Sunday, November 20, 2011

fully exposed...

hello my friends! it has been so long since i last posted and so much has happened. ......i survived my art show and sold some paintings.......and faced some fears ......and learned a lot about myself .......and opened new doors.....and felt so much love and support..... my family and friends rallied around me and made me feel so warm inside.....i made new friends too....artsy types....we will start painting together after the holidays....that excites me to no end! it is all about the relationships afterall.
the morning before my show......some of my paintings..... all in a collection.......ready to be let go...
quite a wrenching and emotional act for me.... to expose some of my art and hope people "get it".
and some DID.
my biggest compliment was that my art made a few patrons FEEL something. wow.

here i am......exposed.
me and my art.
i have never been comfortable sharing photos of myself, so this is hard....it is a growing experience.....it is me, being more comfy with...well.......
ME.

me and my dear friend of 32 years....my anna...my nanner.
isn't she beautiful and so smart too! i could not have done any of this without her....she held my hand and guided me in the right direction......she knew just what to do and i am forever grateful.
she is one of my angels.

another one of my beautiful angels that came to support me....jenny (my big sistah)....and me holding a glass of wine.


two more angels...shacina and my dear hubby, dan.

there is my art, for all to see! it was a pleasure to hear how people responded to certain paintings and how it made them "feel".

it is the FEELING or the MOOD i want to convey....i heard people say the nicest things! why was i so afraid?

me with a happy face seeing that someone had bid on my donated painting (the horse)....i am still holding that glass of wine.

my hubby wanted to bid on this piece of jewelry for me....he is a dear...the LOVE of my life....i love him to death.

this is the first time in forever, that i have seen what i look like from behind...hey, "fully exposed" right? the lovely gal in the blue pants is my son's girlfriend...just come off of a long shift of nursing....she hates having her picture taken more than i do! my beautiful daughter and son-in-law drove from memphis to be here too...sadly no picture of that adorable couple....lots of my friends came by...i felt the LOVE.

not sure what is going on here...except that my wine glass needed a refill!

i must say, that in the past 2 weeks...through blood, sweat and tears...many surprising tears... i have mustered up enough courage to expose my art, my self , and my friends and i am ready to move forward to bigger and better things...i feel empowered now....some new opportunites have shown up for me that i am considering...it is all exciting and new.

my nanner flew back to chicago on tuesday and we are missing each other .....we share so much...we say things together at the same time....finish each others sentences....yunno, that kind of friend...that once in a life time friend....right now, we are even sharing a nasty cold/flu bug....that has hit me hard. i have been slowly decorating my house for christmas....the flu doesn't keep me down. after thanksgiving i will be decorating my clients 10,000 sq. ft. home for the holidays and so for now, i need to get mine done...i'll be sharing my decorations soon! the holidays are approaching too fast....

thank you so much for your continued love and support here on my blog! you all, are a part of my saving angels.

ee





34 comments:

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Congratulations! So glad to hear you had a very successful show and sold some of your great art !! Good for you!! Keep up the great work. Looking forward to seeing your holiday decorations - I have not done anything here.
Have a great week.

Unknown said...

I do, I do, I do get your art. I just love everything about each painting. I may be crazy on my blog, but really am quite shy and unexposed here in real life. I'm so glad you were able to "expose" your cute little self at the wonderful art show. See, it wasn't so bad or so hard. Look how far you have come since starting on this journey. Keep it up and I can't wait to see your rock decorations for the holidays.

Heaven's Walk said...

Oh, Erin - I am just thrilled for you, sweetie! You have certainly found your niche and your confidence. You are an AMAZING artist, my friend. Seriously. I found myself staring deep into your paintings and realizing why people were "feeling" things when they did the same. There's something very serene and calming in your paintings. Something very very special. ♥

xoxo laurie

Donna said...

Erin,
I LOVE your paintings! I am so glad the show went well. You look gorgeous in all the pics ... even the behind shot!
You seem to be like me! My daughter tells me I need to sell my things but I always think my "things" are not good enough.
Now you have gained the confidence and reassurance you needed!!
Your angels are precious to you I know!
Did hubby buy the necklace?
Hugs,
Donna

marĂ­a cecilia said...

So happy for you, a great inspiration you are and your paintings are all beautiful!!!
congrats and hugs

Unknown said...

I am excited beyond words for you Erin. You Rock my dear.Your art is beautiful And i'm sorry you feel "exposed"...but I get that! Hopefully it gets easier for you....Congrats Erin....

joanne said...

Congratulations Erin! You put yourself out there ready or not and you not only survived you thrived! Best wishes on your next project.

michele said...

what a heartwarming post, erin. you are beautiful inside and out, and so your art radiates such loveliness as well!

michele

Seawashed said...

I am so happy for you...you are beautiful! and you know how much I love your art...so so beautiful. I love the new brown cow...like the close up of your horse that I hope you never ever part with. Thank you for being so brave...exposing yourself...sharing this all with us. ox

KarenB said...

