Last night I went by to take pictues of "Barnaby", a very cute, wiggly, dachshund, lahsa, poodly mix. The kids loved him and Sophie decided that our dogs are way too big. What? Two huge slobbery dogs that knock her over with their tails are no good? What's not to love??
But I digress. The reason Barnaby is special is that he is my 100th commission since last October. I can name every dog I have painted almost without looking at paperwork. I guess when you paint a portrait it just gets ingrained in your head. So here I am 11 months after beginning this adventure and at my 100th painting. Pretty cool.
Yesterday I dropped off my art at Donna Van Gogh's (pics to come!!). My lovely husband was with me and the owner asked him what is felt like to be married to the newest emerging talent in Atlanta. Wow. That felt pretty good. It was a pretty wonderful day yesterday. After we dropped off the art and I got my fill of gushing from the owner, we ate lunch at the mexican place next door and had a mojito. Oh my....love at first sip. And Miss Scoutdog? Add sipping mojitos on a weekday afternoon with my husband to my list of guilt free pleasures!!

I am trying very hard to live in this moment. I am trying hard to balance many projects of equal priority. I am trying hard to be inspired by other artists but not feeling guilty that I should be tring to do what they are. I fill up my plate at the art project buffet than I look around at others and want a try some of theirs too! I have lots to do and I fight wanting to be doing more. Then I lose my moment. I lose the sheer pleasure of enjoying the painting of the bulldog I am working on. Watching each new "mini smile painting" being finished. Smiling with satisfaction as each webpage links and loads correctly for the website I am creating for a photographer. So why do I still feel like I should be doing more? I guess it goes back to looking at other artist's work. Inspiration versus jealousy. Yes, I said it. And I know you feel it too! We look at someone else and we say we are so happy for them. But we all know deep down that part of us is actually jealous. Why can't I quit my job and do that? Why don't I have a book deal yet? Why don't I have a gallery show? How come I can't take a dream vacation yet? Come on, we all do it. We need to let go of it. I truly think when we let go, find satisfaction in all WE have done it is an amazing thing. Today look at all you HAVE accomplished so far. Write down a list of things you have done so far in your life. You will be pleasantly surprised if not downright proud! I love this online community I am in. Whenever I need a pick me up I check out my favorite sites and realize that these other artsits are just like me, and we all need to support and encourage each other. Then I realize jealousy has no place here, because I have written and either made contact with or friends with so many of these artists. And we all truly want to help each other and encourage each other to succeed. Because then when one of us does get the bookdeal, lands the agent, takes the dream vacation we all breathe a little sigh of relief because then we at least know our dreams are indeed possible. So today I will be satisfied with what I have, what I have done, and what I am going to do. I don't need any new ideas on my plate, my plate is full and I like what I have.

I couldn't for the life of me figure out why people kept asking me what I was doing this weekend. And why alot of my clients kept referring to Tuesday and midweek for deliveries. Huh? Finally my sister mentions going to the lake on Monday with her boyfriend and I ask her, "What?? Is nobody working Monday?!" Ahhhhh, Labor Day. I am working today, finishing up some paintings, sketching some new ones. Finishing my order for the store. Holidays don't have that special feeling of relief for me anymore. And that is fine with me. That "Thank God It's Friday!" thing? No more meaning. And that's is ok with me too. Ya know whay? Because that, "Oh, man, it's Sunday night, and tomorrow is Monday!" icky feeling? Don't have that either. I love waking up everyday knowing there is not a task on my list that I don't want to do. Sure, I can still get overwhelmed with the amount I have to do, but how amazing that I HAVE so much to do. A year ago I was working full time and painting a whole bunch of canvases with an assortment of dogs for a festival that I had no idea how my work would be received. What a year it's been. And I am more than happy to labor on Labor Day. I hope everyone has as wonderful a day as I will today. Go enjoy!