Hi Friends,

After the show in Burns, Oregon last week I went home the long way......actually headed nearly the opposite direction from where home lies over the mountains to the north.

With artist friends in Idaho and being somewhat less than a couple hundred miles from them, it just seemed perfect to go visit. After a couple days the weather cleared enough to consider a trip into the Snake River Canyon country.

Now, there are some really big rocks in that wild river canyon and mostly seem to be vertical. More than just the rattlesnakes that you get used to watching that you don't step on in this country, what I found was a place full of riches....a wildlife watchers paradise.

In a rare day that was warm and no wind at all, the surface of the Snake River was glass in many places, while many varieties of ducks, geese and other birds formed the only ripples in that perfect surface.

All of us on this adventure had brought along binoculars and they were needed to spot the big wild goats. Even though they are white against dark cliffs, it's extremely difficult to see them all. Once you get practiced up...get your goat eyes on.....it was apparent that the place was crawling with them. Mountain Sheep inhabit this formidable country too, along with Mule Deer, while up some of the side canyons can be found Pronghorn Antelope and Rocky Mountain Elk and turkeys.


Snake River Canyon....at the end of the road.....

The photos I have of the river with it's reflections will turn into paintings with a very surreal, almost abstract feeling to them. It was truly hard to tell what was "real" and what was a mirror image.

It was a memorable trip......I look forward to putting some of that feeling into new paintings.......and to going back.

Take care and Color Outside the Lines,
Sandra

Hi Friends,

So many of us in the part of the art world that I inhabit have discussed at length the economy and what that's doing to art prices. For some, art sales have taken a pretty good downturn, while for others it has remained constant or even gotten better.

I'm relatively minutes old in the world of full-time artists, but I have put a theory into practice. Diversify.
This idea is based on successful markets across the globe. Will it work? The question that comes instantly to my mind is "Why not"?  Diversify ideas, diversify products. Diversify your marketing.

While I will continue to do the art that I know sells, I will also strive to find new and fresh ideas. One new way of thinking was to completely abandon the website I had been using and set up a fresh new one on FineArtStudioOnline, the artist's site by Clint Watson. Check it out if you are thinking of an art web site.
A couple of the things I'm doing differently are writing a weekly  newsletter and blog, and there is a "contact the artist" link on every page of my website. It has proven to be invaluable.

Another idea that works well for me is to do art that is backed by a passion. This sounds like a "well, duh" statement, but not every artist I know paints with that connection to their art.

My life force from childhood is wildlife.....the force behind my artistic passion is the Rowena Wildlife Clinic in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Having been adopted as the "resident artist," I am allowed to go into the flight cages with the eagles, hawks, falcons and many other birds, and be around the animals that are in for rehabilitation after injuries sustained in the wild.

My education with the clinic and the up close encounters with these wonderful creatures brings to my art an authentic ring that is hard to attain any other way.

"Bobcat in the Evening Light" 
 
    Scratchboard         12x16"                 $795          

The human connection to wildlife that I want to establish with my art comes from showing viewers the up close details and expressions of these beings that share the same planet.

The scratchboard shown here, "Bobcat in the Evening Light" will be a 100% donation of the selling price to the Clinic from me. Other art pieces designated as "Clinic Wildlife" shown in the Collections on this web site will also have a portion of their selling price donated.

More information about the Clinic can be found at Rowena Wildlife Clinic. Their work is a valuable contribution to the world and a cause I truly believe in.

Keep Coloring Outside the Lines,
Sandra

(p.s. Click here to find my sign up form on Sandra Haynes Fine Art  for my weekly  "Letters From Home" newsletter to have it delivered to your in-box.  More thoughts and news from the studio. Thank you for your continued support. I'm grateful.  S.)

Coloring Outside the Lines. Where my heart has always been, and now where my life follows.

First, let me introduce myself......my name is Sandra Haynes.
After recently cutting all ties with anything resembling a traditional job, the fires have been lit under my office-chair sitting behind and I now have joined the ranks of full-time professional artists.
Not a decision to be taken lightly, but at what point do you know something is the right path for you even though you can still hear the echo of a collective gasp from friends and family when you announce that you've taken leave of your senses?

When do you know the time is right?

This and many other subjects will be explored.......at times I would like to introduce you to the incredibly talented people that I count among my artist friends, and sometimes you will meet the wildlife, from up-close encounters, that become my subjects.

I will write about some of the hidden landscapes that I seek out......and offer an explanation to what draws me to the scene, and how it becomes a painting.
Words of encouragement to artists beginning their journey, or stuck somewhere along the way. Articles from creative souls that have already walked through the fire ahead of me, and quotes from our ancient past that still hold meaning for us now.

Whether you are already Coloring Outside the Lines or would like to come along as a friend and observer to this artist's weird and wonderful journey, I look forward to getting to know you all.