Beth S Macre ~ Art Journal

Thank you for buying Handcrafted and How Time Flies...

2013-06-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

...when you are having fun. I knew that I would enjoy retirement, because I have always had something to do in my spare time. Spending time creating is the best job for me! Many people that I see around town ask how I like being retired. I do miss the interaction with my co-workers and the students, but I love working from home. And now I get to have interactions with customers and other artists. So I don't call it retirement, I just call it my change in careers or work place. Because I am working on my art career every day. I never get bored (except when I had to wait in the Doctor's office for 3 hours the other day! ) because I work on a variety of media...clay, paint, pen and ink, or whatever a customer may have an idea for a custom piece! Some of that time is working on the computer, listing, marketing, and paperwork, but many hours are spent thinking, planning, and creating. Although I would like to spend more time on the creative process, marketing and paperwork are necessary to be able to continue to create. Because if I do not sell my creative work, then it would soon overtake the house and I would have to get another job that is not so creatively fulfilling! So thank you to those of you have purchased my artwork at some point along my artistic journey! I hope that you enjoy having a little piece of my creations. And hopefully I will be able to continue on this journey for many years to come!

My thoughts on buying directly from an artist or craftsman...just my 2 cents, for what its worth if anyone really reads this.
If you buy handmade you are helping to support someone and their career, which translates into that person being able to pay their bills and support their family. Know that when you buy something that is created by an artist/craftsman, you are getting something that is handcrafted, usually one of a kind, and not shipped from a foreign country. (I am not talking about children's craft or hobby craft, but a dedicated artist/craftsman) And the artist appreciates customers who support them and are willing to pay them for their skill. And many times you can get an original work of art, jewelry, pottery, or even clothing, for the same price or close to it, as what you would pay in a nice store. Now if you go to a discount store, you will get inexpensive and cheap...and probably made in China or India. Buying from or hiring an artist, is no different than hiring a contractor to remodel or fix something in your home. You hire someone who you know does good quality work and you pay them what they charge. They have the training and experience to do a good job, so you pay them what they are worth. An artist puts many hours into training, practice, and working on their

art/craft, not to mention expenses such as supplies, taxes, fees, etc. Next time you go to a chain store and start to buy some artwork, look on the label on the back and see where it comes from. Is it made in China? Or India? Is it mass produced? Is it one of kind? Probably not. I will always remember the painting that my parents had over their couch when I was growing up. (See part of it in the photo here, complete with the 1960s wood paneling, and the gold colors of the 70s. (I cut out the photo of my friend sitting on the couch from 1977...I can't do that to her!) I don't know where that painting came from, but I also saw that same painting in several of my friends houses! So it must have been a department store purchase. Its was a 60s standard, I guess. Back then, artists were not as accessible as they are now on the internet. It definitely was not an original painting, but it is definitely retro! It seems like only a few years ago that I was sitting on that couch watching our big box TV with 3 channels!

Time flies! If it doesn't, then you are not having fun! Make the most of every minute with whatever you enjoy doing. And try to buy something handcrafted from someone you may know this year.

Thank you for supporting handcrafted!

Beth ♥

Slowly but Surely...

2013-06-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

...checking my list.
I have a long to do list for the Spring Spruce up project. Some of those things on my list are outdoor activities and some are indoors. I checked a few things off the list as finished. Some have been started, but need to be completed.
Flowers planted...check! (must plant a few more when the rain stops)
I moved the art studio to one of the spare bedrooms...check!
The old art studio was painted and turned into an office...check!
De-clutter and organize the new studio...well the new art studio is still a work in progress.
I did get some things off the floor and hung on the wall...shown in the picture. These are shelves that I use to display some of little clay houses. I've also added a little drawing of 'Bethie' (Me), that was created by an artist friend, Tim Hunter, a few years ago. A little souvenir shot glass I got in France, that I put some colored pencil nubs in. A little clay owl ornament (in the house shadow box) that I purchased from an artist, that I met at the Dunwoody and Norcross Art Festivals. She has since moved back to her home country of England, but you can find her very very cute creations here on Etsy... JoyElizabethCeramics. The rest of the little clay items in the shadow box can be purchased from my etsy shop here: HeartHomes .

