Where do I "fit"?

I'm going to move this blog into a more "nuts and bolts" art direction, away from some of the more esoteric, soul-searching type posts.  And, I'll be posting a bit more often...I'm hoping for at least once per week.

So, this may be the last one of these types of blog entreis, for a while.

I participated in the ConQuest science fiction convention (SF con) art show a couple weeks ago.  This was the first time I'd attended or exhibited at ConQuest in nearly a decade, and I wasn't sure what to expect--from the art show or the other attendees to the con.

My work has never sold well at local or regional SF cons.  I sold several original paintings at both of the "big" SF Cons I attended in the late '90s--San Antonio in '97, and Anaheim in '99.

So, I wasn't really surprised that I didn't sell much at ConQuest.  Disappointed, but not really surprised.

So, where should I "go" from here?

I stopped by a local art supply store on my way to ConQuest, and ran into a local artist I know.  He commented that he was enjoying seeing the progress pictures of one of my new paintings that I've been posting to FaceBook.  Since I had the actual painting in the car with me, I asked if he'd like to see it, and of course he said "Yes".  He was very complimentary, saying that it might be the best painting of mine that he's seen so far.

A couple days later, at ConQuest, a friend of mine who owns several prints of my older work explained that she really hates my new stuff.

Really.  Hates.  (Emphasis hers.)

(Ouch.)

What should I do with this information?  Where should I "go" from here?

Well, one thing I know for certain is that I am still nowhere near as prolific as I would like to be.  I definitely need to be creating more artwork, and that means drawing, painting, and sculpting more often, and for longer stretches of time.

I'm also not terribly happy with some of my newer stuff.  For years, I have been wanting to create paintings to be more elaborate, larger, and I want to make several paintings that have the spiders interacting with people.

Why don't these paintings exist, already?  Well, whatever has been holding me back, needs to stop. 

I also need to make some paintings that are more "science-fiction-y".

These will be two separate "series", for the most part.  There may be some "overlap"--some paintings that could be part of either series--but there shouldn't be too much of that.

On a positive note, there is a small art and curio shop in town that will be taking a look at some of the small spider paintings next week.

I think this shop will be a very good "fit" for these paintings; it's the kind of shop where someone who might consider buying a painting of a spider, would definitely stop by.