Making the Decision to Solo Car Camp Across America

 "And I'm on my way

I don't know where I'm going
I'm on my way
I'm taking my time
But I don't know where"

Songwriters: Paul Simon from Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

Earlier this year, I set off to solo car camp across America in a big loop starting at the coast of North Carolina, traveling through 22 states and 15 national parks all the way to the west coast of the state of Washington and back.  Why did I do it?  

But first, maybe I should share my definition of car-camping for the purposes of this blog.  In my case, car-camping meant loading my my car with almost everything I would require for two months on the road, driving said car to campsites, and sleeping in that car most of the time.  I did bring a tent, but I only used it twice, I believe.  I also resorted to hotels in a pinch but that was the exception to the rule.

So, why did I do it? Long ago during a summer between college years, full of courage and  idealism, I announced my plan to drive my beat-up old Subaru coast to coast. My mom, aware of my lack of savings, did not share my enthusiasm. She thought my time would be better spent working and threatened to cut off my college funding if I chose to drive west.  I did not go.  Instead, I worked at the clothing store at the mall.  I never gave up the dream of going.  I told myself I would go...later.  

Later there was work, a mortgage, cats, children, aging parents, and a dog.  There were so many reasons I could not go.  I had the chance once and didn't take it.  Then I was too busy being a responsible adult to merrily traverse a continent.

After many years, my kids graduated, got jobs, and moved out. I no longer had a husband or pets. The stress of raising kids as a single mom, running two small businesses, and always worrying about making ends meet had taken their toll.  I felt anxious, restless, and out of sorts.  I had lived in the same house in the same little town for 26 years of my life.  I was tired of walking the same old trails, seeing the same sights, going the same places.  I was stagnating.  I was in a rut.  It was time for change and discovery.  

The open road was calling and was prepared to answer the summons.  I wanted to take a pause from worry and busyness and see the most beautiful places in America.  Traveling lightly was important to me, and that meant having minimal possessions and zero debt.  I didn't want to have complicated plans and schedules.  I had had enough of that already.  I also wanted to travel cheaply.  

So I packed up the most essential, required elements and wrapped up my business affairs. With a vague notion of the circular route I would take, a list of national parks I wanted to visit, a few necessary supplies (packing list will be shared later), I began driving.  There was no expensive travel van, no backseat rebuild, and no detailed itinerary.  I would car-camp across the country with a back-up tent, a cooler, a rechargeable fan, and some other rudimentary supplies.  I had a loose budget for the trip and almost zero up-front cost.

Traveling by car allows you to see the country very differently than flying into destination cities.  On the backroads, you see the real story.  You see acres of farmland, abandoned storefronts, rural communities,  idyllic small towns, factories and mines, awe-inspiring sights of incredible natural beauty, drug-scarred cities and the empty spaces in between.    Contrasted with the incredible beauty of our national parks, large swaths of America are sparsely populated, covered with cornfields, crops and oil fields, and dotted with trailers and small shacks. The stark reality of poverty, the forgotten people, and the filth and decay will also be clearly visible.  

You can listen to the small town radio stations as the miles pass by and talk to the locals to learn how people really live and work in each region, the unique issues they face, and the melodies they like to hum.  

In all honesty, when I started traveling away from North Carolina on day one, I was scared.  I imagined terrifying scenarios involving serial killers, blood-thirsty wild animals, getting lost, my car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, and various hiking/car accidents.  I had no idea if I would be able to handle being alone on the road, sleeping in my car, or driving long distances.  I gripped my steering wheel so hard I got blisters.  

And if you were wondering why I chose to car camp with a regular old car without space big enough to stretch out my legs;  it came down to mere economics.  I considered purchasing a travel van, but I needed to save my money for buying a house without wheels when I returned.  In retrospect, I am very glad I didn’t buy a van.  

I'm back in North Carolina now. After two months on the road alone, I feel like I was emptied out and filled back up again. I was thrilled, terrified, amazed, and humbled.  My shoes walked through golden prairies, forests of the tallest trees, rocky seashores, muddy rain forests, deep caves, lava fields, and parched deserts. I stepped away from the rat race, embraced simplicity, tuned out the noise, and lived in the moment. I learned a lot and I'd like to share it with you.  

It started with a heat wave, a nearly deserted campground surrounded by corn, a guy on a motorcycle in a speedo, and a tremendous storm... (read all about it in my bookt).

