The Center

This painting is called 4th street, inspired by my view of the bridge on my way to work.

I found this wonderful place called the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, right here in Philly! They have a two year program where there is a career development plan they give you opportunities for group shows with other students and then a showing by yourself. They also have seminars every month on things a new artist needs to know like how to price your work, how to apply for grants and how to talk to galleries. It is great! I talked to one of the people there and I sent her some of my work. 

The program is FREE...that's right...FREE. So it is very competitive. Even if you don't get in the program you can take advantage of a lot of the other things they have to offer. The seminars are twelve-bucks a piece, they also have a library with lots of books on all the topics new artists need to know about. The lady from the center submitted my work into then  registry where artists will show in public places to try and increase the communities awareness of culture and art. You go to parks, hospitals, shelters, nursing homes. I think I could also use that to full-fill the volunteering hours required at my job. I am just thrilled! What a wonderful thing to offer. The lady from the center said that we should meet and discuss where I am now, where I'd like to be, and how to get there. Also she said that we can try to figure out what path I should be on so I can support myself with my art. That is almost too much to hope for.

(Update...I have a meeting with her this month)

I have been reading a lot on the impressionist style and I would try to adhere more strictly to it. Changing my palette cutting out the black, and not paying so much attention to detail. I wanna start limiting my palette an improvising with the colors I am allowed to use. I think it will help me grow. 

There is also a women at work who had been asking me for a few years to paint her something. She asked me again today and I let her know that I am painting again and that I would send her a few of my paintings. She has friends who like art too so who knows where this could lead. I even have a friend who said that if I design them she will make up business cards for me. Maybe this is the start of my life as an artist. It's exciting, and scary! I am so happy that I stumbled on the site for the Center.

Doing what makes you happy

Ok, now I think I might be sick, it's only from nerves though! I have just about made a pretty important decision in my life. I don't think I am going to continue my education at least not now and at least not in the graphic design field. Come to think of it when I attended The University of the Arts a billion years ago, in my freshman year the only class I didn't enjoy was graphic design. It really isn't my bag and although this experience has been a rather costly mistake it's probably better to cut my losses now. Going another year and a half would be another $12000.00 plus books and stuff. And I could be doing what is in my heart. 

So I bit the bullet, I listed my first painting on Etsy and and think I'm gonna puke. No but seriously, my friends have told me to do what makes you happy. What makes me happy is art. I am going to look up local galleries and see if any of them have any special events for new unknown artists. I should see if there is anyway I can get a grant of some sort. I could take a class at University of the Arts for around $500. The class is about 3 months and would further postpone the student loan people jumping on my back. I have also been looking into getting grants in order to start my own business (that being selling paintings). Just since making that decision I feel like  a huge weight had been lifted, I feel so much lighter and happier. I guess doing what makes you happy really is the way to go. Just the way that I feel should tell me that it is the right decision.

Now for the obstacle. In order to make a go of this wonderful dream I have, I have to have faith and believe in myself. Plenty of other people have taken the "not so popular" path and done well.  Maybe the world does think that you'll be nothing without a college degree, I have to believe that they are wrong. Any classes that I take should teach me how to paint or draw better not do something with computers that I have no desire to do.

So...as I'm sure you can see, I am still convincing myself that this is the right thing to do. 

In regards to the painting above, it was inspired by a philosophy class I took a while back. This is my idea of Heaven. You can see the sun and the earth from there. In the center if what used to be the Garden of Eden is the Tree of Life which is now a Wisteria tree rather than an Apple tree. If you look closely though you can still see the apple on the ground with two bites taken. I plan to do a follow up to this piece that will be Hell.  The scene will be of the same place but the tree will be dead and rotting, the apple will have a worm and the there will be fire.

