Artventuring

Celebrate The Positive

2009-10-26T16:26:00.005-04:00

For the first time this year, I embarked on a new adventure and entered a piece of mine into the NC State Fair. Fellow Guild members had encouraged me to do it last year, but I didn't get my act together to make the deadline. This year, I made a special point of being ready on time. As a first-time entrant to this juried competition, I found the categories a bit confusing as they related to my work (why is it that there's usually no Mixed Media category, which would make life so much easier?!), but chose the Professional Painting category. When I took my entry in, the director took one look, and said she thought "Land and Sea" would be better suited to the Professional 3-Dimensional category. As I was in line with others who were obviously entering the Painting category (with traditionally framed landscapes and portraits), it seemed she was right. So, I had my category changed to the one she suggested. I left, hoping for the best.
My son Jordan went to the fair, and saw my entry had been juried into the display, but hadn't won a "premium". He took a photograph of it with his phone, along with the winning entry in the 3-D category (which was a ceramic teapot). I was disappointed, but not surprised, expecting that something much more "country" or traditional would have won. Since the State Fair isn't my favorite place to get to or to be, I decided not to go, figuring I'd seen what I needed to see in the photo.

Today was the day to pick up work since the Fair ended yesterday. I was able to see some of the other entries--there was a fantastic turned wood vase in the "Amateur" category--as well as the winning teapot. When I turned my piece over, I noticed the official Entry Tag, which listed my category as not only 3-Dimensional, but as "3-Dimensional Sculptures"! So no wonder my painted and decoupaged bamboo bowl was competing against ceramics. Seems like the proverbial apples and oranges, but in the absence of a Mixed Media category, that's what happens.

Best of all, alongside the Entry Tag was a handwritten note, with the name of someone who is "interested in purchase"! Very cool, potentially. I've left a message at the number, and I'm looking forward to speaking with him soon.

So, as a Facebook friend said, " All good things come to those who read the back of their work," I'm celebrating the positive: the experience of entering, the positive feedback of everyone who saw it, including the director, and the possibility of selling the piece to someone who appreciates it. And next year, who knows?

The Anatomy of a Challenge

2009-10-12T17:10:00.000-04:00

Here's where the challenge began, as described in my earlier post. This is the collection of disparate items which were to be fashioned into a "World of Art" themed 16x20 canvas. As I said at the time, it took me quite a while to decide what to do and how to even approach the whole project. Our instructions were to use at least part of every item in the kit, which included: a wine cork, a small piece of torn canvas, liquid graphite, playing cards, clayboard tiles, a piece of twine, foreign language magazine pages, origami paper, several pieces of balsa wood, a rubber band, and a very limited choice of paint colors. And, if we wanted, we could add two items to the kit.

At the outset, I knew I wanted to highlight the idea of different cultures, since I do that in my own work, and we were asked to use the world as a jumping-off point. I figured the "art" part would naturally follow.

After a few false starts, I decided to use masks as the way to convey the idea of culture; specifically masks used in performance or ritual in three countries which supply art materials to Jerry's Artarama. Of course, masks are something I work with all the time, but for this I decided not to use clay. Earlier this year, for another of our Guild's projects, I'd been introduced to Cotton Press hand cast paper products, and was intrigued by the possibility of using them here. So, for my two added items, I used the Cotton Press cotton linter and additive powder, and combined it with some of the plain paper from the kit to create three cast paper masks. I did some research online, and using masks such as these at left as inspiration, chose Australia, Italy and China, so I could design and paint the masks in Aboriginal tribal, Venetian theater, and Chinese operatic traditions. Luckily, the paint colors I was given lent themselves to these designs, though it was frustrating not to have white or black to blend, and I would have loved to use metallic gold on the Venetian one (that's why they call it a challenge!). Once the masks were done came the task of trying to place them into a cohesive design on the canvas.
There were even more fits and starts at this stage! Finally, I created a full-sized tissue paper mock up of the canvas, which made it easier to arrange the pieces of paper upon it, and to plan where I'd paint on the canvas directly. As it turned out, I didn't paint on the canvas directly at all; the largest areas of paint were done by crumpling paper from the kit, decoupaging it to the surface, and painting over it.

Each mask's surround contains elements which visually relate to it: the Chinese opera mask has the red origami paper nearby, as well as rice paper and parts of magazine pages with Chinese characters. Inspired by the origami paper, I created some larger, two-toned, 3-D versions of its flowers, and floated them on a solid blue background, using tiny pieces of balsa wood underneath. The Venetian theater mask was the most fun and frustrating at the same time. Fun was when I figured out how to use slices of the wine cork with pieces of the playing cards on top for the headpiece. Fun continued when I used the liquid graphite to color the piece of twine, then used it as another part of the headpiece. Frustration was in trying to come up with just the right thing to place near the elaborate mask. I finally came up with the liquid graphite swirly design on more kit paper. The Aboriginal mask's dots drove the rest of the canvas. I've always been intrigued by their use of dots in their designs, and figured this was a great time to explore it! Using the small bit of torn canvas in the kit, I first made a drawing reminiscent of cave paintings, and placed it near the mask. And, even though the green patterned paper was another origami sheet, it seemed to work just fine near the other side of the Aboriginal mask. On the solid green and gold papers, I created a design of dots (using the magazine pages, solid color papers, and some hand painted papers) which echoed those on the mask. Thank goodness for a good hole punch!

The final element of my design involved using the languages of my chosen countries. We:l is an Aboriginal word for 'World'; Il mundo dell'arte is Italian for "The World of Art;" and the Chinese characters represent Meishu, which is the Mandarin word for "Fine Art". I wrote these with the liquid graphite on the clayboard tiles, and placed them near the corresponding mask.

And here is the finished piece!
I feel good about having taken on this challenge, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. If you'd like to see my piece "in person" along with 24 others, come visit the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild room at Jerry's Artarama's Art of the Carolinas next month. Full details about the 4-day event can be found here.

See you there!

