A Peek into this Week in (& out) of the Studio

This week my elementary-aged child had his first day back at school. I expected to have that “back in the swing of things” feeling. While I thoroughly enjoy mornings jumping on the trampoline, working while I half-listen to my eight year old telling me Star Wars stories in the studio, and golden hour trips to the beach, I am a lover of routines. (See: magical mornings, when the first three hours of my day for three years were like clockwork–while I had a preschooler.)

Here’s the thing: this return to school was sure to be unlike any preceding it. My art business is in full force since my first art festival in June. I’ve had four more fairs since then, we’re building a separate family business and I’ve got an exciting commission in the works. All while summer is in full effect, with camps only taking up a few weeks. This fall is the first for me as a full-fledged business owner, rather than an artist that has sold a few commissions.

Lemme tell ya how this week went.

Monday

School not yet in session. Went to meet the teacher, playground date with my son’s peers, then the library. When we get home, between my son reading me books I check my email–I received two new opportunities within thirty minutes. One was the Fairfield Museum and History Center reaching out about their holiday pop up event, asking me if I’d like to host a table selling my art. The other was the manager of my nearest Michael’s craft store asking me if I’d like to do the same with them over this weekend.

School hadn’t even started and I’m already getting new opportunities left and right?!

Went on a hike, took my kid to the eye doctor.

Monday was my monthly meeting with Westport Artist’s Collective, after which I always feel positively reinvigorated.

Tuesday

Early morning run + local photo safari.

First day of school, all the ritual that goes along with that. I had a lot of housekeeping tasks to tend to, unfun emails and keyboard-y work instead of canvas-y work. With the last hour on the clock before the bus got here I managed to mix my paint, begin a new painting. It was during this time that a received an email from an avid collector–she owns three of my paintings–asking if I had made any new paintings of a particular subject. This made me smile ear-to-ear.

Younger son had facetime call with my adult son, so I was able to continue with the new painting, making huge progress. At 6 p.m. I got an email about a new partnership with my prints being sold in a local store. Learned that they are moving the date for my most-anticipated art fair in September. Eek.

Wednesday

This day was dominated by caring for my husband through a routine medical procedure, but it didn’t stop me from delivering my first shipment of wholesale prints to a new partnered business (a different one than the one that emailed the night prior, mind you!!) It also didn’t stop me from working on research for a proposal and making huge strides toward completing this week’s painting.

Thursday

I started painting right after my 6:30 am gym visit because I knew I’d be in the car much of the day. I had my meeting with the Weir Farm Artist Collective (the folks that started it all) during which we talked tricks of the trade. Talked to a friend there and sold her a painting I did over a year ago–turns out she’s had it as the wallpaper background on her phone for who knows how long! Also notable: another friend greeted me as “Mrs. Awesome”: a result of the moving and shaking I’ve been up to as of late.

Picked up an antique puppet theater from my favorite auction seller, after randomly envisioning one in the Vermont house for half a year. Took my son to his yearly pediatrician appointment with my husband, more housekeeping tasks for the business, then went to Michael’s to figure out what my table would look like this weekend. Popped into goodwill in the last hour of it being open–my first time there in months–and got a haul of things I was already needing: canvases, frames for prints, a new bento box for my son, whose spent one was just thrown out that day. I even got two pairs of lululemon shorts for myself–something I tried to purchase during school shopping but they were out of my size. Those lulu shorts were under $8 a pop and I got a giant haul for how much I would have paid only for the shorts!

…ok, the above has less to do with art and everything to do with an overall great week. I digress. Stayed up late Thursday doing writing tasks for submissions to my second and third gallery applications this week, then began this post.

Friday

Dermatology appointment, finalizing things with Michael’s for tomorrow’s event, writing out this post & designing an email. This weekend we’ve got frames to build and more. I’m also wrapping up this painting, a throwback to one in the past:

More on that later–I’ve got to wrap that fella up, so that means I’ve got to wrap up this post!