What can I start saying NO to?

Smart Goals reviewed and refined:

Ok, so I re-read my first try at a Smart goal, and the goal I thought I could finish in one day, Monday August 3, (I can get that all done tomorrow, maybe) still remains unfinished.

My current goal is to receive at least 2 commissioned Temple paintings from the 60+ new contacts I got at the La Caille Bridal Expo I spent $600.00 and several hours obtaining.

Potential obstacles or concerns:

1. Well, so far I have emailed all 60 brides, and looked for them on Facebook.  Not many responses at all.

2.  I have one client so far.  I will meet with Sara and Francisco on Aug 27 to do a photo shoot at the Mt. Timpanogus Temple.  They want an 8×10 for the sign-in table at their reception.

3.  Diversions have accumulated:  I did a Plein Air event Saturday the 16th, painting remains unfinished and it is so enticing…I really want to finish it.  Plein Air competition event scheduled on August 23rd.  I paid for 3 entries, which means I have three little landscapes to do next weekend.

4.  Funeral tomorrow, Stansbury Art and Lit Society meeting on Tuesday, Budgeting payday (this is really hard stuff for me and takes several hours) on Wednesday, Fiona’s birthday party Friday, Sat Sun and Monday to do three plain air paintings and then deliver paintings to Local Colors on Monday.

5. Viola Recital next month, need to practice a lot, Singing in the Choir for General Conference on October 4, and then the next week Messiah practice starts so Sunday nights will be busy from next week until Christmas.  Christmas gift paintings planned…hmmm.  Always too much to do.  What do I need to start saying NO to?

6. And I plan on substitute teaching?….go figure!  And there is the yard and housework, exercising and showering….

Business TO DO list:

1. Text all of the brides.  Many young people do not use email anymore, but texting is almost universal with that age group.

2.  Put all the brides in my contact list, (I’m on the M’s.) and then text them all with an invitation to receive a beautiful temple painting as a wedding decoration at their reception, that will increase in value, both monetarily and spiritually as it will also serve as a reminder that their eternal vows are beyond value.

3.  Order cards from fineartamerica.com, or got print.net (check prices) and one month before date of their wedding send them a lovely card to remind them of my services and congratulate them again on their wedding plans.

Painting TO DO list:  

(My process:  Find a photo of the temple I want to draw, hopefully one I took.  It can be someone else’s photo, as long as they give me permission to use it.  It has to be recognizable as a specific temple.  It does not have to be the whole temple.  It has to be a great composition.  I have to be able to put a couple in front, in the foreground after the entire temple is painted.  I will paint the temple as a finished painting, photograph it carefully, and then post it on my website.  Then I can sell prints of the temple without the personalization.  I will also keep the pattern that I draw so I can paint the same temple again if necessary.  (For a new commission of the same temple.))

Steps:

1.  Transfer only the best photos (particularly Temples) from my older external hard drives.

2.  Chose one…make a decision.  Then draw it carefully.  (as of today, August 17, I have 2 drawn, and one more on the drawing board)

     a. Oquirrh Mountain Temple is drawn, and ready to transfer to the 24 x 36 Fredrix cradled watercolor panal.  Background (3rd try, I scrubbed it off twice) is ready to gesso.  (I sprayed it with printer ink!!!) I’m so excited!

     b.  Snowflake AZ Temple is drawn and ready to transfer as soon as the sky is dry.  Stormy sky, With the temple glowing in  front of the storm is the concept.  Name:  Stand Ye in Holy Places  16×20

     c.  Snowflake AZ temple nearly finished on a 5×7 Fredrix panel.  Watercolor sky, clear gesso, and the temple in oil.

     d.  Drawing of St. George Temple is started. (it’s the one Sara and Francisco want)

3.  Apply clear gesso over the sky, seal the edges also, and than transfer the drawing.  Then I will seal the drawing with another coat of clear gesso.  Begin oil painting the Oquirrh Mountain temple regardless of obtaining a commission.

It’s such a fun challenge-being my own boss!

Resplendent Radiance Replaces Darkness

Last week I worked on a mission statement, and asked for feedback from my friends.  So, here’s the revision.

MISSION STATEMENT~ By painting temples, I want to show the whole world the true beauty and purpose of temples: joy, protection, progress, and eventual return as family units to His glorious presence.  The resplendent beauty of each Temple painting, hanging on the walls of Saints all over the world will bring the Spirit of Christ into the homes and hearts of His children.

Soon I will bring all these posts together, and have a business plan I feel confident and comfortable with.  This post is short and sweet, and as always, I love feedback!

The Profitable Artist – If You Glow in the Dark the Darkness Recedes

Today I want to revisit my Mission Statement.  I worked on it a few times, but it all sounded like a vision statement to me so I haven’t actually blogged about it yet.  I’m an Artist, so I’ve written lots of Artist Statements…but those are more specific to a certain painting or a series of paintings.

No matter what I decide to create as I apply my artistic skills to convey an idea, it must be uplifting, encouraging, and radiant.

As I was driving into Salt Lake City, Utah for a day at Local Colors Art Gallery, I was overwhelmed with the way the morning light penetrated heavy cloud cover over Salt Air.  Salt Air is not a temple, but as I viewed it I received a spiritual conviction in my heart that I wanted to paint LDS Temples—all of them!

