It’s Important to Get Help From Your Friends!

I’ve been delaying blog posts for a couple of weeks while waiting on announcements of things that could happen.

One thing did come to be:

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Another did not.

I applied for an artist’s grant to help me grow my exposure as an artist by providing financial support to purchase supplies. Somehow panelists who reviewed the grant did not equate creating new work to get in front of new audiences as artist growth. I failed to communicate the importance of audience growth to keep artists financially solvent. It is a given throughout the creative process, that new learning (artistic growth) will happen as each new work is developed. That led me to think more cautiously about how to present myself as an artist to future grant panelists.

Abstraction is a new direction for me as a painter. I did not have a previous following as an artist. I put more effort into writing and promoting books. My artist dabbling was a side hobby. That’s how I thought about it. After 30+ years as a graphic designer, I learned to not take my creative work too seriously. Any client was likely to overlook my best work, favoring some other direction. I wasn’t invested in the projects. It was work I did that I enjoyed. Books were my passion.

But then, in 2021, that all changed. I still love working on books and promoting books and talking about my books, but my artistic practice changed. I began to explore abstraction as a legitimate expression of myself as a visual artist. I fell into the most wonderful creative space that matched my inner view of experience. Interestingly, this work, the work I align with myself only, is the work that is getting attention. Again, I’m new to this and there are few art lovers who know about me as a painter. Because of that, I am not yet, self-sustaining. I need outside financial help to create more work to put in front of more people – art lovers, art collectors, art galleries, art exhibits & shows.

I recently had two thought provoking conversations about my art. As I prepare new grant applications, I have to keep in mind that understanding how the art is received, responded to by others, matters. I have to show how the work not only activates new learning for me as the artist, but also what the art has to offer a larger audience.

Grant application instructions can be confusing. I needed help to work through what my art is, where I think it’s going, and how that fits with the application criteria.

• What would a five-year project look like? Hard to say if artistic growth is a factor and the project is more than a one-piece, pre-designed visual.

• Do I want to commit to create one vision when I’m full of so many ideas? I don’t know. Maybe.

• Is this the time for me to focus on a project (sounds like client work to me) versus letting the creative juices flow and form as they will? Maybe I can do both. Ah!

 Wish me luck as I move forward. And please plan to visit my solo exhibit at the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji this spring and summer.

 See you next time. Thanks for reading.

Winter Can Be Tough on the Creative Spirit. It Was Hard to Push Through!

Did Winter Slow You Down?

It was tough on me, I have to say. I found it hard to escape the February blues, but I fought my way through to March. I am craving the spring thaw! The painting featured in this week’s blog is titled, Spring Thaw. You can find this and other available paintings on my gallery page.

What Do You Do When Your Creative Spirit is Stalled?

There was one thing that kept me energized (barely) and that was my stints at the gym. Even a 30-minute workout three or four times a week helps keep the mind and the muscles turned up. That sluggish feeling from inactivity will affect your creative flow.

Schedule Activity Throughout Your Work Day

A 10-minute break every couple of hours will refresh your mind and spirit. Every couple of hours get up and move around to shake off the winter blues!

 See you next time. Thanks for reading.

I'm Excited About My 2023 Arts & Books Event Season

It’s fun to prepare for the coming year. It’s also a bit nerve-wracking to apply for juried events and wait, and wait, and wait to learn if I’ve been accepted. I’m trying some different fairs this year. I’ll let you know what happens! Check out my Events page to see what’s on the calendar.

And the February email update is out today. Have you subscribed?

Each month I try to publish an update of what’s happening with art, books, and workshops in my creative world. I’m a little this month. I was waiting for some news that hasn’t arrived yet. If you want to keep up to-date, subscribe!

Late Autumn.

Late Autumn is the first new painting of 2023. I’m busy creating new pieces (almost) every day to build my 2023 collection. If you would like to purchase this work, please contact me.

I’m also pounding keys to get to the end of From Hothouse to Heaven. I can’t wait. If you haven’t read my other books, catch up now.

 See you next time. Thanks for reading.

What Are Other Artists Doing?

