NuArt - Michelle McSpadden

REBRANDING!!

2011-12-13T14:19:00.003-06:00

Going forward, I will be reserving the NuArt brand/business for future co-op purposes. This blog will remain online, but I will be conducting all of my personal art business under Michelle McSpadden Fine Art. The new website and blog can be found here:

www.michellemcspadden.com

New Paintings

2011-11-25T23:49:00.001-06:00

Just finished..yay!!

The Journey 5x7 $40.00

Bearing Up 5x7 $40.00

NuArt Mini 3.5 x 5 $18.00

Resting On The Path 5 x7 $40.00

More Colorbook Paintings...

2011-11-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

Here's a new group of colorbook style paintings that were started this week. Over the next 2 weeks, I'll be doing the color washes. Once they are completed, I'll post them on here.

Beginnings...

2011-11-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I started a new group of paintings consisting of 8x10s and 9x12s. After I photographed the underpaintings, I forgot to download them from my camera. Whoops!!

Nostalgia...

2011-10-23T15:44:00.000-05:00

I purchased a Canon photo scanner a few weeks ago to start copying my old family photos. When I was growing up, mom and dad kept all of our photos in a big box, and since they are deceased, I'm the keeper of the photo box. My brother and sister both have little children, so we thought it would be best to keep the photos in a safe place and since I don't have any kids, my closet has been home to the family photo box for 10 years. My brother and sister haven't seen these since I've had them, so I got a great idea this summer about making them a special photo album or just copying as many as I could to a CD for them as Christmas gifts. (I have well over 2500 photos to go through and I know that I won't be scanning all of them.) This is going to be a very time consuming project, but I pray that my sister and brother enjoy it for years to come and can share their memories with their kids. : )

As I was going through the pictures that I was planning to scan today, I came across a few pics that I wasn't expecting...they are photos of artwork from a Drawing for Communications class I took back in 1999 and 2 of my early acrylic paintings when I was just starting to focus on the desert themes. WOW....kinda embarassing, but kinda fun to look back and see the change and development. : )

Sketches....

2011-09-29T17:37:00.000-05:00

I just got my new scanner hooked up today, so I'm trying to learn how to use it. : ) Here a few sketches:

New Paintings

2011-09-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

These were completed on 9/12:

New Paintings

2011-09-12T20:06:00.001-05:00

These were completed today:

2011-08-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

I was able to get a lot of work done today and completed several little paintings. (minus their 2 final clear coats that make them SHINE) The 5 x 7 paintings are a part of a new Colorbook series that are for upcoming shows. They will be $25.00 each. There are 6 new NuArt Minis as well. (they are 3.5in x 5.5in)

Colorbook series - 5 x 7

The NuArt Minis have a Gold base coat... They don't photograph very well, but look great in person!

These are still in progress...

2011-07-31T19:29:00.000-05:00

Here are 3 paintings that I was hoping to finish up this weekend.... Guess I have my work cut out for me next weekend. : )

2011-07-12T20:23:00.000-05:00

Here are some sketches that I've been working on this week for my new colorbook series... The one at the bottom I'm still uncertain about...it may need to be tweaked a little more before going on another canvas.

2011-07-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

Here are some paintings in progress... I've been trying to get to the next level with compositions/concept development...sometimes it can be a difficult process, but I'm continuing to push forward. : )

Colorbook Series

Revised Painting....

2011-06-26T21:10:00.001-05:00

Here is a painting that I revised this weekend... (The original painting is below it)

Another Newbie....

2011-05-30T16:03:00.001-05:00

Here's another painting that was completed over the Memorial Day Weekend... YAY!!! : )

Contemplator 2 9x12

Newbie!

2011-05-29T15:30:00.004-05:00

Just a quick break from painting in order to post a new painting...Yay!!! This weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, has been spent on creative endeavors, so I'm hoping to get a couple more paintings done and posted within the next 24 hours. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please let me know. : )

Contemplator 3 9x12

2011-05-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

Have you ever created something and liked it a little bit, but couldn't figure out what was wrong and how to fix it? I had that happen with a painting I did... I hung it on the wall and for months have tried to figure out what it was missing. Finally, I got it....it needed a little cross.

Painting Session 5/14/11

2011-05-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

I was able to finish up 6 NuArt Minis today.....YAY!!

(These are 3.5 x 5.5 inch paintings...)

2011-05-04T13:14:00.001-05:00

Getting Back Into The Creative Mood...

The past 6 weeks have been really slow for me, artistically speaking...   First I was sick for a week and then I hurt my foot (2nd Metatarsal was bruised) and had to wear a little special shoe for a while. I don't know about other artists, but when I don't feel well, I certainly don't want to paint, so I've been resting and thinking. Thinking about how I want to move forward or if I want to move forward at all. (With painting that is)   Sometimes, I think it would be nice to just have a "normal life" of an 9-5 job (which I currently have), and just hang out with friends and family during my off time instead of pushing forward and trying to create art and show.    (I guess that's my temptation...to just lay down the brush and pallette)   There's been a lot of work done over the years and so much more that needs to be done and trying to get a creative business up and running in the midst of a recession is difficult and takes a lot of energy.       BUT, the creative urge keeps beckoning and I've put in so much time, $$$, and energy, so I can't give up now.    (At least that's what I'm telling myself!)

I do have several paintings that are in progress right now, some of which are documented below, but I really need to finish them soon. Perhaps I'll put together a painting schedule to help me get back on track again. ??   That sounds like a good plan....   : )

I also ordered new Yankee candles to help increase my creativity during painting sessions. They are on the way now and should be in by mid next week. I love to paint with 2 small votives burning right next to the easel on my supply stand...it sets the mood and the smell is fabulous. My favorite Yankee flavors are: blueberry scone, pineapple cilantro, and mango salsa. I'm trying a new one too called Pink Sands, but I tend to go for the fruity smells, but no cinnamon please... (I just want cinnamon in my desserts...not my candles.)

Gotta get back into the painting groove again...got to...got to....got to!!!    : )

2011-05-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

Here are the pics of paintings in progress that I promised to post:

2011-04-28T13:04:00.001-05:00

Well...I have been very slow to post in the past several months, but I'm determined to get back on track! This coming weekend, I have set aside 14 hours for creating artworks, so there WILL be new pics posted Sunday or Monday night.

I promise!

2011-04-17T20:08:00.000-05:00

Here are some new pics of me. I had my niece help me....the other pic on the blog is a little old, so I wanted to have something a little newer.

with a paintbrush

2011-04-03T19:48:00.000-05:00

I got my new computer last Wednesday and absolutely LOVE it!! I'm still learning my way around and today I focused on the Corel Paintshop Photo Pro software that I got to help me with my painting pics. I still have a lot to learn, but here are two photos that I worked on:

2011-03-30T10:02:00.000-05:00

Wow…it’s been 400 years since I posted on the blog...or at least that’s what it feels like. My old computer finally bit the bullet last weekend after being extremely sluggish for well over a year. It would take FOREVER for the internet to run or for applications and docs to open up, etc. I can’t believe how long I’ve put up with that… My old pc was purchased in April of 2003, so I’ve definitely got my money’s worth out of it. I decided to stay with the same brand, Dell, and got a Inspiron 17R, so I’m very excited to get it this week, although I know absolutely nothing about laptops. EEEK!!! I’ll have to post a picture of the new computer to the blog when I get it. : )

2011-03-20T19:28:00.001-05:00

I finally got some painting time in today; yay!! The past two weeks have been hectic, so I'm looking forward to having more time to get work done. : )

Here are my 5x7 sketches that I have attached to the easel on a piece of foamboard.

Here are some paintings...the backgrounds are still being blocked in:

2011-03-02T10:09:00.002-06:00

Well, I’m slow to post here lately, but I should have some pics to upload this weekend. I just started several new paintings, but didn’t think they were quite ready for their debut on the blog just yet. Artists tend to be a little sensitive about their work, especially when it’s still being created. Personally, when I start out on a painting, I have a sketch and a rough idea of what I want the end result to be, but getting there can be a little tricky...I may have a lot of under painting to complete, or large amounts of detailing that is not immediately apparent. SO, if somebody is unfamiliar with my process, they may come along and say something negative, without intending any ill will, but since I’m overly sensitive about my creative baby that is growing and taking shape, I can easily take offense. Too much stress, huh? That's why sometimes it's best just to keep things private and avoid potential issues. Ahhh….the creative process….so fun and yet it can be so painful.

President's Day Is Coming Up...so Whazzup!

2011-02-17T14:27:00.002-06:00

Here's what's going on in my neck of the woods:

This coming weekend will be a 3 day create–a–thon at the NuArt Studio....I’m so excited!! The first thing I’ll be tending to this weekend is re-working some old sketches and blocking in backgrounds on some 8x10 and 9x12 canvases. - I’m really enjoying the concept development and sketching period more and more these days, so I’m very happy with that change. I used to be very impatient and just jump into paintings…slinging on the paint and then wishing that I had thought things through a little more beforehand. The remainder of the weekend will be spent reading, and just piddling around I guess, but I should be able to post some pics here and there as I go.

I don’t have any shows planned till May, so I want to use the next 2 months as a special time of painting, preparation and keeping the blog up to date a little more. : )

I recently started a new Bible study where we are learning the Hebraic background of scripture, so I'm eager to see how that will affect my future artworks.

Here's some more info about the study I'm in:

If you've ever wondered what the Bible REALLY says, from a Hebraic point of view...then check us out - String Theory Bible Study at http://stringtheorybiblestudy.blogspot.com
New items added all the time.

Desertscape Series Image Synopsis

2011-02-14T08:03:00.001-06:00

This group of small paintings was initiated to help me with my compositional layouts for future surrealistically styled works. (Most of these paintings are 9 x12 and smaller.) When I sketch, it’s just black and white line sketches, so these smaller paintings help me to explore different color combos and land placement, as well as, define the themes a little more.

When considering various themes, I focus on the overall mood, which is peaceful and calm, so I tend to shy away from turbulent skies and a lot of “action” taking place in the painting.

For the figures, I’ll choose:

1) One or two figures either wandering around in the desert trying to determine the best path OR

2) A person lying down at rest. (Recouping after a long journey, healing after a hurt, or dreaming) OR

3) A figure sitting prayerfully at the foot of a cross, viewing a cross at a distance or just a simple cross in the desert, which can be used to help communicate:

• The peacefulness of focusing on Jesus’ presence in our lives.

• Taking time to contemplate Jesus’ work on the cross.

• Pondering the path of faith that we travel along with Jesus.

