Day 22

Oh yes, this whole crazy idea is being finished  in the next 18 days. Sure, I started it back in October. What I like about the whole 40 Works in 40 Days story is that this project was started almost out of desperation. Okay... it completely started out of desperation: because times were tough and I needed to remind myself of why I was doing this. Why I quit a job with a perfectly great salary to start my own business selling art. The fact that it was interrupted pretty much exactly halfway through because I got too busy selling my art to keep up with it is kind of amazing. Now here I am... it has been more than four months since I have worked what society calls a "real job," and this seems like the perfect time to finish my 40 Works.

Right now, I finally feel like I have made it. The past four months have been a struggle to say the least. I don't think there was one time in those months that I felt like I had really "made it." I was working towards "making it," and now I finally feel like I am there. Everything keeps picking up in my shops and I can count on sales every day. In addition to that, I have found the two perfect side jobs to get me out of the house and add love to my life in different ways. One is babysitting every Wednesday for three young and busy boys. I have always loved working with kids and wanted something very casual yet regular involving that to add to my weeks. Done. The other is bartending every Friday and Saturday night at a very nice and established restaurant five minutes from my apartment. I have always loved bartending, and I have missed it. I've missed the fast-paced work environment, the networking possibilities, and the feeling of family that you have with coworkers at a restaurant. I could not have asked for a more perfect position doing so. I've only worked there for two days and am already in love with the job. And that's just a side job! And I'm already in love with the little boys I babysit for. Is that really a job too??

And... I am 100% fully completely in love with my full-time job as an artist. How can this be my job? How is this actually possible?? I hope I don't sound boastful, I just have a lot of moments of disbelief lately, that all this is happening. I am turning 30 in just a few months and while most people seem to dread it, I cannot wait to see what my 30's will have in store. Wow. 

So with that dramatic display of emotion aside (that is not how I originally planned this post to start out... talk about word vomit!), here is Day 22 of 40 Works in 40 Days. I've really been digging the scallop pattern style lately (and two works I've done in this style, "Flower Power" and "Wanderbloom," have quickly become two of my most popular) and want to play with it more. The background is multiple washes and splatters of watercolor, alcohol ink, and white acrylic paint. I used my hair dryer to speed up the drying process between the layers because I was feeling impatient. It's also fun to push the paint around with the blowing air! Then I glued more pages from my wallpaper book, then added some doodles. The colors are totally inspired by the upcoming "holiday" that is Valentine's Day. While this is a fun holiday for kids (making Valentine's mailboxes out of shoeboxes was always so much fun), I think it's pretty dumb for adults. Maybe that's the cynical single chick in me talking, but come on. You can tell someone you love then and appreciate them any day. 

Anyway, I will not go on a rant about Valentine's Day. We are two weeks into 2013 and it's going to be a great year. Life. Is. Beautiful.