Listening to Amy and Arantxa

I've long had this blog and often had intentions of updating it regularly with both images of my work and writing about my artistic process. Unfortunately, the finished work I produced during the first year of work at here in school was slow in completion, and the writing followed suit. I've been admonished by two creative friends for the lack of attention to my blog--and am listening to their advice. The updates should be coming at least weekly, and hopefully more!

These two friends also know my financial situation and independently suggested putting a Pay Pal button on the blog, to sell my student work and look for sponsors or donations to help me continue my art education. I'll do that over the next few days and add a page of works for sale.

But first--I am leaving Colorado and the Colorado Academy of Art, and have applied to other schools. CAA has been going through some rough administrative changes (to put it politely) and I felt forced to withdraw from the program to find a more stable, serious program elsewhere that will fit my abilities and needs. This was a tough situation and certainly not an easy decision, but I am learning early on to look out for myself as a professional artist. Perhaps I am lucky to be learning these lessons now--I will most certainly encounter difficult situations like this throughout my career.

I have been accepted at The Atelier in Minneapolis, one of the oldest schools for classical realist painting in the U.S. (formed in the early 1970s). I am very excited about their program! I am not so excited about the cold--but I have heard great things about both the program and the city that more than make up for it. I am also interviewing tomorrow (by phone) with Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia and considering Grand Central Academy in NY. I should have more direction over the next few days. Perhaps the problems with CAA are a blessing in disguise...