MISSION STATEMENT~I want to provide lovely oil paintings of temples for the whole world.  I want them to be so inspiring that every LDS home will want a print.  The resplendent beauty of each Temple hanging on the walls of Saints all over the world will bring the Spirit of Christ into the living rooms and hearts of followers of Christ.

If you read my vision statement you know that I am an idealist to the core.  Lofty goals are part of my character.  Realists don’t relate to me very well…C’est la vie!

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The Profitable Artist ~ S.M.A.R.T. Goal setting

S: Specific – The goal should identify a specific action or event that will take place.

M: Measurable – The goal and its benefits should be quantifiable (whatever that means…$)

A: Achievable – The goal should be attainable given available resources

R: Realistic – The goal should require you to stretch some, but all the likelihood of success.  Your ultimate goal is to succeed at whatever you set out to do.

T: Timely – The goal should state the time period in which it will be accomplished

Sigh.  Uggh.  This is the hard stuff here.

Tips:

*Develop several goals.  A list of 5 to 7 items gives you several thing to work on over a period of time.  Too many portends failure.

*Attach a date to each goal.  State what you intend to accomplish and by when.  A good list should include some short-term and some long-term objectives.

*Be specific.

*Write down your objectives and put them where you will see them.  The more often you read your list, the more results you get.

*Review and revise your list.  Experiment with different ways of stating your goals.  Goal-setting improves with practice, so play around with it.

OK.  Here goes.

Identify your goal:  My current goal is to receive at least 2 commissioned Temple paintings from the 60 new contacts I got at the La Caille Bridal Expo I spent $600.00 and several hours obtaining.

Outline all potential obstacles or concerns:  Well, so far I have emailed all 60 brides, and looked for them on Facebook.  I have one potential client so far.  I’m waiting for her to tell me when I can drive out and meet with her and her fiancé to plan the project.  I’m thinking I should text all of them also.  Many young people do not use email anymore, but texting is almost universal with that age group.

Steps:

1.  Clean up my contact list….yikes! It’s a royal mess.  I had the guy at the Apple store sync iCloud with my iPhone and my iMac and ended up with a ridiculous contact list…I may delete the whole list and start over manually.

2.  Put all the brides in my contact list, and then text them all with an invitation to receive a beautiful temple painting as a wedding decoration at their reception, that will increase in value, both monetarily and spiritually as it will also serve as a reminder that their eternal vows are beyond value.

3.  Order cards from fineartamerica, and one month before date of their wedding send them a lovely card to remind them of my services and congratulate them again on their wedding plans.

Well, that wasn’t so hard after all…I can get that all done tomorrow maybe.  So, now it is time to set the next smart goal since I do not plan on creating another blog until next Sunday.

Observation:  After Monday’s craziness…Monday’s are always crazy, Sundays seems to be a goal setting day for me always.  First I spend 4 hours at church and get all kinds of advise on what I should do, and I write it all in my church journal.  I find myself feeling positive and excited while there, but a bit overwhelmed when I get home and begin planning my week.  And then Monday comes…and I think I have to get it all done on Monday.  I have to vocally speak to myself and say “You have all week to do all this stuff-one thing at a time!  Breath!  Breath!  Breath deeper!  Yoga is the best thing I do for myself each day, especially Mondays!  (whoops, rabbit trail)

My next goal:  Find a photo of the temple I want to draw, hopefully one I took.  It has to be recognizable as a specific temple.  It does not have to be the whole temple.  It has to be a great composition.  I have to be able to put a couple in front, in the foreground after the entire temple is painted.  I will paint the temple as a finished painting, photograph it carefully, and then post it on fineartamerica.  Then I can sell prints of the temple without the personalization.  I will also keep the pattern that I draw so I can paint the same temple again if necessary.  (For a new commission of the same temple.)

Steps:

1.  Transfer only the best photos (particularly Temples) from my older external hard drives.  (This may take the rest of the week)

2.  Chose one…make a decision.  Then draw it carefully.

3.  (Process)  Paint the background in watercolor on the 24 x 36 Fredrix watercolor board. Check YouTube for tutorials about pouring on watercolor…the texture of the watercolor board does not respond like watercolor paper.  I’ve already scrubbed off a sky I painted and am ready to start over.  When I absolutely love the sky I will apply clear gesso over it, seal the edges also, and than transfer the drawing.  Then I will seal the drawing with another coat of clear gesso.  Begin oil painting either the SLC Temple or the Oquirrh Mountain temple regardless of obtaining a commission.  My panel is 24×36 and just waiting for a beautiful temple painting!

I am so excited!  I can hardly wait till Tuesday!!!  But wait…if I get some commissions I’ll have to do some traveling and meeting with clients…wouldn’t be such a bad diversion.

It’s such a fun challenge-being my own boss!

The Profitable Artist…20 Second Blurb

Old 20 sec blurb: I paint exquisite portraits of dolls and flowers. I want you to feel what I feel as I paint, a reverence for the beauties of the earth and an awareness of humanities personal search for perfection. With my art I want to melt your heart.

New 20 sec blurb: I’m a professional artist working mostly on commissioned portraits in oil. When I am not painting a commission, I love to paint religious edifices, such as Temples, churches and the like. My work is highly idealistic, much like the old masters with an emphasis on eternal themes. I am an idealist to the core, an artist who cherishes high and noble principles. With my art I want to enlarge, soften and enlighten your heart. Ah-Hah! Awe…..”One person can make a difference…” JFK