What can I say?

Alright!  I'll start off by telling you a little about myself.
I'm 28 and I've been painting for the past 4 years since I graduated from San Jose State University.  I graduated in 2013 with a degree in fine arts, but I really didn't start my serious learning until after I left.  I really only had a couple of years of classes getting through the fine arts program.  My learning was much too rushed, and I had no clue of what to do after graduation.  The only thing it seemed I could do was to continue learning.  So that's exactly what I did, and I have been painting and learning since then.
I've sold some paintings here and there, but very few and far between.  Learning how to make money consistently as a painter has been my main challenge, and has ended up directing most of my choices so far, which has been both good and bad.  Good because I have been able to push myself to paint much more, and only good can come from more painting.  Bad because I wasn't doing or painting was excited me most, or even spent the right amount of time to figure out what that even is!  I really do try to find the pleasure in what I paint and how, but when my mind gets more focused on the thought of generating more income, the further away from happiness I seem to get.  I realized that I was trying to produce paintings that I thought people would like, but I found that the real joy I get in painting comes from constantly learning and improving (like most things in life).

I love to learn and grow in life as well as painting, and still life painting has always been something I understood how to learn and grow through.  It is the perfect tool for a student to learn how to paint because you have total control over the whole process.  The subject, the lighting, the angle, all of it can be as simple or as complex as you like.  So this is where I would like to start again!

I have been reading Carol Marine's book on Daily Painting, and it has opened my eyes to the world of the Daily Painters.  The idea is very simple.  You try your best to do a painting a day, usually on a small scale (6"x6" is the typical size for many daily painters), and it can be done in a matter of 1-2 hours.  It is a great way to improve your skills, your confidence, and your rate of production!  For those who want to sell their artwork, the next step is to post your work on an auction site (like ebay or dailypaintworks, which was started by Carol Marine and her husband) and start the bidding at whatever you feel comfortable.  Many professional artists start their bidding at $100, but of course the choice is up to you.

So I decided I will participate!  And I am excited to share my process and progress with you all!  So stay tuned and thanks for reading, and remember...

"Paint as you like and die happy"  --Henry Miller