A Little Help From My Friends

     Last night was the opening reception of the "Colour Show" at the Undiscovered Gallery in Coronado. The only reason I had heard about this show was because of an inside tip thanks to another shown I had previously be a part of. If it wasn't exciting enough to be a rare member of this show the fact that it was on Coronado was a plus in my mind as well. Those of you know Coronado understand why and for those of you who don't think cute, quaint, and well to do. So last night my friend, (Rebecca) and I gussied ourselves up and made an appearance. With our husbands being out to sea we joked she was my date. Funny enough being an artist no one questions that- Ha ha! All joking aside it was a great evening and we both really enjoyed it.
     While we there meandering through all the art of my own and others Rebecca pointed out some of the outrageous prices others we asking for their work and wanted to know why. Materials? In this case no. I told her it was because 1) they we more well known and had a cliental and 2) they could because they've likely sold pieces at similar price. Call us cheap or plum "ig'nant" but neither one of us would pay $1.5 G's for a pretty cottage paintings (Thomas Kinkade doesn't even ask that and oh yea you know you he is). I explained that when you add in man hours(paying yourself minimum wages), cost of materials, accounting for commissions and a marginal profit the price can soar. As a modest artist as myself jamming my foot in the door I have to reel in that price and therefor it's not proportionate to what it maybe should be. For me to bring those numbers to where they really should be 2 things need to happen. 1) Exposure- I'm adamantly working on that and it consumes my cerebral. 2) Enthusiasts- you guys!

     It makes sense the more people who see your  work and like it the more you can value and expand it. That's where YOU come in! I'm not doing this for money, if that was the case I wouldn't have gone into this field. But it is a call for support and promotion to increase awareness and value. So I am asking this favor of you my friends. Pass the word and tell your friends about my etsy site, (http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArdentPrints ) or twitter, (@ArdentPrints) or this blog. And don't just read, though I thank you dearly. Follow! Follow here, follow twitter, and  favorite etsy. The more you do the stronger the Ardent Prints dot is on the radar. That is my hope and it is possible with a little help from my friends. Thank you for all your love and support. Thank you Rebecca for causing this to be written.

One for Another

     In life there are choices and opportunities some of which are hard and others of which are rare. After serious discussion I have been faced with a decision like such. I currently am, (or was) employed for a rather large coffee shop whom shall remain nameless but to give you an idea their green & white logo is on almost every corner. It's been fun and one heck of a learning experience but the nostalgia that was once there has most definitely been drained away. Well this corporate giant and I shall no longer be friends. That's correct, I did in fact put in my 2 weeks notice but for good reason or reasons rather really. Between my schedule, my husband's schedule, and management's lack of flexibility it made it a constant uphill battle to balance  but in my mind that wasn't a good enough reason.

      The reason came with an opportunity. A chance to further my education and obtain my Master's of Fine Art in Illustration at the Academy of Art University. A highly prestigious university that is well staffed, challenging, selective and has a variety of options for opportunities. This was a good enough reason because in my heart of hearts I knew that if I was to go this route that I would be cheating myself, my family and definitely my quality of work to attempt to balance all of it. Since family is first and art career is second that puts coffee last. So good bye to my caffeine source. Instead of thinking of this though as quitting a job I think of it as taking a chance. I'm betting on a race horse named AP and I really do think they can take the Triple Crown. My application has been sent in with my portfolio, resume, exhibition record, statement of intent, artist statement, letters of recommendation and a plethora more items to make me stand  out as the most undeniably desirable candidate. Here's hopin'!

      I looking forward to hearing from them soon, and in turn as will you. This is a chance to follow what I'm designed to do and what my amazing parents have set up the foundation for by supporting me, ( emotionally & financially) through my BA, which by the way thank you. From there I only feel it's fit to continue forward and so I leave one thing for another in hopes of rising to another tier.

Full Circle

    The life as a Navy spouse is a world all it's own and I would even venture to say we individuals are  a bit of a breed all our own. Your schedule is constantly at the will of someone above you. You move -a lot. Communication is spotty at best. And you're willing to travel ridiculous distances for a minuscule amount of time w/ your spouse. Please don't take this as bashing because it's not, it's a way of life and there are good things too.
     The spouses left on shore create a sort of bond and friendship. I for one was a little hesitant to all the Navy groups and clubs and social outings but after being pursued into going by a friend who shall remain nameless, (you know who you are), I went. After a few times though I saw their benefit. All of us spouses came together weirdly needing this and semi socially dependent upon it. In retrospect it makes me think of a misfit herd where the creatures would otherwise struggle but together they thrive as they perfectly fill in the needs of one another as a system of give and take. I say this in a beloved manner and genuinely claim myself as a member of this. I feel these individuals invest more in their friendships even though the length your paths may cross is questionable. Whereas normal friends perceive themselves as strong, independent and sometimes solely focused on their path these individuals see the benefits of symbiotic relationships like such. Others may make silly decisions that sever relationships or drift . These individuals attempt to foster this supportive network of friends.
     I would like to say thank you to all those friends who put in the effort. Thank you for the random wine tastings, coffee meet ups, potlucks and more. Thank you for being on the same wave length and thought process when the boys are gone. Thank you for taking the time to meet up when you're back in town even if it's only for a few days. This world is bizarre and borderline unexplainable to those not privy to it's membership but thank you to my co-citizens of it. I want to dedicate this post to those Navy friends who put in that effort for our friendship because our paths always come full circle. Love you all .

