Improving my, um, marketing skills?

I'm about to head for the largest Harley-Davidson dealer in the Twin Cities area and take some snapshots with the amazing digital camera my brother gave me last month.

I called and got very cheerful permission from the sales manager to go do this. Told him I'm an artist and I want to design a Harley mural and would like to take my own photos for reference.

"Sure!" he said. "Come on in!"

So we're off to a good start.

My plan is to take said photos and create a mockup or two of the kind of bike murals I've wanted to do for years now. Because nobody seems to quite register the fact that the Girl Who Paints Tropical Foliage actually LOVES large, loud metal things. Bikes and trucks and tractors and freight trains.

I need visual proof that this is a possibility, that I am capable of so much more than flowers and birds. I adore flowers and birds, but c'mon. An artist has to have some room to play.

My hope is that once the Harley folks have met me and I've made them curious enough to want to see what I do, something will develop from there. It may not, but this isn't a lottery I can win by sitting home.

They never pose when someone has a camera.

Last week when we did this, Twilight got up on the pedestal with all four feet and happily stayed there. It looked promising today, nice start ...



... but no. Today we were very good at going around the thing.



Or getting one end up at a time.



It's all right, dear. Let's try it again, shall we?



This may have to be good enough for today.



Of course, the moment my friend stopped taking photos, you know what happened. Yup, all four feet on the pedestal. Oh well. I'll just bring my camera back again next time.

Twilight the Canadian Wonder Mare

Below, Twilight tries out her new bridle. Kelly (my BFF who is holding the lead) made this bridle for her because we couldn't find one big enough to fit that huge Percheron noggin! Or, we could, but for around $200. Kell said, "Ha. I could make one for $20." And then she did.




We left the halter on under the bridle because Twilight doesn't know anything about bits yet, so we didn't want to mess with the reins. You can see she's pretty iffy about having this weird thing in her mouth.



Check out those luscious Percheron curves! Mmmmmmm.



And here's Sylvie, sitting on my bed in ... I think this would have been late August or early September. That creature at her side is Sebastian James, the Sofa Monster. He is plush and cuddly and made of recycled gold velvet hotel curtains. .

Lovely Lucy

Lucy, 5 x 7" pastel on paper, drawn for her owner in Australia.

I invented the background for this, to fit the lively, springy character of this adorable little dog.

Iris Pond commission

This is a 30 x 40" oil painting on canvas, made to order for a client in Canada.

I get to roll it up and ship it tomorrow. The notion of having works of mine going all over the world (a few are already in Canada and the UK, and one will shortly go to Australia) makes me unreasonably happy.

Snow Emergency Drawing #14

Daisy the Guinea Pig, 5 x 7" pastel on paper.

Daisy's owner sent me a perfect photo. The only things I changed were the background, and the flower in her mouth. In the photo it was a blade of grass, but I thought this was more appropriate, given her name.

I am still offering 5 x 7" Snow Emergency Drawings at $40 each. This includes a white mat (which makes the drawing fit into a standard 8 x 10" frame) and shipping in the US.

As it happens, Daisy is going to England. She's the fourth Snow Emergency drawing I've sent there, and two other pieces have gone to Canada.

Snow Emergency Drawing #13

Tuxedo Kitty. Cat portraits are fairly easy for me, since I've owned and sketched cats for a long time.

This is for a friend who allowed me considerable freedom to play, which is why I did the night sky. Just because I could.

Snow Emergency Drawing #12

Corky the Labrador, for a friend on the Motley Fool Community boards.

I'm still taking orders for these, as I've been enjoying the challenge and the pleasure they give to the people ordering. It makes me smile to send drawings around the country (and even, in some cases, out of the country!).

Dad's Toy Bronco

10 x 13", acrylic and pastel on paper.

This toy was made in the early 1940s in Japan, and belonged to my dad when he was little. It still works -- wind it up and the little horse bucks. This drawing is not currently for sale, and may serve as a study for an oil painting.

Snow Emergency Drawing #9

Continuing the $30 5 x 7" drawings with this iris for a lady in Canada.