• The beauty of the rugged cross.

I also look at the spiritual aspects involved: Is Christ specifically represented in the composition by a cross, Christlike figure, or other Christian symbol? Or does His visual absence in the scenario speak louder? If so, how could this be interpreted by the viewer? Positive or negative?

New Paintings

2011-02-09T16:57:00.001-06:00

Here are few new paintings that were completed this week:

They are all 8x10 and will be at the show this Friday.

(More details about the show this Friday are in the post below.)

Upcoming Show This Week!!

2011-02-07T16:58:00.002-06:00

I will be participating in a fundraising Art Walk event for women this Friday, Februay 11th, benefiting NeedHim Ministries. The Art Walk will last for 1 hour and 20% of artist proceeds will go to NeedHim Ministries to help them continue moving forward in Advancing God's Kingdom. There will be over 20 artists set up displaying their creations, so please tell your friends about it and join us for this worthy cause!

Here are the details:
Date - Friday, February 11th from 10:30am-11:30am
Location - The Embassy Suites in Frisco
(7600 John Q Hammons Dr, Frisco, TX 75034)

To learn more about this event and NeedHim Ministries, please go here: http://needhimresources.com/e/th11a.htm or www.needhim.org

More NuArt Minis Completed!!

2011-02-01T15:23:00.000-06:00

These NuArt Minis are 3.5 inches by 5 inches. I decided to try something a little different with this small group by not using the irridescent pearl or gold background. The natural wood grain is really pretty and gives each piece it's own little spice of life. (At least I think so) I'll probably explore this further in future NuArt Minis.

New Paintings

2011-01-18T19:43:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of NuArt Minis that were just completed. I plan to do a few more with this particular image for the upcoming show in February.

More Completed Paintings

2011-01-15T18:40:00.000-06:00

I'm getting ready for a show in early February and just completed six 5x7 paintings this week. They are part of the Thorns & Thistles series. Here are 4 of them:

New Paintings for the New Year

2011-01-04T17:27:00.003-06:00

HAPPY New Year Everybody!!

This year, I was an Art Hermit over the 3 day weekend and got a lot of work done (some pics are below), organized my art stand a bit more and wrote out my goals for 2011. : ) How about you?? I have a ton of ideas for future works that I've been trying to write about and sketch in my journal here lately, so this coming weekend, I plan to whittle that "to-paint" list down a little. In the meantime, here are 3 paintings that were finished yesterday. They are all studies that were done to help me get back into desertscape groove. I plan to do several more studies over the next few months, so I will continue to work on a smaller scale (5x7, 8x10, 9x12). I'm also still trying to determine price points on these studies since they're so small....$45.00 for 5x7, $70.00 for 8x10 and $90.00 for 9x12. Hmmm....decisions, decisions.

Contemplator 9x12 study 1

Lean On Me 8x10 study 1

Slumber 9x12 study 1

More NuArt Minis

2010-12-29T08:23:00.001-06:00

Here are a few more new NuArt Minis that were finished up last week:

Christmas and More...

2010-12-27T13:23:00.001-06:00

I love Christmas!! I had so much fun spending time with my family...we had dinner, shared gifts, played games and laughed a lot...simply fabulous!! The only glitch I can think of was that I left my camera at home on the counter. This year, I ran around like a mad woman trying to tie up loose ends with my gift giving, so all of that craziness has helped me to think up another way to do my Christmas shopping/wrapping for next year. : )

Today is the first day to get back into gear for NuArt . I have lots on my "to do" list, so I need to get moving!! One of the items I was able to complete today has to do with the little orange box on this blog that people can use to sign up for the NuArt E-Newsletter. (If you have never received an E-Update from me, please sign up!) Another item on my list was to upload a few photos of recently completed NuArt Minis....so here they are:

Christmas is sneaking up on me...

2010-12-15T19:05:00.001-06:00

So I'm busy trying to finish up the "minis" to give as gifts to friends and family. All these little guys need are the color washes and clear coats, then they'll need to dry for at least 4-5 days before I can wrap them and put them into gift bags. I should be completely done with this batch by Sunday evening, so I'll take my final pics then and post them.

Blogging...

2010-12-10T10:27:00.002-06:00

I’ve been neglecting the blog again… Getting ready for Christmas has been keeping me pretty busy. My plan was to have a lot of NuArt Mini’s to give to my family. I’ve gotten a lot of them done and have a ton of them ready to be finished, so these next 2 weeks will be spent trying to get everything finished. I should have more pics to post next week. : )

More NuArt Minis!

2010-11-29T10:25:00.000-06:00

More NuArt Minis were completed yesterday. The sizes in this particular batch are 3.5 in by 5 in and 3.5 in by 5.5 in. (Very small indeed!!) The background colors they are painted in are Iridescent Pearl and Iridescent Gold. They are all $20.00 each and I’m hoping to move some of them this Thursday at a Holiday Bizarre at Cartus’ Dallas office. Here are a few very rough pics of them:

Still Slow To Post

2010-11-17T07:37:00.000-06:00

I was able to get a lot done on my NuArt Minis over my 3 day weekend paint-a-thon. The color washes will be done this coming weekend and then they'll get their final clear coats. I was planning to sell them for $20.00 each, but after paying special attention to my time and materials, I think that I'll will balance out at $25.00 each. So while the NuArt minis are not a big money maker, they do accomplish a few things:

1) I'm able to spend time doing what I enjoy and hone my visual communication skills.
2) I get to challenge myself by working on a much smaller scale than usual.
3) I'm able to offer smaller price point original paintings to buyers that may not be able to buy larger, more expensive paintings at this time.

A Win-Win situation!! : )

After the current batch of NuArt Minis are completed, I'll post the pics to the blog.

Slacking off again...

2010-11-08T08:13:00.002-06:00

At least on my blog posting. My plan is to get back into the habit of posting on a more regular basis. : ) I have been super busy starting a lot of new NuArt Minis, so here's a pic of them in the beginning stages. They have all of their underpainting completed...the details will be added this week and next.

Home Sweet Home...

2010-10-24T18:42:00.003-05:00

My aunt and I FINALLY made it home from our New Mexico trip late, late Saturday night (10/16) and I still feel like I'm recovering from my vacation. The trip was a lot of fun, the weather was perfect and the views were spectacular. Today, I was able to get back behind the easel after 21+ days of not painting and the impact of the trip and scenery are heavily impacting my work already. (I should be able to upload those pics later this week.)

Anyways, back to the trip...as we cruised through art galleries in Taos, Santa Fe and Madrid, I had the opportunity to talk with gallery owners, gather info and make some observations. In no particular order, here are some notes:

* The NM art market is recovering. 2009 was their worst season, but they've seen an improvement this year.
* There seemed to be more smaller pieces available than I remember seeing years ago.
* The price ranges were all over the place. Artists who were more well known could command a higher price (4in x 4in painting for $600.00), verses a newbie artist (4in x 4in painting for $150.00).   (After seeing the high prices here and there, my aunt commented that she understood why artists were starving and that we needed to be more reasonable with our prices. I tried to exlpain the commissions, supplies, time, etc., but in order for a sale to happen, the buyer has to believe that the value of an object is mirrored in it's price...if not, you don't have a sale...unless it object is under priced, then you have a great deal.)
* The art market in NM is primarily gallery based and does not have as many art festivals compared to the DFW area.
* The artworks on display are done perfectly with the highest attention to detail and exquisite craftsmanship.   I can't stress how well the artworks looked, every piece I saw, framed or not, was created with the utmost excellence.
* The art was very diverse. Back in the late 90s, I can remember going through galleries and it seemed like the majority of artwork was traditional southwest. Now, there is a great mix of contemporary, traditional and abstract artworks all over the place.
* Artists who are honed in on particular themes done in their specific style left the biggest impressions.  One artist focused in on sheep. They were abstracted, but she put them in almost everything. She even made sculptures.  (This focused attention towards a particular theme is an area that I'm trying to grasp more and more.)

Next year, I hope to get back out to Santa Fe again and go through some galleries that I missed and take more pictures. To see more pictures from the 2010 trip, please click here.

Heading West....soon!

2010-09-30T12:47:00.002-05:00

Next Friday, I will be going on a much anticipated trip to New Mexico!! YAY!! My aunt and I are planning to spend a couple of days in Taos and then 5 days in the Santa Fe area. I can hardly wait….it’s been 7 years since I’ve been out there, so I’m past due on the fabulous scenery and art of the Southwest. My goal for this trip is to: take a lot of pics for photo references, visit new areas for visual inspiration for the desertscape series, make some new business contacts, and get a little spiritually refreshed.

The downside to vacations is that prior to leaving and after returning, things are so hectic. I’ve been working 10+ hour days at work just trying to get my head above water, so I’m hoping that my desk won’t look like Hiroshima when I get back. All of this extra work at my day job for the past few weeks has really gotten me tired and I certainly don’t feel like painting much. PLUS, I'm producing a small art show tomorrow night at It's A Grind that I've been working on for a while too. But back to my day job.... Have you ever been so busy that you don’t know where to begin? That’s how it is for me right now. Several of us are extremely overwhelmed and it’s not good. Just last week I had to leave for brief time out in order to de-stress and refocus. When I got in my car, I just drove…and drove….a few tears slipped down my face and I quietly whispered a prayer: “Jesus, I can’t do this for too much longer…I can’t handle it and it’s not what I want to be doing with my life. When can I leave? When will that door open that I need to go through? Is there anything I need to do” And of course, you know He answered quickly…He’s been dealing with me about some areas that I need to come into obedience about….the main one being submission to authority. Thankfully, He’ll help me through and teach me what I need to know. A great book that I’m reading now, Under Cover, is helping a lot, but I have a ways to go. But I don’t want to get into all that right now during my lunch break….or else I’ll give myself heartburn. On the bright side, the good part is that I have a job, and for that, I’m very thankful.

: )

Transition.....

2010-09-22T22:04:00.002-05:00

After several years of focusing on abstract works, I finally got back into my desertscapes in 2010. The last major desertscape I finished was "Perserverence" back in 2007. This year, I started working on some "studies" for a new desertscape series and the process has been very interesting. I've found that it's similar to learning how to ride a bike again....I'm having to refresh myself on spacial/aerial perspective, composition and color combos and it's weird for me, because I remember it being much easier. Hmmm... Anyways, as I'm pushing forward, I'm noticing some other things too. In the past week, I've been working to abstract the land a little bit more and it's exciting to see the development. I'm planning to stay in this "desertscape" mode for a while and develop it further. Here are the latest pics of the paintings in progress:

WHERE'S THE ART???

