Death, Taxes and Painting

Back a few months ago I had the opportunity to give a presentation to a local artist guild about my "TIPS" on selling art online.  I've been associated with this group of artists now for a number of years and those that are somewhat online savvy have taken note to my recent increase in my Facebook following and sales.

So they asked me to be their guest speaker. Boy was I nervous.  It has been sometime since I stood up in front of a group of people and spoke more than just a few words.  In my previous life (before art) I was the business administrator for a church and private Christian school.  Since it was the law in Nevada that all business over certain number of employees have an acting safety committee I took on the task of creating one and added the hat of Safety Director to my wardrobe.  Let me just say, "I could give a mean BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS TRAINING".  So it isn't completely foreign to me to talk to a crowd but talking about selling art was a quite different than talking about blood and bodily fluids.

My first main slide point in the presentation was more of an outline of what I was going to cover that evening and I thought this might work well also as a guide to my future blog posts.  I mean, if you decide to write a blog then having a blog post plan is quite important and this is going to be mine for the next little while.

So the first point as you can see is REPORTING AND STATISTICS.  I'm sure you are wondering why an artist would first be talking about spreadsheets and numbers but did I mention that I have a business degree?  I've been wired to be an accountant since birth and that is, what I consider to be a gift from God, especially around this time of the year and the start of 2019 tax season.

So let me just say that I keep my whole business bookkeeping on Google Sheets.  This works great for a small business that uses the Cash Accounting method.  I kept my spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel for years but when I started using Windows 10 my old Office Suite program decided to go on strike and Excel no longer wanted to do any work for me.  I was forced to either buy a new program, go to an online subscription or embrace the free spreadsheet program offered by Google.  I chose the latter.  And while there was a bit of a learning curve, it really boils down to a "Spreadsheet is a Spreadsheet".  The one really exciting thing for me besides FREE is that I can now access my files from my phone or Ipad.  This is great for my mileage log because for the first time in 2019 I was able to keep my mileage current as I went and not have to spend hours pouring over my calendar and typing every odometer reading for the year into a spreadsheet.  I just have to add a formula to total my business miles and then print it out.  This has saved me hours of work!

So now you can see that I track my mileage on the spreadsheet and my bookkeeping on a spreadsheet but there are other uses too.  I have my art inventory that I track and a cost breakdown for each product I make on there too.  Spreadsheets are amazing tools and I thought you might actually want to take a closer look at my spreadsheet that I created so I have provided a link to a blank one that you can view.  Link to a spreadsheet file just like the one I use.  Of course this is a "View Only" link and I removed all the numbers but you can see how it works.  If you would like to receive a copy of the spreadsheet for your use then you can send me a message through my Julie Townsend Studio Website or Facebook Studio Art Page and I will send it to you the file.

Creative Space = Messy Space- NO MORE

I know I am probably the only artist, crafter or online seller that has this problem so I will just write this blog for myself.  For me creativity often leads to messy disorganization.  I know the two don't have to go hand in hand, but for me these two have become BFF's.  2019 is going to be my change year.

I need to feel that I can have spontaneous creativity without spending extra time just trying to clean off a space for it.  I don't need my studio "Pretty" but I do need it "Organized" with space to work.  One of the first things I have changed in my studio is the installation of slatwall display panels.  I picked these up from a gallery I belonged to that had to close in October of last year.  That was a sad event but these panels are a blessing for me.  The studio is still in transition so there is still plenty of messy at the moment but hopefully not for much longer.

I'm not so worried about the aesthetics of how they are hung as much as they are no longer stacked in the corner getting scratched, chipped or torn.  I can now have a view of what I have available and the framing I can use for future displays.  I've got about 20' in my studio and another 12' in a spare bedroom next to the studio.

This week I also added this beautiful workbench to the room.  My initial plan was to install about 6 foot of countertop with 2 drawer base units.  I did find one unfinished base until on the "As Is" section of Lowes and picked it up for $50.  So now I have plenty of drawers and work space to create.

One thing I wanted to use this work surface for was to have a quick set up area for taking product photos of my artwork.  I'm just using 2 sheets of white cardboard and diffused studio lighting at opposite corners of the room and this work bench is going to be perfect for that.  I can set up in a jiffy if I don't have to clear the space.

