Life at 85

Soon, very soon, I'll reach the age of 85.

I sometimes wonder what I've learned that truly mattered.

This morning I read a quote from Elon Musk:

"I sleep, I wake up and work. I do this every day, seven days a week."

I smiled.

I've always been a dreamer. In fact, I don't remember a time when I wasn't called one.

Over the years, I've come to believe there are two kinds of dreamers.

The first dream and wait.

The second dream and build.

We all dream. Some never get the opportunity. Some get the opportunity and waste it. A few decide to build.

I've spent my life in that second group.

As a young man, I always felt there were two trains leaving the station. I knew I was on the right one. Some people on that train seemed to do everything right from the beginning and became great. Others struggled to reach their destination.

For me, the journey was never quite that simple.

My opportunities in life were remarkable. Every fifteen years or so, life seemed to open a new door. What I once called reinvention was really transition—one chapter building naturally upon the last.

Designer.

Artist.

Coach.

Entrepreneur.

Different titles perhaps, but always the same person underneath.

The common thread wasn't the career.

It was the problem.

I live to solve problems.

That's what I was paid to do as a designer. That's what I do as an artist. That's what I've done throughout my life.

When a project begins to flounder, you must find what is causing the problem. Remove the obstacle, change the approach, and move forward.

The same is true of a painting.

Years ago, I occasionally put a red X through a painting. Not because there was anything wrong with it. The red X simply meant the subject was over. That approach had reached its end. It was time to find another way forward.

The painting wasn't the problem.

The path was.

Looking back, perhaps that lesson applies to much more than painting.

You would think that by 85, experience and wisdom would make life easy to navigate. Yet I've discovered there are still lessons to learn.

My Achilles' heel has always been balance.

I enjoy working. I enjoy building. I enjoy solving problems.

Sometimes too much.

The failure to stay connected with family, friends, and supporters while focused on the next challenge is a mistake I've made more than once.

The work is important.

The people are too.

So, at 85, can you still make a course correction?

Can you recognize a misstep and create a better outcome?

I believe you can.

After all, that is what problem solvers do.

Today is that day.

Eighty-five.

WOW.

I Didn’t Leave the Gallery System… We Built a New One

 

  

#1 Landscape 16x20 oil on canvas panel

 March 16, 2009 | Private Collection  

Every once in a while, I go back and read something I wrote years ago—not to reminisce, but to check the thinking. This week, one post from 2012 stood out.

This journey started on March 16, 2009—with a small 16 x 20 landscape and a decision made before the paint was dry.

At the time, I was just a few years into painting again, trying to figure out how to make a real career out of it. I approached it the only way I knew how—as a business.

Even then, a few things became very clear:

• Galleries didn’t build your name
• They didn’t control your future
• They didn’t really understand what the artist needed long-term

They showed the work—that was about it.

So I made a decision early on. If I was going to do this professionally, I needed control—over the work, the presentation, and the direction of my career. That thinking never left.

Over time, something else became clear. People don’t buy paintings because of resumes, juried shows, or affiliations. They buy what I came to call “Best Wall Paintings.”

• Work that has presence
• Work that holds a wall
• Work that creates that instant reaction—the “jump factor”

And when that happens, everything else disappears.

Fast forward to today, and I can see the full arc.

I didn’t walk away from the gallery system. I rebuilt it—around the artist.

Instead of relying on a single point of sale, the model became an ecosystem:

• A space for original paintings, experienced in person
• A platform for museum-quality reproductions
• A direct connection to collectors
• A structure for artists to grow and build value
• Control over the work, the brand, and the future

The gallery didn’t go away. It just found its proper place.

This shift changes everything. The artist is no longer dependent on a gallery. The artist becomes part of a system that works with them, not around them.

Looking back, the plan I wrote years ago wasn’t far off. It just took time to build the structure that could support it.