If you enjoyed this post, consider purchasing my book, Solo Car Camping Across America, An Adventure in Courage, Solitude, and Questionable Bathrooms in America’s Most Beautiful Places, available on Amazon Books.  235 pages with full color images. Itinerary, packing list, helpful tips, and do’s and don’ts included.  Free shipping for Amazon Prime members.  Kindle edition also available. 

Approaching the Blank Canvas

 "It's so fine and yet so terrible to stand in front of a blank canvas." Paul Cezanne

“Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going” - Jim Ryun

A friend recently posted the following on Facebook: "Help!  I have all the supplies, the space set up to create, but I can't get myself to paint."  This is a common refrain I hear from my creative circle.  Once we set up the studio space and spend the money on supplies, we feel pressure to be productive at all times.  Nothing is surer to kill the creative spark than pressure and stress.  I don't know about you, but I absolutely require empty time to create space for inspiration to enter.  

So you're stuck?  Here's a frightening thought: give in temporarily to the apathy and lack of motivation.  Take a walk in the woods and empty yourself or meditate.    After dwelling in this empty space for no more than a day or two, get moving, or you risk getting mired in inertia.  It can suck you in like quicksand.  How to avoid this fate?  Create a habit.  Force a routine.  

Try this internal script... "I will sit at this desk between 9-11am.  I will create something whether I just doodle scribbles on a piece of paper or make progress on a larger project.” Let's face it; some of us are naturally better at self-motivation and the discipline necessary for habit forming. 

 If routine is not your strong suit, seek out someone who shows strength in this area.  Consider them the Yoda to your Luke Skywalker.  

I am relatively self-disciplined, but I do have a tendency to get distracted and waste time.  I am also easily influenced, so I have to be careful who I choose to spend time with.  

During my second week of college, I had the good fortune of meeting a dedicated and serious student.  He was driven and self motivated.  He was training for a marathon and paying his own way through college.  He took his studies and his health seriously.  At his insistence, we went to the library every evening for three hours.  Sometimes I didn't even have enough work to fill the time in which case I would write stories or put my head down on the desk and take a nap.  

Most importantly, I was sitting there every night regardless - no excuse.  Let me tell you, if you sit in a library for three hours nightly, you will get good grades.  I finished the year on the Dean's List.    Could I have done this without my driven boyfriend?  In all honesty, probably not.  

We know the positive effects of healthy habits, but that doesn't mean we always do what is best for us. I am a runner who is often in some sort of pain.  Why?  Because though I know I need to, I cannot usually get myself to stretch.  It is important.  I would feel better if I did it, but this rational logic alone is not enough to force me to create the habit.  

I have a friend who is even crazier about running than me.  He needs to stretch even more, but was he touching his toes on a daily basis?  No.

The two of us discussed our reluctance to embrace yoga and anything designed to increase flexibility while agreeing on the necessity.  We decided on a team approach.  I texted him daily to tell him I was in the midst of stretching and urged him to do the same. It was like positive nagging.  We were held accountable.  The fact that we are both competitive helps. Side note: since I added dynamic stretches to my routine, I am no longer experiencing pain and soreness.

Another tactic I use to thwart avoidance is to get to work on an important task first thing in the morning before doing anything else.  Maybe brush your teeth and get your coffee first.  

 To sum up, when you find yourself stuck and mired in inertia, try the following...

• Give in.  Empty space for inspiration to enter
• Next, create a daily work habit involving strict hours.  
• Enlist an Accountability Partner: an individual who will work with you to enforce a strict daily habit. Attach yourself to someone who exhibits the qualities you aspire to.
• Try a Team Approach.  Join a group with like-minded interests to encourage your success and create accountability.  Check out the Daily Painters group: artists who create a work of art each day.
• Do it first thing in the morning.  If you have something you must get done, but you don't look forward to it; do it before you do anything else. Otherwise it will hang over your entire day like a gray cloud, and you'll feel like Eeyore.   

This is an excerpt from my new book, Approaching the Blank Canvas, Real Talk on Fear, Inspiration and Not Giving Up in Art and Life. It’s full of true tales and tips from my 20+ years of making art for a living. It’s available on Amazon Books and you can also find the link to it and my other books on my DesignsbyArianne website.   

