Visit my site www.gafra.org and see what I mean by this

Hi Everyone, i remembered this post recently and it rejuvenated my feelings about my art and my efforts to build my Art Business. Lately I've been rather slow in getting back into my art. I set myself a challenge to paint a watercolor landscape every day for 30 days and to date I've managed to stick at it. My focus lately has been to build up both of my blogs, set up my Online Course, sell my printables and lastly, set up my Etsy Store.

I've been a little disappointed that no one has bought a single printable or any of my printable watercolour paintings but I guess its because I haven't pushed enough "traffic" to my blogs and to an extent that is correct but I don't want to go the route of writing blogs only to sell an item because I want to continue sharing on topics that interest me. I will continue to offer my art for sale and I hope some begin to love my style, which I have to say I am still figuring out. Art is like introspection. Its looking within and seeing who you are. It's about letting out the energy and power within that dwells within but has a strong urge to be released and that is what I try to do. Let out my inner being.

So this is the blog post from way back when that gave me back my faith in my Art and my painting abilities.

"I've been soooo busy, yes like a crazy person as usual. I've been on a drive to get my art out there and I've been...as you know...doing allot of acrylic abstracts but now I'm doing allot of miniature acrylic abstracts. They have been so much fun, so I'm totally enjoying myself. The only challenge is time. I've been feeling extremely rushed and anxious because when I want to be painting I'm at my other job. But that pays the bills and my art doesn't, at least not yet, so I can't push it aside. Anyway, let me tell you about the great thing that happened.

I say God is good because although I had a weird week of accidents, I visited my favourite art supply store again....yes again and who happens to be there? One of Trinidad and Tobago's most amazing artist Jackie Hinkson. I love his work and I kinda got star struck. He taught one of my art classes way way back, so I didn't think he would remember me. I was oh so polite to him but he did catch me drooling...so embarrassing. I built up the courage to go talk to him and reminded him of where we met and he remembered the class. (BIG SMILE).

The best part was, when he was leaving, he asked if I still painted and I said yes, but I'm doing some acrylics and less watercolour. However I intended to restart on the watercolours. He said yes watercolours are difficult but keep trying. He also offered to critique my work. Well people, I'm not one to waste or lose an opportunity. I definitely GRABBED that one. The same afternoon as soon as I returned home I sent him an email and 3 of my pieces to critique.

Do you know he really responded and his feedback was so great and made me feel sooooo resolved to continue my painting and to know that I wasn't on the wrong track. It confirmed me and now I'm off and running. The great thing is, we continue to correspond as I've sent him another watercolour and an abstract to hear his thoughts about them. He encouraged me to do Plein Air, which I know I need to do more often but I tend to avoid it. Plein Air is hard, especially as the paint dries so quickly as you're painting. Below is the Plein Air I attempted once and didn't like, but I will take his advice and do one that is simple and see how that one turns out. Its a painting of the Haynes Manor by the savannah. See what I mean?

Since that painting I've done many more architectural pieces but none Plein air, why because I just don't want to go through packing all the required tools to set up to do a plein air painting. But I have been doing a lot of landscapes to help build up my looseness. See 2 below that were done just last week.