Fused Glass Holiday Ornaments Class and 2016 Goals

These past few weeks have been a blur!  I've been getting ready for my upcoming show at FE Gallery and my Holiday Open House in early December in addition to teaching eight fused glass Holiday ornament classes in my home glass studio.  Someone had approached me about teaching her how to make a Christmas tree out of fused glass, so I decided to put together a class.  I posted the information on Facebook and within 10 minutes, I had six people sign up, so I schedule another class....and another....and another. 

I had no idea this class would be so popular and look forward to doing it again next year.  Some of the ideas were so creative and I really learned a lot from the students.  

Teaching these classes reminded me of the reason I started the Creative Soul Revival business in the first place.  I wanted to host fun artsy classes and workshops in a safe and encouraging environment for people who needed to get in touch again with their creative side, so I developed several classes but failed to properly launch or market them.  Instead I stayed busy with my own art and participated in several painting challenges.  All fun, but this did nothing to promote my classes or networking with other like minded souls.  

So it's time to announce my goals for the coming year.  In 2016 I will be putting together a schedule of classes and will promote the heck out of them on my website for Creative Soul Revival  and my Facebook Fan Page. I will also continue to develop my own art business by participating in more painting/art challenges in addition to aggressively marketing and selling my work.  If you haven't already seen my personal art website, here it is:  Judy Jacobs Art .  I will still sell original paintings in my shop on Artfinder as well as my shop on Amazon Handmade.  It might not hurt to get busy and restock my ETSY store either.  And you can find various sized and affordable prints and other items (pillows, bedcovers, phone cases, etc.) on Fine Art America.

I also plan on being more diligent with my newsletter by publishing it on a regular (monthly) basis instead of the "whenever I get around to it" mode.  I will be offering special coupons and invitations to my readers in this publication, so if you want to be on my mailing list, you can sign up here.

January 2016 will begin by being involved in yet another "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge sponsored by Leslie Saeta.  Each challenge I choose a different theme, and this time I am thinking I will do abstract expressive paintings in a very peaceful, limited palette.  I haven't come up with a name for this theme yet, but I want to somehow work it into a new portfolio for my art consultant and designer clients.  

In the meantime, it's time to concentrate on the upcoming Holidays and wrapping up year end business details.  Wishing all of you a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends!

New Show in December

It's been awhile since I've participated in a gallery show, and I've held off from accepting any offers to show for several reasons.  The main one is because I've been focusing on new styles and creating a lighter, softer color palette instead of the bold, bright colorful abstracts that I had been doing for the past decade or so.  I've begun adding objects and symbols to the paintings.  They feel more personal and raw to me, and to be honest, I'm a bit nervous about how they will be accepted when the show opens on December 12, 2015 at FE Gallery in Sacramento, CA.

Houses, buildings and structures have always played a big role in my working career.  When I owned a residential property management company, I learned quickly how very personal ones home is to them.  It's not just a place where tenants store their stuff......a home is a place where memories are created, lived and sometimes longed to be forgotten.  Some homes hold loving, fond and kind energies while others are filled with static, angry and sometimes violent ones. 

After years in the business, I learned to "feel" my way through a home to learn more about their owners and the people who rented them, and can tell you the words often did not match the reality. 

"Somewhere......Out There" - 11" x 14" acrylic on canvas

"Somewhere.....out there" was based on a memory of an almost tragic event:  many years ago I managed an apartment building where a young girl was kidnapped.  After several weeks of searching, and the neighbors and families holding vigils at the building, the little girl was found alive in a pit outside a church in a neighboring county.  The girl's mother insisted she was "absolutely fine" and quickly moved out of the apartment and away from the area.  I've often wondered what became of them both and hope the little girl truly is OK.

"The Loving Cup" - 11" x 14" acrylic on canvas

"The Loving Cup" was based on another memory from the residential property management business.  I once rented to a very young couple who appeared to be madly in love.  They were engaged and married shortly after they moved in. A couple years later, they gave notice because they had purchased a home.  While doing the final walk-through inspection, the husband kept a tight grip on the wife's hand.  At first glance, I thought "how sweet - they are still so very much in love."

Then I began inspecting the property.  The place were clean, but the walls had at least a dozen fist-sized holes that had been newly patched.  In fact, the mud was still wet in some spots.  Shocked, I asked what happened and the wife looked down as her husband sheepishly grinned and shrugged his shoulders as if to say "you know." 

I quickly performed the rest of the walk through and took their keys.  After they left, I walked around the house again and found a coffee cup tucked away in a corner in the garage that said "I Will Love You Forever" on it.  I shuddered as I threw it in the trash and locked the doors.

Again, I am curious what happened to them and wonder if they're still together or if she's still even alive.

While I tend to forget many of the names of the people, I usually remember the properties.  What I don't forget is the memories of my feelings - they're ingrained in my soul.