Focus on the Positive

Work in Progress

Graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth 300 Series 100lb

Here of late, I have been worrying about why my art doesn’t sell. The biggest reason is because I have been creating pieces for family and close friends and I GIVE IT AWAY! I have been enjoying the process of creating that I can’t wait to share it with family and friends. I’ve been focusing on the positive elements of the process and not the end product of selling.

Yes, I still worry if other pieces will sell but while I’m waiting, I will still be creating. I have been thinking about creating smaller pieces that will enable me to get them done quickly. Quicker pieces results in more quantity. I’ll let God focus on the quality and I’ll focus on the quantity. Do you think I can pull it off?

What do you do when you run into the worry about sales?

Signatures and Lines

With the use of computers, writing is becoming a lost art. But we all sign our names. When you sign your name, you are expressing yourself with an element of art: line. On a sheet of scrap paper, write your name as you normally sign your name. Every time you write your name, you have expressed yourself in your own uniqueness. Try writing your name in three different styles. Look at the lines and let yourself respond to the nonverbal message each signature gives through the lines. A loose style implicates someone who is social, wears bright colors, and dramatic. A tighter signature says that a person could be quiet, reliable, and somewhat unadventurous. I might be wrong but a signature with sharp lines makes me think that a person is bold, easily angered, and stressed. Betty Edwards, from Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain says, “Your signature, however, does more than identify you. It also expresses you and your creativity. Your signature is true to yourself. In this sense, you already speak the nonverbal language of art: you are using the basic element of drawing, line, in an expressive way, unique to yourself.” I'm more of the tighter signature type, quiet, reliable, and somewhat unadventurous. What signature style are you?

Art for Sale

One of my friends recently launched a new sales blog, Art by Rose Welty in celebration of International Artist's Day on October 25th.  I think she chose an excellent way to celebrate!  Check out her work.  It's amazing.  She works in inks, pencils, and oils.

Rain, Rain

It's a rainy day today. Rainy days get me in a thoughtful and creative mood. So today, I'm being creative. I am working on a design for our family Christmas card. We send over 100 cards to friends and family each year. Now, mind you, I have a HUGE extended family. I have living 12 uncles and 8 living aunts plus many, many cousins that I don't even know. I don't send to all my cousins but I sure do send to all my aunts and uncles. And I have lots and lots of friends that I consider family. I won't be posting the card until it is sent out for the Christmas holiday. So, you'll just have to wait in anticipation. ;)

How do you spend your rainy days?

Wonderful Students

I have some wonderful students.  A little over a week ago, I had a birthday.  One of my dear students took a picture of me, plus had everyone in class sign a beautiful birthday card.

I've been very behind on posting on my blog and reading blogs.  Life has been hectic lately and hopefully soon it will slow down a little bit.  The word here is "hopefully".  

Hope you all are having wonderful days of painting and drawing!

Window Art

I've been busy the last couple of days painting..., painting on a window! The person who cuts my hair needed someone to paint on the window at the salon and he asked me if I could do it. Of course, I said YES! I've never done this before and found it extremely easy. The only thing it was a little breezy so the paint dried fast and left some streaks. You can't tell it unless you are standing there looking at it. In case you are wondering, I only had to paint one eye, the nose and the mouth. I guess it's a side-profile face. I had a couple of inquiries wondering if I would be interested in doing more of this type of work. So who knows.......

Playful or Serious

The first mistake of art is to assume that it is serious. ~ Lester Banks

This quote holds very true for me. I have been assuming I need to be serious about my art and promoting it. Of course, I hold myself up to a certain standard to my art doesn’t look like something I created in elementary school. So that part of seriousness is good. When it comes to promoting my art, I stink. I make it to be something very serious and end up hating every minute of it. I assume that I need to get so many pieces done so that I can launch a website, have something to sell, and so forth. This thinking gets me nowhere and all I want to do is nothing. I’ve taken all the play out of creating. So, the only time I play with my art is when I don’t have a piece that doesn’t have to be done by a deadline. The pieces I do for fun are usually the better pieces too. How do you approach your art, with play or seriousness?