Maybe this is what I need...

I found this video and found it rather cute. Maybe if someone 'gave me treats'...I'd get busy painting:)

Just kicking it...

You know, with the exception

of the

time directly following

the loss of

the 'love of my life'

(a year or so..that was...

..more or less..lost)

this is the first time in a while

that I have just not

painted anything in about a month.

At least I think it's been a month.

Things were getting a little too much

like they'd gotten on eBay...

and I was beginning to feel a little

like an 'art factory'...

so...I'm just 'kicking it'.

I'm doing some 'off Etsy' work...

and I'm also

watching some 'reality' t.v.

which I..admittedly...do like

A LOT...

I guess they're kind of like

this era's 'game shows'...

or something!

And I'm also doing a

blog about my

'entertainment'

but...I'm finding it...

fun

and

relaxing!

So..I was

'bummed'

that

Carla Hall

did not win

Top Chef!

She 'listened' to her

sous chef,

(Casey...from Hung's Season)

and did something

she had never done before...

Nooooo!! Carla!!!

Not on THE Final Challenge!!

Anyway...it was

fun to watch..

and the only way it

affects my life at all....

I was entertained..

therefore..

not worried about all of

the things that go along with

day to day living!

And...

what about that little

Allison Iraheta...

from last night's

Idol show!!!

She sang Heart's

'Alone'

and I thought she

was fabulous!!

I think she really

should make it to the

top 12!

Just a little bit

of what I've been

'doing'

lately:)

I love folk art!

I love 'folk' and 'naive' art and I found another 'You Tube' video that shows someone painting a 'naive angel'.

So-Oh is Closing

I heard from Renee, at the So-Oh Gallery, yesterday.

She's been our local gallery representative for two

years now.

She's having a big art sale this next week-end...

and that will be it for her.

She's decided to

close up shop!

It looks like the economy has hit, at least,

one of our local

galleries.

We'll miss being a part of this lovely gallery and

we wish Renee the very best!

From Daily Painters...

I was scanning You Tube and ran across this short little video. I thought it was kind of neat...so I decided to share it.

I think I have a 'stalker'..

I think I have a 'stalker'...

For the third time..

in about as many months..

I've had something 'pulled' from Zazzle

for copyright infringement.

This time it was this light blue

'Keep Calm and Carry On' merchandise.

I think if I check, I'll find the red one's probably

been pulled as well.

Last time, it was my

Obama button,

with the 'Rosa Sat...' saying on it.

With the Obama button,

the reason given...

' all images of Martin Luther King

are copyright protected.'

DUH!!

Dumb Ass!!

I DIDN'T USE an image of Martin Luther King...

I didn't even use his full name...I said, "Martin walk(ed)...'

I was maddest about that 'pull' ... since that was

my MOST popular item at the time

and selling like crazy.

They never did 'resolve' the problem.,..

I just sent an email...saying I had NOT infringed on

any copyright..and put the thing back on.

Of course, by then it wasn't such a 'hot' item anymore!

I was soooo pissed!

So, over the week-end I got a new 'violation' over

the 'keep calm' image.

Like it's not in Public Domain and free for anyone to use.

The reference they gave me (for a copyright violation)...

was a link to a shop in England that sells nothing but

'Keep Calm'...merchandise.

Since they don't just pull your merchandise,

someone had to 'report' that I'd violated

something!

It's getting a little tiring!

I think it's bullsh*t, that there's someone

out there THAT is so worried about what

I'm doing or not...

to report me as violating copyright

that I'm not violating.

I decided I would see

how 'involved'

this process was..

so I tried it myself...

I discovered they have to write the

'reason' they think there

was a violation and what it was..

so...no...'oops...sorry...we hit

that button by mistake'

excuse on these.

No...I didn't report anybody

for copyright violation...

though I certainly could have..

if I'd used the same criteria for my own

'infractions'.

As a matter of fact..I think there's

still a 'Rosa Sat..' card there

that DOES have a

Martin image on it...wow...really..

hmmm!

When you Purchase Original Art

I've received a few questions over the years about, how does one purchase original art.
Some questioned why my prices were this while another artist's was that. Occasionally my prices were higher and other times lower.
To answer the 'higher' question...the prices of the 'other art', priced much lower than my art, I knew were 'knock-offs' of other people's art.
You've probably seen the large 'starving artists' sales that advertise sofa sized oil paintings beginning at $29.
These are usually paintings that are done overseas, many times in an 'assembly-line' of sorts. There may or may not be an actual artist involved in the work, and the signature could be as much a forgery as the painting itself. And, they pump out a lot of the 'same' paintings over and over.

If you are just looking for a painting that 'strikes your fancy' and aren't really interested in the possibility that the artwork might be 'worth something someday', these paintings could easily suffice. I can't speak for the quality of the canvas or the level of talent, but the price is usually 'right' on these paintings.

However, if you want a 'one of a kind' original painting, with a signature on the Certificate of Authenticity that matches the one on the painting, you might want to purchase from someone who can verify their credentials as the artist.
But, if you

The Etsy Shop is Closed...

I have now

'closed'

my

CMZ Art Etsy Shop.

(Even though it

may have been 'not quite midnite'

in some parts of the country,

I opted to bring everything

down..at midnite

my time.)

Technically, it's been put

'on vacation'...

though I'm not entirely sure

for how long.

I won't be relisting ANY of the

pieces that I've offered

since the Shop first opened

in November 2007.

