the retrieval project

it's here!

2009-11-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was a day that we'd been waiting over nine months for. We came back from Minnesota at the end of January, leaving our household belongings behind in a storage unit. We thought that we'd be back to get it in just a few months. When we first arrived back in California, we stayed with my sister and her family for two months. We were sure that by the time we got into our own place, we'd have saved the money needed to go and get our things. Time passed and money was coming in at a slow trickle. We were scraping to pay our bills and had nothing extra to put aside.

One night while trying to go to sleep, I was thinking about it all, trying to figure out a way to make some extra money, specifically for this cause. That was the beginning of The Retrieval Project. Joe and I planned and brainstormed, and came up with a plan. We were so amazed and encouraged at the response of so many supporting our goal. We painted, blogged, painted, packaged, painted and painted for 50 days.

It was such a good project for us in so many ways. It was fun to have something that we were working on together. It felt good to come up with a creative way to make money aside from our employment. It pushed us to paint when we were tired. When we didn't like what we were creating, we could go to each other for advice and encouragement. It was fun to see which paintings resonated with people. It was even more fun to have made some new friends and connections through it all, and to have the support of those already dear to us.

Even though we didn't quite make our original goal, we feel that the project was a success. We've been blessed by long time friends of Joe's family (and his brother's in-laws), who brought our things to us last weekend. Here are a few photos from the long-awaited day.

Joe guided Fred as he backed down the street...

good thing we're at the end. That was a huge truck!

Excited kids and neighbors gathered to watch.

Fred had a couple of stops before ours.

It doesn't look like much at the back of the truck, but the things kept coming and coming!

We had stacks of boxes for a few days, but it's getting better.

Looking more like a home and less like a warehouse each day.

First meal at our new table, with Fred and his wife Jan. This was Joe's grandmother's table, which his mom had brought to us. It's such a nice, sturdy table, with lots of room. At this point, we had one leaf in it. Later we decided to add two more. We can still add two additional leaves when we have more people.

I love a big table, and I love it even more when it's full of people and good food!

Thanks so much for following this journey with us, and for all who have purchased our art and encouraged us along the way. There are still paintings available in our etsy shop.

Home tour posts coming soon on Jenny's blog with more pictures. Please stay connected there!

tomorrow!!!

2009-11-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Joe was on the phone with Fred (the guy who is bringing our stuff) earlier, and found out that he'll be here tomorrow morning at 9am! I work until 8:30 in the morning, so I'll come home and it will be time to start the transformation soon! We'll update with photos asap!

Retrieval Project update 11-08-09

2009-11-08T06:36:00.001-08:00

At this very moment in time, these are the original paintings still available in our

Retrieval Project etsy shop.

(this is jenny)

Yay! As Joe mentioned yesterday, our stuff is on the way!!! Our plan was to raise enough money for two of us (probably Brooklyn and I) to fly to Minnesota, rent a u-haul truck, load up our stuff and drive it back. That would cost us somewhere around $4,000. A long time friend of the Swanson family (and our sister-in-law's dad) is a trucker in Minnesota, and he contacted us to let us know that he could haul our things for about half the price. He and some friends loaded everything from our storage unit into his truck yesterday and he should be here by next weekend!!!!! We've been back in California for a little over nine months, so it will be very exciting for us to finally feel settled in with our things and make our house feel more homey and cozy for the chilly autumn days ahead.

We've been just fine without our stuff and realize that it is just "stuff". We have borrowed couches, beds and dressers and have survived nicely these last several months. It's the little things we're most looking forward to. Well, ok, big things too... I can't wait to snuggle under cozy blankets on our couch and look at our photos framed on the walls. But the things the kids are most looking forward to surprised me a little. When I asked them, the first things they thought of were Little People toys (this from 12 year old Brooklyn! they've always been her favorite!), our ottoman (Zeke wants to see if he still fits under it), and Mercy's scooter. When they thought about it more, they were looking forward to their own beds and the Wii, but those things weren't even at the top of their lists.

We will keep this site up, so that you can still scroll down to see all of the paintings that were a part of the Retrieval Project. I've decided to change the links. I will still do a bold red "SOLD" when a painting sells, but instead of linking directly to individual paintings and prints, I will link original paintings to the Retrieval Project etsy site, and prints to Joe's etsy shop and mine. It's very time consuming to continually update links when things are sold, so this way you can link to the Retrieval Project shop and see what is available, and also through our individual shops, you can see what else we've been working on.

You can also keep up with us through our separate blogs: mine is a mixed media life, and Joe's is thisistattoo. We're on twitter, too. @joeswansontat2 and @jennyswanson707.