This is so exciting! I'm so happy you stepped out and did the show. I absolutely love this horse painting. And what a blessing to be surrounded by so many people that love you. I can't wait to hear about your new opportunities. Hugs,
Karen

It's me said...

You did it girl ...high five !!! i am so proud of you....big hugs....lots of love from me.............♥.. ♥... ♥....

LuLu Kellogg said...

Congratulations Erin! The Brown Cow is my favorite. It makes me feel peaceful. You are so lovely and I am so happy you had so many to support you. Had I lived closer I would been right there!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Love,
LuLu~*xoxo

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL.

YOU ARE GORGEOUS, STUNNING, FABULOUS ERIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not comfortable sharing photos of myself either. And through the love and support of blog friends, I too am showing my art, but it is so silly looking! But my Etsy was successful and now I too have to learn to cope with the times when no one buys. Being an "artist" for me is a huge challenge, dealing with the disappointments as well as the challenges of keeping up with the sudden demand!!

I JUST LOVE YOUR HORSES...you capture them so well, but of course, I am bias; white horses are my dream of the perfect four-footed creature!

BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOURS! Anita

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What a delightful, heartfelt post, filled with true feelings, love, excitement, joy, friendship. You are a lovely lady who paints feelings into your artwork and that is wonderful!

Hope you feel better soon and that your Thanksgiving is a wonderful one.

FlowerLady

Gerry Snape said...

oh how soul revealing it is to expose your art! but also exciting....and lovely to see so much of you for a change!! brilliant

Vickie @ Ranger 911 said...

You've taken a huge leap and come out shining! Congratulations on opening the door to endless possibilities!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on what looks to have been a very successful showing! I really love the last painting of the horse - gorgeous!

Twyla and Lindsey said...

Your art is beautiful! It's a pleasure to meet you. Congratulations on your art show! Twyla

Scott Law said...

It seems like every time I comment on your blog I have to use the words "amazing talent". These are indeed gorgeous. Hope you get feeling well soon. Maybe it was something in the wine ;^)

Tricia said...

Your paintings are so amazingly beautiful, Erin, they feel so dreamy and serene. I'm so happy for you that you put yourself out there and things turned out wonderfully. I have no doubt that evan more exciting things will be coming your way. Best wishes for a wonderful week :)

Unknown said...

I'm so glad for you , that you had a great show ! So wonderful to be appreciated for something you love to do ! Congratulations !

Romeo said...

WOW! I so get this and you! I believe that we put so much of ourselves into our art that in exposing it, we feel we are exposing a part of ourselves, our soul. It is hard to do this.....but your art is so beautiful and full of emotion, that those who got to view it in person were very lucky. And we too are lucky to have the opportunity to share it even if by cyberspace. Beautiful, gorgeous and dreamy....you keep going - this is you. This is fabulous!

Purrs and hugs,

R

Carole said...

Ok so you're beautiful and talented!!!! If I didn't love you so much I could be jealous! lol
You are just radiating love happiness in all those photos. I am so overjoyed for you!

I knew great things were in your future!
ok pass me some wine please!!!

bug hugs,
Carole

Anonymous said...

So happy for you, Erin!!!

Don said...

Hey Erin- great to see you "fully exposed"! Beautiful art as always.

awal.ny said...

I am glad you had a great show, you paintings are beautiful. I have tried to find the link for the outdoor greeniery decor but I just can't seem to find it on pinterest again. If you have a link I will gladly give credit.

di said...

Your paintings are lovely and congratulations on a successful event. It takes courage sometimes to "show yourself" but you succeeded!

di

Phyllis said...

Hi Erin,

Congratulations on displaying your beautiful art. I don't know why you were afraid. I love your subject matter and your style - soft and warm. I'd love to own one or more and even buy one for a friend!

What a wonderful experience for you. Good for you...Happy Thanksgiving!

Marilyn said...

I understand the feeling.....so congratulations for exposing yourself and your art. Both are lovely!

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

Erin...your artwork is incredible.
I am so happy for your success and positive experience. Congratulations! You are so talented and deserve every accolade! :)

Debra@CommonGround said...

Oh Erin, I would have loved to be there. You have the true humble soul of an artist. One who paints from the heart; not for praise of men, but for your own need to express the beautty around you, xoxo

Cindy said...

I know Erin... showing your art totally exposes you... it's hard. That's why sometimes it easier if someone else does it for you. You were so brave, to put yourself out there with your paintings, even though they are completely wonderful, it's a very difficult thing to do. Your work is an inspiration to me. It's amazing and crazy beautiful and spiritual. Of course it was well received, someone would be lucky to own one of your pieces...

Cindy

Cobalt Violet said...

a huge CONGRATULAZIONI!!!!
So happy for you! You and your art are beautiful!!!

nat said...

just catching myself up on your blog... been away from blog-land for a while. WOW! so proud of your for putting yourself and your incredible work out there. how inspiring! i only wish i could have made it to your show. i'd love one of your amazing paintings! please please let me know when your next showing will be!
xxoo