I had a fantastic time at the encaustic workshop and I learned so much!   The other students were much more established artists than I am, with physical studios and gallery representation.  I learned a lot about what I was doing wrong and the value of using the right materials in the right way. So I came home and revamped my studio, kicked out the older cheaper materials and started fresh. (I also finished that blasted quilt!)

Then I read one of Robert Genn's posts here: http://clicks.robertgenn.com/index.php and was challenged to get rid of work I am not proud of. There is a lot of that!  That led to pulling a lot of things off my virtual shelves at my Etsy shop.  And slowly I began to see some things I liked better in my studio.

The final straw was when I went to hear an artist friend speak about her process of applying for grants for public art pieces.  She really thinks and works like what she is: a professional artist.  And she introduces herself as "a professional artist for the last 17 years."  That cut me to the core. Where is the courage to think of myself as an artist? What is different about my friend is that she gives herself permission.

So my artistic goals are all about quality right now.

1. I will produce professional quality work. If a work does not meet my standards, I will not display it, but I will learn from it.

2. I will begin to enter art shows and exhibitions.

3. I will take more care in photographing my work.  This is still a growth area for me.

So here's a little piece I put up in my shop today. I have a few more ready, that will go up bit by bit, and I will share them with you as I can. I hope you like it.