Oooh, for those who don't know about "Art Season", its a flurry of
get your stuff together- paintings, tables, chairs, cards, bags, prints, print this out, print that out, forget that, print some more out.
Then.... drive there (late as usual and like a bat out of hades) to set up and enjoy! (Hopefully, sell a little something to make up for the cost of the booth fee, with a prayer, maybe a profit?)
OK... take it down before it rains, gets cold, or you just fall down from hunger and exhaustion. Go home (fast) and unload--- EVERYWHERE.
Live in a house that looks like a tornado hit it.
Paint some more to make up for what you sold, what people want, inspiration you got from the last festival- if you have time between going to work, etc...
Then pick it all back up and do it again- given that you can find it again.
Aaaah, but, its been fun and so very informative.
Tina Bates and Denise Williams have been going with us and they've made it more fun than it ever was :) We get to paint (on kids or canvas) and throw ideas around. THIS IS THE DREAM! So, we're making "generic" Art with heart cards for all of us to hand out. More on that later. Creativity is a well that doesn't run out, Thank God...
We went to Mobile this Friday to an art walk, the weekend before that-- to a car show in the place of people at the women's center and before that, Arts Alive, I think. It's been a flurry of action, inspiration and interesting things, but whoo, its taking its toll for now ;)
There's an appointment tomorrow AM for painting sizes information, so its time for bed for me already. But, I'll be back blogging tomorrow, Good night :)
Ugh, I hate nausea. We had so many fun things planned, but they're just postponed. I hope everyone else stays healthy!
I can't move around much or tolerate smells, so painting and other work like cleaning up/putting away after Peter Anderson is a no-go. Thinking is a no-go, too, coffee is kicking up that gag reflex. Oh joy...
BUT!!! Good news :) JANIS the chair sold this weekend in a silent auction to a wonderful couple from Gulfport. After Art therapy Thursday, we'll meet and do the trade. $43 is pretty good for a lady rescued out of the garbage!
Much love and good health, Linda
Wow, talk about coincidences, Prince has a deal with Verizon. LOL!!
Besides the great info I just found at Art Biz Blog put down below, I looked up Alyson's blog and found this:
The following is from the Washington Post article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/arts/music/22pare.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=c0039dca7d82289d&ex=1342756800&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
"Prince’s priorities are obvious. The main one is getting his music to an audience, whether it’s purchased or not. “Prince’s only aim is to get music direct to those that want to hear it,” his spokesman said when announcing that The Mail would include the CD. (After the newspaper giveaway was announced, Columbia Records’ corporate parent, Sony Music, chose not to release “Planet Earth” for retail sale in Britain.) Other musicians may think that their best chance at a livelihood is locking away their music — impossible as that is in the digital era — and demanding that fans buy everything they want to hear. But Prince is confident that his listeners will support him, if not through CD sales then at shows or through other deals.
This is how most pop stars operate now: as brand-name corporations taking in revenue streams from publishing, touring, merchandising, advertising, ringtones, fashion, satellite radio gigs or whatever else their advisers can come up with. Rare indeed are holdouts like Bruce Springsteen who simply perform and record. The usual rationale is that hearing a U2 song in an iPod commercial or seeing Shakira’s face on a cellphone billboard will get listeners interested in the albums that these artists release every few years after much painstaking effort.
But Prince is different. His way of working has nothing to do with scarcity. In the studio — he has his own recording complex, Paisley Park near Minneapolis — he is a torrent of new songs, while older, unreleased ones fill the archive he calls the Vault. Prince apparently has to hold himself back to release only one album a year. He’s equally indefatigable in concert. On the road he regularly follows full-tilt shows — singing, playing, dancing, sweating — with jam sessions that stretch into the night. It doesn’t hurt that at 49 he can still act like a sex symbol and that his stage shows are unpredictable."
Prince knows that good stuff comes back around. Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica? Not so much. He freaked out and took Napster to court for ripping off their music and fans reacted strongly to it--- not buying the CD's, not going to concerts. For years they didn't do so well.
The popularity contest concept wins out again... now??? They're giving away CD's with concert ticket sales. Could he have come to the same conclusion through a misstep? I bet he did.
Alyson's B. Stanfield's other writings on the subject is included below. (Please see her website, you won't believe the wisdom it contains!)
