Thought-Full Art Studio

A conversation...

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Enjoying Down Time

One of the great things about being a working artist is that there are times when I can take a breather and do some of the other things that give me great pleasure. One of those things is working in my yard.

Lately, I’ve been working on streamlining the amount of time it takes to keep up with all my plantings. I enjoy having plants that “take care of themselves”. With all the varying weather conditions in Texas, it can take some time to figure out which ones can survive the heat and drought, which require “weathering” in the winter, and which are simply unsuited. This year I’ve been focusing on adding some “native” plantings.

When I draw, I pull a lot of my gardening work into my imagery. There are almost always plants, flowers, or trees in almost all my work. God’s creativity is boundless and it is a joy to plant something and watch it grow and thrive. I’m grateful that God gives us this bit of insight into how He must feel all the time.

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Creating Conversations

I am having a terrific time creating a group of small originals that are creatures having conversations. I’ve done a few of these in the past and they have received a really nice response. For Salina’s Smoky Hills River Festival I am creating several more.

Not every piece of art has to have a HUGE, overarching “meaning”. Sometimes artists create (if they are fortunate) just for the joy of sharing something fun. That is the case with these little originals. They make me smile, are really fun to create, and I hope that people will invite them into their homes and find them equally enjoyable.

Hope to see you at the festival next week!

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Smoky Hill River Festival

The spring season has come to a close. I have one more festival and then will be working in my studio to prepare for the coming fall. I have a number of small originals that I will try to add to the site in coming weeks. I do not typically sell originals on the site as many of mine are large and shipping/delivery is sometimes a challenge. But these smaller ones can be shipped with confidence in a safe delivery.

We have added – and continue to add – my available prints in the shop. I have about five more to go before pretty much everything currently available is listed. Hope you will come back and refer friends to the site!

If you are in the Salina, Kansas area, be sure to put the Smoky Hill River Festival on your calendar. It really is a terrific event! Hope to see you on the road!

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Upcoming Events

Just came back from the Tulsa Mayfest Show. This year the show was moved to a new location. Like any move, there were some hiccups but there is obvious potential for the new site. The weather didn’t work in our favor, but it was still a good event.

My next show is in Salina, Kansas (the Smoky Hills River Festival ) on June 13-16. This is a terrific event for adults and the entire family. There is always a great lineup of music artists and a great range of fine art and crafts. I always enjoy this show and hope this year will prove to be another fun event for all.

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2019 Tulsa Mayfest May 17-19

Will be heading to Tulsa in a couple of days to set up for the 2019 show. Very excited about the show – which is moving to a new location in Tulsa. I’m sure they are advertising like crazy – but if you are coming out to the show – check out their website and Facebook page for updates. I have a LOT of new small originals and some larger ones as well. I hope to see you there!

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Website Changes Coming

These changes will largely be on the back end. However, in the meantime, you may see some “dust” until things get settled into their new home. If you have any trouble accessing the site, you can reach me on Facebook at @ThoughtFullArt (cut and paste into Facebook; if doesn’t work just do a search for “Thought-Full Art Studio”).

Thank you for your patience!

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Main Street Arts Festival

Today I’m busy setting up for the Main Street Arts Festival in Fort Worth. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the show and I am excited about the opportunity. The show starts tomorrow morning (Thursday) and runs through Sunday evening. The hours are very long – so there is no excuse for missing this one. This is a terrific line up in a great area of Fort Worth. Hope to see you there!

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The Madness Begins!

The Spring Show season is about to begin! This year I am honored to be back in Main Street Ft. Worth. All the shows I enter are very competitive and this is one of the tougher ones to get into consistently. I’m very excited to be back in this spring. Visit my Shows page to see the list.

My first show will be the Bayou City Art Festival in Memorial Park. This show is held in a great outdoor setting. Hoping the spring weather will be helpful and give us plenty of sunshine. If you are in the Houston area March 29-31, 2019, put this event on your “must do” list. Always a very positive event.

I’ve got several new prints and originals and I’m very excited to roll these out to the public. These new prints are available in my online store now.
I hope to see you on the road!

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Spring 2019 Lineup of Shows – UPDATED 3/18/2019

I am really excited about my upcoming shows. I have a lot of new originals and am working on a series of small originals that are “inter-related”. Four brand new prints that I’m really looking forward to showing for the first time! I think they will make people smile. I’m certainly enjoying drawing them.

I’ve added some updates to the Spring 2019 listing of shows (available here). It is going to be a crazy spring!

I feel so blessed to be able to continue doing my art after all these years. It gives me great pleasure and I really enjoy getting to meet with friends and customers at the shows. My wife recently retired and I’m looking forward to her being able to travel along with me more often.