Unsure

This is one of my most recent ones, not quite sure what to call it yet. I'm thinking "Of Darkness and Light". This is my favorite so far. I'm not just unsure of what to call my painting, I am also unsure of my future. I am currently in school, going for my bachelor's in IT with a specialization in Graphic Design and Multi-media. Since I have realized that being an artist is really all I care to do, doing hours of homework that has nothing to do with my ultimate goal is really getting on my nerves. I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if it's practical to try and get a job somewhere in the design field and just do my art on the side for whatever money I can make. My problem is when I am forced to learn something that I have no interest in I tend to skim the whole thing, pick out exactly what is needed to answer the questions in class so I can get an A, but then I never remember what I learned because I don't really have the desire to. I learn better hands-on, if someone would sit me down and show me how to do it, I'd have a better chance of retaining the info, I am a very visual person. 

I love painting and turning out something I really like, like the one above, it makes me so proud! I'm just so unsure of everything else. I think about dropping out of school, but my family would never let me forget it. Although I really shouldn't care what they think. I have over 60 credits, maybe there is something I can do to get an associates or some sort of certificate for the time I have put in. As far as programing languages and that sort of thing, If I ever did get into that field I would learn more from hands-on training anyway.

Another big reason is that...I'm almost 30, I am just tired of school. I have been going all my life and I don't want to anymore.

Regarding the painting above, it is supposed to show my spiritual and emotional transition from pessimism to optimism or from darkness into light. The red heart shaped balloon says Lola who is that dancing girl in one of my earlier posts. She is my alter ego. The floating balloon is flying from the dark dreary side into the light. Maybe this turmoil and the trapped feeling I get from school will turn itself into a brilliant painting someday. Mostly I think I am just terrified of taking chances and completely unsure of any decision I make. I get pretty paralyzed by fear. Maybe I should ask myself...."what would Lola do?"

Why can't artists sell their work?

I am doing well with this whole positive thing. Just since I have realized what I really want out of life which is to be an artist, I have created quite a few paintings that I wouldn't have if I hadn't changed my outlook. This painting represents the fall, as if that's not obvious. I am always so depressed by the prospect of the coming winter that I often overlook the beauty of the season. Living in a state where we actually experience all four seasons does have it's advantages. 

I have been painting up a storm since trying this new outlook. Of course selling my artwork is my ultimate goal, but why are artist labeled as "sell-outs" if they try to make a living off of what they are good at? And it only appears to be visual artists that get this unfortunate label, actors , singers and dancers are all artists who's hope is to make a living from their craft yet when they succeed they are not labeled a "sell-out" for doing so. I love painting, it is my passion and what better way for me to spend more time doing what I love than to work at it full time, and how could I accomplish that? Well I would need to get paid for doing it, seems like a simple concept. So why can't artists sell their work? Look at any one who is doing what they are good at, not even just artist, but anyone. Bakers, teachers, carpenters all of these people have talent in the areas of their chosen field, no one would ever expect them to do those things for free. Money makes the world go round. If I were independently wealthy, and I'm talking loads and loads of money so I'd never need another dime, I could totally see painting for free. Giving works away to friends, whoever, but sadly that's not the case. 

 

Why can't artists sell their work? That question could be looked at in another way also. It is the reason why I think I resisted following my heart and tried to forget about ever making a living as an artist. The concept of "starving artist" I am sure has spooked a number of artists from following their dream. Maybe that stereo-type was true at some point but a lot more people make a living from selling art than I previously thought. Not to mention so many of them do it by starting their own website or selling on sites like Ebay and Etsy.  If I had realized that there was a possibility, I may never have started going to college for something I can't ever see myself doing anyway. I might have saved myself a lot of money in student loans.  But I guess everything happens for a reason, maybe I wouldn't have been ready for the idea back then. All I can do now is move forward and believe if I try hard enough I'll get there.

