With the holidays fast approaching and with that, holiday art boutiques, I have been busy creating "affordable art". What is affordable art, you ask? Well, in this neck of the woods, it seems that the magic number for impulse buying is hanging right around the $30 and under bracket. So, in order to attempt to cash in on this trend, (every pun intended) I have been concentrating on small ticket items. It takes less time to physically make smaller art, but it seems that the prep time is the same whether you are painting in inches or feet! So, hopefully, all the time spent on small works will pay off, and I will be able to get back to bigger but not necessarily better pieces.
Speaking of holidays, Halloween is next week, and the stores are already filling aisles with Christmas merchandise. I mean, really. I love Christmas, I really do, but I still can't seem to be able to buy any Christmas items until after Thanksgiving. I tried it once. I ended up buying 3 times as much stuff, because I kept seeing presents for one of the kids, then I'd have to buy presents for the other kids to "make it even". Not a good strategy. The kids loved it, though. Husband, not so much. So I wait till after Thanksgiving, and NEVER on Black Friday, to do my shopping. Unless I shop online on Black Friday. But I spent too many years in retail to go into a store on the day after Thanksgiving. That's just the way I roll.
I started the commissioned painting for my brother and sister-in-law. It's large (24 x 48) and so far, I think it's coming along nicely. Of course I always love the painting on the canvas at this stage; there are so many possibilities and ways to create a masterpiece. As soon as the painting is delivered, I start having second doubts, and seeing small mistakes that I feel the need to fix! But I read somewhere that most artists feel this way, so I don't obsess over it. Too much. On with the next.
The weather is supposed to be absolutely fantastic this week, so I'm looking forward to spending mornings in the studio while Lexi is in Kindergarten. Maybe I'll even post photos of the progress of the commissioned piece. Depends on how much work I can get done on it. Stay tuned, you never know what might turn up!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Relaxed, Rested and Ready to Work
The summer clothes are put away, and it's back to the reality of 45 degrees in New Jersey. Mexico was glorious, and we got out just in time to avoid Hurricane Paula on the Cozumel/Maya Riviera coast. So, once again, the Fates have smiled on us, and Life is Good!
I only painted 2 paintings while on vacation; the rest of the two weeks was spent eating, sunning, and relaxing. I know, it's a tough job I have!
I will post the 2 paintings here, and on Red Bubble, as soon as I get a chance. I got back and dove right into the routine of hearth and home. Actually, it felt good to be home, I missed the kids a lot!
I will grab the memory card and start loading the pictures as soon as I finish my coffee. I've got 2 hours before Lexi is off the bus from Kindergarten. Better get crackin!
I only painted 2 paintings while on vacation; the rest of the two weeks was spent eating, sunning, and relaxing. I know, it's a tough job I have!
I will post the 2 paintings here, and on Red Bubble, as soon as I get a chance. I got back and dove right into the routine of hearth and home. Actually, it felt good to be home, I missed the kids a lot!
I will grab the memory card and start loading the pictures as soon as I finish my coffee. I've got 2 hours before Lexi is off the bus from Kindergarten. Better get crackin!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Well, the paints, brushes, and canvases are packed and ready to go. I am really looking forward to getting down to our "second home" in sunny Mexico. Has it been a whole year already? So many changes this year; losing my job, working on my art full-time, having the joy of seeing my Lexi off to Kindergarten every morning. It's a wonderful life, to steal a phrase. When you look at the good with the bad, I have to say that the positives outweigh the negatives and I am feeling pretty good. Sales on RedBubble.com are increasing, and the word is getting out, which is the first step, right?
I am so psyched about this vacation. Have to remember to pack a sketchbook and pencils; forgot to put them in the suitcase. No phones, no schedules, no worries for 15 whole days. Woo-hoo! I could spend a month there; my dearly beloved gets antsy after about 6 days. Gotta keep him occupied ;)
Looks like Tropical Storm Matthew might detour around the Yucatan Peninsula. Thanks for the change in direction, Matthew. Things can get kinda dicey on the coast in a hurricane!
So all there is now to do is try and get a good night's sleep (never happens)and wake up before the sun to get to the airport. Aaaaaah. I just love vacation. See you all when we get back, and hasta luego, amigos!
I am so psyched about this vacation. Have to remember to pack a sketchbook and pencils; forgot to put them in the suitcase. No phones, no schedules, no worries for 15 whole days. Woo-hoo! I could spend a month there; my dearly beloved gets antsy after about 6 days. Gotta keep him occupied ;)
Looks like Tropical Storm Matthew might detour around the Yucatan Peninsula. Thanks for the change in direction, Matthew. Things can get kinda dicey on the coast in a hurricane!
