Thoughts about Art and RETIREMENT plans.

So...
I had last weekend off.
I didn't have to leave the house except for one time and
I was gone for less than 2 hours.
the rest of the time I worked on my paintings and thought.

I had sketched out my illustrations
and then outlined them in a thick black archival permanent marker.
I have a hard time outlining with acrylic paint as I am never able to
maintain an even thickness.
Some may say that shouldn't matter but I want a consistent line
and it bothers me to no end if it isn't.

I didn't mind that part
but then I had to fill in the background and use a very small angled brush to
get in the nooks and grannies.
Afterwards I could see all the brush strokes and I had to apply another coat.

I spent most of the weekend doing this.
I've finished that but now I need to go back and paint in the dogs and cats.

I had the TV going, listening/watching a "Blue Bloods" marathon
and thought about how some day I would be retired and could just stay home
and do this everyday and I thought -
I don't want to do this.
Maybe I'm fickle or just plain lazy but
I was so sick of painting.

I will reveal that I came up with the idea of do these paintings on my own,
for my work area.
I could envision big colorful paintings on the walls at work
and I was excited at the thought
but now I was tired and bored.

I came to the realization that I prefer to draw small and use my Inktense pencils.
A friend who paints large told me next time to paint the whole background and go over it.
so I will try that and maybe that would be better.

But I thought about a lot of things.
So many things that I will have to break into different blog topics,
but for now it's about my Art and trying to figure out what I enjoy and also
what I can make money from because I will need to make some money when I'm retired.

I thought about what I WANT to create.
What could I create and work on and enjoy doing so over and over?

Now I know that ANYTHING will get old
and need to have a new twist to it to keep it fresh and interesting.
But I was feeling bummed because I had just started doing these big paintings.

I must admit that I was getting depressed and just felt like going to bed.
Maybe it's the COLD weather
but I just want to snuggle up with the dogs

 (and my cat Ghost)

 and sleep.

Monday at work,  I kept thinking about what I wanted to do in retirement.
I thought about the big paintings again.
A couple of my friends at work said the paintings would be AWESOME.
That was really nice to hear but it didn't change my feelings about any of it.
Then I thought hard about what I'd do if money was no object,
if I could just create because I wanted to.

I guess that's everyone's dream, to just do what you want to do.

But I need to get my head  together and make stuff for NOW
and not worry about retirement.

So I decided to take a real short break and work on something else.
I worked on some of the photos I've taken of my boarders.
I altered them and added some quotes.
I'm going to print these up and affix them to 4x4 block canvases like I've done before.
I'm hoping that these will sell at the clinic.
I'm thinking maybe the quotes will make more marketable.
Maybe I'll make them into magnets too?!

And I'll continue doing some seasonal small things,
little illustrations and banners and things.

Eventually I'll get to work on the dogs and cats doll/toys
that I mentioned in a few posts back
AND the ever elusive book(s) that I want to write.

Yep. maybe it's the weather.
The cold and lack of sunshine.
I think a lot of people might be feeling the same.
Do you feel like that too?
Come on Spring!

I'll share some of my photography that I worked on,
altered and cleaned up a bit and added text.
If you Follow me on Instagram, You've probably seen these
and I'm still posting more everyday....