Slowly, but surely I will get everything done from my list. But the list seems to be getting longer each week! The goal is to get the house ready to put on the market to sell. I am hoping that that will be easier to do now that school is out and hubby can help with some of those things on the list!

For now, on to the next item on the list.....to be determined by the weather. Hmmm...For now I am going to draw.

Beth ♥

Home is Where My Heart Is Doodle

2013-05-20T09:30:00.000-05:00

I love to doodle with Zig Millineum pens and my Prismacolor colored pencils. It is very relaxing. I can pick it up to work on it any time outside of the studio. (I have trouble sitting down with nothing to do with my hands, so I always like to have something nearby to work on.) This is one that I just finished. It represents my HeartHomes in the Four Seasons. I had to include a little Owl and a little Red bird. I've included two close ups, so you can see the details. I have the flowers of spring, the yellow and orange leaves of fall, the snowflakes of winter, and the greens of summer. Just an example of how I relax and have fun. Hope you enjoy!

Beth ♥

Put Your Big Girl Pants On...

2013-05-16T17:08:00.001-05:00

...or have a Pitty Party? or both? Do you ever have those days or weeks that you feel like you are getting nothing accomplished? You just don't feel like doing much of anything? Is it just me or is this more common than I think? Sometimes I just want to sit down, have my pitty party, take a nap, then wake up feeling better, ready to start checking things off my to do list...with my big girl pants on. Move on. (Note to self...The Pitty Party didn't help anything!) I don't like to whine, but it's been one of those weeks for me. I've been worried about some things that have drained my energy. I started out with lots of energy and motivation. I went to the garden center and bought lots of pretty flowers to plant in the yard to spruce things up outside. After figuring out where everything is going to go, I started planting. I got about half of the flowers planted before I had to stop and clean up and go out to the ball park to help out in the concession stand. So by the end of the evening, I was worn out and feeling about 20 years older than I should feel. So I crashed and burned. Each day since, I've tried to plant a few more flowers, trim some trees, and water the flowers so all this effort doesn't die! A few years ago, this would have taken me 2 days to plant the flowers and then sit back and enjoy! But this time, it is taking a little longer. I am feeling every muscle that I've used all week. My bum knee is not cooperating very much either. It is getting done, but slower than I would like. I'm sure it will be worth it once it is done and the flowers start to grow. And I know that many people are hurting much more than I, so I am grateful I only have a few aches and pains and that I have the time to work in the yard. For now I have to put my Big Girl Pants on (panties doesn't sound very much like a Big Girl, does it). So even though I feel like I haven't accomplished much, I have.

My lesson learned here is to take time to enjoy the flowers and the sunsets. Time goes by way to fast! Enjoy it!

Beth ♥

Did I say that I love making Owls?

2013-05-15T15:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I have probably said that I enjoy painting them, but recently I have made a few owls out of clay too! So I will be making more clay owls this week. I may come up with some other little critters too. You never know what will happen when I start playing with the clay. You can find the little purple and lime green owl in the top photo, here...in my Etsy Shop.

Beth ♥

Annual Girlfriend trip to New Orleans

2013-05-11T10:12:00.000-05:00

The annual girlfriend trip rewind! I spent four days in New Orleans with my long time girlfriends from high school. We go on a trip together each year. About 5 years ago, we decided that we should get together for a weekend and catch up. After we had so much fun, we decided to make it an annual event. Before that, we rarely saw each other because we were busy with our own lives since the wedding showers, weddings and baby showers of our younger days. Then a personal tragedy for one of our girls, brought us together. We realized that we should be there for each other, no matter what!
Time goes by so fast and things change. We all need our girlfriends to get us through the ups and downs. It is always such a relief to get together. This year we had 5 out of 6 of us. We really missed our friend who could not make it, but we had a great time! A really great time! (We are getting together with her in a few weeks.) Our trips are not filled with fancy events, just time together exploring and seeing the sights and lots and lots of laughter! You know the kind of laughter that you can have and not worry about what people think, about laughing too loud or too much or at the wrong time.
One afternoon, we spent a few hours having drinks and appetizers on a balcony, just enjoying the music and the weather. While we were there we were able to experience this wedding party going down the street. Then they stopped just below us and danced and took pictures! It was great to experience the culture from our 'little' balcony. We went out to eat each night, wandered around the French Quarter each day, played games, and laughed a lot. So it was a great week! I wish we lived closer to each other so we could get together more often.

