The Creative Life - Barbara Trovillo

    I definitely am an introvert. I enjoy interaction with people in small groups or one to one. I never knew there was a name for that...."Extroverted Introvert". Definitely a contradiction!   I am uncomfortable in large groups of people and work best alone.     Fortunately, most artwork is done in solitude. Unfortunately, marketing and networking is done in groups.   To be honest, this has been an obstacle for me.   For many years, I ignored the issue. I painted as if under a rock for a long time. I wasn't overly concerned about getting more exposure. I had a nice social media following. I did a yearly solo [...]

Happy February!   I have been thinking about making a change for awhile now. When I first started painting, I signed with my whole name. The work was incredibly naive and so was the signature. In the last 20 years or so, I have used the last name only. It looks like this:         I have seen work done by artists I admire signed with a monogram or mark. It seems professional and interesting. I am considering using a symbol like this:     I think my style is recognizable. I don't think it would be too confusing. Eventually, people would understand that it was my "mark", right?     What [...]

We regret to inform you......   Hateful words.   The good and bad news: Rejection is part of the Game.   Recently, I responded to two Call for Art queries. One was to a gallery in Georgia that looked interesting online. I liked the art they sell and on impulse, decided to enter. In this case, I never received an acknowledgement of the application or a decision! I am not sure what happened there.    The other was a little more complicated. There is a newish gallery at a resort near where I live. I met one of the owners at a show last year. They were then just getting started [...]

I have a confession to make. I am a bit of a commitment phobe. I am definitely a "Don't Fence Me In" kind of girl.    Now, though, I feel compelled to narrow my focus.    As a younger woman, I wanted to learn how to do EVERYTHING. When I discovered painting, I finally found the art form to which I was compelled to commit. That has not changed for me in the last 30 years!   As I have studied the business side of art, the importance of determining one's artistic niche has been stressed. Am I a portrait artist? No. Do I do still life? Yes, but [...]

Ciao a tutti,    It's been a while.....   To be honest, it is a crazy time at Pleasant Hill Farm. Our lives have definitely become way more complicated than before. I am working very hard to keep up with everything.   What I would like to share with you all today is my experience getting ready for an Art Festival! I am doing my very first Art Festival at the IX Park in Charlottesville, Virginia on Memorial Day Weekend. I am both excited and scared!   First, it is A LOT of work. I am not one to wait until the last minute.  Each day, I am working [...]

Emerging Artist   It took me awhile to wrap my head around that term. You see, though I began painting in 1993 and am not new to the world of creating art,  I am new to the business of art.    I discovered my love of painting a year or two before I became the single mother of four children. Unfortunately, I had to find an income and fast! Painting had to take a back seat. I trained in Aesthetics (Skincare) and went to work. I worked for others for 10 years and myself for the subsequent 16 years. All along, I painted and yearned [...]