OK, it's been almost two years since I wrote my last blog! Shame on me, I KNOW! But my time does fly, although I assure you I have been very busy and accomplished a lot in that time.
The current environment that we are all in due to the COVID-19 epidemic has left us all feeling very anxious and pondering what the future may hold. We are all in this together and my hope is that we will come out of this stronger and more united than ever! I have some fun art project prompts I’m doing with a friend on my instagram account that you can try with or without your kids! Go to Insta: Claudiabdesign
I want to take this opportunity to reflect on the past year and the good things that have come out of it:
I’ve been in my studio almost every day without fail creating art, and experimenting with different mediums and styles, including impasto. I’m so grateful to have a profession that is also my passion.
I worked relentlessly on building a portfolio for my first trade show, Blueprint last May 2019. BluePrint is an offshoot of the bigger SURTEX show, and it was a great first step/learning opportunity for me. I really learned so much and made lots of connections plus got quite a bit of business from it. So for me, it was so well worth doing. I paid all my expenses and then some! If anyone wants tips or has any questions on this process I would be more than happy to share what I know.
Our booth at Surtex!
I joined forces with my best friend from my high school, Marilyn, so I now have a partner in building Claudia B Design. Not only will Marilyn focus on the business/marketing end of the business so I can focus more on the art but she makes working so much more fun!!
We were blessed to be able to be exhibit at the international surface design show, SURTEX in NYC in early February 2020, before COVID-19 extended its reach and put a hold on everything. The show was great for us as we developed lots of new business contacts, met lots of talented fellow artists, and made new friends. Again the show was definitely worth doing.
We also had a lot of fun in our free time in NYC, eating at lots of great restaurants and seeing some incredible shows. In May, we saw To Kill a Mockingbird with Jeff Daniels, I also saw What the Constitution Means to Me with my son, and in February, we saw one of our faves, David Byrne and his Utopia tour. What an inspiring and uplifting show! And, we even got to meet him after the show! Also, no trip to NY is complete without a visit to ABC Carpet & Home (trend shopping!).
Myself, Mr. Utopia himself (aka David Byrne) and Marilyn.
Until next time...stay healthy, wash your hands, and don't touch your face!
Javits Center in Feb 2020 for the Surtex show. Now, 2 months later, it’s being used as a hospital.