I also took a lot of photos of the local architecture. If you know me, you know that I love to draw architecture! Well, I was in heaven with all of the interesting doors, shutters, windows, iron work and all of the Old French feel in the architecture. The colors are pretty awesome too! I have plenty of photos to use as references for some drawings and paintings!

On a side note, I will be looking out for a book that should come out next year. One of our cab drivers told us that he is in the process of writing a book about his 52 years as a cabdriver in New Orleans. If his (Giovanni's) book is half as interesting as our cab ride, the book should be pretty interesting!!

Beth ♥

Pet Portrait in Pencil

2013-05-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

I recently finished a custom pet portrait done with graphite pencil. This little cutie is name "Allie" and she is going to be a gift for her 'daddy' for his birthday!

She was drawn with graphite pencils on Stonehenge paper and is 5" x 7".

Beth ♥

Spring time brings baby nests...

2013-04-22T00:43:00.001-05:00

Last year I painted a whimsical painting of a tree with owls, squirrels, birds, rabbits, foxes, and raccoons for a nursery. I've never been up close and personal with raccoons...until now. In the fun painting that I did, I painted the baby raccoons in the knot hole in the tree, with the momma raccoon waving from behind the tree. I think they are so cute! So I was very surprised to find some baby raccoons in the eave of my storage building in my back yard. I heard them making noise and assumed that it was a birds nest. But when I decided to use the ladder to check it out, I found that it was not birds, it was baby raccoons! At first I thought that the Momma Raccoon had been blocked out of our newly repaired storage building. So I was worried about the babies starving. The next day when I checked on the raccoons, I stuck my head up by the eave where they were, and saw a much larger mass move! Momma Raccoon was up there and it really surprised me and I thought that she might jump at me to protect her young! Startled by this new discovery, I jumped down off the ladder! (causing me to lose my balance and fall...but I'm okay...bruised, but okay. I'm sure it was very amusing to my hubby to see all of this happen, after he knew I was okay. We had a good laugh about it anyway.) After getting over the shock of seeing the Momma, I was advised to leave the door to the storage building open over night and see if the Momma Raccoon would take her babies and leave to find a quieter spot. I left the door open and the next morning she and her babies were not in the nest. Hopefully they found their way out safely and another quiet space to live.

Momma Raccoon

Here is the photo that I took of Momma from the other end of the eave. I didn't see her in the photo until AFTER I saw her up close!

The last picture is of the babies when I first discovered them. There were three babies laying up there alone. I didn't see their Momma and they were at the other end of the building where I found them with their Momma, the next day.

Maybe I'll come across a bird's nest next.
Have a great week!

Baby Racoons without Momma

Beth ♥

More Textured Painting Fun!

2013-04-21T11:23:00.000-05:00

Abstracted Flower
20"x 20" Acrylic on Canvas
Beth S. Macre © 2013

Painting with acrylic and modeling paste to create texture is so fun to play with! I was asked to create a painting with these colors, so I had fun coming up with this design and then painting it. Love the color combinations so much that I may need to use these colors for a painting for my own home.

The customer loved her painting! I appreciate all of my customers who continue to help me be the work at home artist that I love!

Beth ♥

Art Studio to Office

2013-04-12T21:36:00.000-05:00

Before...lots of little holes patched up!

Painting walls is not my idea of fun painting, but that is what I have started doing at the Macre household...along with my usual art projects. Its been a few years since I painted a few of the rooms in my house, so I have to paint them to freshen up the walls. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we hope to move sometime in the near future, so before we put the house on the market, we need to freshen up things around the house. I'm starting with the 'former art room', because it has been the longest since it was painted...mainly because there was too much stuff in there. I don't have a photo before I took all of the stuff out. Because it was an art room, there were many things on the walls over the years, so you can imagine the nail holes in the walls. In the photo, you can see the patches for all the tiny nail holes and then the after photos that show how fresh it looks with the new coat of paint! (It looks worse than it was.) I will definitely be going through the stuff and be more selective in what goes back in there. It is going to be an office instead of the art studio now. I'm going to resist the urge to fill it up! It is very nice to have a clean slate.

Painting finished.

