What is the #1 Complaint among Cows?

"Being SEEN but not HERD!"

I had so much fun yesterday designing this "For the Love of Cows" planner sticker sheet and this sheet of mini cow stickers to go with it.   After all, can you really have too many cows?

Some of the artwork is from my original art and others are digital images that I found online.  It is fun to combine the two and create unique designs and color schemes.  I don't even use a planner but have a blast designing the sticker kits for them.  Maybe next year I will have to give it a try.

Both sticker sheets are listed on my Etsy Shop as a printable download.  That means with only just a couple clicks you could have these stickers right away and you can print them out as often as you like.


For the Love of Cows planner stickers
Mini Cow Sticker Sheet

 

 

Getting My Mock-ups On

Creating new mockups to show case my art is actually fun and challenging.  I not only add the artwork to this completely digital room but I have fun finding accessories that are matching to correspond to the art.  Everything from a vase of pansies to a pair of red Converse tennis shoes.  I thought I would share a few of the images I've designed to help you visualize just how great my artwork would look on YOUR walls. 

All these images are listing in my Etsy Shop if you want to hope over there and check them out.

 

Here is my newest Etsy Listing.  If you can believe it, I drew this little ballet dancing mouse just yesterday in my sketchbook and in the afternoon I took a little time to scan it and pull it into Photoshop.  I added some color, text and a royalty free watercolor background.  This is just Tutu cute. A downloadable and printable poster for a small cost, add a matte and frame and you have a perfect piece of art for a little girls room or any place that you want to brighten up. 

I created two versions to choose from on my Etsy Shop.  Here is the link if you want to check it out.

Ballet Dancing Mouse at Julie Townsend Studio on Etsy

Country Plaid Christmas is HERE!

I know that I am about as late as an artist can be getting out Christmas designs here in the middle of  October, but it is what it is.  I stopped painting cowbells long enough last week to work on 6 new 2018 Christmas Card designs that I'm calling "Country Plaid Christmas" and they are now up an can be ordered on my Etsy Shop and Website .

Lately, I have noticed how popular black buffalo plaid is on the country decorating Facebook groups I belong to.  I can understand it because it looks great.  I have always loved plaid and there is just something about black and red that screams classic country Christmas in my mind.  So with that introduction, I present to you the fruits of my labor and I use the word labor loosely because designing is way more fun than hard work.

Christmas Surprise

Chihuahua Christmas

Crowing Rooster

Tangled Christmas Mouse

Cardinal 

Decorating Mouse

My Art Show Booth Set-Up

I designed a new studio logo banner this week.  

Recently, I have been running here and there in the attempt to sell more of my original art.  Setting up my booth at different venues and every time I'm out there I get asked about where I got my grids or the lightweight tables I use to lay out my merchandise on.  So I thought I would share this information with you and provide specific links to make it easy for you.

I purchased most of my grids through Amazon and I have provided the link to that.  I decided to not to purchase the feet or stand to hold them up because I hate how they stick out and it is more work to set them up.  What we have discovered is that we clip 3 grids together using the grid clips (link and picture provided) then we zip tie the units of 3 together. They then fold flat into each other and they are about the max weight that my husband wants to handle at a time.  The caution here is that there is sometime shifting and your fingers can get pinched.  We are working on some designs for some clip on handles to help with this problem. 

Having them in 3 grid sections makes set up quick, easy and versatile, filling different space scenarios. They can bend to create a corner or overlap each other to accommodate smaller areas. Once you have created the booth structure the grids are pretty self supporting but we do have 1"x 2" boards that we have painted black that we can zip tie to the to bottom of the back and side walls to give even more support if needed.  Here are the links for the booth items themselves.  I have a total of 12 grids and may purchase 3 more down the road so that I have enough to completely surround my 10 x 10 tent with a front entry opening but for now, 12 are meeting my needs perfectly.

I use the grid hooks to hang my artwork from.  If it is a very windy day, I even will zip tie my artwork to the grids to prevent them from blowing off. 

ZIP TIES ARE YOUR ART SHOW FRIENDS (and the all important wire cutters are a tear down necessity).



