(If you want to skip the personal stuff and just get to the art, by all means scroll down ;-)
As I indicated in my last newsletter, I had been feeling a little blue for the last month. There were reasons for that and perhaps I needed to mourn some losses for a bit. Many of you sent words of encouragement and I sincerely thank you. Last week I told my sister that despite some challenges, I would handle it, because that's what we DeLongs do.
The next morning I woke up, looked in the mirror and said to myself
"WTF are you doing moping around, you're Cody DeLong, you rock".
And just like that I snapped out of my funk. I had to remind myself of where I've been and what I've accomplished thus far.
I've always been my own man. Except for a couple of years right out of high school when I worked as a machinist, I have pretty much always worked for myself. Though I was never too proud to take a menial job temporarily when I needed to.
In my 20s as a small town Michigan boy with only a high school education I decided to move to Las Vegas. Talk about culture shock. I taught myself to airbrush. I started my own business though I knew nothing about running a business. I did good work and people wanted to do business with me because I showed integrity. Jobs were completed when I said they would be even if I had to work through the night, which happened often in those days. I progressed from T-shirts, to Automotive Art, to Product Illustration (before computers took that over). I even did some pin striping and sign painting from time to time, which was an art form in itself.
I worked hard and played hard for about 7 years in Vegas. Then I sold everything and bought a small class C motorhome and spent the next 4 years traveling around the country. That was 25 years ago, before cell phones or the internet, (and I did it for 3 years longer than Steinbeck). It was an adventure. When I needed extra money I stopped to dig ditches, haul hay or even shovel manure. Yet I was happy, living free just me and my dog T-bone. During my years on the road I taught myself to paint in oils. I didn't know then it was called Plein air painting, I just called it painting outdoors.
On a return trip to Vegas I met Sara who would become my wife. I whisked her off to Cottonwood where we spent the next 20 years together. I did some crafts until my oil paintings began to sell and for the last 12 years I ran my own gallery in Jerome. I did it all, paperwork, ordering supplies, framing, website, newsletter, social media, advertising, tent shows, plein air events, workshops, wrote and submitted articles to newspapers and magazines etc etc.
I didn't have the right connections, or travel in the right social circles. I didn't go to the right parties. I didn't have a gallery other than my own. I just kept working on my craft, and my business.
Until the last few years I kept old cars running. I've remodeled two homes. I've organized river trips through the Grand Canyon. I've been invited to national events and even won some national awards. I've been a lifelong athlete. I still work out religiously and place some checks on my appetite. Mountain biking anyone? Not too long ago I took self improvement courses in Phoenix (Landmark forum).
And, while exhaustively running my own gallery, for about the last 7 or 8 years I've been studying finance in my 'spare time'. I mean several hours a day, every day. Specifically the stock market and Cryptocurrencies. Every time I sold a large painting, or just had a good month at the gallery, I put a little more into my investments. All the research has paid off.
The gallery made less in 2020, but even through the pandemic I managed to turn a small profit.
I'm sure I could continue as I have been, but I'm choosing to go on the road, and turn the page once again.
I need new inspiration, new adventures.
I'm proud of what I've accomplished and there's more to come.
I'm still Cody DeLong, my lust for life still burns bright.
You can't keep a renaissance man down for long ;-)
I'll keep my website and newsletter going, I'll post some things on Facebook, and I'll continue to accept commissions while I'm exploring our beautiful country.
On Monday I hand over the keys of my home to someone else, and move into my camper full time.
I will close the gallery at the end of February.
I'm super excited to start this new chapter. The camper improvements are coming along nicely.
My heart beats like a big base drum anticipating the discoveries ahead.
I hope you'll stay tuned as I share my experiences over the coming year, and a huge thank you for your support.