So all there is now to do is try and get a good night's sleep (never happens)and wake up before the sun to get to the airport. Aaaaaah. I just love vacation. See you all when we get back, and hasta luego, amigos!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Contest, commission, and Angels
Contest 2 has produced another winner. My business page on Facebook, Jean LeBaron Art, has concluded it's second contest in which a genuine artwork has been awarded to one of my fans. It's always so much fun to see the reaction of the winner, and I love to make people happy, so it's a win-win situation. Now I have to start working on the next installment, maybe I'll come up with something that actually makes me money. Now, that's a novel idea. :)
I am still working on an oil painting that my brother and sister-in-law commissioned. It's rather large; 24x48, and I haven't quite decided on all the details yet, but the main body of work is in place. So far, I'm pleased with how the laying-in is going. Progress is slow, but that is to be expected. I'm a pretty busy grandma these days.
I want to take the time to thank all my friends, my family and my angels for everything they do for me. Without you, I would be lost and lonely. With you, I am free to be me.
I am still working on an oil painting that my brother and sister-in-law commissioned. It's rather large; 24x48, and I haven't quite decided on all the details yet, but the main body of work is in place. So far, I'm pleased with how the laying-in is going. Progress is slow, but that is to be expected. I'm a pretty busy grandma these days.
I want to take the time to thank all my friends, my family and my angels for everything they do for me. Without you, I would be lost and lonely. With you, I am free to be me.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Art of Making Art
Okay, so obviously there was only ONE PERSON who actually got the message I was trying to throw out there. And she is an absolute master of marketing, so maybe I'll switch tracks here and talk about the art of making art. Wow, something completely different.
There is an inherent drive inside of me that dictates to me that I must create art. Okay, that's a little strong. I must ATTEMPT to create art, because we all know that not everything always turns out for the best. However, I just don't understand people who say, "Oh, I just didn't feel like it today" like you have a choice in the matter. I can understand being too tired, too sick, too busy with that major annoyance called Life. But really?? You didn't feel like it? If I had my way, I would spend every day in the studio, for 10-12 hours, because I have that much stuff on my Someday list. You know, Someday I'm going to try (insert new medium/technique/subject matter here). There are so many things I want to do concerning art, and I'm getting very afraid that I won't live long enough to do them all. Maybe it's due to the fact that I chose the wife/mother/artist way of life, and there are not enough hours to do everything the way I feel they should be done. Unrealistic? Probably, but that's what I deal with. So how to fix it? I try to schedule my time in the studio when I am least likely to be interrupted. The other times, I'm planning, networking, marketing (there's that Gorilla again) or mentally preparing to paint while I'm folding laundry, making dinner or (ugh) cleaning. So what is the perfect balance? I don't know, I'm still trying to find it. Do I have regrets about the life path I chose?? Not for a minute. I wouldn't change anything at all. I am just where I'm supposed to be, and any challenges are lessons that I need to learn. So what I'm saying is, there is an art to making art, and if it came too easily I suppose there would be no joy in it. When I do get a stretch of time in the studio, I can feel myself slipping into the zone, and I don't have to think about anything but the brush in my hand, and that is a beautiful thing. So, if you are an artist, you have this voice in your head that says "Go, paint, create, and make your world better just for today", and sometimes, in spite of dust bunnies and wet towels on the floor, you go and make art.
