Life Changing.

My life was recently changed by my good friend Susan Murtaugh. Now if you don't know who she is you should. She is an INCREDIBLE artist who uses her iPad to create works of art that will leave you astounded. Well I am so lucky to know her personally and to have gotten a lunch time tutorial on Sketchbook Pro...a $5 app. I am completely hooked. It is really the reason I haven't blogged much because I of course went and got an iPad and still haven't figured out details like posting to the blog on it. I just want to draw 24 hours a day and I almost kind of do. It feels so so right. So right in fact that I don't think I am going to make jewelry next year. The thought of having to do so leaves me feeling a little like a factory and I don't like it. I want to draw and draw and draw and draw. I am actually talking to a friend who may possibly work as my agent and I really just want to get into licensing. I just want to draw. I want someone else to worry about what to do with the drawings. I found it. I found what I want to do all the time and the feeling isn't going away after a few weeks. Don't get me wrong I am not giving up my markers, paint, yarn, ephemera and other supplies because I still want to get dirty and just let go with art but I feel like this is a real opportunity right now for me to really actually get paid for doing something I love to do. I don't mean to offend any of my customers but the little bit of jewelry I sell is just not worth my time without the payout. I have been trying to clearance out my stock and am having a hard time selling $100 necklaces for even $10 right now!!! I can't justify that anymore. Of course I will still make jewelry when the mood strikes and no I am not selling my beads (just yet) but I just want to draw.

By the way the drawing above was done on my iPad with Sketchbook Pro. It has 3 layers and took me about 3 hours to do. I can instantly change the color and I didn't use any paper or other supplies. This just allows the ideas to flow so so freely. It did take me about 2 weeks of playing on Molly's iPod touch to realize what I could really do but once I did I could not be stopped.

Doing this digital art also has brought up a lot of copyright issues that I never thought of. I got a lot of shares from posting the pictures on Facebook. I love it!! But I do want to give a gently reminder to everyone that as an artist my pictures are my lively hood. Please feel free to share as much as you want but always remember to post my name with the art. I will likely add watermarks to the pictures I post in the future but I just wanted to get that little thing out there that is become increasingly hard to manage in our new technology driven world. Just don't let the artists out there lose their rights to the work they work hard on. I know a lot of people don't even realize that sharing a photo or taking it off the Internet and printing it is a no no so I am just hoping to inform...not blame or accuse. I love positive feedback and I looooove it when people share I just ask that it is done the right way....much love to all of you....now back to my iPad. :)