2010-09-21T15:01:00.000-05:00

(Did you catch my take on the old Wendy's commercial?? I loved that back in the day...) I’ve been seriously slacking on the posts here lately, Huh? My plans to are to get in some painting time on 9/22 and post some pics to share the process…more coming soon!

3 New Paintings started...

2010-09-07T19:49:00.000-05:00

It was a busy Labor Day weekend for me. : ) Here are few newbies I'm working on:

Sneak Peek: Loteria Pine #49

2010-09-04T15:09:00.004-05:00

Next Saturday, on Sept 11, I'll be showing this painting along with several other artists at Pearl At Commerce for Loteria, the Art of Chance show. All paintings are 16 x 20 and will be priced for $50 each, so talk about a great deal to get artwork from local artists...Awesome!! Here's my painting:

Addtional Info: Join us for an evening of art and fun based on the Mexican bingo game, Loteria. Over 25 artists will be participating in an evening of live local music, art and a game of chance. $5.00 cover includes 1 Loteria bingo card and a chance to win some great prizes donated by House of Smash and other artists. The show starts at 8pm and closes at 1am and is located at 2038 Commerce Street in Downtown Dallas. Please remember to bring some quarters in case you have to use a meter or cash for the parking lots nearby.

Make Art Purchasing Easier For Patrons

2010-09-03T15:46:00.005-05:00

I'm currently getting a group of artists ready for a small art festival type show with Art Love Magic on 10/01/10 and I sent the following info to them today about making things easier on buyers, so I wanted to put it out here as well.

Having a webpresence is so important for all artists to help increase sales.   For those who don't have websites and want to put one together quickly and for Free, please read this blog: http://www.artbizblog.com/2010/09/fb-3critical.html by Alyson Stansfield.     IF you already have a website or Facebook page, please read this blog to make sure that you're providing all the info you need. The only thing I would add to it is this: if the artwork is already sold, please list it as sold. If the artwork is for sale, please list the price and an easy way for a potential buyer to contact you.

When showing at art festivals and such, let's promote happy patrons and make buying easy for them.

1. Don't make them guess about the price. When people don't see a price, they may think that your work is too expensive or beyond their reach. Be up front on your prices and proudly display them...the same way Wal-mart and Kroger do. Most of the time, you don't have to search out a sales associate to do a price check...they want to make your shopping experience as hassle free as possible so that you don't get agitated, but spend your time adding more items to your buggy.     : )

2. Share info on the web and in print about your materials. This can be done quickly and easily. You don't need to write a book, just a couple of sentences. If you do jewelry, you can provide details about the kind of stones, beads, and clasps you use. If you're a painter, what brand of paint, canvases, or paper do you use? If you draw, what pencils and pastels are you using? For all: Are your materials archival?

3. Let them know how to pay you for your art. Either by cash, check,or credit card.   - Do you accept credit cards? If you want to, it's really easy. Just go to http://www.propay.com/ and check out their plans. Propay is so easy to use...you get the credit card info (Full name, acct #, expiration date, type of card, phone number & email address, and signature on the credit card receipt.) and after the show you go online and enter in all the info to their website, do the transaction and then the funds are in your propay account, which can be transferred to your bank account. You can get a credit card imprinter really cheap at http://www.ebay.com/ .

Doing credit cards will also allow you to sell online as well. (Even from Facebook!!) Let's say somebody calls or emails you about one of your spectacular creations that they can't live without. Well, you can do the transaction through Propay. If somebody emails you, you'll want to get their number and call them to get all of their credit card info (Full name, acct #, expiration date). This kind of info does not need to be sent via email, for both their protection and yours. You won't have a signature on a receipt, but you can ask them to send you a confirmation via email.   Example:

Dear Jane Doe,

It was a pleasure talking with you today and I want to thank you for contacting me about your desire to purchase "Field of Tulips". Before the transaction can be completed and the piece shipped, I need to have your approval to charge your credit card. If you could, please copy the text below, paste it to your reply to this email and fill in the blanks:

I, ____________________, approve you charging my _____________________ credit card, with the last 4 digits of _ _ _ _ for the following:

9x10 oil painting of "Field of Tulips" for $165.75 (shipping and tax included)

*Once you receive your confirmation from the patron, print it out and make 2 copies. Send one with the order and save one for your records.   If your buyer is local, you can make arrangements to meet in person at a very public place in order to handoff your artpiece. I would suggest going during daytime hours and taking a good buddy with you.    : )     If your buyer is out of state, you would not be collecting TX state sales tax. To get shipping rates, check with UPS or Fedex. I strongly suggest ground shipping because it's much cheaper, but please make sure to have a good box and cushion your artpiece well.

2 Completed Paintings!

2010-08-29T19:15:00.001-05:00

I finished up two of my "Quiet Mesa" study paintings today. They are both 8x10 and will be $60.00 each.

And The Painting Continues...

2010-08-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I’ve been slacking off on posts here lately, but I’ve been busy painting. There are several 8 x 10 and 9 x 12 in progress right now, but I only put two pics below. I wish I could complete a painting a day, but since I work in multiple layers, it takes quite a bit of time to build up the desertscapes. Thankfully, I enjoy the process and every now and then can improve on the technique to help speed up the painting process. : )

Painting Session 8/13

2010-08-15T21:45:00.000-05:00

These are a few of the small paintings I have going right now. I'm enjoying the journey and loving the process. : )

8/10 Painting Session

2010-08-10T21:36:00.001-05:00

Tonight I did more painting on my little "Peaceful Mesa" study. I think I'll do a few studies on this particular theme/image to experiment with different color combos, but we'll see how things go with this one in the next few days. I just got my new light tent yesterday to help me take better pics of the art. The light tent works by diffusing the light and evenly distributing it so that glares and shadows are reduced. I LOVE IT!! (See the pics below) If you're an artist and are looking for a good buy, I got my 24 x 24 in. Cowboy Studio light tent through Amazon at a pretty good low price. :)

Painting Session 8/05

2010-08-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

I'm back in the saddle again...Just started another desertscape series this week, so I'll be journaling my progress here a few times during the week.

The Sketching Continues...

2010-07-30T22:58:00.000-05:00

I'm still working on the desertscape sketches and for the first time in a long time, I'm enjoying this part of the creative process. Sometimes, it's so tempting for me to rush into a new a painting or series without slowing down long enough savor this crucial stage....I'm so very thankful for this particular season in my art career; Jesus is certainly teaching me a lot. : )

More sketches coming in a couple of days.....

Working Out The Kinks...

2010-07-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

This week I've been working on sketches and starting some "study" paintings for the next group of desertscapes. A couple of the rough sketches are below, but I'm just taking my time to work on the compositions so that they can get stronger before I commit to larger canvases.

I also have about 27 other NuArt Minis that I will be working on for the next couple of months, so I'll have 50 in that series when it's completed.

This week...

2010-07-21T13:27:00.000-05:00

Has been slow too...just like last week, but that's ok....I guess my creative battery is charging up. :) I've been getting ready to dive back into to desertscapes, but I'm having issues with the compositions. Tonight, I plan to get some sketches done so that I can move forward with things this weekend.

This Week...

2010-07-16T11:31:00.000-05:00

Has been very slow...after girlShow last week, I've felt the need/urge to switch directions a bit and focus on the surrealistically styled works. I've also been finishing up several NuArt Minis, so they will be added tomorrow. : )

Recovering After girlShow 2010

2010-07-11T20:01:00.003-05:00

WOW...I'm always amazed at the amount of energy it takes to do a show and how much rest is needed afterwards. This years girlShow was a 2 night affair with different artists and lineups each night. On Friday night I assisted with entrance fees at the front door for most of the night and then participated as an artist on Saturday (7/10). I was able to get my table set up next to a wall in a fair amount of time and think that there was less pre show/set up stress than I'm used to. A dear art buddy, Curtis Fesser, was my helper for the evening and he graciously assisted me with carrying everything in, watched the table when I would take a break and helped with the tear down, so I'm pretty sure that's the reason I was less anxious. Thank you Curtis!! : )

I enjoyed seeing all my creative sisters doing their thing, listening to some good music and selling a few paintings. To recouperate today, I met for lunch with some friends from church and will be taking it easy for the rest of the night, but tomorrow I'll start working on new paintings for future shows. : )

Here's a pic of my table before the show started:

It's Almost Show Time!!!

2010-07-09T15:45:00.001-05:00

I'll be creating live and displaying art work on July 10th at the Art Love Magic girlShow from 8pm till midnight. WooHoo!!! You can find out more about it here: http://www.artlovemagic.com/ . I'll posting pics from the show on Sunday....when I'm back home recovering from the AWESOME time we're about to have....come out and join us!!

Synopsis: Thorns & Thistles

2010-07-06T19:31:00.003-05:00

This abstract painting series was initiated in early spring 2010 as a result of a commission request for more paintings in the Band Series.

(The point of interest in the Band Series is the way the “band” was painted. A lot of retarder was used to slow the dying process so that the paint could be “scratched” away from the band area, thus bringing the under-painting to the forefront again. This gave the painting a very unique depth and texture. )

As I was starting more Band paintings, I decided to change my technique up a little, which resulted in a thorny/prickly look. I really liked the new textured look and decided to develop the theme a bit further: the purpose of thorns in nature, common reference of thorns as something that must be endured and Christ’ Crown of Thorns.

• Thorns in nature are protective mechanisms found on plants to keep humans, animals and insects at bay in order to guard itself, its fruit or its flower. (Roses, Cacti, etc.)

• The phrase “thorn in my side” is used often to describe a painful situation or constant nuisance. The Apostle Paul mentioned it in reference to an issue/ailment that he had, which was not removed after prayer. This thorn in the side served as a reminder to Paul that God’s grace was enough in addition to keeping him humble. (For more info, please see 2 Cor 12:1-10)

• Christ’s Crown of Thorns was given to Him by the Roman soldiers whose purpose was to mock Him and humiliate Him after they had already beaten Him severely. Over the course of human history, the Crown of Thorns became a symbol of Jesus' suffering upon the Cross for the sake of humanity’s salvation.

7/05 Painting Session

2010-07-05T18:55:00.008-05:00

Today was very productive.....I was able to finish up all of the NuArt Minis and the remaining Thorns & Thistles. Tomorrow I'll be putting everything into my painting catalog, so I'll post how many paintings were created in each series. This evening, I'm just posting the NuArt Minis #12-23.

7/03 Painting Session

2010-07-03T21:38:00.006-05:00

It's been a rainy day today, but I was able to get a lot done, even though I had to fight the urge to go and take a nap several times today.