"I volunteer as tribute!"

"I volunteer as tribute!"

     Any ideas as to who I dressed as for Comic Con 2012( my first)? If you haven't deduced it thus far, well, I was Katniss from Hunger Games and I must say I portrayed her to a tee. From the outfit to the dutch braid, the Mockingjay pin and even a dark long bow, self made that could fully draw back. It was epic! People wanted to pose for pics together and I must say it all felt so [perfectly amazing. In that single day of glory I was able to see so many of my all star heroes. I sat in the same room as Stan Lee and Mark Hammon. I heard John Romita Jr speak. Not only did I meet the illustrator of the comic strip Luan but I obtained his signature. I sat a mere 30 rows away from Michael C. Hall( highlight of my day). It was an amazing day and I can't wait until next year.



     In retrospect I learned something during this day once I got past all geeked out moments. It was absolutely amazing seeing all these super stars and I literally mean, world famous-on tv-superstars. It wasn't until I met one illustrator in particular though that I valued the overall attitude of the stars I mentioned prior even more.Let me explain. I met an illustrator who has a few famous books. Since I'm in illustration as well all day I had been asking fellow illustrators(the famous ones) if they could give one piece of advice what would it be? I figure,why not pick the brains of the best. Greg Evans(Luan Illustrator) gave me an awesome answer:" Pursue it with every ounce of your being. Be a door-to-door salesmen of your work if you will". We chatted it up and had a nice conversation. I digress though. Later I met another illustrator and asked him the same question. This arrogant, narcissistic illustrator told me to stay out of the game because he didn't like competition.Really?! All I could think was what a jerk to be so full of yourself and so rudely answer a question like such to a person you don't even know. I went on with my day but it was during the panels of Mark Hammon, Stan Lee and especially Michael C Hall that I realized something. They were all incredibly humble. It was like they didn't realize the level of their fame. They were average joes and it was that which made me love them even more. It also made that other illustrator look like even more of a jerk in comparison since his so-called fame is impenitent in comparison to theirs.

     Thank you to those who are amazing at your craft and yet remain grounded when you could so easily drift away. It makes your character stand out and our admiration for you ever stronger. I think I will always remember this. Stay humble and down to earth both personally and if I'm lucky enough one day professionally as well. Thank you for a stellar first comic con.

Aloha

      It's been a while since I last wrote but there's good reason for that. In fact the reason was a nice little trip to visit my husband in port at the beautiful Waikiki, Oahu,  Hawaii! It was an amazingly, absolutely perfect visit. Rejuvenation, relaxation, adventure, inspiration, comradely and just plain fun!

     We stayed at this low-key little hotel, 2 blocks from the beach. Granted it was no high end resort but it safe, clean, pool, breakfast, a great view & only 2.5 blocks from the beach-what else could you ask for? Instead of going to all the tourist hot spots or taking exuberantly priced guides we set out on our own and had extremely memorable experience.

     Not only did we visit the beach by daylight but we sauntered down to the sandy shore after hours as well. The water was so incredibly clear with a multitude of aqua variances.At night the moon illuminated it's waves and there were no tourists to battle with as the water lapped over your feet. We ventured to Chinatown and ate a restaurant where NOTHING was in English. I'm not sure what we ate but it was delicious. The whole area was it's own little world: a world in a world if you will. Saw the oldest house in Honolulu; a cute little one story surrounded and dwarfed by the skyscrapers but thankfully preserved as a historical site. We saw a traditional Hawaiian Luau and partook in traditional Hawaiian cuisine. We stopped at oodles of notable restaurants and such like Hokoluni( cupcake shop featured on Cupcake Wars), Moose McGillicuddy's ( visited by Man v Food) and of course Hard Rock Cafe.

     We set out on a hike that was further inland and many tourists didn't venture there. It required ropes and heavy traversing but after several hours, muddy shins and scrapped ankles we made it to the waterfall. It wasn't a trickle either; it was a gigantic, beautiful, surreal part of nature.Time paused when we came across it. We have came out a little battered but it was all worth it. At one point we stumbled upon a Buddhist temple the size of a small mall. We'd never seen anything like it in size or ornate detail. We'd walked to Queen's beach where the locals would hang out and surf.We visited the surf museum and saw not only the history but novelty as well. In this little hidden treasure there stood the real life creation of the Silver Surfer surf board certified by Stan Lee.  We hiked to the top of Diamondhead. From there you could see everything; to downtown to the east side beach. The crater looked otherworldly and prehistoric.








On our last day we embraced the essence of Hawaii and took to the surf. Proudly we each caught some waves and on the last day saw an abundant quantity of rainbows in what is known as the land of rainbows. Plumerias bloomed everywhere and Banja trees dotted the landscape.

     It's impossible to layout every detail of the trip even though that's the podium it deserves to be put on. I wish ya'll could know how it felt and feel those experiences but I hope this bridges that gap if even just by a smidgen. And the thing was we did it on a budget. We saw TRUE Hawaii and I truly, completely and wholly believe it was far better than had we drained the bank on tours been stuck amongst a crowded pack of tourists. It was genuine and I couldn't ask for more.