Etretat

I love this painting.  What a day that was! Painting on the bluff overlooking L'aiguille, cliff formation.  A powerful sight, inspiring all forms of art. 

We spent the day painting from this bluff, lounging, chatting.  

The name of this painting is "American Painters", a tad misleading, as the beautiful blonde in the middle is my French Sister, Francine.  Francine is the owner of the original, it hangs in her pied d'terre, in Paris. 

This was only the first of several painting trips spent painting the countryside in Normandy.  Two weeks of painting, absorbing the sights, drinking lovely wine, eating incredible cheeses of the region. The ultimate holiday. 

For an artist, immersing oneself in the craft is meditation.  No other thoughts or concerns can interrupt this euphoria when he or she is in the zone.  What a blessing.  Painting and the other basics of life - breathing, eating, drinking! 

This is one of several paintings available in giclee form, on canvas. 

 

The French Connection

Bois-Colombes Bus Stop

Giclee of the Day!

The fall of 2003, October !  The entire summer had been devoted to the preparation of fifty plus paintings that would be shipped to France.  The name of the show was Coastal Attitudes.  The paintings would hang for a week, in the Cultural Gallery of Bois-Colombes.

The painting featured on this blog installment was completed seven years later, in 2010.  The hotel, home base, was a hard right after the flower shop.  We, my exhibiting partner Dian and I, were considered neighbors by the Bois-Columbes residents.  We shared tea, cocktails, dinners, luncheons, etc. with the locals during our stay.  Many artists live in this suburb of Paris, and we were invited into many working studios.  Anna, the sculptress, become one of our special friends.

We were overwhelmed with the turnout opening night!  The french people support the arts in so many ways.  We were the first Americans to exhibit in this gallery, and the reception was mind blowing.  The centerpiece for the food table was a replica of the Twin Towers- - 911 was still an open wound to the world.  They honored us, showing us that they felt our grief, it was an amazing gesture of friendship. 

The giclees I will be showing are for "adoption".

Til next time - -  I will be sharing the highlights of this time spent in Paris in future posts.

Southern Belle "Redefined"

As I was having my hair done, in my "Steel Magnolia" salon this morning, there was much chatter about The Help.  I read the book, on my trusty Kindle, but haven't seen the movie - the nearest theater is twenty-five miles to the north and fifty miles to the south.

I came of age, in the south, in the early sixties, and I had no knowledge of such self absorbed, narcissistic white women.  My dear mother had someone to come in once or twice a week to help, her, but Good Lord, how could anyone with a soul treat another human being with such indignity?

Obviously, we belonged a sub culture of white womanhood, seldom found in novels.  We were the majority, we were taught to tend a garden, preserve the bounty from the garden, sew our own clothing, sweep our own floors, cook meals - my mother's mantra was, "Learn to live off the land, you may have to do it one day!".  We were taught survival skills, as well as impeccable manners -  the value of our extended family and friends, and how to be generous and gracious to everyone. 

I really am tired of being stereotyped as a bridge playing, flatware counting, country club going, back stabbing, nose in the air, Southern Belle. 

We always felt privileged, because we were southern, and still had hangups regarding the "War of Northern Aggression", but we felt that we had the right to feel that way, as many fortunes were lost, and great poverty ensued in it's aftermath.  However, we never felt we had the right to be rude, unkind or disrespectful to anyone, black or white.

Can I Do It II

I know that I am affiliated with a company that has set the gold standard so high, I don't think it can be matched.  I also know that I could not have hand picked a more outstanding group of business partners, they are poised, educated, motivated, helpful, encouraging and honest to a fault.   The bottom line is, I did hand pick them.

I am in the process of beginning my network, or team, and searching for potential partners who have the aforementioned qualities.  It won't be an easy journey, nothing worthwhile is, but the potential is mind boggling.

I have partnered with Rodan +  Fields Dermatologists, the Doctors who created Proactiv. They have launched a new line that addresses aging skin.  This is the new product in the neighborhood that promises to be a household word, as it's sister, Proactiv, is now.  Proactiv is global, Rodan + Fields Dermatologists, hasn't left the United States yet, this is a ground floor entry level.

Two years from now it will be a good opportunity, but today, it is an unprecedented opportunity.

If you are interested in joining me on this journey as a team member/partner, or would like to try the regimes, do not hesitate to contact me.

My contact information?  You can leave a comment at the bottom of this post with your email/ my email is artigal@hotmail.com.  Please feel free to visit my Rodan + Fields Fan Page on facebook, lots of links and information.

This is what started all of the excitement.

Business Partners

 Til next time!

Smart Phone - - !!

My smart phone is making me feel like an idiot.  Four hours in the T Mobile store, I should have taken that as a bad omen.  I couldn't answer the first two incoming calls!  Finally figured that out, wasn't too hard.
  
I was disappointed in my ring tone options.  The price I paid for the phone it should have given me incredible choices:  donkey brays, Carmina Burana excerpts, etc.

I have succumbed  to technology. 

My fear is that this incredible piece of engineering will become "Hal" and the tail will start wagging the dog!

Adages Gone Wild!

My comfort zone for eight years!

Warning, today's post has nothing to do with anything except what is rolling around in my head!

I don't encourage change .  "They" say change is good, compared to what?  Am I adaptable? Check! Am I patient? Check! Do I want to be adaptable and patient, absolutely not!  Here is another one, "Think outside of the box".  How can you think outside of the box if you have never been in it?  What about this one, "What goes around, comes around".  Really? --- never looked back long enough to see if that happened, don't really care if it did.

"Cast your bread upon the waters" - - that was a pond of happy ducks.

