Stumbling over Cow Bells

Sometimes in life you just fall over an opportunity that becomes obvious and I think I have just had that experience these past two weeks.  I remember reading an entry a while back from a blog I follow by Xanadu Gallery owner, Jason Horejs referring to finding a "Bread and Butter" work that propels your art like nothing else.  Mr. Horejs states, "Sometimes this bread and butter work is smaller in size and sells at a lower price point. Sometimes there is something particularly bold or unusual about the work that captures the attention and imagination of potential buyers.... Often the bread and butter work sells as quickly as the artist can produce it."  Reddotblog.com

Last month I happened to be walking through a store and noticed a small display of cowbells.  I looked at the bells for a moment and being the country girl that I am, I thought to myself, "Wouldn't that look cute if I painted a little chicken, a cow or a barn on it?"  I bought one bell and it set in my studio for several weeks.  Finally, last week I talked to my husband and he prepared the surface for me so that it would be easier to paint on and I painted my first little rooster on it.  Within minutes of posting the first image on my Facebook account, the bell had sold and I soon had requests for three more.  This week I have orders for a total of 10 bells and I'm still painting chickens trying to keep up with the orders.  My plan is to have them available on my website and on display at all three galleries that represent my work ( City of the World, Boulder City Art Gallery and Janas Redroom ), but right now I'm just trying to keep up with the Facebook requests.

Today, I had a brain cell and decided to check the competition on the cowbell market and found other sights selling very similar items for $75-125.  Who would have thought.  I'm seriously considering my new pricing structure.  I do believe that I may have found my "LOAF OF BREAD" and it looks like I may just have fallen into a popular niche.  Cowbells will soon be available on my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com.  I will be creating a gallery options dedicated just to this type of art.

Here is a picture that I snapped last night with my phone of my most recent feathered flock pieces finished this week.  3 bells and one original painting on a 6x6 gallery wrapped stretched canvas.

I Only Need to Paint 1.53846154 Pieces a Week

These past few months or so I have been attempting to multi-task by switching back and forth using both my left and right sides of my brain. I took on a seasonal part-time job working as a tax professional for a well known corporation and continuing to paint as much as I can during my time off. It has been a challenge for sure and reminds me of the days when I worked full-time as an accountant and would try to spend a few hours in my studio each night when I wasn't too exhausted.

Well, I have been retired from full-time employment for a year and half and while I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by I have to consider if I have been as productive as I thought I would be.  After today I will be once again be unemployed and able to devote more time to my artistic journey.  

Recently, I've been greatly benefiting from an e-course that is being taught by successful Xanadu gallery owner and author, Jason Horejs.  This course is full of great and practical advice and this information is exactly what I need to get my artistic goals clearly defined and propels me towards my dreams.  

Mr. Horejs writes, "Having spent over 20 years in the gallery business, I’ve noticed a key common trait of financially successful artists: they are constantly in the studio, hard at work. I would describe these artists as productive and prolific.  The realities of the art market today are such, that in order to generate regular sales and establish a strong collector base for your work, you have to have significant inventory. To a certain degree it’s a numbers game. You have to have enough work available so that you can show the work in a variety of venues and get the work in front of enough people to reach the buyers. My research has shown that, on average, successful painters are creating nearly 80 pieces per year."

Okay...this probably goes back to the accountant and tax professional in me but I had to do the math on that.  80 pieces / 52 weeks = 1.53846154.  WOW!  That's a worthy goal and one I'm going to work to attain it.

An exciting side note this week as I work to build MY COLLECTOR BASE....I was so pleased that my piece, "Casting Out the Darkness" found a new home with a couple from Lake Havasu, Arizona.  When I spoke to the wife on the phone, She stated to me that she and her husband had seen the painting in January while it was hanging at the Boulder City Gallery and her husband just loved it.  So last week while she was here in Las Vegas for a seminar she contacted me and we made arrangements to meet up so that she could purchase the piece for her husband as a birthday gift.  Let's just say I was doing the happy dance right there in the parking lot of the Hilton Garden Inn!

SOLD-GOT TO LOVE THOSE RED DOTS!

24x24 Acrylic- "Casting Out the Darkness"

DEVELOPING MY STYLE- OLD DUSTY PROSPECTOR TO MARILYN MONROE

I have recently had the great pleasure of going through a free e-course offered by Jason Horejs, owner of Xanadu Gallery and author of the book “Starving to Success”.  I know the information I am learning in this series of emails, reading his book and joining the free webinars is going to be key to me reaching my long-term goals as an artist.  

One of the take away points that I wrote down this week in my notes is:  "The most important thing you can do for your art career is develop a consistent style."  At first when I read this I thought that referred mostly to subject matter. For example when I think of successful artist Nancy Medina, I can't help but think of flowers.  She paints flowers of every shape and color with consistency and passion from her studio in Flower Mound, Texas.  Her work seems to sell before the paint even dries or her brushes are washed.  On occasion I see her paint a garden scene, a chicken or even her latest romantic dress series but her colorful and loose style is still present.  Check out her work and you will see exactly what I mean.   I have her website link listed below under my favorite artist links.

Another artist that I admire his work greatly and give all the credit to for my return to painting is landscape Tim Gagnon.  His basic landscape painting course was amazing and lit the fire in me to pick up my brushes and get to work.  He is a master at painting landscapes that contain amazing trees and clouds.  I can instantly pick out his pieces amongst a page of landscape images.  His method of painting dictates his style and even if he paints a portrait I can still see Tim Gagnon all over it.  His website link is also found below.

  

I have for a number of months now been sketching portraits when I wasn't able to paint.  I have a stack of what I think are pretty nice sketches and so you shouldn't be surprised that a number of my paintings this past year have included human subjects.  Granted they are usually old dusty prospectors, but human never the less.  They have also been getting larger and with more detail until lately they subject has become the portrait and not just a human form added to a landscape. 

Portraits are challenging indeed, but I find myself excited about the challenge. This week I had the amazing experience of painting a piece in a few hours that was wildly received on my social media network.  It actually sold within 10 minutes of me posting the picture.  That is a definite first for me and something I hope to repeat.  

So here she is.... 11x14 Acrylic called "Marilyn-A Vision in Pink".  I used my Alizarin Crimson for her skin tone, Pthalo Blue for her hair and even highlighted her hair with Iridescent Gold.  She really pops on the black background.  For fun I also painted Audrey Hepburn in Blue just before my attempt at Marilyn and while many commented how much they liked her and how ARTSY she was,  I couldn't help but think she looked like a smurf...A cute smurf but a smurf none the less.  So am I still going to be painting Nevada landscapes and dusty prospectors?  YES....but this week I gave into my desire to loosen up and get wild with color and I'm having a blast!

"Marilyn-A Vision in Pink"  11x14 Acrylic