Pink Rose Topiary Paintings

I wanted to share my latest paintings today – some pretty topiaries with tiny pink roses. Cute, huh? Perfect for a little girl’s room. These are two paintings of a series of three. I’m working on the third topiary this week.

As I started to write about these paintings I had to remind myself of my Word of 2012 -

Focus

These two paintings represent some sort of success with my attempt at Focus this year. However, now I’m thinking a better word would have been Balance. Or maybe three words.

Focus and Balance

With my newfound Focus I came to the realization that I’ve been neglecting the business of selling my paintings. Blogging will do that to you. It’s so much fun dreaming up projects to post on the blog, and articles to write, that I had lost Focus on why I started blogging in the first place – to market my artwork.

To be honest, after blogging for nearly three years that goal had changed. Or augmented. My goal now is to

offer painting tips and tutorials that inspire readers

to express their style and creativity

Which is where Balance comes in. Or, I should say, the need for Balance.

How can I balance blogging and painting? Writing and Photoshop? Marketing the blog and the online shops?

So I’ve been working on yet another project – a Business Plan. Something I should’ve done long, long ago. Funny how I can easily write plans for friends and family, but not for myself. Huh.

Once I wrote all of those stray thoughts down on to tangible paper, the haze started clearing. I could see thru the fog. There was actually one clear path rather than a maze.

1. The first step is a painting. (of course)

2. Next comes a pattern. What I call ‘line art.’ I know, it seems like this would be the first step, but I generally paint and then take my pattern from the painting.

3. Write tutorial for the blog. Or two.

4. Create a decorative decal. Or two. From this painting I can use each bird independently or a decal of both birds with the ribbon. And the topiary and pot, or just the pot.

{focus, focus, focus}

5. Create reproduction products for Zazzle. I’m working on this part, ha ha.

6. And finally, offer the original for sale.

That’s a lot of steps for one little painting, isn’t it? Yeah, I know. But it’s a plan that allows me to do everything I love and share all of the aspects. Except one – writing. (read: talking)

While I’m working on the all of the steps above, I don’t want to neglect my blog (like I’ve been doing) so I’ll write posts that feature all kinds of paint projects and tutorials. (Got any? Shoot me an email!)

And that will allow me to keep the blog flowing, as well as fulfill my incessant need to chat. Plus, I don’t want my blog to be full of “Buy This” every other day, ok?

Seems like a lot for one painting, doesn’t it?

Painting – Pattern – Tutorial – Decals – Reprints – Original

Yeah, to me too. Because along with all of these steps comes a little tidbit I neglected to mention: Blog Redesign. Gah! But it’s already in the works and . . . so far, so good.

I’ve been wanting to redesign the blog for a while now and I want a cohesive look to all of the online shops and websites.

A girl can dream, right?

So that’s what I’ve been up to. Will it work? I dunno. Can I do it all? I dunno. I just might wind up in the loony bin, sucking my thumb. If I do, come visit me.

I’ll be in the room with the pretty pink topiaries.