working artists round 2 now underway

We started a new twelve week session of the Working Artist's Initiative, Cleveland West (my unofficial title) about a month ago...which looks like it is going to be longer than 12 weeks in duration. First there was Seek Week at the church, which conflicted with our first meeting, and it seemed like a better use of an evening to spend it talking with God so a few of us gathered for corporate prayer.
Two weeks later, we had a great first meeting, with three new faces that were last minute adds - which gives us a bigger group than the six we're supposed to have, but not enough to launch a second group. I'm hopeful that after this session someone in our group will want to branch out and start another - I really want to see a local network develop.
Then the weather went the way the weather has been going this winter - and deposited several inches of snow in bitter cold on the day we were to meet again, making the driveway of the home where we are currently meeting impassible. So no meeting. I'm eager to get back together this coming week. We have some really talented people - all writers and visual artists - and some really interesting projects. We'll have to figure out as a group how to handle the extra folks - whether to double up on presentations some nights or add extra meetings to our schedule.
I'm working on (OK, mostly not working, staring at the next canvas) of the Raven series. I cranked out one painting and an waiting for a warmer day - next week perhaps - so I can open a window when I varnish it. It went relatively well... and then I got completely blocked on the next canvas. No clear vision. Praying, searching for images, getting more and more frustrated...I finally have shelved it for the moment and am working on a piece that is purely experimental, to see how a canvas interacts with collage and perhaps some other media. It's a breath of fresh air. Walt says I have a "Louvre complex". He may be right - so I am enjoying just playing right now with no investment in the results.
I've also been doing research on the business of art; how and where to have giclee prints made, how to price art, etc. This is the part of making art that I used to hate and am trying to love. Technology has made it so much easier - with digital on demand printing, on-line galleries, and the ability to show your portfolio - at least initially - in digital images via email instead of carting a bunch of stuff to a gallery only to discover they're not really interested in it after all. I'm encouraged and excited to see where all of this goes... it's God's project and I am along for the ride.