Here We Goat Again

I wonder if this has ever happened to anyone else....I was contacted by phone in March by a lady who was at the gallery looking at my artwork. She asked how much I would charge her to draw her a goat for her grandson who just "Loves goats". I said that I get $95 for an 8 x 10" original matted color pencil sketch. A few days later I got the privilege of meeting this lady because she came to my art reception. While there, she purchased an original bunny sketch "Watching Carrots Grow" for $95 from me. She again confirmed to me she wanted a goat piece for her 10 year old grandson's birthday in May. She wanted my style and left the actual composition completely up to me.

About two weeks later I received an email from her daughter telling me to go a head and start the goat piece. That was the beginning of what I now call "Goat Month" in my studio. As my normal practice, I will do several sketches just to get ready to start a painting and I had my eye on this reference photo that I had downloaded from Pixabay.com of three goats standing up on a barn stall. I could just see in my mind just how great that would look hanging as a new addition to my "I Dare You Not to Smile" collection of art.

Baby Goat on a Stump 

I drew this sweet little goat on a stump using the same illustrated style that I have developed when drawing with my color pencils. I hoped she liked it and so I sent her a picture. She emailed back that she loved it we made arrangements to meet when I was once again on gallery duty in Boulder city. She gave me a check and I handed her over the artwork. All is good, or so I thought.

I've been trying to grow a email list that I can periodically send out a studio newsletter of sorts to inform my follows what I'm doing and my current projects. My May Studio News featured an image and a paragraph or two about goats and my newest painting "The Nanny Squad".

A few days later I mentioned my painting that I had finished called the "Nanny Squad" and talked about how this month had been goat month in my studio.

To my surprise, it was just a few days later when I get a phone call from this same lady. She states that since her grandson was turning 10 she was afraid that the drawing I did for her might just be a bit childish and asked if she could have me paint a small goat painting with maybe just one of the goats in the big painting I had just finished. She also made it clear that she couldn't afford to buy a second piece so her desire was for me to just to exchange it for a new painting.

What would you do? I thought about and felt I was in no way under obligation to exchange the artwork. She was happy with the sketch until she saw my painting of a goat and then had buyers regret.

After some thought, I really had to remember that she already was a repeat collector, a resident of Boulder City and so she may very well purchase something else from in in the future. I agreed to start a new piece for her. I painted this little 11 x 14 white goat.

Today, I just decided that when I contacted her to show her to piece and to tell her I was finished with it that it couldn't hurt to ask for additional compensation. After all, a painting is more complicated and time consuming to do and I have already established a higher price point for paintings over sketches. To my great happiness they agreed to pay me $55 more dollars they said for my hard work. I'm happy, they are happy and hopefully the grandson will be VERY HAPPY TOO!

If you like my artwork, please consider checking out My Julie Townsend Studio Website or Etsy Shop. My prints and cards are reasonably priced and I ship the prints free on my Website inside the US.

ARTING AROUND and Art club week 2

Week 2 of my art club endeavor has come and gone.  After meeting the one student who signed up for this 8 week session and accessing her skills, having a conversation with the parents to learn their expectations,  I decided that we needed to scrap all those cute Pinterest art projects I have saved and instead cover basics and techniques.

 I pulled out the drawing pencils (from Darrel Tanks 5 pencil method of drawing) and watched the hour long video twice where he demonstrates his amazing pencil technique in shading a simple sphere.  Actually, there is nothing simple about shading a sphere and I was challenged by the exercise. The patience and control of stroke that it takes to smoothly blend the graphite to give the appearance of roundness and dimension.  Not using blender sticks or tortillons; not even a little smudge with a finger tip allowed.  Just layers of small tapered strokes working around the circle.  Transition from the 4H to the 2H and then back to the 4H. Repeating the whole process with the HB, 2B and finally adding just the smallest area of 4B pencil to the darkest part of the crescent shape that is furthest from the light source.

That's right I spent several hours shading spheres, cones and cylinders so that I could then demonstrate with more confidence and draw along with my students.  It takes patience and discipline to slow down and not jump into the dark areas too soon.

I was told by a very accomplished artist friend of mine that I would learn so much more about my art by teaching others than I would every learn on my own.  That is so very true.  What a joy it is for me to be in a place in my life that I can now start to give and hopefully inspire others to create art.

So this morning as I sit here, drinking my 2nd cup of coffee and contemplating my week almost ended, I realize just how much art has become a major focus of my time.  I had the Boulder City event last weekend that was  so exciting and equally exhausting.  First Friday event last night that I put so much energy into.  A week of sketching as I worked on some Christmas designs and then preparing and teaching this young lady some techniques that hopefully will help her achieve her goal of acceptance into the art academy.

Yes, I'm feeling tired from my First Friday late night arting (Did I just create a new word? As tired as I feel today it surely has to be a verb!) but oh so blessed!

Weekend of Art Overload

What a fabulous weekend I had participating in the Boulder City Art Gallery's "Painting on the Patio" event that corresponded with the much larger "Art in the Park" event.  The small town of Boulder City was packed to capacity with visitors, collectors and art enthusiasts; some of which stopped by my display and gave me an opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects, MY ART.