I've decided that I'm going to go

in a

'different direction'

with the Shop.

A few of these pieces can be

found, however, in my

CMZ Art Imagekind Shop

and on merchandise

in my

CMZ Art Zazzle Shop

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The SALE ends Today!

I will be closing shop on the 15th!

Thanks to all who have enjoyed

and purchased

the art that I've had in my

shop this past year!

I will announce the

re-opening here..

New PENDANTS in The Shop....1 Day ONLY!

Oh dear...I forgot to tell Jaime that I was

temporarily closing my

CMZ Art Etsy Shop

and she made

several BRAND NEW pendants

for me to

put in the shop.

The one pictured here

was in the shop for less than 5 minutes

when it sold...just letting everyone

know that I have

a few NEW pendants...

and THEY'RE on Sale

as well.

But, for one Day Only!

Then I'll put

my shop

'on vacation'

for a bit..

Is Original Art a Good Investment?

Is Original Art a Good Investment?

Should I spend more to get the original, or save some money and buy a giclee canvas print?

I love original art but, is original art a good investment, especially in today's economy?

According to the experts, collecting original art has proven to be a good investment over the years, both in good times and in bad.
But, it might take quite a few years for your painting to increase significantly in value, in order to make it a good investment.

What are the risks of buying art as an investment? Since it is a long term investment, there are no guarantees that the market will be receptive when you are ready to cash in on your investment.

You need to insure your art, against fire and water damage, and also against theft.

You need to have photograph documents of your collection, appraisals you may have had done, sales receipts, certificates of authenticity and other documentation that will help you prove the value of your art.
Like most things in life, the best gauge of whether or not you think original art might be a good investment would be to go with your instinct. If the thought of purchasing art as investment, makes your palms sweat and gives you heart palpitations, you might want to invest in something like savings bonds. If it is something that you know you would enjoy spending many years with, and it 'feels' good...then go for it!

Original art is a good investment as long as you go in with the understanding that it's value will not appreciate overnight.

48 HOUR SALE

I'm having a 48 Hour sale in my CMZ Art Etsy Shop. Well, technically it's more like a 56 hour Sale!

It started a little while ago and runs through Valentine's Day.

And....I've made my DECISION...I'm shutting her down!!! For a while anyway!

So, this is the last chance to get most of the pieces that are now in the shop!

I'm going to be pulling everything as soon as the Sale ends and placing the shop on Vacation! I don't have a definite date for re-opening it...I can only tell you that when it does re-open...it will look a LOT different!

Is there value in Original Art by Living Artists?

I decided to do a few articles on, purchasing original art. After submitting them for publication, I thought I might want to write a couple posts about the same subject right here.

I've heard so many views on whether or not there is value in purchasing original art by an artist who is still living.

My take is...there is often as much value in the original art of a living artist, as there is in the original art of someone who has passed.

While it is true that the artist no longer living will not create another work of art, thus making the art less easy to find, it doesn't automatically make it more valuable.

I'm sure Jasper Johns pieces are fetching much more than they did while he was living, but he commanded some pretty good prices during his lifetime and his art was highly valued.

And, it's not unusual for a piece by living artist, Damien Hirst to go for well over a million dollars. He has a collector base, his art is popular and in demand, so original art by Damien Hirst is very valuable.

It doesn't matter if you purchase an original piece of art through a high end auction house like Sotheby's, a low end auction venue like eBay, a quaint site like Etsy or from your local gallery or art fair, if you like a piece of art and you can afford to purchase it, go for it.

As an investment it will appreciate in value, if only from the enjoyment you have brought into your life and the lives of those around you.
Original art by living artists has value. If it has brightened your life in any way, it's value is, priceless.

Valentine Week Sale

Since I will be making my

shop decision soon...

and may be placing my CMZ Art Etsy Shop

on vacation beginning February 15th..

I thought I would offer

the paintings and prints,

currently in my shop,

at a

discount for everyone !

What's next...

I have been considering what,

exactly...I should do with my CMZ Art Etsy Shop.

I've finally decided.

Now, I have to make a decision

about

whether to 'put the shop' on vacation

immediately..

for a month or so...

or just leave it...as is...

and make all the changes

when I'm ready.

Oh Lordy...I do hate indecision!

I've decided that I will decide..by the 15th

of the month, what I'll do...

but,

in the meantime I'll just say...

the pieces that are

currently in the shop

will only be available

for a short time.

When I close the shop...

for 'rennovation'

I won't be relisting anything that

is currently on

when it reopens.

Zibbet

As if I didn't already have a 'lot on my plate'...

there's a new art site that launches

tomorrow...Feb 4th...called

Zibbet.

I've been getting a lot of emails from them..

and I didn't think they were going to

launch quite this soon.

Now..I have to make up my mind

if I'm going to get a shop

over there or not.

I'd like to...but, I don't want yet another,

CMZ Art Shop.

I don't even want to offer the kinds

of things I've offer in my two

Etsy Shops...

not to mention the couple other art sites

I'm with.

So...I haven't signed up yet...

I need to decide what to name my shop..

and what I'll put in it.

I'm leaning towards something...

'whimsical.'

Expanding my horizons...

I've been working on,

expanding my horizons.

Wow, I have been sooo busy lately,

but, most of the work I've been doing is

the 'behind the scenes' stuff.

Hopefully only a couple more weeks and

I'll have everything in place and

be able to get back to doing some paintings.

I