Warhol and copyright infringement? LOL
"DO THIS: CONSIDER IT A COMPLIMENT Most artists are eager to protect the copyright of their images online--and rightly so. The ease with which one can swipe photos and graphics from the Internet is enough to scare the daylights out of anyone working in the visual arts or communications.
Judy Vars, Snow Angel. Oil. ©The Artist
http://www.cabinfeverinalaska.com However, a couple of things should ease your mind:
►There are SO many digital images around, the likelihood of yours being the target of widespread image theft is minimal.
►If your image is relatively small and posted at no higher than 72 screen resolution, anyone wanting to print it would get a copy of very low quality.
Instead, I implore you to protect your images with a copyright notice and, when they are downloaded, consider it a compliment. Gasp . . . yikes! Did I really just say that? You bet.
You could waste many precious hours worrying about people stealing your images, but isn't the point of your promotions and marketing efforts to get them in front of people? You'll scare yourself into a point of inaction if you dwell on all of the "What ifs".
Protect yourself as best you can by:
1. Making your images are no sharper than a 72 resolution -- small enough to load quickly, but large enough to show the detail in your work.
2. Posting a copyright notice on all of your pages. If it makes you feel better, post a © under each one of your photographs, as I have done for the artists featured in this online version of the newsletter.
3. Giving your files an obscure name. Web guru Pat Velte suggested that if you name your files with the actual title (e.g. Naming "Rocky Mountain Sunset" rocky-mountain-sunset.jpg), they are more likely to be indexed by a search engine like Google and, therefore, more likely to be downloaded. Something like 01Gf32.jpg would be safer. Likewise, she says, you can decrease your chance for inclusion in search engines by leaving the alternate text field blank. Then, as we talked about it further, we thought, "WHY?" Why would an artist want to have images on the Web and then try to hide them from search engines?!
Jacqueline Myers-Cho, The Space Between Us. Mixed
mediums, 12 x 16". ©The Artist
http://www.myerscho.com If you want to know what the alternate text function looks like, go to http://www.artbizcoach.com/about and mouse over the painting at the bottom. It doesn't work in all browsers, but Internet Explorer users should see "Kurt Christian, 'Dumb Campers'." By the way, Pat specializes in helping artists get on the World Wide Web. You can email her at pvelte@cox.net.
4. Remembering why you have images online in the first place. For heavens sake, please do not print a watermark or other text on top of your images. You might as well not even have a Web presence as this completely ruins the experience of your art.
5. Keeping track of your Web statistics. Once you learn how to find and track your usage statistics, you'll see which pages are being viewed and the rate at which they're being viewed. Any abnormalities, such as a large increase in image downloads, will be easier to notice.
6. Making sure people know how to contact you if they want to use your images. Wouldn't it be great for people to use pictures of your art in their publications and Web sites? Just think: They'll give you credit for it and provide a link to your site. Make it easy for them by including your contact information on each page. You can even go so far as to include the following text with your images: "Please contact me if you're interested in using my images on your Web site or in your publication." This serves notice that you're open to the possibilities.
KNOW THIS The Internet is for the sharing of information. While you must protect yourself as best you can from copyright infringements, you can't waste too much time worrying about it. Too much protection will defeat the purpose of having a Web site. THINK ABOUT THIS Why are you online in the first place? DO THIS Stop worrying about someone stealing your images from the Web and consider it a compliment when they do. If you use Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, you can forward this page to a friend by going up to your menu and, under "File," select "Send" or "Send Page." Or just copy and paste this URL into a message: http://www.artbizcoach.com/dothis "
Oh wow, we've been so busy that no blogging has been happening for a while~ but this topic is important to artists and all people. What comes back to bite the business person in the butt? A stingy, stiff, lazy or unfriendly attitude. Thats not all, but seems to be the major
The benefits of sharing... so much to name!
Festivals are like days or people, no two are ever the same. We've been at the Peter Anderson Festival and have, so far, had a good time. At most of the festivals, we will put out a table in the "flow" of people traffic and set up face painting. Our face painting profits come from donations only and those go to the Gulf Coast Women's Center for Nonviolence.
This time, John Rhodes, the vice president of the Biloxi Art Association, is going to allow us to face paint off to the side under a shelter :) GO JOHN RHODES, thank you so much. The spirit of giving and acceptance is a beautiful thing to see.
