Sheila Atchley 3/2/23 Sheila Atchley 3/2/23

Hey Knoxville, Come and See Me {Artxtravaganza Art Show}

Year after year, my disappointment grew. I would email my application to be juried into the Knoxville art show called “Artxtravaganza” and each year I would get a return email beginning something like,

“Dear Sheila Atchley, we regret to inform you…”

About last September or October, I saw the “Artxtravaganza” as “sender” in my list of emails for the day, and my heart beat faster. I steeled myself for the usual “…we’re sorry but” response - because the caliber of artists participating in this show is always very high.

Not this time. This time the email began something like, “We are delighted to tell you…”

…*yours truly, headed to the show installation today*…

Immediately following a rush of excitement, I promptly panicked. I have this really great problem right now, and it’s that I sell paintings almost as soon as I paint them, and my inventory was very low. As in…less than a half dozen paintings for a show that requires at least 30 medium to large size originals.

Of course, then came the holidays. And incredible, scary painter’s block. So, I prayed. As soon as our Christmas tree came down, I woke up one day and hit the studio - and basically did not come out until yesterday.

THEREFORE, my Knoxville friends, I invite you to zoom in on these photos and choose which painting you’d love to take home. My art truly shifts the spiritual atmosphere, because every victory I’ve won in heavenly realms is embedded in each paint stroke.

I paint in The Presence.

And my heart’s desire is to send that Presence straight into your home. I absolutely believe that is not only possible - it happens for me all the time. The Presence of the Lord is peaceful and lovely and life-giving.

Art is powerful, and let me tell you why: You live with A Thing in your home - A Thing that is artisan, handmade, and that draws you in. A Thing that incrementally changes the way you think. Every time you walk past it, your thoughts elevate. You think a different thought. The capacity for this one simple thing - a different thought - to change your whole life cannot be overestimated.

A good painting is a good influence, a powerful influence. Especially a painting that you bought yourself, for yourself…you never buy art to match the couch. You buy a piece that stirs your spirit in some way.

…*it was a sweaty job, not to be accomplished without The Preacher’s help*…

I’d love to meet you for the first time, or hug your neck if I’ve known you forever. Come on by and say hi, and see allllllll the beautiful art and designs to be found at 2023’s Knoxville Artxtravaganza.

Sheila Atchley 4/30/22 Sheila Atchley 4/30/22

An In-Depth - Somewhat - Tour of My Studio {...which means a partial tour of my home...}

My friend Jeanne Oliver recently invited me to participate in her once-a-month “Artist’s Studios Tour”. I quickly jotted down the date, and made a mental note.

There was my first mistake. ha. Mental notes don’t do me much good these days, because apparently “menopause brain” is a thing. But I did manage to move the big, ugly portable studio lights out of my main studio space, and straighten up a little bit.

So consider this your invitation to join Jeanne and I both, over on her blog, where you will find an over ten minute long, hopefully quite encouraging, tour of my creative spaces. These areas are where all my good juju happens. You’ll hear all the many ways my Preacher has come alongside me, as I chase beauty…(because the deep, dark secret is he is a beauty-chaser himself. Give him an afternoon with a beautiful landscape and his Nikon, and he is a happy, happy man. Preachers are just artists masquerading as ministers. It takes the soul of an artist and the heart of a writer to see the wonder in the Gospel, to remain untouched by cynics, and to pen messages every single week.)

some of the various pochades, easels, etc that I take with me when I paint out-and-about

And while you are over on Jeanne’s website, do join her “Creative Network” (it’s free!) where you will find dozens (and dozens) of gorgeous art classes (three of them are by yours truly - just do a quick search on the site for my name)…

…and the BEST selection - a curated selection - of FREE instructional videos that you will find, anywhere.

I’ve been part of this network since it began. Jeanne just keeps getting better. She keeps on showing me what is possible. I love that, in a friend. I love that in an art instructor.

Enjoy! Here is the link, once more.

And, if you can, please join me over on my instagram where I’m most active, in terms of social media, and leave me any thoughts, questions, observations, or comments you may have about my spaces. I’ve figured out many low cost/no cost solutions to the problems we artists bump up against on a regular basis. I’m happy to share my tricks and tips with you.