We'd like to thank you all again for following us, directing people to our site, buying our art, praying for us, offering support and encouragement. It feels good to have come up with this project and produced the daily paintings. It was a really great experience for both of us, and we so appreciated the sense of community we felt from all of our friends, family and supporters. We didn't quite reach our goal, but we did raise enough, thanks to all of you, to have our stuff brought to us. All money that we make now from this project will go to our general budget. Work has been slow and we're burning candles at every point possible to make ends meet right now.

STUFF IS ON THE WAY

2009-11-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

So I just got off the phone with the mover and almost all our stuff that was packed in a 10x20 storage unit in Minnesota is loaded up into the truck. They should have the rest loaded shortly.

So that means the truck with the goods should be pulling up to our door in California by Friday the 13th.

I will let Jenny update more about all this and also let everyone know what paintings are still available for sale!

Thanks for helping make the next step to this journey happen.

Joe

giveaway on my blog!

2009-09-30T03:41:00.001-07:00

Hello friends! Just wanted to let you know I'm hosting a giveaway of one of my prints on my blog this week. Click here for details!

Also, if you have ordered from us in the last week or so, your items are on their way. We had run out of a part of the packaging material needed to send them. Thanks for your patience!

*update: all recent items shipped on 10-03-09

jenny

special on prints

2009-09-22T03:54:00.000-07:00

Today we're starting a special in our etsy shop: For a limited time, you can purchase any* three prints from our Retrieval Project series for $50! They're normally $20 each, so that's a savings of $10, and through this special, you have the opportunity to buy any* mixture of the prints (even those whose originals have not yet sold). In the note to seller when you check out, just list the three titles of prints you'd like, as well as whether the painting was done by Joe or Jenny (you can mix his and hers if you like also).

And please keep spreading the word about our project... each and every purchase helps us get closer to our goal!

*The only exception is that we do not have the original of Joe's "Simply Stated- California" scanned, so at this time, we are not able to offer it as a print.

day 50! family

2009-09-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

Today is day 50. The final day of the Retrieval Project. We will keep this site as well as our etsy site up and running for a while, so you can still check in, refer your friends, stay tuned for any updates, buy our art, etc.

We will be offering a special on our prints, starting tomorrow, so you'll want to come back for that for sure.

We'll also let you know how our fund raising efforts are going and announce when we make it to our goal.

Thanks so much for all of your support and kind words throughout these last 50 days! It's been such a great journey in so many ways.

"Family" by Joe Swanson (with help from 10 yr old Zeke and 3 yr old Mercy)

original watercolor painting available here

"family" by jenny swanson

mixed media painting/"fabric"ation SOLD!

print available here

day 49. home sweet home

2009-09-20T07:29:00.001-07:00

"Home Sweet Home" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"home sweet home" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 48. pressed but not crushed

2009-09-19T04:00:00.001-07:00

"Pressed but not Crushed" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"pressed but not crushed" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

oops... Joe's painting in correct view

2009-09-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's true... I scanned and uploaded Joe's painting without really looking at it. When I got it to the site I use to put it in jpeg form, I really wasn't sure which way was up. Of course, now that I see it correctly it should have been obvious. In my defense, Joe has painted some pretty strange/backwards/upside down things on more than one occasion! (and it was 3:30am.) You can buy the original painting here.

Upside Down

2009-09-18T04:19:00.000-07:00

So just letting everyone know my most recent painting of the two hearts (reconnect) is upside down in the post. You can now go ahead and turn you computer screen over and continue to gaze longingly at the piece!

Word,

Joe

day 47. reunited

2009-09-18T03:46:00.001-07:00

"Reunited" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"reunited" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting SOLD!

print available here

day 46. hello

2009-09-17T03:39:00.001-07:00

"Hello" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"hello" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting SOLD!

available here

day 45. drive

2009-09-16T03:51:00.001-07:00

"Drive" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"drive" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 44. step

2009-09-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

"Step" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"step" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 43. content

2009-09-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

"Content" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"content" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

a slight delay

2009-09-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I scanned and started uploading Joe's painting for today... then we had a small emergency. Mercy, our three year old, got an apple from a tree in the back yard and tried to cut a bad spot off of it all by herself. She ended up almost taking a huge chunk out of the tip of her thumb in the process. We are very fortunate to have great neighbors (friends of mine from jr. high), who watched our three non-bleeding kids while we rushed Mercy to the er. A few hours and several stitches later, she's home and her thumb will be fine. It was a horrible experience, holding her down and watching them stick needles in her bloody thumb... but she was a trooper and she's on the mend.

Since it's so late, we decided to put off day 43 until tomorrow. We're sorry for the delay, for those who've been checking in, but I think you'll enjoy them. I'm always surprised by Joe's ideas for each title. What he did for tomorrow cracked me up. For now, I'll tease you with the title... "content".

