Be an OLD DOG SPONGE!

I don't know if it is a right brain, left brain thing but a great many talented artists that I have met seem to lack any kind of business sense and have no clue how to promote themselves.  I've been involved now for several years in the local co-op gallery scene and have observed a steady stream of artists that euphorically believe that the moment their art is hanging up on a gallery wall, the public will come flocking.  They will make enough to cover the cost of their wall rent and sales commission fee with a tidy profit left over to at least buy their supplies to create more lucrative art.

WRONG!  I have personally learned from these past couple of years that the attitude towards co-op gallery scene should be more treated as an educational process in your LONG journey to be a successful artist.  Very few can create a fan base overnight and there is so much great art out there that you have to keep your eye on your goals. 

GOAL # 1- Paint, Draw, Sculpt, Throw Pots, Weld, Make Jewelry or whatever else it is you do and do it OFTEN!  My skills as a painter have improved greatly over these past 4 years since I decided I might want to retire from my 8-5 accounting job and do art instead.  If your lucky like me you might be able to trade your skills learned from you OTHER career to discount that wall rent.  Co-op galleries are always in need of someone that actually understands accounting, balance a checkbook and knows the difference between a profit and loss and a balance sheet.  

GOAL # 2- Never stop learning!  Your education as an artist can't stop at your easel.   You have to learn all about sales,  marketing, web hosting, photo editing, writing, blogging, networking; the list goes on and on and it may seem overwhelming because as mentioned before, many of us are retired. We didn't figure this stuff out when our gray matter was young and in it's twenties.  We're in our 50's and 60's and so the cliche "It's hard to teach OLD DOGS new tricks" comes immediately to mind.  Make a list of your weaknesses and start LEARNING about them.  

GOAL # 3- Be a SPONGE! Find a buddy that is at least a little further on the road to success than you are and that starts by joining your local art guild.  That's what I did and now have a number of good artist friends that offer support and help.  Artists can be a crazy lot but even a very quiet and conservative person like myself was able to find a friend.  You can do it too!

GOAL #4-  Get your website up and maybe create an art Facebook page.  You're not going to have thousands of hits or friends right away but it does build like a snowball rolling down the hill.  Find an successful artist and check out their website and Facebook activity.  There is nothing wrong with sitting up your own website to resemble and function like theirs.  They more than likely paid thousands of dollars to have a professional site made and you can take advantage of that.  You are welcome to check out my website at- JulieTownsendStudio.com   I used a free website host called Weebly.com but this past week have been working on my co-op gallery website that uses WIX.com.  Both work find and are good options as I am sure there are many reasonably priced sites out there to choose from.

I'm pretty sure I could come up with a pretty lengthy list of goals this morning while I'm enjoying my McDonald's coffee and free WiFi, but these 4 are, in my opinion, the core of where you should focus on immediately.  

Who knew I needed a Garage to Park my Palette...?

For sometime now I have been thinking how great it would be for me to find a strip of plastic that would allow me to lay out my paints on it that was separate from the area on my palette that I mix my colors. This would allow me to change out the butcher paper without having to lay out new colors or transfer the unused paint to the new surface. It would also be easier to store the paints in the freezer without putting the whole palette in there.

Well low and behold I was looking at a fellow artist Facebook page the other day and noticed that she had her paints clipped to her easel. So on closer examination I knew I had to find out what it was she was using. She shared with me the name of a wonderful product called the Palette Garage. I think it is exactly what I was thinking about and the amazing thing is that your paints will stay fresh at room temperature up to 6 weeks by using a drop of clove oil. Now I'm certain we are talking only about Oil paints but just think how easy that is to grab and store in your painting equipment. Don't have to worry about the paints getting on things. Seems to me to be more handy that the stay-wet palette that I'm trying to use now.

I'm planning on purchasing one in the next few weeks to give it a try and I thought I would share this information to any of my blog readers out there.

 

Check them out for yourself at:

http://palettegarage.com/ 

How Much Paint Is Under Your Fingernails?

If you are interested in viewing more of my work then please check out my gallery page on my website at : JulieTownsendStudio.com

I had a phone conversation the other week with Pastor Tom Van Kempen, my pastor, my former boss and yes friend.  He was just checking on me since my Dec 2012 retirement after 27 years as the business administrator of The Champion Center of Las Vegas.  He just wanted to call to see how I was doing.  During the course of our conversation he verbalized a statement that I hadn't completely considered, but in my heart I knew was true.  He said, "You are creating a whole new life for yourself."   Wow, this really is what I am doing.  I know for one thing, I didn't leave the workforce so that I could stay at home and watch TV and piddle around the house...No, I have stayed focused and motivated these past three months to paint better and have set goals and increased my networking.

As of January 2013, I'm now represented by a small co-op gallery in the heart of the Las Vegas art district.  I was also ecstatic to have the March/April publication of Gold Prospectors magazine feature a story about my love of painting Nevada.  This is all thrilling but probably my biggest change has been the addition of artist friends in my life.  While my life has been blessed with 3 very dear friends to share my joy, pain and all the other emotions that life might throw my way, I didn't have friends that shared the love of art.  So two years ago I joined the local artist guild and set my sights on becoming acquainted with a couple of veteran artists that had not only experience in the art world but might also help me develop or improve my style.  This decision has probably been the most important of all to my journey to become an artist.

