The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step….So said wiseman Lao Tzu. I've had to remind myself that these first three months of 2012 so that I don't…FREAK OUT! Absolutely stupidly insane was I to say "yes" to what artists just don't do. And that is have FOUR shows in ONE YEAR!. The requests came in one by one and it all seemed manageable until I said yes about the fourth time. (My resistance wilted with the fact that it was a museum in what I thought was Athens, Ga.*) If you've been traveling along with us here on "The Journey with Grace" you know that I'm talking about the art work of my soon-to-be 18-year-old daughter with autism, Grace Walker Goad, who has been painting since she was four.
One of those steps along those thousand miles which I'm journeying–with many more to go as you may know if you are awating an e-blast (remember I'm technically challenged,) and an update on her website, (I cannot remember how to edit it…But I'll get her done. One step. One step. And many more….Oh, yeah…back to one of the steps I've taken is to print a new card series. The GraceArt Card Series II will premiere at the Hillsboro Village exhibit reception at Hot and Cold, where her (already sold) eight foot mural (you read that right–eight feet) will hang with a series of very affordably priced framed water colors. It's about time. GraceArt Card Series I, was printed in 2006. They are still available individually at HeART of the Spectrum Autistic Community Center in Seattle, but no longer as a series. The last set printed sold out (as a set) in six days last Christmas.
I'm pretty tickled about the images selected for this new series, which are at the printer now. Do these resonate Sunshine and Life and Joy or what?! Vanderbilt purchased one of the originals (a pastels) in this card series a couple of years ago, the three other originals remain available. Two of them (pastels) will be at the May Green Hills Library Exhibit. The one watercolor in the series will be at Hot and Cold in Hillsboro Village. I'm still working on the pricing as these are quality card stock and offset. The giclees became cost prohibitive to print for now.
We'll be selling these at all three spring exhibit receptions–First Thursday (April 5) Hillsboro Village Art Crawl, Hot and Cold Restaurant, 5-8 p.m.; Sun., May 20, 2-4:30 p.m., Green Hills Library and at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum in Athens, Tenn., Sat., April 14, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Please come by and see us, say hello and if you feel so led, purchase a set or better yet also a framed piece of art. I will most likely also make this new card series available also as singles in addition to sets. (Think Mother's Day and Teacher gifts! And next month, National April is Autism Awareness Month, too.)
All GraceArt funds received go back to Grace Walker Goad. Art pieces go into her future independent living fun. Card series sales help fund the expenses for all the items mentioned here (framing, printing, professional portfolio documentation…it's expensive being an artist!)
Meanwhile: One step. One step. One….
Direct website address for GraceArt: www.GraceGoad.com. On Facebook: Grace Goad | Artist.
Images, top left to right: Untitled (Pink Pastel,) sold; Untitled (Pink & Yellow Pastel). Bottom left to right: Untitled (Torn Watercolor); "Purple Waterfall" (Pastels).
*We are pleased to be the featured artist at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum in Athens, TENN. This small town has a noble, active parent group which for at least two previous years has brought artists on the spectrum each April for National Autism Awareness Month.
They’re here!…at least online for all to see. Now to get them up on the website….
Consider me first in line to buy a package of the new cards. I love ’em!
Yeah, unfortunately, I’m afarid the popular definition of “advocacy” falls under the same nebulous cloud as “awareness”. Whooo, making a difference! Autism Speaks is very tricksy in describing its “mission” — it uses very vague language about achieving goals and the like, not often coming out and saying that the goal — its only goal, in fact — is eradicating autistics. It sounds perfectly benign to folks who don’t delve that deeply into autism issues (which is the vast majority of the population, including many autistics and people who know autistics), and when folks who support AS on such a superficial level are challenged about it, the challenge just sounds like griping and nitpicking to them. I’ve probably already used this example, but I keep thinking of this teenager who was manning a booth at a movie theater, who asked me for a donation to whatever organization he was representing. Something about “help” and “handicapped” and “children”. What’s not to support, right? Who doesn’t want to “help handicapped children”? The thing is, this kid had no brochures, no materials whatsoever (except for a little folded-up card wrapped in plastic that you got *after* you gave the donation), and didn’t know a blessed thing about the organization himself. But when I declined to donate because I didn’t have any information, the kid was peeved at me. And I’m quite sure he was convinced that I didn’t give because I was just stingy, or didn’t care about “handicapped children”. Spending more time trying to convince him otherwise would’ve made me seem like a royal pain in the ass.It’s very hard to make folks understand. In their minds it’s quite simple — Cause is autism, money given to cause, money given to autism. What specifically about autism the money is funding is of little consequence. When you protest, they think, “We gave to your cause — now why won’t you go away?”Perhaps the problem lies in the “I Make a Difference, I Stand for Something, I Walk for Somethingorother” culture in general. There are so many “causes”, and so many means to feel like one is “doing” something without actually doing anything at all.
Hi Brian, missing your calls for sure and I think so is eveonrye else at GC. Many I fear would have lost a bit of direction. Well, the good news is my sites continue to rank well although at the moment I don’t have time to do much in the way of posts or new sites due to my own affiliate program.Like the look of the affiliate theme above, right up my street that and will certainly give it a go sometime. BTW, the cellulite creams site has dived is now only to be found in Google’s list of filtered sites that you get after about 100 pages. I’m at 830 to be precise. Really disappointed as that site is just like the others but google has decided it doesn’t like it. Do I take it down? Or just leave the damn thing there? Maybe they found out it’s just a load of repackaged duplicate content after all. Anyway, looking forward to getting you back on the calls.Best, IanIan’s last post..