Goodnight, and please say a prayer for our little Mercy.

updated links

2009-09-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

(jenny here) Saturdays seem to be my catching up days. I got up early to a most welcome sound and sight... loud thunder and bright lightning skies (bright for 3am). I had a good morning... worked for about 5 hours, and then a couple of errands (which included a trip to the post office for those of you waiting on your paintings and prints). I came home and settled in to some sweatpants, a sweatshirt and my favorite slippers (thank you, Peggy), hoping to have a lazy, cozy day... watching a movie, eating popcorn and watching/listening to the rain. The gray skies really perked my spirits. I guess I'm a little backwards in that way.. it took a blustery morning to brighten my day!

The sun came out not long after I got home, but I still managed to be cheery. We still (air)popped popcorn, and watched a movie, but I also got a lot of work done. I listed prints of all of our sold paintings on etsy (and all those not yet sold, so it will be simple enough to activate them once they sell). I also took some time making sure all links are accurate. Thanks for your patience with this... it's no small task when you get behind, as I did these last couple of weeks.

SO... at this moment in time, all links will take you to active listings. It's hard to believe we're nearing the end of our 50 days! We have just a little over a week of new paintings being released. If you see something you like, it's a good idea to snatch it up before the original is gone. But also, remember that if a painting you adore is already sold, you can purchase prints of Joe's originals here, and Jenny's prints here.

Thanks for following along this journey with us! We've enjoyed having you along and really really love the comments (keep 'em coming!).

day 42. road trip

2009-09-12T04:05:00.000-07:00

"Road Trip" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"road trip" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 41. strengTh

2009-09-11T09:33:00.001-07:00

TWO for the price of ONE!!!!

So, apparently all the late nights of staying up painting have caught up to me! As Jenny was scanning my painting for today she called me into the room and pointed out a 'slight' flaw. I misspelled STRENGTH! Wow, that sucks!

Here is the fix ...I am going to leave this painting up for sale 'as is', and when it sells I will do another painting like it with the title spelled correctly. To sweeten the deal for the person who buys this painting I will even let them help in choosing the color scheme for the 2nd painting.

So there you have it. Good painting + Bad Spelling = 2 Paintings + Color Collaboration with the Artist! Yee Haw! Now get to buyin'

"Strength" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"strength" by jenny

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 40. adapt

2009-09-10T03:43:00.000-07:00

"Adapt" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"adapt" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 39. fork in the road

2009-09-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

"Fork in the Road" by Joe Swanson

original mixed media painting available here

"fork in the road" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 38. bloom

2009-09-08T03:35:00.001-07:00

"Bloom" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"bloom" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 37. lonely

2009-09-07T10:36:00.001-07:00

"Lonely" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"lonely" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting available here

day 36. pursue your dreams

2009-09-06T13:09:00.001-07:00

"Pursue Your Dreams" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"pursue your dreams" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting available here

day 35. reconnect

2009-09-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

"Reconnect" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"reconnect" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting available here

day 34. welcome

2009-09-04T03:48:00.000-07:00

"Welcome" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor/gouache painting available here

"welcome" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 33. homeward bound

2009-09-03T03:43:00.000-07:00

"Homeward Bound" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor/gouache painting available here

"homeward bound" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 32. moving on (late entry)

2009-09-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

One more before the day ends... our son Zeke wanted to do a painting for this title as well. He informed me that sharks have to keep moving on or else they'll die.

"Moving On" by Ezekiel Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

day 32. moving on

2009-09-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

"Moving On" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor/ gouache painting available here

"moving on" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting available here

day 31. along the way

2009-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

"Along the Way" by Joe Swanson

original gouache painting available here

"along the way" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 30. missing home

2009-08-31T07:33:00.001-07:00

"Missing Home" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor/mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

"missing home" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 29. take a risk

2009-08-30T14:57:00.001-07:00

"Take a Risk" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"take a risk" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 28. destination

2009-08-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

"Destination" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"destination" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

available here

day 27. what's so great about California?

2009-08-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

"What's So Great About California?" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"what's so great about California?" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting SOLD!

print available here

day 26. what's so great about Minnesota?

2009-08-27T14:33:00.001-07:00

"What's So Great About Minnesota?"

by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"what's so great about Minnesota?"

by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting available here

midway special + update

2009-08-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Day 25... we're half way into our project! So far we've raised about a quarter of the funds needed to make the trip to get our things out of storage. We'd like to thank all of you who have purchased our paintings, made contributions, shared our story, prayed for us and visit often to see our new listings! We have been surrounded by such a fantastic community (both in our daily interactions and our online community). We are so thankful for the support.

Today we have a very special painting to mark our half-way point. Our good friend Paul Urich has so generously offered to paint a piece especially for The Retrieval Project. He has been featured in galleries and his art has sold for thousands of dollars. Because of his generous offer, you have an opportunity to purchase one of Paul's original paintings for just $100 through our etsy site. To see more of Paul's work, click here. We are so honored that such an amazing artist as Paul would offer his work to you for our project, and at such a great price!

