Precious Puppy Dog Portraits by Arizona Artist Amy Whitehouse

12"x16"Acrylic on Panel, $175 This has been a good week with great outings, great weather, some painting I'm happy with, and 3 sales. However that being said, I have to go back to why I make art. It can't be about selling, because that is too erratic and not the point. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled when I sell a piece of artwork, and it certainly helps buy the next round of art supplies and haircuts for the family. But I always have to come back to the "why" of creating art. And for me, it's because it makes me happy; I believe I'm supposed to make art, share it, and help others be creative; and mostly because it is a gift from God. I've been thinking about inspiration and where it comes from for my artwork. Spending time at the Botanical Garden totally got my juices going. Books like Walking On Water by Madeleine L'Engle are extremely encouraging and even exhorting. Also some of the specialty art/multi-media magazines, such as Somerset Studio, give me so many ideas I can hardly stand it. Here's a quote from an article I read today: It's not the art degree that makes you an artist, it is the practice, the learning - the study itself. It is not earning money from selling your art that makes you an artist, it's doing the art.