Here is a painting in the works. She is one of the bad guys in my novel. I am plugging along nicely now and the book is coming together… Or should I say it’s all there, just cleaning it up.
I met with an old friend and a few others in the artist community and it made me very happy to know that I belong to such a great bunch of people.
Thanks for keeping me going with my art!
Erin
The studio space is still in the future, just not April. Don’t worry, I will be sure to tell you when it all happens. I continue to add to my mailing list daily so if you are interested in getting a snail mail notice from me please give me an email and ask to be added to my mailing list. Be sure to include all your info so I can get the information to you as quick and easy as possible.
On another note, I have been keeping quite busy in all aspects of my life. Unfortunately I have not been creating as much as I would like to. It is quite difficult to create for long periods of time with my back the way it is and as most of you know, having pre-teens make it difficult as well. None-the-less I am working my way through it all or better yet, writing my way through it all.
Hopefully by the weekend I will have new art to post.
As usual, thanks for reading.
Erin
I am very excited to announce that I will be moving my art supplies, drawing board, painting table, and all of the stuff I use to create my books and illustrations to a public studio. My plan is to work there daily and I encourage everyone to come and visit me while I produce my next two books with illustrations. I will also be selling books from the studio along with prints of the illustrations. My paintings in progress can be viewed and prints will be for sale on those as well. I am so excited to be able to do this. I will post further details as the time nears and send out invitations to my entire mailing list. I am planning on having some activities and classes for children as well as planned school visits to the author’s studio. Please pass this information along to anyone you may know that would be interested in seeing what I have to offer. I will put out more information as the time nears.
As far as my novel goes, I am getting good reviews from my writer’s group. I haven’t any new drawings to post at this time because I have been getting ready for the studio. Please comment and leave any thoughts on me opening a public studio. I would love to hear your opinions.
Erin
Any artist will tell you there is no better place to be than the ZONE. This weekend I worked all sorts of hours and it felt like no time at all. I have been in the zone before but never this deep. Once out of it, I was confused and dazed. It was almost a scary feeling and if that is one of the side effects of deep zoning than I am willing to have more of it. Here are some of the pieces I created while in that zone. Tomorrow I will be adding the finishing touches on it and this piece called “The Ringmaster and his Prey” will be finished and in line behind the “Evil Clown” waiting to be hung in my new studio… I will announce more on that in the springtime. So many great things I have in store for my young readers this year!
Ok, I went, I saw, and I LOVED!!! The Hope Artist Village is where I want to spend my days painting and weekends selling. The energy there is amazing. I am going to continue to create enough paintings to fill the walls in the studio so when I do move in, it will be beaming with all of my work. Please everyone send me good energy to obtain the perfect studio so that I can actually eat dinner on my kitchen table with my family instead of painting on it and have everyone eat in the living room … 🙂
Erin
Okay, the Ringmaster is stepping into the scene now. I spent last week painting this guy and I am finishing him up this week along with submitting some chapters to my writers group. What a wonderful group of women writers I got together this time. Writer’s groups are magical. You get different writers from different backgrounds all meeting up at a table two times a month and the energy and information fly!
My goal for this year is not only to finish my novel and get it in print for you but also to network and reach out to other artists – I mean really join the artist community by putting my work out there. I am going to put paintings out into the world as well as my books. As I near my 40th birthday I feel the need to expand my artistic world. As a matter of fact this Wednesday I am going to visit the Hope Artist Village to look at retail space for my work. I will let you know how that works out.
Erin
Good morning –
Today I begin with my frustration. Let me begin by saying I am and always have been an optimist but since 2009 of May this wonderful characteristic of mine has declined greatly and unfortunately it still declines daily. I never mentioned this on my blog because I didn’t think it needed to be talked about or was relevant but since this is my blog about my writing and artistic struggles I think it does need to be mentioned.
I need you to know that I am writing from my bed.
I am doing this because I have a major spinal disorder that prevents me from sitting up for long. Not only does it prevent me from sitting up but it also prevents me from running, walking, swimming, driving, and basically anything under the sun with ease. It hurts to put it mildly. I have been writing and drawing from my bed since 2009 of May because that is when my inherited disorder showed itself.
I think its important to tell you this because it is the number one reason I have been struggling to finish my novel. Although the ideas are coming fast and furious and I can’t seem to get them down as good as I used to. When I write, I tend to pace and walk then sit to write then get up and do the same thing all over again. It’s a very physical process for me. I have even gone so far as to lay on my living room for and have my friend help me set up all of my artwork and inspiration materials around me. I have attached a photo below.
I want you to know I am by no means complaining. I am just giving you a glimpse into my daily life because that is what blogging is all about. Please know that I will never stop writing until my hands don’t work anymore and even then, I will probably talk – type. I love writing and all that is involved but also please know that I am struggling to do it.
Thank you so much to all of my readers who have purchased my work in the past. I hope my new work lives up to your expectations.
Erin T. Whalen
 What an enjoyable weekend I had just painting my clown in my art studio by the pond. I have to admit though, I had no idea how long it had been since posting to my sketchblog. Last May and the last posting I believe, I drew this clown. Since then, he has been written into my middle grade novel, which by the way is almost complete, and painted into a wonderful mixed-media piece. There is so much more to this piece and I will actually unveil it sometime this week. I plan to finish the entire work by Wednesday of this week so be sure to check back here to see the finished piece. The novel I have been working so hard on over the past year has inspired me to explore an entirely new genre of art which will also be explained in more detail just as soon as I figure out the details. I have so many wonderful ideas floating – no, more like flying – around my brain right now I can hardly keep up! Its exciting and exhausting at the same time. But just like any proper artist, I cave to my creativity and explore all of my ideas as my ‘domestic’ life falls apart around me. It’s a good thing I have such supporting children who have learned to accept that the kitchen can sometimes become an art studio and that dinner can be fun eating picnic-style on the living room floor! My lovely boyfriend also has a world of patience with me as I get lost in my work and refuse to leave the house for an entire weekend. My family is not only understanding of my creative “condition” but they actually encourage me to paint and write and are excited to see the next piece. I have to say I have been blessed. |
Erin T. Whalen 
