New Tripod

Yesterday it rained, cleared up but looked like it was about to rain again, and then did, all day. Today it was cloudy and raining first thing this morning and cleared up mid-afternoon. Since it was raining, I got up and started my painting business plan first thing. I have been putting it off and usually when I start first thing in the morning with something I am resisting, I can skip whatever it is that is blocking me.

The problem is that there is no good example of how to do a business plan for an artist. It is not much like a regular business plan, so the typical format doesn't really help and trying to build on that format isn't working for me. I thought I found a good example for artists on-line, but it turns out that it is full of philosophical stuff, how will you emotionally deal with rejection? Good question, but the answer does not belong in a business plan. I've decided to just write out what I am going to do and how. It's really just for me, anyway.

I just couldn't stand it and I went out in the rain and bought a camera tripod. Idaho camera is right around the corner. The one I really wanted, like my brother John's old one, was a $265 Manfrotto. $150 for the legs, $115 for the head. I bought a $110 Promaster. Anything cheaper was just too rickety. Then I came home and photographed the paintings I've finished since I got here. These are the first two studies, 5" x 7",



Both are worthy of a larger painting.
Then I tried a larger painting, 10.5" x 14.5" (I already did a study),


I liked this size and I don't think I want to do landscapes any larger than this one.

I'll save the next two studies I did over the weekend for display tomorrow.

Two more enlightenment topics and I am half way through. (I suppose that is not very enlightened to be counting.) The next topic is Judgment, with a Fable by Ralph Waldo Emerson,

The mountain and the squirrel
Had a quarrel,
And the former called the latter
“Little prig.”
Bun replied,
“You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it no disgrace
To occupy my place.
If I'm not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry:
I'll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track.
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut."

I am struggling with my judgment of the author of this book. He is some kind of writer/philosopher and he has 8 kids! How can you support (and pay attention to) 8 kids as a philosopher?! It seems irresponsible to me. Is he Catholic or Mormon? Then most of what he writes about in this chapter is about his recent book that he wrote with his wife about a mother who took care of her comatose daughter for 28 years. Pretty tricky to slip in some self-promotion during the Judgment topic. Now I feel guilty, judgmental!

You are responsible for your own life and happiness and comparing yourself to others is a waste of time. If you knew all about the problems of others, you would rather keep your problems than trade yours for theirs. Be happy with your own talents and recognize the talents of others. If you really can't help it, at least look down and stare at your shoes rather than giving someone your stink-eye of judgment when their talking in a way you can't stand, yet AGAIN. Oops, sorry, no matter how enlightened I get, I can't imagine truly giving up the usefulness of the stink-eye.