The adage I do respect  (I doubt if it is ancient) - - -People do what they want to do --- meaning I have no control, never had it.  The only thing I have control of is myself, and how I react to circumstances, the test of character -- Thank God the front door is locked and no one can witness my temper tantrums!

If no man is an island, why does he usually drown before he reaches the mainland?

Que sera, sera, --and it usually sucks!

If life gives you lemons - make lemonade - - Would rather make wine out of sour grapes!


Dancing to the beat of another drum - - I am a certified drum and bugle corps!

Keep your friends close, your enemies closer ----- That will make your day!

Throw me in the briar patch, I am good friends with the Tar Baby!

Which adages, proverbs, old sayings, etc. would you like to rewrite ?

Time to make a hershey bar run!  

The Bad - The Good - The Epiphany

Happy birthday to me, and a trip to the DMV!  June 2011 had rolled around, it was time to renew my driver's license  --Bad--.  The grace period for renewing online had expired --Bad--. This is a stressful event at any cost, but it was going to be more complicated this time.  There was absolutely no chance that I could pass the eye test -- off to the optometrist for an eye exam - two hours later I was a proud, first time contact lens owner/wearer -- that afternoon the license renewal was completed --Good.

February 25, 2011

So, how did the epiphany occur? The magnifying mirror I purchased  so that I could put my contacts in revealed the epiphany.  Magnifying mirrors, especially when I view my own reflection in them, are cause for hyperventilating and Ben & Jerry binges.  What I saw was incredible -- there were no crows feet around this chickees' eyes.  The skin care regime was working,

Yep that is a photo of my left eye, taken one month into the Rodan + Fields program, the day before my #2 son was married.  If you knew how old I was you would really be impressed. As the Drs.say, "It's your skin, wear it well". I was beginning to wear it well in February.

I hope you will share my journal entries with your friends, on facebook and Twitter, also, I invite you to follow me here!

Bonne Chance!!!!

A few days ago, as I was retreiving my mail , I noticed something tucked into my front door.  Seven pieces of wheat, tied with a gold ribbon.  I have received several of these over time -- I have kept them all -- it is a French good luck symbol for abundance, an abundance of money, income!  One of my French girlfriends had left this for me. 

Zelda Blessing the Wheat

How ironic to receive a wish for good financial fortune when I am starting a new business.  This is truly a good omen.  Zelda my siamese something rescue cat has approved the wheat. 

This morning I have a meeting with a friend who has begun his own marketing company.  I am looking forward to this, as I want to know if I am on the right marketing track. There is a geographical challenge to any business on the coast, as there are numerous townships from Georgetown, SC (my town) to North Carolina with no central hub.  How to overcome this??

Rodan + Fields Dermatologists is the brain child of the Drs. who created Proactiv. The Anti-Age regimes, sell themselves, I need to know I am doing all that I can do to reach the right people, and that would be anyone with skin. Three years ago, they pulled their Anti-Age products from the cosmetic counters of leading department stores, ie, Nordstrom, in order to make their products more assessable to the public, and to create a stream of income for the consultants who partnered with them.  This is my business.


If you are face booking or tweeting, please click on the appropriate button so I know I am not blogging in vain.

Bonne Chance to all of you today!  

Right Brain - Left Brain

Some Of My New Business Partners

The time line continues.

May 2011  - I was spending a considerable amount of time traveling from Charleston to Georgetown as my 90 year old father had recently undergone major surgery.  One afternoon my sister took me with her for a get together with some of her friends on Daniel Island.  This was a business meeting, and I was tagging along - only tagging along.
Several of the women had just returned from an Orlando, Florida training trip.  I was the fly on the wall so to speak.  Their company, Rodan + Fields Dermatologists had launched new products that would be introduced to the public in May.

There were two things I had in common with all of these ladies, our ability to produce income with the career path we had chosen was static, if not defunct; we were all using the same skin care products.

As the discussion was wrapping up, I began to have the strangest feeling that I knew one of the women. 
We belonged to the same Women's Club in Myrtle Beach, SC in the 1980's.  Her former husband is the present Mayor of Myrtle Beach.  This one would not be associated with any endeavor that wasn't triple A rated.

And the time line continues.  I became one of them, in June. I am now a business woman!!!  I had no questions about the integrity of the people I would be doing business with or the stellar products, I was sold on these two points.  I questioned my ability to delve into the world of Left Brainers.  The only analytical issue I ever dealt with in the Art World was the bottom line of a sale, I knew very well how to calculate that. 

The burning question was and still is:  Can I do it?  If you have known a true artist, you will understand. If I knew someone wanted one of my paintings and couldn't afford it, I would give it to them; I still have the romantic notion that my "children", produced through hours, days, weeks and sometimes months in the seclusion of my studio, should dwell where they were truly appreciated.  I would rather destroy a painting than to have it hang on the wall, over a sofa, because it matched decor.

This is a new season, and there are lessons for me to learn, I am completely out of my comfort zone.  This is exhilarating and frightening at the same time. 

The Shoe Won't Fit!!

My first Rodan + Fields convention is less than a week away.  In less than a week my sister (trusted business partner) and I will fly to San Francisco to meet the illustrious Drs. Rodan  + Fields.  We also will be meeting our top line earners for the first time!!  Lots of training, lots of fun ahead!

The most unfortunate accident two Saturdays ago, resulted in a broken toe.  Thus, the reason for the black sequined stiletto!!   There is no way I will be wearing these shoes.  I have back up, but just saying, I wanted to wear them! 

I considered posting a picture of the broken piggy, but that would be out of line.  Painful, painful !

Going polar opposite, my skin looks great!  Have added the roller to my daily skin regime.  New products will be unveiled that weekend.  Changing Skin -- Changing Lives!

More stories about the products and the people who use them in future posts.