What a day!

Gosh, I've been out of my studio so much the past few days, I'm going into what I call spastic withdrawl. LOL! Just got back down there about 30 minutes ago and have spent the entire time making a base and mixing up colors...still not done with the colors either - and even though it's frustrating me, it's got to be done.

I've spent this week exploring some options and making some decisions about the type of work I'll be focusing on this year. In analyzing my sales for the past year, my best sellers were animal/bird/frog pieces and second in line were the more abstract types...what I can "loose patterns". Surprisingly, florals were third (although I always thought flower jewelry was popular!), and landscapes last.

I've also been studying a marketing book written by an artist who is proven in the art field. It's very indepth and intense, and I am treating it like a course I'd take. I've been taking notes and applying some of the things the author says, and it's been working for me! There are a total of 5 books in the series, and after I finish going through book one...not once...but TWICE...then I will buy the next book in the series.

So....this year, I'll be tightening up my focus on the pieces I'm making, as well as studying this author's material as if he were my personal "coach/teacher".

Basically I've decided to place my focus on the focal beads - which also serve as pendants/ornaments for display. I'm doing my "broken stone" technique (okay it's not really a technique, it's just the look created with the sculpted, raised design and the way I add color to it). I'll be creating these focal beads featuring various dog breeds, birds, wildlife and frogs.

I'm also going to create the pendant/brooch design I came up with (below) with a variety of the same type of animal life. And I've still yet to determine my necklace design...it will be similar to the 4 wildlife pieces on my website currently...but slightly different and rather than having a clasp on the cord ends, the cords will be slip-over-the-head and be adjustable. Same focal material will be on the necklaces...dogs, birds, wildlife and frogs.

That keeps my focus to the areas I feel I do best in, and it is in line with what has sold the best for me over the past year. ALL jewelry designs will be the new bas relief (raised) sculpted designs I'm doing currently.

In addition - just to spice things up a bit and because I LOVE landscapes and floral scenes...I'm going to be doing some miniature paintings. The "canvas" for these will be created from polymer, and these will be "painted" with the liquid polymer like I have been doing this past year. (flat surface painting...no raised, sculpted design on these)

So I'll have a myriad of items for people to choose from - focal bead/pendants which can also be displayed as ornaments in the home, brooch/pendant jewels which have a different "feel" based on the colors I'm using (they are more elegant than the focal beads, in my opinion...whereas the focal beads are more fun), and necklaces which, will also have a more elegant feel. And then the miniature paintings for those who like my work and wish to collect it, but maybe they don't wear jewelry.

By keeping to the certain subject matters at hand, I'll be able to excel in those areas and I hope to have some serious collectors come on board this year as a result. The miniature paintings will be called "Peaceful Paintings", as I will only paint scenes which are peaceful to me.

I completed a test painting today to see how my canvas idea will work and it's working out fine...I just had to fine tune a few things, and now after doing that, I'm getting ready to paint a simple beach scene tonight (I should be able to finish that before bedtime!).

The next two days will be spent totally in the studio. I'm not leaving this house....LOL....and any break I take will be to study.

So there's my update for the day. Now it's back down to the studio to finish mixing these colors and prepare this first painting.

Jai