The 100 Day Project, Day 7 — A Week In; Establishing a Routine (of Sorts!)
So, it has become Day 7 of the 100-Day Project, and at least the creative part of the challenge is becoming a little less of an actual challenge.
Made shortly before the holidays
The old truism goes that we make time for the things that are important... and this painting/meditation was always important to me, although my primary hangup was mostly that I couldn't afford to give time to something that was not substantially income producing.
I need to just get over myself. Life will just get more and more expensive all the time, and at some point the proverbial "cookie" will either crumble, or it will not.
Day 7 Stone Painting
Today, I decided I would try to work on two smaller stones.
Whereas I much prefer to work on larger stones with more intricate designs, I do need to paint some of these smaller ones because how most popular "feature" when we attend arts and crafts shows and other events is the "under $20.00" basket.
These two are sort of on the edge of that price range, if they turn out really well they'll probably be closer to $25 or $30; if they turn out somewhat "average" I'll price them at $19.50 and toss them in the basket.
Artist's prerogative!
Slightly different approaches to these two, still playing around with using black as a contrasting empty space color. I do seem to be a bit stuck in the orange purple black gold area these days but that's fairly normal for me my color choices run in phases!
Not entirely sure where this is going, but it's going somewhere. And yes, I often do work on multiple stones concurrently. In fact, just doing one stone at a time as I have been for this project, is somewhat out of character for me but I'm making it part of the project.
Meanwhile, side note to myself: I really do need to order some paint soon! I find that I am reaching for colors that have basically dried up to a few crumbs. I just noticed that the manufacturer date on a couple of the uses 2014!
To be honest, I'm not terribly impressed with either one of these two. But I need to remind myself that this is part of a long-term project and I'm trying to build a habit of working a little bit every day. And just you watch: they will probably be the first two to go at the next show we attend!
So there's the first one of two.
I suppose it turned out okay, and is nice and sunshiny looking. However it has a tiny flaw in the rock itself and that means it will end up in the under $20 bin.
A small scar and crack was all it took for the orange to bleed out of shape
The other one?
I just had a really hard time finishing it. In addition, it was turning out to be slightly more sandpapery than the stones I normally like to paint, and so that makes the whole experience a little less enjoyable.
To my eye, the end result is something that isn't exactly bad, but also isn't exactly good.
The colors will be a lot more vibrant once the finish coat is applied.
Day 7 Summary:
TWO new stones painted; nothing spectacular, but they will do nicely for restocking some of our show inventory.
Daily Twitter/X post: Check. Actually managed to put up several tweets today, including an Etsy link.
Daily Facebook Page post: Check. Posted another picture of a smaller stone, with a link to it on Etsy.
Daily Instagram post: Check. Single stone post.
Other Stuff: This Hive post; filing away baseline Etsy visitor longs from "before" for later comparisons. Daily shoutout to @gillianpearce!
Day 7, which means a week completed. Impressions so far aren't much, in terms of effectiveness, but it IS getting a little easier to make time for a daily post.
I appreciate you coming to visit and please do leave a comment if you feel so inclined!
Thank You!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a part time living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!
My Alchemy Stones Patreon appeal
Alchemy Stones web site and blog
Regardless, your upvotes and comments are always appreciated!
Thank you for supporting independent art!
2024.02.26 AS-TXT-206/174
When I tried to find the "imperfection" in the non zoomed in pic of the stone it took me a while to find it. In the one highlighting the crack it was easy to see. There's something profound about that but I'm not sure what it is. 😂
Glad you had an easier day. You sound more relaxed again.