2009 Shows: Highs and Lows

2009-09-29T15:11:00.007-04:00

We just returned from our final show of the season, Festival in the Park, in Charlotte. We've always liked this show, and Charlotte; in fact, we've begun and ended our show season there for the past three years.

This year's shows in Charlotte were disappointing in terms of sales. This weekend, the weather played a large role; the show was virtually washed out on Saturday. We left at 6:00 pm, after braving a day filled with dreary mists, light showers, heavy rain, and finally, torrential downpours. It was clear no one was coming out for the final four hours of the show, and the prospect of dinner in a nice, quiet, dry restaurant was very appealing. Luckily, Sunday's weather was beautiful, and the crowds were large, but unfortunately none of that made up for the lost day. We had lovely weather in April for Art and Soul of South End, but sales were significantly less than in previous years.

Our experience in Charlotte mirrors that of many of the artists we know; this was a difficult year for many of them. Overall, we had two fantastic shows in July: Festival for the Eno in Durham, and Artscape, in Baltimore, MD. Our sales were excellent, we made great contacts, wrote a repeat wholesale order, took custom orders, and had a great time in each location. How do we explain the wide variation in show experiences? We don't, but we know the economy is still a factor, of course.

I think people do want to support the work of creative artists, and people react positively to my work and the functionality of the clocks and mirrors. I'm encouraged by the feedback I receive, especially when someone engages me in conversation about my Ancestresses. I read today that an artist has to develop a "tribe," a group of people who follows her work, and who "get" what she does. I had thought I'd found that "tribe" in Charlotte, since I have a number of repeat customers, and a fairly good response to my discount postcard mailings. I still think it's there, but this year wasn't as good a year as my previous two.

But, we always say at the worst shows you connect with the best friends, and this weekend was no exception. My friend, the fabulous Charlotte-based artist, Monique Luck won Best in Show for her piece, shown here called "Set On Fire" (click on it to enlarge, and see the exquisite detail). Monique is a lovely person, and her mixed media collage and painted pieces are intricate, evocative and intriguing. Congratulations again, Monique!

We also met Vicki and Scott Supraner of Hawksbill Pottery, and admired the beautiful glazes and designs of their handcrafted stoneware. I love the Orange Striped Bowl shown here, as well as their lovely fern and leaf-patterned pieces. They work side by side in their Charlottesville, VA studio, and do numerous shows throughout the country. It's great to get to know other artists, and get a glimpse into how they create and sell.

For me, as a dear friend says, it's "onward and upward," which means fulfilling my custom and wholesale orders and developing new designs for next year. I'll also be working on a new marketing idea (not new to the world, just new to me!), so there'll be some big changes in my "off season". And, as always, being open to new ways of looking at things, new beginnings and new possibilities.

Stay tuned.

The World of Art

2009-08-27T14:47:00.007-04:00

My guild, the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild has accepted a challenge from our favorite art supply store, Jerry's Artarama, entitled "The World of Art". (which I've dubbed 'JAWoA') The challenge is to create a piece of 2-D art on a 16"x20" canvas, using all of the contents of a bag, some of which is shown here.
We can add two items to the piece, which must somehow convey the theme of the 'world of art', offered to artists by Jerry's Artarama.

I'm about halfway through the process, which went something like this:

1. Receiving the bag at the Guild meeting, going through it and seeing the various items, then doubting my sanity about accepting the challenge. These things don't fit together at all! What on earth was I thinking?

2. Leaving the bag in my studio where I couldn't see it. If I don't see it, I won't have to think about it.

3. Days later, moving the bag to where I couldn't miss it. Okay, I guess I have to see it and actually think about what I'm going to do.

4. Actually removing everything from the bag, and spreading it out. The items haven't magically changed; imagine that! Again, what was I thinking??

5. Thinking about the design I'd do even when I wasn't in the studio. As usual, the moments just before I fall asleep at night, and just as I wake up in the morning are the most fruitful. Using Internet research to assist with the basic idea. Small sketches begin...An idea dawns....

6. Deciding upon the central component of my approach to "The World of Art" theme. I do not want to be literal (no paint brushes, crayons and easels), but I can't be so esoteric no one gets it... More thinking, refining, and then voila, the idea crystalizes!

7. Actual work begins. I start with the main objects which will form the central focus of the piece (note: I'm being purposely obtuse about this since I don't want to reveal my idea just yet). These objects are well within my comfort zone, but how I have to create them isn't--working with a limited palette of colors is somewhat excruciating for me. I guess this is why they call it a challenge.

8. With the main objects done, I now have to decide how to incorporate the rest of the bag's items. Again, I wonder how all of this will actually work together. I do a full-size tissue paper mock up. My old textbook designer training comes in handy!

Now, I'm at the stage where I have to take the tissue mock up and transfer it to the canvas. So far, so good, though I know surprises and further challenges await.

The completed challenge piece is due on October 8th, so I'm in good shape in terms of the deadline. My plan is to finish it then turn to the work I'll need to do to be ready for our last show of the summer season: Festival in the Park, in Charlotte, NC.

I'll post photos of the finished piece just before I turn it in, so stay tuned!

August's Magical Musings....

2009-08-14T15:03:00.006-04:00

"Fire II" bamboo bowl wall hanging, $200

It's mid-August, most of the summer's gone; school begins again in 11 days, and the weather's still hot, hazy and humid.

It's been an interesting summer for me and my work in many ways, with exciting beginnings, disappointing endings, and transitions of various kinds. Looking ahead, I'm preparing for our last show of the season in Charlotte next month, completing my wholesale order for the shop in Baltimore, working on new designs and new opportunites which have yet to present themselves.

Will it be teaching again? Participating in group shows? A retreat? A one-woman show? Volunteering? Organizing events? Something else?

I'm open to the possibilities.

That's the first step. Being watchful for them when they present themselves, then taking advantage of them...that's when the magic can begin.

I'm hopeful, open and watchful...waiting for the magical....

I'll let you know when it arrives.