"untitled" by Paul Urich

original gouache painting available here

day 25. wait

2009-08-26T06:48:00.001-07:00

"Wait" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"wait" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 24. crisis/opportunity

2009-08-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

"Crisis/Opportunity" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"crisis/opportunity" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 23. uprooted

2009-08-24T07:03:00.001-07:00

please enjoy.

"Uprooted" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"uprooted" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 22. journey

2009-08-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Oops! I almost forgot to post today's paintings. It's been a busy birthday weekend around here. We still can't believe our boy has hit the double digits. What a great kid he is. Yesterday you saw his version of "journey". Here are ours:

"Journey" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

available here

"journey" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

guest artist: Ezekiel Cruz Swanson

2009-08-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

We're celebrating our son Zeke's 10th birthday today. He came and asked us a few weeks ago if he could do some paintings for the project too. We thought about adding them to the days when these titles were released, but decided to give him his own special day here. So today, we offer two originals from our sweet 10 year old boy:

"goodbye" by Zeke Swanson

original painting SOLD!

"journey" by Zeke Swanson

original painting available here

day 21. surprise

2009-08-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

"Surprise" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

available here

"surprise" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

Just Finished Day 21 And I Like Painting

2009-08-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

Wow! 20 paintings each. Before we all know it the late nights of painting for this project will be over. I have recently been painting one painting toward the end of each day. I suppose instead of painting one each day I could paint a few and have them banked for upcoming days, but where is the fun in that!

Im sitting here thinking this had been a real pleasure painting that last 20 pieces. Even though there are some days, like today, I have no idea what I am going to paint. Today, at about 7pm, I turned to my buddy and said, "I wonder what I am going to paint for surprise?" He suggested a monster under a bed...I think he was joking...?! I decided to go in a different direction, however!

Anyway, not much more to say other than I like painting, and thanks for buying!

America!

Joe

day 20. friendship

2009-08-20T07:22:00.001-07:00

"Friendship" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"friendship" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 19. simply stated - California

2009-08-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

"Simply Stated - California" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

"simply stated - California" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting available here

day 18. simply stated - Minnesota

2009-08-18T05:18:00.001-07:00

"Simply Stated - Minnesota" by Joe Swanson

original mixed media painting available here

(Joe painted at home for a few days and used acrylic paints... he'll go back to his beloved watercolors soon. Jenny thinks he did a great job working outside his comfort zone!)

"simply stated - Minnesota" by jenny swanson

original acrylic painting available here

day 17. new beginning

2009-08-17T08:11:00.001-07:00

"New Beginning" by Joe Swanson

original acrylic painting available here

"new beginning" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

quick update

2009-08-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone... sorry I had gotten behind with updates. All links should now be accurate. Everything that has been sold says "sold" and there are links to active listings of prints of each of those paintings. Thanks for your patience! You can also visit our etsy shop anytime to see which originals are still available.

day 16. trust

2009-08-16T09:19:00.001-07:00

"Trust" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"trust" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 15. sacrifice

2009-08-15T10:59:00.001-07:00

"Sacrifice" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

available here

"sacrifice" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 14. cry

2009-08-14T07:32:00.001-07:00

"Cry" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"cry" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 13. future

2009-08-12T22:32:00.001-07:00

*Update: Several of you have asked how the project is going (how many paintings have sold, how much we've raised, etc.) I found a thermometer widget and have installed it on the sidebar. I may keep looking for another, as this one is backwards, with the goal amount where the red is, and the current amount at the top. Either way, for now at least, I'll keep it because it does serve the purpose of making the progress available to you. I also replaced the "chipin" button with a "donate" button, which is also linked directly to our paypal account. This will hopefully make the total amount raised easier to see, by keeping it all in the thermometer. So... at the time of this writing, we have sold 15 original paintings (of the now 26 released), and have had $120 in donations, for a total of $720. We're making a dent in the $4,000 needed... thanks, guys! Keep telling your friends, and keep checking back! And please know that we truly appreciate your support!

"Future" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

available here

"future" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

day 12. goodbye

2009-08-12T06:47:00.001-07:00

"Goodbye" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"goodbye" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here

day 11. surrender (and giveaway winner)

2009-08-11T04:07:00.000-07:00

"Surrender" by Joe Swanson

original mixed media painting available here

(Joe's mixing it up... this was done in gouache and ink,

plus there's some collage work with the dove.)

"surrender" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

available here

We forgot to announce a winner for our giveaway yesterday...

the randomly chosen number is.... 7!

deezmath said...

I'm so extremely proud and excited for you guys. This is really going great for you and I hope that God multiplies it exponentially!!

