Amy's Thought's On All Things About Becoming A Professional Emerging Artist

As an artist that just got back from a 19 day trip to Visit, Get Inspired and to paint, I can honestly say that this is a job I love to experience day by day.

Sure there are those nights I awake and think-I must get chores done because I've been so busy paintig that I let the house get messy, or vice versa, that the house got messy so let me clean it so I can paint.

Yet, I returned less than a week ago from a 19 day trip to the East Coast and Other areas.  I visited Washington DC and The National Portrait Gallery, The Castle, and all the museums connected in the small area.  I also played researcher/tourist, and came up with both tourist items to paint as well as larger works for my portfolio professionally.

I visited Annapolis, MD. and toured a gallery; had lunch with some family I hadn't seen in a long time, and saw some awesome items and history by touring The Maryland State Capital.  I am pleased to say my uncle was able to serve there as both a state representative and a State Senator, and later I saw him sworn in as an Appelette Court Judge for the state in that building.  Uncle Jack, I thought of your love of life while I was there.

I then travelled to Loudon County Va, and had a lovely dinner with my beloved mother, a former wife of 60 years and mother of 4, she is still active while recovering from an ankle fracture that has healed nicely and is now being rehabilitated.

A few days of High School Reunion, reconnecting with the people and city I graduated from, and some sibling and sibling in laws.  Mary Lou and Joe your hospitality was delightful, and Brian did enjoy the Cowboys and Washington football game watching, (smiles).

The Italian Deli from my High School days made it to our highlight list since my hubby is 50% Itlaian, as well as our hours spent with Jean Buckley, a full year above me in school, yet didn't keep that from seeing me on the reunion days!  I thank you Jean and will love staying in touch better!  The history of that town was something we both agreed we hadn't noticed as teens.  

I painted a bit of it to put on my website later this week.

All of that happened in the first 9 days, believe it or not and then we went onto Williamsburg, Va.  I love working remotely, and so many of my trips had been me travelling alone.  Not this time, though.  My husband proved he could work remotely from multiple locations and still have some time off to join me in adventure and inspiration!

His favorite were the museums in the Historic Triangle area of Willmington, Jametown, and Yorktown until my other family members showed up, and once more we visited and caught up on simply being.  

Luckily, I had worked for several days prior to their arrival, and my work is so enjoyable it feels like fun!  Once again, I love my job, too!

 that had a sign....

We rounded out our visit with a trip to the Northern Neck of Virginia, with my sister Kathy and her husband Rick McCarty for several days after our week in the Historic area, and I found that ALL of this area is historic!  The one house on my trip that tried to claim otherwise, was a little house in Annapolis that claimed "Nothing Much Happened Here"...well I'll be painting that one!

I also have many paintings of Lancaster, Virginia to paint and many more areas to visit on my next trip!  Hisory abounds...

 have tourist paintings and Historic paintings to paint through the end of the year!  Love this profession, and vocation!