Here are some little NuArt Minis that were finished this evening....they're so cute. (I can't believe I just said that about my own art...)

6/29 Painting Bonanza

2010-06-29T19:41:00.005-05:00

Still working on these paintings for the upcoming "girlsShow 2010" and hoping to get everything done by the end of this weekend. I need to put in the thorns & thistles and symbols, so I'll probably start doing that tomorrow night. BUT, if I'm tired like I am tonight, my line quality won't be that good, so I may need to wait till Thursday. My goal is to get to bed early and recharge my battery some tonight.

6/26 Paint-a-thon

2010-06-26T23:50:00.006-05:00

WOW...it was a long day in the studio today!! For as long as I worked, the before and after pics don't show that a whole lot got done, but major progress was made. I will be able to finish up several of these in the next 2 days and then start focusing in on the smaller wooden paintings that will have some of my NuArt symbols/ imagery in them. The next show will be on 7/10, so I have to be done with all of my painting by next Saturday night so that everything is thoroughly dried. It normally takes a week for my paintings dry, so that last week leading up to a show is spent naming the new paintings, updating my art catalog, photographing the new paintings, getting my show inventory list done, making price tags, pulling out the show setup gear and getting some much needed rest....if possible.

6/22 Painting Session

2010-06-22T20:41:00.005-05:00

Introducing the NuArt Minis...these little paintings (2.5in x 3.5in) are the first in a new series that was started to create smaller price point paintings for sale at the artfests and such. All NuArt Minis will be 5in x 5in or smaller and will vary in design. Since they are so small and I will be doing quite a lot of them, I've decided not to post them to the regular website, but I will have them with me at the art shows. I think the price will be $9.00 each, but I haven't finalized that just yet. ???

Here is a new set of Minis in the making along with a few other Thorns & Thistles...

Just To Share A Little...

2010-06-21T13:10:00.003-05:00

This week I plan to get back into the habit of posting pics of my works while in they're in the creative process. Things have gotten so busy, but I need to continue with the discipline of recording my journey so that I can look back and see the distance that has been traveled.

This year has been incredible for me…artistically speaking. I’ve been so blessed to participate in several shows, some large and small, but all of them have been awesome in their own way. This past week in particular has been super busy…I had 2 small showings and I’m getting ready for a larger show with ALM (girlShow) in July. As a result of all these opportunities, a demand for changes in my life, art and art processes has arrived too. Since I’m learning as I go, I wanted to share a little of my journey with you.

** The Recession – has helped me to get out of the box by working a little smaller than usual in order to produce less expensive artworks for patrons who are being more cautious with their budgets. The quality is the same as the larger works and there has been a good response to the newbies so far. AND, since everybody loves a sale, I’ve also discounted some older paintings. (I can’t eat these things….)

**Art Inventory – I read a quote by O’Keeffe in which she advised that every serious artist should have 3 shows worth of work on hand at any given time so that they could be ready to take advantage of opportunities with little advance notice. WOW, that’s awesome advice, but very challenging. I only have about 1.5 shows worth of work on hand, so when opportunities arise, I get stressed and wonder if what I have left over from a partially sold series will work. IF I had a large enough inventory, I wouldn’t have that problem. What are some other benefits of having 3 shows of artwork on hand?? It keeps the artist busy producing new things, which should help advance skill levels and concept development, plus it shows a diehard dedication to your craft to patrons/collectors. What am I doing about it? In the past 2.5 months I’ve created 38 paintings and have sold some here and there. (Most of the newbies are small and are not on my website yet.) My goal is to have another 20 paintings completed by the end of September, so I’ve been sketching like crazy.

**Getting Focused – For me, this means less TV, less talking on the phone, less time on the computer, less time hanging out here and there and more time behind the easel or drawing in the sketchpad. These days, I don’t mind saying “no” in order to stay home and create, so this has been a huge leap, because I love to serve and help others, but establishing boundaries and knowing when to take time off is essential if goals are to be achieved.

Today & Beyond

2010-06-06T13:42:00.004-05:00

Today, I'm recouperating from the Art Where You Live show at Chase Oaks Church last night. Justin Nygren was our producer and we had a great time with a pretty good turnout. I'm very thankful to be asked to be a part of the event and having the opportunity to show my work and get a little bit more experience under my art hat. I sold 3 small paintings out of the Thorns & Thistles series, so I'm very happy about that too!

What's coming up next?
I'll be creating live and displaying art work on July 10th at the Art Love Magic girlShow.

5/31 Skies & Sketches

2010-05-31T22:05:00.008-05:00

I've been learning more about the benefits of patience today. In the past, I have rushed into paintings and then when things didn't go right later on in the painting process (because of poor pre-planning), I would get upset and ditch the artwork or paint over it. So what am I doing different now you ask? Well, for starters, I decided to take more time to during the concept development and sketching stages and not go with the first few "AHA" ideas, but push them further and sleep on them. In the past, the excitement of a new idea or theme got the best of me and I would jump right in, but today is a NEW Day and I will have 4-6 art sessions (3-4 hours each) of doing nothing but sketching and getting my skies ready, so that my compositions can be stronger for the paintings that I plan to do this summer. YAY!!!

More on patience....The skies take a while to get ready because they each consist of 4-8 layers of paint to get the peaceful look I like best, so I have to be patient with those as well while they are developing...layer by layer by layer by layer by layer...and on it goes.

Another new thing for me to do is to post sketches. These are very rough, but it's a good start and I'm looking forward to the next group of sketches. (Please pardon the bad camera shots...I guess you know what's on my Christmas list, huh?)

5/30 Painting Session

2010-05-30T20:35:00.007-05:00

***I'll be painting LIVE and displaying art on 6/05 at Chase Oaks Church***

Art Where You Live (A Coffee House & Art Event)
Location: Chase Oaks Church, Plano (Off of Legacy close to 75)
Time: 7-10PM Saturday, June 5th

It's been a Busy, Busy, Busy day! I finished up the Thorns & Thistles series today (for the time being) and will be diving into the desertscapes tomorrow. YAY!!!! I'm excited!!

I found another great (and free) theology resource today: the teachings of S. Lewis Johnson Jr (A conservative evangelical pastor and theologian who taught for many years at Dallas Theological Seminary.) I started listening to the Christology section today during my painting session....Wonderful info; check it out!

RELAX & Painting With Music...

2010-05-27T11:10:00.009-05:00

This week has been a slow week, artistically speaking. I painted on Monday & Tuesday, but decided to take a last night off and relax. Relaxing is awesome once I'm able to turn off that voice in my head that says "you should be working on something...not just sitting watching tv." Isn't that always the case? Something ALWAYS needs to be done, but taking one night off (4 hours) a week won't kill me...if anything, it will help me.

I was asked the other day what kind of music I listen to while painting, so I think now is a good time to talk about that here. During every painting session I will tune into The Word (Christian Talk Radio) for a while, then KLTY (Christian Music), I will also get into to my CD collection (mostly Praise & Worship & Joyce Meyers) and then listen to different books of the Bible on CD. This helps me to learn, stay up with current events, and get inspired while I work. Definitely a Win/Win situation for me! I never paint in silence, but I will turn down the volume very low occasionally, depending on my mood or level of concentration. I also try to keep the tv off when I'm working because it's too much of a temptation to turn around and look at what's going on. How about you?

5/24/10 Painting Bonanaza!

2010-05-24T20:54:00.004-05:00

Tonight was a great painting night... After work, I had a lot of energy to get in several more glazes on these Thorns & Thistles paintings. Once these are completed, I'll put the series on hold so that I can move into the surrealistically styled works for a while, but I'm sure I'll make exceptions with a few abstractions here and there.

5/23/10 Painting Session

2010-05-23T19:06:00.011-05:00

The past week has been very busy with work and getting ready for a show, so I haven't been able to paint or post as much as I would like to do, but today is different! Today I was able to get a lot of work done. I'm really enjoying the Thorns & Thistles series and watching the paintings develop as I go along. That's probably the best part about working in a series...seeing the growth of the theme and enjoying the journey in the process. The paintings above and below are almost completed. They will be getting their final clear coats tonight and tomorrow. I still have about 6 others in progress that I'm planning to finish up by the end of the week, so more posts and pics to come.

5/09/10 Painting Session

2010-05-09T18:23:00.002-05:00

I was able to finish up the 3 paintings above today and got some work done on a couple of others. I still haven't done those sketches that are in my head yet, but I may get a chance to do that this evening before bed. ???? It's been a busy weekend and in between the madness, I've been trying to think of what paintings I want to take with me to the show next weekend...Hmmm...??? I finally have a name (theme) for this series of 5x7 paintings: Thorns & Thistles. I will do my synopsis on the theme sometime this week and post it.

5/07/10 Update

2010-05-07T08:36:00.003-05:00

I will be producing Art Love Magic’s Art & Coffee at It’s A Grind in Deep Ellum tonight, so a lot of my time and focus has been directed towards that this week. I have had some time to paint here and there, but I probably won’t have photos to share until Sunday evening. This is such an exciting season for me both spiritually and artistically. I’ve been blessed with a lot zeal and growth in each area. The result is that I have many ideas for the surrealistically styled-religious themed landscapes, so I’m eager to get started on what will be my primary focus this summer. Woohoo!!!!

Upcoming Shows:
I will be at Lakewood Stock on 5/16 from 12-8pm and the Cedar Springs Rd Sidewalk Sale on 5/22 from 10am-5pm. On 5/16, I’ll be sharing a booth with Scott Dorn & Essie Graham. On 5/22, I’ll be sharing a larger booth with Scott, Essie, and Glenda Williams. (You can see their work by visiting their link under the Cool Websites on the right side of the blog.) If you’re able, please stop by and hang out for a while.

My Fabulous Painting Rack

2010-05-03T20:38:00.012-05:00

HOW in world have I lived so long without a painting rack? In less than 2 weeks, this piece of organizational heaven has revolutionized my studio space. Amazing, just amazing!! I have had several semi-completed paintings stuck here and there, so it helps me to protect them from nicks and scratches, plus I'm able to see what needs to get done...it stays in my face and I need that to keep me on target. Right now, I use the top 3 slots of the rack to store the small paintings while they dry on MDF boards, but I may increase that to 4 if I start another small painting series.