The Universe is Always Right

2009-08-04T13:57:00.006-04:00

Here's what greeted me this morning in my email box:

"How is it Michelle, that with so many brilliant beings on your planet, so few recognize that when one's life encounters turbulence, choppy waters, or setbacks, it's always a sign that things are about to get wildly better than they've ever been before? Don't fight it, The Universe"

It's true I've been on a positive roll with my work lately, with the Honorable Mention at last year's Festival in the Park, being approached by a new gallery to have my work in their inaugural collection, my first ever First Place 3-D win at this year's Festival for the Eno, along with better than expected sales at this summer's shows. Not to be fatalistic, (okay, maybe a little) but it seems that when things go so well, it's pretty certain there'll be some 'turbulence, choppy waters or setbacks' to come.

Mine came in the form of a major issue about pricing with the gallery: via email, I was informed they'd decided to lower the prices for my work in the gallery to what I sell it for at shows. Contrary to a discussion on this topic where I specifically asked about the difference between my show prices and theirs, (which would be double, to account for their percentage). The gallery owner stipulated that I could not sell in the same geographical area of the state, but could continue with my normal pricing outside of that area. The new, lowered gallery pricing meant I would receive only half of what I sell my work for: 45% of the sales price would go to the gallery, and 5% would go to my designated charity, which is Camfed. The gallery had also, without informing me until afterward, removed my Ancestress Series shadow boxes from display two weeks before, saying they were "continually bombarded [with customers saying] the prices [were] not market value".

Really? "Market value?" Just what is the market value for
unique, one-of-a-kind work? Does the gallery display any other work which is comparable to mine? No. Are the gallery owners able to speak
knowledgeably about the work, to allay customer fears about not getting value for their money? Or, do they simply agree with the customer's assessment, informed or not, because the "customer is always right"? Apparently so.

About my bamboo wall hangings, the gallery's email continued: "Your bowls had drawn so much interest but here again we were hearing that the prices seemed to be out of line for the work they involved."

Really? Since when is the amount of time an artist spends to produce
a piece the sole determining factor of price? And, once they received this
question from customers, did the gallery ask me how much work is involved in producing my work so they could convey that to potential customers? No. But isn't that a question the gallery owner should be able
to answer to a customer's satisfaction? Yes, I think it is.

The bottom line, from my vantage point: Shouldn't the gallery which
represents my work be able to speak about it almost as well as I
can? Shouldn't they 'have my back' in any discussion with the public
about my work? And shouldn't the gallery, once confronted with questions
they can't answer, ask them of me? Yes, yes, and yes.

The bottom line, from this gallery's point of view: pricing. My work wasn't selling the way they'd decided it should, due to "inflated" prices and perceived value (or lack of same), despite the fact that my work had been in the gallery for less than 3 months, and two pieces had sold in that time: a clock and a mirror.

Solution? I removed my work from the gallery. I'm not willing to have my work represented (or not represented) in this way.

Lesson learned: as this is my fifth unsuccessful foray into the world of art galleries, I've decided I will not pursue another. I know I am the best person to sell my work, and giving up the personal contact with my collectors in favor of the "prestige" and "ease" of having my work sold out of a gallery is not worth it to me.

So, with this 'turbulence' a mere bump in my otherwise smooth flight this year, I'm ready for The Universe's promise that "things are about to get wildly better than they've ever been before".
Stay tuned to see what they are!

Show Report: Artscape 2009

2009-07-22T17:12:00.009-04:00

Best. Show. Ever. Period.

Need I say more? Yes, probably, though that tells the story of last weekend.

After two consecutive years of being placed on the waiting list for Artscape (after having my work accepted in 2006, the first year I applied), I was excited to participate in this large show again. I learned a valuable lesson this year. Unlike in years past, the application included this one sentence: "Apply early; categories fill quickly," which indicates a rolling, not a set jury. This makes a huge difference when applying in a small category such as mine (mixed media). From now on, you can bet I will apply just as I did this year, on the second day the application was available online at Zapplication.or g.

Our trip up to Baltimore was uneventful, and of course we made our traditional family breakfast stop at Friendly's, though we didn't indulge in our favorite Fribbles until the return trip on Monday afternoon. Upon arrival at the Artscape site on Thursday, we located the tent we'd share with four other artists (what a joy not to have to set up our own tent!), and put up our panels and lights. We waited to load in stock until Friday morning, as usual. Here's how the booth looked just before the show opened (which you can tell by the Windex on the desk, and no people walking by). We got lots of comments about the booth, with a number of people saying it felt like they were in someone's living room...probably because of our bamboo rugs. Of course, we replied with thanks, and the suggestion that they could take some of our living room home to their own...

Friday morning dawned cloudy and misty, and rain was forecast, but we were optimistic about the weather for the rest of the weekend. It did indeed rain for awhile on Friday afternoon, but just as we'd hoped, Saturday and Sunday were picture-perfect days: temperatures in the low to mid 80s, and low humidity.

The crowd on Friday was sparse during the day, but increased significantly after 5pm. Artscape runs from noon to 10pm each day, which is a loooonnng day for exhibitors, especially if no one is buying. Fortunately, we made some sales on Friday, and everyone said Saturday would be much better (which we knew from our own 2006 experience).

Saturday started off with a bang. The police estimated the crowd to be 175,000, with 60,000 people attending the concert (by a group we'd never heard of, nor could we hear, given our location)! Of course, not everyone visited or even walked past our booth, but it sure felt like it. We looked out of our tent at about 2:00, and couldn't see the street in any direction! Masses of people commuted to the show on the Light Rail, which was just below our booth, making it a great location. People responded positively to my work (always a nice thing), and even asked questions about technique (Artscape is held near the Maryland Institute of Contemporary Art, so many artists, art teachers and art lovers attend). We sold all but two small clocks, mirrors, and many of the Tarishi message holders I'd created especially for Artscape, and a few large clocks. I also wrote a wholesale order with the same downtown Baltimore boutique I'd first done business with in 2006 (we've kept in touch, and I've done two other orders in the time between Artscapes). It's such a pleasure to do business with Esther of Sankofa African & World Bazaar. If you're in Baltimore, go visit, and tell her Michelle says hello.

