The End Times

I beefed up my Golden Gel Medium supply,
including some with pumice, and I thought I'd
try some crackle paste.

I'm not talking about the Mayan calendar. I am talking about the end of the year and my need to load up on supplies before I really start cracking down on expenses! (grin)

New stencils!

One of my goals for 2013 is to reduce my expenses by 2K. These are my expenses for framing and art supplies, respectively: $1,089.26 and $1,811.86. I'm not sure how to reduce my framing costs because I really like having my work framed professionally. I think it makes my work look better and it's also important to me to have it archivally done. I'm already going to the best and most reasonably priced framer in all the land--L'Antilliase Gallery, 512-497-2715. I am going to try creating pieces that are the same size, however, so my framer can pop them in and out of the frame depending on what sells and what I need prepared for exhibition. That will help. One idea is to glue the collages to panels and eliminate the need for framing collages all together--or do them directly on panel. We'll see. Lots of things to figure out as I fumble through 2013. As for supplies, I'd like to use up some of my ignored items which at a minimum, will free my shelves up a bit. The stuff I bought today--stencils and mediums--can be used in my collages and printmaking and will help me get started on my 24-new-pieces objective for a 2015 show.

Tomorrow I am going to work on techniques in my new book, Surface Treatment Workshop: Explore 45 Mixed Media Techniques by Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran Wilson.