See you on the road!

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Randy Brodnax Christmas Show – November 30-December 2

I am REALLY excited about a new picture I just finished up. I will show it first at the upcoming Randy Broadnax Christmas Show. This is such a fun show and a great combination of fine arts and crafts. If you are seeking something unique for friends, family, or yourself – or just want a fun and energizing experience, be sure to put the show on your calendar!

I hope you and those you love had a great Thanksgiving. We are still eating leftovers – but enjoying them very much (in case my wife reads this…). Be safe if you are out there in the crazy shopping madness! Be sure to save a penny or two to drop by the show! 😉

I’ll be posting a “teaser” of the new picture this week!

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Final Show of the Season – Brodnax and Friends Annual Christmas Show

 Yes – it’s that time of year! The annual Brodnax and Friends Annual Christmas Show is coming! This will be the 40th year for this fun and eclectic show, held in the iconic Sons of Hermann Hall on 3414 Elm Street in Dallas. The show runs from Friday, November 30th through Sunday, December 2nd. I’ve got a number of new originals and am really looking forward to seeing friends and patrons.

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2018 Smoky Hill River Festival Coming Up!

This is traditionally my last show for the “Spring Season”. Thought with temperatures here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area hitting 100 it definitely feels more like summer than spring.

You can find out more about the show at http://riverfestival.com  If you are in the Salina, Kansas area June 7-10, 2018, I hope that you will make an effort to attend. You won’t be disappointed. This show is very enjoyable. The music is eclectic and very enjoyable, and there is a great lineup of artists and crafts people. This show always has a great vibe from the crowd.

 

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New Site In Progress – Summer 2018

Preparing a new look for my site. Once enabled, we will run a “grand reopening” sale. You can view my older blog posts, visit and process orders in my shop. But we have not yet loaded all the prints. If you are interested in purchasing something you saw at a show, please use the contact page send me a description and I’ll be happy to get back with you to discuss if it is still available, pricing, shipping, etc.

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Ads, consent, and opting out – a work in progress

If you are business owner with a website, you are no doubt painfully aware of the madness surrounding the EU User Consent Compliance Update. If you are coming to this site, please note that you will see ads (through Google AdSense) and you may encounter cookies. You can visit Google to find information on how cookies are being handled by their advertising partners. Currently, I do not have a way to give you an option to accept/not accept cookies within this site, but am working toward that goal. I do not have an option for you to sign up to receive notifications so I do not gather personal information of that nature. If you contact me through the contact form, that information gets stored within the database for this site but is never “mined” or shared with anyone – and in fact I’m 100% sure I would have no idea how to pull up that information if my life depended on it. I don’t create websites – I create art. I passively accept the pennies (literally) passed along through the Google Ads that you click on – but I’ve been doing that for over 5 years and have yet to make the first $100 before they will cut me a check. You should check out Google’s advertising policies though as they, being the “Big Guys” in this situation are making every effort to comply to the letter of the new compliance regulations.

This is an enormously complex and difficult process, with precious little documentation that is helpful to the small-time blogger/business person like myself. I simply appeal to your good will to be patient while we wait for all the rules and regulations to settle down and for sensible and useful information to be made available to “little people” like me and countless others with a website. My wife will then dutifully try to figure out how to incorporate that process into this website.

If you are like me and didn’t already know – most modern browsers already come with an option to decline use of cookies – but most people who have done so quickly become painfully aware that their web experience is heavily degraded. Nonetheless, that is certainly a choice you must make for yourself.

Please note that I do not ship products outside the continental US and have no plans to do so in the future. I strongly doubt anyone from the EU has ever come across my little website. If you have, howdy and welcome and I hope you are doing more on this website than reading this particular blog post.

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Spring Season 2018 in Full Swing

The spring season has been great so far. Managed to avoid all but a small number of rain-out days – which is amazing for a spring outdoor show schedule.

Last weekend was the Cottonwood Arts Festival. This show gets better every year and the patron turnout this spring was fantastic. Appreciate everyone who dropped by and for the great response to my work.

Coming up: Arts for All festival in Lawton, Oklahoma. If you are in the area, drop by and introduce yourself. This is always a fun show. The Lawton area continues to grow and evolve. There are a lot of fun new restaurants and other venues – not to mention the beautiful mountain scenery. This is Mother’s Day weekend – so you have a terrific opportunity to find something unique for her and to spend some quality time enjoying the arts together!

I get back from Arts for All and have two days to catch my breath and then off to Tulsa for Mayfest. Hoping for good weather and a great turnout. This show has lots of terrific work and the area where the show is held is fun.

See you on the road!