Goals..

My next art show is in August. So I have about 2 months to get caught up on all the projects I planned to get done for my June show but didn't quite make it...

I need to get a large, eye-catching cottonwood piece finished. Right now I have a handful of medium-large pieces in the $100-$200 range, but I need a BIG piece that stands out from a distance in the $300-$500 price range. I had two pieces like that last year, but I sold both of them- one in the spring and one at my last show of the year (not that I am complaining about that at all!!) I am working on a piece right now, maybe 3.5-4' long, and I am about 3/4 done with it- just needs refinement on a couple of the faces and beards. Since I can only conveniently work on pieces that size outside (too much mess for the house) I am a little dependent on nice weather to get stuff done, but I should be able to finish it in time.

I would like to have my Point Reyes trees silhouette piece done by then too. It is different enough from most of my existing work that I think it will also be an eye-catcher.. It is taking me a bit longer since it is a different style of cutting and I can't just turn my brain off while I work on it like I can with a lot of my others.. ;)

Contemplation and Stargazer- the two patterns I just designed at the last art show. These will make a great set- I should be able to have them cut in time with no problems- painting the backgrounds and picking the right mats and frames might take a bit longer.

I need to re-cut the next edition of 5 of the pieces I sold at last weekend's art show- 2 Boston Terriers, a Lab, a Border Terrier, and a squirrel. For the two Bostons and the squirrel, this will be their final (3/3) edition. I always love seeing that, since A) it means people really like the pattern, and B) discontinuing a pattern gives me an excuse to go out to take more photos to design a new pattern of that subject (like I need the excuse!) :)

I really need to design another stylized tree- I keep selling the ones I have made almost the minute I put them up on the wall. First 'Sapling', then 'Summer Tree'. I have a winter-y gnarled tree piece- 'November'- that I have cut and need to get a background painted, but I don't know if that will attract the same interest that the cheerful leafy trees do- time will tell..

Once we get a decent temperature weekend day, I need to set up my entire booth in the back yard so I can get new photos taken for a new booth slide. My inventory has changed drastically enough that my old booth slide just isn't really appropriate any more. Technically, I could do it on an 85 degree day, but setup is miserable enough when the weather is decent and I am not in THAT big of a rush. As long as I get the pics ready by early October, I should be alright.

I am trying to design a 2-ft x 4-ft vinyl banner for my booth, since even with all the signs I have up everywhere, a lot of people walking around at my art shows seem to keep missing that my work is A) CUT PAPER, not pen and ink, and B) cut by hand, not laser. I figure a GIANT sign may get that point across? If not, no ideas what else I can do on this one!!! Maybe hire a barker to call out to passers-by? Probably against the rules at most art shows.. ;)

Wow, the list just gets longer every time I think about it! Hopefully I can get done everything that needs to get done by August!