Hitting the road to share my art in June

It occurred to me the other day, while I was in my studio painting, that June has shaped up to be a month of me taking my art on the road. One of the main objectives I had upon creating my brand and business was that I want to make the world a more beautiful place by sharing my artwork. It seems that is actually happening.

In 2 days I have a Meet the Artist event at The Pottery Barn store in Southampton Long Island. You may ask "What is that all about?" so I am going to tell you!  I was invited by the Managers of the Pottery Barn Store there to come in and paint (I predominately paint in watercolors), show my artwork, meet customers and offer my products for sale. I am so grateful and excited to have this opportunity. Last month I did a similar Community event at The Pottery Barn Outlet in Riverhead, Long Island,where I worked previously as a Visual Designer. Before I even did the first show I got a call from the Southampton Manager to do a show with them as well.

Of course I said yes! After I pinched myself and thought is this for real? I love the Pottery barn brand and my work is perfect compliment to their brand so it's a great fit. And the staff at both stores has been fantastic to partner with. As I have been busy preparing this week for the show I have reflected on how far I have come in a year.

Last June I didn't even have a website, I had just hired The Wonder Jam to create my branding and website. I had no prints, no notecards, no fabric designed and printed, no pillows, no shop, no Instagram, none of it. Now I all of those things and more. I have momentum. I have an online community of artists to share ideas with. I have taken classes with Make it in Design and Lilla Rogers. I have done webinars, consults with Agents and Designers, made a lot of mistakes but I am learning and growing everyday. It's great.

Now I get to share my work this weekend at Pottery Barn and then on June 25th I am doing a show with my Sister (in law) Mary at the Simsbury 1820 House in Connecticut. Which is a homecoming for me as I grew up in Blooomfield Ct. We will exhibiting our art together for the first time for a month. It's going to be great as well we will be celebrating my Dad's 91st birthday!

I am so honored and thrilled to be able to have these events to share my work. It continues to motivate and inspire me to keep on painting and doing what I love.

Hope to see you out there on the road sometime....

New Challenges for this Designer

I have been trying to push myself everyday. Sketch something new, paint, update my website, research trends, go to yoga, paint some more, design and oversee a home renovation for an Interior Design client, enter daily challenges and contests with my Art. This week I submitted 4 pieces for the Minted Art Print Challenge for Pottery barn Kids and Teen. I've been following these challenges for months and never had the guts to enter , I did it and I am proud of myself. Yeah me!! check out the minted site.

Independent Artists were challenged by Minted.com to design Art Prints for Pottery Barn Kids and Teen. Minted.com will choose editors picks and sell the winners on their site. The pieces with a lot of votes will rise to the top once the judging begins so the more votes the better!! As well Pottery Barn will award their top picks with gift cards and cash and a chance to be featured in their stores and catalogs. It would be a major accomplishment for this Artist! (You also receive royalties on the sales, good thing because my son Matt's going to college next year!)

Now waiting for results.....if you want to vote on my pieces please do so by 2/29/16 just click the box to the right to go right to my Designer Profile on Minted.com.

Thanks in advance for your votes and your support!

Here are 3 of my entries.....

My whole design world shifted on the bleachers at my daughter's lacrosse game

While sitting in the bleachers at my daughter Hanna's lacrosse game on a chilly May morning, I was approached to design a room at a local designer showhouse. Voice inside my head "Whaaatttt!?, I can't do that." But I quickly remembered what I learned in B School from Marie Forleo, to take something on even if you don't think you are ready. Now what do I do? So I ignored the fear and I said "YES ,I would be interested in doing that!"  I definitely surprized both Christine and myself !

Next step later that week was a walk through at the Showhouse in Cutchogue, NY and choose the room I wanted to design. The home is an old farmhouse circa 1835 which was given to the North Fork Designer Showhouse commitee to raise money for local charities CAST, NFAWL, Maureen's Haven and scolarships for local high school seniors, all great causes. There were 12 designers and 12 interior rooms to decorate.

I attended the showhouse last year and remembered an upstairs sunny room that would be a perfect artist's studio. We toured the house and I chose that space to design. The wheels start turning, I'm dreaming about color, where to hang my art, window treatments, I decide I want to print one of my designs for the fabric on the windows. In my head I got it all figured out. Not sure how I will get it all done in time but I will make it work.

Next thing I know the phone rings and it's Christine, telling me that there were 7 designers that wanted my room and they did a lottery and guess what, I didn't get it. But they were offering me the front porch or half the kitchen. Ughh disappointment sets in. I tell her I want to go see the spaces because I am such a visual person. I needed to get over the fact that I didn't get the room I wanted and figure this out.

As for the Front Porch it's a nice space but I can't hang my art outside. Option 2 half the kitchen, what's that all about? It was basically the eat in kichen area, they wanted to keep the rest of the kitchen as is because they were using it for the Raffles they sell to raise additional funds for the event. As well the space got new appliances, marble countertops and the cabinets were resurfaced last year and the commitee wanted to be green and not create unecessary waste.

So my decision was made take the kitchen space. After all half a kitchen is better than no kitchen at all!

Best decision I could have made.

Have you ever felt like you weren't ready to take a new project on but were glad you did?

Look for my next blog post for part two of my Showhouse experience......