Gaining Confidence as an Artist

If anyone knows how one gains confidence as an artist, I would really appreciate them letting me know. I mean I know I am growing as an artist because I can even see the growth between the painting I did a few months ago and the one I did two weeks ago. I have been doing a lot of reading on great art blogs like Empty Easel or The Pauper and reading tips that people give on how to bring out your creativity or how to face those doubting voices we all hear in our heads. I love art and I have a lot of feelings that I need to express and the prospect of doing it for a living is wonderful. But while I think about how great it would be, the whole concept scares the crap outta me. I am currently waiting for my paintings to dry, or what ever other excuse I can talk myself into, as to why I haven't bitten the bullet and at least listed them for sale in my Etsy Shop. 

I guess the confidence as an artist only comes with time and practice. The more paintings I turn out that I am proud of and amazed that I actually created the more confidence I will get. I think I read somewhere that Nelson Mandella said something like we are more afraid of our power than our failure. Meaning we are more afraid to succeed than to fail and I really think that is true. At least it is true for me anyway, I have passed on opportunities because I am afraid of what changes will come if I actually succeed. When I think about it it is actually ridiculous, to be afraid of succeeding, who ever thought of such a thing?

I have also been watching and reading a lot on the movie, The Secret. The whole "Law of Attraction" thing. Basically saying that life, nature, the  universe, God, whatever you choose to call it, wants us to do well and to grow. Opportunities are constantly given to us to allow us to fulfill out desires but doubt, fear and just about any other negative emotion we have, causes us to pass these opportunities by. I don't want to do that anymore I want to accept all of the good things that life has in store for me and I will need the confidence to know that I deserve all of those good things.

I am an Artist

I have been reading alot of articles on marketing yourself as an artist and one of the things I have found is that I should actually start referring to myself as an artist. That other thing I do during the day to pay the rent is just a job. I am so glad to be in Philadelphia. This whole city  is like one big living breathing inspiration. On my way to work I saw quite a few scenes that may serve as inspiration for some of my up coming work. The painting to the left was inspired by a case of mistaken identity. A guy came up to me on the street and said, "excuse me, is your name Lola?" Ofcourse I told him it wasn't but as I walked away I started thinking...maybe it is. Maybe that is the girl who goes out and dances all night when DeandraDanay has always been too shy. It was then that I discovered that Lola is my alter-ego. I painted that girl that I would like to be someday, long curly hair gorgeous sexy dress, dancing as if no one were watching and not caring if they were. I think a lot of my paintings might be related to Lola in someway, they may include an article of her clothing that she's left behind or her footprints in the sand. I need to work on letting her out more, she seems to have way more fun than DeandrDanay does.

Here goes nothing

Ok, I am very new to this.  I have never really blogged about my art before but since I've been painting so much lately I thought it might be a good idea to start one. Ok, where to start? First off my name is DeandraDanay and I am fortunate enough to live in the wonderfully inspiring place that is Philadelphia. I have unfortunately realized after a few years of school for my bachelors in IT specializing in graphic design, that painting is all I really want to do. It's too late for me to quit now so I might as well stick it out till I graduate, at least I'll have a degree. I was looking around online and I found lots of people who paint or do other creative things and are able to make a little money on the side by marketing themselves, perhaps I can support myself with my art some day. I have completed 6 paintings so far and am waiting for most of them to dry. I am terrified to list them and actually see if any of them sell. The whole concept of getting paid to do something I love while giving myself a chance to improve, is almost too good to be true. So I worry that it is too much to even hope for. Until I actually list something I can keep that wonderful dream in my head of selling my art but once I list it, if it doesn't sell, then I can't even dream about it...if that makes any sense. I will be showing my art here and explaining it here and then giving a link to my store on Etsy, I haven't listed anything in my Etsy store yet because I am still waiting for things to dry. Above is one of my paintings. It was inspired by the statue in Love Park in Philly, as you may have guessed. During Breast Cancer Awareness month the city dyes the fountain pink and it is very colorful. The statue in Love Park is classically Philadelphia and I am going to do further paintings of these types of landscapes. I also have a lot of feelings as I guess most artists do so I will be trying to express my thoughts and feelings symbolically through my art. So any comments or suggestions that any of you might have are greatly appreciated and keep your fingers crossed for me.