Life is a Great Big Canvas

During the time that I ran The Dancing Elephant Gallery, a friend of mine, Carri Sue Anderson, once suggested that I check out the art of Lindy Bronson of Chopper's Art. I looked him up on Facebook, and I could not believe what I saw. Here were gorgeous, detailed drawings in pen and ink, mainly done with stippling. His subject matter varied, but included a lot of pop culture and celebrities. They were fun and interesting subjects, but what got me was the quality of the art. Lindy really works to make sure the image is accurate and realistic, and the stippling (tiny dots made with an ink pen) was done with amazing precision. I knew I needed to make contact with this man, and get his art into my gallery! Lindy agreed to be featured artist in my gallery, the month that I closed the physical doors. I wished I could have represented him longer, but I had a feeling that our artistic relationship would not end once we closed up shop. I don't know about Lindy's point...

Today is the day that I graduate from college. It is a major milestone for me. It is one of those things that I never believed would happen, yet here I am. I married young, and we started our family soon after getting married. We both agreed that I would be a stay at home Mom, to personally raise our children. And I did. I put aside any possibility of working or going to college, and even put aside my paintbrush to focus on the kids. I had no regrets in staying home with them, and I believe my kids turned out great because I invested my life to make sure that I was always there for them. However, the desire to create art and become a better artist always gnawed away at me. I taught myself to do quite a bit, but I always felt my art was missing some quality to make it better. I had talent, but not professionalism, and definitely had no confidence in my art or ability. My sister, Cathy, decided to go to college in her late 30's, to become a pharmacist. She worked really hard, ...

My strong points are in portraits and still lifes. Last summer I wanted to push myself in weaker areas (weaker meaning areas I don't try too often). I love science fiction, and eventually I want to do a series of sci-fi paintings, so I thought I would try a space scape. This is based on a NASA photo. I call it A Star is Born, because this nebula is a birthplace for stars. It was an interesting and enjoyable experience for me. What's interesting is that in a nebula like this, there is not just one light source, so you can have light and shadow going every which direction. It was fun. I have done a couple others since. I hope you enjoy it.

What is the first thing you have to do to pursue art as a business? I have a whole list of first steps to take to get you started, but today, we are going to discuss the very first step. Here we are assuming that your art is at a level that has showmanship and the potential to sell; but this step isn't necessarily about the quality of your art, it's the quality of your mindset. You have to decide that you ARE an artist. Not just any artist, but you are a PROFESSIONAL artist. Can you say that? Try it out loud, right now. "I am a professional artist". Or say simply, "I am an artist." Was that hard? I know it was for me, for a long time. I remember the first time I made a similar statement. I was at my school reunion. We were all asked to stand up individually, and tell everyone who we were, what we did, and what our aspirations are. I said, "My name is Amy VanGaasbeck, I am an art instructor at this school, and I plan to become a professional artist i...

For a time this year, my nudes were placed in a very tasteful lingerie shop, Lilly's Lingerie. Unfortunately, she just closed her shop this week, so this nude was never displayed there. I call it Nude in Reverie. The idea of nudity in art is a controversial one---some love it, some are uncomfortable with it. So I am working on coming up with figures that celebrate the human form in a tasteful way, that more sensitive viewers can enjoy.