Cath Sheard Art

Blog

  • Getting the boring stuff over with…

    Once a year I do a stock take of my paintings; checking what I have against my records, making sure they are where I think they are. Then ensuring that details listed on websites are correct. Increasing my prices by 10% once a year, every year (thanks Robert Genn). This year some of my prices got out of alignment, and now is my chance to fix that. Some will go up, some will come down.

    It will take me a few days to complete. And then once the boring stuff is out of the way, it’ll be back to play time in my studio. Yahoo!!!

    Even though I would rather be wrist deep in paint and pastel, I know that if I do not look after the business side of my art, no one else can do it for me. It’s like ironing or cleaning the bathroom, it just goes with the territory.

  • Art goals for 2008

    I did a scrapbook page of my wishes and goals for 2008, so it is time I also documented my art goals.

    My art goals for 2008 –

    1) Load new work regularly on my own website and Etsy.

    2) Promote myself by being active on the web.

    3) Continue to build my relationship with the one gallery that has my work.

    4) Think hard about potential benefits before taking on auctions, cafes etc.

    5) Paint when I feel tired, because NOT painting makes me tired. Try to remember this when I am tired!

  • Okay, forget midnight

    I’m heading off to bed now. Tony is on duty, Mum is asleep, there is c**p on tv. So, bed and a magazine for me.

    But first – I did a scrapbook page yesterday about my wishes for 2008. They are:

    A new kitchen
    Mum to stay happy and as well as she is now
    Tony and I to have a proper holiday
    Time for me
    To have fun and success with my art
    Friendship, love and laughter
    A spa pool
    Our animals to have a healthy year
    The chance to prosper at work

    Whatever it is you wish for in 2008, may you find it an abundance.

  • Merry Christmas everyone

    Not sure about the rest of the world, but it is late afternoon here in New Zealand. We’ve had the roast chicken, eaten the pavlova, unwrapped the presents, had a nap…

    Mum has a new crossword dictionary to drive us nuts with, Tony has a Navman gps for the car to get lost with, I have an iPod to take music with me wherever I go. And the dog has a new cat toy. Don’t ask LOL.

    Wherever you are, and whatever you believe, I hope you are having a good day with friends and family.

  • Rant about a rooster!

    We live in town; we expect traffic noise, people noise, town noise. We don’t expect ROOSTER noise, especially at 5 in the morning.

    Let me set the scene – our property backs onto high school playing fields, behind the fields is empty land that slopes down to the river. We are right on the edge of town; 2 minutes walk from the river, 5 minutes walk from the sea.

    Some inconsiderate person has dumped two bantam roosters in the empty land behind the high school. No doubt unwanted pets; now they cruise the high school, and the houses that back onto the school, looking for food. They’re quite bold and go right up to people’s back doors.

    And they CROW. I think they are young, because one has a crow that resembles a young man’s voice breaking. It would be funny if it wasn’t so irritating. Because let’s be clear what we’re talking about here:

    They CROW and they CROW and they CROW. They start at about 5am and they CROW all day, till late in the evening. And this has been going on for weeks.

    Why the sudden rant? Animal Control Services have been trying to catch them for a couple of weeks now, so they are wasting a lot of time and ratepayers money.

    And it’s the silly season. My husband is an Ambulance Officer and, aside from working 5 days a week, from now till about the 7th of January he does every single shift outside his paid ones as a volunteer so that our community stays safe. Two nights in a row he has got back from a job after midnight, and two mornings in a row we have been woken at dawn by the CROWING. Are you beginning to spot the problem?

    Why can’t people be more responsible with unwanted pets? Please, if you give a pet for Christmas, make sure it is truly wanted and will be looked after well. And if you get a pet for Christmas and you don’t want it or can’t keep it, be responsible about what happens to it.

    Anyone want a bantam? Cute and going very cheep cheap!