This doesn’t happen overnight:

• Painting by painting
• Decision by decision
• Step by step

Until one day you realize…

You’re not trying to fit into the system anymore. We created one.

“This system continues to evolve—through the work of the artists of SIP, the collectors who choose to live with it, and the space that Stony Point Fashion Park made possible.”

Love, Warmth and the Art of Courtship

 Valentine’s Day tends to amplify the obvious — flowers, cards, celebration.

But I’ve always been more interested in the quieter moments.

Courtship is about that in-between space — when two figures move toward one another, suspended in motion. There’s energy there. Uncertainty. Trust. A willingness to drift closer.

Love unfolds gradually.

Art does too.

Whether an original or a Reborn Original™, what matters most is the feeling it carries into a space. Warmth. Presence. Connection.

Today felt like a good day to share this one.

— Chuck

  

  

 

To build value, ART must speak loud and clear to be noticed.

Shortly, we celebrate Dream Big Artworks’ first year at Stony Point Fashion Park.

Every new business experiences growing pains. Dream Big Artworks is no different. At my age, time is the enemy—though experience helps keep it in check. I’ve always been early to the next sandbox, often before I fully know it’s there. When opportunity presents itself, I respond quickly—sometimes in nanoseconds. Some might call it jumping the gun. I call it the jump factor. You instantly know. You want it, regardless of the cost.

Stony Point was that way for me.

As a designer now artist, I’ve always known that presentation is key to building artist value through gallery sales. How work is shown matters. Where it lives matters. Context matters.

Our Reborn Originals showroom (Suite 115) and the new Dream Big Originals gallery (Suite 145) present SIP artists well—prime locations in a beautifully maintained, upscale mall reinventing itself after the massive buying shifts brought on by COVID. The big retail winner is Amazon, which has now added luxury brands to its lineup.

Stony Point is my kind of project. I like reinvention. That’s where I shine—as a problem solver and designer.

What I loved most about my art career, which began in March of 2009, was that it relied entirely on me. My time was my own. Art became a daily dedication. At 67, painting gave me a reason to continue. This blog is really about that experience.

That singular focus changed in 2016 when coaching entered my fifteen-year plan—not an easy sell at first. SIP Swimming-in-Paint was born organically from artists who wanted steady progress, professional guidance, and time to work things through—not just paint-and-pack-up workshops. SIP isn’t about quick results. It’s about building stronger work, better habits, and the confidence to finish well.

Looking back, it was a natural move. My career had always involved training craftspeople, developing staff, and building a vertical design business. I was doing it again—only this time it was about art.

And more specifically, about a need senior artists have: sharing our art legacy and protecting it, including the seventy-year copyright that survives us.

Presentation remains the foundation of artist value.

Estates can benefit long-term from an art career—even during the artist’s lifetime. An original painting has one lucky owner. The copyright does not transfer with the sale. That reality caught my attention years ago after a solo exhibition when someone asked, “Do you have prints?”

From that moment on, digital capture became two of my favorite words spoken to artists—second only to more paint.

High-quality digital captures allow original work to be reproduced in many ways, creating passive income through licensing and royalties—what someone recently called “free money.” I call it artist dividends. How valuable those dividends become depends on how well we build value as artists. That takes dedication—and finding your place in a very large creative sandbox.

To build value, art must speak loud and clear to be noticed.

 Chuck Larivey OPA

Follow us and join the journey. SIP is all about creating "The Best Wall Painting".

SIP Weekends at Stony Point - Best Wall Paintings

February Schedule at Stony Point

This month SIP Weekends will cover (3) days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hours: 9:30am to 2:30pm. 

Looking for a focused, flexible challenge to push your artistic boundaries? SIP Weekends is your opportunity to dedicate three full days, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - to creating your BEST WALL painting. 

Whether you pick one day or all three, you’ll dive deep into the process of creating a large-scale piece that will stand out on any wall.