The painting rack was made out of a baby bed that we took apart after visiting this website. We did make a few adjustments. Instead of 24in slats, I used 20in slats. We also added a 2ft brace to each side for stability. ****A special thanks to my little brother Michael for helping me put this thing together...ok, he pretty much built it by himself, but I handed him the screws. : )

5/02/10 Painting Session

2010-05-02T20:26:00.005-05:00

Today was a BUSY day!! I went to the Cottonwood Art Fest with my buddy Sheri Poston from church. Afterwards, we went to an art show reception in Irving where my great friend and Sista Gurl Glenda Williams won Best of Show !!!! YAY Glenda !!!! She's been working very hard the past year adding to her body of work and has some stunning pieces...you can see her work by clicking HERE.

The four paintings pictured above were finished today. (My little camera doesn't take the best pictures, so you'll have to trust me that the colors are rich.) I have 4 more little paintings to finish, but still don't have a clue what to call this series yet... Hopefully, I'll be able to start those surrealistic sketches this week so that I can get going on the other 5 paintings that I almost have the skies done on.

5/01/10 Painting Session

2010-05-01T22:17:00.002-05:00

I finished these 3 today and got a lot of work done on 6 others that I didn't take pics of. I'm not sure what to call these little paintings just yet...hmmm...

4/27/10 Painting Session

2010-04-27T20:10:00.003-05:00

The painting session was a little shorter today than usual. I'm going to be dog sitting tomorrow night, so when I got home from work a few hours ago, I thought that I should try to get a few glazes on these little paintings in between packing up all my stuff. I hope to get behind the easel on Thursday night when I get back home, but it will depend on how much energy I have.

4/25/10 Painting Session

2010-04-25T22:00:00.004-05:00

I had a VERY productive day today. In addition to the paintings above, I have 5 others in progress. Most of these paintings are going to be abstractions, but 5 of them will be surrealistically styled landscapes. All of these paintings are small: 5x7, 8x10 and one 9x12. I still haven't gotten around to doing those sketches yet, but I think I'm going to do that this Tuesday after work so that I'll have them ready once the skies are finished on the landscape pieces.

4/23/10 Painting Session

2010-04-24T15:14:00.004-05:00

Well, I finished up these 2 today (The pic isn't that great) and worked on several others that I have in progress. I'll take pics of those tomorrow. Right now, I'm waiting for my brother and his family to come over. They are going to spend the afternoon with me and we're going to try to "fix" the painting rack I put together on Wednesday night....it's just a little too wobbly. (sp?) Anyways, I'm not much of a woodworker/craftswoman, so I'm really surprised that it's standing to be honest. :)

Protecting Your Art....A How To Guide

2010-04-20T18:38:00.008-05:00

Recently, I was at an outdoor show and it started to rain and with that rain came a little wind, so you know what happened, right? One of the my larger paintings fell over and hit the ground. When I inspected the piece, I discovered a nick/ding on the edge of the painting…ouch! A well meaning friend said “that’s teeny tiny, you can just paint over that.” But the fact is, I can’t, it was chipped off down to the gesso and there’s about 7 layers of paint that made up that sky color.

So what’s an artist to do?? Well, as we were packing up our things later that day, I paid special attention to how other artists were transporting their precious cargo and noted the following:

One was using old blankets and large beach towels to wrap around his art.
One was using fabric sleeves he had sewn to put his art in.
One was using bubble wrap sleeves for his large photo prints.

I researched the bubble wrap sleeves early last year, and they can be pretty costly if you’re on a tight budget, so those were out of the picture for me. I REALLY liked the fabric sleeves that the one artist made, but I can barely sew on buttons and I don’t own a sewing machine. The old blankets and big towels sounded ok, but they weren’t secured, so they could fall off easily during transit and there are potentially high costs involved.

I didn’t have any ideas until I drove past a Hancock’s Fabric store one evening after work and then it hit me: I could make the painting/art sleeves by using a product called Heat and Bond (for about $3.50) and I wouldn’t have to worry about sewing. When I got into the fabric store, I bought 2 yards of dark purple felt ($4.99 a yard) and went home to start working on the idea. I was very excited…Here are the steps I took:

Measure and cut the fabric to the desired size - For a 5×7 painting, I added a few inches to the sides to make sure that there was plenty of room for the painting to fit into the sleeve.

Apply the Heat and Bond tape to 2 sides and iron them onto the fabric, then let it sit and cool for about 2-3 minutes before removing the tape backing.

Fold the fabric over and line up the edges, iron the sides where the Heat and Bond tape is.

Let the painting sleeve cool again and then you’re all done!!

If you wanted to completely close the sleeve, you can: Tape it shut from the outside with masking tape OR you could put in a zipper by Heat & Bond or sewing. You can also make your sleeves out of fleece instead of felt. Or use towels or blankets from a thrift store, which will help you to keep costs down and be a little GREEN.

So far, I have made 19 small art sleeves and I plan to make larger ones in the next month for the big paintings. Going forward, if a painting isn’t hanging on a wall, I will have it in a sleeve, because I can’t afford for paintings to get scuffed up and damaged.

Special Note: Please make sure that your artworks are COMPLETELY DRY before inserting into the sleeves. An oil painting can take up to 3-6 months to cure and an acrylic painting can take up to a week to cure. (Depending on the thickness of paint layers.)

4/18/10 Painting Session

2010-04-18T21:09:00.004-05:00

These 3 Band paintings were completed today. They won't be uploaded to the website for a while...I have a lot of little paintings that need to be put on the web, so I'll need to check into getting that done soon. These little 5x7 paintings are a lot fun to do color experiments with. The gold underpainting and thin color washes are so rich...my little cheap camera doesn't do them justice. : (

I also started 7 new paintings today. YAY!! 5 of the smaller ones will be band paintings, similar to the ones above. The other small canvas and the 8x10 will be in the Grid series. I got a lot done today, but I still haven't gotten around to doing more sketches yet. I'm hoping to get that done this week sometime.

4/15/10 Painting Session

2010-04-15T21:59:00.008-05:00

Tonight I got several glazes/layers done.... The painting on the far left of the pic is a mini Grid painting that I finished up tonight. The little Band paintings aren't photographing very well, but I typically have this problem when I use the irridescent gold underpainting. In person, the paintings are so rich...they gleam/shimmer, but on camera they just have a lot of glare. Anyways, I'm happy with how they are turning out so far. I should only have about 1 hour left on each of them, so I'll be finishing them up over the weekend. (YAY!!) I still haven't gotten around to doing more sketches yet, but I should have time this weekend. Maybe I'll photograph the sketches and put them on the blog. ????

Hmmmm....

2010-04-14T22:27:00.007-05:00

Well, tonight I decided to do my taxes since it has to be post marked on 4/15. Since I had to pay in a little bit, I wanted to wait till the very last minute to file. I guess I need to get with my HR dept and make a few changes so that I won't have this issue next year.

Last night marked the end of the Women's Bible Study I was doing at church. I really enjoyed the insight & wisdom the ladies brought to the weekly discussions; I've been thoroughly blessed. I don't know if I'll be starting a new study any time soon or doing one solo. I'll have to see how God leads me in the next week or so. I'll be painting tomorrow night and will post a pic or two, but now it's time to catch some zzzzz's...taxes are tiring!

Little Band Paintings

2010-04-12T21:13:00.010-05:00

Here are my little commission pieces. Yesterday, I concentrated on getting the underpaintings done, which consisted of 3 layers of irridescent gold paint, see the pic on the left, followed by the purple scratch outs. Today, I started doing the color washes. Upon completion, they are to be purple/blue, red, and teal. Tomorrow night will be my last night at Bible study for a while, so I'll work on these little guys (5x7) again on Wednesday, so more pics coming soon!! I also plan to do some sketching this week, because I have some larger canvases that are ready to go!

I'm going to try to post as often as possible, but having a day job can make it difficult to come home and work at night. I hope to paint fulltime asap, so I'm gearing up and documenting my journey this season. Most of my previous posts have been edited thoroughly, but now that I'm going to be posting more often about my paint process during the week, there may be typos from time to time. If you see something glaringly wrong, please let me know!

Deep Ellum Art Festival

2010-04-10T20:25:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, 4/02-4/04, I participated in my first major art festival...The Deep Ellum Art Fest.

When I was invited to share a booth with Essie Graham and Scott Dorn, I jumped at the chance not knowing what to expect. It's been a week since the fest, so I thought now would be a good time to record my thoughts. First of all, it was A LOT OF WORK just getting ready prior to the Fest...making sure I had all of my info packs ready, paintings photographed, and all the knick knacks packed that we might need. The day of set up was exhausting. We lovingly referred to our booth as the Ghetto Booth because this was our first time to do a big show like this and our funds were low...we could only afford the bare essentials. Humble beginnings are great because it leaves so much room for future growth and expansion...exciting times!!!

It wasn't until noonish on the 2nd day that I really started to enjoy the event and from there things just got better and better as my setup exhaustion from Friday started to fade and the energy of the event started to spread. A couple of friends and family came out to visit with me and I sold 3 small paintings, so that was a plus! On Easter Sunday, the last day of the event, we had a little rain while I was painting at the Art Love Magic section of the festival, but we still had a good time. I felt that the most important thing over the whole weekend was the wisdom we gained from the experience that will be helpful for other events. Sometimes, we can read about up on something, study somebody else's experience, and plan for weeks, but the actual experience turns out to be the best teacher. I've been incredibly blessed by this experience and I'm exceedingly thankful to Jesus for it!

Deep Ellum Art Fest

2010-03-14T13:35:00.004-05:00

Please join me at the Deep Ellum Art Festival on 4/02-4/04, where I will be displaying art at booth #98 with photographers Essie Graham & Scott Dorn. We will be located close to Malcolm X Blvd on Main Street. (You can visit the website here: http://www.meifestivals.com/deepspr.html for more details & directions.)

I will also be doing a LIVE, faith based art performance on 4/04 (Easter Sunday) from 11-am-2:45pm at the Art Love Magic section of the festival, which should be close to Crowdus on Main Street. (You can learn more about the awesome things going on with Art Love Magic here: http://www.artlovemagic.com/ )

Right now, I'm currently working on several small paintings for the show, so there should be a lot new/fresh work to see!

The Simple Series

2010-03-13T21:59:00.006-06:00

The Simple Series was initiated in the Spring of 2007. The number of works in this series has not been finalized. The theme behind the series has to do with simple things being more complicated than they seem, thus giving the illusion that little effort was required to bring the desired result about. In the Simple Series, basic shapes in the form of boxes and squares are used to convey the inherent complexity of simple things once other factors are considered, such as design, placement and color selection.

