So, pretty much every new year comes along and I try to start a new habit, a better healthier diet, a routine, something....
Sometimes I make it for a month or two and then I just fall into bad habits, junk food, can't stick to the new routine, something....
Sometimes I don't even make it a week!

I am breaking tradition.
I am starting Dec. 22nd -
 my hope is to post one Random Rambling a week... even though I know no one else is reading it but me. 
This is really for me.
And, along with that once a week post I will include a visual- a page in my Art of Change book- one of those promises of new life I made myself and abandoned many years ago....

So here is a page from that book that I started years ago... hopefully 52 more to come.
​

For years I have gathered bits and pieces of jewellery: orphan earrings, sparkly baubles, charms and beads from an independent bead store,  thrift store finds, estate and garage sales.
I made and sold many many pieces at our own Bizarre Bazaar, summer markets, commissioned at local shops.
I love finding and sorting and creating . It's quite Zen for me really.
Now I find myself in a new place : physically , emotionally, financially, mentally.
I moved, very quickly, across the country. West coast to east coast, state capital to small town, culturally active to .... not so much.
SO......
​

Since I have moved, and am now in an area where I know very few people, and I live in an area that is NOT dense population, we are approaching the Creation Station a bit differently. 
*More online outreach
*Commissions over Classes (for now)
**Newer style of PopArt with Posca Pens on Wood Canvas (no need for glass or framing)

So, a Client contacts Elsewise Art and we:
First  have a discussion of  size, price and colors that the client likes or dislikes.

Client sends photos and we discuss...  (my comments in green)

And the process begins...
*Outline
*Painting begins
*The color that looks like Black was actually Dark Turquoise.
​But when I added a second coat it looked black, NOT the turquoise the client requested.
​(further discussion not shown in the text)

I added popcorn around the edges because the client said the cat loved popcorn and these were his Crazy Eyes- his
​Popcorn Face! which became the title for this commission.

Yep. Been awhile.
I allowed everything and all the other things and stuff and such to take priority.
But, see, something REALLY BIG happened... and I was forced to Re-THINK and Re-Imagine what I choose to do with my Time, how I choose to go about  making an income.
I moved.
All the way across the USA. From Oregon to Maryland.
Crazy Times.
SO!
I have to get used to *New Weather *Paying taxes on everything *Finding new products and brands because they don't have the same ones here *Living in the COUNTRY far away from all things as opposed to CITY living with all things close by *Buy a Car and finally...... find ways to make an income via my ART.
​So bear with me as I move along to new and exciting adventures, and I PROMISE I will write more often.

Board Game:
And Now For Something
​Completely Different

Game Board: To Get Different You Need To DO Different

I was given a commission.
Only parameters: Bold Colors.
So, I thought and pondered and  worried. I came up with several ideas but none seemed to be right. 
I was visiting a friend, who had a lush mj plant put back. I inquired as to the strain... SpaceDog was the answer.
Inspiration Lightning struck! My friend is crazy for the weed, and has a wee dog he loves. 
Space Dog was painted, in bold colors of course,  completed in 3 days and sent off .
And I was so happy with the result that I am doing a series.

Watercolor pencils. Created by my 3 kids back in the 1990s...yikes.

Drawings my kids did wwaaayyyy back in the day.
I taught an after school art class at an elementary school. 
My own 3 had to attend.
​These are done in oil pastel.

WHAT IT TAKES....FOR ME. to get artwork framed and on the wall.
I have collected wooden frames for a couple decades. I have boxes of them!
*I have the art I want to frame, in this case SIX small pieces that I have saved for 25 years! Sheesh.
*I select the right size frames for the art.
*Remove the thrift store art.
*Wash the glass.
*Clean the frame, then spray it the color I want-wait for it to dry, inspect and re-spray if necessary.
*Cut mat board backing  to proper size.
I used to mat all my work but have eliminated that step. I just frame the art by itself now.
*Glass/Art/Backing
*Secure into frame- I use  cable staples.
*Measure for hanging wire- place two "Eye" screws- loop through wire.
*Hang.

I am SUCH a procrastinator (see the part about taking 25 years to get this done) so if I'm gonna do it,
I REALLY need to start and finish within a couple days.

I have posted some Creative Cartography before but I haven't described the process. One of the things I like so much about this art form is the process itself.
*Find the map... has to be a good paper, not slick.
*Find the picture within.
*Slowly develop the image.
​This one I call Snow Ape and it won second place ribbon in Keizer Arts Fin, Fur, Feathers show.

Back in the day.... Salem had this great coffeeshop right downtown called The CoffeeHouse Cafe.
It had a large backroom - all cleaned up after Jonathan aka Violette - cleaned it up. They did an incredible job making it a useable space for all manner of events. 
I started something called the Anti-Cute Bizarre Bazaar, and then Autumn came on board and made it better!
Well we're bringing that back!
One night only.
November 22, 2019 6:00pm to 10:00 pm at................ The Space!
Why not at Coffeehouse Cafe? Well, as aforementioned..."back in the day" CHC is gone now.
(go right ahead and mentally insert a sad face here)
But The Space said... "Sure! Let's do it! Great idea!"
If you're not sure who/what/where The Space is...
A West Salem, Oregon Vegan restaurant and Music Venue.
It's kinda awesome.
​

ok so I've been trying to come up with alternative ideas and choices, making different decisions, trying (and the key word there is "TRYING")  to create a revenue stream.

lllooooonnnggg story shortened:

BEFORE (years ago)
*had a part-time job
*had a studio 
*gave classes
*had an etsy store
*did lots of summer and holiday bazaars

LATER to NOW
*retired from part-time job and started watching grand-kids full-time
*couldn't afford studio
*only give an occassional class now and again - even those are often cancelled due to lack of interest?
*stopped selling on Etsy when they switched to allow all manners of sellers
instead of just  handmade goods by small entrepreneurs
*stopped doing bazaars and markets- all that lifting (tables, boxes of product, displays, etc.) was starting to get to me 

SOON (the different decisions part)
​*possibly look for another part-time job
*hope to get this website "out there" 
SO THAT I CAN (see below)
*give on-line classes
*sell my tee shirts
*sell product - necklaces and such
*get my art shipping

In other words- 
While I have great difficulty with these dang Ones and Zeroes....
I have Grey Girl Graphics with the Admirable and Esteemed Autumn Steam to help me with these damn struggles.