Furniture back in place.
The paint color is closer to the photo above this one.
It looks different in different light.

The other side of the room still needs a little organizing. I'll post photos of that side eventually.
Now on to another room as soon as I get caught up on art commissions...and to finish my taxes!

Have a nice weekend!

Beth ♥

Hoppy Easter!!

2013-03-31T01:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

Beth ♥

Spring Break and Norman Rockwell

2013-03-29T08:24:00.000-05:00

Spring Break has always been a good time to take some time off from the every day rush of work and home chores. But now that I am not teaching and I am working at home, I realized that I should still take that time off to refresh. My daughter's birthday usually falls during Spring Break, and this year it was again. So our Spring Break getaway was to go see her. Since she has a big girl job now, we went to visit her for a few days. While we were there, we took a trip to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to see the Norman Rockwell Exhibit. Although the weather was not very Spring Break like, (more like winter break) I was very excited to go see this exhibit! It is always great to see art, that you have admired in books, up close and personal. When I taught art, I used to teach a unit about Norman Rockwell. I had a video about the artist that I would show every year, which means I saw the video 4 to 5 times per year times for approximately 20 years! I went to the exhibit with my daughter and my 'hubby' (the loyal husband that will go to just about any art event that I ask him to). Even though neither of them wanted to linger at each painting like I did. It wasn't long before they left me behind in the crowds, that were also listening to the audio tour guide with me. I seemed to be in a crowd of too many people to get up close and personal, like I wanted to, so I had to start going out of order. I would try to find a painting, that I was familiar with, that did not have 20 people around it, so I could walk up to it and really see the brushstrokes and the pencil marks that Norman Rockwell so carefully placed on the canvases. It was great to see such talent up close. They would not allow photos to be taken of the Rockwell exhibit, but I was able to take some photos of the permanent collection and some of the views from the museum. Next time I go, I hope the weather will be nicer, so I can take some photos of the outdoor gardens. I really enjoyed the exhibit, and my second trip to the museum, and I am really happy that Arkansas now has this beautiful place to visit! I'm sure I will be going many more times!

"American Gothic" in spools of thread.
You have to look through the sphere to see it right side up.
Or when you take a photo, turn it upside down.

"Rosie the Riveter"
Norman Rockwell
(part of the permanent collection)

Click on the photo of the painting of "Rosie the Riveter" to read more about how the museum acquired this painting.

If you are traveling near Northwest Arkansas, I recommend that you go visit Crystal Bridges, if you enjoy looking at great American Art! I will post more photos from my visit soon. Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Happy Easter!

Beth ♥

Decorate by Re-purposing and Recycling

2013-03-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

I finished a big big project last week and this is Spring Break for my hubby...so I'm taking the week off, sort of. Still working behind the scenes with email and online listings, etc etc. But we have other plans for the week that I will talk about later...if anything exciting happens. So for now, I will talk about a small project that I started for my own studio. This post I will show you the start of the project. Later, I will show you how I used them to decorate the studio.

I often acquire things that I don't need but think that someday I may use that for something. So I end up with a lot of stuff. Over the last couple of months, I have been going through cabinets and closets to clean out and get rid of unused 'stuff'. This is something that has needed to be done for awhile now. We have lived in our house for almost 17 years and you know how things just accumulate until you move? Well, we have our share of accumulated stuff. So the urge to purge started back when I moved my studio into one of our bedrooms. I had to get rid of things to get organized and I also want to repaint the walls in several rooms. We hope to try to sell our house someday...not sure when...but I don't want to have to purge the whole house just to move. The thought of that sounds exhausting!

Many years ago, I was given some very old frames. It was so long ago, I don't remember where I acquired them. But they were frames that I thought I would use some day. Well, I have finally decided how I am going to use 3 of them. They are going to be used in my art studio for wall display and organization. So I thought I would share the project here, since it is going into my studio and I always love to find a way to re-purpose something.

Here is one of the very old frames, as it was before I started the project. They had all been painted black with some gold touches. I liked the carved details of the frames, so I want to enhance that.

I took the frames outside and laid them out onto newspaper in the grass. Then I took the white spray paint and sprayed it onto the frames. I didn't completely cover the black paint. I wanted it to have some depth. I also liked the way the chips in the wood and old paint started to show through. I even have some areas that have a crackled look, that I really like.

