Now or Never

Well, 2010 is here and 2009 was a tough year. I can't tell you how many times I almost quit painting in 2009, I wasn't having any fun, and trying to find time for painting was like trying to maintain that silly "lose weight" New Year Resolution so many of work on. Well, that is not entirely true; I did lose 50 pounds in 2009 so that is a major plus for my health, and I am working on another 25-30 for this year.

It is "Now or Never" for the art. My wife Lisa is still struggling to get better after 2 solid years of battling the strokes, total knee replacements, heart surgery, and rehabilitation to walk, talk, and use her hands again. It is tough to watch a 37 year old woman struggle with health issues when I can't really do anything to make her better. The economy is still in the tank making art sales difficult. With everything going on around me, the art (and the blog) has taken a serious back seat. Yes, this post is a rant of sorts but I'm putting my thoughts out there for everyone to see (and for me to get it off my chest, and look back on this post as a reminder).

Now or never simply means I must push forward as an artist and do what I want as an artist or I may lose it forever. 2010 makes my 10th year selling my art. Though I have painted and liked to draw for as long as I can remember, the last 10 years I have really put forth an effort to create artwork folks wanted to buy. In doing so, I have painted what I thought most everyone wanted. And because of this I forgot to be me and find a direction for my art that satisfies me.

In 2010 I have decided to follow the desire to paint in oils exclusively, and focus on artwork with a wine/drinks motif. I enjoy cocktails, beer, wine, and the social life associated with it...I like hanging out with friends (I think we all do).

So there, I put it out there - Now or Never! I love my art and the "never" part scares me. I hope 2010 is a good year for us all, and I look forward to sharing my progress as an artist specializing in paintings of the liquid ice breaker.

The basic plan:
1. Paint a lot (good and bad - doesn't matter - just paint)
2. Keep working out and exercising to maintain a healthy weight.
3. Get back to playing the drums in a band (I need a hobby that is fun again)
4. Get a body of work (new art with the wine motif)
5. Actively sell from the studio and work on finding dealers to sell the new work.

Michael