There is an inherent drive inside of me that dictates to me that I must create art. Okay, that's a little strong. I must ATTEMPT to create art, because we all know that not everything always turns out for the best. However, I just don't understand people who say, "Oh, I just didn't feel like it today" like you have a choice in the matter. I can understand being too tired, too sick, too busy with that major annoyance called Life. But really?? You didn't feel like it? If I had my way, I would spend every day in the studio, for 10-12 hours, because I have that much stuff on my Someday list. You know, Someday I'm going to try (insert new medium/technique/subject matter here). There are so many things I want to do concerning art, and I'm getting very afraid that I won't live long enough to do them all. Maybe it's due to the fact that I chose the wife/mother/artist way of life, and there are not enough hours to do everything the way I feel they should be done. Unrealistic? Probably, but that's what I deal with. So how to fix it? I try to schedule my time in the studio when I am least likely to be interrupted. The other times, I'm planning, networking, marketing (there's that Gorilla again) or mentally preparing to paint while I'm folding laundry, making dinner or (ugh) cleaning. So what is the perfect balance? I don't know, I'm still trying to find it. Do I have regrets about the life path I chose?? Not for a minute. I wouldn't change anything at all. I am just where I'm supposed to be, and any challenges are lessons that I need to learn. So what I'm saying is, there is an art to making art, and if it came too easily I suppose there would be no joy in it. When I do get a stretch of time in the studio, I can feel myself slipping into the zone, and I don't have to think about anything but the brush in my hand, and that is a beautiful thing. So, if you are an artist, you have this voice in your head that says "Go, paint, create, and make your world better just for today", and sometimes, in spite of dust bunnies and wet towels on the floor, you go and make art.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Ooops
Uh, oh, did I scare everybody with the mention of (gasp!) Marketing? The ol' blog got pretty quiet all of a sudden. Well, I sure didn't mean to scare you all off into corners, cowering and whimpering. But it is an important part of what we do, so I thought I'd spend some minutes discussing it. But if you don't want to hear it............then I suppose you are either raking in money hand over fist with your art and you don't need marketing, OR.......the subject scares you. And well it should. Marketing analysts get paid really good money to do what they do, and we could all take something home from that. Think of your favorite commercial. Is it funny, is it to the point, is it annoyingly stuck in your head for days? That's exactly what you have to do with your art branding. Get it stuck in everyone's head, but in a good way, so that when they need a gift, a print, a wedding present, Christmas cards, or a new full sized painting for that spot over the fireplace in their dream home, they think of you!! C'mon, let's hear from you, even if it's just to tell me that you don't want to hear about marketing anymore. :P
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A 900-pound Gorilla named Marketing
The FaceBook Contest #2 is about to be finalized, with the winner announced on Saturday, Sept 18, at 6 pm. There seems to be some confusion as to why I would give an original painting away. Well, let me explain.
In order to create a brand for my art, it has to be known and recognized. Jean LeBaron Art is rarely known outside of NJ, so I decided to create a Facebook page so that my art could be viewed by many people in different areas of the country. And it's working. I even have fans that live overseas. So you see, the method in my madness is not quite so insane as some would believe. Still, others may argue that the artist is still as mad as ever, but really, that is all part of the plan, too. It makes people wonder what in the world I'll be up to next, and that's a good thing. Someone once told me to start a rumor that I can only paint in my studio, in the nude. I never started that rumor, because it hit too close to the truth. :D
Marketing your art is a full-time endeavor, and I can see why many artists hire someone to do all the mailings, inventory, marketing, research, and P.R. Some artists see marketing as the 900-pound gorilla in the room, ignoring him because it takes too much time away from Making Art. Let's face it; it takes almost as much creativity to promote as it does to make the actual artwork. And it makes my brain tired. But no one is going to beat a path to your studio door without you getting your name and work out there, so it becomes a necessary evil. There are a million books, workshops and seminars dedicated to marketing your art. Unless you are the 1/2 of 1 percent who are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time with the right artwork, you are going to have to market yourself if you want to sell your art. And I want to sell my art. So............there you have it.
Artists are creative types, and it always amazes me that artists spend so little time in coming up with creative ideas for marketing, name recognition and promotion. Spend an hour making a list of the different ways you can promote yourself. You'll be surprised at what you may come up with!
In order to create a brand for my art, it has to be known and recognized. Jean LeBaron Art is rarely known outside of NJ, so I decided to create a Facebook page so that my art could be viewed by many people in different areas of the country. And it's working. I even have fans that live overseas. So you see, the method in my madness is not quite so insane as some would believe. Still, others may argue that the artist is still as mad as ever, but really, that is all part of the plan, too. It makes people wonder what in the world I'll be up to next, and that's a good thing. Someone once told me to start a rumor that I can only paint in my studio, in the nude. I never started that rumor, because it hit too close to the truth. :D
Marketing your art is a full-time endeavor, and I can see why many artists hire someone to do all the mailings, inventory, marketing, research, and P.R. Some artists see marketing as the 900-pound gorilla in the room, ignoring him because it takes too much time away from Making Art. Let's face it; it takes almost as much creativity to promote as it does to make the actual artwork. And it makes my brain tired. But no one is going to beat a path to your studio door without you getting your name and work out there, so it becomes a necessary evil. There are a million books, workshops and seminars dedicated to marketing your art. Unless you are the 1/2 of 1 percent who are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time with the right artwork, you are going to have to market yourself if you want to sell your art. And I want to sell my art. So............there you have it.
Artists are creative types, and it always amazes me that artists spend so little time in coming up with creative ideas for marketing, name recognition and promotion. Spend an hour making a list of the different ways you can promote yourself. You'll be surprised at what you may come up with!
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