Once there was...

Once there was a name here. 

Now a cluster of purpley-red roses.

That's the sort of thing I do at my day job. Which I LOVE. I love working with people to get ideas out of their heads and onto their skin. I love the look on their face when they see the finished work. I love being able to use art to make income--something I was told was impractical and impossible going through school.

But I want to do MORE. Not just tattooing, but painting, sculpting, and photography. I need some SERIOUS help with my photography skills. As you can see from the above photo, things look washed out and blah. If you could see it in person, oh! Those roses are dark and broody, with a kiss of red on the edges of the petals. The leaves are green and yellow-green and soft and subtle. But every time I photograph my work it looks flat and lifeless. It's a bit of a pisser.

So, I have made it to the 5th month of THE YEAR OF ART. And I have assessed my skills and my weaknesses. The two weaknesses that I need to address in the coming months are my reluctance to self-promote, and my photography skills.