3rd week of QUARANTINE

As I approach the 3rd full week of confined isolation and this government orchestrated lock down, I feel the challenge to keep my spirits and those of my family lifted up.  I strongly believe that we should always be wise concerning our health but I'm reminded that in 2 Timothy 1:7 we are told that "God hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind."  So I wash my hands and am barely sticking my nose out the front door.  Of course the pollen count is so high right now that I don't need government persuasion to stay inside.

To help me with that whole "sound mind" thing, I have made the decision to limit the amount of news coverage that I listen to and try to surround my thoughts on happy things and stay busy.  Rome may or may not be burning around me, and while I can't play a fiddle, I can draw cute little cows in wash tubs.

This series of drawings has really blessed me, as I hope they have brought others in my social media circles a smile or two.  I had a record month for March with 2.5 times my normal Etsy Sales and I can directly attribute that to these little bathing beauties.  I have to pinch myself every morning, because I am actually making extra money and still having this much fun.

One thing I have done here in the studio to help with this scary time is to have a giveaway each week.  The first week, I gave away a set of 4 "Wash Tub" note cards, week 2 was a t-shirt with my "Wash Tub Diva" art on it and this week I'm giving away a mouse pad and coffee mug with my newest drawing "Moo Updo".  I'm just trying to keep the focus on fun and sharing smiles.

I promise we will get through this and hopefully life will return back to normal so we can have the best 2020 summer ever.  I read that this virus can't take the HEAT, well the HEAT here in Las Vegas is coming, as it always does.  This maybe the first summer in 42 years of living in Las Vegas that I actually want the 100+ temperatures to get here.

So to enter this contest you must subscribe to my VIP Studio list by Sunday, April 12th at 8 PM (PST) but honestly anyone on my VIP list is automatically entered into many of my regular studio giveaways.  So it's a great win, win.  You stay informed about my studio stuff, you get to see some art that will make you smile and you have a chance to win some fun art.  Have I convinced you yet?  How about I give you the link to my website where you can go to sign up?  Or even better yet, you can subscribe to the list just by using the SUBSCRIBE form right here on my blog.  Sounds like a good plan.

JOIN MY VIP LIST AND SIGN UP FOR LOTS OF SMILES AND SOME PRIZES


Let me also give you the ETSY link if you would like to purchase either of these newest listings I have added to my shop.  Here is the "MOO UPDO" mouse pad link.  Isn't she just adorable?  I've ordered myself one and honestly I'm so excited for it to arrive.  Pink isn't my color of choice usually, but she rocks that pink.

Then there is this adorable 15 oz ceramic mug.  (I can't stand the little wimpy 11 oz cups) I have this curler wearing cutie positioned on both sides of the cup so no matter which hand you use to bring it up to your lips you will have her helping start your day out right.  The text in the center of the mug says "Good Moo-rning" and this way even if you are not "THAT MORNING PERSON",  you are giving out a cheerful, positive greeting to all those around you without even saying a word.  I had fun creating this design.  Here is the link to the MOO UPDO COFFEE MUG

Marketing My Art with the Help of Some Mice

Working on my first post that I plan to boost on Facebook by purchasing some advertising.  The goal of course is to get more followers to my Studio Art Page.  So one of my marketing plans for 2019 is to have regular art giveaways and drawings to generate an excitement.  Here is my first drawing for 2019 and I'm super excited about it.  Hope over to my Facebook page and enter today.

Hold Your Horses and COWS...2019 is HERE

HAPPY NEW YEAR!   2019 came in with a bang...literally between the fireworks and the gun shots!  

Looking back at 2018 I can say it was a great year of growth that my little studio has seen in 2018 and I couldn't be more pleased. 

It has been my habit for the past few years to take a few minutes on January 1st to record specific marketing data on each of my social media accounts and on my Etsy Shop.  I do this so that I can make a comparison to the previous year.  My likes on my Facebook Studio Page  have doubled to 723 and on Instagram there has been a 35% growth in the number of those following my art. 

Here is something new I've decided to do.  I'm keeping a map of sales locations by state for 2019.  For 2018 I went back through my shipping records on Pirateship.com where I mail out all my package orders.  This is both Facebook, Ebay and Etsy sales.  It doesn't include local sales via galleries, art shows or personal sales deliveries here in the Las Vegas area.  This represent mostly sales of cowbells but there were some print orders included.  Now I didn't start using Pirateship.com until mid year so this is really a 6 month picture.  The purpose here was for me to see a visual of where my art is being collected.  I can see that I need to do some work to grow a fan base west of the Missouri River. I'm really anxious to start seeing the 2019 map fill up.   

One last thing I wanted to share with you this morning...I'm having a drawing on Facebook that I'm really excited about.  A few months ago I found a little set of 3 faux wooden books at the thrift store for $.50 and brought them home and painted little mice on them.  The set sold right away.  I decided I would try to find more of these little faux books to paint on.  That wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.  Apparently, these were made in the 80's and are not available for purchase online.  I managed to purchase one set on Etsy and another on Ebay so I have a total of 6 more I can paint on.  I'm hoping soon that my husband can make me up something scrap lumber that will duplicate them for the future. 

Because they turned out so cute, I thought it would be fun to have a little mousie faux book as a studio giveaway.  I decided to team up with my friend and distant cousin, Jolene Worm of Jolene's Gathering of Old Folks and add one of her cute as heck mouse dolls to make a "Mousie Duo". 

To enter the drawing isn't hard.  You must hop over and "LIKE", "SHARE" my Studio Facebook Page and "LEAVE A COMMENT'.  The drawing info is pinned to the top of my page.   If you don't have Facebook you can also enter by joining my Studio VIP list through my website.  It only takes a minute and you just might be the lucky winner!

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

July Freebie Offer

It is hot and humid here in Southern Nevada so I've decided it is time to have some fun.  I'm going to start having monthly Freebies and Giveaways for my Blog readers.  You know something just to help me pass the time indoors.  So tonight I'm starting a July Blog Post Drawing Giveaway.







Here is all you need to enter the drawing to receive this cute 5 x 7 inch matted print of "You Had Me At Cheese."  

1.  Shipping is free as long as you are in the good ole USA.  Sorry but I can't afford international postage.
2.  To enter the drawing all you have to do is to leave a comment below and be sure to include the name of your favorite cheese.
3.   I will reply to your comment if you are the winner and then you will need to email me your mailing address information.
4.  Drawing ends 10:00 PM (PST) on Monday, July 23rd

If you have questions, please feel free to email me at JTownsendStudios@gmail.com.  If you like my art, than follow me @JulieTownsendStudio on Facebook or Instagram or stop in and check out my ETSY SHOP or my WEBSITE 

Print will be matted to frame in a standard 5 x 7 frame