New Blog, Artist Block, Holiday Contest and more!

It's about time I sent out a blog post!  I've been MIA in the blog and social media department for the last little bit - some of it was due to me wallowing in my own artist block misery (which I'll get to) and most of it was due to the fact that life got in the way.  It sounds like an excuse, but it kind of is the truth.

Mystic River Sunset, 11x17 oil on linen panel
This painting will be given away to a lucky subscriber

First, on to the fun part!  The Holiday Contest!  I'd like to welcome my new blog with a painting give away.  Yup, you read right.  Anyone who signs up to follow my blog via email by 11:59 PM EST on 12/25/2014 will be entered to win this painting titled Mystic River Sunset.  It is oil on linen panel, 11" x 17" and will be shipped to one lucky subscriber unframed once a name is chosen at random on 12/26/2014.  

Now on to the big, ugly block!  I had gotten myself all sorts of blocked up in a creative sense.  I had been chugging along this year (latest count: 235 finished paintings so far in 2014) and creativity and inspiration hadn't been a problem.  Then BOOM.  It hit me out of nowhere.  Paintings that normally would've taken me a few hours were taking days.  Pet portraits that would take me a day were taking a week, sometimes two, sometimes more.  I had trouble getting inspired and nothing I painted seemed quite right.  I was getting frustrated really easily and things were just weighing on me.  

Rough Day - Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6"x6"
This painting will be for sale at the Norwich Arts Center Holiday show.
More details to come!

I realized I was overwhelmed by the fact that my website was sorely out of date, I hadn't blogged in a couple months and I had commissions that needed completing but I couldn't seem to complete them.  I had also gotten really busy with what I call my Day Job (I work for a financial services company that serves credit unions throughout the US and the day job sometimes turns into a day AND night job).  I just couldn't seem to get it together.  Rather than sit in front of the easel stressing about my block, I decided to just CHILL out and paint a few things that I found inspiring.  I also at about the same time ordered some new brushes and those along with a few very supportive friends (who probably don't even know how much they helped - Tara, Sarah, Elaine, Ron - thank you) got me out of my funk.  I started by painting something I really had been wanting to paint: some Scotch!  I poured a glass of Macallan and got to work - with my new Rosemary and Co. Ivory brushes.  I was pretty happy with the outcome and I think i'm going to start a new cocktail condiments series.  That led to a salsa ingredient painting that I really had fun working on.  I feel like I'm finally back in the saddle so to speak and this new blog is one more step in the right direction.  

Just a reminder:  follow my blog via email in order to enter to win my Mystic River Sunset painting!

More tomorrow on the Norwich Arts Centre holiday show as well as an upcoming exhibition I will be taking part in this coming January.