Sunday was even better; I sold several Ancestress mounted masks, some large bamboo wall hangings, and one of my newest medium bamboo bowl wall hangings, from the 'Leaf Dance' series. By early afternoon, all of the clocks had been sold, and I took a custom order from a gentleman who'd seen one he liked but didn't buy on Saturday. And, a "fight" nearly broke out between friends over which one would buy a mirror they both loved. It worked out fine; each bought one of a similar design which was great for their friendship and for me.

We were exhausted yet exhilarated by the weekend; it's great to have the affirmation of an excellent show, especially in this economy. Getting back to normal in the studio will take some time. I plan to rest a bit after spending many consecutive 12-hour days creating product for this show. I need some creative battery recharging time. Our next scheduled show is Festival in the Park in Charlotte in late September, so there's time to relax...just a bit, then it's back to creating new things...I'd love to better my 'Honorable Mention' win from last year there. So, it'll be 'back to the drawing board'...eventually.

Show Report: Festival for the Eno '09...I Won First Place!

2009-07-06T16:37:00.006-04:00

The Elements Series: 'Water', 18-inch bamboo wall hanging, acrylic paint over paper, with metallic accents.
Our 6th Festival for the Eno was great. The weather was fine for two of the three days (the final day dawned cloudy, drizzly and cool, but the weather didn't stop people from coming out). As in years past, people were very complimentary about my work whether they purchased something or were just looking; show management was efficient and receptive; and our fellow artists showed excellent work and were friendly and helpful. Despite dire predictions, our sales were very good: they exceeded our lowered expectations due to the economy and the fact that summer's not the peak season for gift-buying. In fact, this year's Eno was among our very best. Inexplicably, we sold more large, expensive pieces than my smaller, less pricey pieces! If you'd told me that would be the case before the show, I'd have thought you were a dreamer or crazy, or worse.
I displayed 7 of my large bamboo wall hangings, and sold 4 of them. That's never happened before. The response to the new 'Elements Series' was very positive, and 'Water' now has a new home, as do three others of my favorites...time to get working to make more!

On Friday, two judges visited each booth to discuss the work and our various techniques. When it was my turn, I had an enjoyable conversation with them (I could tell they were both artists, too) about why I do what I do, and some of the processes I use to get my desired effects. After they left, I thought it had gone well, but didn't really think any more about it (too busy selling!).

On Saturday afternoon, I was visited by the show director and exhibits manager, who announced I had been awarded 1st Place in the 3-D category! The award includes a generous check, and a free booth for the 2010 Festival for the Eno. Wow. I was thrilled; it was my first category win (I had previously been chosen as an Honorable Mention artist at the 2008 Festival in the Park in Charlotte). Here you see me and my certificate which we displayed in the booth for the rest of the Festival.
It feels wonderful to have my work recognized and rewarded by fellow artists, and everyone who came by to congratulate me said very nice things. I'm proud, I'm grateful, and I'm happy...and I'm also heading back into the studio to get ready for my next big (actually HUGE) show: Artscape, Baltimore, which will be in less than two weeks. No time to rest on laurels right now...I'll savor it later.

In the News...

2009-06-26T09:01:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Google Alerts (you do know that you can set an alert for your own name at Google Alerts, and it will send you an email every time your name appears on the web, don't you?), I was greeted with this post today in an unfamiliar but well-written blog by arts journalist Ted McIrvine called Arts Spectrum, reporting on the opening of The (R)evolving Arts Gallery in Hendersonville:

"...I enjoyed other artists whose work is new to me. Works by Michelle Davis Petelinz included 'Sinuous Rhythms II,' composed through applying polymer clay to an 18” bamboo bowl and then painting with acrylic and ink."

It was a thrill to be included in the post, and I appreciated the inclusion of the image of my work, too. You can read the full post here.

Thanks, Ted McIrvine!

A Sale, A Site, Two Shows, and It's the Season

2009-06-22T09:09:00.007-04:00

Various things to report:

1. I had my first sale at (R)evolving Arts Gallery! Just a week after I'd delivered my work, Julie sold my 'Retro Round Clock, Red, Teal and Copper'. The check arrived in the mail early last week, and it was a very nice surprise. We're hoping it's just the beginning of a great relationship with the gallery, with lots more sales to come.

2. Speaking of (R)evolving Arts, the website is up! Photos from the site of the space are at left. The site is still a work in progress, not all the pages have been populated, but my page is here.

3. I'm getting work ready for my two shows in July: Festival for the Eno, in Durham, NC on July 4th weekend (our 6th consecutive year, the festival's 30th!), and Artscape, Baltimore, two weeks later (our 2nd time; 2006 was the first). I'll post photos of my new work soon, but if you can't wait, click on over to my Facebook fan page, here.

4. And, it's camp season again. Today's my first day of 'Fantastic Female Artists' camp. So, my mornings will be spent doing my own work to get ready for next month's shows, and in the afternoons, I'll be teaching camp programs. So, if I don't post again for awhile, you'll know why!

Have a great, creative week.

Exciting News: The (R)evolving Arts Gallery

2009-06-04T13:44:00.004-04:00

Finally, here's the exciting news I promised to share.

In late March, I was approached by Julie Spalla and David Lookingbill, who had seen my work last year at Charlotte's Art and Soul of South End festival, to be one of the initial group of artists in their brand new gallery called The (R)evolving Arts Gallery in Hendersonville, NC. I was very flattered, and over the course of the following month, learned a great deal about Julie and David, their mission, and their vision of the diverse gallery they want to create.

One of my long-range goals for my work is to have it displayed and sold in a gallery, and I've talked about ways to go about making that happen, especially with my Art Salon group. I've had several less than satisfactory experiences with galleries, and have been hesitant to approach others, instead I've been selling my work at shows. But, I've had the gallery goal in the back of my mind for years. In fact, during one of our recent meetings, we made 'vision boards,' and mine included the phrase, cut out of a magazine: "Something Amazing is Coming" and a photograph of people in an art gallery. Okay, maybe it was going to happen anyway, but I'm now a vision board convert: we did the boards at our March Art Salon meeting, and at the end of the month, Julie called me! The most gratifying thing for me is that she had kept my business card for over a year, and called me based upon what she'd seen at the Charlotte show. We clicked immediately during our initial 90-minute phone conversation where she described her vision for the Gallery, the historic building she and David have renovated, and her philosophy about how art should be displayed and sold.

