First Painting of 2011

Time to get back into the swing of painting. I've been doing some thinking about 2010 and how much setting the goal to do 52 paintings pushed me. After last year -painting more than ever before, garnering inspiration from other blogging artists, for the first time being commissioned several times and even selling some pieces on Etsy- I feel some courage coming on.

SO...In 2011 when people ask me what I do, I am not going to respond by explaining my current employment situation but instead say that I am a painter. Painting describes me so much better than what I do for a living.

Weird place to find inspiration but, I saw Bette Midler being interviewed prior to her televised stage show which rang in 2011. She was asked how she had stayed in the business so long -continuing to be successful decade after decade. And Bette said something like (and I'm not quoting directly) "Stubbornness. Persistence. I knew what I wanted to do and wouldn't shut up until they let me do it." I want to approach painting that way moving forward. Remembering that it is what I want to do and not letting self consciousness or other people's measures of success stop me.