What was especially exciting about this weekend to me was that it marked the very first outdoor festival that I have participated in that I actually sold something.  I have attended a number of other events in the past few years and came home after each one with exactly the same amount of art stacked in crates as I had started with.  That is discouraging when you consider just how much work it is to pack up, set up, tear down and repack.  Not to mention just being outside all day in the sun takes a toll on you.  But this weekend was very different.  I was tired at the end of the second day, but it was a good tired.

I loved the interaction with everyone that came up to my display to talk with me about a particular piece.  I was really encouraged and energized to see that my little sketches that I have so much fun doing garnered a great deal of positive attention. It was an affirmation to me that I need to just keep improving on my color pencil and sketching skills.  

I passed out a number of business cards and talked to a few that might be interested in starting painting lessons in the future.   As I sit here contemplating my journey as an artist I can say that on October 4, 2016 that things are starting to fall into place.  Sitting at my easel, I may not be able to do much to change the course of moral decline in this country, decide who the next president of the United States will be or solve the homeless problem in Las Vegas but I do know that 2017 is looking to be a GREAT art year!  I just have to keep picking up a pencil or a paint brush and try to get you to smile.

Collage of small pieces that found new homes along with a number of cards and magnets I sold

My display on Sunday morning looking colorful and inviting

You're Invited!

Please consider coming if you find that you have some free time on Sunday.  I would love to talk to you about my artwork and this beautiful gallery.

This Sunday, April 24th is my closing reception at the Boulder City Art Gallery

Getting Your Art OUT of the Studio

This past week I got to enjoy a great afternoon in historic Boulder City yesterday at their annual ART IN THE PARK event.  While I wasn't at the actual event, I did get to set up my artwork outside the Boulder Dam Hotel.  It is a real pleasure of mine to be a part of such an amazing gallery and am blessed by the friendships I have made among this group of exceptional artists.  There is some real talent at the Boulder City Art Gallery!

While I could have chalked the day up as a failure because I didn't make any sales, I think it is good to get your art out of the studio and experience sunshine and fresh air.  The Nevada sun has a way of burning away all the brain cobwebs and get your creative juices flowing.  I can't wait to start a new painting today.  

Here I am standing in front of all my newest pieces.  With the exception of the bottom framed piece, these were all painted in the past two weeks.   

Join Me In My Journaling Journey

The journey I've started on as an artist includes belonging to several co-op art galleries.  Co-op means that as a member you have responsibilities to the running of the gallery and that includes taking your turn each month sitting.  Often this means long periods of time in between gallery visitors.  City of the World Gallery is situated in a way that I can actually bring in my painting supplies and sit up my easel there in the main room.  Usually, I have an artist friend with me and we can enjoy visiting and painting together all afternoon.  

My sketching supplies that I carry in my backpack

The second gallery that I have joined this past January is the Boulder City Art Gallery.  A beautiful gallery situated in the old Boulder Dam Hotel in quaint downtown Boulder City, Nevada.  This gallery has only a small office area so bringing my easel to pass the time isn't a possibility.  Equally enjoyable to me is spending the afternoon sketching so when I'm at this gallery I spend my time drawing.  I even have people stopping by just to see what I'm currently working on and I've started getting inquiries about doing some commission work.  It isn't hard to keep my iPad, a pencil box and a sketch pad in my backpack with me everywhere I go.  Yesterday this was the case and so I'm sharing the sketches I have completed yesterday at the gallery and two that I completed the week before. 

I've been doing a lot of thinking about starting a sketching journal and am in search of just the right journal to begin.  I can't think of any better legacy to leave for my family then beautiful journals filled with my drawing, notes and thoughts.  My plan is to start journaling during my summer vacation.  I will be blogging about this process and my learning experience as I discover my own journaling style.  To assist me I joined a Facebook group called "Artist Journaling Workshop" so that I can be constantly inspired by those artists that also enjoy journaling in their sketchbooks. 

In the mean time I'm going to keep drawing with my pencils (Prismacolor turquoise drawing pencils) and pens (Prismacolor premier fine line markers) on my Bristol, 96lb by Canson paper.     

3x5 quick sketch of my Facebook artist friend who is also the marshal of Dodge City, Kansas- Allen Bailey

A sketch of a young Native American girl from an old public domain reference photo

A sketch of my dear friends adorable Granddaughter Lucy blowing bubbles

Hollyhock blossoms

Hanging in Boulder City

First blog entry for 2014....and I'm so excited to report that I am now hanging work at the Boulder City Art Gallery that is located on the 2nd floor of the historic Boulder Dam Hotel in downtown Boulder City, Nevada.  I just had to stop in the other day and see how my work looked hanging on there.  I would say it looked right at home.

This gallery is charming and well run for a co-op and I think I'm really going to like being part of the group.  There are some really amazing artists there and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.

Standing in front of one of my pieces now hanging at the Boulder City Art Gallery!

This week I have also started making unique cards using my artwork.  These cards will be available to purchase at both galleries later in the month.  

My first try at making my own unique cards to sell using my artwork.  I think they look pretty good and they will be available for sale later this month at both galleries.