Where have I been ... ?

Ok guys - this would be the longest break I've had in several months from blogging.

Life has been chaotic .... managing the day yo day side of the NZ Art Guild not to mention all its events etc takes a huge amount of time and energy ... and that's where mine has been devoted to this past week ...

Our Collaborative Project Reach Out was sold successfully via auction on Trademe on Tuesday night - a nail biting finish with bids being placed in the last 4 seconds!! It sold for $3870 to the buyer of last years collaborative project - and also one of the participating artists. She is ecstatic about owning this amazing artwork.

As you know the Mental Health Foundation of NZ is receiving 20% of the sale proceeds from this. The rest of the money is being divided up and paid to the contributing artists. It was suggested that some may like the option of donating their payment to the Mental Health Foundation - and I'm proud to say that so far 36 artists have! We haven't heard back from all of them yet so that figure may rise.

At this stage it looks like the NZ Art Guild has raised nearly $2000 for the Mental Health Foundation and I'm looking forward to presenting this cheque to them very soon.

Another fantastic initiative that has emerged from this project was the Mental Health Foundation asking if they could use the image of Reach Out to promote Mental Health Awareness Week in October. This is a nationwide campaign and the image will appear on all their posters and fliers. The NZ Art Guild and its members are really excited about this as it's another way for us to help towards this very worthwhile cause. For more details about the campaign go to www.mentalhealth.org.nz

I have also been busy processing print orders - the Limited Edition Prints of Reach Out are still available - with $5 from every sale going to the Mental Health Foundation also. You can order individual prints of the artworks that compile Reach Out too. Please go to www.nzartguild.co.nz

In the past week the NZ Art Guild has also been approached to sponsor the North Shore City Art Awards. This is a nationwide Art Awards open to all NZ Artists and is a celebration of our land. The NZ Art Guild are donating one years subscriptions to each of this years prize winners. For more details on hoe to eneter this award go to www.mairangiarts.co.nz

I have also been finalising details with the NZ Society who are running the Charity Art Auction in London for the North Shore Plover.

Not to forget that the NZ Art Guild Annual Members Exhibition - Make it Memorable finished this week at the Bruce Mason Centre. Several artists sold pieces as well as gaining commissions. A great result especially for emerging artist Viv Hansen who sold both her pieces on opening night and gained a commission too - would you believe this was her first exhibition!? Way to go Viv!

In the last month we have also received 16 applications for membership to the NZ Art Guild - we aregetting bigger all the time - it's great to have so many new members - they come from different walks of life!

Add into all of the above my nursing job and two children you can probably understand why I haven't had the time let alone energy to post in the past week! lol I have to say I do miss it and hope to get back into the swing of things very soon.

People say to me frequently that the amount I work is insane and they don't know how I manage to do it. Shh don't tell them but neither do I sometimes! lol Even many years ago when I was working full time in one nursing job and part time in another nursing job with only one day off in 3 months - doesn't even come close to the amount of hours I put into work these days. Even though I don't earn a cent from all the work I do - I wouldn't give it up. Ultimately you have to love what you do - and I'm so lucky that I do. The satisfaction is enormous and makes all the hard work worthwhile.

“Success isn't measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” - Mike Ditka

A friend of mine said to me last year - to be successful you have to "get up and work". Well success as we all know is subjective - and what it means for one person is not the same for that next. I found this quote that seems appropriate to this post -

"Success never comes to look for you while you wait around. You've got to get up and work at it to make your dreams come true" - Poh Yu Khing