Fire Sea Studios

Two of them!

"For he is ever a sun, and she a moon."
Acrylic on canvas, 22"x28". Private commission.




Fey Dryad (I need a better title! Any suggestions?)
Acrylic on canvas, 18"x24".

This piece is a part of this traveling show to celebrate the release of Catherynne Valente's new novel, The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice. Shows are coming up in Boston, Philadelphia, Williamsport, and New York over the next week.

( show details )

My apologies for being missing in action these several months - it's been a nonstop summer of Teh Krazyy(tm) for me.

Many things are in the pipeline, however, including the move of the site to a new server (hopefully an invisible change for you, but it will make a big difference for me in terms of ease of maintenance). Then will come a much-needed site update, including a new piece or two. Especially watch for new pen&inks, as I've recently discovered that for some reason it's much easier to work on those than paintings with a toddler underfoot.

As long as I;m here - are there any changes you'd like me to make in the site? Products you'd like to see, things that should be reorganized or reworked, new information, more of a particular type of ork? I can't promise anything, but I'll certainly take all comments into consideration.

I've been dithering over the last week where to put my business focus for the summer. I've had the opportunity to enter a couple more spring craft shows, but the summer is already so crowded with Life things that I think I'm not going to push it. I've got my application in for Fresh Paint in late August (haven't heard back yet, which is getting a little irritating - I'll poke them in a week or so). I'm definitely vending at NOTOCON in mid-August, and considering doing so at Fires of Lughnasadh in late July. Beyond that, though, I'm going to concentrate on, you know, actual painting, and building relationships with a few more occult stores in the area that have expressed interest in selling my work.

So that's the plan. Plans are good. We like plans.

Yesterday Fire Sea Studios set up a full vending booth at OLOTEAS' Beltaine Faire. We didn't do much business, but as the purpose of this was more to test out the new booth setup than anything else, I count it a raging success!

( the technical notes: things that worked, things that didn't, etc. )

And here is a ( picture of the booth! )

A new painting, to celebrate the spring!
( Hatchling )

Upcoming sales opportunities (next six months):
OLOTEAS Beltaine Faire
Faerieworlds
NOTOCON
Fresh Paint
OLOTEAS Concentric Circles

For several of these I need to acquire a tent and a table and nice display signs and suchlike - and I need to either relocate my portfolio or remake it, for it has vanished. I'd like to get some freestanding pegboards that I can hang paintings on as well - I see these in all the craft fairs, but I'm not quite sure where one acquires them. (I've also seen metal-framed folding screens used to similar effect, which could work.)

Considering getting one of each of my prints matted nicely, possibly framed depending on cost. (I have 18 print editions open right now; maybe I'll do a selection of my more popular ones. Or just close the unpopular ones. Hmm.) That would show them to much better advantage (and I can sell the matted one at the end of the show for more).

Considering making more card designs based on some of my tattoo flash. Also want to make one with celtic knotwork being unraveled by a playful cat. Maybe with wings. We'll see.

The insane, doesn't-recognize-time-limitations part of my brain wants to run out and learn how to etch glass in the designs from my tattoo flash. Or enameling. Or silkscreening or woodburning or or or or or! Too many ors.

Today we have:
( One new painting )
( Two new prints )

The next painting has begun, and the creative queue is overflowing. Q1AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA QA11

(types my 6-month-old son)

I promised big news in my last post, and was promptly left on tenterhooks for a week as they were a week late sending out the notifications -

But my latest painting, Losing Myself, has been accepted to VSAAW's No Boundaries 2007-2009: "Revelations" juried show.

The opening and awards party will be Friday, February 23, at the Harrison Street Gallery in the Center House building of Seattle Center, from 6-9pm.

Yay!

Goodness, how did I forget to post this here?

*looks over at loudly gurgling infant* Oh yeah.

Anyway, there's a new physical venue for my original artwork for those who don't feel like making the trek into small-town Snohomish - eight of my paintings are now hanging at Moonflower Magicks in Everett. It's not Seattle yet, but it's one step closer!

Moonflower Magicks
1618 Hewitt Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
425-259-6010
Open Mon-Thurs 10-7; Fri-Sat 10-9; Su 12-5


Big news coming later this week. Stay tuned!

