Monday, September 29, 2008

Costa Rica Trip

Greg and I are getting excited for our trip. We leave this Friday for Costa Rica. We're formulating our plans and getting confirmations from all the places we're going to stay and the transportation services we'll be using. We aren't renting a car so we have to get creative in how we'll get to various places. We're looking forward to renting mt. bikes and exploring different areas once we get to a place to settle into. We'll be staying in 3 different areas. Each for almost a week. One on the Caribbean side and 2 on the Pacific side. I added the weather window on my blog so you can see what's happening there. Looks like a lot of rain!! Oh well, we'll have fun no matter what.

But before we get to Costa Rica, we'll be going to Austin Texas for 2 nights. It's Greg's birthday next week and he wants to show me the sights and sounds of Austin before we start our Tropical Adventure. So we're looking forward to hearing some great music and celebrating Greg's Bday. I'll keep you posted. For now, be well and I'll write again soon.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Commission Work












Last week I finished a commissioned painting. It was to do a companion piece for a painting that had been purchased earlier in the year by a client. They had an idea of having a bear in the painting. The first painting is titled "The Wind Whispered Him Home", the companion piece is titled "He Contemplates the Trees". My clients were very happy with the way the painting turned out. So was I. They have a bear theme in their guest room and I will also be painting a chest as an addition to their room. I have fun with commission work....especially when I'm given free rein. I also have another panel that I might continue the scene onto just for fun. To see what else happens with the bear...maybe a river and fish jumping...we'll see. When I finish it I'll post it on this site. If you have an idea for a commissioned painting, send me an email and we can talk about it...Mail to: lindyhanson@hotmail.com

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Lindy on Facebook

Well, I've gotten a lot of invites from Friends to join Facebook so I did awhile ago. But recently I just started using it and adding photos and friends and comments. It's been pretty fun. I like how you can search for people and find them! I have a lot of relatives with Facebook profiles it turns out. Who knew?

I just discovered a new form of art called ACEO or "art cards". ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions and Originals". These cards have one main rule - they are 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches - the size of a trading card. And you can buy them, trade them, or keep them and display them. See art-cards.org I had the idea that maybe that would be fun to do while I'm traveling. Make very small paintings as "art cards". I'll have to think about that one. I like the idea though. Travel size art.

And another interesting web site is art-bridge.com - a web site of art links, art directory and art portals. Everything art. Gotta love that!

More Costa Rica Links

Greg and I have all the legs of our trip for the various ways of travelling in Costa Rica covered. We're not renting a car so we'll be travelling by bus, taxi and plane. This site has been very helpful www.easyridecr.com. And this site is great too: www.monteverdetours.com/transport/index.htm
Greg found a site about the night life/music scene in the Montezuma area which is on the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific side: http://beachareapropertiescr.com/costa-rica-night-life-tambor.html
We'll be staying in Montezuma for a few days...Looks like we'll be doing some dancin'. I'll be bringing some paints and paper along too so I can get some paintin' in as well. Can't wait!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Free Shipping on Prints in Sept '08

free_shipping

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I'm celebrating going to Costa Rica by having free shipping through September on the limited edition prints on my web site and also imagekind.com has free shipping on prints as well for Member Appeciation Month.

I was told about a couple other art web sites for purchasing art. See art.com
and boundlessgallery.com I don't have any artwork on these sites but if you're looking for art, they are good ones to check out.

We made a reservation to stay at a cute hotel in Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast. It looks like our kind of place because of the art and relaxed atmosphere. See Hotel Guarana Cabinas web site. I like the mosaics they have on the walls. I've wanted to experiment with mosaic work someday and have for years collected pieces of tile and bits of glass for when I do try it. Greg would like to set up a pottery studio and sometime we may collaborate on ceramic work together. I've imagined myself to be a potter as well as a painter when I'm an old crone. But that is for another day. Good night for now.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Some more great Links

I've been surfing the web looking for info for promoting my art and also for my work as a graphic production artist which has been my main way of supporting myself as I work on my Fine Art Career. Here are a few links I looked at tonight. Maybe some of them will inspire you with some new ideas.

A website on advocacy, classes, insurance for freelancers - www.FreelancersUnion.org

A place to buy and sell all things handmade - www.etsy.com

A good article on social media marketing.

An online sales & marketing platform for select international artists and photographers. I think the woman who runs this site, artist Tanya Trevor Saunders, is quite innovative and I love her art too! - www.dezinedesign.com/

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Costa Rica Travel Plans

Greg and I camped out last night under the stars near Todd Lake, near Mt. Bachelor. The sky was so beautiful with so many stars! Made me wish I could capture it in a painting. We talked about our trip to Costa Rica and made plans. Today we've spent most of the day researching Costa Rica on our computers. Lining up places to check out and stay, etc. Looking at all the transportation means of getting around, etc. We both sat with our lap tops and surfed, discussing and sharing and getting excited about our trip!
Here's a couple great links we found for traveling to Costa Rica.
http://www.puertoviejosatellite.com/
and
http://www.costaricaguide.info/en/home.htm
AND check out this beautiful tropical image by Chris Ambrose at her Imagekind.com gallery shop.

Happy Travels!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Quit Work, Travel, Do Art

Today I submitted my resignation where I work. I'm going to be traveling to Costa Rica for 3 weeks with my boyfriend, Greg. We are leaving Oct. 3rd for 3 weeks! AND I am going to be focusing on my ART, devoting more time to painting and my online presence. It is not easy having 2 careers (I'm also a computer production artist) and focusing more on my Fine Art ventures will make me very happy. :) I'll write more about getting ready for our trip and my leaving my full-time day job in the days to come.

Here's a link to some other artists telling about quitting their day jobs.