Here are the three frames after being spray painted.

Then I took some light turquoise craft paint and lightly brushed it onto the frames, one section at a time.

Using a foam paint brush so the paint would just go over the raised parts of the frame.

Then I wiped off the excess paint. I wanted a paint washed look.

I used a paper towel to wipe off the extra paint.

So this is where I am now. The frames are painted and dried. I plan to put a coat of stain to add more dimension to the frames.

I will post a link here when I finish the project to show the final steps and see what I do with them before I hang them on the studio wall.

But for now, its Spring Break and I will be giving my studio a break for the week.

Unfortunately the weather decided not to be Spring weather.

I'll be back next week with pictures of my latest work. I have several projects to share.

Beth ♥

Working through the Pain...

2013-03-07T12:00:00.000-06:00

Apparently I have done something to the tendons in my drawing arm. So I have been trying to rest it some while still working on a few projects. Trying to work through the pain, but still not overdo it. I've been putting ice on it, so hopefully, the combination of resting and icing it and wearing a compression sleeve on my elbow while working, it will slowly get back to normal. I may have to limit my work on the computer as well. It tends to aggravate the soreness.

While I'm finishing my current project, I will need to figure out what I can do that does not hurt my arm too much! My sanity will be compromised if I do not have a creative outlet! The thrill of finishing something that I've created is so satisfying! I am about to go out and open the kiln to see how my latest firing turned out. I'll share a picture here of my latest 3D clay owl design. So working through the pain is totally worth it! It's so fun to open the kiln to see this!

Beth ♥

I Love Old and Elaborate Doorways

2013-03-01T13:08:00.004-06:00

Private Commission
5 x 7" Ink Illustration
with printed note cards

Another one of my latest commissions was to draw this pretty doorway. The customer also wanted note cards of their image. The customer also wanted me to change a few details. Add ivy to the empty vines, remove the rail alongside the steps. Here are the results of the drawing of the door and the note cards that she also ordered.
Love the Doorway!

Beth ♥

Did I hear Snow?

2013-02-28T17:18:00.001-06:00

Private Commission
11 x 14 Pen and Ink

I love snow. Love to watch it snow! Love to take pictures after it snows. I just finished this commission of this house in the snow. I like the contrast between the white of the snow and dark parts of the house. It reminds me of how I love snow. And I would love to have one good snow before Spring.

It is the end of February, so I am hoping March will bring more sunshine. I've been feeling the winter blahs. Not the blues, but I'm just feeling the urge to get outside, go for walks, and start planting flowers. We haven't had any extreme winter weather, but we haven't seen much sun lately either. Just cold, dreary, rainy days. I heard there is a chance of snow flurries, tonight and tomorrow morning, the first day of March. It would be nice to have one nice snow and then get on with Spring!

Beth ♥

I Love to Paint...

2013-02-17T15:14:00.000-06:00

"Untitled"
Acrylic on Canvas 26"x 32"
Beth S. Macre©2013

...and draw with colored pencils, and ink, and sculpt with clay...to name a few. But one day last week, I just wanted to paint with no expectations, except to play with textures, colors, and shapes. I did buy the canvas to paint something for my son, who needs some art on his walls. But I also, figured that if he didn't like it, I could put it in my own house. Because I used colors that I like too. I knew that I had to keep my 'girly colors' and subjects out of it, so I decided to go more abstract. I really had fun playing with the design and the textures. I used acrylic paint and Golden's Molding Paste applied with a palette knife. Adding texture into the paint tinted molding paste with a stiff ribbon with holes in it and a wire screen. (Next time I'll take some photos of the process.)
My son liked it, so it will be hanging on his wall soon...which I love too!

This needs a title and I'm open to suggestions. Anyone?

I Love…
To Paint…

Beth ♥

I Love...

2013-02-11T08:37:00.000-06:00

... Artsy people. Crafty people. Creative people....

...Artists

I clearly have a little prejudice here. Being an artist, of course I'm going to love other artists. Artists sometimes get a bad wrap about being quirky and weird. Not all artists are quirky and weird. Maybe we do think differently than the non-artsy type of people. And yes, there are some artists out there...no literally... out there! But that's okay. But most of the artists that I know are very real, down to earth, and very nice people. I am going to spotlight a few of my favorite artists during my February month of 'Things I Love".