When You Look at My Painting on Your Wall

Woman with Passionflower & Dove

When I sell a painting to you, I have created a form of relationship with you whether I know you or not.  You chose my painting.  Maybe it spoke to you in some way.  Maybe you simply liked the colors. Or if you commissioned a painting specifically for you and your space, you chose me to create it, Maybe you admired my previous work.  Regardless, my painting will be hung on your wall.  For whatever reason you have invited me into your home in a sense.   

When you look at my painting on your wall, see not only the image depicted, the brushstrokes, and the varying shades of color.  Feel my imagination and inspiration leading the brush. Appreciate the time and focus  I devoted to each and every brushstroke - thousands of them.  Feel my spirit and energy which flowed into this piece.

There on the wall is a little piece of me and even after I am gone, possibly it may still be displayed on a wall in someone’s home as a memory that I was here on this earth, and that I was doing what I was meant to be doing - sharing my humble talent with the world in this form.  

In this painting, I am trying to convey to you all of the beauty I gather in my mind when I look out at this amazing world - the way things connect and flow, the growth and abundance.  I receive all of these gifts from nature on a daily basis, and this is my way of sharing them.

The music I listened to, the sounds of the birds outside my studio window, the beating of my heart are all woven in there.  Can you hear it? My memories, my experiences, my sadness and joy - whatever I was feeling is expressed in the colors, the brushstrokes.

This painting on your wall couldn’t have been created by anyone else at any time or anywhere.  It was created by me in one moment in time for you to gaze at and share an understanding between the two of us.  

Thanks for reading,

Arianne

 If you enjoyed this post, considering checking out my book, Approaching the Blank Canvas, Real Talk on Fear, Inspiration and Not Giving Up in Art and Life. It’s full of true tales and tips from my 20+ years of making art for a living. It’s available on Amazon Books and you can also find the link to it and my other books on my DesignsbyArianne website.   

Selling Your Art or Craft at Community Markets and Festivals

Pumpkin Painting Event at a Fall Festival

You wouldn't believe how many people I meet who have some type of incredible talent simmering under the surface, hidden from view - maybe they take incredible photos, write heartfelt poetry, or create fantastic pen and ink sketches.  Yet they keep these talents hidden away from the world, thus preventing the rest of us from enjoying their craft.  Why? Usually it is either because they are not "ready" or have doubts about their talent or chance of success.  

If you have a special skill, aren't you meant to use it and share it?  Trust me, there are people who would appreciate it. So how do you begin?

Local community markets are a fabulous way to increase visibility, create awareness and name recognition and build your loyal customer base.

Painted Rocks

Begin by asking yourself the tough questions.  Will people spend money for what you have to sell?  Is it portable?  I'll spare you the story of the time I tried to sell hand-painted stepping stones that weighed a good 15 pounds at a flea market.  How many do you think I sold? Zero.  If someone had wanted to purchase this impractical item, they would have had to haul it 1/4 mile at least to get it to their car.  That being said, I have seen hefty yard art sell like hotcakes.  

How will you price your art?  Consider the time you spent making it and the cost of the materials. Consider whether the price will be reasonable to a potential customer? Ask the opinions of honest friends.  

Next, do a little research.  Most towns have monthly markets and yearly festivals. Make a list and determine application deadlines and cost. 

If possible, attend the events of interest.  Take photos of booth displays and advertising, and find out what types of payment processing systems are being used (and the cost of these).  Look at price points and what seems to be selling by looking at what items are being carried around the market by shoppers.  Do people seem to be there to shop or just to browse?  

Holiday Door Hangers Sold at a Christmas Festival

Determine cost of a display tent I, display materials, supplies to create your craft, and promotional materials. Figure out how much you would have to make to recoup these costs. Make sure the festival has the ability to attract a crowd.  Consider the cost versus the potential income.  Is it worth it?  Will it create a fanbase?

Once you make the decision to forge ahead,  do what you do best -  create, make, bake, craft!  Amass some inventory to sell.  At the same time, be sure to control your spending.  It's easy for me to lose control when I enter an art store, but I understand that if I buy lots of expensive materials to make my art, I'm going to have to sell that much more to realize a profit.

Buy your tent and carefully craft create your display. An inviting space for shoppers makes all of the difference.  Could you offer any small give-aways or a raffle?  Collecting names and emails for a raffle is a great way to build your valuable mailing list - which is crucial for building client relationships.  Create your brand. Write your story.

