Acrylic Art Meridians

Hi, I'm Martha and I'm spicing up my life with ART. I'm on a journey to becoming an artist. Won't you hop on board my art page and join me on this journey. I'm looking to network with other artistic persons, new or established, that want to share creative and inspiring thoughts, ideas, and wisdom. Don't forget to check out my blogs, I am trying to keep the information I gather along my journey that might be useful to others that are just starting out. It's never too late to go after your dream. Having been a daughter, sister, wife, mother for so long now, I seem to have lost the ME in there. I'm at a place in time when I want to reconnect to being "Martha" and not "Mom", "Honey", "Mrs. Ramirez". Like most women, I fell into a pattern of doing for others first and as time went by the more you do for others the less time you take for the "ME" in you. I thought it was time to be what I always dreamed of being, an ARTIST! What are the requirements to be called an "artist" anyways? Isn't it just someone who creates art? But what about being a "successful" artist. Depends on your goals I suppose. I am struggling with the term "successful" more than I am with that of "artist". As an artist I believe my definition of being a success at it is in making quality art. Creating a strong body of that quality art. Then as an artist I could feel I was successful. But I think those around me, even though they are supportive of this dream to become an artist, might view being successful at it differently. Like say, selling enough work over the internet to live comfortably defines being a success. So after creating all these quality works that I feel make me an artist, I would have to go the step farther and promote my art like it is a business to be successful in their eyes. Click to Visit and Shop the Gallery of Martha Everette Ramirez Thus I am researching sales opportunities and trying to select appropriate venues to sell my art, and with that notion I am leaning towards online venues because that would be less invasive to family life. So I would have to get my work accepted by some online venue and sell works online to be "successful". Arghhh, I just want to paint!!! I'm trying to find balance with this. I love creative approaches to situations and MySpace is my creative approach to promoting my art. I love people that are open enough to be free with their expressive ideas and I hope you will express feedback on my art and suggestive approaches to being "successful". I have always loved doodling, crafting, and colors. So I see myself as an "artist"!All my original artworks featured here are painted in acrylic because it has no fumes, nor odors, and I can paint with my chihuahua sitting in my lap. I only use Liquitex professional grade acrylic paints because I love the mixability and consistency in ease and quality. I paint on triple primed 100% cotton duck canvas stretched over traditional wood frames and back stapled. The 1" depth sides are painted black so the painting can be hung framed or unframed. Each painting is sealed with gloss medium protective varnish for durability and brilliance enhancement. I hope you take the time to browse my albums of one of a kind acrylics. When asked about why I paint as I do, I simply say my "style" is one of meridians. I paint with the body's yin yang meridian positive and negative energy of the day that inspired me to pick up a brush and put down a chihuahua. The effect is almost stained glassed and "yang" heavily directed. Focused, logical, and action oriented energy flows from the sun and runs from the fingers to the face but can be obstructed or partitioned and compartmentalized by daily life occurrences, situations, and encounters causing imbalances and increased yin (negative energy) flow. This can lead to becoming upset, angry, anxious, fearful, hurt by increased yin. The yang (positive energy) will become shut off, composite, compartmentalized, and constricted. I have been able to increase the yang flow by creating my meridianed paintings. Well that's just how I see it. Think about this the next time you sit down to create or are having a "blocked" day and just having a hard time getting motivated, you need more "yang" to balance out all that "yin" that is holding you back. Do this to obtain equilibrium... take a seat first (1)start off by gently tapping the top of your head with the flat palm of your hand, do this about seven times to stimulate your YANG and force it downward throughout your body. (2)then with three fingers slap sharply the inner wrist forearm seven or so times (start with your dominate side, if you are right handed start with right arm, then repeat the process with other arm) this stimulates your YIN flow back upward to be released. (3)finally slap sharply with four fingers the inner ankle seven times on one leg then repeat on the other to force all remaining YIN energy upward to finish balanced polarity in your system. You can start with either leg you want, doesn't make a difference. This works for me and I hope you will try it. I'm ready to paint now. There's a "mood" behind each of my meridianed paintings and I hope they inspire you to open your energy paths and embrace your move towards wholeness. I have enjoyed sharing my art with you and browsing through your creations. I wish to find more art oriented friends here on MySpace with the hopes they can advise me on what to do now that I am making strives to create, produce, and share my art. I hope you find my style intriguing and pleasing. Now tap your head three times and quack like a duck. Just seeing if you are reading this! My primary style of artwork features the eyes CLOSED because if you close your eyes, you then see with your heart. You can feel the energy and beauty of life in all things! Thank you for any input on what artist organizations to join, supplies to use, and markets to conquer to become successful. 2009 should be a very eventful year for me, it will be my thirtieth high school reunion, my twentieth wedding anniversary, and the year our son graduates high school. I hope it will also be the year that my art hangs in someone other than a relative's home. I guess if I don't seem to find a market for people that appreciate my creations or that are willing the pay the value I place upon them, then well I can always fall back on my other dream, champion chihuahua breeder! Or maybe PLAN B, I'll give a go to being a cicada wrangler!