The Voice Of Reason

Doh.
A couple of months back i was asked if i would donate a painting to a silent auction. This wasn't for work, it was for another government organization. They said they'd pay me 25% of whatever they got for it. I thought the subject of a minimum bid had come up and i had mentioned $20. I guess they didn't do it. I got a little envelope in the mail today with my 25%. Total received: $1.25
This painting garnered a grand total of $5.00 at the auction making them a net total of $3.75, less really because it would have cost nearly 60 cents for the stamp to send me the money. Hardly worth it to them or to me. I guess i won't be doing that anymore. At least at work they put a minimum on it even though i don't get any proceeds from the sale. The painting is 12x16, too, not a little one. It was one of my favourites and it kind of hurts that someone only bid 5 bucks for it and won it. It's worth so much more, well i thought so anyway. Even $20 isn't much but at least it's some value.

Bah.

It's been a beautiful fall weekend, weather wise and i really didn't do a whole lot. Stayed home and did house stuff yesterday. Just got back from doing a few errands this afternoon. One woman got on the bus and before she sat down, the bus pulled away. She stagged a bit and SCREAMED! She didn't seem that unsteady on her feet when she got on and he didn't seem to pull away with a jerk but it caught her off guard anyway. Still, can you say "overreaction?" She then proceeded to complain loudly to the person whose lap on which she nearly landed and to the person sitting across the aisle... loud enough so the driver could hear but didn't address the driver himself. She's 57 and thinks bus drivers should have more respect for older people etc. All the way to the bus terminal, i could her her occaisionaly muttering about getting no respect, and something about dignity. Lady, if you're going to be passive aggressive, and not complain directly to whomever you need to, you're never going to get any respect. To be fair, some drivers don't wait until passengers sit down and some do. I've seen people complain in *both* cases.

I've made my Christmas list, people i will be getting pressies for and noted what i've already got. Yes, i've already got a few things. I really always took pride in getting it all done and dusted by December so i could stay out of the crowded stores. If i really need to, i will go right after work as it's the best time to go. It's insane on the weekends in December. I do buy stuff online as well, if i know what i want or i see something. It's like anything, i'll see it and think "oh so-and-so would love that". I actually have 6 people's gifts sorted and i've made some notes for what i might get for other people. I'll have to review the Christmas card list too, see if any addresses are going to need changing or adding/deleting.

Oh, remember that poll awhile back about which painting to submit to that United Way thing at work? The people have spoken and the folk-arty painting called The Ship was the overall winner so that's what i went with. I took it in and the lady that was collecting it really liked it too. She's got a contribution from someone else, can't remember if it's a painting or some other type of artwork, she's going to put photos of them both on our intranet at work and see if people will submit bids ahead of the kickoff which is in early November. So that's good, anyway. She seemed to think there would be enough interest in it. I'll be interested too, to see how much it goes for. I really should do more painting, i kind of slowed down on the output over the last year or so. I suppose because i have all these paintings and they're just there. Yes, i know, i should try to put them on ebay or etsy and sell them. I just keep thinking, well what if nobody wants them or i'm asking too much. Yet when i went to an art show in the mall from a few local amateur art groups, even unframed paintings were going for a lot more than i'd have the nerve to ask. And there were a few of them that i saw that i knew i could do as well or better.

When we went to the Eastern Passage boardwalk shops a few weeks ago, we got chatting to a man in the little gallery there and he's done something neat with some of his paintings. He makes copies on paper and then uses "podgy" which is a craft glue that dries clear, to stick them to small canvasses. The podgy, applied thickly and a bit unevenly, gives the impression of canvas and he just puts them on small wooden "easels" or stands that he paints to match a colour in the painting. They are only small, not even the size of a photo but he says they sell really well. It's an idea that i could do i suppose. If i put them on Etsy, i'd have to make sure to specify that it isn't an oil painting, but a print mounted on canvas so nobody would think they were getting ripped off.

Many of you know blueberrymoon and if you don't, you should definitely check out her journal. She's an artist and a photographer. She sells her paintings on eBay and prints of her paintings and her photography on Etsy.com and today she greeted her friends and family at the Love, Me boutique on Birmingham Street in Halifax. Love, Me features crafts and hand made items including local artists and they are featuring her photos and other items made from her photos and paintings such as buttons, cards, mini purse mirrors, and her prints, framed and unframed. You can see the framed prints i the pics through the cut. I went after work for a little while but my back was not up to standing for too long. The shop was filling up when i left, though. Shelagh's work is always wonderful. Her paintings are bright and cheerful folk art and her photography is just *that* good! One of my favourite photos is this one that she took of her daughter's checked socks and red shoes against a black and white tiled step in London. I bought a set of cards, one of which is this one so i can get a red frame for it. I also bought a button of one of her paintings, cat looking at a night sky. Seeing a photo or painting on her LJ always brightens up my flist :)

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