2024 August
August has arrived, and summer is in full swing. Financially, things have finally stabilized, and emotionally, I'm feeling great. All in all, things are going well! It's funny how peace of mind often comes when the finances are in order—well, except for those pesky traffic fines! I got hit with a 4,500 AED fine for running a red light, plus a month of impound and a bunch of black points! I swear I'm not a reckless driver, but... well, it happened. Haha!
Now, back to art—this blog is about art, after all. Lately, I've been focusing on promoting pet portraits. I miss our little Shih Tzu, Mochi, so I painted him as a sample for my ads, and it turned out super cute! I've got lots of ideas brewing for animal-themed paintings—like a flying elephant in the market, a fox underwater, and a firefly inside a bulb actually giving off light. I’m still trying to make my paintings feel freer and more spontaneous—they're still a bit stiff. Maybe I need to practice more abstract techniques or experiment a bit more. I'll try it all! Art is endless, and summer is such a source of inspiration with its bright yellows, flowy dresses, blue oceans, red watermelons, pomelos, and breezy sunsets. There's so much to fuel our creative endeavors!
Speaking of watermelons, I sold my watermelon painting! How cool is that? I hope the buyer loves it. There's something so satisfying about selling your work—it’s a validation that your art is more than just a pretty picture. It has real value.
As much as I'd love to focus solely on painting and my merchandise ideas, my day job is pretty demanding. I'm an architect in real life, and an artist in my ideal world. I'm trying to figure out the best way to manage my time for personal projects. With art season behind us and exhibitions starting up again in October, maybe I can focus on conceptualization and marketing during the week and reserve Sundays for speed painting.
As always, I invite you to check this site now and then to see my latest paintings and to join me in this art adventure. Please, paint and create more than I do! And please follow FilArts Guild in the Emirates, we have lots of activities lined up. Until next time.
Xoxo,
Nellie