Deezmath, email us with your address and we will mail your print of "In Due Time" on Wednesday!

day 10. savor

2009-08-10T08:31:00.001-07:00

"Savor" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here

"savor" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

available here

day 9. move

2009-08-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

"Move" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting available here.

"move" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting available here.

day 8. follow the leader. plus a giveaway

2009-08-08T03:57:00.001-07:00

"Follow the Leader" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

available here.

"follow the leader" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

available here

And, as promised, we have a giveaway today. Joe did an extra painting this week. This original is for our home, but we have prints available in Joe's etsy shop, and we're giving away one print to a randomly chosen reader who leaves a comment (or comments) below.

"In Due Time" by Joe Swanson

print available here.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment. Let us know what you think of the project, your favorite painting so far. For extra chances to win, please mention us on your blog, on facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. Leave a separate comment letting us know where you spread the word for us (one comment about the project or a fave painting, separate comment if you do a shout out on Facebook, separate if you tweet about the project, etc.). The more you help us spread the word, the more chances you have to win.

We were doing well the first few days of this project, but it seems we're losing steam, so we need your help! I'll configure a new ticker later to help you see the progression of the projects success.

Winner randomly chosen (and announced) on Monday morning. Spread the word! (thanks!)

day 7. hope

2009-08-06T20:38:00.001-07:00

After grief, we follow up with hope. Because we all need a little hope. (We hope you enjoy these!)

And we have a little surprise coming up. To thank you all for your support and kindness since we've kicked off the Retrieval Project, we are going to host our first giveaway. This Saturday, August 8th, we will post a special edition print by Joe. We will make these available in Joe's etsy shop, and we will be giving away one print of the special edition to a lucky supporter. Be sure to check in Saturday for your chance to enter! (And of course, you'll want to come back on Friday too, because you're so curious about what that title will be and want to see the new art!)

Today's offerings on "hope":

(and by the way, you can click any of our images for a larger view.)

"Hope" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"hope" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

fine art print available here

day 6. grief

2009-08-06T05:21:00.001-07:00

"Grief" by Joe

original watercolor painting SOLD!

available here

"grief" by jenny

original mixed media painting SOLD!

available here

day five: change

2009-08-05T03:41:00.000-07:00

"Change" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here.

"change" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available here

housekeeping

2009-08-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

(jenny here) We want to genuinely thank everyone who is supporting us in this project! We are so amazed by the positive response we've gotten and feeling so encouraged. Huge thanks to all who have purchased our original paintings, prints and other things. (And to those who have promoted The Retrieveal Project for us.) This week my etsy sales in my personal shop have been better than ever, and so far 5 of our original paintings have sold!

We're mid-way into our first week, so there are some things we're realizing that we wanted to make you aware of. (That's the housekeeping... not much actual housecleaning happening around here lately. This project has been keeping me busy!.... and I'm not complaining!)

First, you may have noticed the "chip-in" widget in the right side bar. This only works for donations sent directly through chip-in. Unfortunately we are unable to link it to reflect the sales we've had through etsy. If anyone knows of another way to do this, or another widget that would show the progression as we go along, we'd love to know about it. (email jenny at jennyswanson707(at)gmail.com.)

As each original painting sells, I try to update the blog as soon as possible. At that time, I also make a print of the original available in our individual etsy shops, with links. The links for the paintings and prints currently for sale will be green (green means go!). Also, when a print sells, I will re-list it asap, so that we can make multiple prints from each original. Just realize that as much as I try to stay on top of it, I'm also working in the mornings, enjoying the last few weeks of summer with the kids, painting like crazy and taking occasional naps... so if a print you want is not currently listed, please know that I'll get it up as soon as I can. Feel free to send me an email too... it's possible that I may overlook something or forget to re-list.

I have put a widget in the left hand sidebar for our Retrieval Project etsy shop. This way you can always see which originals are still available. (At the time of writing, there are currently three still for sale. This is day four, so there have been eight total... meaning so far we have sold five of our originals!) For those interested, that's how you can find out how the project is going.

One last thing... we received our packaging materials and have started getting the orders from this week ready to ship. We've decided to do our shipping one day a week, on Wednesdays.

Thanks again so much! We look forward to sharing more of our artwork with you!

day four: transition

2009-08-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

"Transition" by Joe

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available here

"transition" by jenny

original mixed media painting available here

day three: pray

2009-08-03T07:16:00.001-07:00

"Pray" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available in Joe's etsy shop here.

"pray" by jenny swanson

original mixed media painting SOLD!

print available in Jenny's etsy shop here

day two: Proverbs 3:5,6

2009-08-02T06:04:00.001-07:00

Because we've anchored ourselves to this promise throughout the journey.

"Proverbs 3:5,6" by Joe Swanson

original painting available here.

