Starting a new career - using my left side of my brain

My studies are coming to an end the middle of this month. I've been taking accounting classes for five semesters now, some online and some I drive 120 miles round trip to attend. I'm a better student than I was when I was in my early 20's. Gone are the days of sipping daiquiris instead of attending lecture classes. Going back to school has been fun and fairly easy.

I was fortunate enough that the college transferred 15 hours credits from my BFA toward the accounting degree so I didn't have to take another semester. I'd encourage anyone to attend college classes no matter how old you are. I'm a perfect example that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Learning junkie and painting

I think I'll always be a learning junkie. Since I graduated with my BFA in 1981 I have continued my education attended workshops and classes relating to business, marketing and similar subjects, along with taking creative classes like learning to paint.

As a student I was in the design division of the fine arts department at the University of Kansas, not the fine art department. My concentration was in structural fiber, aka weaving, so I never took any painting classes while in college. Hard to believe that a person with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art was never required to take a painting class. However that's the way it was when I was in college.

My first painting class in the early 90s was a beginning watercolor class taken from well-known Hawaii artist Marcia Ray. I wanted to find out if applying watercolors to paper worked the same way as dyes did on fabric and yarns. I learned there were no similarities to watercolors and dyes. I do remember my final project, a still life painting of a bowl of mangoes, looked pretty flat.

I took more of an interest in painting since I found a close-up appreciation of acrylics while volunteering at our local arts council gallery. So in the mid-2000s I took a beginning acrylic painting class from Mary Hinck who holds a MFA in painting. I had met Mary many years ago and always like her personality and her very large abstract paintings, so I jumped at the change to take a class with her. She showed us the basics and set up still life arrangements in class. I did learn about applying acrylics to canvas and working with mediums, which I was clueless about. After that class I came to the conclusion that realistic painting was not my style. A couple of years later I took an abstract painting class, only to be told I should be teaching the class.

After working with acrylics in my recent collages on canvas (image above: "Seascape", 18 x 14" collage/acrylic painting with handmade recycled cast paper and coconut fiber) I feel that oil paints may suit my purposes better. I like to work with the (acrylic) paints when they are still fluid, so I'm thinking oils. I remember in grade school that smell of turpentine working it's way up from the basement when my mother would host her painting group at our house. I also remember the same smell, which I liked, as a teenager at a friends house where his mother was an artist. However do I really want to invest in new mediums? I'll keep it in the back of my mind and when the timing right I'll pursue oils.

Smartphone = iPhone

It's Spring break so I'm taking a break and posting again. I'll try to post more often by utilizing the alarms on the iCal (calendar) on my new phone. I had been wanting to upgrade my old flip phone as it looked like a dinosaur compared to the phones the "kids" had on campus. Our best provider for coverage of wireless phone service on the Big Island of Hawaii is Verzion, and I really wanted an iPhone since it would sync with my Mac. But Verzion didn't offer the iPhone because Apple only offered it to AT&T customer....until last month.

I used my $100 upgrade allowance thought Verizon and went for it. My monthly wireless bill only increased $30, so I felt it was worth it. Now I'm able to access the Internet anywhere that there is a phone signal. The phone also has built-in GPS, which is really handy. I could have paid an additional $20 if I wanted the GPS to tell me where to turn. Or another $20 if I wanted to utilize the phone as an Internet server. For now I went with the minimum, technology changing as fast as it does, who knows what I'll be talking into in a year.

I'm really happy with the bells and whistles, and all the apps available. I've also found that the ring tone I selected that came with the phone is a favorite of many others. Standing in line at the post office or grocery store I find myself digging in my backpack for my phone when I hear
my phone ring, only to realize that it was another person's phone.

Happy New Year!

It's the start of a new year.
My new year's resolutions include creating more art. I've been hitting the books since going back to school almost 18 months ago taking accounting classes at the University of Hawaii. My left side of my brain needs a rest and I know creating art will do the trick.
Hope everyone has a great and successful new year.

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." ~Benjamin Franklin

Planning for group art show in Sept. 2011

I was honored last year when I received an invitation to be in a group art show at Wailoa Center, the State of Hawaii Arts and Cultural building Hilo on the Big Island. I accepted and started on sketches for pieces larger than I usually work in so to accommodate this spacious art gallery.

Unfortunately a week ago all ten artists were informed that the two coordinators of the show were bowing out as they took on more lucrative opportunities to further their careers. The show would be canceled unless someone stepped up to the plate to coordinate the show. Not wanting to miss the rare opportunity to display my work at the best art gallery space on the island I volunteered to be the lead coordinator for the show which was already titled "Big Island Style".

I feel comfortable taking this on as I had already been doing a similar process with the art shows at the Firehouse Gallery. Plus this show had far fewer artists to manage. I can easily manage the the printed collateral such as postcards and catalog since I have years experience as a graphic artist in my printing company back in the 90s.

I will have to recruit new artists to fill the slots of the original coordinators, however this shouldn't be a problem as there are so many talented and professional artists on our island. I have a few in mind as I am writing this today.

Volunteering at our local arts council

Today marks my five year anniversary of taking over the volunteer position of managing our local arts council fine art gallery. The Waimea Arts Council is located in the old firehouse station and fireman's bunkhouse (photo above). I've been a supporting member and had my work in the gallery since moving to Waimea in the mid- 80s. Five years ago I felt I was able to contribute more to the organization and then later wondered if I had taken on too much.

The mural on the side of building was my idea after the county (our landlord) removed the carport. I saw the side of the building like a billboard and a perfect opportunity to display rotating mural. The building is located at the crossroads of two major highways on our island. In reality the "highways" are only two lane roads better know locally as the upper road and the lower road. Only the visitors using maps know them as Highways 19 and 190.

During the past five year's I've enhanced the presence of the gallery in our community, increased visitor count and thus increased sales by utilizing of my marketing skills. That is until the economic doldrums set in. With the help of a gallery committee we've used the downturn in the economy to get out of our comfort zone, having fun and trying new events, while learning from our mistakes. I'm always asking the committee "How can we make it better?"

Over the years I've also attended many workshop addressing non-profit board development. Now I find myself planning board retreats for three nonprofits I'm involved in which include the Waimea Arts Council, Waimea Community Theatre, and Recycle Hawaii. Fun stuff since I am passionate about the arts and the environment.

This coming year I may have to decrease my involvement as I plan on graduation and utilizing my newly found accounting skills to supplement our household income. We'll see how classes and the job search goes the first of next summer.

Going solar

I finally was able to convinced my husband that solar was the way to go. You'd think it would be a no-brainer in Hawaii take advantage of our renewable energy from the sun. But it is expensive and that was his major argument against going for renewable energy via sun power.

The decision to go for both a solar hot water system and photovoltaic panels on our house was made after a representative laid out the financial benefits. Benefits include:

• electric bill will not increase
  
• state and federal tax credits
• no more brown outs
• zero percent financing options

Before we took the plunge I devised a plan on how we would make payments on the most excellent financing scheme. Regular payments would be possible through:

1. electricity bill going from $220 to $20
2. eliminate tax withholding on my husband's paycheck, since we are getting a tax credit.
   

We'll realize an immediate savings of $200. Yes, you read this right - $200. And we don't have AC or heat. We have an energy efficient fridge, a timer on our hot water heater and I cook with propane. Our electric bill like everyone's is high because our electric rates on the Big Island are the highest in the country.

The project looks good on paper, however I'll keep posting on this green project to see if what the salesman sold us on it true.