I was going to blog about more gouache supports today, but I had an exciting development yesterday that is preventing me from thinking coherently for more that 12 seconds at a time.

I have been painting and otherwise working in color for almost a year now. I have ramped up production in the recent months, and I now have about 30 works in color. Not a lot, but enough to convince myself that I should visit a local gallery. I was nosing around the internet for local galleries and shows, and found a lot that sell “stuffy” art – you know the kind – traditional scenes, drab colors, perfect for an office hallway. I don’t have anything against stuffy art, but I love bright colors, and my art definitely wouldn’t fit into a gallery like that. And I could choose from a bunch of outdoor art shows, but I’m not prepared to make the investment in a tent, table, panels, and the vehicle to carry all that around. I was feeling a bit discouraged, having just found out I missed the Dragon*Con Art Show jury deadline… but then I came across the Blue Frog Gallery, right here in Marietta. Oh, the colors! I tried to e-mail them a link to my website portfolio, but the form wasn’t working… so I decided to go in person.

I matted a bunch of stuff, loaded up the car, and went. There was a one-artist show going on, and her brightly colored art was all over the walls. I sure didn’t want a show, since you could put all my colored art on a few 2×6′ panels. But I was looking for advice, and perhaps they’d take one or two of my pieces.

The gallery owner was fantastic and friendly, and liked my style. She does a lot more than showings – there are art classes and she’s starting a set of “fairs” – like outdoor art shows, but inside the gallery. She invited me to set up a table in the event at the end of this month. She really liked Bugsy, who I’d framed that morning with crappy results (framing pastels is hard!).

I’m so excited, and have a lot of prep work to do. I’m also a bit nervous, since I don’t really feel like I’ve found my style yet. In fact, I feel a looonnng way away from that. I’ve learned enough about color to know I know nothing. And yet, I might just sell something… we’ll see.

Today’s Lesson: you never know if you don’t try.

(squeeeeeeeeeeeee!)