Adventures in Arkansas

I'm off to serve as Artist in Residence in Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas!
I have a fully furnished house and studio waiting for me and I can hardly wait to see what adventures lie ahead!

I hope to paint steam, fog and all sorts of real and imagined atmospheric conditions in the wonderful medium of watercolors.

Stay tuned... paintings to be posted as they are created.

February 22, 2010

FOCUS: The State of BEING A Professional Artist
(all paintings and text are the copyrighted property of Catherine Hillis)
(The attached painting is titled Pedicure and it will be available at Wide River Gallery in Colonial Beach, VA during March of 2010.)

I'd like to invite artists, gallery owners, and art lovers to bring their opinions to the table.

Alright, so you've spent some time thinking about your goals and your definition of success. It's difficult to be honest about this topic and I'd wager that we could all spend another few weeks in thoughtful consideration. If an artist knows what her goals are for her art, if she knows what success means for her - then, what's next? More thinking..... leads me to ask myself if I'm focused, utterly, singularly, professionally, unequivocally.... focused on my goals, my art and my road to success.

• Am I focused on the WORK (and this is my occupation that I'm talking about) of producing my art.
• Am I focused on producing only quality work.
• Am I focused on practising good, standard business practices. This includes keeping financial records in excellent condition, staying organized, maintaining a good credit standing, arranging for insurance, titles, incorporation filings, and yes, making a profit. A viable business must make a profit.
• Am I focused on using all of my talents and abilities to add income to my business: this might include writing, teaching, selling artwork, managing, or utilizing any skills one might have in their field. Another word for this might be....diversification of the use of your skills.
• Am I focused on marketing myself and my work.
• Am I focused on listening to the customer.
• Am I focused on listening to the gallery owner and meeting their needs for their clients.

Life as a Professional Artist

Life as a Professional Artist:





The past two years have been brutal ones for artists and gallery owners alike. Even the savviest marketers have taken a hit and I've been utterly shocked at the many great painters and aggressively successful gallery owners who have had to fold as a result of the 2009 recession. It's definitely survival of the fittest out there!








Perhaps this is a grand time to begin re-defining our goals and re-evaluating why we're out there painting or selling art and whether we are reaching the level of success we desire. Art is, after all, a retail operation, whether we like it or not, so the sale of art requires that the artist be certain that they're running a sharp, effective retail operation with, of course, an awful lot of leeway in between. After all, the purchase of a piece of art is not a necessity but is perhaps the result of something subjective that occurs between the artist and the client.





Think on these subjects if you're an artist. Why are you creating your art and who are you creating it for? What are you doing with your art after it's completed? Are you truly committed to art as business, or is the pursuit of art your hobby? What defines success to you? Take some real time to define your goals, examine where you're at in achieving those goals and evaluate your definition of success.

The painting depicted, Last Day (watercolor by Catherine Hillis, c., 14" x 17" framed), will be available at Wide River Gallery in Colonial Beach, VA for $190.00. (804)224-9984

Friends, Wine, Art, Fun

I had a wonderful weekend. Our neighbors had a Shiraz wine tasting on Friday night. I always meet interesting people who live on or about the mountain here on the Blue Ridge of Virginia. I'm lucky to have all these interesting personalities living so close by: we have writers, artists, engineers, historians, all bright and entertaining people. On Saturday night, some of the same friends and some of my students came to a reception for me at the Art Center of Manasass. We went out to eat afterwards.

What a wonderful weekend I've had.

Here is a photograph of my latest piece: a beautiful scene from Maine and my wonderful artist's summer there.

Commissions

This has been the summer for commissions. I enjoy recording the beauty and history around me - who knows how long these beautiful homes and locations will be preserved. I want to applaud the owners of these beautiful, old properties for being the caretakers of history. I thank them for honoring ME, too.

Many good wishes go to the Hughes Family for inviting me to paint this beauty....

If you're interested in commissioning me to paint a watercolor of your historic home, or property or land, I welcome your inquiry at chhillis@aol.com/www.catherinehillis.com

New Classes Coming Up at The Lorton, VA Workhouse

Hey, everyone. Registration for weekly classes is now open!

If you want to improve your composition and design and learn how to develop a watercolor painting that glows, here are some classes in YOUR area!

The Workhouse at Lorton, VA: Make Your Watercolors Glow. Saturday mornings from 10 am until 1 pm beginning October 3. Register on line at http://www.workhousearts.org/ or call 703-584-2900. After class, you can browse through the many artist's studios and galleries filled with jewelry, pottery, woodwork and more.

Ida Lee Park in Leesburg, VA: Check it out! You can paint with me at Ida Lee Park and then work out or swim afterwards in this state of the art facility. Wednesday classes from 12:30 until 3 begin Sept 30 - Nov. 18, 2009. Go to http://www.idalee.org/ or call 703-777-1368.

The Delaplaine Visual Arts Center in Frederick, MD: Come and Paint with me on Tuesdays from Sept. 29 - Nov. 17 from 1 - 4 pm. After class, peruse the beautiful galleries in this wonderful building and then browse through historic Frederick and visit the most unique shops. This is where I find unusual gift items. Call 301-698-0656 or register on line at http://www.delaplaine.org/.

The Flower Power Workshop at The Arts Centre in Orange was a big success. The Arts Centre provides arts education as well as a venue to display contemporary art. During the past year, when our economic climate has been so difficult, I feel thankful for folks who support the artists, the arts and the local arts centers that are providing society and the local community with another point of view and sustenance for the soul.