Holiday Door Hangers Sold at a Christmas Festival

Apply to festivals.  Make your offering unique and appealing.  Many festivals limit the number of similar offerings.  So if you make jewelry and there are 25 other applicants in this category, yours better be unique in some way.  

This is where the story of your product and branding come in handy.  Some events are harder to get into than others. Your booth photo, often a necessary component of the application, is very important - it has to look professional and welcoming. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Not being accepted is not a big deal.  

Don’t forget to market your event to everyone you know on social media in advance.  

After the festival.  Stay in touch. Your new fanbase mailing list may be the biggest benefit. It’s hard to put a true value on the connections and friends made at these events.  

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the downsides - unpredictable weather, wind storms (don’t forget your festival tent weights), ice, the disappointment of a cancelled event, the strenuous labor of set-up and take-down,  storing inventory, and the days when the crowd simply does not appear.  Don’t give up.  Try, try again.  I hope to see you out there!

I was a regular at arts and crafts festivals and markets in and around Cary, NC for years and I learned a lot., Please reach out if you have any questions.  If you enjoyed this post, considering checking out my book, Approaching the Blank Canvas, Real Talk on Fear, Inspiration and Not Giving Up in Art and Life. It’s full of true tales and tips from my 20+ years of making art for a living. It’s available on Amazon Books and you can also find the link to it and my other books on my DesignsbyArianne website.   

Happy creating,

Arianne 

Sociable Art Craft Event at a Christmas Festival

Don’t Give Up - Just Paint Over it!

 

New and Improved Daisy painting - 2019

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn” 

― Orson Welles

At a morning paint class a couple of weeks ago, one of the student artists blurted out, “I can’t do this!” in a tone of self-disgust.  With that, she dropped her paintbrush on the table and sat back in her chair in defeat. 

I see this reaction regularly, especially with children.  At almost every community art event, there is inevitably one perfectionist – a child who has set extremely high expectations for themselves and ends up in tears when the paint goes outside the line. 

In both these instances, the aspiring artist had a vision of how she wanted her painting to evolve, and the reality was not living up to the dream.  This moment that I see repeated often at my events, is a great opportunity to teach one of the greatest lessons about painting and a bit of a life lesson at the same time.  My response is always the same: “If you don’t like it, paint over it.”

More often than not, the dissatisfaction stems from one of two sources. Possibly you are expecting perfection.  There is no perfection in art, so stop. Art is not a science.  It is sometimes messy and freeing.  Let it flow. 

Maybe you are trying to replicate a style that is not your own.  You aren’t letting your own vision influence your interpretation. The solution might be as simple as giving yourself a chance to warm up, let go of expectations, set an intention, and get into the flow.  I find that it is good practice to do a preliminary sketch to limber up your creativity.  If you still find yourself at this moment of discontent, just paint over it and start again with a new approach.  Make it your own.  

Consider this; a painting, like our lives, is constantly in a state of evolution. Striving, reaching and never quite attaining are all part of painting and life.  Once you accept your lack of perfection and perhaps, inaptitude, your art will flow more easily and without struggle.  Try to reach a point, where you can say to yourself, I may not be one of the best artists and not everyone will like my work, but that’s okay.  My work is uniquely my own and valuable because of this distinction.

Did you know that it was and is common practice for painters to paint over their old paintings? Apparently Vincent Van Gogh also had moments when he was dissatisfied with his work and threw down his paintbrush in disgust.  Advances in technology have allowed us to see earlier, less impressive versions of the Mona Lisa underneath the famous masterpiece https://listverse.com/2016/03/06/10-hidden-images-discovered-beneath-famous-classic-paintings/.  

Many of my paintings also have years of layers.  I had a daisy painting that I created four or five years ago.  You can see the original version below.  It was nice, but I was never thrilled with it.  I painted it at a time in my life when all I wanted was simplicity.  I half-heartedly tried to sell it at festivals a couple of times, and then gave up. I changed the background color as new shades went in and out of fashion.  I sometimes hung it on a wall in my home. Other times it was getting dusty in a corner of my studio.  One day, I looked at it long and hard and decided to give it a new life.  I had not liked it, because it had no personality. There was nothing there that showed the character of the artist that painted it – me!