One of my morning routine activities is exploring works by other abstract painters. I use Instagram, applying different hashtags. I save images that interest me for their color, composition, and energy. Some images that really move me, I save. I follow some artists, so my feed is flooded (that’s the hope) with inspiration.

It’s Impossible To Replicate the Work of Others

Even if I wanted to, I’m not that kind of painter. My mind quickly overrides what I see and allows my imagination to take over. I can’t even replicate work from my own sketches. Each piece has a life of its own. Using the sketch on the left as a reference, the finished painting is a horse of a different stripe!

Abstract sketch for reference and final painting, Water on the Rocks.

What I’m Trying To Achieve With Every Painting

Until I began intentionally painting in the abstract, I enjoyed painting, but I always did it hoping to make sales. The pieces I sold were more abstract than illustrative. I didn’t realize for years that abstraction is how I tell my story – the inner story – of how I experience my existence. As I continue to paint, I hope my mind will continue to step away and allow me to express to the fullest whatever part of the story is ready to be released. It often interrupts with cautions about audience and money – will this sell? Why don’t you make it friendlier? Why don’t you do something different?

I’m trying to quiet the negative noise and have at it. I’m always surprised by what happens next.

 See you next time. Thanks for reading.

FOMO. Artists, When to Stop Exploring and Settle on a Theme. The Time may be NOW!

Study Your Past Work Today to Find Your New Favorite Style. Tomorrow, We Paint!

Each time I face an empty canvas or paper, I’m struck by how quickly my thought turns into action that results in something I was not thinking about. For two years now I’ve been exploring color and texture and tools while creating abstract works, primarily of landscapes and mindscapes. I’ve been afraid to edit my inner urges because maybe I don’t yet know what all is inside of me that wants to be expressed in this creative form.

I’ve been reviewing my abstract work over the past two years to see what stands out as a style to explore further. Is it a mark? Is it a color? Is it a brush stroke? What makes a painting strong enough to encourage the development of a full collection? It’s important that I figure this out right now because now is the time to create something new.

I want to build new collections to submit for solo shows in 2024. As I stand back and look at everything I’ve done, from sketches to finished canvases, it’s surprising to me that I’m not bored by any of it. How can I develop a style or theme if I like everything I’ve done so far? (Not bragging, just loving on ‘em!)

Which Paintings Make Me Want To Do More of That?

The paintings that speak the loudest are the paintings with the most chaos and color. They make me happy. And I can envision larger and larger canvases presenting these styles. It remains to be seen if I follow through or if an as-of-yet-unseen inner vision breaks through my determination to set a style. You know, I’ll keep you posted!

Let me know which three paintings you think I picked!

 See you next time. Thanks for reading.

It’s half-past Winter in Minnesota, and My Work Here is Never Done!

The Weather is What It Is

Mid-January in the northern states equals mid-winter. We’re on the downslope now, we like to believe. It’s been an odd weather winter so I’m not taking bets on what will happen next. As long as the temperatures stay mild, but not too mild – rain and sleet mild – we’re okay.

Winter in Minnesota.

By the way, that’s what we do in non-tropical climates, we open every conversation with a comment about the weather – what it did, what it’s doing, what it is predicted to do today, tomorrow, and for the season overall.

Painting With a Purpose and Trying to Rein in My Graphic Instincts

Wondering about the weather is not all I do. On Tuesday, I finished the last painting in the grouping I created for the Watermark Art Center exhibit in Bemidji, MN. On Wednesday, I started cropping and matting some of the small works I’m painting for the exhibit at The Smallest Art Gallery in Ortonville, MN.

The last painting for the Watermark show is a redo of a painting I started months ago. I’d fallen back into my old graphic ways, making bold marks and filling in the spaces with color. I admit that graphic images make me happy. But the new style (for me) of abstraction makes me giddy. I knew I would cover up the first painting with a new painting. And I did.

The original graphic image I called Mr. Ed and the coverup is called The Day the Tree Fell on My Garden. Please visit my gallery page to see what is available and contact me if you’d like to purchase a painting.

For the exhibit at  The Smallest Art Gallery, I’d planned to show small works on paper, but I think I’m going to add a few small canvas pieces as well. Stay tuned!

