I support a few art organizations with occasional donations. I have noticed that most of these member galleries and art organizations have web sites, but they don’t make it easy to help them. 

All of them in my view, should have a one step button to push and donate to with either credit card or payment system like PayPal or Venmo. They want help and need it, but don’t ask for it. They don’t make it easy to help them. Their donation page should have a list of donor names to be grateful to, publicly.  That encourages more donations and makes donors feel good. 

These organizations constantly rely on artists to help them by donating art to their upkeep for auctions. They are asking the wrong group. Artists are low on the food chain. Every sale counts. We shouldn’t be the ones who continue to prop up our own organizations. 

Organizations should be asking for patronage from those who have a love for art and who have disposable income. Many would be willing to donate 20.00+ for their favorite art group. If there is no easy way to donate or if not given the idea, most patrons will not go to the trouble in these busy times. 

This country painter wants it to be easy to help….

I’ve been thinking about my own flaws for a few years now. I wonder at whether artists tend toward less than stellar relationships with others? I tend to be a driven individual, focused deeply on my work. I’m terrible at partnerships and was equally terrible at being married. 

I read statistics about artists a few years ago. Many of us suffer in our society from lack of social skills. Like me, many are loners, preferring studio time to anything else. Many suffer from neurodivergent issues.  Artists tend to view the world differently, or so I’ve been told frequently by non artists. We are constantly analyzing everything for shapes,values,colors. We can’t turn it off. 

As I age, I spend more time here on the land, away from the city. I love having friends visit for tea, but I never go to art openings anymore. I like for people to visit me. I do love going to Fair Oaks Farm, but it is much like my own land, only larger. 

The land quiets this country painter’s mind……

https://thecharmedstudio.com

A word about my wonderful, wise friend Thea Fiore-Bloom, PhD. She is so smart and kind. 

We have many interests in common in the natural world and oddities. She is a friend in California. 

She is a professional writing coach for all kinds of artists. None of that silly AI. She teaches artists how to write about their work and careers with integrity, sincerity, and honesty.  She is a great advisor to her clients and friends. 

She has a great blog and podcast called the Charmed Studio. She gets my highest recommendation as a writer/coach. She is working on a new book about how the objects we collect help shape us as artists. This is going to be a fascinating look into how artists think and create.

This country painter loves her friends……

Yesterday morning there was a lot of bird activity at the feeder. The cardinals have been waiting for me at breakfast time each morning lately.  The crows show up as I take my little walk around Tucker’s play pen. They start talking trash as soon as they see me with the bowl of their food. By the time I finish my walk and head to the feeder there are about a dozen crows lined up, not waiting patiently. Meanwhile the j birds and tufted titmouse are smoothly picking up nuts on the fly. The blackbirds take over the feeder before it all goes. It’s like a coffee shop at 8 AM, all are lined up to feast. 

I was so lucky to see one of the large ladder back woodpeckers, and later my sis called me out from the studio to see an adolescent red shouldered hawk, sunning himself just a few feet from the window. That was a thrill and it always is to see the big raptors closely. 

In the afternoon the doves arrive to eat the leftover seeds no one else has eaten. There is activity at the feeder for most of the day. 

It is this country painter’s favorite entertainment…….

I’ve been thinking more about the “influencer” trend in social media. Most of it seems to be for the famous or for college aged kids who want instant Kardashian  fame and to sell cosmetics or jewelry. 

It makes me wonder if there is a kinder opportunity to be an influencer? What if there were influencers who promote ethical behavior? Civics? Saving the planet? Our natural resources? Neighbors helping neighbors? Could people go on social media and promote decency and good will? Would they gain a following of like minded followers in the thousands or millions? 

The greedy,crass,liars,and charlatans seem to have millions of followers. How can the good and decent do the same? Have we become so weary from constant hate that we have given up? I don’t think so. Let’s all use our circle of influence every day to do good in small ways.
This country painter will……