"proverbs 3:5,6" by jenny swanson

original painting SOLD!

print available here.

day one: pursuit

2009-08-01T07:44:00.001-07:00

"pursuit" by Joe Swanson

original watercolor painting SOLD!

print available in Joe's etsy shop here

"pursuit" by jenny swanson

original mixed-media SOLD!

print available here

We LAUNCH today! SPOILER!!!!

2009-08-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

WHAT THE HECK - So I checked the blog this morning and there was NO 'day one'! Then I wrote this post and when i went to publish it there was a day one. I think Jenny is magic or is on a break at Starbucks and published 'day one'! Regardless I went through a lot of work to write this post and so Im leaving it up for all to see! Enjoy!

So we will be launching this project today. I am super excited to hear what everybody has to say about the paintings. Later when Jen gets back from work we will post the first 2 paintings, entitled, 'pursuit'. You will be able to find those paintings here: http://retrievalproject.etsy.com.

I also believe there will be a post displaying both paintings.

However, since I am an instant gratification kind of guy and don't like waiting for things...like Jenny getting home in about a little over an hour, Im going to give you all a little spoiler!

WARNING SPOILER - Don't scroll look any further unless you wanna see part/all of the first 2 retrieval project paintings done by Joe and Jen...or unless you are willing to come to my aid with large quantities of emails supporting my decision to post this spoil...that is if Jen chooses to do more than smack me on the back of the head for posting this! Say Word! Ok here we go!

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PART of 'Pursuit' by Jen

PART of 'Pursuit' by Joe

So there you go...just a little teaser of what is to come. Check back later and there will be more and a link to the etsy.com shop you can purchase 'Pursuit' from.

Thanks again for the support and I'm hoping this project doesn't just allow us to get our stuff, but that we can connect with old friends and make some new ones along the way!

Later,
Joe

thanks for your support!

2009-07-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

Wow is pretty much all I can say. The project hasn't launched yet, but we are feelin' the love big time. So blown away that people, many who don't even know us, are getting behind this project and supporting us. I forgot to mention this in that last post, but if you have a blog button that you would like us to add to our sidebar under "supporters", we would love to link back to you. Just a small thanks for helping us spread the word, purchasing our art, making a donation, etc. We really can't express how much the generosity means to us. Just know that several times I've been moved to tears from emails in the last few days. We are so grateful. Really, really.

one more day... help us spread the word!

2009-07-31T06:47:00.001-07:00

The Retrieval Project will officially launch tomorrow, August 1st. His and hers paintings of the same title will be uploaded and made available for sale. Once the originals have sold, we will make prints available. This process will continue for the next 50 days. There will be some surprises thrown in here and there too. Yesterday I was busy painting and our nine year old son Zeke asked if he could do a painting for the project. I loved the idea and showed him the list of titles. So there will be some days that we will offer more than the standard two paintings per title.

(This is Jenny writing, by the way.) I'm getting excited about this project. It's fun each night when Joe comes home and shows me the paintings he's been working on, and then I show him what I've done. Our styles are so different and we enjoy seeing each other's take on the titles. I was a little intimidated a few days ago, thinking about my artwork next to Joe's. (More on that here.) He's so talented and can draw literally anything you ask him to within minutes and it looks fabulous. I am not so talented in the drawing area. I doodle. But I'm having so much fun getting messy with paint, cutting and tearing paper and pages from a dictionary and old hymnals, using interesting findings in collage. Last night Joe looked at some of the pieces I'd been working on, pointed at one and asked, "is that the edge I cut off from my painting yesterday?" "Yep." (He's doing his paintings on watercolor paper from a spiral bound book and cuts them to size when he's finished. I liked the spiral edge and used it. You'll see that on day 7.)

The key to this project being a success is going to be promoting it. Earlier this week I contacted several friends and bloggers, told them our story and asked if they'd consider featuring our project on their blogs and/or adding our button to their sidebar. I was so blessed by the response. Encouraging words, hoping for the best for us and this project, and willingness to help. (Thank you SO much to all who are supporting us in this way!)

If anyone is reading this and would consider doing the same (a feature and/or adding our button, you can save this picture and resize it if you need a different size square. If you prefer a different shape/size, please email me.

Anyone out there know how to add a box in our sidebar with code for people to copy? That would be so great!

HUGE thanks to Steve, who made a button for us! Now you can just click on it to add it to your blogger page. Apparently it will work even if you don't use blogger... just click to find out what to do. Ask and you shall receive! Thanks Steve!

Thanks so much to all who have offered kind words, mentioned us on facebook, twitter, blogs, word of mouth, etc. We are overwhelmed by the love and support we are receiving.

Joe Swanson Is Excited About The Retrieval Project!

2009-07-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

So I just posted to my blog, ThisIsTattoo.com, about this project. Hopefully, some of you who are checking this blog out are coming over from my personal site.