Orignal Daisy Painting - 2015

I repainted the background guided by my heart and soul and finally the painting was a reflection of my unique vision of the world.  

I left the original daisies and added color and elements that had meaning to me.  The painting sold very quickly after I finished. I even ended up having to paint another just like it for another client.  Why?  Because I put my unique personality into the piece. Before it had hung mutely on the wall, lacking significance and power.  After, I repainted it; it “spoke” to people.

So in short, your painting is not finished until it is sold and out of your grasp or until you feel a sense of completion.  Neither perfection, nor satisfaction should be your aim.  Be true to your own personal style and the message you speak with your paint.  

Happy painting,

Arianne

This is a repost of my article which was originally posted in 2019. If you enjoyed this post, considering checking out my book, Approaching the Blank Canvas, Real Talk on Fear, Inspiration and Not Giving Up in Art and Life. It’s full of true tales and tips from my 20+ years of making art for a living. It’s available on Amazon Books and you can also find the link to it and my other books on my DesignsbyArianne website.   

How to Paint Like a Child; the Key to Fearless Creativity

 "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

Pablo Picasso

I sometimes have the pleasure of painting with groups of loud, energetic kids.  Cups of water get spilled, paint ends up in hair, and I have to raise my voice to be heard.  You might be surprised to know that I find this chaos refreshing and inspiring. Why? 

When was the last time you observed a kid under the age of ten painting?   Kids paint with reckless abandon.  They paint freely without expectation and without the inner critic judging their work.  Most of us have forgotten how to express ourselves in this way, but that doesn't mean we can't return to a state of carefree creativity.

Those of us who have weathered our share of years have become more cautious and unsure. We've all heard some criticism in our lives from ourselves and others. As a result, we've lost our creative confidence. We like having someone tell us exactly how to create our art step by step, so there is less room for error.  

That is, after all, why we like Sip and Paint classes.  Unfortunately, by removing the room for error, we also remove the space for originality.  It's time to find that child inside you and recapture that wild, untamed spirit.  Your art can only benefit from this approach.

Below, I've listed seven general behaviors that I have observed during kids' painting events that differ from our adult approach to painting.  Next, it is your job to create a painting like a kid using these behaviors.

1. Kids don't listen.  I'm up there talking, and the kids are polite, but they are not doing what I am telling them to do. They don't take instruction well.  I say, "Paint the vase white."  They proceed to paint it whatever color they feel like painting it.  Their artistic instincts have not yet been tamed. Forget about what you were told, do it your way.

2. They break the rules. They use unconventional colors.  They mix them in unexpected ways.  They use brushes in unpredictable ways.  Leaves that were green on the example painting become blue on their canvas.  They mix orange and blue which results in a muddy brown, but somehow they make it work.  They just choose the color that speaks to them. Go on, be a rebel!

3. They have the benefit of not having been taught "how to do it".  Technique teaches us that there is a right way and a wrong way.  We get bogged down by technique.  Kids have not had their artistic instincts tampered with yet.  They will use paint and brushes in ways that you would never consider and in ways that an instructor would never suggest.  Forget what you've learned and trust your instincts.   

4. They paint fast. They don't take time to think. They just act.  They don't stop to plan.  There is none of the hesitation that comes with self-doubt.   if I expect an event to last an hour and a half, the kids will always be done in less than an hour. Try painting quickly without thinking.  For inspiration watch MarsupialPudding speed painting a night sky on YouTube.    Don't think, act!

5. They are Fearless. They don't worry about the outcome before painting a flower stem, they just do it.  If they don't like it, they just paint over it.  They are not afraid.  They make lots of mistakes.  They are comfortable with it.  To them, it is called learning. Be fearless.

6.  They don't imitate.  Their goal is to express themselves.  When this is your aim, you create original art.   For the most part, they still don't mind being different.  Unlike adults, they don't wish to create a carbon copy of my art.  After all, they see the subject differently, because they have not lost their artistic eye.  They see it with no preconceived notions of how it should be. Originate, don't imitate.  

7.  They don't judge themselves harshly.  When they are finished, they are generally happy with their work.  They did not enter the exercise with the kind of expectations that adults put on themselves.  No one has classified them yet as artistic or unartistic.  This is what Picasso meant when he said, "all children are artists".   Be your kindest critic.  Give yourself a break.