It will also serve as an area to use my laminator, my fancy new cutting machine and also a big enough surface for matting prints and putting together my greeting cards.  I'm super excited about the growth I've seen in my art business and I need to bring my little studio to the next level.

I'm going to close today's blog with a few new product pictures that I took last night using my new work surface and my iPhone 10.  They didn't turn out half bad.  All of which are currently available on my Etsy Shop and now on EBay  so head over there and check them out.

I Want to be a MOOver

I have been giving a great deal of consideration to what steps I need to take to MOOve or propel my artistic goals forward. 2016 is rapidly approaching it's end and am I really further along than I was on January 1.  I know I was determined to take strides to make this year the year of my art.  So besides creating art, I've been considering some of my accomplishments this year.

In April I sold almost $800 worth of art during my solo show "Down Country Roads".  One piece broke my personal sale record for a single piece of art.  So I guess I can state that this show was pretty successful and has pushed my art down a path towards a style that is uniquely my own.  I've heard the word "Whimsical" used a number of times when describing my little country scenes. Also I have heard the reaction that my art makes them smile or reminds them of their childhood.  This is such a compliment to me because it is this exact emotion that I am trying to achieve.  I find myself smiling at my own work often.  You can stop worrying at this point because while I may smile to myself, I don't talk the animals in my paintings!

2016 has seen me adding some poetry to my creative collection.  Again my humor always takes over when I'm trying to be creative and my poetry is far from a serious collection.  One of my favorite pieces I wrote this year is called, "Go Grab a Tissue Please" and corresponds with several of my paintings and sketches that demonstrate the nasty habit that cows often participate in of licking their own nose with their super long tongues.

Go Grab a Tissue PLEASE

By 

Julie Townsend

Picking or licking your nose is a bad habit I say

I promise you will regret that you did it some day

When all the other calves are playing, jumping and having fun

You will be too embarrassed to join them to rumpus and run

So when the hay fever strikes and won't slow

And the snot runs free like a steady river flow

When that fountain is turned on and you have the urge to sniff and snort

And even though God has given you a tongue that is far from short

Please! Oh please! Go grab a hanky or better yet, a wad of tissue

To handle the problems of your snot and dripping green issue 

Blowing your nose is so much better than using a tongue to lick

Be considerate of those around you for you will surely make us all sick

You can read more of my poetry on my website at Julie Townsend Studio-Poems

One of the biggest goals that I wanted to see 2016 MOOving me towards was that of licensing my artwork.  I know that I need to create a portfolio of consistent work that reflects images that are in demand and marketable for merchandise.  I established both an Etsy store and uploaded images to an my newly created account on Redbubble.com and on Zazzle.com.  A couple of tiny sales so far but as always things must start slow and build.  

Last week I received a message on Facebook from a woman that was not my friend nor a mutual friend connection.  She asked if I illustrated books and then when on to talk about a story of a little calf that wanted to be a PBR rodeo bull.  My heart jumped.  My dad was bull rider in his younger days on the professional rodeo circuit and so this was such a perfect story line for me.  Let's not mention that fact that this year I have painted or drawn cows more than any other subject.  To my disappointment, her deadline was not something I could see myself accomplishing as she shared she needed 30 images in just 30 days.  I've not illustrated books before but that timeline seems a little unrealistic to even me as a illustrating greenhorn.

BUT...I'm always the optimist and so I asked her how she heard of me.  She shared that she just did a Facebook search of western art and really liked my work.  So rather than being disappointed about not getting the job, I choose to take the whole transaction as a compliment and confirmation that my art is headed in the right direction.  It will be only a matter of time before I begin to receive offers for commission and illustration work.  I'm confident of that fact and resolved to keep on practicing.

So since this blog seems to deal primarily with my bovine creativeness, I thought I might just aMOOse you with more of my cow artwork.


These are two of my "Cow Licking" pieces that I had great fun creating.  All my works is available prints, art cards and art magnets.  In some cases the original artwork maybe available.  Just message me if you are interested.

Always Greener

Fence Post Curiosity

Morning Roughage

This is a colored pencil sketch I did just this week of a sweet Jersey cow enjoying some pasture grass.

Resting Before the Rodeo

This is another sketch I did this year of a beautiful Brahman Bull.  What impressive creatures these animals are.







I just through this mouse and pumpkin sketch in because it is almost October 1st and I think it is cute.

Harvest Mouse