I am very excited about this project. Not just so we can get our stuff and I can stop wearing the same 5 t-shirts that I've been wearing for the last 5 months, but because I think it will be cool to see a different take on the same title. My wife, Jen, and I have completely different styles of artwork and so to start with just the title and see the outcome will be pretty awesome.

I mostly work in watercolor but I am going to use this project as an opportunity to work in other mediums as well. So you should see some acrylic, watercolor and a mixture of these in my paintings.

Thanks for stopping by and check back soon to see the first few paintings being released. I'm sure you will find something you like.

You can also follow us on twitter so you know when new paintings have been released!

joeswansontat2
jennyswanson707

Later,
Joe

disclaimer

2009-07-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

*Disclaimer: I realized after creating the blog banner, etsy banner and blog button that the route pictured in the map is NOT the route we take. It bothers me a little that I didn't notice it sooner... but probably not enough to do it all over. I went to google maps and got directions from our place here to St. Cloud, MN (where our stuff is) and back. We usually follow highway 80 through California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and into Nebraska, and then go north through a little bit of South Dakota and Iowa and into Minnesota. Also, we will be flying from SFO to Minneapolis/St. Paul, and then driving back in a uhaul.

Not that any of this really matters. But because it's a little off in the picture, I thought I'd mention it. Maybe we should take the route they gave us... it might be nice to see some new sights along the way!

a few more details

2009-07-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

We are one week away from launching The Retrieval Project! We're busy with our paintings and with setting things in place (the blog, etsy shop and paypal details).

I have been asked why we are selling our original(!) paintings at such a low price. When we were brainstorming about The Retrieval Project, we thought about doing 40 paintings, and selling them for $100 each... but we decided to make them more affordable so that more people can take part in this.

Joe works mostly with watercolor and is painting on watercolor paper. Jenny is painting with acrylics plus collage, and is using canvas paper. Additional info about packaging and shipping will be listed on our etsy site.

the details

2009-07-24T10:04:00.001-07:00

Here you'll find the details of how this project will work.

We have made a list of 50 titles, all having to do with moving, transition, journey, California, Minnesota, etc. The paintings themselves may or may not reflect the move, but will be our representation of the titles. For each title, Joe and I will both do a painting. Each day, we will release at least two paintings (one title: Joe's version and my version), until all 100 paintings are out. Some days there may be more than one title released, and we are planning to do some collaborative pieces, which will also be announced.

The daily paintings (from our 50 titles) will be $40 each. They will be available for purchase in our Retrieval Project etsy shop. After each original painting has sold, we will make prints available in our personal etsy shops: (Jenny's, Joe's)for $20 each. Prices for the collaborative pieces will be announced as they are available.

We will post the paintings on this blog every morning, beginning August 1st, for the duration of the project. The best way to see what's new and stay informed on this project is to subscribe to the blog.

Thank you for your interest and support in The Retrieval Project! We genuinely appreciate everyone who stops by, buys our art, spreads the word, etc.

the shorter story

2009-07-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

It was kind of weird writing that last post in the third person. And it was a bit long... so for the shorter version, read on here.

Last year at about this time, we moved our family of six from the SF Bay Area to a little town near St. Cloud, Minnesota. Joe had been a police officer for a number of years and also a tattoo artist on the side. I know, not the combination you'd guess, right? The paycheck and benefits working for a police department were nice, but the job was sucking the life and joy right out of him. What Joe really wanted was to tattoo full time. He had a friend who owned a tattoo shop in Minnesota and had asked him to go work for him. There was talk of this friend retiring soon and Joe taking over the shop. It seemed like a great opportunity, so he went for it.

Fast forward a few months, and Joe was fired, just two weeks before Christmas. He and the owner of the shop had too many differing opinions on how to make money in the industry and it was decided that they would need to part ways. Since Joe had given his word that he wouldn't work in another shop in the area, that meant that he'd have to start over in a new city or move back to the Bay Area, where he already had a lot of contacts and clients, as well as family and friends. So we're back.

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The rest of this post is taken from a post on my *mixed-media* life in progress blog:

Status update a few nights ago on Facebook and Twitter: brainstorming, plotting, devising, conspiring, planning, collaborating.... need to be sleeping. stay tuned.

We've been back in the Bay Area for five plus months now.... but our stuff (aka most of our home furnishings and belongings) is still in Minnesota. We are feeling SO ready to go get it and have it here. We're still catching up financially from the two huge moves in six months and are no where near being able to afford the trip + uhaul necessary. So as I was drifting off to sleep the other night, my mind was whirling. Trying to figure out a way. We're thinking the trip total will be pretty close to $4,000. Crazy, I know!

Whenever you're in a situation that seems impossible, you have to look around and take stock of what's available. Like in the Bible, when Moses was afraid to confront Pharoah to let the Israelites go out of Egypt, God asked him, "What's that in your hand?". And He used the staff Moses carried to perform miracles and accomplish His will.

