These are my two favorite sketches from Savannah. (You can see the rest here.) I like these because it is very rare that I get a nice watercolor sketch. I also had a pretty good time doing them as well. I think the shrimp boat day was by far my favorite.  The weather was beautiful, I seemed to be on a roll sketch wise, and the company couldn’t have been better.

I did maybe 3 times as many sketches in Savannah then I did in Santa Fe. The sketchbook that Katie Fowler (soon Bernhard) is a dream.  It makes me very happy.

Savannah really gave me hope for one day having a nice sketchbook filled with decent to beautiful sketches. I am inspired to go out and sketch more.

I hope to have photoshop next week.  Very exciting stuff.

Before I left for Savannah my computer freaked out and needed to be rebooted so I no longer have photoshop. I am hoping to upgrade to CS4 in a week or 2. I know, I’m a little behind the times. I do still plan on posting, but it will probably be sub-par quality photos and scans.

I am working on my entry for the National Watercolor Society in between unpacking and straightening the new apartment. I will be very busy until the 15th when I mail that off.

These first few photos are of the bathroom attached to the bedroom Gabriela and I are sharing.  It’s so big, there is even a kitchenette around the corner.  There are more photos, but I will just send you to the link of the place. Luxury Living

This is The Tub. There are jets in it.

Our balcony off the bathroom.

Part of our backyard. There is a wall of bamboo, a fountain and several verandas for sitting.

The amazing  Kristen Kernats in her fabulous hat. The first day here we found a hat store and loaded up.

I may go back and buy this. It’s a blow fish!

The Katie Fowler in her fabulous hat and her beautiful yellow bedroom, shared with KK.

Today we went to Bonaventure Cemetery. It was very pretty and as far as cemeteries are concerned I think this one is worth the property used.  After the cemetery we went to Wiley’s Championship BBQ. Unreal. The banana pudding was tasty.

Yesterday we went to Vinnie Van Go-Go’s for pizza. Delicious and cheap. That was after sketching at the river front for the morning.

Tomorrow we are going to SCAD for a tour. I can not wait to see that school.

http://www.artistsketchbooks.com/step1.php

Any other book nerds out there?

http://artbooknews.blogspot.com/

Very good post for all those resolutions made for the new year!

http://ittybiz.com/creative-ways-to-meet-your-goals/

Amazing art work. I love the spoiled walls section. Hello panda watching t.v.

http://www.bananca.co.uk/spoiledwalls.html

I hope these links make your Sunday a little more interesting.

Here is the latest version.

I am really enjoying this painting. I believe it’s the first time I have ever been happy with the process and not pushing myself to an end.

Lately, as I mentioned in a previous post,  I have been in a very big slump. It happens from time to time, but this one has been particularly bad. One of the reasons is $$$$$. One solution to this is so obvious and simple it took me a couple of months to even think of it. I also didn’t think I would need to go this route, but you know, “this economy.”  So I bring it up in case someone else is not thinking of it too. I called all my student loan companies and got my loans pushed back until we move to cheaper housing in June.  I really didn’t think that they would just push my loans back. I called before and asked them to lower the payments, which they all did, but I thought that would be the extent of it. Not so.  That has relieved so much stress I feel giddy!

Now back to the painting. Normally I am beating myself up about how much/little painting I am doing more than anyone else. Then this week I realized that that’s not helping me.  That doesn’t put me in the mindset to paint. Those thoughts make me feel bad about myself and doubt my goals.  So instead, for the moment, I am just satisfying myself with sitting in my studio every day. I sit in my chair and look across the room at this painting. Some days that makes me want to paint, others I just enjoy looking at a painting that is going right. That makes me feel good.

I also mentioned a new medication in that older post. That medication made me freak out and it took another month before I could see the doctor again. However, this new, new medication does not seem to have any bad side-effects so far.  Another reason I am just content with enjoying this painting is because it is going right and so much else is in limbo and still needs more attention.  All this is really personal and I may decide to delete it all later, but it is part of my art experience and it does effect my creativity/motivation.

I have faith that I will know when to step up and push myself. For now I’m not going to feel guilty about not painting every day.  I think that will allow me to enjoy the times that I do paint and sooner, rather than later, I will be painting every day instead of pushing myself and beating myself up. It’s hard to learn to love painting again.  But we’re working through it. Clearly painting is willing to give me another chance, the image above is proof of that.

I have some great links for tomorrow!!