Fine Art, crafters and craftsmen.

What is fine art?  Is it about the intentions of the artist? Is it about the subject matter?  Is it about materials used? 

If it's about materials or do we draw the line? Is fine art only made of oil paint and acrylics? Are water color and oil pastels included? How about color pencil and markerss?   Is it fine art if someone is using glue and doilies and stamps?  

Is it about original content?  Should a person who is gluing bits and pieces of other people's work to a piece of paper be considered a fine artist or artist at all?  

But what about using found items that are made into a collage?   

Working Artist.

As a working artist it saddens me to the core to hear some people's thoughts about artists and art. Last weekend I did a little art fair in town.  I had someone else that was in this show (although more of a craftsmen) call me a starving artist.  I assured her that I was not starving in any sense of the word.  I told her I am a working artist.

I do take short term temporary assignments from time to time.  I am working tward a goal and that goal will take a lot of capital for the initial set up. I have fixtures to buy along with contracting out some of my bigger print projects. I have faith in my ability as an artist to generate a living;

I am on one of those assignments for the next week.  I was drafted to do the pumpkin for the building contest.  I brought in some acrylic paints and took about an hour to paint an owl .

Everyone seems very thrilled with it. "We are going to win this year!" has been uttered over and over.  Yet the person who is in charge, who loves it,  said... "You were supposted to waste more of the day doing art."  

I heard this so much when my children were young. " Oh, you had house work to do but you were too busy making pretty pictures"   This from my ex-husband.,  I had taken the work to a few places but had no real idea of where to start.  (This was pre-internet ) I had no real idea of how to start and no support. I just quit making any art at all.

I have askef this before but will ask this question again.

If my cousin-in-law can support his family using paint then why cant I?  He uses house paint.  I use a acrylics and oil pastels. Why is one a job and one a waste of time?  In my world it is not.

With the support of my loving husband and my family,  mother, children, step children(they had a perfectly good mother so I will never claim that status)  and on out to extended family.  I will continue on painting my dreams knowing to the core that they have value and are not a waste of my time.
#Art #WorkingArtist #StarvingArtist  

Around Town

I am Pleased to announce that I will be in several Holiday Events in the Minneapolis area in the coming months

There will be several different sized prints of my original art ( both framed and unframed)
There will also be blank photo cards also featuring my art, including the kitten playing with the Christmas tree ornament.
 

 November 15th from 10am-5pm
 Sunday, November 16th from 11am-4pm
 Plymouth Arts Fair
 Plymouth Creek Center, located at 14800 34th Ave N. Plymouth MN

November 19th and 20th 10am to 1:30pm
Holiday Boutique
Normandale Lake Office Park
Building 8500,  Bloomington, MN

 Tues, Dec. 9th; 10am -2pm
 AT&T TOWER (downtown skyway) Minneapolis MN

Thurs. Dec. 11th; 10am -1pm
Capella Tower (downtown street level) Minneapolis MN

I hope to see you there.


I still have a solo Exhibit of Framed Originals at the Kenwood
And cards and prints in AR Apothecary at Normandale office park, in the Retail link.
 

Wow I have exciting news!

I really haven't been paying proper attention to this blog or my website over the summer.  

I have been a busy trying to get a handle on what I really want for my business and what direction I want to take in my art. 

Pursuant to buying the equipment that I need I took a long term temporary assignment. 

Now for the news.  

I should finally have gallery in my website where I can list offer originalls directly to you.  I hope to have it up and running by October 12th

As of October 15th, My note cards and prints will be available at RK Apothecary between Kincaid's and Ryan's in the Retail Link of Normandal Lake Office Park here in Bloomington, Mn. 

If you would like to meet me in person (and who wouldn't, I'm awesome) there will be a meet the artist this Friday at 1:30 October 10, 2014 at 

The Kenwood 

825 Summit Ave.

Minneapolis, MN 55403

www.donnatriska.com

Finally Back in the studio!

Today I get to work on art. Not temp jobs or a messy kitchen calling my name. I am going to go into my studio and lose myself in my own little world for a few hours. I really would like to turn up the music too but alas other peoples ears may not like the hard rock I am in the mood for today.

I have absolutely no business living this far north

You see, I am affected by lack of sunlight and cold weather.

Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D.
 
By Mayo Clinic Staff

Seasonal affective disorder (also called SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you're like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, seasonal affective disorder causes depression in the spring or early summer.
Treatment for seasonal affective disorder includes light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications. Don't brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the "winter blues" or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.


This last winter was very long it has only been warm and sunny hear for a few weeks.  I had scheduled a Cat-a-thon for April, but  just couldn't make myself do it. The weather was still cold and grey.    I managed to get two done and another started that really just was not making me happy.  I almost gave up on myself and my art.  I had all kinds unpleasant  thoughts that I will not get into here.  Just know that this is the worst that it has ever been.

The sun is out and my mood is sunny too.  I am ready to start filling paper with the kitties again.
I am not going to give myself a schedule but I will keep you updated with photos and news.

HAPPY SUMMER EVERYONE !

Cats are still being painted.

I regret that I was not able to work on any art today.   I have been having small bouts of vertigo for the past 7  days. Today was particularly bad.  I wound up at my Dr's office.  

I will resume work on the fab felines as soon as the studio stops spinning.