been saying "get out" since February but my head was arguing.  Finally decided to listen to my gut).

6.  ArtOMatic (AOM)opens Friday May 9 and I will work my 2nd and 3rd volunteer shifts 5 – 10 pm on those days.  It will be manic.  I can’t wait!  Saturday Dhyana may go down with me early so we can wander and I can start taking pictures and  showing you some of the wonderful things here like I did last year (here‘s one).  Many MANY more artists this year (more than twice as many visual artists)…everyone’s space is close to the same this year so it will be even more fun to see how different the "same" wall can become.  May 16 and 18 are Meet the Artists and the Artists Social at AOM.

7.  May 23 I will be hosting Alyson Stanfield’s Book Tour here….I get to ask one burning question as well as interview Allyson – it promises to be grand!  (Buy her book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio" here and learn how to be a well rounded artist.  I think it’s great, but then I’ve been a fan of Allyson’s for years, including taking her on-line courses.  But don’t take my word for it…Sue of Artful Adventures thinks it’s great too!)

8.  Am working out at least every other day (5 miles on the ellipsis machine each workout!), which fulfills one of my intentions for this year of getting myself moving (after about 3.5 miles I get in this groove and could go forever – doesn’t hurt to have Tool playing on the IPod.)

9.  Am doing a collaborative piece with one of the original Wylde Women, Cynthia Rudzis, who is now a tattoo artist at British Ink in DC (where I had a successful show last August/September).  She and owner Paul are setting up at ArtOMatic for the run and she will be "tattooing" 2 torsos – 1 female and 1 male – and then each of us will keep one (I’m wanting the male) and promote the other’s work.  She does amazing work (I own 3 of her originals and a few prints from years ago when the Wylde Women were a "thing") and this association makes me very happy!

10.  I am still working on the wall by the pond – verrrryyyy slooooowwwlllly…we’ve had two birthdays (Daughter and Grandson who is now 6!!), some hot weather, lots of rainy weather and ennui on my part and so it goes…but the blocks are staked and ready for mortor anyday now.

thought for the day:  Everyone is busy.  Everyone has to juggle a personal life, creative time, and work.  Every person who has ever made and wanted to sell a product or service has to devote time to marketing and running the business.  and we all have only twenty-four hours each day [note:  some of which we must use to sleep, alas].  In case no one has ever told you, I’ll break it to you now:  There will never be enough hours in the day, or days in the week, to get everything done.  Never.  You’ll always think of more you want to do.  Your focus should be on setting priorities and boundaries…People who succeed – including artists – do not succeed simply because they are the best at what they do.  They do so because they have a combination of passion, commitment, focus, self-confidence, and fortitude.  Alyson B. Stanfield, I’d rather be in the studio:  the Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion.