The Great Fundraiser

So the day finally came.  And I was a nervous wreck.  No really.  I was quiet and reserved because my nerves were a mess.  And this is why.  Yes, it was an amazing idea.  And yes the artwork turned out beyond my wildest dreams good.  And yes, the PTA was beyond kind about the whole process.  But....what if no one bought them?  Oh geesh.

I'd brought my personal show displays for the work since I knew they'd all fit.  Around 4:30 we had the artwork all set and ready to go.  I ran home to change and grab William then back to the school I ran.  Ready to meet and greet and show off all our hard work.

As families walked out every child came running over to proudly show their parents which painting was their class'.  Most were so complimentary.  And I just beamed sharing the how we accomplished such amazing work.  I do have to say there were a few snobby Mommies in their decked out heels and make-up who turned their noses up.  I seriously wanted to punch them in their overly done faces....one even said "I have no use for a truck painting."  OMG.  Not only did ya stab me a good one, you just stabbed your own child!  Urgh....there were several of those type of comments.  I also had to remember that not everyone appreciates the same type of art I do.  I know this.  But most families did  love them.  The ones who bid were super excited to not be bidding on baskets full of A1 sauce.  Many were confused though, as to the process and how to bid.  Some were taken back at the starting bids, which we set at $50.  (Now I must interject here, we are by no means rich.  With money that is.  We have a budget for everything.  We've been down the dark road before and have NO intention of ever seeing it again.  I won't share my entire budget with you, but will tell you that we spend $150 on groceries a week, $130 on gas and we get $100 to spend eating out or on entertainment.  Last week for instance we went to Wings and Things.  It was $48.  So that meant we had $52 for the rest of the week.  And spring fling had to be a part of that money.  We also have extra in the budget for spending on things like auction items.  I had a limit for my bidding and once we hit it I had to back down.  Mailey got that.  And was fine.  Of course I can always have her class paint me one.)  Anyhoo, I share that personal information with you because $50 was not unreasonable to start the bidding on a painting that is priceless no doubt.  But I was made painfully aware that $50 was just not feasable for many families in our school.  And it broke my heart.  Because many were ones who really wanted the paintings but could not bid.  Does this make sense?

So every painting sold.  The lowest bid being $50, the highest being $300.  Gulp.  As I wrung my hands out at 9:30 Friday night my worst fear had come a teensy bit true.  Although we made money.  Let me be clear about this.  Made money.  More than the basket auctions in the past, but it still did not meet my expectations.  My expectations.  The PTA however, turned to me that night and said, let's do this again next year.  We learned a few things this year and next year it'll only be better.  So they were again being ever supportive and ever optimistic.  I love those women.
And truly in the end, yes the money was important, but more importantly these children were given an opportunity unlike any they may encounter again.  They had the opportunity to work with a real artist on a real painting to sell in a real auction.  Hey, just like Horton's little speck, our school is huge to these students and they made history that night by selling their work.

Next year, I'll be teaching here again and I am sure students will be offering many an opinion about what to paint.  We'll see about that.  I do have issues with control and doing things my way...hahaha....and expectations.  Not that I intend to lower them.  Next year I'll have this year under my belt and can be a little more realist about our outcome.  Oh and below was Mailey's class painting...the one that had the bidding war and ended up at $300.  Like I said, I can always get them to paint me one, right?

Anyhoo, I can not thank you guys ENOUGH for your support of this project.  It made the evening so much better reading your comments on FB, getting sweet texts and of course your comments.  It's always lovely when you know you are loved.  And I certainly felt it.  Puffy heart that.

Woven Together

I don't really feel like this painting needs explaining.  Just says it all with those two little words.  Woven together.  Yep.

Flying Hearts

I am really into kites right now, and hearts.  So here I combined the two thoughts.   I have a black sketchbook of silly sketches and this is one that's been percolating for a spell.  I just love the way it turned out.  These birds are just out for a day of flying their hearts.  Simple.

You know, putting your heart out there in the wind is not always easy.  But if you never do, how will you ever know if it can soar or not?  Putting this Paint Something workshop has been kind of a vulnerable thing for me.  I don't know why.  Scratch that.  I know exactly why.  Because I was afraid I'd put it out there and no one would want to come.  There said it.  But you are! And had I not put my heart out there for you to see, you'd not have come.  Just like flying a kite you've got to have a person to fly the kite and a kite to fly.  Thanks for being my persons.  :)  I am beginning to scheme big time for our weekend together.  Like goodie bags and stuff like that (teaching part is always in my head).  Wheels are spinning.  It's going to be so good!

The GRAND Fundraiser Idea

Sometimes I get grand ideas in my head.  And instead of just thinking about the ideas and keeping them to myself  I tell people about the ideas and the next thing you know I am swimming in the ideas looking for the dang foam float.  Yep.  But hopefully this idea will pay off LARGE. 

Let me back up my long story with this little tid bit for you.  Art teachers in our county at the elementary school level are paid for partially by the PTA.  Yes, you just read that right.  Our PTA has to bust tail to raise money to pay for my salary, and I think the school nurse.  May be wrong on that one, but definitely mine.  The county pays for X number of hours and the PTA has to make up for the rest to have me there the 30 hours a week I teach.  And they have to pay for all the supplies we use up at a rather swift pace.  So there's a little background for you and why, oh why I decided to tackle this insane fundraiser idea.

So the idea.   Each spring the PTA throws a super fun Spring Fling event.  You know the kind....carnival rides, silly games, cotton candy, DJ, cake walk (Oh my favorite), cokes, candy, hair spray the works!  It is a family night of total chaotic fun.  Alongside the crazy fun for the kiddos the PTA asks local businesses for donations for a silent auction and each classroom is responsible for a theme basket of goodies to silent auction as well.  And every year we buy 1-3 of these baskets.  Because I know this money goes to the good of the school (it wasn't my salary until this year).  We've bought a BBQ basket complete with enough A1 sauce to last me until the year 2020.  No lie.  One year we bought an awesome craft basket I think we're sitll using to this date.  I'm not saying the baskets were all bad, but enough was enough.  It was time for a change. 

So in January I emailed the president and said I needed to talk to the board about an idea.  Most of these moms know me, so they were very open to me coming and throwing my idea into the pot.  So here's what I proposed:

1.  instead of baskets for each class I wanted to create an original painting with each class, totally 23 paintings. 

2.  I wanted to use my art work as the inspiration for each of the 23 paintings with each grade level a different theme.  We decided as a group that the following would be the class themes: k-nest, 1st- bird cages, 2nd- long flowers, 4rd- whimsical landscapes, 4th-bikes, 5th- trucks, Special Ed-cake

3.  I wanted them to be framed in the salvage frames

4.  I wanted the PTA to buy the frames and ask the students for a small donation to defer the costs of these

5.  I wanted to get the images up on the school website at least 3 weeks ahead to get parents excited about this and get them to the event

6.  I wanted the PTA to get the Square app so we could take credit cards

7.  I wanted to do all this during my regular art time slots with the kids

8.  I wanted to be totally done by Spring Break.

9.  I wanted to make lots and lots of money

10.  I wanted them to trust me that I could indeed get #1-9 done exactly as planned.

And well, they loved the idea!!  So Phillip made the frames, and I picked them up as seen here:

 These are LARGE paintings.  Like the smallest is 20x20 inside frame.  The big skinny ones are an awesome 12x36!  Super great sizes.  My 5th grade helpers then rolled the wood canvas with black primer.

Once the black was dry I set out drawing the 23 canvases.  It was effortless getting these ideas out and onto the wood canvas.  I also started talking to the kids about the upcoming project and got them very excited!!

It took 2 weeks to finish all the paintings....I see the classes 3 times in a two week period.  (Except K and pre-K.  I did have to go to them during my planning periods.  I don't teach those grades.)  We set up a table in the back for canvas work and while the rest of the class worked quietly on another project I called about 3 kids at a time back to work with me.  And although not one person did more than the other they all felt a part of the process.

As the paintings were started we emailed the teachers what we were doing.  I have to say doing something NEW is always difficult.  I am still not 100% sure the teachers understand what we've done, and I know parents are clueless as to the amazing final products that the kids have made.  Every Thursday the PTA group wanders down and just grins at what transpired.  I think they too had some "is this really gonna work?" monsters in their heads.  But I stick to my word and do what I say I'm gonna do.  Even if it did burn me out of my own studio time!  Whew.  And we are all getting the auction bidding eyes on.....unfortunately there are 3 Mommas I know I'll have to contend with for Mailey's class painting!!  Maybe more!!

So here are some of the 23 paintings we'll have for sale Friday night.  I can not wait!!  I just know I'm gonna cry.  Because seeing the paintings all hanging is going to be an unbelieveable sight for these sore eyes!!

 The above bike is Mailey's class painting BTW.....I am really into kites these days!!!

So, I WILL be taking loads of pics of the night and let you know the sales totals.  I really hope we aren't disappointed.....I don't see how we can't make tons of money on these amazing works of art!!

A Sticky Note Post

So here's a sticky note list for you...incase you didn't already have enough on your plate already.  These are things I think you should add.  hehehee.....aren't you glad to have a friend like me?

1.  Like Jenni Horne Studios on facebook.  It's where I post the inside scoop on things like #2.
2.  Sign up for a Paint Something workshop!!  More information here.
3.  Tell your friends about #2 and bring them along.  We are going to have a FABULOUS time.  And there will be give-aways.  Cool stuff.  You know, like stuff I've made and all.  Ooo...and food.  What good Southern gal wouldn't have yummy food at her partay? 
4.  Come find me at the Dunwoody Art Festival.  It's my semi-retirement party from the circus, I mean art shows.  I may be doing some deal breaking sales.  It's Mother's Day weekend.  That's 2 weeks actually I have 3!! from now.  I am not panicking or anything of the sorts.  No really, I'm not.  I just literally unloaded the van from the last show right by the back door so all I gotta do is load and roll.  Well, pray my van starts this time.  Orange van really should be the color yellow. I think in it's previous life it was.
5.  Start following the 52 Canvases journey.  I'm 6 weeks into the project.  BTW, I am thinking I should have started backwards because it's making me feel older counting forward.  So I am 6 weeks older than when I started.  Geesh.  I thought 40 was old.  Now I'm just older.

Well, that's it for the notes.  I do hope you'll join me for the Paint Something workshops in my studio above.  I am already so thrilled with the sign-ups!!  See you back later this week.  I've got SO many paintings to share.

Kindness

Alrighty.  So as well as "being there"....."kindness" is right up there on the list these days.  How about you?  What's right up there for you these days?  Patience is going to be next just so you know.

Art Shows and New Plans

I just have a few more things in regards to the show weekend....it's been an interesting week.  Monday the Acworth Festival directors sent out a survey for those of us who participated to fill out.  I didn't think a thing about it, filled it out very honestly and went about my day.  There were questions about sales totals, thoughts on the venue, thoughts on the visitors, thoughts about hotel, etc.  Basic stuff.  I didn't have anything bad to say.  I signed my name to the survey.  Well I'll be danged if by a day later we got an email from them saying they hear us, thanks for the feedback and the main concern on everyone's heart was the lack of sales.  Wow.  I mean, I didn't have stellar sales but I made some money.  But throughout the weekend I heard the rumble.  The, "this is the worst show sales ever for me" rumble.  People mad.  People not happy. 

Now, for many this is their way of living.  Their income.  Their life.  Many I've gotten to know over the years.   And their work.  And how their work has stayed the same, and their displays.   You see, with every show that rolls around I feel like I've gotta be like the Ringling Brothers and put on a new show.  A great show.  New products, new paintings, new banners, new displays.   It is......exhausting.  I think this crazy need to be over the top new is from being a retail owner.  I know as a buyer I always wanted to be wowed with new with every season.  But as an artist I need to remind myself that really what is inside me is just me.  There is not a team of designers, product developers or an endless flow of cash to create a new line behind me. 

The biggest thing I found this weekend was that many artists are desperately searching for a new way to survive.  Survive.  That's kind of a scary word for me.  I don't want to just survive.  I want to thrive.  I want to be proud what I create and know that it is authentically from my heart and hands.  I am not going to compromise my style for the times or trends.  Or reduce prices because the venue suggests it.  Heck, would you take 20% off your paycheck this week?  Because when you ask an artist this, that is exactly what it is.  This perhaps seems random and out of nowhere, but we were also asked in the email to commit to coming back next year.  And although I didn't have terrible sales and had a lovely stay I am thinking that perhaps my time in the circus is over.  Really.

One friend said she's got to find a new way to make a living, that shows were wearing her out.  I laughingly said, "I think my new life found me".  Teaching is and always has been my lifeline to a whole-hearted life.  There were a few years where I tried to wear a few too many hats and fought the teaching hat.  But honestly this weekend put a giant silver lining on my way to finding true joy.  I'm glad I decided to embrace it.  And really, really look forward to sharing my "paint something" series with you.  (there is a page tab now at the top with information).  And maybe even an online class is in the near future.  Who knows.  Without the stress of getting ready for shows there is NO telling what I'll have time for now.  Oh, and yes....I am taking a year off from shows.  I mentioned this already to a few.  But now I am telling you.  Whew.  That was easy peasy.  You'll still find me in the galleries listed in the side bar.  And at Marist in October (for selfish reasons, that's my Christmas mad money show!  and it's already paid for).  But other than that, my plan is simple.  Teach and paint.  Paint some more.  And maybe more.  It is by far my favorite medium and it's time I showed it my full attention.  

Sending great big thank you's to all of you who have come out to support my shows in the past.  I am not going away.  Just plan to be coming at you from a different angle.  It's all a part of the big picture.  So join me.....paint with me.....and maybe even attend a workshop or two!  Looking forward to this new adventure!!