Small abstract works on paper.

Here is a teaser for the upcoming book, From Hothouse to Heaven

For those of you who read Blood on the Bridal Wreath, you are likely wondering if Gloria will be back for the new book. I’m happy to report that she returns along with a few surprises. Her story continues in From Hothouse to Heaven. Here is a teaser:

Blue Eyes sat back in his chair and fiddled with his pen. “I have to say, I didn’t see this coming.” He paused, set the pencil down on the notepad, and raised his eyes to Hill. “No, I did not see this.” He closed his eyes in a thoughtful withdrawal and after an extended pause, he spoke again. “The second body they found is …

There is murder afoot in Buffalo View Village!

See you next time. Thanks for reading.

World Building Wednesdays

When you can’t focus, shake things up!

An old, long-gone friend of mine talked about a shower of glitter. That’s how she experienced life. One sparkly thing after another captured her attention. Nothing ever got done. She was a hoarder and maybe one thing explains the other. I do not know.

A few weeks ago, I realized that I was no longer laser-focused on tasks. I couldn’t keep my mind on anything for more than a few minutes. Creatively, I slumped. I struggled with painting and was confused by the storyline I was building for a new book. I was experiencing a shower of randomness and not a sparkly thing showed up to enchant me.

A creative slump, illustrated.

Something had to change. I decided to devote one day a week to creative musing. I could be as random as I wanted. What I couldn’t do was address a task list. I could change the sheets, do laundry, wash the floor while musing, but I couldn’t tackle a MUST list.

The result was I started producing again. I didn’t stick to my world building at all. I guess I jogged my thoughts from wherever they were stuck. Oh, and I bought a sparkly light. I plug it in each morning before I go to my studio. I know it’s there. It’s like my friend, endlessly sparkling but contained!

The story line for From Hothouse to Heaven became clear. The characters developed, lively and troublesome. I write with an undistracted smile.

I’d been having a figurative fistfight with a painting for months. We called a truce and I’m in love with the finished image, my first of 2023.

In Your Dreams, M E Fuller, 2023

In Your Dreams is available. It’s a mixed acrylic on canvas abstract. 18 x 18 x 1.5 inches. $975. Shipping is free in the lower U.S. Let me know if you would like to purchase this or any other painting you see on my gallery page.

See you next time. Thanks for reading.

2023 Is Coming With Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities, Galore!

Today I woke up with my head full of what-ifs. What if tragedy strikes? What if we get 20 inches of snow? What if my world turns upside down and bites me on the backside? What if … ?

Not quite 20 inches but enough!

I’m a practical sort of person. I like to have a plan for my backup plan. But I have learned that for every plan I make, there is a universe of possibilities I have not accounted for. And then, I paint, write, or plot my next book because those are things I can control. Everything else will certainly change with or without my help.

#changes

2023 is coming with changes that include relaunching my websites into one site that provides at-a-glance information about my art, writing, and workshops. Blogging is easier because I can write about whatever is happening without creating two separate posts. You may know that each post comes with SEO and other marketing details that use up time I can better devote to creative work.

#challenges

The number one challenge for me this year will be to get my artwork in front of buyers. Last year I was juried into a number of art fairs in my home state. Even though sales covered the costs incurred, I can’t say I made a profit. More than that, I did not have follow-ups from visitors to my booths who, at the time, showed a sincere interest in the work.

Marketing challenges for contemporary art include:

• Identifying buyers

• Booking additional shows for 2023 and 2024

• Choosing art fairs that attract buyers for my style of work

#opportunities

I have a new book coming out in the spring of 2023. From Hothouse to Heaven is the second book in the cozy mystery series, Filthy Dirty Garden Gloves. I love writing these books, and there are lots of opportunities to share my books with readers. I can’t wait to hit the road for book talks across the state.

This year, I’ll push workshops, too. I don’t teach writing, but I help writers at every stage get started and keep going with their writing projects. Check out my list of workshops and contact me to schedule an online or in-person event.

I’m excited about where my creative energies will take me in 2023 and look forward to sharing my experiences with you in this new blogging format.