My first art show: recap!

I had my first official art show on Saturday! It went so so well. I’m amazed by it. To be honest, I’m still exhausted!

The Santa Ana Art Walk is an event that takes place the first Saturday of every month in Downtown Santa Ana, and all kinds of artists come to show their work. Orange County Creatives owns two galleries and they fill them with about 25 artists from 6-10 pm. It’s great exposure for your work.

I spent about 3 weeks doing nothing but preparing my inventory and display for my table at the Santa Ana Art Walk. I ran around searching for and buying props for my table that would be cohesive with my aesthetic and vibe that I put into my art. I wanted my display to be a reflection of my shop. (This was incredibly fun. I never realized just how much I love to decorate and put together themes. I knew I liked it, but this was a whole new level of falling in love)! I spent so many late nights trimming prints, stamping and labeling them, matting them, packaging them, painting canvases, preparing a hard copy of my portfolio, and figuring out all the finance and logistics behind how it would all work.

Here’s what my table looked like (ignore the fan, it was like 90 degrees):

But it all paid off! So many of my friends and family friends showed up to support me; I was overwhelmed by the kindness of them all! Most of them bought some of my prints, and they were all so excited for this creative pursuit! It felt amazing to be able to show, in person, everything that I’ve been creating and building for the past 1.5 years. It felt like all of my imagining had manifested in front of my eyes. It was pretty surreal. I felt totally in my element though. I kind of wasn’t even nervous because it felt so natural to me.

I still have a long way to go with the growth of my business, but this first art show was a huge step forward. It renewed a lot of my confidence that I can do this. I doubt myself a lot because I’m so new to this, and this was really reassuring because I pulled it all together, by myself. I created all this. I still can’t believe that. I’m just so happy with all of it. Now I’m off to dream up my next steps and new art pieces. I feel like the possibilities are endless.

A huge thank you to Maggie of Orange County Creatives for finding me on Etsy and inviting me to participate in the Santa Ana Art Walk in the first place. Thank you to my family for helping me set up and carry all my stuff to & from the show and inviting literally everyone they knew to come support me. Thank you to all the people who came: Chris, Liz & Alex, Hayley & her parents, Nicole & Tyler, Jared, Alexis & Victor, Lara & Zack & Lara’s parents, Victoria & Brian, Jim & his wife, Deb & her brother, LaVie, Runora, Susan & Lucy, and Sally/Brent/Andrew & Lauren.

Here are some photos from the night:

Thanks for a great night :)

xo, Michelle

Art Show Details!

Exciting news! Orange County Creatives asked me to participate in their upcoming Art Walk! They run a gallery, and the art walk happens on the first Saturday of each month in the Artists Village in Santa Ana, and their gallery is in this beautiful historic building called the Santora building. It's a cute little area I never even knew existed. The Santa Ana Art Walk is awesome; it has tons of different types of artists showing in one place, in a lively environment. I went last month to check it out and it was really fun! I love seeing the work other people do. There are also restaurants and things all around, so you can make a night of it!

Here are the details:

I'll have a table set up with some of my work displayed and all of my prints available to see/buy in person! (There are two suites for OC Creatives, so just follow the signs- it's easy to find)

Saturday, September 7, 2013

7 - 10 pm

Santora Building 207 N Broadway, Suite D Santa Ana, CA 92701

Free admission!

$4 parking in the structure across the street (North of the Santora Building) (cross streets are W. 3rd and N. Broadway). The structure fills up/gets crowded fast, so if you come later, you may have to find other parking.

I hope some of you will come and see me if you live nearby! I'm so excited I get to participate in this and show people my work :)

(above) the Santora Building in 1930

I did a guest blog post!

I did a guest blog post on Kid Krazed about my two favorite things: art and kids. Fun! It even includes my photos.

Painted Hands | The positive effects of art

I don’t know how, but I’ve been able to hold on to my ability to create long after the imaginations of my peers faded away and they started focusing on “real life.” It’s so easy to lose it. Kids are born with a natural tendency to slip seamlessly in and out of imaginative worlds; I think that’s why some of the things they say and do are so entertaining to adults.

I’m always trying to think of ways to engage the kids I babysit in art. Creating comes so naturally to me, so it’s foreign to me to have to think for another. A key is to incorporate their interests in the art’s subject matter. They don’t always want to do the art themselves (and that’s okay, they’re still interested); they like to tell me what to do and then put my work in a “portfolio” (a 3-ring binder with plastic sleeves) and admire it. I have taped many pieces of paper together and drawn as Andrew dictated what train parts look like and where to put them; that helped him see his knowledge and love of trains constructed in an artistic way. When they were younger, I would just give them paint and brushes to explore blending colors, not at all surprised when they gave up using the brushes and just used their hands to smear the paint (sometimes it’s okay to make a mess). Now that they can do more, they know what they want to make, and I’m teaching them basics of setting up their workspace (to eliminate frustrations), like how to wash their brushes in a cup between each paint color and dry it on a paper towel (to keep the colors pure). I teach them the order in which they should paint something so that they don’t smear their work before it’s dry (ruined art is sad). I often help them to understand the shapes of what they’re trying to draw so that I don’t end up drawing it for them. I guide gently whenever they need help.

I think the bottom line is exposure. The more exposure kids get to art, the more likely they’ll incorporate it into their daily lives. Think about it: more exposure leads to a higher chance of them developing an interest in something artistic that they like. More interests lead to a more fulfilling life (you can never love too many things) and less boredom. And coincidentally, less boredom leads to less of a tendency to get into trouble.

A couple notes on some positive effects of art: having art in your home that you think is beautiful can enhance your mood. Art has existed for as long as humans have existed; it’s only natural to be connected to it. Creating encourages problem solving because you have to figure out how to put something together in a visually pleasing way. Art aids deep focus and getting lost in thought. To create is to have the ability to create possibilities.

Expose your children to as many different kinds of art styles as possible. It will allow them to explore and find their own aesthetic. There’s a lot of self-awareness that comes with learning what you like, and what you like to say, with your art. If you have a child who isn’t naturally into art and you would like them to be, explore other ways of engaging them. Try having them dictate something while you draw it. At least they are using their imaginations and visual skills to create, even if it’s not first-hand. They’ll still learn to appreciate art. Think about how many people enjoy art without actually having the skill to do it themselves.

Remember to dream beyond a piece of paper.

Michelle Dixon is an artist (and babysitter) with a passion for daydreaming and hoarding books. She is the creator of the online art shop Mary and Luna Fine Art and Designs, offering sweet and whimsical prints, canvas paintings, paper cut, and custom artwork. Find her at Mary and Luna or her Etsy shop.

Source: http://kidkrazed.com/painted-hands-the-positive-effects-of-art/

New adventures.

So I'm beginning this blog to archive my life as an artist. I'm hoping that whoever finds this blog enjoys whatever I have to say or share, and that I can contribute something positive to the world. I've always journaled privately and been a social media queen, but this is a little different. I've never attempted to put the creative part of me into comprehensible words. I'm usually just a mess of thoughts and it takes a lot of focus to get my ideas into tangible form. But I'm a very hopeful person. Hopefully I can share something of value here. Bear with me as I find a flow and a blogging voice. I love to take photos and ponder and over-analyze and write, so this will be where that magic happens. I'd love to build a little network of people who enjoy what I have to say and what I create, and I'd love to love all you creative souls right back. Don't be shy. I'm always here. And I promise to always just be me. xo, Michelle