So go ahead and be fearless.  Paint like a kid.  I think you'll be pleased with the results as long as you silence that annoying inner critic.  If you are interested in the topic of children and creativity, you can find more interesting information on this page on the Family Education website.  

This is a repost of a 2016 blog by me.  If you enjoyed this post, considering checking out my book, Approaching the Blank Canvas, Real Talk on Fear, Inspiration and Not Giving Up in Art and Life. It’s full of true tales and tips from my 20+ years of making art for a living. It’s available on Amazon Books and you can also find the link to it and my other books on my DesignsbyArianne website.   

Gyotaku Fish Prints & Mural in Wilmington, NC

 

Making a gyotakui fish print

"Gyotaku (魚拓, from gyo "fish" + taku "stone impression", fish print(ing)) is the traditional Japanese method of printing fish, a practice which dates back to the mid-1800s. This form of nature printing, where ink is applied to a fish which is then pressed onto paper, was used by fishermen to record their catches, but has also become an art form of its own.” Wikipedia

Let me start out by saying that I didn’t know anything about gyotaku prior to being tasked with creating a mural in a sushi restaurant, Tomiko-san in Wilmington, NC.  An image of one of these traditional fish prints was forwarded to me as inspiration for my mural, so I turned to the internet for a quick education.  

I had no plans at that time to apply ink or paint to an actual fish.  The scale of the mural was going to be too large for that.  I resorted to manufacturing a new mural technique to resemble gyotaku. Thanks to Chef James Nash, I also had an opportunity to create several fish prints on paper during the project as you can see below. 

On the day before I was scheduled to start my mural, I tried my experimental “gyotaku” technique on the wall of my garage. I’m glad I did.  I tried a variety of materials, many of which did not work well.  The next day, I arrived on the job with a large roll of craft paper, a big brush along with several smaller sizes for detail, a sea sponge,  white, black, sepia, and ochre acrylic paints, and flow extender medium. I had plucked the sea sponge right out of the surf at Holden Beach the week before.

Gyotaku Fish mural at Tomiko-San in Wilmington, NC

My plan was to paint fish on large pieces of craft paper with a mixture of paint and acrylic flow medium and then to
press the painted paper onto the wall leaving an imprint.  It took some experimentation to find the right amount of paint to apply to the paper.  I had to work quickly or the paper would soak up the paint and dry. I used the sea sponge to add a little texture and movement in the background.

I had just finished one wall, when Chef James asked if I would be interested in creating a print from an actual fish.  I didn’t even hesitate to seize the opportunity.  When he walked out of the kitchen with a beautiful striped jack in his hands, I admit to feeling a little nervous about my lack of experience.  I set my reservations aside and reached for the paint.  He who hesitates is lost according to some wise person.  

Gyotaku Fish Prints by Arianne

I knew I didn't have the correct supplies.  I should have had ink and rice paper.  Instead I had a tablet of coarse heavyweight mixed media paper and acrylic paints.  Not ideal, but I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. 

I decided to apply paint in a few varied and subtle shades to mimic the actual color of the fish. I took a sheet of my heavy paper and pressed it down upon the fish gently with Chef James watching over my shoulder.  I could tell the thickness of the paper was a problem.  I couldn’t get it to flex around the sides of the fish without creasing.  I avoided the eye, having learned you add that afterwards with a paintbrush. 

Gyotaku Fish Print by Arianne

The first attempt looked a bit messy and taught me
that cold fish sweat. You need to pat and dry your fish well before starting.  I made several more prints after that, refreshing the paint partway through. Each new print was better than the last.  I  wish I could have made more.

After adding the eye to each print, I could have finished right then and there, but I decided to take them home to fill in some of the missing areas and add a bit of detail with watercolors and a fine brush.

Gyotaku Fish Print by Arianne

I think they turned out pretty well for my first effort.  Everyone was also pleased with the way the mural complimented the aesthetic.  You can go see it yourself  and enjoy the finest sushi in town at Tomiko-san.   Learn more about Gyotaku here.  Interested in purchasing a fish print? Contact me here.

"Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

If you enjoyed this post, considering checking out my book, Approaching the Blank Canvas, Real Talk on Fear, Inspiration and Not Giving Up in Art and Life. It’s full of true tales and tips from my 20+ years of making art for a living. It’s available on Amazon Books and you can also find the link to it and my other books on my DesignsbyArianne website.