Grid wall system
Grid clips
Grid system hooks


Another item that I get asked about all the time is my wonderful tables.  I can't think about one negative thing about these tables.  They are lightweight, convenient, easy to store and the adjustable heights make them oh so useful.  I have 2 sets of these to make a total of 4 tables.  I also used some black flat sheets and sewed my own fitted table covering for them so they actually look quite classy inside my booth.  Also because they are narrow in width, they don't take up too much floor space inside the booth. 

I also find them wonderful for outdoor drawing and painting.  Set up in an L-shape make the perfect plein air studio surface.  Here is the link to the tables.

Coleman camping table

Outdoor festival set up with a tent provided by the event- Skye Canyon Chalkfest

Here is my booth set up last weekend at an outdoor festival measuring 10 x 10.  The tent was provided by the festival so it was  very sturdy.  You can see my grids do not quite completely go around the full 10 x 10 space and so down the road I might consider buying 3 more because I really like to have that 2 foot section in the front to serve as a doorway and here I only was able to do that on one side.   I try to position my larger, crowd drawing art piece in the front to pull people over to my booth.  The cowbells were also a good draw.

Before my next art show, I'm going to purchase about 4 or 5 flat black sheets to use as backdrops.  I think the art looks better when you can't see through the grids and there is a visual wall.  It also provides movable shade and can be used to cover your merchandise at night.  They will become just part of the accessories inside my art show box. 

Recent booth set up at the Galleria Mall 

Here is an indoor booth set up that measures 10 x 6.  It is a much smaller space but holds almost the same amount of art as does the 10 x 10 space.  I even have one small table set up with my colored pencils so that I do live drawing during my time there.  It is quite comfortable and you can see how nicely my covered tables look inside my booth.

SUNFLOWERS- the Garden Centurion

Sunflowers Galore!  The gentle giant of the garden. Standing tall and bright turning to meet the sun as it travels across the sky. Like a centurion guarding the summer warmth as we anticipate the soon coming autumn chill.  You are my garden hero, spreading cheer and happiness with a boldness of  bright yellow like none other.

I know as an artist I am about 4 months behind with my seasonal art.  I will get my act together in 2019. I should have all my Christmas designs finished by August and at this time be looking to the red and pink of Valentine’s Day but for some reason I am stuck in Autumn and a season of harvest and blessings.  I’m loving my newest designs that feature the amazing sunflower and I just wanted to take a few minutes to show you a few of my newest sunflower designs.  All of these designs are available in varying sized prints, greeting cards and beautiful 4 x 6 art magnets.

If you like my art you should hop over and like my Facebook Studio art page.  I post all my newest works there first.  On my JulieTownsendStudio.com website you can order prints and sign up for my studio VIP news.  I also have an Etsy Shop that you might also check out.

Original Drawing included a very Grateful Mouse

Here I removed the mouse and added my drawing of a sweet little chickadee

Following Farmhouse decorating groups I've discovered that Buffalo Plaid is very popular

These designs make striking and unique greeting cards- Snail Mail is coming back in fashion

I came up with this design just last night using my sunflower drawing and a pumpkin graphics file

Are Newsletters Still a Thing

Free color page for you- see the Freebies tab above

I'm ashamed to say that it has been a whole month since I added a post here on my blog.  No real excuse comes to mind as to why that is so I won't even try to make one.  We got home from our month long vacation/art sabbatical on Sept 5th and I've just been struggling to get back on track.  I'm here today and I do have lots of new art to show and some new poems to share with you.  I've sold a boat load of cowbells since the end of July and have really vamped up my Etsy Shop and Website so I hope you can keep up with me now.

I'm entering into a super busy season for art shows and festivals and lots of fun stuff.   I've signed up for a few and so I'm going to be a busy artist in October, November and December.  I've outline all the venues in my newsletter and so I thought I would share that here with you.

People keep telling me that blogs and newsletters are marketing tools of the past, so you will excuse me as I sit here and continue to feed these marketing dinosaurs.  I would love to hear your take on that observation.   

I'm also having a drawing right now over on my Facebook Julie Townsend Studio Page and I've outline the requirements to enter also on the newsletter as well as a pinned post to my Page.  I hope you will hop over to my FB Studio Page and like and share it so I can add you to the drawing.

Win a Matted Print of my "Grateful Mouse" sketch