Well, my son is four months old today, and yesterday I finished my first piece since his birth. Motherhood is a tad... distracting. I seem to be finding some semblance of a groove again, though, and it seems I may be going through a bit of a style shift.

Below the cut, the last painting I finished before the birth, and the first painting I've finished since, with the stories of each.

( Invocation of Birth )

( Losing Myself )

There have been times in the past where I have felt guilty or lazy for the fact that on a full painting day I would generally only actually have brush to canvas for 4-6 hours.

I think I was underestimating the amount of energy painting takes - not just physical, but mental, emotional, creative, and magickal as well.

My evidence for this?

That at 9 months pregnant, an hour of painting makes me feel like a pre-pregnant me just hiked 6 miles. Uphill. In the snow. With a duck on my head.

It's that accomplished, weary-yet-energized tired, though. And it's a goooood painting :)

(crossposted to my personal journal)

I sit down to paint after far too long a hiatus - and I see the figure on the canvas, in a different position than I had originally planned.

Of course it's a hideously awkward perspective, one that will look totally wrong unless I get it completely physiologically accurate, and one I can find no photo references for whatsoever.

I realize it's been quiet here for far too long - I'm well into my third trimester now, and it is sucking up allll of my energy. Funny how that happens.

I do, however, have two new paintings up on the site:

( Instrument of Light )

( Sekhet-Maat )

One of my galleries, The Offset Corner in Snohomish, will be having an Artists' Open House on Saturday, May 6th, from 2-4pm.

The Offset Corner Custom Framing and Gallery
310 Maple Ave
Snohomish, WA 98290
360-862-1100

Snacks, art, and artists! Hope to see you there!

( The Stardancer )

( Solar Mandala )
( Damiana )

The Stardancer and Solar Mandala are on display at Arts of Snohomish through the end of April as part of the Other Worlds show; Damiana is on display at The Offset Corner.

A reporter from the Snohomish County Tribune contacted me via email on Wednesday, with some questions about the Sci Fi Show that will be going up at Arts of Snohomish tonight.

The article (which also interviews two of the other featured artists in the show, Brian Taylor and Stephen Lestat) will be out in Wednesday's paper.

( The full text of the interview )

You can see the postcard image advertising the show here!

The show will be up through the entire month of April. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, April 8th from 6-9pm.

So, let's say I submit a few of my best pieces to a juried show. There's a month or so turnaround before I'm notified of acceptance.

Should I hold any pieces I submit to shows out of circulation on the off chance they get accepted? The latter feels strictly more ethical, but it's damned inefficient - I've entered dozens of shows and gotten a piece accepted once. Not to mention I don't have enough pieces to submit unique sets of work to a show or two per month, plus keep my gallery spaces full!

On the other hand, what happens if I sell one of those pieces, and then the show comes back wanting the piece I just sold? Do I tell them tough luck? Is there any business-like way to handle this?

Not that this has ever happened to me - I should be so lucky as to have pieces flying off the walls before a show can snap it up. But the possibility bugs me every time I see a new show to apply to.

I'm going to a workshop on business for artists tomorrow at SEAF - must remember to ask this question there.


And on a completely different note, after a long creative dry spell, I've finished two paintings this week. Pictures will be coming as soon as I can find the battery charger for my digital camera....

For all those in the Pacific Northwest: my prints and cards will be on sale at the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival this weekend! I've not been to the show before, but I've heard nothing but great things about it and am really looking forward to the weekend.

The Festival is at Consolidated Works, 500 Boren Ave N in Seattle. Doors are open Noon-1am Friday the 24th, Noon-1am Saturday the 25th, and Noon-5pm Sunday the 26th. Day passes are $5 at the door or can be purchased ahead of time at several locations listed on the website.

Well, sorry for the long absence - a combination of computer woes, holiday craziness, and some life-changing news has conspired to keep me from updating the site for far too long. But now I emerge, triumphant! - er, or something.

Below the cut, two new paintings for your perusal.

( By Firelight and Hera )

And as for the life-changing news - those of you who read my personal journal already know this, but I recently found out I'm pregnant! I'm due about August 30. This should be an inspiration for much new art!