Three weeks ago, Stan and I made the 4-hour drive to Hendersonville. We took in 22 pieces and 18 of them were selected to be my first work in the (R)evolving Arts Gallery, including bamboo wall hangings, clocks and Ancestress shadow boxes. The snapshot at left shows two of my bamboo wall hangings hung on one of the small walls of the gallery. I should say that I was wowed by the space; it's huge, open, and airy, with reclaimed original wood floors, walls painted a lovely shade of gray which will be a wonderful backdrop for the art, and soaring ceilings. The front windows let in a great deal of light, and the location is in the heart of the downtown Hendersonville Art Walk. I have very high hopes for this venture, and we will be attending the official grand opening, which will be on August 7th (better photos to come after that!). Another great thing was to be able to recommend the work of Gaff Pearce to Julie and David. Now his beautiful pottery will be part of the initial group of Gallery artists too!

I'm excited by the prospect of being in a "real" art gallery, and to participating in another of Julie and David's missions: donating a portion of my proceeds from my sales to a non-profit organization of my choice. I chose Camfed, the organization which promotes the education of girls and the empowerment of women in Africa. I first blogged about Camfed in 2007, here.

The website for The (R)evolving Arts Gallery is not live yet, but when it is, I will post the link. I'll also post any advertising which includes my work; we sent Julie a CD for this purpose, and I hope there'll be something to show, soon!

Indie Business Breakfast

2009-05-21T10:37:00.005-04:00

June promises to be an interesting month here in North Carolina. For the first time in Raleigh, there will be an Indie Business Breakfast, hosted by the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild (CMMAG). On Saturday, June 6th, the topic will be:

How to Use Social Media to Leverage Your Brand and Attract More Paying Customers For Your Business!

From the promotional release:

"Lisa Stewart, CREATIVEGoddess of ECStewart Designs in Raleigh will be the featured speaker. She is an award winning designer and illustrator who, along with her husband and business partner, creates an extensive line of sophisticated images that are licensed on all kinds of elegant home accessories and personal products designed to enhance the lifestyle of the sophisticated customer. Lisa is a graduate of Western Michigan University's School of Graphic Design and Fine Arts.Through the years, Lisa and her husband have become intimately familiar with the challenges artists and crafters face when seeking to make the most of the financial opportunities that flow from their gifts. Lisa and her work have been featured in dozens of magazines and news outlets. Lisa will share from her experience and answer your questions about everything from maximizing online sales to achieving favorable publicity. If you want to learn how to use free and low cost social media tools to entrench your brand in your niche market, you need to follow Lisa's lead! She can help you turn your artistic talent into a vehicle that will help you enjoy your craft while also living a lifestyle you have always dreamed of."

About Indie Business

"Indie Business is where independent business owners connect, collaborate and succeed. We share tips and how-tos, and use the latest branded new media tools to create new relationships and expand our spheres of influence. Indie Business Breakfast is hosted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson, founder and president of the Indie Beauty Network and Indie Business Media. Known as the Chief Executive Indie and the Original Lifestyle CEO, Donna Maria is passionate about empowering people to maximize their potential through small business ownership. You can follow Donna Maria’s entrepreneurial journey at http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/. You can also connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IndieBusiness and on Facebook at http://companies.to/IndieBusiness"

I'll be attending the breakfast, wearing both my CMMAG Vice President's hat as well as my Kindred Spirit Studios hat ('haven't quite figured out what to wear to set both of them off!), and will have a piece of work on display. I'll be very interested to learn how else to use social media, and whether Twitter makes any sense at all (right now, I'm in the 'why in the world would anyone want to know I'm eating a salad for lunch?' camp) for my business. But these days, every little thing which can help with marketing, promotion and sales is much appreciated!

If you'll be here in Raleigh, or can make the trip, registration for the breakfast, which will be held at the John P. "Top" Green Neighborhood Center is here.

See you there!

Show Report: Gosport Arts Festival

2009-05-19T14:53:00.008-04:00

No, this isn't the exciting news I promised in my last post. I realized I hadn't reported on our second show of the year, in Portsmouth, VA: the Gosport Arts Festival, so here goes. This was our first time doing the show, but it came highly recommended to us by our friends Martha and Gaff Pearce of Lazy Lizard Pottery (we love Gaff's work, and have a stunning "Waterfall" vessel of his in our home gallery. That's Gaff in Florida, showing off his Award of Distinction from the Lake Wales show, with one of the waterfall vessels in the center of the top shelf).

The trip up to Virginia was fine, and our location at the show couldn't have been more convenient; it was within a half block's walk to our hotel! The show staff was helpful, setup went smoothly, the weather was fine (though there was a tremendous thunderstorm late Friday night, but our Flourish tent was tight as a drum!). Saturday was very hot and humid, but ours was a shady spot, so it wasn't too bad. Artists who'd done the show before commented about how sparse the crowd was in comparison to other years; there were lots of lookers, and very few buyers. We did sell a few pieces, but Saturday's overall results were disappointing (although I do have to point out that we've lowered our expectations in this year of such a terrible economic climate). On Saturday evening, after the show closed, the staff held an awards dinner for the artists. The Gosport Arts Festival benefits the Edmarc Hospice for Children in Portsmouth, and many of the volunteers who staffed the show were affiliated with Edmarc as well. It was a lovely evening, and though we didn't win an award, it was nice to meet our fellow artists and see how our work benefits this effort.
Sunday was a gorgeous day: bright, sunny, and much cooler; a perfect show day, and it was Mother's Day too. The crowd was noticeably larger, with many family groups with mothers carrying flowers. We sold much more on Sunday, and were able to meet all of our expenses plus have a bit more, which is great (those lowered expectations again). I sold 'Sinuous Rhythms III, Spirals' to a woman who came back twice to look at it. I've found that if people are really drawn to a piece of my work, they either buy it right on the spot, or they take time to walk away and think about it. And, if the piece truly resonates with them, they return to buy it. I love it when that happens, because it means my work has found a good home.