February schedule for SIP Weekends at Stony Point:

• Saturday, February 1st
• Sunday, February 2nd
• Friday, February 7th
• Saturday, February 8th
• Sunday, February 9th
• Friday, February 14
• Saturday, February 15th
• Sunday, February 16th
• Friday, February 21th
• Saturday, February 22th
• Sunday, February 23th 
• Friday, February 28th
• Saturday, March 1st
• Sunday, March 2nd
  

Booking page LINK

Best wall painting celebrating Winter !!

Aspen Shadows by SIP Artist Elizabeth Longstreet Titmus is a Dream Big Artworks Original reborn into the digital ART World 

Check LIZ out and Let the Magic Happen for you!

 Swimming-in-paint Coach

 Chuck Larivey OPA

Follow us and join the journey. SIP is all about creating "The Best Wall Painting". 

Dream Big Artworks: Best Wall Paintings by Mike Haubenstock

Dream Big Artworks was born out of a simple but crucial need: to create and share the SIP Artists best wall paintings. The journey from canvas to collector begins with one important test: does the painting hold up in a variety of room settings? This “room test” checks its versatility—whether it fits comfortably across design periods and trends or caters to a niche.

Key Factors for a “Best Wall Painting”

• Size: Versatility is boosted by offering various sizes through quality digital captures.
• Subject Compatibility: Themes that resonate broadly.
• Design Impact: Balance and harmony within the space.
• Mood: Capturing the essence of the subject.
• Presentation: Framed or unframed for best visual impact.
• Workmanship: Ensuring top quality.
• Cost: Matching diverse budgets.

When painting, guessing what a future collector might want is almost impossible. However, through consistent sales and feedback, patterns begin to emerge, refining what resonates most.

The Journey to a Successful Painting Career
For SIP artists, who are often seniors transitioning from other careers, time is a valuable commodity. Unlike younger artists who have decades to refine their craft, we know the importance of focus and urgency in achieving our goals. Mike Haubenstock exemplifies this philosophy.

Meet Mike Haubenstock
A core SIP member, Mike is deeply dedicated to his craft. He not only paints but also actively promotes his and other artists' work. His mediums of choice are oil and palette knife on linen canvas. Over the years, Mike has explored various subjects, including still life, fashion windows, and landscapes. Lately, his focus has shifted to larger works, raising the bar with each new piece.

 

Mike at the easel taking care of Business!

Mike’s art embodies the essence of SIP’s mission: creating meaningful, collectable artwork that speaks to diverse audiences.

The Path to Mastery
Painting regularly, as Mike does, leads to noticeable improvement. His art is not just about practice; it's about creating pieces with the expectation that they’ll find a special wall. His dedication and consistency have paid off, both in skill and sales.

Dream Big Artworks: Featuring Mike’s Landscapes
Dream Big Artworks proudly offers five of Mike’s “Best Wall” landscapes as framed reborn canvas prints. Each piece has been room-tested and proven to be universally appealing. Not every painting can scale up well, but a few of Mike’s works are exceptional even at their largest size.

Here are some of Mike’s stunning works in room settings to illustrate their versatility and universal appeal:

 

Modern Minimalist Space - A calm yet impactful addition to contemporary design.

 

Warm and Inviting Living Room - Perfect for creating a cozy Zen  atmosphere.

  Rustic Charm - Seamlessly blending with natural, earthy tones.

 

Tropical Escape - Bringing vibrant energy into relaxed spaces.

 

From a designer's eye, Mike’s art embodies the essence of SIP’s mission: creating meaningful, collectable artwork that speaks to diverse audiences. 

 

Dream Big Artworks continues to honor artists like Mike Haubenstock by offering their masterpieces in a format that suits modern collectors. From the initial concept to a finished, room-tested painting, every step is taken with the intent to make art accessible and timeless.

 

 Chuck Larivey OPA

Follow us and join the journey. SIP is all about creating "The Best Wall Painting".