Cindy Haase
"Sunshine State"

I have met many artists online over the years, many of whom I have had the pleasure of meeting in person. So today's post about things I love will be spotlighting one of my favorite living artsy people that I have met in person. Not only is she talented, but she is one of the nicest people I've met. And she is very generous to share what she has learned along her art journey in one of her blogs, What are you Really Selling?

So I want to introduce to you, Cindy Haase. You can click on her name to see her blog about her own art, Cynthia Haase Fine Art. She is one busy lady. She sells her daily paintings on Daily Paintworks and on Etsy. She is also the President of the Colored Pencil Society of America.

I asked Cindy to answer three questions for me and she was sweet enough to take time out of her busy schedule. Thank you to Cindy!

Question #1
What motivates you as an artist?
Cindy: I'm motivated by mental health! Painting is what I look forward to in the morning, and if I can't find the time to paint for a couple of days I start feeling very "grumpy". So I think its an emotional release and a means of expressing my feelings.

Question #2
What is your favorite medium/media?
Cindy: My favorite medium right now is oil, but I've also been in love with pastel and colored pencil at other times in my career. I love the process and discipline of daily painting in oil. Coming up with something new to paint all the time pushes my creativity, even though I mostly paint fruits and vegetables. It's not so much the subject but what the shapes, lighting, color and edges can become.

Question #3
What advice do you have for artists just starting out?
Cindy: Same advice that was given to me. Do the work! Learn all you can about color, edges, shapes, texture, and value, and make sure you are constantly working on your drawing skills. Explore!

So be sure and check out Cindy's art blog, Etsy shop, Daily paintworks auctions, and start collecting her art now while they are still extremely affordable!

Beth ♥

We Love our Dogs...

2013-02-04T20:05:00.000-06:00

"Dupree"
Colored Pencil
BethS. Macre©2012

February Love for the week. Most people who have a dog, really love their dogs like a part of the family. We love our two dogs and our two 'Grandogs'. I've drawn, painted, and sculpted variations of dogs over the years. Love your dog? Click here to order a custom portrait:
Custom Order a Pet Portrait from my Etsy Shop.

Dogs…

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." Josh Billings

Beth ♥

The Month for Hearts....

2013-02-01T08:10:00.002-06:00

...love, flowers, candy, gifts, friends! February is here! Heart Art is fun to create. I love to put hearts on many things, all year, not just in February. It can express how you feel about so many things. Plus, they are so happy. So, during the month of February I am going to blog, quote, draw, paint, and photograph, things with hearts and things that I love and post them here. Feel free to share what you love and add your comments about the things you 'heart' too.

♥Friendship ♥

So for the first day of February, I want to share a few of my favorite friendship quotes...

"...there is no greater gift than friendship." Anonymous

"...a friend is someone with whom you dare to be yourself." Frank Crane

"...how rare and wonderful is that flash of a moment when we realized we have discovered a friend."
William Rotsler

"...it takes a long time to grow an old friend." John Leonard

Beth ♥

HeartHome Love...

2013-01-25T11:00:00.000-06:00

I've been working on a custom clay Hearthome and I was excited to take it out of the kiln today! This special Hearthome is a going to Newlyweds. It has been personalized with their last name over the door (I blurred out the name for privacy and because they haven't received it yet!) and their names and date of their wedding on the bottom. It also can be used as a bank! It has a slot on the roof and a plug in the bottom to remove their savings, hopefully when its full! So this house will soon be on its way to a home full of love and hope for the future. I've included photos of the progression of the hand built house bank made of clay, so you can see why the process can take a while. Lots of waiting for drying, then firing, then glazing, more firing...sometimes more glazing and more firing.

What a special wedding gift. Thanks to my customer for the story behind it and the idea and ordering such a special gift for her loved ones!

If you would like to order a custom house, you can look at this listing on Etsy: Custom House Large

Bottom of house
with the plug for the bank.

Beth ♥

What is Success?

