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Set Yourself Up For Success!
"Success is a process, not a destination." - Jeff Olson, The Slight Edge
When I began my latest mermaid painting, I decided to set myself up for success by asking friends on Facebook to share photos of family or friends they thought would make a good mermaid or tree diva.
Tracy Wright Corvo, a fabulous portrait photographer on O`ahu, sent this photo to me:
 Yes, I definitely count myself lucky to have a friend like Tracy!
Having a great photo reference from which to work, proved to be a big boon for my painting, as you can see below:
The title of this new painting is Drifting Off.
She is available now 
as an 11x14 matted print for $35 with FREE shipping.
As a 16x20 matted print for $60 with free shipping.
Did you know that because success is a process, you can help shape it?
It is true. Whenever possible, you can intentionally set yourself up for success!
For instance, if you want to bake muffins for breakfast, measure out the dry ingredients and put them in a sealed bowl on the counter the night before. Do the same with the wet ingredients and place the bowl in the refrigerator.
In the morning, mix the wet into the dry; pop the batter into muffin tins, and into the oven. In 20 minutes you have muffins. Success!
Believe me, the ten minutes you spent the night before will feel SO worth it when those warm muffins come out of the oven!
I have a similar routine when starting a new painting.
I prep my table by clearing it off the night before, and I print out any reference photos I want to use. I have an idea in mind for my painting before beginning to paint.
This ensures that my table and my mind are both clear about what will happen when I arrive at the studio in the morning.
In the middle of a painting, I often stop painting at an appointed time even if I know what to paint next. Why? Because I know for sure that when next I pick up the paintbrush, I will know what to paint.
I will experience immediate success.
We often fill our days with tasks and to-do lists. Crossing things off the list gives us the thrill of success. At the end of the day do you count up your successes? Do you share them with others? Do they feel like successes to you?
Okay, so maybe I'm a "success junkie". I like to pave my path. I like to prepare myself on a regular basis so I can experience little bursts of joy and success throughout my days.
It always seems to be the little things that make the biggest difference in life. Sure, I could have told you earlier that preparation paves the way for success; but how boring is that!
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"Hide-N-Seek" Watercolor Workshop
Would you like to have more fun with watercolor while exploring color, shape, & texture in your paintings?
This Hide-N-Seek Watercolor Workshop will teach you how to use texture with watercolor to create dynamic, paintings filled with light and color - and have more fun painting!
Our next workshop will be held May 13 + 14 at the historic Waioli Tea Room in Honolulu. This $195.00 workshop includes two days of instruction (9:30am-3:30 pm) plus continental breakfast and lunch.
Attendance is quite limited. All levels are encouraged and welcome. This technique works great for all kinds of subject matter.
In just two days, you will take home skills and techniques to express your creative ideas. AND you will know how to repeat this process to have fun again and again.
Here's what some of our past participants have had to say:
"Thank you for providing opportunities for a non-artists, non-drawer to enjoy watercolor!" ~Terri
"I loved learning the background "squiggly-dos" and the different ways of getting that lovely background design and getting the movement in the water (landscape). Thank you for your endless patience and very helpful suggestions." ~Annetta Kinnicutt
"Because of my draftsman background, everything has scale and lines and what this class taught me to do is to use my imagination and not worry about lines. Personally I need to get over making errors and just paint!" ~Wayne
If you would like to join in the fun, contact Patrice at 808-392-9104 or Patrice@ArtOfAloha.com; or Rebecca Snow, Patrice's assistant, at 808-286-5909, for more information.
********** One more thing! You can find me and my art in the pavilion at the Lanikai Art Fair Saturday, May 7th. Please stop over to say hello and share the Aloha! **********
Mahalo for taking the time to read this Art of Aloha eZine. If you have a moment, I hope you will share it with a friend either by forwarding it, or by clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn buttons!
A Hui Hou,
PS You will find my official page on facebook by searching for Art of Aloha. Then become my online fan by pressing the Like button.
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"It might take a few years to put your success on track
- but it takes your entire life to fail."
Jeff Olson, The Slight Edge
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Born in Port Washington, WI and educated at the University of Wisconsin/Madison, Patrice Federspiel first visited Hawai'i in January 2000. Within five months she had found a way to quit her job, sell her home, and move to Hawai'i to paint. 
Patrice Federspiel