The Work Never Ends!

Danville's Mountain  24x36" oil on canvas

Home Show is over, now on to the next show.  I was asked by a collector at my home show, how do you do all of this and still have time to paint?  Good question.  No sleep?  It takes a lot of work to make cards, mat prints, make title and price labels.  All preparatory work for a show.  The wonderful part about a home show is no loading and unloading of the van, no wind,  great food and drink, and a really relaxed atmosphere. People drift in and out all weekend long giving you plenty of time to converse with each collector that stops by.

My next show is the Alamo Danville Artists' Studio Tour on June 7 and 8.  I will be showing in Alamo at the home of a good friend and wonderful artist.  We have lined up 5 artists to be at that location.  It should be a great weekend. My art is still hanging here at home if you didn't get to see it, so contact me if you wanted to come by and can't make it to Alamo in June.  Otherwise I look forward to seeing you there!

Keepin' Busy

California Gold  10x10" oil on canvas

The green is nearly gone.  It left early this year as we haven't had rain in about 2 months.  I think we went all of April without a drop and March was a sprinkle here and there at best.  Now understand, I am talking about Contra Costa County.  When the weather predicts rain, quite often it only falls north of the Golden Gate and we don't get any.  A little wind, a few clouds, and that's it, that was our storm.

Today I am busying myself setting up for my home show.  I have a lot of paintings to figure out where to put!  Then the logistics of everything.  I have a kid to deliver to a school science field trip that needs to be there by 10:30AM and I need to be back for an 11:00 AM show!  It will all work out, it always does.  Just that careful balance of artist, wife, mom, or as I like to call it a Research Associate in the Field of Child Development and Human Relations.  It will all work out, and the show will go on!  See you there?

Mother's Day!

Diablo's Black Hills  30x40"  oil on canvas 

Today I went to visit some friends of mine in a local art show.  I have no desire to do a show on Mother's day weekend.  I prefer to be pampered.  I went to lunch with my family and walked around the show visiting all the artists I knew.  It was a sleepy little show.  Some admitted that they thought it sounded like a good show, billed as a Fine Art Show.

A good piece of advice for anyone entering a show is to go see the show first hand if you can.  I spent 2 years going from show to show before I ever started doing shows.  I looked at crowd size, parking availability, quality of art.  I also looked to see if the crowd was buying.  Were people carrying packages or brats and wine?  I looked at booth styles, what held up well in windy situations, what didn't.

Any promoter can make a show look and sound good on paper.  The actual proof is in the pudding.  If you can't go in person, send someone, or try to talk to people who have done the show.  Go to a current show and ask around, ask if someone has done a particular show and get their opinion on it. Now take into consideration what they sell and the quality of their art.  If they didn't do well, and they don't really have a good product, well that may explain their experience and you need to ask other's.  Today's "fine art show" had booths spaced very far apart in a strip mall.  I don't know if the promoter felt the walk was too narrow or maybe particular shops asked not to have booths in front of their place.  But some booths seemed very disconnected from the show.  That is also something to consider.  That may be you next year in that far off booth in Timbuktu!  So like I said, do your homework before entering a show.

New Website

Autumn Inspiration  40x30  oil on canvas  Studio Piece

I am slowly joining the world of technology.  This blog and now a new website which you can click on the link in the upper right corner of this blog or go to: www.zhibit.ogr/catherinelindberg

Zhibit makes it so very simple and affordable to create and maintain your own website.  I am glad to have found it.  Check it out if you haven't already.  www.zhibit.org

As always, I feel a post is naked with out an image posted with it, so here is another favorite that I painted this past January.

Busy Friday

"View From El Pintado"  30x48" oil on canvas

Today I am getting ready for a home show that I am having on the 17th and 18th of May.  I usually do this twice a year. Once in the spring and once near the holidays. Usually in November. Our local hills are rapidly turning gold and the green is getting more faint by the day until there will be no trace of the wet moist grass left.

I am posting one of my favorites, "View From El Pintado" which was painted at my favorite time of year.  Green and lush.  The oaks are just beginning to bud.  This is a large 30x48" oil on canvas studio piece.  I have a few pieces on the easel, but the business of art calls. Invitations, mailings, web site update and ugh!  My merchant account!!!!  The fees have increased over the last 18 months from free to $2.50 a month statement fee, to $2.50 statement fee plus $25.00 a month activity fee, (even if there is activity or even if there is no activity?)  Now, it has recently gone up to $2.50 plus $35.00!!!!!!  Time to get out of this account and check out another venue. All of this is very frustrating, and keeps me from the easel which is upsetting. I tend to stay up late and paint as it is too late to call the bank, clean the house, answer the phone, etc......  Nothing but silence and quiet painting time.  Nice.

Enjoy "View From El Pintado"  taken from a scene I hiked into up off 680 freeway in Danville, CA.  Just up above the El Pintado exit on the East side of the freeway. All private roads and homes up there, but artists are usually not kicked out.  I walked in and started sketching.  The people that did see me were happy to see what I was up to.

Have a great Friday!

Pacific Fine Arts Festival in Walnut Creek, CA

Well, the Walnut Creek show has come and gone. (Pacific Fine Arts Festival)  I am posting a photo of my booth that I took early last Friday morning just after I had set up.  I am still in the shade at that time.  I had also already sold one of the small paintings.  That was a good thing.  But I wanted to take the photo before any sales were made.  Well, I guess I can't complain about a sale. It was a great show.  I couldn't have asked for better weather.  I always do well in Walnut Creek as I paint the local area everyone loves so much.