Signature Style

Poniesdevon Rufty Tufty, Commission, Work in Progress

If you're in the northern hemisphere, I bet it's cold where you are.  I know it's cold where I am. We've had glimpses of beautiful weather (for which I am grateful!), but this week has been COLD, and getting colder.  Right at this moment it's 27.  Yeah, you northerners (and I am a Yankee myself) might not think that's cold, but it's cold enough.

My hubby, bless him, is a rural letter carrier for USPS.  He got up this morning with an awful headache and not feeling well at all, and off he went to bring the mail, cold or no cold.  I hear a lot of people complain about their mail carriers, but you know what, thank them once in a while.  It's not the easiest thing in the world.  Anyway, Russ got up at 5something am, and off he went to work.

And I thought, I sure am glad I don't have to do that.  So honey, you're the best, just wanted you to know.  Thank you for doing what you do.

Cause I don't have to.  So I thought, the least, the VERY least I can do, is get my non-9-to-5 self into the studio today and do some work.  So I did.

(For the record, I do have a "day job" typing medical transcription, and I also make jewelry, but all in all it is pretty cushy and I can do it in my jammies and I am spoiled rotten).  Oh, and I did some hard core cross training today -- I am serious about this getting in shape thing, for once!

I listened to last week's Artists Helping Artists podcast while I worked on Tufty's background.  This episode was one of those gems that you MUST listen to if you make art.  It was about Developing Your Signature Style.  I've only been at this for 3 years, and only seriously for one of them, so it's a subject near and dear to my heart.

One of the points that was made was that your painting should tell a story.  So I thought... hmm... what if I did an ACTUAL story with each painting?  But maybe that defeats the purpose.  Maybe people want to come up with their own story when they look at a painting.  What do you think?  Then again, just writing the story doesn't mean I have to share or publish the story... but in my writer's brain I think it might help the process.

Hope that wherever you are, you are safe and warm, and appreciating the fact that you are safe and warm.  As for me, I am about to head into the cold to feed the horses.  Be well! :)