We ran into a potter and his wife who give workshops to children about their ceramics and after telling him about Art with Heart, he was on board for offering his knowledge and outreach to the kids. Wow, they seemed moved by the spirit of Art and creativity to further the goodness they've recieved. The feeling and connection was evident in the looks on their faces and the passion in their voices. What soul! It was contagious and I left feeling full.
Ah, but I had been rejected in a few places and had my feelings hurt by another brand of artists. Commercialized and guarded- bordering on, and sometimes personifying, paranoia. Ego too big and art marketing education too little.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sharing person. When most kids got into trouble for not wanting to share their toys, I got into trouble for allowing other kids to "use up" my stuff. "Then you won't have any anymore" Mom warned me.
I didn't grow up rich by any stretch of the imagination and we had to scrap together the things to make other things (which has helped my creativity out in ways an enriched environment wouldn't have), so the characteristic wasn't created because I had much to spare. Seeing other people experience joy has always given joy.
But not everyone is like this~ and some are very, very much NOT like this :) So, Denise Williams, Mom (Carol Roberts) and I are running around talking to people-- appreciate the art, immerse ourselves in beauty and innovation, inhale the wonderfulness, and invite local artists--- but--- we run into a bummer.
The bummer was someone from our area whom I was delighted to see and meet. But what a let down! I didn't really admire her art, but I respect it because it has value to someone else, so, I offered her a free space on AwH website and she declined because she has a website- (guess she's never heard of Alyson B. Stanfield's "Magnifying your online presence").
I don't agree with this artist, but I respect her position.
Ok, not quite "getting it" yet, I then offered a link from my website to hers (as I always do to others who have their websites going). I'd have loved to give her a link from my website-- in effect directing traffic to her art because I can't paint for the whole world. This is networking and according to Art Marketing genius, Alyson B. Stanfield, this is the way to go- share and share alike because the biggest and best asset you have is your people and your admirers.
So afraid she was that I would somehow steal something of hers or "elevate myself" with the use of her name that she went into a story about making this local Bed and Breakfast take down one of her images on their site. Geesh. I was just offering a link. Besides that, she shouldn't have flattered herself. I don't steal ideas or credit.
But about the B&B, I thought, "Darn girl, there went some potential costumers, commissions and at least some admirers. I bet you ticked off those people and they took your art out of their bed and breakfast, too. You'd been better off sending them a thank you card and gushing at their appreciation of your art because it was a genuine compliment. Besides the sales you could have made, you hurt those people's feelings and I bet they flat out don't like you anymore." That makes two of us.
She missed out on a great opportunity- make a new friend and fan. People are the most important thing about your art! They are the reason for your art, no matter if you're an intellectual only after profits or an emotional/spiritual (like me) whose more interested in the connectedness it brings. Karma comes back no matter how you roll.
But this artist really lost a fan and a potential advocate. Even before this, my artistic opinion was- which normally I'd keep to myself-- that her work is marketable kitsch, local regurgitation of bad Norman Rockwells without people. But the disposition makes the art look worse now.
We walk around and ran into the awesome potters... (I'll put their names in later, I forget names, sorry-- gotta find my book), who was so wonderful!!! These people are da bomb. When I can afford it, I'm going to get some of their pottery.
So, we walk a bit further down and Denise exclaims "Linda, there you are! That is YOU, honey, right there!"
I stopped dead in my tracks.
It was a breathtaking piece of wall-sculpture pottery and I fell in love with it. It was one of my paintings in sculpture form!
I walk up to it and start to think about Jungian Archtypes and how that worked within the theory of universal conciousness and I admired the artist's way of putting this at the heart of their art. The message was exquisitely captured. This artist ROCKS.
I did the same spill~ and after being refused a second time- I'd had it, so I told him point blank: "I do my own art and I don't need yours." He proceeded to explain that it may not be me that copies them, but other people do. (I'm thinking that would be a compliment to me, but I get it.)
Too late. He hurt my feelins... DOOMP-DOOMP-DOOMP- Another one bites the dust! He lost a sale and three admirers- Mom and Denise were peeved and took off, too. Denise had a few other words for him on her way out, too.
I don't think I'm being unfairly judging here. I realize they've probably been burned in some manner before, I'm sure that is quite the case and there is much more here than meets the eye. However, to even look jaded into a paranoid and stingy ogre has cost them not one sale, but what that person could have brought.
