Friday, February 6, 2009

~I am here~


~I am here~ I haven't been away~ I have just been painting a set~And, when I paint sets, well~
they wear me out.~ I love painting them, but they are a very physical form of art.~You are going up & down ladders, over & over. You move a lot. You paint standing up. You are picking up buckets of paint.You are rolling out paint.You are on your knees, then you are standing up.You are bending over, mixing large amounts of paint.Climbing the ladder again & again.You are measuring on a scale ruler~making little ones into big ones~1 inch = 1 foot~You are using the sprayer(not always, but for this show~yes).~What else~ oh~you are standing back & looking at a BIG picture~(what the audience sees)~then caring about the little details~that make all the difference, ~(even if it is only for your own gratification).Oh & I can't forget, that you are working to please the~ a.designer(person who designed the set) and~ b. the director~You are the person who is making their vision, ideals,thoughts,hopes,drawings,notes & so on...A physical reality. It can be pretty darn nutty.~It is ~Theatre~ and magic does happen. It all has to be DONE,Complete,to the Best you can make it~ at a certain point~TECH WEEK~when things should be as done, as can be~for the actors, the lighting guys, the director~they need to know how everything looks because ~ Hey, that is why you do this, it is for the director,actors & designer ~it really IS all about them~ it is showcasing the director & actors~ and I think they deserve the best~ CUZ, I sure could't stand in front of an audience & do what they do.~I am most definitely a behind the scenes kinda girl and "The Show Must Go On !!"~


~So, that is where I have been. I will post pictures soon. It really was a very cool set. The show is
Children's Letters to God~ Big sky~I sprayed that with a Wagner Sprayer~very pretty~.
Anyway~ I am not sure if any of you have painted sets before, but, I can tell you~ it really is allot of hard work, but wonderful in the end.

~O.K.~ I have posted above~ my most popular print in my etsy shop~in fact I have sold 6 prints ~2 times~the buyer choose the ~Curly Girl print & it's true mate~Truffles or Gold~
~All the angel prints that I have available~ were originally sold on ebay, as originals~ not one was ever left unsold.~Only one has sold as a print.~

Anyway~I as an artist have been having a terrible time identifying myself.~
~Here I have been telling of being a set painter~scenic~
~then I am selling prints~
~then I am getting portrait commissions~
~then I love doing little ornaments~
~then I design pillows~you haven't seen those yet~yet, you will~
~Then I am painting my angels~I have more I haven't posted yet~
~then I am doing murals~
~then I love crafting~knitting, needlepoint,crochet~(my personal pleasure)

~So, right now, ~I am going nuts, trying to figure out, who I am as an artist!~

~I look at all my friends in my bloggy world & they have their beautiful style & focus.
I feel that I am to hard to identify~I am all over the place~
~But, I can say~ that when you look at all my work, as a group~there is~thankfully~a common touch, my hand, I believe, a mark that I make that is uniquely mine.~
~But, I am so troubled these days~
~because, I spread myself around so much~to the point that I don't know what I love doing the best.~I most definitely need to make money~being an artist~is my job~
~Oh Pooh~I feel confused~ and it makes me tired~
~if any of my friends have gone thru this, comment or offer me any advice~

p.s.
~I know the~" do what you love~the rest will follow"~
~problem~I love all the forms of art I do~am I nuts ?~

~have a lovely weekend~
~Amy~

11 comments:

gianlucio said...

Hello Amy, congratulations for the beautiful works.
Ciao a presto!!!

Ring by Ring Designs said...

I don't think you are nuts! As a matter of fact being artistic requires a certain amount of experimentation. I do it all the time in my jewelry designing. Some of it works, some does not. Most does. Then I go on to something else.Chain Maille, Kumihimo, stringing etc.
However, that being said, I don't make my living doing that.
Bev

Cris said...

Of course you are NOT nuts! Creative people have a hard time sticking to only one area in which to create! How boring that would be, to stick to one thing~ Set building sounds like hard work indeed, but I bet it is rewarding. Funny, I was just at a play tonight and admiring the ideas they used for the set of The Wizard of Oz. Doing it all economically takes lots of creativity. I have a "day job" myself, so my artwork is limited to weekends mostly. I often wish that I could make a living at it, but maybe it would be nerve wracking to know I had to rely on it for money, I don't know. Speaking of style, I think you have a very unique style with your drawings/paintings of children in particular. Keep it up, but keep experimenting too. Have a great weekend.

Amy Gethins Sullivan said...

~Thank you Gianlucio~
~I visited your blog~ really wonderful~
~I would love to visit Italy~
~it is dream for me~

Amy Gethins Sullivan said...

~Bev~
I thank you ~
~yes making a living as an artist is wonderful~&~hard~
~But~ it really is what I do for a living~
~Always have~

Amy Gethins Sullivan said...

~Oh boy Chris~
I have painted the Wizard of Oz~ in my life time~ 3 times~ the last was 2 years ago~
I was Master Scenic of that theatre ~
lots & lots of emerald green paint & GLITTER~
~It was a very cool set~Big & Fun~

Anonymous said...

And "I" love to write my name where others can read it - that's it for my artistic skill. Your work is BEAUTIFUL!!
I'm a Fan!

Jess said...

Hi Amy, I think the point is, that you're actually DOING them! I waste an awful lot of time feeling I should be doing the other things whatever project I'm working on - then get not much done at all. I can't win!x

Pease Porridge said...

What an amazing job you have. I bet that is alot of work and fun. I know what you mean about defining yourself, but how can you grow without trying everything? You are taking something from every experience you have. :) Jennifer

Leslie Rubio said...

Amy-
You know that you have a gift and whatever that gift spreads to is exactly where it is supposed to be.
Making art and living off of making art are 2 very different things. I admire that you are willing to make sacrifices to work only at art, but most artists are not able to make it this way-they have something on the side that earns them a little extra and something they can count on-Greig is a perfect example-bartending on the weekends.

In a perfect world we should all be able to work at what we love and are passionate about-in reality this is not always the way it is. I'm sure you know this all too well.

Don't be discouraged because you are making art in some form or other and this is a good thing! I love you Amy! Reality is a hard truth.

Renee said...

Amy, okay please forgive my first question. I see you did paint the set.

I just saw a picture of an old man on the right lower side, I assume you painted it. That is seriously magnificent. Really.

All of your work is great.