by Jill Stefani Wagner

  When I first dipped my toes into the world of becoming a professional artist, I must admit I was a bit naive. Looking back I realize I had the silly notion that "If you paint it, they will come." Duh, not so much.   Over the years I've learned that for most painters, making a living from art is a multi-layered challenge. Depending on just one way of creating income is precarious... and downright scary at times. So in self defense, I've spread my efforts across various opportunities to keep the cash coming in.   The number one task is always to create. I know [...]

  Well, there's no getting around it. Sometimes we artists just hit a wall. The last couple of months have felt very much like that for me.   I can think of all kinds of excuses.   My favorite three seasons of the year were undeniably over. The excitement of painting outdoors, in new venues, with my cherished plein air friends, in a competitive but supportive environment ended in September. Plein air festivals flip my switch for so many reasons. As a driven athlete and business owner, they're similar to the way I've lived my whole life: quickly coming up with bold intentions and strong ideas, [...]