Moral of the story is: I'm in the majority, people don't like rigidness and hurt feelings--- and one person represents much more than a single entity.
It looks about like a Verizon wireless commercial... They are representative of their families, friends and may have other assets yet unseen-- I am the multitude of my address book and readers of this blog.
Thing is, the tighter you grasp your art- the less you let your art breathe air, the suffocation keeps people away.
Sometimes art business IS a popularity contest. Can ya hear me now?
THE PAINTBRUSHES THE MOSS POINT HIGH STUDENTS WORKED SO HARD FOR ARE IN!!!
Way to go, ya'll!
and my poor eyeballs are feeling it. Ragweed allergies, yeesh! Hard to paint with all the itching going on.
Anyhoo, I got to finish the commission for Shirley Coakley (Cokely? sorry....). It was a GREAT commission: Shirley's daughter fell in love with a painting at one of our local resteraunts and Shirley was wondering if something similar could be painted for her daughter as a surprise. It was an absolute BLAST to do, a crab sitting on an onion. It had great wit, perspective and wonderful tones~ it was interesting how the artist highlighted the colors and make them pop and glow with muted grays and then a BAM of color. (hey, it is food and it is hanging in a resteraunt!)
At first, I did have some reservations about doing anothers' work, but I changed some things about it and made it mine. Besides, reproductions can be justified this way: the old masters learned from doing it, why shouldn't we? They are old masters for a reason. And this person taught me much for which I am very grateful.
Either way, Shirley LOVED it and that was the point~ knowing that she and her daughter are happy and like the final product :) She couldn't wait to tell her daughter about it and that made all of the time and wonder worth it. I was proud to do it and am happy everyone is pleased. Thank ya'll for the opportunity :) Love, Linda
PAINTING number 2:
am working on a little watercolor crab and shrimp piece--- see a trend here? and it is coming out really cute. Got some interesting paper (from Tracy's shop in OS--- that is sadly closed now) that just begged for this composition and color scheme. The rich oranges, velvety shadows and eye popping reds got me thinking. The shrimp has a luminescence that is interesting to capture~ contrasted with the opaque bay leaves, its an interesting mix.
Darn, I'm hungry. ok... off to cook something. B back later :)
Riverfest was so much fun~ sorry that Gustav was out there, however.
So much to write about, the face painting demonstrations at Moss Point High School was a fantastic success Friday and then the students that showed up Saturday were even better than that. Honestly, I thought maybe we'd get two because of the storm approaching, but no- at least one student showed up before evacuating and he stayed all day. That story wasn't unusual, either, so they should be very proud of themselves.
I can't wait to upload the pictures; the students did great work and raised a record amount for a pretty dull day in art fest language--- $70. The next time we do this, we'll have a sponsor match what we make, so we can double it. Wish I'd thought of it sooner.
It wasn't about the money, but the fun~ one student said that he had fun and that is the most important thing about the event.
More to write about later.
Thank you for being there, ya'll. Your company made it all worthwhile.
Hi! Time to check in and say hi. About 10 canvases got gessoed today and here is another tip I just learned, too: BARN/FARM AND FENCE PAINT found at Lowe's for little over $10 a gallon is the best gesso you can find- bar none! or, if you need it in large quantities... go to your local TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY. The brand I used was Valspar, but they all should have the same properties.
Having a background of meager means and still needing to stretch the dollar now, the least expensive stuff is always what I try first. After shopping around and trying tons of stuff, stumbling upon this was an accident. After painting the shed with it as a primer (because its an outside self-priming latex), I figured it'd be worth a try on the canvases. Sure enough, the thickness and consistency was that of the more expensive gessos and it hides REALLY well. It dries super fast and is easy to clean up. Plus, it didn't have that weird smell some primers have that have lindseed oil in it. (never figured that out- how can it be latex with lindseed oil in it?)
Either way, good luck and it there are problems with it, lemme know.
In other areas, Elton Duck is eating Stephen's shoes. This cracks me up~ OK, for those of you who don't know, Elton is a duck that I got for my birthday from Lisa Howell this past March and "The Ladies" (Chicken Hawk and Chicken Little) are the little smokey gray hens. In march, they were chicks and a ducklet, of course- but now, they've grown up and are living, clucking and waddling happily around the yard.
