I have returned from my adventure in Mexico and am packing to leave for another one.
Tomorrow I leave to Alameda for a week long painting competition called a “paint out”. My quest to become an international artist has slightly modified to surviving the recession as a local artist. Puerto Vallarta did not provide any promising art leads since they too have many businesses closing. Their economy is devastated first by the recession and second by the “swine flu” which scared away the remaining tourists.
Though the leads on art were slim, the beauty of the jungle was inspiring. My mother, son and I spent most of the time in a small village called Quimixto. The only way to reach this village is by boat. The trip there was magical with views of the velvet green mountains covered in dense tropical foliage, warm ocean, and abundance of exotic birds.
It is their rainy season which provides the most phenomenal thunder and lightening storms. It also supplies and endless supply of bugs in all shapes and very large sizes. One of my favorite evening activities was to watch the resident geckos climb down from the tiled roof to eat the moths. By the end of our stay I had named several of them.
I returned home to discover I had earned several awards from the Marin Fair. I received a honorable mention, a special Barbara Mcquaid award which came with a beautiful handmade ceramic wall plaque and money, and another special award. Plus my class “Godzilla” chair won second place.
The third weekend show I did before leaving was a bust. Not one sale and a lot of dedicated time. I am going to have to change my expectations of these shows and not look at them an income but as marketing until our economy improves. I am going to look at this period of time as a time to explore new forms of art, improving my skills as an artist, and focusing on creative marketing.
Wendy
(Wendy’s dream is still to become a influential international artist, but she left 8 Women Dream in March of 2010 to complete grad school. She is still a strong supporter of 8 Women Dream and you will see her in the comments on the blog.)
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