Selling Art Out of My Trunk

Selling my art is something that I have not yet gained much experience at.  Yesterday my experienced selling my first commission piece struck me just a bit on the funny side. It has been my experience that strangers selling things out of the truck of their car in public parking lots are usually up to NO GOOD.  You should be wary no matter how good the deal seems but here I was, meeting two strange guys in the parking lot of the local Hobby Lobby while I was out prom dress shopping for my niece.  The exchange of cash for my painting was to take place at noon. The whole transaction felt a bit strange but all went well.  They loved my piece that I called "Trail of Dreams" and I loved that I had sold another painting this year.

Hey Kid!  Come here!  You want to buy some art?

24 x 36 "Trail of Dreams"- SOLD

Packing up the Baby and Saying Goodbye

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


The experience of packing up a painting to ship off to a new home is one of mixed emotions for me as the artist.  It is both exciting and a wee bit sad.  I, as I assume most artists do, pour their heart into their creations.  So knowing that it is the last time you will actually see the piece has just a bit of sadness attached.  That emotion is very quickly pushed aside as I realize that a complete stranger to me also appreciates my work and is willing to part with their hard earned resources in this prearranged exchange. 

So yesterday, we followed the steps outlined in a very helpful blog I read a few weeks ago about preparing to ship paintings.  We bought that 1 1/2 thick foam insulation sheet from Home Depot and cut out (2) 18 x 24 pieces.  Brad went out to the shed and pulled out two pieces of cardboard from our stash while I retrieved the tape gun.  I snapped this last picture as we secured "Dreams in Shades of Gold" for the journey to Tawas City, Michigan.

As an artist I have set myself a number of small milestones that measure my progress.  This act of packing up my painting was one of those milestones....Sell a piece to a complete stranger!  Up to this point every painting I have sold has been to a friend or acquaintance.  No longer is that the case.  I have achieved a small but significant goal as an artist and this morning my McDonald's coffee is especially tasty!

Packing up my painting for shipping to the new owner

Prints are available at Fine Art America site.  Just follow this link:  http://fineartamerica.com/featured/dreams-in-shades-of-gold-julie-townsend.html

Dreams of Shades of Gold

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 Dusty Prospectors

If you are interested in seeing more of work please consider checking out the gallery page on my website at:
JulieTownsendStudio.com


It was just last year around this time that I began painting a piece that I would later call "Dreams in Shades of Gold". At the time that I started laying out the composition, I had no idea just how much attention this little piece would bring me.  Now nine months later, I am sitting here with a copy of the Mar/April 2013 publication of "Gold Prospectors" magazine on the table next to me still feeling a bit of shock.  The magazine is lying opened to pages 68 and 69,  where very familiar photos are beautifully displayed.

What an honor to have talked with freelance writer Russ Balbirona as he interviewed me for this little story.  What a great job he did by sharing my feelings about this amazing state and how inspired I am whenever I have the fortune to be out in the vastness that I call home.  Brad with his love for gold prospecting and me with my paint brushes. Thank you Gold Prospectors Magazine for sharing my work with your readers.

See How Happy I Am-Just Painting Away

Now Brad Looks Just Like A Dusty Prospector

Enjoy my little tribute to Nevada:

Dreams In Shades of Gold

Mining Nevada

Pioneer Dreams

Mojave Sunrise

Where are all the Miners?

I had the occasion recently to read the Editor's Note section of the Nov/Dec 2010 edition of "Gold Prospectors".  Now this magazine is my husbands choice of reading material and not necessarily mine, but I was drawn to this article written by Tom Massie, Editor-in-Chief of "Gold Prospectors", because he was discussing his observations as he wondered through the shops of historic, Prescott, Arizona.  Mr. Massie stated, "Now I've nothing against cowboys or western art, but as I travel through some to the shops I noticed that the swank trendy places offered western scenes of cattle roping and cowboys in painting, pictures and sculptures.  There were plenty of cowboy hats, cowboy boots, western blankets and indian apparel and art.  There just seemed to me to be a lack of anything relating to the prospectors and the miners in today's modern shops."

I couldn't agree more with his conclusion.  Being a long time resident of the wonderful state of Nevada, I am very mindful at just how important mining was to our past and present economic growth.  Nevada became a state in the west, long before any other of it's neighbors joined the union and that was directly the result of President Abraham Lincoln desiring the mining wealth of Nevada to aid in the Civil War efforts. 

I agree with Mr. Massie and while I  love a good cowboy painting, much of the inspiration for my work is received from those strong and sturdy miners that have left their presence know all across the state in the form of ghost towns, abandoned mining shafts and stories of a place that was often wild and lawless.  I decided that I would share just a couple of my pieces, including my newest painting called "Dreams in Shades of Gold",  that have Nevada mining as a theme.  I sent Mr. Massie an email inviting him to check out my website and this blog.  I wonder if he will send me a reply.