The Gang is all Here

What an exciting week I have had. Even in the midst of this isolation, I am rejoicing.  I don't mean that I am happy about the virus that has made many sick or that so many people have lost their jobs.  No those things weigh heavy on my heart but I am thankful for my new focus on important things and the reduction in the amount of distractions I have right now.  I appreciate the added time given me to ponder both the creative process and my relationships. Relationships with the Lord and with my family.  I miss them all and just can't wait until we can hang out together again.  I'm going to so enjoy having all those grandchildren climbing on us and wanting to sit next to us.  Facetiming just doesn't REALLY get it!   

On a practical note, this week I have gone a long ways to getting my studio inventory room all organized and slowly the studio itself is taking shape and I'm feeling that I can enjoy the creative process once again.  That makes me excited.

I very much feel that creativity is a gift from God.  He was the first Creator and has instilled in all of us a desire to make things.  Some of us, just seem to have a bit more bent towards that direction.  I guess that is why it is called a gift.  My desire to create art has been there inside of me for as long as I can remember and I feel that it has become my ministry to others.  I know that might sound strange to some but I receive comments almost daily about how my art has brought a smile, lifted someone's spirits or was a bit of  "light to the dark spots".  I am humbled and in awe of this. My prayer is "Lord, please allow my art, in some small way, to point them to Your love and joy."  I pinch myself daily because I'm really doing this art thing.   

You might not know this about me, but I actually have a business degree so I pretty much always have to talk about the numbers too.  This month, I made the decision to pull out of the local galleries, at least for the next 6 months and put all my efforts and attention into promoting my artwork online.  My online audience has grown leaps and bounds this past year and I am finally seeing the fruits of that in my increased sales.  Brad and I are so BLESSED!  We just look at each other and shake our heads.  This past week, I broke both my daily Etsy sales record by having 8 sales in one day and my weekly sales record with a total of 16 sales this week.  In February I had a total of 22 sales and in March 23 sales.  Both months were a record for me.  This month for April, I have 35 sales and we are just barely half way through.  That so motivates me to get into the studio and get busy. 

"Goat Soap Bubbles"

I contribute some of that growth to popularity of my newest series of art that I have started creating.  Last month when this whole Covid-19 thing became a real "THING" for most of us, there was so much emphasis on hand washing.  Videos and memes galore.  The idea popped into my head to draw a pig in an old galvanized steel wash tub taking a bubble bath as a bit of a joke.  You know, "EXTREME HAND WASHING".  Well, that drawing was a hit and I haven't stopped drawing that washtub since.  I'm have now finished my 8th drawing in the series and it is of a little goat. 

I really have no idea when I will be done with this series because the number of farm animals and wash tub compositions that I have rolling around in my head seem to be endless.  One thing is for sure, "I'm having a blast!"  Friday night, I decided it would be fun to line them all up and use that as my Facebook banner.  You know, like a "WASH TUB PARTY" and that image got so much response that I decided I had better create a new listing on my Etsy Shop and I call it "Wash Day".  I couldn't really get them all to fit on the standard size paper having them all in a row like this image, but I did form a bit of a circle with the tubs and the end result has been a real winner.  Here is the link to my ETSY SHOP  (or you can just hit the Etsy Shop tab on the menu bar above) if you want to check this listing and all my other bazillion cute farmhouse art listing that are available there.

Here's the WHOLE GANG!