Shock and Awe

The 'mother of all paintings' ( my version of the biggest artwork I've ever done) is now 20% complete. Right on course for the March finish. It's got everything - acrylics, watercolor, pen & ink, gouache, and pencil. The ultimate mix media. It will be the crowning achievement once done. I'm giddy and excited, looking forward to landing this on my site, which, after my web designer showed me the progress today, leads me to believe that I will have the launch sometime in late February.

This is all part of a massive undertaking - the complete overhaul of my career, and the full time devotion to painting as if it were a job. I now wake up daily treating this as a FT job - eight hours a day, breaks taken, and my full and undivided attention to painting. This allows for the speed which the artwork is being done. I am confident, unless something major happens that this piece will find its' way to the framer's shop by the first week of March. Sure, the framing costs will be unprecedented, but so is the painting, and it's quality.

I do feel a sense of gratitude to the social networks for the sales I have garnered in the last 4 weeks - 2 commissions and 2 pieces sold in the US, and another 2 locally. Still cheap by international standards, I prefer this approach than to come out with a bang and start charging the moon. Not in my nature, but it is a must. Like wall street, almost all stocks start priced low, while slowly moving up as the quantity increases, and the demand perks up.

And so it goes on. 20% done with another 80 to go. This is actually the most challenging portion of the painting because it is easy to quit, but I actually feel energized. This is my shock and awe piece, the piece where people who look at it will be mesmerized looking, get sucked in, and be staring at it indefinitely. I'm going to submit other pieces, which will not have the same detail or size as this one takes the cake. This one will hog the attention of it's 4 smaller cousins.

Bring it on.