We enjoyed our time in Portsmouth, and would do the show again. In a better economic climate, I think this could be one of our better shows of the year...here's hoping that will be true in 2010.

More...later...

2009-05-15T14:23:00.004-04:00

Lots happening, and no time to post, but I'll have some exciting news next week. I didn't really believe in the whole "vision board" thing, but I have to say that the biggest vision I've had for awhile now is about to come to fruition--is it because I did the board at one of our Art Salon meetings? Maybe, maybe not. If so, I'll be doing more boards in the future!

I promise to tell all, but not now....'gotta go make the vision come true....

Have a great, creative weekend.

First Show: Mixed Results

2009-04-29T16:48:00.004-04:00

Our first show this year, as in the last two years, was Charlotte's Art & Soul of South End. It's an extremely well-run show: the staff does great pre-show communication, there's excellent volunteer assistance before, during and after the show, load-in and load-out are handled well, and the overall feeling is a positive, supportive one. The weather was great (hotter than we're used to in NC in April, but we didn't complain), and our booth looked great with the new shelves (more on that below). So why the 'mixed results' of the title? Because even with all of the above, attendance was significantly lower than in our two previous years, and sales were less than half of last year. There were also no prizes for artists as there had been in both previous years.

Despite all of this, we enjoyed the show and our returning customers. My postcard marketing program was the most successful it's ever been: 4 people either brought or mentioned their 20% discount postcard, and three of them made purchases. I now consistently have repeat business in Charlotte, which is great. My next marketing idea for these customers (who I'm going to call collectors from now on) is to have a special promotion targeted to them when I do my next show in Charlotte (stay tuned for details on that).

Here's how the booth looked with the new products and our newest addition: shelves which match our booth panel walls. We love the way they fill the space below the hanging items (an area which always bothered me before, since it was too low to hang most things and have them be easily seen), and being able to display both sizes of clock, the new 10x16 mirrors as well as mask wall hangings is just great.

So, all in all, it was an enjoyable if not particularly lucrative weekend; we were happy to have made some sales, given the state of the economy, and are hopeful about the rest of the show season. Our next show is in two weeks, in Virginia. Time to go create more product to get ready for it!

Off to Charlotte!

2009-04-24T16:12:00.004-04:00

The work is finished, the car is packed, everything's been crossed off our lists...it's our first show of the season: Art and Soul of South End, Charlotte. This will be our third time participating in this little gem of a show, held on Camden Street in downtown Charlotte.

Here are some of the new things I'll be displaying, including 12-inch Retro Round clocks, 8-inch mini clocks, and our newest mirror design. This will also be the first show we're doing under our new business name, which meant changing everything from booth signage to tags, to giveaways. It'll be interesting to see if people who remember us from other years do a double-take as they enter the booth. And as always, it'll be great to see if people on the mailing list bring in or mention their postcards they received early this month. That 20% discount could come in handy, these days!

The weather's going to be perfect, and I hope it'll be another great outing for us in Charlotte; one of my favorite places for art shows. So, if you're in the area, come by and say hello!

Have an artful weekend, whatever you do.

Happy Belated Blogoversary...We Have a Winner!

2009-04-13T17:20:00.005-04:00

We returned early this morning (at 2 am!) from a wonderful 10-day vacation in Sonoma, California, visiting a dear friend I've known since Wellesley.

So, I missed seeing the Happy Blogoversary button here yesterday (the count's back to 364 today, as you can see!).

But, as promised, we have a winner in my favorite "art thing" drawing....

Drumroll please...

Congratulations to reader Peggy, who shared her favorite "art thing," the book Material World, featured in my April 1st post.

As the first Artventuring Blogoversary Giveaway winner, Peggy will receive her choice of one of three mini clocks shown here.

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway, and as always, thanks to you dear readers of Artventuring for visiting, commenting, and supporting what I do.

More to come after I've waded through the 337 emails which arrived while I was gone!

Reader Favorite: "Material World"

2009-04-01T17:37:00.003-04:00

Reader Peggy shared her favorite "art thing": Peter Menzel's book of photographs entitled "Material World A Global Family Portrait". Here's how the book is described on his website:

'Daylight approaches: a father in Japan breakfasts on coffee, Pepsi, and vitamin pills before running for the train. Twelve thousand miles away in Haiti, a man winces as he shaves with a much-used dry razor blade. Two girls in Iceland run barefoot in the snow around a hot spring; a boy in the United States happily fills in a firearm-safety coloring book; two boys at a village in Mali amuse themselves by marching around in Mickey Mouse sunglasses. Alone in a hot farmhouse, the wife of a rice grower in Thailand takes a short nap on a teak floor, a TV soap opera chattering at her unconscious back. Welcome to Material World, a remarkable portrait of humanity at the end of the millennium.'

Published in 1994, "Material World" gives glimpses into the real world of people around the planet, using one family and its possessions to represent an entire country. As you flip through, you see both the disparities and commonalities of life at the end of the 20th century. It's a moving, thoughtful and innovative (though copied since then) way to present issues of economics, geography, and culture.

Peter Menzel collaborated with Faith D'Aluisio on "Women in the Material World," described this way:

'A testament to the indomitable power of the human spirit, Women in the Material World portrays the striking similarities and profound differences in women's lives on the eve of the twenty-first century. Under the direction of Faith D'Aluisio and Peter Menzel, a team of renowned women journalists traveled the world to take a closer look at the lives of women in twenty disparate lands. All too often, the picture of the planet we carry around with us-a picture formed of our own experiences and the stream of information from the mass media-is at odds with what is real and important. The world is much more diverse, sorrowful, and splendid than the white-washed and overwhelmingly present stereotypes many of us have in our heads. And it is much more female-there's a whole half of the world that is waiting to be heard from. It's hard to know what a real portrait of what's out there would look like, hard to imagine what a symphony composed of all the world's voices would sound like. But this book may well be an indication.'