During my studies in early 2007, I re-read a short, simple sentence as if I were seeing it for the very first time….artistically speaking. Follow me. Two simple words. One directive. Numerous implications. "Follow Me." That's what Jesus said to His future disciple in Gospel of Matthew. Those two little words: "Follow Me" may be the most profound invitation ever extended to mankind. A simple sentence that is incredibly complicated.

To truly Follow Him, and be a disciple of Christ, there are many things that we must experience and lay down along the way. Things such as pride, envy, slander, gossip, greediness and the like, have to be cast down and replaced with humility, thankfulness, obedience, etc. The Christian experience can be difficult from time to time, but if we are diligent to pray, asking for wisdom and grace, we will change….little by little, day by day.

Matt 5: 27-28: After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

The Abstract Series

2010-02-28T11:20:00.010-06:00

The Abstract Series was started in midwinter of 2006. I consider the Abstract Series to be a forerunner to the Grid and Genesis Series.

This group of textured paintings was the first to be created using Golden Heavy Gel in order to form peaks and texture on the canvas. Once the gel dried, various colors were glazed over each other, resulting in 5+ layers of paint in order to achieve maximum vibrancy for each painting. As far as an actual theme goes, my sole purpose in creating this series was for experimental reasons so that I could learn a new application technique and use that knowledge in future works.

The Grid Series

2010-02-28T11:16:00.003-06:00

The Grid Series was initiated in the early spring of 2006 while I was still working on the Abstract series. I consider both of these series to be forerunners to the Genesis Series.

The theme of the paintings in this group were inspired by light and energy intersected by lines. This was to cause visual “static” and communicate the effects of gridlock. Example: When we get going in a direction, we are charged up and excited about it and can’t wait to reach our goal or destination, but if the road turns sharply or dead ends, we have to take a turn and go with it or go in another direction altogether.

All of the paintings in the Grid series consist of a textured under-painting, followed by various colors glazed over each other, resulting in 5+ layers of paint to achieve maximum vibrancy.

Fractured

2010-02-26T22:24:00.004-06:00

The painting ‘Fractured’ began in December of 2007 as a part of the set for the Christmas Production at Elevate Life Church in Frisco, TX. The final touches to the painting were completed in January of 2008.

The scene that ‘Fractured’ was created for was the living room of a couple whose marriage was on the rocks because they were having difficulty conceiving. The set that was designed for them was done in black and white to convey the lifelessness of their relationship.
As a result of their struggles, they had a lot of shame, blame and conflict. It was as if their relationship was being shattered and the shards of their lives were being scattered all around them. It wasn’t until they came to a place of brokenness in their lives and having their faith renewed, that they were able to reconnect and have peace & love restored to their marriage.

The Genesis Series

2010-02-26T22:03:00.009-06:00

The Genesis series has been initiated to honor the handiwork of God in His creation. It is the largest painting series that I have yet to produce and will consist of 50 paintings when it is completed. (There are 50 chapters in the book of Genesis.)
Before starting this series, I did research on the book of Genesis, which was life altering. My particular interest and focus for the Genesis series is on the molecular level of creation and how Father God designed these tiny particles to come together in the formation of other things.

When I think of creation, I am overwhelmed by the passion and attention to detail that Father God invested in us and our surroundings. To briefly sum up this painting series, I have listed some thoughts and key words that have flooded my heart and mind when I contemplate God's hand in motion, putting everything together so magnificently.

A void has been filled and light has pierced the darkness. The expanse of the sky has been created. Land has been formed and has gathered the waters together, while bringing forth vegetation as He willed it to do so. The sun, moon and stars were formed and set in place to shed light upon the earth in order to govern the night and the day. Sea life has been created to teem the waters, birds to spread their wings in the skies and animals to roam across the land. The crowning moment of Creation was the making of man. He was formed from the dust of the earth, in the image of his Creator, and given the very breath of life from his loving God. After all of His work was completed, Father God looked upon it and proclaimed "it is very good." (Genesis Chapter 1)

In the Genesis series, some paintings have a more "refined" composition while others illustrate a more "raw" look at creation in motion. The following key words, in addition to the brief Genesis summation listed above, are utilized in the creative process for this series.

Creation of atoms and molecules
Particles and atoms churning
Formation of molecular structures
Cellular division and multiplication
Energy ebbing & flowing
Radiance
Newness
Uniqueness
Flesh and bone
Life

Your Studio Space

2009-11-15T18:12:00.010-06:00

Recently, an artist buddy and I went on the White Rock Artist Studio Tour to see how others organize their work space to inspire us to make our studios more efficient. Before we ventured out, we made some mental notes of what we wanted to pay attention to so that we could learn how to make our studios better. One of the things we were both interested in was art supply organization, so whenever we saw something that would make life easier, we pointed it out to each other. Two weeks after our artist studio tour & research outing I decided to re-organize my supplies. This ended up being a day long project, because the last time I had done anything like that was in 2003 when I decided to clear out my furniture and turn my living room into a studio. Going through everything was actually fun and interesting. I found a lot of stuff that I wasn’t using and wasn’t intending to use any time soon, so I put those items in a box and will be giving them to some artists this week. This will help somebody else do something beautiful and it has helped me to de-clutter my studio some.

Do you have a special space set aside that’s just for you and your creative work? If not, why not? If so, is your studio currently arranged & organized to help you be the best at what you’re doing? Some people may not be able to make their entire living room a studio, but here are some ideas:

Spare bedroom - Sell the extra bed and get an air mattress for guests…you can use the extra $$ to buy art supplies…besides, how often do you have slumber parties?
Garage - You may want to get a window unit for the Texas summers
Storage Shed in the backyard - Don’t forget the window unit….
Dining Room - You only use twice a year for family meals anyway.
A small section of the living room
Your Media/Theatre room

And as an added perk, as long as your studio is NOT in your bedroom you can write off the square footage of it for business expense. Woohoo!

Organizing your studio doesn’t have to be a difficulat task. We saw how one artist was using an old plastic closet door shoe organizer to keep different supplies in, but instead of hanging it on a door, she nailed it to her studio wall. One lady had all of her stuff in an old tool chest with wheels so that she could roll it wherever she needed it. Another artist had her work table suspended on the ceiling via pulley system to make more room in her studio for other things. When she needs to work on the table, she simply clears the area and cranks the handle to lower the table. You don’t have to spend an arm and leg either…you can find great deals on storage cabinets, carts, shelving units, containers, etc. at garage sales, estate sales, going out of business sales, thrift stores, holiday sales, etc.

By having a special creative space, you’ll also be encouraged to create more frequently. For me, since my studio is such a large portion of my residence, I constantly see paintings that are in progress and it sparks ideas for new work, helps me with creative problem solving in pieces that have me “stumped” and keeps me focused on my short and long term artistic goals. If you don’t have a studio space, now may be a good time to create one and bless yourself with a special place that’s set aside for your creative endeavors. If you have a studio, now may be a good time to go through things and take inventory of what you have and move things around so that your space is more efficient than before. You may decide to bless other artists with things you don’t use/need OR you may want to donate them to a homeless shelter, church, or school for kids to use. Either way, it’s all good, so have fun and enjoy the process of making your studio unique, inspiring, and one of the coolest places to hangout in your neighborhood!

***Click here to see more pics of my studio***

Your Creative Business and The Recession

2009-11-09T13:39:00.001-06:00

If you’ve noticed a lull in sales over the past year due to the economy, you’re not alone. A lot of artists are experiencing a decrease in sales these days because of what is going on in the job market, but alas, we can still expand our businesses in this economic drought and look forward to a lush future.

What can you be doing to expand your business?

Well, you could….

Update your website, refresh your artist statement (that’s supposed to be done about every 2 years anyway), update your artist resume, re-evaluate your pricing, revise your marketing strategy, experiement with a new style, technique, theme, or medium, start a new series, study with a mentor, update your portfolio with new imagery, re-organize your studio space and give away art supplies that you don’t use (be a blessing to another artist), organize your sketches by date for easy future reference, stretch canvases, do an inventory check and determine how many new pieces you want to create in the next 6 months, set your creative goals for the next year (16 new paintings completed, website overhauled, studio redesigned, etc.), research the local and regional art scene, read biographies on successful artists, consider new ways to promote your creative works and get exposure, do business/marketing research, etc.

You see, even if the economy is a little rough right now, there’s still a lot of work that we can do to get prepared for a thriving market that is around the corner. We can use this valuable window of time to get ready to go up to the next level by using it as a stepping stone to get to where we want to go in our careers. I want to encourage you to chase after excellence in your creative business and dream BIG…there are great things on the horizon for us!

Taking An ART Vacation!!!!!

2009-10-19T15:00:00.003-05:00

Have you ever gotten to that place where you were totally exasperated and ready to explode? Well, that happened to me at work last week and I got to thinking “wow, I haven’t had a vacation since summer 2008…” Like a lot of other artists that are striving to perfect their craft and pursue it fulltime, I work at a “day job” and work on my art when I can. Since 40 hours of my week are devoted to my day job, my artwork often takes the back seat. I also notice that when I’m tired, my creativity doesn’t flow the way I would like it to, compositions are weak, my line quality is poor, not to mention my attitude. What’s an artist to do? Take an Art Vacation!!

Ok; this isn’t first the first Art Vacation for me, but I haven’t done this in well over a year…so I’m very excited about it! : ) What is an Art Vacation you ask? Well, for starters, I’ll be taking off a WHOLE week from my day job at the end of October, but I won’t be telling my family about it. Does that sound mean? I hope not. I know from past experience that if I tell my family that I plan to spend a week at home doing art I’ll get calls all day long with requests to go here and there, run errands, etc. WHAT a distraction!! I really want and need this time to be devoted to a specific purpose: advancing my art business by expanding my inventory. Here’s my agenda:

• Go to the Huffines Art Trails on Sunday, 10/25, with my art buddies to see what other artists are doing, observe their setups, listen to music and eat greasy fair type food.

• On Monday, I’ll make sure that all of my supplies are ready to go and then I’ll review old sketches from the past 2 years and plan out 3-4 new surrealistically styled compositions.

• On Tuesday, I’ll start working on all of the new paintings.

• By Wednesday night, the art hermit in me will be craving interaction with others, so off to the Art Love Magic Open House I’ll go. (YAY!!!)

• Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be painting days.

• On Sunday, 11/01, I’ll “chil-lax” and reflect on my artsy fartsy week.

You see, the Art Vacation is really all about work, but it’s the kind of work that us creatives love to do. It’s our passion and yet for a lot of us, we don’t devote as much time to it as we would really like to. I’ve mentioned this before in previous posts that our busyness often keeps us from doing those things that we love to do. Perhaps simplifying our lives some, turning off the tv, and focusing on our creative goals will help. Maybe more Art Vacations are in order for all of us. ??

