Adulting 101 - purchasing original art

Aside from learning how to do taxes, purchasing big ticket items, paying your bills and maybe working 9-5, I would say that the day I felt like a real adult was when my husband bought me a piece of original art for Christmas. It was an oil painting of calla lilies by an artist I admired and followed - before social media. The late Diane Kiernan is hands down responsible for me not being able to hold down a 9-5pm job. Why? Well I took an oil painting night class in 2004 with her and from then on I was hooked and while I raised our two boys I took many hours of classes to become an artist. Diane Kiernan was the complete opposite of me. She was a class act. Long slender fingers with well groomed nails, slow and methodical in her teaching, clean and organized. I on the other hand with my short stubby Irish sausage fingers and nails as brittle as fine tissues paper. I'm messy and wild and I do however, get a lot accomplished painting wise but I do struggle with the same issues most artists do and that is the marketing and selling and getting my art out there in front of viewers. It takes so many hours of admin time so please remember that time is factored into your painting price when you purchase art. Very few visual artists make it big! When you purchase greeting cards, prints or original art you put your money straight into the artists hands and I don't know anyone who regrets their purchase of original art. Meanwhile that artist is doing a happy dance once home. I love looking at my timeless calla lilies and remembering Diane and all she gifted me. We loved our first piece of art so much that my husband commissioned another painting for our seventh anniversary. If you are interested in a piece and cannot afford the price talk to me and we can work out a payment plant. You can also talk to me about lessons.

I am living the dream after trading in my corporate job and realizing I cannot do the 9-5 grind anymore. We have had times where I needed to be working fulltime, part time and then have had momentary lapses of faith in my dreams taking on other jobs that demand too much of me. Today I can only take on part time contractual work. My commitment is to me, my family and my art. While likes on Instagram are nice they don't pay the bills so a nice balance of teaching and painting is working so far. Fewer vacays but home feels so good when you are being authentic and honoring yourself. I have graduated with honors from Adulting 101. I feel so grateful and when I ask myself, "What if this is as good as it gets?" I can smile knowing I'm living my heart's desire and I thank you Diane Kiernan for awakening my creative self. #adulting #originalart #vancouverartist #adhdartist #livingthedream #instaartist #femaleartist