Thank you Peggy, for reminding all of us that art is all around us; we just have to look and appreciate.

Remember: there's still time to enter Artventuring's 2nd Blogoversary Giveaway! Just post a comment here, tell us your favorite "art thing," and you're entered. Good luck. The prize drawing will be held on Monday, April 13th.

Reader Favorite: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

2009-03-25T10:42:00.003-04:00

Reader Jillian says Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is among her favorite "art things." Here's how she put it:

"It's quite a challenge to come up with one thing; we all have so many favorites in so many areas. I will have to choose my favorite book though, as this one has been my constant companion ever since I can remember and I keep it by my bedside still: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking
Glass by Lewis Carroll with the original illustrations. My memories of reading it with my Dad, of quoting passages with my family, of reading it to my children, and of browsing through many beautifully illustrated new versions, keeps it fresh in my heart. The perfection of the language, the cadences, the
utterly delightful, naughty, innocent, wry, brilliant humor, the sheer madness of it all; nothing better to cheer one up. For those readers who may not have
dipped into it in many years, give it a try! I think it may sound particulary wise in a topsy- turvy sort of way, in these trying times we are living through."

My own memories of the book revolve around my paternal grandmother, who read it to me when I was very young. I haven't read it myself...maybe I should! Thanks for the contribution, Jillian, and good luck!

Giveaways Galore!

2009-03-23T15:43:00.005-04:00

Don't forget to enter my 2nd Blogoversary Giveaway by sharing your favorite "art thing". I've already received a number of very interesting responses, and have shared two of them so far. Entries should be posted here, by Sunday, April 12 (Blogoversary Day). The winner will be chosen and posted to Artventuring on Monday, April 13. Good luck, and thanks for entering and sharing your favorites.

There's another blog giveaway going on, over at Michelle my Belle, Allen Designs. She's calling it her Goody Giveaway #5, and here are the prizes. I found Michelle's blog about a month ago, and I love her fun clocks, hand carved stamps and frames. Pop over to visit her blog, see her work, and enter to win--who knows, you might win both giveaways! How cool would that be?

Reader Favorite: Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild

2009-03-20T15:18:00.002-04:00

Thanks to our President Penny, I can remind you of the great organization of which I am a part: the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild (CMMAG). We are a group of over 30 artists who use a variety of media to create a wide variety of art. Our members include quilters, painters, jewelry designers, polymer clay artists, altered book artists, soapmakers, printmakers, dabblers in everything, both professional and those just beginning their artistic journeys. We meet face-to-face once a month, here in Raleigh, NC, and we try to have a "play day" at least once a quarter. Our membership also participates in an online Yahoo group where we share experiences, make announcements, and generally keep in touch.

As Vice President, I am charged with two main areas of responsibility: membership and maintainance of our blog. To see more about CMMAG, visit our blog. You'll get to know some of our members through our Member Interviews, and learn about some of our events.

So, thanks Penny, for your leadership and for entering my Blogoversary Giveaway with your favorite "art thing": the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild!

Reader Favorite: DrawSpace.com

2009-03-18T17:10:00.006-04:00

As promised, here's one reader's favorite online "art things". Thanks to Toni, I now know about, and can share with you DrawSpace.com. The site is full of lessons on everything from shading, to symmetry, to cartooning. Here's just a sample, from a lesson on transferring images:

"A telltale sign of a professional artist is the ability to render a neat, clean
artwork. Yet, quite often in early stages of the creative process, a potential
masterpiece becomes irreparably smudged, soiled, or damaged. This wonderful
simple technique shows you how experienced artists transfer the primary components of a drawing (or other image) to a fresh clean sheet of paper. As an aside, this technique is unknown to many students of art, but is certainly not new; in fact, it can be traced (pun intended) back to the great masters of the Renaissance."

I love learning about new resources. Thanks for the tip, Toni!

Blogoversary: Countdown to a Giveaway!

2009-03-15T16:24:00.005-04:00

I just realized my 2nd year Blogoversary is in less than a month! I'll skip the 'time flies when you're having fun' references, and say that it's been an interesting 2 years for me and my work. So, to commemorate this event, I'm going to have a giveaway contest with a twist.

One lucky blog reader will win the mini clock of his or her choice. The winner will be selected from all entries received by April 13, 2009 (the day after my Blogoversary, since it falls on a Sunday). How do you enter? Ah, that's the twist!

Entries will consist of comments logged on this post which include a favorite online "art thing" you'd like to share with me and my readers.

That "art thing" could be an image, a cool website, a book, another blog, a quote, or anything else you consider a favorite. That's it. The winner will choose among the three clocks above, which all run on one "AA" battery, which is included. You may enter as many times as you wish, one favorite "art thing" to an entry. I'll share some of your favorites in future posts.

So, send in your favorite "art things" and maybe you'll be the winner of one of my newest creations!

Stay tuned....

More New Work, and a First!

2009-03-13T13:09:00.009-04:00

First things first: I just received my first check from a sale at Circa Gallery today! Given these tough economic times especially here in North Carolina, it gives me hope that people still appreciate and will spend money on handmade art. As I head into my show season, with my first one next month, I am hopeful about prospects for sales.

In my original post in October about consigning work at Circa, I was hopeful the experience would be unlike the two disasters I'd had with other galleries. Thanks for your work on my behalf, Mandy and Amy, I truly appreciate it!

Now, on to new work. I've done another bamboo bowl wall hanging in the Sinuous Rhythms series. This time, I worked with purples, reds, and the gradations between metallic light gold and metallic copper. This one has the same polymer clay spirals as the second in the series. I'm happy with the results, and am anxious to see how they'll be received at shows. My plan is to hang them together as a set. Who knows, maybe someone will see them and just have to have all of them to make a dramatic statement on a large wall!

Here are two more from the Retro Round clocks series. I enjoyed the more subdued palette of silver, pewter, white and black--sometimes a limited palette is a good thing. The pendulum clock was an experiment; I wasn't quite sure how a pendulum would work with the bowl. As you can see, I turned the bowl so the polymer clay face is on the bottom of the inside of the bowl, which was necessary because the clockworks for the pendulum wouldn't fit the other way. The color combination of teal, red and black reminds me of 1960 era accessories. I'm not loving the way the pendulum looks with the clock...what do you think? As I said, it's an experiment, so comments are very welcome.

