Hutchmoot Countdown: Part III of III

Something that is becoming very clear to me is that I am struggling with all of these emotions with my art for a reason.  One, it's important.  Art matters to me because it's important.  So.  The struggle, while painful, is necessary because if I can push through it to the conclusion - whatever that might be - I'll have changed and learned something important and that in turn will add new depth to my art.

Sometimes that's hard to hold onto when you're in the middle of it though.

Which leads to two, which is that my art is worth fighting for.  I am worth fighting for.  The truths that are forming in me are forming in me are real and deep and lasting.  I want and need to pursue them because they have been given to me to steward.

I have been dog sick this past weekend.  I am exhausted, but I can't sleep because I cannot breathe.  I've been coughing so much that it feels like my brain is going to come out my ears.  Yuck.  I very rarely get sick, but when I do it hits me like a sledgehammer.

So I spent most of the weekend in bed.  Website - yeah, not really "up" per se.  I threw something together with Go Daddy's website builder.  I have the cards, though, that's good, right?

My big worry is homework for Eric.  I have to send him a final sketch (that was due on Monday) by Thursday 5:30 EST.  I think I can manage.  Oh, digital camera and Internet, how I love thee, let me count the ways . . .

Above is where I got last night in between packing and laundry and stuff.  Which is why this post is kinda late.  I was using Photoshop as a kind of light-box to try and solve some of my design issues.  I thought it worked really well, but I am going to be on the road all night (eek) and I still have a ways to go.

The face is where I am still trying to solve problems.  I know what I want to feel when I see the face - I just don't know what that looks like necessarily.

The white is the boundaries of the final painting.  I think the anvil needs to be a little bigger, but I don't want it to take away from the final image.  We'll see.  The fire is turning into more of a problem than I anticipated.  I need to design it out so that it directs the eye around the piece, but I think that's going to take a few more tries to find.

Anyway.  Sorry this is so short, and so late.  I will try and be on time for next week so that I can share the awesome of this weekend with you ASAP.

Tootles!