I want to encourage you to take some time in the next week to sit down and think about what your creative goals are for the next year and write them down on a BIG poster board and tape it to your wall so that you see it everyday. Take an Art Vacation and work on these creative goals every chance you get. When you do, you’ll be happier and the rest of us will be blessed because you have introduced more beauty into our world.

Starting Projects & Finishing What You Start

2009-10-08T09:12:00.003-05:00

The execution of your creative idea can a difficult part of the creative process, but if you’re prepared, it can be a little easier. Think of all of your notes and sketches concerning your creative idea as a roadmap to where you’re going…now it’s just a matter of starting the journey and getting to your destination. Here are some tips to help you along the way:

1. Keep your vision/goals in front of you. Write down your goals on a large posterboard and put it in a prominent place in your creative work space. This will help remind you and keep you focused.

2. Set Completion Dates. It’s important to have an idea of how long you want to spend on a project, but make sure that your timeline is reasonable. If you go beyond your deadline, that’s ok...the main thing is that you finished what you started.

3. Accountability Partners. Tell one or two people what your plans are and ask them to follow up with you about your project(s) periodically.

4. Prioritize your creative side and clear your schedule temporarily. Take a sabbatical from the TV, bowling league, book club, etc. and devote that time to your project. You can set up a temporary work schedule to help you meet your goals.

5. Plan to reward yourself for a job well done. This can be a night out, small shopping spree, ice cream, etc. after you have completed your project.

Eliminate Creative Droughts

2009-09-16T11:04:00.003-05:00

For artists, fresh ideas are the cornerstones of our creative lifestyles, passions, and work. If I had a dime for every time I heard an artist say “I’m in a creative rut,” I would be a Zillionaire!! How is it that creatives like us find ourselves uttering these words? Is it because the well REALLY does run dry at times? OR, could it be that we need to visit different wells frequently to make sure that none of our resources get depleted in the first place??? How can we keep the creative juices flowing? Well, we could tuck our ideas away and save them……

When you have a creative idea, or an “AHA!!!” moment, document it and be diligent to keep track of your ideas for future reference. (What good is a great idea if you forget it because you were busy at the store buying some hot pockets?)

Keep a special notebook, sketchbook, or handheld recorder with you at all times so that it’s easy to record your inspirations as they come. If you’re the type that draws on scraps of paper here and there (like me), you could use an old shoe box to keep your quick idea sketches or doodles in and label it Bright Ideaz so that you don’t have to worry about losing them. – I’ve often thought of better painting compositions by simply looking through old sketches or paintings, so please don’t throw anything like that away…it will be valuable to you in the future. -

To get inspired, generate ideas and save them for the future, you can…
• Record specific details from your dreams every morning for a week.
• Review your favorite artist’s work and make notes about what you like.
• Revisit old works that you did 5 years ago. (How would you create them today?)
• Listen to some of your favorite songs from high school…go down memory lane and see what ideas emerge.
• Listen to some music that you absolutely love and think of how to interpret it for somebody who is hearing impaired.
• Enjoy nature by going to a park or lake and take time out to breathe in deep and really NOTICE creation in action around you.
• Get a box of crayons and melt them, draw with them, glue them together, etc.
• Do a few illustrations of scenes from your favorite book.
• Drive out in the country on a cloudless night and sit under the stars…gaze at their beauty and ponder their significance. (Take a flashlight in case you get some ideas and need to write them down.)
• Visit an assisted care facility for the elderly and contemplate the aging process and the wisdom that comes along with it.
• Visit the newborn nursery at a local hospital and contemplate the wonder and miracle of life and new beginnings.

Another thing I want to encourage you to do is be gentle on yourself regarding the whole idea generating process and don’t be too critical during your brainstorming/brainblooming sessions. Something may seem like a good or bad idea at first, but space and time may change your perception of it later on. To reiterate…please don’t throw any of your idea notes or sketches away…they may prove to be very valuable to you in the future.

If you happen to go through a creative dry spell, take the time to go through your collected notes and sketches to see if you get some creative sparks and then move into action. If you want to avoid a dry spell altogether make a date with your sketchbook or notebook about once a month. Turn off the cell phone, tv, radio, and make some cocoa, then take 2-3 hours to go through your sketchbooks and notebooks. When you do this, you’ll generate even more ideas which will refill your creative well. :)

Sole Proprietorship for Artists

2009-07-15T10:20:00.002-05:00

Ok, I know this next part isn’t too exciting for us artsy fartsy folks, so I added in a little humor where I could, and hopefully it won’t be that painful. Starting your own business isn’t as daunting as some people might think; it just takes preparation and organization followed by ACTION. You may think that you don’t need to set up a sole proprietorship, but if you sell over $600.00 of artwork in one year, it’s time to get your small art business set up.

Here are a few steps to get your business started on its way:
• Decide on a business name – Business names are very important. Does it have a ring to it? Does it describe your business intentions? Can it be remembered easily?
• Make a list of possible business names if you intend use something different than your name. Take your list of business names to the records building or county courthouse of the city you plan to do business out of along with your driver’s license and social security number and see if the business name you want use is already taken. If it is, choose another one on your list and try it.
• Get your business name registered with the county/city. There is a small fee for this, so you may want to check on this beforehand.
• After you have registered your business name, it’s time to go to your local county tax office and set up a reporting plan. (Here’s where the fun really begins!) You will need the documentation that you get from the county records office when you register your business name, as well as your drivers license and social security number. The tax professional will ask you how you want to report sales taxes to the state comptroller.
• Reporting sales tax to the state comptroller can be done monthly, quarterly or annually. You decide how you want to report taxes based off of what works best for you. I do it once a year. In December, I get a letter in the mail from the state comptroller requesting my sales and my state sales tax payment for that year. You can even do your reporting online, which makes it a lot easier.
• Open up a separate banking account for your business. You will need all of the documentation from registering your business name and the info from the tax office.
• Make sure that all of your business purchases are paid out of your business banking account from that point forward. This will save you a headache and some Advil when it comes time to do your tax reporting to the state.
• If you have the funding availabile, purchase equipment and items that can help you run your business with ease, such as: a computer, printer, fax machine, cell phone, multiple carbon copy receipt booklets, folders, small filing cabinet, envelopes, paper, inkjets, tape, a stapler, staples, highlighters, paperclips, etc. All of these items are tax deductible, so please keep your receipts!• Set up a filing system to keep track of your business bank statements, receipts, art catalog and patron info, etc.
• Keep track of your business related expenditures such as: office supplies, art supplies, marketing expenses, mileage to and from places directly related to your business, etc. If you set up a little office or studio in your home, from which you work out of, that is separate from your sleeping quarters, you can deduct a portion of your rent/mortgage payment and utilities as business expenditures. In order to claim mileage, keep a small notebook in your car and write down the miles you drive while delivering art work to a gallery/client, going to client meetings, going to get supplies, etc. Be sure to save all of your receipts…you can’t claim what you can’t prove! (or you could and risk an audit)
• If you donate artwork to a non-profit organization, be sure to get a receipt for your contribution to their cause, this is will be a deduction for you.
• For the first few years of sales tax reporting and income reporting for your new business, you may want to hire a CPA or Accountant to help show you the ropes. When it’s time for you to report the sales tax and/or do your income taxes, you simply take all of your business expense receipts, and accounts receivable info (records of the money you brought in due to sales) to your preparer. Your tax preparer will let you know what documentation to bring if you have any questions. (It’s better to pay someone a little money when you’re just starting out to help you get the tax reporting right than to risk an audit…once the IRS starts auditing you, they don’t stop…or so I’ve been told.)
• Be a perpetual student and take advantage of free entrepreneurial advice when you can. Attend seminars, visit websites (such as www.score.org) and ask other successful artists about how they promote and sale their art. This will help your art business BOOM!

- Michelle McSpadden

Art Marketing - Part 2

2009-07-07T17:02:00.012-05:00

Having an online presence is extremely important for artists who want to advertise their work and expand their patron base. Using the web effectively to showcase your artwork can be an extraordinary marketing tool. The following article was done in collaboration with Glenda Williams, a Graphic Designer and Artist. Here are some things to keep in mind as you set up your website:

-Make sure your web address is easy to spell and remember. This will help avoid confusion and sending people to somebody else’s website.
-Put your website info on all of your printed documents and link to it on your myspace, facebook and twitter pages. You’ll also want to add the web address to your email signature.
-Keep your website design a little neutral – you don’t want your website to compete with your artwork. Have you ever visited a website that was too busy or the colors were too loud? Your website should enhance the artwork, not distract the viewer from it.
-Think Simplicity - you don't want your website to be difficult for visitors to navigate through. Keep things simple, post relevant information & directions, and your web visitors will enjoy their time looking through your work.
-Make sure that the photos of your work are top notch. If you don't have a good camera (10 mega pixels or more), you may want to look into hiring a photographer to capture your imagery for you. If you can't afford a photographer right now, maybe you can exchange artwork for photographs or set up a payment schedule.
-List your prices clearly on your website and make sure that your pricing is the same no matter where your artwork is. For example, if a gallery is showing a painting of yours that is $400.00, make sure that it’s listed for the same price on your website. If not, it has the appearance that you’re competing with the gallery, which will send mixed messages to the patron and the gallery. Keep prices consistent, unless you are having a sale, and if you are, then make sure that the sale is well noted.
-Update your website with new work as often as possible.
-Once a painting sells, mark it as sold on the website, but don’t take down the pic. Having an online history of your work will help you and your viewers to see the progression of your talent and themes over time.
-Have a special section that’s just about you and keep it updated. This section can contain your artist resume or bio, personal info, info about your imagery and upcoming events.
-If you have a links page, you may want to check each link periodically to make sure that they’re all good and remove the ones that may not be working.
-Don’t forget to list your contact info on your website, such as an email address or cell number, but for safety purposes, please don’t list your home address.
-Web Crawlers (aka "spiders") are sent out by search engines over the internet. A web crawler is an automated computer program that browses the world wide web for the purpose of indexing websites to include in their search results. Make sure your home page includes a brief description of yourself and your business, so it will be easier for your website to be categorized. The text on your home page is where the crawlers look for relevant keywords - and how they come up with a description of your website to place under the link on the search results page. Your web designer can add "meta tags", which are search keywords that are hidden in the HTML code - but, the web crawlers are smart... if the "meta tags" don't match any of the text on your home page, the keywords will most likely be ignored and won't help to improve your search ranking.
-Improve your website's search ranking by getting other quality websites to link to your website. Your website will get visited more often and the web crawlers will take notice. Ask other artists or art organizations to form partnership links with you (I'll link to your website if you'll link to mine...).
-If you have a "links" page on your site, ask your web designer to program those links to open a new browser window. That way, when your visitor is finished looking at the other website, yours will still be open on their computer desktop, enticing them to go back and browse some more.
-Make sure your navigation buttons are on every page. Don't force your customers to hit the "back" button multiple times trying to find a link that will take them to another page! (More often than not, they will simply give up and try another website that's easier to use.)
-Any elements on your web pages that are in constant movement (animated buttons, blinking text, etc) will draw the visitor's eye away from what's really important: your artwork.