Then, for my first 12" Swirls clock, I chose one of my favorite color combinations: teal blue, sienna, copper and ultramarine. And, though you can't see it in the photograph, the polymer clay face is a blue with a bit of a sparkle.

Next to be completed are some mini clocks. It's been a challenge to translate a design which works in a larger size to a smaller one. And, ever mindful of decor, I'm sometimes working outside my color comfort zone to create pieces which will be appealing (for those of you who know me well, you know this means I'm having to work in the dreaded color of green!).

All of this while keeping up with my friends, both old and new on Facebook, and listening to my newest favorite online thing: Pandora Radio; I just love being my own dj while I'm working in the studio!

200th Post: One Juror's Opinion

2009-02-23T14:00:00.008-05:00

This is my 200th post. It took me awhile to get here since I don't post on a regular basis; just when I feel I have something worthwhile to share.

Today, I'll share my thoughts on art show jurying.
I was asked to serve as a juror for a local art show for the second time (their 2002 show was my first time), and we met on Saturday. There were over 250 applicants for 170 spaces, across ten categories, including wood, ceramics, jewelry, glass, 2-D, 3-D and photography. Each applicant was asked to provide five images, one of which was a booth shot. It was the first time the show accepted images on CD (previously only slides were accepted), and we four jurors were asked to rate each entry on a scale of 1 to 10, as we viewed each submission in turn, with all five images projected onscreen at once.

Some things to consider when you're applying to art shows similar to this:

1. Be sure to follow instructions for size, DPI, and dimensions--all of this matters! There were many, many entries which were too submitted at too small a size or too low a resolution for projection. These were very noticeable, and it was virtually impossible to see details of the work (since when enlarged, they became too pixilated). Of course, these artists suffered in ratings; if the jury can't see the work clearly, it will not score well.

2. Be sure your images are in focus.
This should go without saying, but clearly some artists need to be reminded. Again, if the jury can't make out what you're showing because it's blurry, you'll get a low score. Be aware of focus and resolution and the impact they have once your images are projected onscreen. If you need assistance with this, one place to start is at an online application site, such as Zapplication.org. You don't even have to register on the site; you can read about their requirements for online image submission h ere. Also keep in mind the visual overload to which jurors are subjected. We saw 266 entrants times 5 slides each, over a 5-hour time period. That's over 1,300 images (now I know why I had a headache all day yesterday!), so if you want your images to stand out, make sure they're in focus!

3. Speaking of standing out, be sure your images are lit well.
Once your image in focus, at the right size and DPI, the lighting of your object becomes vital. Yes, you can have a dark background, with a well-lit piece upon it--that works. If you have a dark background, dark object, and poor lighting--that definitely does not work. You want the jurors to be wowed by your object. Great lighting will do this.

4. Minimize distractions!
I won't say you can't set your artwork upon an interesting background pattern or, in the case of jewelry, upon an interesting object (one artist showed bracelets on a bed of raw white rice, which worked because the pieces were dark beads). What I will say is that you want the jurors to be wowed by your work, not distracted by what it's sitting on. If you're spending more time deciding on what to place your work upon than the work itself, go back to the basics, and minimize distractions. Remember, the jurors want to see the best examples of your work in your images; your display flair can and should be shown in the booth image.

5. Understand why jurors want to see your booth image.
If it says you shouldn't show your company name or yourself in the booth image, don't. This jury process was supposed to be blind; in the cases where we saw names or people, it clearly wasn't. Jurors want to see how well you present your work in a show setting. And, sometimes, if they're 'on the fence' about your work, the booth image can sway them. I rated artists with good looking work and sloppy or unprofessional looking booths much lower than those with good looking work and well done displays. Having done it myself, I know it's a challenge to come up with an attractive booth set up, but I believe if an artist hasn't spent the time to show off what she's created, it says she's not serious about her work. And, if she's not serious about her work, she can't reasonably expect others to take it seriously.
If you haven't done a show yet, but want to apply to a show which requires a booth image, set up your display in your backyard, or in your driveway. If you crop the photograph well, you may even be able to disguise the fact it's not at an actual show. Again, the way you display your work is most important, not the surroundings.

Images of Anne Leuck Feldhaus's art and booth, from her blog.
Note: Anne was not one of the artists submitting art to the show I juried.

6. Be sure you're showing consistent work: don't confuse the jurors!
If you do bright, abstract paintings, don't show 2 images of those, 1 of a more muted palette, with more representational objects, and 1 with your semi-realistic depiction of a well-known painting of an ocean wave, and a booth image showing indistinct, blurry work in a well-desgined tent display (this was an actual submission). Confusing to say the least. We asked: What is this artist's focus? Unclear. What is he or she best at? Up for interpretation. You do not want to leave jurors with the impression you're not sure what you're good at or what you're focused upon. That artist got a low score from me. If he or she had chosen one direction, presented all images of work with that focus, along with the booth image, I would have scored it much higher.

7. If you're asked for an artist's statement, provide it, and read it aloud before you include it with your application.
Yes, I'm serious; read it out loud, preferably to someone else. If it doesn't read smoothly, make coherent sense, or contain complete sentences: edit it until it does. There were several laugh-producing artist statements (they weren't meant to be funny), which showed the artists had not done this. If you're asked to describe your techniques, inspiration and/or motivations as they relate to your work, take the time to write a well-constructed paragraph and write legibly! The show director had a tough time with some of them, unable to read the 'chicken scratch' on the applications. Inexcusable.

8. Remember, your images, artist statement and application are the only things the jury has to evaluate your work.
Make these the best they can possibly be, even if it means having professional photographs taken of your work, studying and mastering online/CD submission requirements, writing and rewriting your artist statement, and having someone else proofread your final application. If you do all this, you'll have a better chance of having your work accepted to shows...trust this one juror's opinion.