Here's the story: The duck started to get an "attitude" with my husband after it got a little bigger. We figured it was a phase and let ducklet grow out of it. Well... come to find out ducklet is a MALE and he won't grow out of it ;) Stephen has tried hard to lovey up to him (who is now named Elton- as in Elton John, the Diva) to gain his approval. No dice.
So after watching an episode of the "dog whisperer", Stephen figures he can hold Elton down with his foot until he "surrenders" and goes "calm-submissive". Well, he did... he did eventually get tired and surrendered. BUT when he gained his strength back, he was p'oed! Now he takes it out on Stephen's shoes :D If he can't get a nibble on Stephen's ankles, he'll get his shoes when he takes em off outside the door. When I can figure it out, we'll upload some video.
I honestly love that critter.
Whats going on at River fest? Everything is a work in progress, but here's a start~ if someone wants to develop something else or change this to a different thing- go ahead :)
Face painting- participants will help here and there throughout the day... and take donations. The funds will go to the Gulf Coast Women Center for Nonviolence and Art with Heart's supply fund. All volunteers will get a certificate mailed to them and their guidance counselors (or someone more appropriate if need be) saying that they helped an organization out of their good will and good hearts :) Of course, this'll getcha extra credit and certainly brownie points from Mom.
While we do that, there will be two canvases: one for kids to paint and one for adults/older children. Of course, some art supplies will be out for people to have fun trying out. We could do some demonstrations and show and tell back and forth if enough people get interested. Maybe we can get some folks to do impromptu lessons to the kids? Hey, maybe the kids will give some lessons, too.
Children's art, of course...
Maybe some live portraits? Someone into cartoons?
Moss Point Hi art students will be volunteering~ and we will be showing their art as well as the illustrious Ms. Denise Williams, art instructor at Moss Point High School.
All of this means that much is to be printed out (why art is important handouts) , free art class info and others. Not to mention getting the supplies, my art, my Mom's and Stephen's goodies set up for the show, too.
OH, Janis is almost finished and will be unveiled at Riverfest!!! She will be up for sale~ auction maybe? The project is: Chairs for Change. (It was chairs for charity, but that sounds funny.)
So, there's lots to do and lots to get going... whoo hoo!
Oh, we have mucho art supplies thanks to Donna Joseph from Moss Point Rec Center and boy, are we in business! So much to learn and so little time, it makes you want two or three lifetimes.
After coming back from Ozzfest Sunday night, Monday morning brought a sense of panic because Tonya Moye's mural project details had disappeared! In all the hustle and bustle of packing, the information on our mural project was gone. After calling her and sheepishly admitting what happened, she was happy to reschedule for Friday. Whew, thank goodness.
Tuesday was slow at the Rec Center, not many students show up for art now that school has started back as many thought it was just for summer. It reminds me to get pamphlets printed and dropped off. So much to do, so little time and memory (ha ha).
Wednesday was a real treat. With Ann Burgo's invitation, we did a face painting demo at Pascagoula High School's art class- she brought the supplies and I had samples of work and viola!
The students were fantastic in both their patience and learning speed, but unfortunately my camera's memory was full, but Ann had plenty to share. Some students walked around all day with their faces painted, maybe it will show up in this year's yearbook? Be on the look out. (PS, had I known, I'd have kept my tongue in my mouth!) Funny thing, I went to school with Ms. Mansfield.
Here is a new realization: demonstration brings out a contradiction: the verbal aspects to a non-verbal experience. Translated? ITS HARD to talk about what you're doing and paint at the same time. You need a left brainer behind you :) Or at least a fantasticly articulate and observant right brainer like Ann. Thanks, Ann, it was fun to be with you.
Thursday was Art at the Women's Center for Nonviolence in which we did t-shirt painting. What situation or feeling would YOU like to be in? Love, peace, unity? Joy? Strength? After a short demonstration, we painted shirts and tried putting even photos on the shirts with "ok to wash it". I hope it works, but if not- the experience was eyeopening. Sally's group is awesome as always and the art catches on.
Friday was spent at Mrs. Moye's class doing her mural for the science room. When dry and charged, it will be a glow in the dark celestial creation!
Its amazing how fast the mind changes into happy when given the space and time for art.
|
RSS Feed