Do you need a website, but don’t have a big budget?
You could hook up with graphic designer friend that would be willing to take monthly payments or exchange artwork for services rendered.

OR

Create a Myspace or Facebook account especially for your artwork. Keep the layout design neutral/not busy and make sure that your artwork photos are good (in focus and cropped) and include the art info. Example: “Oak Tree” 16x20, Oil on canvas $325.00

Art Marketing - Part 1

2009-06-30T13:30:00.021-05:00

Since marketing is such a crucial element in building up any business, we’re going to explore a lot of ideas, so grab a cup of java and prop up your feet…this is a long post!

In order to sell your art, it has to be seen. (It’s all about Exposure!!)

Now is a good time to start thinking about what steps you can take to draw attention to your work. Here are some marketing ideas to help get the word out that you have unique art for sale.

Business Cards – this is the first marketing tool you need to get. You can start out with a simple business card if that is what your budget allows, or you can get more extravagant and incorporate images and fancier cardstock. You can go to Kinko’s, hire a graphic artist, or design your business card yourself. The business card has many uses beyond attracting prospective clientele…it can be used as price tag if you have pieces in an art show/festival OR you can throw it in business card bowls at restaurants around town and win free meals so that you won’t be mistaken as a starving artist. When you start planning a design for your card, think outside the box and create something that will standout. When I got my first business cards, money was a little tight and I opted for a simple and cheap design. Do what you can afford to do for now; and when you’re financially able, upgrade!!

(If you’re unable to buy business cards at this time, you can make half page flyers for yourself that contain all of your contact info, website info, etc., to hand out to people.)

Bookmarks are another creative way to get your name and images seen and into the hands of people. You can do this by getting bookmarks made with 2 or more images of your work on them. Bookmarks are a great way for people to continually see your artwork as they’re reading their books, looking through their planner, etc. You can hand them out to your friends, new people you meet and even leave them around town for people to pick up. (Everyone loves free stuff they can use.)

Make a brochure. This is another way to get examples of your imagery into the hands of prospective patrons. Your brochure should contain 6-8 good quality, full color images, and info about your work, you and your creative process.

Make some postcards. You can have the postcard made with one image, divided for two images or have a quadrant. Please be sure to put all of your contact info on the back of the postcard.

If you don’t know what images to use for bookmarks, brochures, or postcards, you can host a little art dessert party for some of your closest friends and present them with several images to choose from and ask them to pick their top 3-4 choices. This will help you to get some feedback and help make your decision making process a little easier.

Create your artist statement – which is a written statement by you about what your artwork represents and/or why you do it. This should be 1-2 paragraphs long.
Create your artist bio – it should contain the year, date and city of your birth, your education or who you have studied with and your history in art.
Create your artist resume – this is a chronological list of where you have displayed works previously, awards that you’ve won, and who you’ve studied with.

(You can google artist statement, artist bio and artist resume to get some examples. Once you have these docs set up, all you need to do is update them periodically to reflect any changes in your art career. These docs are important for you to have in your portfolio and on your website.)

Write about your art.
Did you know that you can raise the value and interest of your art by simply writing about it? When somebody is viewing a piece of art, they are bringing all of themselves into it….maybe they’ve had a horrible day or maybe they just won the lottery, but as the saying goes: ”wherever you go, there you are.” Viewers can easily misinterpret your intentions so if you have additional info about your work it can build a deeper connection with your viewers as you invite them to experience the art through your eyes and heart. (Any compositions you write about your work need to be posted on your website, myspace, or blog or wherever you happen to have your work.)

Get a website started.
I’ve sold several paintings with the help of my website and every year it pays for itself. It’s an excellent and easy way to show your work AND you can add personal info about yourself, creative inspiration, future plans, etc. (More info about websites coming soon!)

Advertise your upcoming shows and new artwork.
Keeping your family, friends & customers (patrons) informed about your upcoming shows or new artwork should be a vital part of your marketing strategy. You may decide that you want to inform your patrons monthly, quarterly or bi-annually to keep them updated on all the new things you have going on. You could do this by starting a small e-newsletter to send out, or it could be a postcard or a personal letter. This will help you to foster future business relationships and opportunities as your patrons may be inclined to spread the word about your work and invite others to your upcoming shows. Keep your communications with your patrons short and sweet (2-4 paragraphs) and always offer to answer any questions they may have. Please be careful to not to contact your patrons too much…it may cause them ignore your communications if they feel like they're being hounded by you.

Offer Incentives
Another thing you can do to encourage future sales from your patrons is to offer a discount on future purchases. Example: Patron X buys their first piece from you and as a “thank you” to them you offer 10-15% off their next purchase. OR You offer a free small print with their next purchase. Look for creative ways to offer your customers incentives to continue buying from you in the future.

Keep in mind that your marketing costs, which may be from business cards, bookmarks, brochures, postcards, website design fees, yearly domain registration and hosting fees, etc., are all tax deductible, so please keep your receipts.

Marketing Part 2 next week will focus on how to create a successful website on ANY budget!

-Michelle McSpadden

Getting Into A Gallery

2009-06-23T16:31:00.010-05:00

Do you dream about getting into a gallery, but are unsure of the steps you need to take to reach your goal? The information below is from an interview with Art Professor Barry Benton on how artists can get their work shown in galleries.

Your 1st Visit To A Prospective Gallery
Visit galleries and scope them out. When you're going from gallery to gallery, keep the following in mind:
- Dress for success – think of this as a pre-interview of the gallery. Have you ever visited a gallery wearing shorts or jeans and sandals? Were you ignored a little? Have you visited a gallery when you were dressed up? Were you engaged by the gallery reps? Unfortunately, people size us up by our wardrobe choices, so you may want to do a wardrobe check before setting out to explore potential galleries.
- During your first visit to each gallery, try not to mention anything about showing your work, but feel free to engage them about the artwork on display and their artists. This is a pre-interview process and you need to check the gallery out and see if it's suitable for you to show in.
- Would your artwork "fit" in with the other work there?
- Do you like the gallery space and atmosphere? Is it welcoming?
- Notice the size of the artwork currently being displayed. How is it in relation to yours?
- What is the price range of the pieces on display? Are they comparable to yours?
- Are all of the artworks framed?
- Is there a predominant subject matter throughout the gallery? Would the subject matter add or take away from your artwork?
- Is the gallery rep nice and pleasant? Do you think you would be able to work with them well? Your relationship with whatever gallery takes in your work is a business relationship, so it's important to feel at ease with the gallery, since the two of you will be working to sell your artwork. If someone brushes you off or ignores you, chances are you don't want to show your work there.
- Take a trusted artist friend along with you for additional feedback. They may notice things that you overlook and be able to give you a different perspective about the gallery. (Make sure they dress up a little too!)
- Weed out the galleries that you know you don't want to show in and start preparing for a 2nd visit to the galleries that looked promising.

Your 2nd Visit To A Prospective Gallery
The pre-interview process is over…you're interviewing the gallery and they'll be interviewing you for future business potential, so you'll need to go alone.
Since you're selling yourself, please consider the following:
- Dress for success – like you would if you were going on a corporate job interview.
- Smile often
- Make and keep eye contact
- Be mindful of your posture – don't twitch, slouch or twiddle your thumbs
- Pop in a couple of Tic Tacs when you're on the way there to make sure that your breath isn't offensive.
- Take a small notebook or planner with you to take notes
- Introduce yourself and ask the gallery rep "How do you like to have artwork submitted to your gallery for review?" This question will get the ball rolling and they'll start telling you what you need to do or bring. Take notes.
- If they don't mention the commission rate, you'll need to ask. (For most galleries, it's a 50/50 ratio.)
- Ask them how they go about promoting shows and the artwork of their artists. THIS IS IMPORTANT!! You want your artwork to sell and if the gallery isn't into heavy promos, your sale success rate decreases considerably.
- If you're comfortable with the interaction of the gallery rep and think that this gallery is a place that you want to show in, ask them if you can schedule an appointment for the review of your work. (Keep it within a couple of weeks of this 2nd visit so that they don't forget you before they see you again.)
- If you have any marketing/promotional items such as a business card, postcard, or brochure that contains some of your images, you'll want to give it to them before you leave, but only after you've engaged in conversation with them.

Your 3rd Visit To The Gallery – Presentation/Submission of Artwork

Make sure that you've had time to prepare everything that you need. Some galleries require that you bring examples of your artwork in a portfolio, on slides, or on a CD. A selection of 15-20 pieces is a good number of works for them to review.

The gallery may require an artist statement – which is a written statement by you about what your artwork represents and/or why you do it.
The gallery may require an artist bio – it should contain the year, date and city of your birth, your education or who you have studied with and your history in art.
The gallery may require an artist resume – this is a chronological list of where you have displayed works previously, awards that you've won, and who you've studied with.

Make sure that you keep all the originals of anything the gallery requests for reviewing your work…just in case you don't get it back, you don't want to have to do everything all over again.
- Dress for success and don't forget your Tic Tacs!
- Arrive 3-5 minutes before your appointment
- Smile often
- Make and maintain eye contact
- Pay attention to your posture
- Hand them the materials they have requested
- If the gallery rep starts to review your work in your presence, try not to talk too much, if at all. Let your work talk for itself a little. They are trying to decide if your work would "fit" in their gallery.
- Let them take time to go through your work. If they ask you questions, answer them as precisely as possible without being too wordy.
- If you have any questions, wait till they're done reviewing your work.
- If they make a decision to show your work or to review it later, don't forget to thank them for their time and make sure that they have your contact info so that the preparations can begin.
- If they decide not to show your work at that particular time, thank them for their time and consideration and make sure they have your contact info for future reference if they need it. Don't take it too hard or too personal if a gallery decides not to show your work. There's a reason for everything and perhaps this gallery isn't the place for you to be right now. The thing is to keep on trying until you find that perfect venue where you should be showing your art.