2013-01-18T15:21:00.000-06:00

"Seaside HeartHomes" SOLD

Such a simple word, with so many ways to perceive it. What is Success?
I looked up some quotes about Success and found many philosophical quotes about success. I found that success can be many things to many people...depending on what you are trying to achieve. I am an artist trying to succeed in making a living from my art...or at least contributing to it. So, I should find my niche and go with it, right? If it were that easy, I would. My goal is to do what I enjoy and love to do and hopefully the buyers will find me. Even though I love to play with so many things. I love to draw with colored pencils, paint with acrylics, create sculptures out of clay, draw architecture with ink, and draw whimsical illustrations with ink and watercolor and colored pencils...and whatever else I come across to explore.

"Fantasy Hearts" SOLD

I thought I would share some of the quotes that I felt spoke to me about 'success' and 'art'. I hope that one will speak to you.

“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.”
― Salvador Dalí

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
― Leonardo da Vinci

“I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint - and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you. ”
― Oprah Winfrey

“If you care about what you do and work hard at it, there isn't anything you can't do if you want to.”
― Jim Henson

"It's the rule of life that everything you have always wanted comes the very second you stop looking for it." Anonymous

"Valentine's Day" SOLD

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong." Anonymous

"If you do what you always did, you will get what you always got." Anonymous

"No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist." Anonymous

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
― Pablo Picasso

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
― Pablo Picasso

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”
― Vincent van Gogh

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”
― Vincent van Gogh

"May creativity find you while you are working" Unknown
Beth ♥

Greyhound Bus Station and Changes for 2013

2013-01-04T10:09:00.000-06:00

Now that I am working on my art full time, I need to make some changes. I am retired from teaching, but not from Art. If I want to continue to be retired from teaching, I need to take my art more seriously and do a better job at marketing. So that will be my goal for 2013. Taking my art more seriously . That will involve more marketing and trying to figure out what direction I want to go with my art. I have always loved to draw with colored pencils, paint with acrylics, play with watercolor, draw with pen and ink, and create little houses out of clay. I want to sell art from my heart and create custom art for my customers. I am always open to ideas from customers when they want a commission, but I hope to create a more clear idea of what it is I do. Too many directions is difficult to market. I love whimsy and I love the more illustrative side of art. Not realism, but capturing a mood or feeling. Somehow I need to figure out how to combine the two. I want to enjoy the process, but still appeal to my customers and find new customers.
In the photo in this post, is the last piece of 2012 that I created for a customer. The landscaping was done by a local landscaper, Drew Bevill Lawn Care. This drawing was a custom order for a gift for him. The greyhound bus station behind it has been recently remodeled back to its original Art Deco style architecture and is being used as our Main Street Offices. Drew Bevill Lawn Care landscaped the attached park next to the station. This piece was fun to do because it has 3 of my favorite media included in it. They were all happy with the results, which makes me happy.

For more information about my custom art and the other artwork that I create, please visit my website here:
Beth S. Macre Studio.
Beth ♥

Looking Forward to 2013...

2012-12-31T19:20:00.001-06:00

So 2012 is almost over. It has been an extremely busy year for me! There have been some ups and downs, but I want to focus on the positive. Hoping for the power of positive thinking to work for me during 2013. One major change for me during 2012 was my decision to retire from teaching after 29 years and start working on my art full time! That was a very hard decision for me, but it was a very much needed change. (I just hope that our politicians don't throw us off that "fiscal cliff" that they keep warning us about. Its very difficult to be self employed when the economy is in free fall. ...oops...I'm not supposed to dwell on the negative...) This year I was very busy with commissions, so I have been very blessed to have a good year for the first 6 months of being 'self employed'.Personally, I have had some challenges, but nothing compared to what many people have gone through. So, I'm optimistic that this year will be even better! I have to have faith that it will, and if that means I need to make more changes, then I will. Sometimes change is what it takes to move forward. So, here's to the New Year and better times for us and our country.

Beth ♥

Custom Tile Commission

2012-12-24T10:34:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve! I'm excited about the possibilitiy of having snow on Christmas tomorrow! That rarely happens around here!

Just wanted to share a custom tile that I created for an out of state customer.

I take a photo and turn it into a custom tile that looks like your (or a loved ones) house.

I take wet clay and create a tile and cut out pieces that create the house image.

It's like drawing in 3D.

If you would like to order a custom tile, you can contact me about details and we can work something out.

Check out my Etsy listing for custom tiles here: Hearthomes

**The tile shown here is larger than the size in my Etsy shop listing.

Beth ♥