Just this past month,  three of us decided to challenge ourselves by painting the same landscape photo.  There was no real purpose except to challenge each other and the fun of seeing how each of us would handle differently the same subject.  Yesterday, I got to see the Jan Arduini's finished product. I love the fact that I am part of this little inner group.  I'm still waiting to see how my friend and instructor, Lily Adamczyk handles the challenge as she hasn't finished her piece.  I couldn't help but reflect this morning over my morning McDonald's coffee on Jan's painting and my own.  I decided that I would share both works with you and hopefully encourage you to get yourself out there as an artist and start rub shoulders with others that just may have more paint stains under their nails then you do.

Original Photo provided for the challenge

This is my rendition- I'm calling it "Standing on the Solid Rock"

Jan Ardiuni's version

Almost completed work by Lily Adamczyk

Painting in My Daddy's Studio

IF YOUR INTERESTED IN SEEING MORE OF MY ART THEN PLEASE CONSIDER CHECKING OUT MY GALLERY PAGE ON MY WEBSITE AT:  JulieTownsendStudio.com

This weekend I took my little art show on the road. I'm under the belief that the majority of artists have to spend the time hocking their wares and braving the elements before attaining a certain level that allows them the freedom to just pack up their creations, ship them off to prestigious galleries and let well dressed sales staff do their bidding. So from the bottom levels of small parking lot art venue, I have spent my past weekend being cooked like a lobster in the hot Nevada sun on Saturday and then to have my artwork blown around like neglected laundry on the clothesline on Sunday.

Today, I sit here drinking my McDonalds coffee still feeling the effects of the weekend on my sunburned and windburned cheeks.  All this in the name of marketing my art. I can't believe how a little fresh air can make one feel so exhausted.

The exhaustion subsides slightly however, when I remember my art excursion yesterday. Dragging myself out of bed was the biggest challenge, but once I had my feet firmly planted on the floor I then turned my attention to packing my art bag and a yummy picnic lunch.  You see,  plans had already been set in motion to meet my artist friend and teacher, Lily Adamczyk for my second plein air experience.(Painting outdoors)

There is just something about sitting in view of a magnificent panoramic vista that makes me consider the greatest artist of all, my Heavenly Father and this amazing masterpiece He created for me to enjoy. When viewing the mountain range that stretches before me in preparation to start my painting, I look at my palette of available colors that I have just squeezed out and my mind considers just how to combine them to come up with the blue of the sky, the reds and golds in the rocks and the amount of green versus browns in the foreground. Is that more alizarin crimson or would I use more dioxazine purple to match that dark strip that runs throughout the full distance of the cliffs? Is the sky more ultramarine blue or do I need more of the cerulean?

Three hours just pass by as I hurriedly try to capture the scene on my canvas before the sun completely changes. I only stopped for a few minutes to eat the lunch I had packed with such thought and care earlier that morning. No longer was the priority in my mind the roast chicken, fresh fruit and edamame salad that I had placed in my cooler, but rather my unfinished canvas and the dream of what my finished piece will look like.

If you haven't painted outside of the confines of 4 walls and artificial lighting for sometime, then consider, as we approach this spring season, to pack up your paints and brushes and go paint in OUR DADDY'S STUDIO.

Beautiful Red Rock Canyon just outside of Las Vegas

Lily working on her second plein air piece

My second plein air attempt...not where I want it to be, but certainly improved from my first trip

Network your artwork

Last night, I was sitting at a board meeting of my local art guild that I serve as treasurer for and I was considering the value of networking.  After all, that is the main reason I joined the guild in the first place. One individual present who just so happens to teach classes on the social media site Facebook stated, "You should never post pictures of your entire artwork because the risk that you creation will be stolen and used without your permission.  Also the public won't want to come see your exhibitions because they have seen everything you have to offer on the internet."  As I glanced around the table at all my fellow artists, I knew that I was probably the only individual sitting there that happily shares each piece of art as I complete it on a regular basis.  

I have taken the approach to chronicle my creative journey that I am embarked on.  Partly as a method of journaling my progression and also hopefully by inspiring others to pick up a brush, a canvas and just go PAINT! Grab your camera and shoot pictures of the first thing that grabs your eye.  Pick up that sketch pad and a pencil and just start drawing.  The important thing is to get creative.  Your life and those around you will be greatly enriched.

There is freedom in letting that creative person emerge after years of ignoring him or her.  If my posting one piece of art, blog about something I have learned or sharing a problem that I am currently struggling with results in someone letting their buried passion be stirred, then I happily post my work, the ENTIRE painting.  After all, we have all heard that "Imitation is the highest form of flattery" and while I'm not hanging in galleries or supporting myself by the sales of my artwork just yet, both are on my goals list. Maybe my thoughts will change as I get closer to my goals but right now, I just want to share the things I learn and be transparent because I hope that others will learn along with me.

This is also my motivation with this blog.  I watch as people from all points of this planet, open my pages.  I would love to hear more from my readers if there is something that is helpful or if I made you chuckle because you can identify with what I am feeling.

I end this blog post with a photo taken of me enjoying a beautiful Utah afternoon trying to look as if I know how to be an artist plein air style