We have art in our hands. So here's what I came up with. If we do 100 paintings between us, and sell them for $40 each, we'd could make what we need. So we're percolating ideas and brainstorming and coming up with a list of titles for paintings. We'll each do our own take on each title, and everyday we'll release two paintings (one of each) until we've done all 100. We'll be starting a new blog and an etsy shop for the collaboration.

The theme will revolve around the move, transition, Minnesota, California, new beginnings, roots, family, etc.

the whole story

2009-07-12T16:56:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time there was a guy named Joe. He worked as a tattoo artist for several years... full time, and then on the side as he went into a career in law enforcement. He thought it would be fun to carry a gun and drive a fast car, while doing a respectable job and helping people. He worked hard to provide for his growing family. He was respected and made some good friends during his career, but was unfulfilled in the profession, as he wasn't able to express his more creative side.

He was married to his college pal, Jenny, and they were expecting their fourth baby when Joe started to consider going back to tattooing full time. This freaked Jenny out a little, as she really enjoyed the steady paycheck and benefits that his current job provided, but she decided she wanted a happy husband and vowed to support him in his pursuit. They considered their options and waited until after this fourth child was born before making any changes.

Joe had a friend in Minnesota (his native homeland) who owned a tattoo shop and had wanted Joe to go and work for him for years. There was talk of this friend retiring soon and wanting Joe to take over the shop. It was an established shop in a college town, a promising opportunity. Joe and Jenny considered this option with much prayer and decided to go for it. They uprooted their family and moved 1,927 miles away, from their home in the San Francisco Bay Area to a tiny little town near St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Not long after being in there, Joe realized that things were not going to work out as they'd hoped. The owner of the shop obviously had no intentions of letting the reigns loose anytime soon, and had very different opinions on the best way to market oneself and the shop in the business. With the struggling economy, getting a new tattoo was not at the top of many people's financial priority list. Joe found it necessary to find other ways to make money in the tattoo industry, with his art and in teaching seminars, both at conventions and on recorded dvds. The owner of the shop did not approve of this activity (he seemed to feel threatened and worried that Joe would try to take away business and start his own shop in the area). He gave Joe the ultimatum to either stop doing these things or stop working there. Since just working there, sitting around waiting for people to walk through the door, was not putting food on the table, it was decided that Joe would no longer work there.

This was two weeks before Christmas. In Minnesota. (30 degrees below zero!)

Early on, to reassure his boss of his loyalty, Joe had given his word that he would not work at another shop in the area. He made it clear that his intentions were to be in that shop only, and that any marketing he did would benefit the shop as much as himself. After being fired, he felt strongly that the right thing to do was to honor that commitment. Many people disagreed and thought it would be justifiable to work somewhere else, but Joe was committed to keeping his word. If you know Minnesota at all, you know that there are a few big cities with lots of small towns in between. This meant that Joe would need to travel over an hour to work at another shop or else move the family again. Moving back to the SF Bay Area seemed the best option, since he already had a lot of contacts and clientele there, plus family and friends.

So, just six months after moving to this new area, Joe and Jenny packed up the family to go back to California. It was strangely hard to move again. Not just because packing is such a pain, but because they had made some really good new friends, enjoyed being near extended family, and actually liked living there.

If you've ever moved, you know that it is quite expensive to do so, especially at such a distance. They had spent everything they had to get to Minnesota and only had enough left to get the family back to CA with just what clothing and few kid items that could fit in the two cars they drove. The household items and most personal belongings were put into a storage unit for pick up at a later time.

It has now been almost six months since the family has been back in the Bay Area. Joe has been working at a shop in San Francisco, but times are still tough, and they're still catching up financially. Jenny just took on a job at Starbucks, her first time working outside the home since before they had kids. They're working hard to make ends meet, but are struggling to set aside any extra to go back to get their stuff out of storage.

The Retrieval Project is an effort to raise money to make the trip back to Minnesota to get their furniture, toys, clothes and other household items. Most likely Jenny and two of the kids will be going. The estimated cost of the trip is about $4,000.

More details of the project in another post.

welcome!

2009-07-12T08:26:00.001-07:00

Welcome! Thanks for visiting. We hope you will like what you see here. There are a few ways you can help out with this project:

1. buy our art!

2. share this site and our etsy site with your friends, blog readers, twitter followers, etc.

3. come back often.

4. feature us on your blog, in your newsletter, magazine, etc.

5. "heart" our etsy shop(s). (the Retrieval Project, Joe's, Jenny's)

6. leave comments (we appreciate all feedback and welcome your suggestions, affirmations, even a little constructive criticism).

7. make a donation via paypal.

8. visit our other sites (listed in the sidebar).

Thanks so much! We truly appreciate your support in this endeavor!