Illustration Friday~Fresh

Where has summer gone! I know it's August but I've been on auto-pilot since coming back from vacation at the end of June. I have been pulling many extra hours at my job, and I'm grateful I've gotten as many hours as I have. But that also means I haven't been making any new art for months, or paying attention to my blog. I've been starting to feel that old familiar tug, when I've been away just a bit too long. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, we will be hiring some new people at work and my hours will start to go back to a semi-normal schedule. At least enough for me to dig back in.

As it stands I still have a poem and artwork in review at Carus Publishing, and I'm afraid it's getting on time to pull that one back and move it along to another house. Yet there's a little voice inside that keeps saying "just a little longer." Getting published in Spider has always been my dream! When I think about being "a successful artist" this is one of the marks I hold to. On occasion I reevaluated this word "success" and what that means to me; and to be published in a magazine like Spider would definitely "feel" successful to me. It's the gold star! To receive checks in the mail or money in a paypal account on a semi-regular basis, Yep, that would say success.

Then of course there's that more "soulful" kind of success. Like looking at a bulk of work I've created, as it hangs in a coffee house, display case or at an outdoor festival; that gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. And that would also be considered a success. Or that warm feeling you get inside when you give a piece of your work away to a friend or family member, and they really like it! That's success? Right? Soulful is good, but I guess I just want it all. I want to make wonderful, magical, absolutely lovely artwork that is displayed, bought, appreciated and published! And I want to make lots of money doing it!

But I guess in the end, what it all comes back to is a simple, basic need (addiction) to make art, because, that's what I do, frustration and all. And that old cliche' "the tortured artist," yeah I can sometimes relate.  

Finally, in closing I give you the word of the week for Illustration Friday "Fresh" which I must admit is not so fresh since it's an older piece. Although It is one of my favorites, and one that felt very successful on it's completion. Plus the veggies look good and fresh!

Done in colored pencil and then burnished. I labored many hours on this one, and came away with sore fingers!